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Morning Worship
Mary Lee Talbot
"When we decide that we are creatures of the lord, we allocate some of our words for praise. Worship is the practical name for this mouth-loosening activity. Sometimes, the words come out in song as we discover god beyond the debates, thinking and discussion; singing is the only sufficient outlet for praise," said the Rev. Peter Marty at Thurs- day's 9:15 a.m. morning worship service. His sermon title "Singing With our last Breath," and the Scripture text was Jeremiah 1: 4-10. Marty told a story of a young couple, Ben and renee, who were in Haiti at the time of the Jan. 12, 2010, earthquake. They were staying in a home for boys on the third floor with a cousin of Ben's. After the earthquake hit, renee and the cousin were able to get out of the building. Ben was trapped on the third floor. Renee let him know she was safe and then she heard Ben singing, "god's peace to us we pray," a new composition he had written. "Ben," Marty said, "spent his last breath singing. "everyone who takes Jesus seriously must take words seriously," he continued. "Jesus is the word made flesh. This is not a trivial claim; it is a tipoff for all of us as we navigate relationships that require words. We have non-verbal clues to attitudes, feelings and moods but words are critical to full relationships; they are the currency of living." Marty said that words possess the power to do things. in a courtroom, the judge breaks the silence with the words " 'the jury has found the defendant guilty,' and it changes lives. A lover looks at her mate and blurts out 'i love you' and sets off a ripple through the nervous system to the brain." Words can soothe, inform, judge, encourage and love, he said. They can express ideas and experiences, yet words can express more than ideas. "god said 'let there be light' and there was light," he said. "god spoke creation into existence. Words can func- tion like deeds, as the prophet isaiah said, 'My words did not return empty to me' but fulfilled their purpose. The Church defeated the roman empire by blanketing it with words, with the retelling of Scripture." He continued, "They did not use guns or swords or cannons. The church opened its mouth and spoke. roman society was organized around classifications — race, class, family name. The Church formed a people based on words." Words shape lives. "our paths are cut by swaths of words from the people who raised, encouraged and challenged us. But we are all capable of cheap words that treat life and people gracelessly. Words are the substructure of trustwor- thiness in relationships and once they are spoken they can never be unspoken," Marty said. "Words," he said, "are all i brought with me this week. They formed in my heart and mind and eventually are ex- pelled. They formed in my head and moved to your ears. As the Psalmist said, 'May the words of my mouth and medita- tions of my heart be acceptable in your sight.' " Speech is a physiological event and every word has a physical substance, a puff of air through the lungs, esopha- gus, larynx, tongue, teeth and lips. He repeated his warning that words once spoken can never be pulled back. "We can apologize sometimes but the words are officially gone." There are times when words will not come. The prophet isaiah could not speak the words of the lord until a seraph touched his lips with a coal and made his lips clean. Jeremiah was not capable of speaking for the lord until god touched his lips. "The beautiful dimension of the Christian life is that in life and death we sing. in living and dying, song is our strength. As the Psalmist says, 'open my lips, and my mouth will declare your praise,' " Marty said. The Rev. Scott Maxwell presided. Pat Brown, hostess at the Baptist House, read the Scripture. The prelude was "Trio in G Major" by Marcel Gennaro, played by Barbara Hois, flute, Rebecca Scarnati, oboe, and Debbie Grohman, clarinet. The Motet Choir sang "Love" based on I Corinthians 13:1-13, with text by Chris- topher Wordsworth and music by Gerald Near. Jared Jacobsen, organist and worship coordinator, directed the choir. The Harold F. Reed Sr. Chaplaincy supports this week's services. Singing is the only sufficient outlet for praise and worship


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This is the classic OMT shirt!
This shirt uses 6 recycled poly water bottles and all fabric is spun, knitted, processed and finished in the USA. They are also cut and sewn in Haiti for a better living wage.
The shirt's unique and proprietary blend is built from 50% Repreve® polyester from recycled plastic; 25% organic, US grown, combed, ring spun cotton; and 25% TENCEL™ Modal. These sustainable fibers combine to create a soft, flexible, and smooth fabric for a comfortable wearing experience.

subset: commoncrawl


text:
The PolyPen RP 410 is a sophisticated handheld instrument that incorporates an internal Xenon incandescent lamp and measures spectral reflectance of leaves between 380 - 1050 nm.
The PolyPen RP 410 firmware calculates formulas of commonly used reflectance indexes (e.g. NDVI, NDGI, PRI etc.) and displays these on its touch screen instantaneously as graphs or data sheets. All data are stored as full spectra in the Polypen's memory and are available for customised calculations and transfer to a PC.
PolyPen RP 410 features a complete system for measurement of spectral reflectance of an internal light source (Xenon incandescent lamp 380 - 1050 nm) from leaves.
Polypen RP 410 incorporates formulas of commonly used reflectance indexes (e.g. NDVI, NDGI, PRI etc.) into its software and displays values of selected indexes for the measured sample. Measured data are instantly displayed in graphs or data sheets on the device screen display. They are also stored as full spectrum in the device memory for later re-collection or transfer onto a PC.
PolyPen RP 410 is a self-contained system that runs on Li-Ion rechargeable battery and does not require any external PC. It features an innovative user interface with integral computer, full color touch screen display and built-in light source. The PolyPen is equipped with a non-destructive leaf-clip sample holder that has two inter-changeable adapters with reference standard for calibration of the light source and detector.
Transmittance - calculated data using the following formula
T= I/ I0, where I0 is reference light intensity and I is measured light intensity
Light Source: Xenon incandescent lamp 380-1050 nm
Spectral Response Range:
380 nm - 790 nm
640 nm - 1050 nm
Spectral Response Half Width: 8 nm
Spectral Straylight: -30 dB
Size of Aperture: 7 mm
Scanning Speed: About 100 ms
Touch Screen: 240 x 320 pixel; 65535 colors
Memory Capacity: 32 Mbit (up to 8000 measurements)
System Data: 16 bit AD conversion
Dynamic Range: High gain: 1:4300; Low gain: 1:13000
Communication: USB
Dimension / Weight: 15 x 7.5 x 4 cm / 300 g
Case: Splash-proof
Power Supply: Li-ion rechargeable battery
Battery Capacity: 2600 mAh
Max. Charging Current: 0.5 A
Charging via USB port: PC, power bank, USB charger, etc.
|PolyPen RP 410/UVIS
|Handheld, battery-powered device for measurement of spectral reflectance on flat leaves. Spectral response range: 380 to 780 nm. Black and white reference standards, inbuilt GPS module and USB communication are included in the price.
|3,999 €
|PolyPen RP 410/NIR
|Handheld, battery-powered device for measurement of spectral reflectance on flat leaves. Spectral response range: 640 to 1050 nm. Black and white reference standards,inbuilt GPS module and USB communication are included in the price.
|3,999 €
|Replacement of the Battery
and Device Recalibration *
|Replacement of the internal rechargeable battery
and the device recalibration.
|200 €
|Control and Data Unit
for Handheld Devices *
|Small, portable notebook (type according to current availability on the market).
|390 €
|Spectralon Reflectance Standard *
|For the highest diffuse reflectance values. Spectrally flat over UV-VIS-NIR spectrum. Optically flat to +/- 1 %
over the photopic region of the spectrum.
|200 €
|Self-Adhesive Rubber Pads
for PolyPens
|One set includes 10 solid pads (to be attached to the clip)
and 10 pads with an opening (to be attached at the optical head).
|12 €


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Hey friends!
Big news! Ruthless is now available in audiobook format. You can grab your copy today with your Audible credit or get it for FREE when you start your 30-day trial. (If you haven't started the Lawless Saga yet, now is the PERFECT time to do it. Books one and two are also available, and book four is coming soon to Audible!)
I cannot say enough good things about Jennifer O'Donnell, the talented narrator, or the wonderful people at Podium Publishing. They have created an experience that is simply out of this world. I wrote the book, and I found myself getting sucked in. Jennifer really is that good.
If you're like me, you probably made a New Year's resolution to read more — or, in my case, to read more consistently. Audiobooks are a great way to accomplish that goal. I listen to audio content while I'm making breakfast, getting ready, and cleaning the house. It's also a nice way to share your favorite books with your spouse or family members by forcing them to listen in the car. Haha! Dystopian ambush.
So what are you waiting for? Go download Ruthless on Audible. And let me know what you think! You can shoot me an email via the contact form in the menu or leave a note in the comments below!


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Client: Old Mutual International
Working with Old Mutual International, we have assisted the multi-award winning financial services organisation with communications across several levels:
Corporate messaging: Assisting in crafting communications focused on presenting Old Mutual International as a leading and forward- thinking voice that is able to talk authoritatively about current and future international market trends and demonstrating how a large island employer contributes to the local business market.
Corporate and Social Responsibility messaging: Assisting Old Mutual International to achieve maximum coverage to increase awareness of their significant contribution (both monetary and non-monetary) to the local community through various sponsorships, education programmes and fundraising activities.
Employer of choice messaging: Communications focused on highlighting Old Mutual International's commitment to its employees, presenting it as a desirable employer of choice on the Isle of Man.
With so much fantastic news, updates and authoritative articles to share, we've helped to secure some stellar coverage on island including full page reports inside the Isle of Man Examiner and Manx Independent newspapers, a number of online reports on iomtoday, impressive spreads inside monthly publication Portfolio and a number of audio interviews and online reports with radio stations Manx Radio and 3FM.


