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Hillwood Museum's new exhibition stopped me in my tracks. It had me at the title wall, which proclaimed Spectacular with elegant clarity. Would this exhibition live up to its title?
Nestled in Washington, D.C.'s Rock Creek Park, Hillwood was the last residence of Post Cereal heir and General Foods founder Marjorie Merriweather Post. When she died in 1973, she endowed her mansion, collections, and gardens to "future generations," and Hillwood opened as a public institution in 1977. In addition to her comprehensive collections of Russian imperial art and 18th-century French decorative arts, Mrs. Post created one of the most extraordinary private jewelry collections in the world. Hillwood's exhibition Spectacular now provides a showcase for the iconic "grand pieces" she acquired over a 50-year period.
Mrs. Post started amassing her treasure trove in the 1920s. Like others among the era's new-money elite, she viewed jewelry as an important social marker, and she enthusiastically embraced the notion, "If you've got it, flaunt it." (Jeffrey Post interview with AH, 7/26/17) But she had a more serious intent as well. According to Hillwood director Kate Markert, "Post was not just interested in wearing jewels, but was a connoisseur. Her resulting collection represented the finest assembly of gems, historic jewels, and 20th-century jewelry in America." It also reflected her belief that great jewels, like the artistry of Rembrandt and Picasso, were "dazzling works of art."(Quoted in Hillwood press release, 5/1/17)
Right: Marjorie Merryweather Post
Spectacular is a show made to dazzle. The jewels are stunning of course, but what makes this a "wow" museum experience is that it doesn't just say "ta da!" Going through the exhibit, I was fascinated by the stories describing why Mrs. Post bought each piece. The narrative thread unfolds smoothly, and the exhibit design creates an effortless flow from section to section.
As I stopped once again at the title wall, it struck me that this exhibition has accomplished something very special in today's museum world: Spectacular is a prime example of successful curating. It is an entirely different world than the "ta-da school of curating," in which things are randomly put on display without an original idea, a purposeful theme, or coherent storytelling. No, Spectacular represents "public scholarship" at the highest level, with a strong curatorial hand invested in the entire production. Curator Liana Paredes clearly had a great deal more to say than "ta da!"
Left: Turquoise and Amethyst necklace (1950), Cartier, NY. Turquoise, amethyst, diamonds, gold, platinum.
The exhibition focuses separately on Mrs. Post's historic and 20th century jewels. In the historic section, one of the most iconic pieces is a diadem tiara once owned by Napoleon's second wife, Marie Louise of Austria. Created in 1810 as a wedding gift, the diadem was originally set with 79 emeralds. In the mid-1950s the gems were remounted in rings, brooches, and bracelets and the diadem was reset with turquoise—a gemstone Mrs. Post loved. She bought the diadem in 1971, and it became part of her extraordinary bequest to the Smithsonian Institution.
The legend is that she brought some of her priceless gems to Smithsonian Secretary S. Dillon Ripley in a shopping bag. Jeffrey E. Post, curator-in-charge of the Museum of Natural History's gem collection, confirms the story, and explains that Mrs. Post indeed brought Mr. Ripley a bag containing the Marie-Antoinette earrings, the Napoleon diamond necklace, the Maximilian emerald ring (once owned by Mexican Emperor Maximilian), and the 30.62-carat Blue Heart diamond.
Right: Sapphire and Diamond necklace, Cartier, sapphires, diamonds, platinum
She was especially proud of the Blue Heart diamond, which had once belonged to Empress Eugenia, wife of Napoleon III. She considered it "the star" of her collection, and when it was put on exhibit at the Museum of Natural History, she was overheard saying, "My blue diamond is prettier than that other one"—the "other one" being the Hope diamond. Mrs. Post also encouraged her well-appointed friends to make donations, and is credited as a major force in the creation of that museum's renowned National Gem Collection. (Jeffrey Post interview with AH, 7/26/17; Catalogue, 37, 45)
Mrs. Post's 20th century jewelry is as dazzling as the historic pieces, and the exhibition focuses on how she built her collection by working with such influential jewelry designers as Cartier, Van Cleef & Arpels, Verdura, and Harry Winston. Cartier helped Mrs. Post launch her collection in the 1920s with the acquisition of the 21.04-carat "Maximilian emerald." She purchased the gem from Cartier around 1928, and wore it in a ring when she was presented at the Court of St. James in 1929. Cartier remounted the emerald in a stunning Art Deco setting in 1949.
Spectacular also reveals a lighter side of Mrs. Post's collecting: there is a delightful brooch designed by Raymond Yard in which a bunny carries a tray of drinks. He is totally covered in diamonds except for the rubies that fill the glasses on his tray and the bottle he carries; there is also a fine ruby stripe running down the side of his pants.
Right: Diamond Necklace (1965-66), Harry Winston, NY, Diamonds, platinum
Another small delight is a diamond, ruby, emerald, and platinum ballerina brooch from Van Cleef & Arpels (1942). It was a gift from Mrs. Post's then-husband Joseph E. Davies and represents a famous 18th century Paris Opera ballerina. As the catalogue points out, New York City Ballet choreographer George Balanchine has credited Arpels for inspiring his renowned 1967 ballet Jewels, whose three sections are devoted to "Emeralds," "Rubies," and "Diamonds." (Catalogue, 105)
Spectacular succeeds as an exhibition because it uses dazzling objects to tell a captivating story. The curator's labels are unusually evocative, as when the George Headley pearl and moonstone necklace is described as a piece that "incorporates large and irregular baroque Burmese pearls with the icy glitter of diamonds and the soft coolness of moonstones." (wall text)
Right: Diamond Engagement Ring, Harry Meyers.
Exhibition design plays a vital role in telling Spectacular's story visually, and designer Lee Weaver worked closely with curator Liana Paredes to convey the essence of her ideas. He explored the "diamond district" in New York to see how jewels there were displayed and lighted, and was particularly impressed with a gray color used by Bergdorf's. Weaver ultimately adapted shades of grays and blues for the exhibition, including the title wall's "mysterious blue." He also designed the lighting so that each jewel is encased in an individual light box and illuminated by fiber optics and pin-spotlighting that create a glow-from-within magic. (Lee Weaver interview with AH, 8/1/17)
Spectacular is the real thing: it deserves its title.
By Amy Henderson, Contributing Writer
Spectacular will be at Washington' D.C.'s Hillwood Museum through January 1, 2018. Liana Paredes has written a full-color 200-page publication to accompany the exhibition, available online or at the Hillwood Museum Shop.
Thumbnail (top, right): 'Marguerite' Ruby and Diamond Brooch (detail), 1969. Van Cleef & Arpels, Paris. Rubies, diamonds, gold, platinum.
Amy Henderson is Historian Emerita of the National Portrait Gallery, and writes frequently on media and culture.