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Don't 'dis' My Ability
All the diners had arranged themselves roughly in the centre of the restaurant, except for one table.
Sitting in the furthest corner away from any other diners and under a loud TV was a family; two parents and their adult child who had an intellectual disability. They were distinctly separate; removed from other diners.
Now, humans are fairly predictable. We follow well-worn paths. We clump together. We struggle to be random, even when we try to be. For example, you can tell if someone has fudged their expenses because they will often include numbers ending in a zero or a five.* Yes really. Don't get any ideas! (*Is this where I enter my disclaimer?)
I admit that there may be a myriad of reasons why this family were separate (other diners had since left or they liked the TV? etc), but I couldn't help but wonder if they'd removed themselves because of their son?
And the minute I write that I want to correct it.
Not because of their son, but due to a fear of how people might react to them.
We naturally want to protect ourselves. Who wouldn't?
I know too as a gay woman, how much my own public behaviours are modified to remove any chance of being hassled, stared at or jeered. You self-select your protection measures.
Insight 1: DISCRIMINATION can create ISOLATION on route to PROTECTION
So you don't say anything, but you feel guilty. You feel guilty because what does it mean if I don't say anything? Does it matter? Well, yeah, because it's like I'm hiding. Does that mean I'm uncomfortable by my family's difference? No. I'm just scared about how I will be treated. I want to be open, but if I'm completely honest, I worry that..... And so the thought cycle goes round and round. It's exhausting.
I have a friend who works internationally in the developing world and travels a lot for work. Picture rural areas, broken pavements, pot holes, footpaths covered by market stalls, animals lying in your path, stairs not lifts etc. She clearly impressed them in her interview as she got the job. The first they knew of her wheelchair was when she entered the interview room.
Now, imagine that. Really imagine that.
Think of the emotional energy that goes into removing the chance for discrimination.
The excitement you feel at getting an interview takes a hit when you imagine the potential discrimination and previous experiences of 'not suitable for the job'. You try to work out how much it matters to you; whether or not you want to ask for the disability assistance that's available for the interview. NO, let's remove all chance of discrimination and just turn up. This protects you emotionally whilst holding the uncertainty of how it will be received. That's all before you even get to the interview.
That's a lot of emotional energy that could be redirected into more positive things.
Insight 2: INCLUSION removes wasted energy and creates a sense of BELONGING.
I'm not sure that people who are resistant to diversity realise that inclusion is going on all around them. They just don't see it.
And in many way they're not meant to. It's not for them.
It's a bit like a hidden code - only seen by those who can read it.
For example, my wife wears a sunflower lanyard when we go through airports. It shows staff that she has a hidden disability and might need assistance. A Rainbow flag sticker on a cafe door shows me it's a safe space. A Rainbow badge worn by the nurse and doctor in the UK's National Health Service tells me I'm seen.
These visual cues are so important. We all know to be careful walking near someone with a white cane. It is no effort for us, but makes the world of difference to that individual.
BUT, we still need to listen and not assume that we understand the code. We all speak different emotional and observational languages..... and if we go back to those *fudged expenses (*ahem...insert another disclaimer here), we need to remember that we struggle to be random. Based on our own set of cultural and social reference points, we tend to assume that our own observations of an individual's behaviour equals that person's intentions. Mostly, it doesn't.
I suspect that we've all stomped along that well-worn path of human predicatibility at some point in our lives.
Insight 3: ASK FIRST - Always! and FOLLOW THEIR CUE
The woman approaches. I now see she has britle bone disease. I'm hoping she goes straight past us and doesn't see us. But of course no, she pulls up, right next to us to also cross the road. The five of us in a row, waiting like peas in a pod - sandwiched together between two traffic light poles.
Angie and I stare straight ahead, trying to act as though wheeling a rubber man around in a wheelchair is normal. Mind you, he's quite life-like so people often don't realise that he's not real.
And then I see her.
I see her slowly turn her head to look at Ichabod. The look of surprise is palpable.
She opens her mouth to speak.
I wait, worried.
And then in a broad Glaswegian accent she says Aye, and there I was thinking I was the special one! before laughing uproarously.
I'm fairly sure I then embarrassed myself by chatting to her waaay too enthusiastically. My relief burbling out with freaky friendliness.
It is also safe to say that I didn't 'style it out' particulary convincingly.
But I didn't care. She showed me how to 'style it out' like a pro.
Thank you Glaswegian woman. You taught me well that day.
Cath x
Tears in the Bathroom
A bag of oranges here. A packet of dates there. A box of biscuits.
Different food groups, but all the same within their collective packet.
It's the reason that supermarkets, haven't offered (until recently) imperfect fruit and vegetables. We like symmetry and we like to lump together.
We like to lump together when it comes to people too.
We do it with nationalities. We do it with gender. We do it with religion. We do it with..... well, everything.
It's easy isn't?
But have you noticed that we only do it when our words have derogatory intent?
When was the last time you heard someone say,
Oh that's so typical of women to be amazing at juggling family life and work?
or maybe,
Typical men, they're so good at raising their kids.
Me neither.
We lump together and generalise when we want to slag off or have our misguided judgements confirmed.
Oh yeah, but that's not always the case I hear you say.
I wouldn't say that because some guys aren't great at raising their kids.
You're right, They're not, but I challenge you.
Do you afford the same positive variations and distinctions when generalising in a derogatory way? Do you say, Ah, typical men! or do you pause and say, that's so typical of a certain type of man?
Generalising Isolates and Incites Hate
I've seen it. It's not pretty. In fact it's horrid.
Social media is not kind. Faceless 'warriors' influencing and creating fear against certain people. Massive generalisations.
Transphobia. Xenaphobia. Islamaphobia...to name a few.
Inclusion and Being a Friendly Face is Not Hard
It's not till you see someone else's every day, that you realise the reality of why we need to reach out.
On one of my last trips to the USA I was standing in a slow security queue at an airport. People were starting to get irritated at the delay. The security team were being extra thorough on one person. A muslim woman and her 3 year old child.
People smiled as he played behind her, leaping onto anything he could climb, but at the front of the queue you could have cut the air with a knife. The security guys were doing their best to be polite, but there was a massive elephant in the room, stomping down the conveyor belt.
I swear I heard it blow its trumpet, at least twice. Once when they insisted on putting the woman's bags through the scanner for a third time and again when they offered to repack her now completely jumbled bags. She fought back tears as she grabbed her bags; all her belongings falling out. No, I'm okay. I'll pack them myself, she said, clearly desperate to get away from the public spectacle.
It was awful to watch. We all knew why she'd been stopped, but no one said those words.... Muslim woman.
A few minutes later I was in the toilets and realised she was there too.
By now she was crying too. She leant forward to hug me. There we stood in the bathroom, two strangers in tears, hugging each other.
And the incredible thing...?
I spoke to her to give her comfort, but in reality she gave me comfort. That experience of 'other' was new to me. THAT reality check of someone else's life.
How is it that we've got to the point where the victim is the one who reassures the privileged? And because they are so used to being treated as 'the other', it's become their normal.
That frightens me.
I do not want to live in that world.
December Envy
I'm the first to admit that I get jealous. Not always, but it's there.
I even hear the words, 'Why am I not doing that?'.
In seeing family doing something exciting whilst I'm at my desk or seeing a friend enjoying sun, as my windows rattle violently with the wind and rain, my mind wanders to imagine what else I could be doing.
I feel kind of vulnerable admitting this, as though it's some sort of failure, but I often want to be somewhere I am not. I crave external stimulation and excitement. I want to be on the go, travelling and I thrive when I am.
BUT, over the years I've also learnt 3 Valuable Lessons.
LESSON 1: People don't post the hard truths of their lives.
We project our 'best lives' - a manufactured identity. We post the activities and experiences that leave us in a positive light. Unless we want sympathy, we don't post about our financial woes, fighting with your partner about their parenting or your worries about whether you and your kids can cope emotionally with the next 2 years of your partner's global job.
We know that much of social media is a modified truth. The activities being posted are real, but they are the skimmed down, cut and paste version of life. It's sometimes helpful to remind ourselves to see them for what they are.
LESSON 2: Having a great holiday doesn't exclude people from having had a sh*t year.
You might want the wonderful holiday your friend is enjoying and posting about, but do you also want the difficult year he's endured?
When you don't see someone's day to day struggle, it's easy to not appreciate their reality - and the very real need for a much-earned holiday. We don't see the struggle so it hasn't happened. We don't see the hard work that goes into a tough year. We don't see the tears, the anxiety, the frustrations. We see the celebratory times posted online and it's easy to slip into jealously and wishing we were there too.
Step back.
See your many blessings.
Cherish that your friend is getting the break he deserves.
LESSON 3: The grass is not always greener
I love the expression, 'the grass is always greener on the other side'. In thinking there's something better than our current situation, this attitude could be mistaken as being a good motivator to improve one's life.
BUT, it can sit within a context of comparing one's life to another's, wanting more without being grateful for what is, and forgetting that wherever you go, you take yourself with you.
It's a disruptive state of mind.
It leads to regrets.
So, next time you feel yourself wanting to chase something greener, consider two of the key things that matter to us most, here at Drawn to a Story:
You are who you are and your sense of belonging begins within.
I like to think that you've had a jolly good apprenticeship at being you (whatever your age).
Now is the time water the grass and become the 'best you'.
I know that you know everything I've already said, but I also know that when I'm tired at the end of the year, I'm not at my best.
I'm guessing that you might not be too.
* There'll be those of you who have not bought a single Christmas present yet. (No judgements here, that's usually me!)
* Some of you are having everyone over for Christmas Day and you're in a mild panic.
* And if you're like me, I know some of you will be looking out the window at the cold weather and missing your hot 'home' country.
So, whatever your circumstance, remember.....
Battling to Belong
Have you ever thought, that what's a one day joke for you, may be somebody else's everyday of not belonging?
They may offer a smile in an attempt to be accepted and not offend your joke.
But what's going on inside that person?
Maybe their smile yet again covers the sudden desperate weight in their chest that comes with a 'joke'.
It's just a joke right?
Banter, we all love banter don't we? Yeahhh!
Watch the video and after you've watched it, I'd love to hear your thoughts in the comments below or on our Facebook page.
Cath x
Releasing the Spoon
In a few months time I will be speaking at the
Families in Global Transition conference.
It's mainly a conference for people who live a globally mobile life and the companies that operate globally.
A group of us who live in different parts of the world were looking at staying together. You know? Trying to work out how to save money and fit 5 people in a 3 bed place.
And the inevitable happened...
We started to joke about spooning. Well, you would wouldn't you?
It certainly kept us entertained on WhatsApp for an afternoon....
....and reminded me of nights travelling, four of you squeezed into the tiny spare room of the friends who'd kindly put you up for the night.
Dare I suggest the new hashtag #FIGTspooning?
But seriously, it got me thinking about FIGT...
The conference has a wonderful ability to make you feel like you've 'come home'. Rather than being the odd one out in your host country, everyone in the FIGT room understands the quirks and challenges of living elsewhere.
FIGT2018 was outstanding.
It allowed me to breathe again.... I had finally found my people!
And then, this morning and completely unrelated....
another friend sent me this picture below of a dog - its owner cleverly using a spoon to stop the dog from escaping through the fence.
And it was a decision that changed my life.
I now have a new group of friends whom I love dearly and communicate with regularly.
I met my best mate at FIGT.
It's been an amazing year of laughing, talking, soul searching and deep connection.
I've started new projects off the back of #FIGT18....and emotionally,
I'm an entirely different person.
I'm settled in a way that I hadn't been for a long time.
Going to the FIGT conference sparked something that has fed me deeply this last year.
FIGT really is a wonderfully diverse organisation that promotes cross-sector connections for developing best practices that support the growth, success and well-being of people crossing cultures around the world.
There's a reason FIGT goes by the phrase, 'A Reunion of Strangers'.
It's not just big picture and big companies. In fact FIGT is the complete opposite.
Rather, it's about creating rich personal connections that thrive across the vast distances that we all live from each other.
I'll be there this year again in Bangkok doing a Lightening Presentation and Living Elsewhere will be in the bookstore.
If you're wondering about whether to come, definitely do!
You never know where it might take you.
See you there!
Cath x
Loss and Liminality
The loss of a loved one hits you like a cricket bat.
Square in the face.
And it hurts.
It hurts big time.
It's multilayered at the best of times, but your best coping strategies are well and truly stretched when you live in another country. The distance between your souls is far apart, but you hang on to the knowledge that you will see each other again.
...and that's before death hits.
You can cope with the distance, because you talk regularly on the phone, exchange emails and know that when money permits, you can travel to see each other.
There's always that future time when you know you can sit in the same room catching up in a way that phone calls never seem able to do. Reminiscing with each other - enjoying the sound of their laugh or the wry look they give you. Each facial expression reminds you of another time that you managed to share special time together.
You learn to live with seeing each every 2 years, or once a year if you're lucky. So you make it really good when you do.
And best of all, you always know that there will be next time.
Until there's not.
My father died 4 months ago and I still feel like I've just been hit with that cricket bat. It's not such a fresh wound. The bruises have gone. I now look like anyone else, but my eyes still water with the pain. Cricket bats are painful bastards.
Now, my comfort comes from a picture by my bed, a jumper and a poncho.
Some days, just knowing the poncho and jumper are there, is enough.
I was lucky enough to be able to rush to South America where he lived to spend time with him before he died. A surreal time with loss and liminality using each other to balance.
I think they knew each other well.
'Loss' seemed more of a fragile character.
She knows that I was wary of her, but also that she would need to become my friend soon enough. We danced around each other, eyeing one another for 12 days.
We didn't speak much.
'Liminality' on the other hand was more of a friend to me in that time.
She was quite down to earth, but kept disappearing on me. I didn't know where she would go, but every time she did, Loss came forward trying to sneak her way into the room.
Once she even picked up the cricket bat by the door, but put it down again when I looked at her.
I knew I was only putting off the inevitable.
And the inevitable came after I'd flown home.
Unfortunately, Loss decided she wanted to play cricket...another 4 times.
To experience 5 significant deaths in 4 months has felt more like a round with Mike Tyson, than a cricket match.
It's probably not a surprise to learn that I've decided to not play cricket for a while.
I'm happier at an away game drinking tea, watching from afar.....at least until my injuries heal.
If the captain asks me if I want to play again, I know what I will say.
"Yes, but as long as my dad can watch over me from the sidelines"
It's the house-on-fire question isn't it?
'What would you grab if you only had a few minutes to get out of your house?
There's the obvious ones like family photos and your beloved pets. I'm also likely to grab practical things like my computer drive, passports, credit cards, clothes etc. They are all the obvious items that I think we'd all choose if we had to make a quick decision.
But what about the other objects around your home?
I'm talking about the ones that tell a more detailed and multilayered story of your life - their meanings not fully tangible to other people, but are imbued with a rich personal depth that reveal the story of your life.
For me that meaning comes with a personal experience.
The object triggers so much more than what appears on the surface.
There's also certainly something wonderful about finding an object in the ground and piecing together its story.
From an early age my parents took us travelling. Where possible, time wise and financially, we spent holidays camping in the outback, learning to 4WD, learning to like our own company, learning to appreciate and respect the ancient Aboriginal culture that forms the foundation of Australia. And when more money and more time permitted, we backpacked overseas. I feel very privileged to have been given the opportunity to grow up learning about the world through the eyes of the people we met on our travels.
But these experiences were not always ones I'd like to repeat. In India our train was held up for several hours by bandits in the middle of the night, other passengers telling us to hide as we would be easy targets.
In Egypt I remember our taxi being stopped by the police. As foreigners we were viewed as potential drug traffickers. The doors were forced open and the police started to pull the panelling off the doors as they searched for narcotics. As a 10 year old sitting in the back seat, I started to giggle – mainly through fear, but very quickly stopped when mum's face showed me the seriousness of the situation. On not finding any drugs our taxi was allowed to continue.
There's something about taxis actually; they seem to feature quite heavily in my experiences of other countries. It was 2am and we'd just settled back into the taxi after stopping for tea. We were travelling to Kipling Camp in northern India, where we were hoping to see tigers.
The thick jungle-like vegetation made for a fairly monotonous journey that was, until a man walked out into the middle of the road. Our driver slowed down and rather than waiting for the window to be wound down, the man opened the front passenger door.
Something wasn't right.
Our driver's face told us all we needed to know.
He was scared.
Dad managed to pull the door shut again and quickly reached around to us in the back and told us to lock the doors. The driver was frozen with fear, but managed to move off again with Dad repeatedly telling him to drive, getting slightly more frantic each time he didn't move.
As we drove off and looked behind us, we saw about another 10 men walk into the middle of the road from the bushes all carrying machetes.
Who knows what might have happened, but I don't think they were expecting foreigners. The split second look of shock of the man's face when he opened the door was enough of a delay to save us.
LISTEN TO OTHERS with KINDNESS AND ACTION
It is these situations that have made me look at the world differently. It's opened my eyes to the fact that everyone has a story and everyone's story is their own. We are all human. Our diversity is what makes us unique, but it's also what makes a whole.
In 2005 I spoke to a man in Syria, who said:
How do you reply to that kind of comment?
How do you answer the woman also in Syria, who during the Iraq war walks straight up to you out of the blue and asks, 'do you like Iraqi people?'
...or the woman in Vietnam that says 'we are sick of people coming to look at us after the war'.
How do you cope with the racist attitude of a couple in the northern territory who are happy to give the man next to us a lift down the road, until they realise he's Aboriginal?
You respond in the way you know how...
For me it's about sharing people's stories, whether it's a man on the other side of the world or the local artist who crafts items from driftwood she finds on the beach.
People's stories like this are replicated all over the world. Our social history gives us a place and a soul; otherwise what else are we other than just creatures with no connection to each other?
Our stories need to be shared, witnessed and honoured.
We make communities this way and as we start to understand each other's lives, we can support one another through the tougher times.
On my window ledge, there's a polystyrene figure that I carved when I was going through a tough time. It reminds me of my strength and the growth that comes from these challenges. I have dried Eucalyptus and Wattle leaves which remind me of home in Australia. Then there's the cute soft toy duck I bought when I travelled overseas on my own for the first time. I just liked it at the time, but now it feels like one of my first acts of adulthood and of branching out on my own.
So, which are your favourite objects?
Which ones tell the tale of your life?
I've been here over 11 years now. Am I still am expat? I don't have a contract that I know will end in 2-3 years and then I'll go home. I moved for love. My wife is British and I moved to England to live with her. So....lovepat it is.
So how does a one way ticket feel for a lovepat?
It's quite something to sit on a plane, having packed up your entire life and know that you're leaving home, but not know if you will ever return. I felt excited and enjoyed the feeling of the unknown, but I was also a bit scared and slightly unsure - was I doing the right thing?
But deep down I knew that I still had choices to return home to live if I wanted to.
But what if you can't go home?
I heard the most amazing play on BBC's Radio 4 this week. 'Minority Rights and the Hanging Gardens of Babylon - The Fernhill Philosophers'. In it the Eritrean character - a highly educated man, who was unable to go home said, "Exile is a kind of death, but I try to live".
It's a powerful statement isn't it? 'Exile is a kind of death, but I try to live.'
Imagine living with that everyday. Imagine our friends in Syria who cannot go home as home no longer exists. Imagine the exiled LGBTQI person that will be murdered if they go home. Imagine knowing that you will never go home to all the people and places you hold dear.
It's beyond painful....
But exile is not just about people from other countries. Imagine feeling like you're in exile because no one understands you and your autism. Imagine the stress of trying to do your job well, but your dyspraxia plays havic with your ability to remember what your boss asked you to do. Imagine people always looking at you oddly because your muscles make you walk differently.
We need to care and support people. We need to ask them what they need, because until we've walked in their shoes we know nothing of their lives.
But we can listen. We can listen openly and with love, and we can see ourselves in everyone we meet. If we listen we start to learn differently and we also start to learn the similarities. I love the Vietnamese expression, 'same same, but different'. We are the same but we are all different too.
We are all a piece of the giant puzzle of humanity. No two puzzle pieces are the same shape, all rounded slightly differently, but I know that I can't make up the picture without another puzzle piece, and another piece.....and another, and another, until we all fit together; different, but each forming an integral part of the same picture.
We need each other.
Whomever we are - what ever country we come from - and whatever our abilities.
Sometimes we're that lone piece of the puzzle that doesn't seem to fit anywhere. We can't seem to find our way. But suddenly the piece of puzzle is turned around and with a shift in perspective there's a connection - a connection to another piece and another, and as more and more connections are found, the puzzle bonds together more firmly.
It's much like life and community. On our own we may feel unconnected and wonder how we fit into 'the bigger picture'. But start to shift perspectives and you start to see others more deeply.
You start to see the intangible layers, the personal stories in people's eyes, the body language that shows their discomfort, the way they eat food that shows a rich cultural heritage, the non-stop talking that tries to hide their nerves, the accent that makes them 'not like me' and makes them hide the other 5 languages they speak, the jokes they make so you love them, the respectful silence you take as shyness, the constant movement that helps them to focus, the clothing they wear with pride but you don't understand......the.....the..... The list is endless.
All I ask of you is to pause.
Draw breath.
Open your ears and eyes.
Open your heart.
Be the shift in persepective.
None us of want to be that lone puzzle piece.
The Handshake
The next day I found myself driving to the site with an old Aboriginal man as my passenger. I wondered what on earth I was going to talk to him about as we were worlds apart. There I was, a young non-indigenous woman from the city, him, an old Aboriginal man from the country. We drove in silence. I wasn't frightened by the silence, but it made me think about other times I'd been 'out bush' with my family on 4WD holidays.
I started to talk about my love of the bush and camping in the middle of nowhere. We passed a dead roo by the side of the road, the smell hitting our nostrils, making me screw up my face and smile. I made a comment about the dangers of roos by the road at sunset, when he began to recount an amazing story about having to drive along a country road at night without working headlights. The lights had died on route and the only way he could see well to drive was to stick closely behind the well-lit road-trains (large trucks) which frequent country Australia. But, this didn't work for long. The road-train must have hit a kangaroo, because suddenly a dead kangaroo came flying out from under the truck and landed on his car! We talked about kangaroos, camping trips, camp fires, watching the sun go down over the desert, and about his life as a feral goat catcher.
Arriving at the art site, I got on with work and he sat in the shade. We occasionally acknowledged each other throughout the day and again shared silence over lunch. At the end of the day I put out my hand to shake his and said, 'thank you'.
He took my hand, said nothing, and shook it in the usual manner, but as I went to release my grip, he wouldn't let go. He continued to hold my hand firmly for what felt like ages, placing his other hand on top of our hands. Finally he looked up and smiled at me. 'Thanks love'. Two simple words, but it was a special moment that confirmed we'd had a good day together.
January 2020