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"Laurel, you are an outstanding tutor. Your course is thorough, well thought out and reasonably priced." Gary Price, international tutor
This course has been created by Laurel Alexander, founder of Wellness Professionals at Work based on using the Bach Flower remedies over many years, combined with therapeutic experience and takes you through each of the remedies and the creative ways in which you can use them. The course is for anyone with an interest in energy healing through the use of nature.
The course is for anyone with an interest in energy healing through the use of nature.
How you could use your learning
You could use this learning to improve an existing business.
You could use what you learn on this course to: integrate into counselling, weave into a complementary therapy practice or specialise in wellness programmes e.g. pregnancy or positive aging.
The Certificate in Bach Flower Remedies is taken over one year through supported distance learning. You can complete the course quicker if you choose. Features of distance learning include:
National Council of Psychotherapists (NCP)
The NCP is one of the longest established and prestigious societies of its type in the UK and enjoys an international reputation. Wellness Professionals at Work is an accredited provider of CPD with the NCP. Each hour of this course counts towards CPD points. You are eligible to join the NCP as a student member when you begin the course. At course completion, you can apply for full membership as long as you fulfil membership criteria.
what flower essences are – how remedies are made – how remedies work – background to Dr Edward Bach –three categories of healer plants – the seven groups – 38 Bach Flower Remedies – making flower remedies – creating individual remedies
animals – bodywork – sprays – aromatherapy burners and massage – crystals – making personalised remedies for children and adults – creams, oils and herbal tinctures – using during energy work – using in visualisation, meditation and journey work
using flower remedies with animals – using flower remedies as part of bodywork – using flower remedies in the home – using flower remedies during pregnancy and birthing – flower remedies for therapists and healers
For Section 1 there is a task sheet for each of the 38 remedies, each with a tutor-marked assignment to complete. For Section 2 there is one assignment to complete.
I am studying the Certificate in Bach Flower Remedies with Laurel to enhance my practice as a Bowen therapist. This course has really opened my mind to human behaviour and emotions and has been an amazing journey. Not only has it helped me to identify potential clients that would really benefit from these wonderful flower essences but in the process of studying them and treating myself along the way, I feel a transformation in myself taking place. Also, my business seems to have curiously grown as well over recent months, which I believe is partially due to the flower essences freeing-up old emotions and negative beliefs within myself . The assignments are delivered in small bite size chunks, enough to challenge but not overwhelm you. The instructions and information provided is clear and easy to follow, allowing you to really get to know each remedy in turn. The feedback is delivered quickly with excellent targeted suggestions and thoughts that get straight to the point and are easy to understand. Other reading material is recommended if required, to help you with your own development. Laurel's communications are extremely professional as well as personal and friendly. I highly recommend her and wouldn't hesitate to continue further studies with Laurel. Thank you! Lisa Hopper, Bowen therapist
I have gained an understanding of the way in which flower essences work and which are indicated for which symptoms. Ruth
I thoroughly enjoyed this course. It has been therapeutic for me and has helped me understand my own issues. B
Laurel, you are an outstanding tutor and I am glad I came to you after being on a waiting list at the Bach Centre Mt. Vernon. Your course is thorough, well thought out and reasonably priced. Gary Price, international tutor
I have gained an entirely new perspective on healing from this excellent course. I enjoyed the case study part of the course in particular as it helped put me in touch with the reality of applying flower therapy in communication with clients. The course provides plenty of "stretch" to really get the interest in the subject going while not being so intense as to be off-putting. Teri
Your fee of £399 includes:
UK postal charges are included in the above costs. International postage will incur additional costs. Please email Laurel on email@example.com for additional cost.
You can pay by bank transfer or online.
If you would like to enrol on the Certificate in Bach Flower Remedies, send an email informing of your payment to firstname.lastname@example.com and complete and return this enrolment form.