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What are the best ways to contact GymCube?
The best way to contact GymCube is by email. For all queries please email [email protected] and one of our friendly customer care team will respond as quickly as possible. Please be aware, GymCube's office hours are Monday-Friday, 9am-5pm (UK time)
GymCube's Customer Care Team, Molly, Alessia, Cherie and Katie


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Pac-12 to host conference championship game at Levi's Stadium
The Pac-12 title game will be held at $1.2 billion Levi's Stadium in Santa Clara, Calif. (Courtesy Pac-12 Conference)
The Pac-12 Conference announced Thursday that the league's football championship game will be held at Levi's Stadium for the next three seasons.
Levi's Stadium, in Santa Clara, Calif., is the home of the NFL's San Francisco 49ers.
The game will take place on Dec. 5, though no time for the game has yet been announced. The stadium will also host Super Bowl L in 2016 and the Fight Hunger Bowl starting this season.
"Pac-12 football is among the deepest and best football conferences in the country," said Pac-12 commissioner Larry Scott. "Our Football Championship Game is important for selecting a team for the Rose Bowl and possibly the College Football Playoff, and we are thrilled to offer student-athletes and their fans the ultimate venue to culminate a successful season."
Before the season, the conference championship was held at the site of the division champion with the best record. Last season,Stanford beatArizona State 38–14 at Sun Devil Stadium in Tempe, Arizona.
STAPLES: College football's great scheduling debate is all about incentive


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Top 10 business intelligence, analytics and CPM stories of 2010
Find out what the top business intelligence (BI), corporate performance management (CPM) and business analytics stories were for 2010 – including SaaS BI, Excel for BI and predictive analytics.
Although the recession is officially over and the economic pendulum is slowly swinging toward the positive, IT budgets are still tight in many organizations. But companies continue to invest in business intelligence (BI), data analytics, corporate performance management (CPM) and data visualization tools to help get them through the tough times and put them in position to flourish in the future. In fact, lots of organizations are working to broaden their BI capabilities and make the use of BI and analytics tools more pervasive among their end users. The push to expand BI deployments was one of our choices for the most noteworthy stories that SearchBusinessAnalytics.com reported on during the past 12 months. Take a look back at that and the other top BI, analytics and CPM stories of 2010.
10. Mega-vendors boss the BI market – but their power isn't absolute
In its 2010 BI Magic Quadrant report, consulting firm Gartner Inc. said that the usual mega-vendor suspects – IBM, Microsoft, Oracle and SAP – continue to dominate the BI software market. But customer satisfaction levels were down for some of them, according to Gartner – a situation that SAP, for one, tried to remedy via expanded support for BusinessObjects users. Gartner found the same kind of forces at play among CPM vendors: A separate Magic Quadrant report split that market into CPM integrators and innovators, and Gartner later said that Software as a Service (SaaS) and pure-play CPM vendors topped the customer satisfaction rankings in a survey of vendor-supplied reference users. That's all the more reason to make sure you buy the right BI, analytics and CPM tools for your organization.
9. Companies still eyeing BI consolidation/standardization
More than half of the respondents to a SearchBusinessAnalytics.com survey on BI priorities and challenges last March reported that their organizations were using multiple BI tools. With so much BI software in place, many organizations continue to eye BI tool consolidation as a way to clean up their systems and reduce costs. Florida State University is one example: A multi-year BI standardization project ended up saving the school about $350,000 in software license and maintenance fees as well as support costs, according to CIO Michael Barrett. But companies would be smart not to jump on the BI consolidation bandwagon without giving it a lot of thought first, cautioned Baseline Consulting's Jill Dyche: "Shelfware is one thing, but I'd strongly advise you not to rip any type of valuable reporting or analytics capability out of the hands of an earnest and well-meaning business user."
8. CPM's horizons broaden, but usage remains relatively low
While most businesses are sold on using BI tools, CPM software is a completely different ballgame. Despite the technology's potential benefits, CPM adoption levels remain low, according to analysts and our survey. But among the organizations that are using CPM tools, a growing number are looking to the software for help with more than just forecasting, budgeting and planning. In addition, on-demand CPM software is helping small and medium-sized businesses overcome barriers to adopting the technology.
7. Vendors push mobile BI – is anyone listening?
With almost everyone (and their pets) owning smartphones and more and more people buying iPads, BI vendors increasingly are pushing mobile BI software for use in accessing reports and executive dashboards on mobile devices. But mobile BI doesn't appear to be a major priority for a lot of companies at this point. For example, only about 30% of the respondents to a survey conducted by consultant Howard Dresner said they were actively using mobile BI tools, and there was an almost even split on whether mobile BI is an important technology. The real value of mobile BI, according to Jill Dyche, "lies in the field, or in the stores, or on the manufacturing floor" – as a tool for end users who "need information on demand" in order to do their jobs.
6. Social media analytics enters the picture
As more and more people use social networking sites such as Facebook and Twitter, companies increasingly are turning to those sites to engage their customers and track what people think of – and are saying about – their products and services. And BI and analytics vendors are offering tools designed to help businesses mine and make sense of social media data. Last spring, for example, SAS unveiled a social media analytics suite for use in analyzing blog posts, tweets and Facebook status updates. But some analysts and BI professionals have questions about the functionality and maturity of the social media analytics software that's currently available. For now, experienced users said, the key to social media analytics success for organizations that are pursuing the technology lies in commitment, experimentation – and patience.
5. A heavy layer of fog obscures visibility of agile BI
Agile business intelligence emerged as a much-discussed concept during 2010, but there's still a lot of confusion about what agile BI really is. At a TDWI conference in August, some attendees thought it referred to applying agile development principles to their BI environments, others thought it meant the ability of BI to help an organization become more adaptable, and still more thought it was just another buzzword. Wayne Eckerson, then research director at TDWI and now head of research for TechTarget's Enterprise Applications Media Group, thinks agile BI includes elements of all three of those viewpoints. It's more of a mentality aimed at making businesses "go as fast as possible" than a specific methodology, Eckerson said. On the other hand, Dyche's take is that "many companies are attracted to agile [BI] approaches because they don't have the organizational discipline to instill solid BI development processes." Ouch!
4. SaaS BI steps into the limelight
SaaS BI software has been around for years, but the cloud-based technology – which holds out the promise of faster deployments and reduced hardware and system management requirements – finally began stepping out of the BI shadows during 2010. SAP helped generate some of the buzz by releasing a new SaaS BI product suite that it claimed could bring "BI to the rest of us." And companies such as Genband Inc. and Wine Management Systems are actively using SaaS BI and reporting tools to streamline the process of building reports for business users or to enable customers to create their own customized reports. Still, cloud-based BI might not be right for everyone; it's important to know about and prepare for the challenges and obstacles that come with using SaaS BI software.
3. Pervasive BI, expanded use of tools become bigger BI priorities
A growing number of companies say that they're looking to make their BI systems more pervasive by giving more businesses users access to the technology. In addition, more and more organizations are working to broaden their use of BI tools beyond basic reporting and data analysis. But efforts to expand the BI process can take years to complete because of data quality problems and other challenges. As mentioned above, SaaS and on-demand BI tools could help enable pervasive BI deployments; technologies such as data visualization, social media analytics and unstructured data analysis are also seen as having potential for spreading BI to more business users. But regardless of how businesses reach the pervasive peak, training end users is the key to successful pervasive BI projects, according to Rick Sherman, founder of consulting firm Athena IT Solutions. His reasoning is simple: People won't use the technology if they don't know how or why they should be using it.
2. Still the king: Excel continues its BI tool supremacy
Go to any BI or data warehousing conference and you'll likely hear about the evils and data management disasters that come with all of the Excel-based "spreadmarts" that business users refuse to let go of. In fact, you might think that Excel is akin to the bubonic plague – and for a lot of businesses with poor spreadsheet management practices, you might be right. But according to Gartner analysts and attendees at the firm's annual Business Intelligence Summit, it's time for IT and BI managers to wave the white flag on using Excel for BI purposes. Their advice: Make your peace with spreadsheets and focus on developing processes for properly using Excel in BI projects. That was music to Microsoft's ears, of course. Hoping to further capitalize on Excel's continuing BI popularity, the software vendor released a PowerPivot for Excel add-in that lets end users integrate nearly unlimited amounts of data into their spreadsheets for analysis – although it also added a SharePoint version with management capabilities designed to help ease the collective minds of IT groups.
1. Interest in predictive analytics heats up
A relatively small number of the organizations that responded to the 2010 SearchBusinessAnalytics.com survey were using predictive analytics tools – just 16%. But 48% said that they planned to add predictive analytics software within the next 12 months, giving it the top spot on the analytics technology adoption list. Industry analysts also see predictive analytics as the next big battleground for BI vendors, which increasingly are developing or acquiring predictive analytics technology with the goal of incorporating it into their core platforms. In October, for example, IBM announced a new version of its Cognos BI software with predictive analytics capabilities built in. Thus far, many of the early adopters of predictive analytics are focusing not on wider market and economic trends but on individual customer analysis in an effort to understand what specific customers are likely to buy so that marketing campaigns and up-sell offers can be tailored to them.


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New Zealand, a diverse and rugged country. Still undiscovered when the Maori first arrived on its shores. Explore the exhibition and discover the Maori, their country, world view, social networks and their art and family treasures.
The dance "haka" and the tattoo-tradition "moko" are world-known symbols of Maori culture. Today, the Maori, first discoverers and inhabitants of New Zealand, make up roughly 15% of the population.
The exhibition explains the Maori concepts of "mana" and "tapu" and invites to discover the Maori culture in the past and the 21st century. Themes of the exhibition are:
- "waka": the mythical canoes of the first discoverers
- "marae": the central meeting grounds and houses – a tradition still alive
- "whakapapa": the genealogy, a paradigm of cultural discourse that provides the basis for establishing, enhancing, and even challenging relationships between individuals, families, local tribal entities and regional tribal bodies
- "taonga": The cultural treasures embody the ancestral identity
The exhibition contains 140 objects from three centuries and contemporary art works. Film and audio sequences specially made for the exhibition reflect tradition and change in Maori culture. The exhibition is suitable for the whole family. In addition to beautiful objects, interactive media stations and educational installations, children from the age of 6 years can follow a kiwi on a trail through the exhibition.
"Maori" is an exhibition of Museum Volkenkunde Leiden. The concept was varied for Linden-Museum Stuttgart. Objects are from the collections of the ethnographic museums in Leiden, Stuttgart and Dresden and from private collections.
Be fascinated by the power, the creativity and persistence of the Maori who still struggle for land rights.
Dance the haka! Try the moko!
Immerse yourself into the Maori world.


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What is a lease option?
A lease option is an arrangement with you and a seller to exercise the option to buy a house after you have rented it for a specific period. A portion of your rent would applied toward the purchase if the option is exercised. This is referred to as rent credit, which most institutional lenders will accept as part of the down payment if rental payments exceed the market rent and if a valid lease-purchase agreement is in effect, a copy of which must be attached to the loan application.
This basically means you are leasing or renting a property with an option to buy it at a future date. The future price of the property should be fixed at the time the lease-option is signed.
Usually there is an up-front payment of some amount to purchase the option. The amount can vary. Sometimes the monthly payment is larger than normal Rent and the excess is used to purchase the option. In some cases, the option money can be applied toward the down payment for the later purchase of the home.
Lease-options are usually done during a slow real estate market. During a hot market, the seller can simply sell the home in the regular manner.
What risks do a lease option hold for the buyer?
Individuals who attempt to buy homes on a lease-option rarely end up buying the home. This often has to do with the reason they try to buy on a lease-option. They usually cannot qualify for a home loan and expect that they will be able to qualify after a period of time. Later, they find they still cannot qualify - whether it is because of poor credit, lack of income (document able income), or lack of savings to have a large enough down payment.
If this happens, you lose any option money you might have paid up front or as part of your monthly payment.
What benefits do a lease option hold for the buyer?
I'll give you one recent example:
A couple got involved in a lease-option some time ago, just before the real estate market turned. As a result, by the time the option was about to expire the home was worth much more than the option price. They exercised the option to buy and sold the house in a double-escrow, pocketing a tidy sum. Of course, they could have simply bought the home, but they still could not qualify for the home loan.
It would have been much easier if the lease-option had a clause allowing the couple to "assign" the option to a third party, but most sellers are savvy enough to include a "non-assignable" clause in the lease-option contract.
What benefits do a lease option hold for the seller?
I would appreciate knowing how a contract is worded in a "rent with option to buy" situation. Or is there a site I could download such sample forms?
I found a place where you can buy such a form for $14.95 on line. The URL is http://kaktus.com/opt/opt4.html.
The lease part of the form is pretty straightforward most of the time and is just like any other lease. The option just means that you have an "option" to purchase the home within a specified period of time. It makes sense to specify the option price in the lease/option contract.
If you have any questions regarding Real Estate in Southern Utah, or Real Estate in St. George Utah, Ivins Utah, Santa Clara Utah, Hurricane Utah or Washington Utah, please feel free to call us at 435-862-3303 or e-mail us at firstname.lastname@example.com


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Tech Specifications
Display Instagram images on your Magento website using any publice Instagram account, hashtags or locations as sources.
Other Extensions by Elfsight, LLC
OverviewBack to top
Elfsight Apps is a cloud-based service that features apps to charge and diversify your website functionality (for instance, Instagram Feed, YouTube Gallery, Social Icons and others). This extension acts as a bridge between your site and Elfsight Apps Service, linking them together. It takes the widget you have created at Elfsight Apps and displays it on your website.
Social media has become an integral part of our lives, and Instagram is one of the most fascinating and rapidly growing networks ever. Having started out as entertainment, it is now a huge business opportunity that cannot be overlooked. Instagram's contributors and audiences are huge and diverse. They range from young adults, stay at home moms and pet lovers to professional artists, celebrities, Internet professionals and huge international corporations.
In our days when markets are oversaturated, and new ventures come up every day, getting noticed equals getting successful. Instagram is a great and relatively simple tool to achieve this goal. That is why our company Elfsight is happy to offer you this fantastic opportunity of embedding an Instagram feed on your website.
Team Elfsight proudly presents the all-new extension for Magento which allows displaying fantastic galleries of Instagram images - Elfsight Instagram Feed. User friendly, filled with a large pack of customizable parameters and suitable for any needs or Instagram Feed will become an irreplaceable widget allowing you to share any photo from any public Instagram account or by any hashtag on your Magento website. Choose appropriate sources, manage sizes and set different colors – you are welcome to customize the Magento Instagram extension as you wish.
Account & Pricing
Separate Elfsight account is required to install the extension. The account is created during extension installation. Additional fees may apply. Several payment plans are available, from free to advanced. For more details about pricing, please follow the link.
We've picked all these features and combine them together to get the most flexible Instagram extension. Here are features, which you won't be able to resist!
- Unlimited combinations of sources (public usernames, hashtags, locations, photo URLs)
- Limit Number of Photos
- Responsive Design
- Control of Sizes (columns, rows and gutter)
- Mobile optimization
- Customization of Browsing Direction
- 3 Types of Navigation Elements (arrows, scroll and drag)
- Slide or Fade Browsing Animation
- Style Customization of Each Design Element
- Popup Information
- Code Generator for Quick Installation
- Retina Ready
- 16 Languages Support
- Non-square Images Support
Try live demo: https://elfsight.com/instagram-feed-instashow/magento/
Release NotesBack to top
- Compatible with Open Source (CE) : 2.0 2.1
- Stability: Stable Build
We've added the introductory section and the required link to Instagram.
Our app Instagram Feed Widget doesn't require the user to have their own Instagram account, so we decided not to add the link to the Instagram sign-up page.
Thank you!


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The 'super council' debate has dominated headlines for almost two years – and now there are just days left for you to have your say on how the future of Bucks is shaped.
In 2016 Bucks County Council unveiled plans to scrap all five councils and replace them with one 'super authority' in a bid to transform the current system, which has been described as outdated and inefficient.
However the journey has been far from plain sailing, as the leaders of South Bucks, Chiltern, Wycombe and Aylesbury Vale district councils formulated their own rival plans for two councils – one for the north and one for the south of the county.
The public rivalry has strained the county and districts' relationship – raising questions as to whether they will be able to unite and work together to implement a new authority.
The councils have even failed to agree on how much money will be saved by each proposal – with BCC claiming two councils will save £17.3 million over five years, while the districts say £58 million will actually be saved.
Both plans were presented to government, and in March then secretary of state, Sajid Javid, backed BCC's plans – and subsequently launched a consultation so all interested parties could have their say.
With days to go until the representation period comes to a close on May 25 – here is all the information you need to know about the major authority shake-up set to transform the county for good.
Representations can be sent to the new minister for housing, communities and local government, James Brokenshire, at email@example.com.
Districts fight for two unitary
The four district councils have long supported plans for two unitary authorities – here is what they have to say on the plans:
> Two new councils = one new council for you.
> Wherever you are based in Bucks, you'll have one council that provides your local services, which will put an end to the confusion over who does what
> More joined-up, flexible, sustainable services will be provided, tailored to your needs – whether you're a resident, business owner or part of a bigger community group
> More flexible councils will be created and based more locally to you.
> There will be local decision making, while making sure that money raised in the local area is spent locally
> Two new councils, one for the north and one for the south of the county, will reduce the current number of councillors, but still make sure that you have fair, democratic representation
> Two new councils will provide an opportunity to streamline decision-making processes, reduce local bureaucracy and provide clearer accountability for the provision of services
> The county council claims one unitary authority would save £45.4m over five years and two would save £17.3m
> The district councils claim one unitary authority would save £73m over five years and two would save £58m
> Two new, smaller and more flexible councils would create significant sustainable savings while delivering better services, which are easier to access
> District councils have a strong track record in transforming services, for example, by sharing services and embracing the digital world, all while making significant savings
> It's about focusing on the right economy to grow – north and south Bucks have very different opportunities and challenges
> The north of Bucks looks more to Milton Keynes and Oxford while the south of Bucks is more connected to London
> Communities, employment, housing and opportunities are totally different
> The right size: we know that smaller, all-purpose councils can thrive and that there is no evidence that larger local authorities are more efficient
> Two new unitary councils would mean better investment and jobs for both the north and south of Bucks
In a joint statement, the leaders of the district councils said: "We know that some of the services that are currently provided by your local councils need improving.
"The district councils have a strong track record of making improvements to services and saving money at the same time, as well being innovative and leading on major regeneration projects which have benefited your local towns and villages.
"This track record could be the foundation for two, really great new councils. There is no evidence to suggest that very large councils have good services with sustainable financial futures."
County supports 'super council'
BCC has been campaigning for a 'super council' for almost two years, claiming more money will be made with one proposal. Here's what county chiefs have to say about their proposal:
> One council will save at least £18.2m each and every year, with savings over the first five years totalling £45m (taking into account cost of transition and time taken to realise full annual savings)
> These significant savings can be reinvested in improving services for residents and businesses. To put £18m in context, it is more than what is currently spent on road resurfacing, and is roughly the cost of a new primary school
> One council is the most realistic chance of changing the two-tier system, which all parties agree is too confusing and inefficient
> County-wide services are performing well – 94% schools are good or outstanding; there's a 99% satisfaction rate at tips; 95% satisfaction rate at country parks; 99.5% satisfaction with registration services; there were a record 72 prosecutions for fly-tipping last year
> One new council would improve local access to services: with plans for around 19 locations throughout the county where people can physically access council and other public sector services
> One council representing 500,000 residents can speak with one powerful voice to Government on its requirements (eg funding for roads) more convincingly than two councils
> Most planning decisions would be taken by five planning committees
> One council would have 98 councillors. This is double the number which currently exists on the county council (which currently spends around 87% of the total budget for council services), but reduces the total number of district and county councillors which stands at 236. This would save £1.2m.
> The leaders of the opposition on the county council, Aylesbury Vale District Council and Chiltern District Council all back one unitary
> There would be a new devolution offer to town and parish councils, including the necessary funding and support. This would give local communities more control over local services
Leader of Bucks County Council Martin Tett, said: "Frankly, there is a straight choice facing Buckinghamshire.
"With one new council, we can make savings of over £18m each and every year, which can be ploughed back into local services.
"For example, we could double the amount we spend on resurfacing our roads and pavements, or invest in more affordable housing for local people.
"The other option would mean more duplication and muddle, the splitting up of key services to vulnerable people and putting our excellent education system at risk.
"The government has already examined both options and decided two small unitaries are likely to be too small to be financially viable and wouldn't deliver the same benefits."


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The warm summer days took Prizadeto ekipo around the country for some skateboarding, cultural inspiration or just some beers and barbecue...Since our best and most expensive digital camera in the whole world has 128 mB (that's right bitch, it's the biggest memory card ever made), I don't have to download pictures everyday. So here it is, retrospective of this month ... quarter opening barbecue, chillin' on fish's garden, seaside trip, Lele's exhibition in Pekmez gallery, sklab fest...of course this isn't all, but the best and most expensive digital equipment in the whole world is very heavy and big, so we don't carry it around every day...
I know we are having too much fun, should we be ashamed???
sreda, 21. julij 2010
torek, 20. julij 2010
nedelja, 11. julij 2010
četrtek, 01. julij 2010
Naročite se na: Objave (Atom)


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Siddarth Mallya and Sameera Reddy Inaugurates KIEHL's outlet in South Mumbai. Other celebrities like Rahul Khanna, Arjun Khanna also present on this occasion.
See the pictures of this events.
See the pictures of this events.
|Neha Dhupia,Pernia Qrueshi, Sameera Reddy on cover of VERVE Magazine
Bollywood actress Sameera Reddy at 'Hair - Everything You Ever Wanted To Know' book launch event with Dr. Akshay Batra images,stills. let us check the event photos,pics,images.


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12 Parenting Cartoons That Show Being A New Mom Is An Adjustment
Wendy Santiago, 31, is at the moment at residence together with her 7-month-previous and 11-12 months-previous kids in New York City while she seems to be for work. Santiago took day without work from her job as a dispatcher for an ambulance company after her daughter was born in October. By the time she was able to return to work, the company had given away her position.
Taught by a certified lactation consultant, this class offers more in-depth information for breastfeeding mothers to assist when they are away from their baby or returning to work. It contains baby care fundamentals, what is required, house and environmental safety, household planning, adjusting to your new life, baby blues and postpartum depression. Month-to-month group water courses can be found in the primary 25 meter lap pool at the award-profitable TriHealth Health & Well being Pavilion situated at I-seventy one and Pfeiffer Street in Montgomery. This class gives an summary of the phases and means of labor, breathing and leisure strategies, help, treatment options, variations in labor including cesarean beginning, and instant postpartum look after mother and baby.
Perhaps the first thing that individuals should think about is what training they have already got. If they have no sensible experience, they'll actually apply for courses, some online, to get the mandatory data that they need. Virtually, they'll volunteer a number of hours per week on the native hospital or respite residence so that they'll put into apply what they learn at dwelling and so … Read More


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The pages below are taken from an actual series of emails between me and someone who had just purchased an 1818 Broadwood square piano at auction and had no experience of piano restoration – hence the "conversational" tone. They should cover a lot of the problems you may face. Please read in conjunction with the various pdf documents on my website.
One thing to say about restoring old pianos is that we try to make sure that everything we do is reversible, in case future generations have better ideas. One of the worst problems we face is trying to correct damage caused by previous generations of 'restorers'. Some old work is not usually a problem, e.g. where cloth has been replaced by red felt, or new strings are inappropriate (unless they are too heavy, and the tension has wrecked the structure.) But we don't like extra screws and bolts added to 'strengthen' the structure.
One of the commonest problems concerns glue. The originals were put together with animal-derived hot glue, Scotch glue, hide glue, all it what you will. We know it works and will last; my Blunt spinet was made in 1704, and it hasn't fallen to bits yet. If an old joint does need to be taken apart (as you will be doing for hammers, etc.) this can easily be done with water and heat. And if a joint fails, it can be re-glued perfectly with hot glue, which bonds perfectly to the traces that remain. Please avoid all modern synthetic glues, whether PVA, urea-formaldehyde, epoxy, cyanoacrylate or whatever. They generally cannot be reversed, and if they fail, the residues will prevent bonding with proper glue. We have three options:
1) Use proper hot glue. This has to be the 'right answer', but its use does need a certain amount of skill and experience, and it's not very convenient for small jobs. Also, after applying to the joint, the open-working time is quite short, and the glue can go off before the whole job is secure and clamped.
2) TiteBond Liquid Hide Glue. This is a natural hide glue as the name implies, supplied ready-to-use. It contains chemical setting agents, which give a much longer working time. The joint does take several days to reach full strength, but this is not usually a problem for us. Some say that the result is not as strong as proper hot glue done well, but it might be better to do a good joint with a slightly less strong glue than a poor job with the theoretical best. Beware that LHG has a shelf-life of about a year, indicated by a use-by date in little black letters on the shoulder of the bottle. It still works after this, but presumably not as well. It is rare to be able to buy supplies with a long remaining 'life', so we have to accept that, but beware bottles with no date on them - it might have been cleaned off! I get my supplies from Axminster, and have always been happy.
3) Seccotine. This is a ready-to-use fish glue, and is very convenient for small jobs. Some say that it is as strong as proper hot glue, and I've never had a failure. Lucy Coad sells it.
It is a good idea to remove the piano lid whilst working on the insides.
a) Dampers not hitting covered strings: It is true that the overall diameter of a covered string (core + 2x cover) is quite a bit more than a plain string. In pianos of this age, the covering is continuous, and goes from hitchpin to round the tuning-pin. The placement of the pins (nut pins in particular) should allow for this, but we all know that the various parts of the structure have moved a bit. It does happen, though, because the lower strings are quite think that they tend to curve away from the pin, rather than settling into a neat angle. Try pushing the string when it is roughly tuned to settle the bend. You may also need to crank the damper-wires, but if you do this, make sure that the part that goes through the guide runs vertically, otherwise it will jam. Make a double bend in the part above the guide to give an offset.
b) Type of piano wire to use, or not: We are in a position to be more confident about strings, partly because of the more permanent nature of metal alloys, and partly because of practical work done by Malcolm Rose and others. When I started making keyboard instruments (nearly sixty years ago!) there was little knowledge and no availability of authentic materials.
With English pianos, and Broadwoods in particular, the situation is even better because of the large number of survivors with at least partial original strings. So I can offer with some confidence the attached schedule for your 1818 piano. The scheme did not change until the introduction of the divided bridge c. 1824.
A couple of general comments: The potentially fatal error is to use strings which are too thick. This leads to increased tension, soundboard collapse, and structural failure. If anything, we err on the light side, out of respect for the age of the instrument.
Apart from the fact that it is not authentic, there are two main reasons why we don't use modern steel wire. Firstly, at square piano scalings it will be significantly under-stressed, and too rigid to vibrate properly, so the tone will not be optimum. Secondly, without a special machine it is very difficult (impossible for me) to form proper eyes. Every string on your piano has its own eye, but on a modern piano the wire is looped round the hitchpins and returns, so no eyes are necessary. There's another reason, although this doesn't affect you because your wrestpins are drilled: when undrilled pins were used (until about 1830 or later) the wire was hitched round the wrestpin so that it would not slip. This is difficult (i.e. impossible) with hard steel wire.
The problem with tuning-pins slipping happens to all pianos eventually, as the metal wears the wood. The problem is exacerbated if the piano is in an atmosphere that is too dry. The remedy with a modern piano is to re-pin with a size larger pins. Many historic pianos have been re-pinned in this way, but we don't like to do that now, as the modern pins look horrible.
So if we are going to keep the original pins, we have to make the holes smaller! The ultimate remedy is to drill out the holes oversize, bush, and re-drill. But if the problem is not too bad, there are other things we can try first.
a) Using Pin-Tite: The easiest is to use a product called Pin-Tite which you can get from Heckschers. Pin-Tite is presumably PEG or something; you dribble it round the pin and wait. It should rehydrate the wood. You can try more than one application, but obviously there is a limit.
If this doesn't work, we can try removing the pin and shimming the hole. Some folk use wood veneer (thick plane-shavings) but my favourite is fine emery paper, abrasive-side out.
b) Using emery paper: To use emery paper (or any other packing) you have to take the pin out, of course, but presumably it's loose already! I then cut a strip of paper just a bit wider than the hole is deep. (This minimises the risk that the paper is pushed down the hole and squashed at the bottom - the top edge should remain visible for at least most of the time when the pin is being re-inserted.) Then cut the correct length! it might be about an inch, but it all depends how loose the pin was. Wrap the piece around something a bit smaller than the pins, and push the cylinder into the hole. Then tap the pin in. No substitute for experience here, but if you have to tap too hard, stops and reduce the packing. If you bash the pin in regardless, it will jam, be impossible to tune the note, and very difficult to remove. Better to err on the easy side, and re-do it if too loose.
I used a fine grade of emery - something like 600 I think, but it doesn't really matter, except that the coarse grades are too thick
c) Using beech plugs: As they are quite short, you will probably need two for a wrestpin hole. To use them, enlarge the hole to the size of the plug. I'll have to confirm, but I think they are 5/16". Tap the plugs in with a little hide glue, aligning the grain. Then trim flush with a sharp chisel, and clean up with a damp cloth if necessary. When truly set, mark the middle with a centre-punch. Then drill for the pin. Experiment first on a piece of scrap. A good place to start is with a drill 0.1 mm smaller than the pin. If the pin goes into this hole with gentle tapping, the hole is too big. Try again with 0.1 mm smaller. If the pin is really tight (too tight) then use this to drill the hole. Them put the drill that was just too big into a pin-vice, and ease the hole by hand down to a depth of about 7 mm. Then the pin should tap in fairly easily, but tighten as it approaches correct depth. There is no substitute for a bit of practice. The reason for the pin-vice is that an electric drill will run away with itself.
Most of our old instruments are held at A415, about a semitone 'flat' compared to 440. Singers and fiddle players are happy with this, and if wind instruments get involved, somebody has to transpose a semitone! We will argue for ever about what pitch(es) actually were in use, but 415 is safe.
It's normal for strings to stretch for a while after fitting, generally brass and soft iron more than hard steel, which is hardly surprising. But what is odd is that within a type, some reels stretch more than others. It can take anything up to about ten tunings and a couple of months for some strings to settle down. This is why harpsichord players don't like a string to break on-stage.
Is the problem with your escapements that the spring is too strong? That could tend to jam the under-hammer on the ledge, stopping the hopper from dropping? Or is there is too much friction, or something else is stopping the key from dropping? These problems are very difficult to diagnose remotely! Something that might cure it would be to try rubbing graphite (6B pencil) on the contact surfaces. These little things make the difference between a piano that works, and one that plays beautifully. Unless springs is broken, or completely rogue, it is possible to make it weaker or stronger in effect by increasing or decreasing the coiled part. You need a pair of round-nosed pliers for this - and for many other little jobs.
When it comes to winding loops, then any method that gives the right result, and works for you is good. Apart from neatness, the vital thing is to get a good double helix, with both strands wrapped round each other. If one part (usually the main part) is straight, and the other one (usually the short end) wrapped round it, then the loop will pull out. I don't use my machine for thin strings - trebles of spinets and harpsichords. I go back to the classical method - pulling a right-angle in the wire (using a foot to hold the reel) and then bisecting the angle with a hook on a stick. Then just twiddle the stick. The hook on old tuning-hammers was intended for this.
For the case, my secret 'Magic Restorer' is a good place to start.
2 parts linseed oil
2 parts real turpentine (not white spirit)
2 parts vinegar
I part ethyl alcohol (meths will do, but it smells horrible).
Shake well in a bottle before and during use. It looks like salad-dressing, but best not to eat it. Apply with a cloth or (for really dirty surfaces) 0000 steel wool. It is best to apply repeatedly over several days. This will remove dirt, revive the shellac polish, and improve the colour of faded wood.
The cloth is 'bushing cloth', which we use in modern pianos. It is pure wool with a very tight weave, and traditionally dyed to leave a white core. I have torn it rather than cut it - this ensures that the weave is not cut, and helps to reduce fraying. If you tidy up the edges, use very sharp scissors, and be careful not to cut the long threads. It is incredibly expensive (per yard).
The proper way to clean rust of pins is to use stout leather gloves and a wire brush. It's a filthy job. I've never tried it, but if they are really bad you could try 'Kurust' or similar phosphoric-acid based rust converters. Do an experiment first, though, because on some alloys you can end up with a purple/blue tint.
As you have gathered by now, getting hold of the right leather is not easy, and tends to be a bit hit-and-miss at the best of times. There are no retailers catering for our needs, and it's not easy to deal with tanneries and wholesalers - especially overseas. And when a professional restorer finds something good, he doesn't generally want to part with it. I'm not the only one to have 'invested' in stocks that are not as useful as we hoped.
I get my veg. tanned goat from Harmatan Leathers in Higham Ferrers - near to me. I have used the 'Fine Leather' for the hammers of 18th-century pianos, and at a reduced thickness for hinges. A skin would be between £40 and £50. But Lucy Coad sells calfskin for hinges.
This leaves a problem with the deerskin. Herzog is another good supplier, but their material also tends to be soft, and they won't guarantee if for suitability for piano hammers. Other restorers have done well with elk leather, and this comes up well on Google. It seems to be more robust than deerskin. It might be worth a try, but it's a bit expensive, and unless it doesn't meet standard as described, you can't really send it back.
However, the basic rules are simple enough:
1) work from hard to soft, inside to out. Thus your hammers are probably (lime)wood cores, hard leather inner layer, deerskin outer.
2) never glue under the striking-faces - just on the sides.
3) achieve good tension so that the layers are snug - 'gapping' is fatal to tone.
When the piano was made, it's almost certain that the hammers were trimmed to fit the strings, and you may find it best to do this with new hammers. Re-fitting old ones is always a bit tricky, because things have usually moved over the years, and the alignment is critical. If fore and aft adjustment is necessary, there are three ways of doing this:
1) move the whole keyframe forwards or back
2) move the supporting 'standards' (the ears at each end of the keyframe). This will also move the under-hammers, but not the hoppers.
3) move just the hammer-rail backwards or forwards. This will not move the under-levers.
It is best to use small movements to all three of these, unless the movement is very small. You can of course move one end more than the other, but the hammers will still be in the same line. These tricks do not work if odd hammers are out-of-line.
The hinges of both hammers and under-hammers are leather, and it is not surprising that they have failed after 200 years! Replacing them is routine. They were glued into a shallow rebate, and then a tiny cover-slip glued on top. These joints can be undone by soaking just the end part in a mug of boiling water for a few seconds, when it should fall apart easily. The leather is something like calfskin or goatskin, not too floppy, and about 0.7 mm thick. But I would advise not refitting the hammers until you string the piano, working down from the top, so that you can check the alignment as you go - it is critical.


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- ITV Report
Bus stabbing victim named as Christina Edkins
The 16-year-old schoolgirl stabbed to death on a bus in Birmingham this morning has been named as Christina Edkins.
Christina was a pupil at Leasowes High School in Halesowen and was on her way to school at the time of her death.
Police have arrested a 22-year-old man who was spotted "acting suspiciously" after a major manhunt was launched for her attacker.
The unnamed man, who fitted the description of the suspect, was arrested near a Morrisons supermarket after being chased on foot by police.
He is being held on suspicion of murder.
The headteacher at Christina's school, Neil Shaw, described her as a "bright and popular student" who was "much loved by staff and student's alike.
Police are urging witnesses to call their dedicated hotline on 0800 096 0095 or Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.


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U2 kicked off the first of their 4 SOLD OUT nights at 3Arena Dublin last night. What an absolute honour to photograph one of the biggest bands in the world in their hometown of Dublin. A spectacular show with amazing stage production and graphics, anyone heading along this week is in for a treat!
More photos on Getty Images.
A special thank you to the wonderful Ladies over at Lindsey Holmes Publicity (LHP) for being so accommodating and helpful on the night.


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Functional Cabinets at iCentralCo by StartSoc
The Start Society operates iCentral Coworking Community Spaces for the benefit of members, the following cabinets are used for storage and key functions the society provides.
Your Personal Storage (DEDICATED TO YOU) – These are normally under-desk three draw or two draw units often on wheels for use by individual members for personal storage. They are numbered and allocated to individuals often with a key (one key remains in the central store in case you lose yours). These are available for permanent plans and depending on availability also for casual plans.
Your Company Storage (DEDICATED TO TEAM) – These are normally free standing cabinets and because they are using additional floor space (not under desk) they are provided at an additional cost (beyond normal plans) on request subject to availability. They are numbered and allocation to individuals often with a key (one key remains in the central store in case you lose yours). Useful for members requiring on-site product samples or small scale inventory.
General Mail Box (SHARED WITH ALL PERMANENTS AND CASUALS) – mail arriving at our premises must be in your name and/or the name of your company, these will normally be handed to you on arrival each day or left on your desk. If you do not have a permanent desk or mail is not in a name we recognise (as per your initial application and invoice) it will be left in the General Mail Box. Legally this box is covered by federal mail regulations, so please remember mail tampering or interception are legal offences … only take your own mail. Normally located in a high traffic area near the main entrance and the collaborate or focus zones.
Office Supplies Box (SHARED WITH ALL) – cabinet with a collection of useful office stuff from paper for the printer/s to post it notes for innovative workshops, spare pens etc… Normally located between the focus zone and the collaborate zone in a high traffic area.
Desk & Chair Stuff Box (SHARED WITH ALL) – cabinet with a collection of useful stuff for personal desks, e.g. power cables, power boards, chair cushions, chair instructions for aerons, self service cleaning caddies for keeping your personal area spotless
Events Box (SHARED WITH EVENT ORGANISERS) – Sample items include judging clipboards and score sheets for pitch comps, power cables, projector, projector stand, blue tooth wireless speaker, laptop projector cables, HDMI cables, USB cables, instruction sheet for event organisers. Normally located near the largest event space podium/lectern.
Swag Box (SHARED WITH ALL)- Swag is branded goods provided free by companies. Startups and corporate sponsors alike can provide stuff for members. Find it here. T-Shirts. Stickers. Stuff! Normally located near the largest event space in the collaborate zone.
KStore (SHARED BUT SECURED)- Kitchen Storage including beer, wine, cider, mineral water, tea, instant coffee, espresso capsules, refills for consumables from the bathrooms, kitchen and the like are all found here. Normally kept locked, contact a co-GM for access. Normally located near the kitchen sink. Usually more than a cabinet, this is often a whole built in cupboard or small walk-in room/space.
Workbench (SHARED BUT SECURED) – Separate room for heavy work with work bench, shelves, hammers, screw drivers, drills, saws, soldering iron, workstations, cables, spare parts, 3D printing perhaps etc. Move box is normally nearby too, the furniture trolleys are also located here. Normally kept locked, contact a co-GM for access.
Move Box (SHARED WITH ALL) – mover's blankets to protect furniture in transit, wheels for heavy items. Normally near the workbench.


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Bill Cook
Bill Cook is the President of Pivotal.
Bill has served as our President since April 2013. He was part of Pivotal's founding team in April 2013, alongside Rob Mee, Paul Maritz, and Scott Yara.
Prior to joining Pivotal, Bill served as President of the Greenplum Division at Dell EMC from 2010 to 2013, where he was responsible for all aspects of the Greenplum business. Prior to Dell EMC, he was the Chief Executive Officer of Greenplum, Inc., an open-source data company, from 2006 until Greenplum's acquisition by Dell EMC in 2010.
Prior to Greenplum, Bill held leadership positions at various companies, including spending 19 years at Sun Microsystems, a computer systems and software company, where he most recently served as Senior Vice President of US Sales.


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It's the last day of our three days of blog hops for the Lil' Inkers June release! Have you seen all of the amazing new products?! They are available in the store now, so make sure you check them out here!
You should have arrived here from Mary Dawn Quirindongo's Blog. If not, head to the Lil' Inker Store Blog to start from the beginning.
I have three cards to share with you today. First up, the Unscramble This stamp set and the Peek-a-Boo die!
My next two cards feature the Scattered Sequins Die.
I love sequins and now I can have them perfectly coordinate with my paper crafting projects! woohoo! Placing them isn't always easy, but I used the Scattered Sequin die as a guide and they look perfect :)
I have one more card for you today. This uses the Scattered Sequins Die along with the Smile Word Die.
I am absolutely in love with this die! Ever since it arrived in my mailbox I keep reaching for it! I'm so glad it's available to the public now and I can't finally start using it on every project (seriously, get used to seeing these dies. It's going to be a while before I can put them away :)
Have fun hopping & shopping!
Keep Smiling Card
Stamps: Unscramble This (LID)
Ink: Tuxedo Black (Memento)
Paper: Whisper White, Real Red, Pumpkin Pie, Daffodil Delight (SU) Accessories: Peek-a-Boo die (Lil' Inker Designs)
Celebrate Card
Stamps: Spot On (LID)
Ink: Versamark
Paper: Whisper White,Vellum (SU) Hibiscus Burst, Sweet Blush, Melon Berry (PTI)
Accessories: Scattered Sequins Die, Silver Embossing Powder
Smile Card
Paper: Whisper White (SU) Melon Berry, Berry Sorbet, Aqua Mist, Hawaiian Shores (PTI) Basic Black (SU)
Accessories: Stitched & Stripes, Scattered Sequins, Scattered Sequins Die


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Homeland is an American political thriller television series which is developed by Howard Gordon & Alex Gansa which is based on the Israeli series Prisoners of War which was created by Gideon Raff. The series is broadcast in the U.S. on the cable channel show time, & it is produced by Fox 21 television studios. It was premiered on October 2, 2011. The very first episode of the series was made available online. And, on October 22, 2013, Show time renewed Homeland for the fourth season which was premiered on October 5, 2015.
Homeland Season 6 Episode 7 Air Date: 05th March 2017
Homeland Season 6 Episode 7
The series went of renewing by the show time episodes by episodes, at last, the series has also be renewed for a seventh & eighth season & the eighth season is planned to be the series, the final season by the creators. The series has received generally the positive reviews & has won the several awards.
The promo, Sneak peak, promotional photos & synopsis is out for the Homeland episode – 6.07 – imminent Risk. Well I would like to know that when they are going to stop hurting Quinn. Please enough, this episode i.e. 6.07, "Imminent Risk", takes place after a rather extreme event at the Carrie's house, in which Quinn is obviously involved. Astrid seems to be return to the rescue & Dar. Rest, we will see.
Now, I am looking forward to seeing Quinn & Astrid together again!
The fans of "Homeland" are waiting for the episode 6.07 & the fans are excited for the upcoming episode & also expecting extraordinary fun element too from the upcoming episode.
So, stay alert & Watch the Episode 6.07. Rest, stay tuned for the further more exciting updates regarding the same & the further episodes of Homeland Season 6 or for further more seasons.


text: The narrative essay is a popular composition type and involves the author telling a story of a personal experience or incident they were a part of. It is simple to write, often requiring very little complexity and can be based entirely on the authors perspective and opinion of the situation. Despite the familiarity with the subject that the author is likely to have, a poor topic choice can make an otherwise enjoyable venture, into quite the task. Here are some narrative essay topic choices for consideration by 4th grade students:


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Of all the things you need to remember when you're in the sack with a dude — Did I clean my toilet? Do I look hot? Am I making weird noises? Is this condom gonna break? Should I go back to grad school? Am I adopted? — you may not think breathing is one of them. However, apparently many of us are forgetting to breathe deeply during sex, and that's (forgive me) cockblocking us from our orgasm. Read more
Tantra teaches that lovemaking between a man and woman, when entered into with awareness, is a gateway to both sexual and spiritual ecstasy.
Saturday, June 14, 2014
The Breathing Technique That's Guaranteed to Give You Killer Orgasms
The simple act of breathing can help women orgasm, says Anna Breslaw.
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