subset: commoncrawl


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There will now be an option to rent out Michelle's competition suits. A contract will be drafted and signed to ensure proper maintenance and care. Yet for the rate of $45 per event (i.e. show date), this an unbeatable deal!
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If you are a mother, you are one of the most influential people in the world.
You have the immense power to affect not just your children, but as a direct result, your children's children's children, infinitely. You are positioned to change the lives of people whom you will never meet – potentially thousands, and in some cases, if you are raising another Billy Graham or Michael Phelps or Celine Dion or Diane Sawyer, millions.
Your feet are sitting in the wet cement of history. This is a legacy you are building.
This calling is not small. Remind yourself of its import. It goes far beyond sippy cups, laundry, wiping body parts or objects, and eating one's vegetables. Your daily impact is a time machine. Yes. You are employed in the field of quantum physics. Your mothering will travel through time, space, sound waves, eternity, and brain waves, via the human heart, in a way that nothing else can.
You are the one God picked. Your children will take you with them into each one of their destinies. Let your heart fill and be empowered with the incredible knowledge of what you are and have been given.
To be a mom is mighty. In the same category of rocket science.


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I can hardly BELIEVE IT!!! After over three years of research, writing, more research, re-writing, and editing… Lily and Fred's beautiful, real life love-story is an honest-to-goodness book! Where Daffodils Bloom is a labor of love that I am so excited to be able to share with the world. And it's been wonderful t to …….Read More
Author: Leya Delray
Book Cover Reveal!!!
Well ladies and gentlemen. My upcoming book, Where Daffodils Bloom, finally HAS A COVER!!! Whoohoo! Drum-roll please… I commissioned a professional cover design company, called Damonza, to create it for me. They took the information I gave them (synopsis, important symbolism, character descriptions, etc) and created two different cover concepts for me to choose between. …….Read More
Release Date and Title Announcement!!!
It's ALMOST HERE!!!!! After over three years of work, Fred and Lily's story is finally almost ready to be released! Are you as excited as I am? Do you want to be part of making sure the whole world reads this book? Then keep reading after the title announcement for a very special opportunity below. …….Read More
The Portfolio Life
"For the past century, we have been told a story about work that says we must commit to a certain path in life, spend most of our career doing that one thing, and not veer too far from our area of focus. This, we think, is what mastery is all about. But is that really …….Read More
February Sneak Peek – Forever and Ever
New sneak peek today! (If you missed any of the others, you can find them all here.) All was dark and silent when Lily crept up the stairs and tiptoed back into the bedroom. The rain had slacked off at last, and the thunder was only a distant rumble as she hung her dripping dress …….Read More
Happy Valentine's Day! Love, Freddie
Valentine's Day is the time we set aside, every year to celebrate love and romance. And this year I want to celebrate by sharing with you a very special treasure, discovered tucked away in a stack of cards Lily had saved. It's a Valentine from Freddie. There's no date on it, but I have to …….Read More
Avodah – A Word to Live By
Learning a new word doesn't usually change your life. But this was no ordinary word. Most words are just labels. Useful handles, you might say. We attach them to objects, actions, or ideas, so that we can easily hand them off to others. You know. Words like 'cotton' or 'jog' or 'angry'. They have simple …….Read More
Whatever Happened to Words? – Why "Symbol Swapping" is freaking me out.
I was texting when it happened. My headphone case had gone missing, and I was asking a couple of people if they'd seen it. Now, normally I love the little word-replacement feature at the bottom of the phone screen. It's very handy, since typos are easy to make using just two thumbs on a miniature …….Read More
January Sneak Peek – AWOL
New Sneak Peek today! (If you missed any of the others, you can find them all here.) It's winter of 1944, and Fred is trying to sneak back onto onto base after going AWOL to visit Lily. It's going to take some doing to get past the MP's though…. The sky was clear and studded …….Read More
Project Update – The End of the Beginning
The End. In the overflowing silence that lingered beyond the last notes of music, I felt the magnitude of those two words bubbling up inside of me. They filled my senses. Overwhelming. Breathtaking. Like the feeling you get when you stumble upon some secret place of wonder. Not a bustling tourist trap full of noise …….Read More


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While studies and medical doctors state that the average erect penis is somewhere between 4 and 6 inches, many men feel that having an organ of this size simply isn't acceptable. While some men dream of having a larger penis, other men actually take steps to do something about it.
- Some of you believe in miracle cures and will try pills or creams that promise to enlarge your penis.
- Other men are more realistic and turn to penis stretcher devices to permanently increase the size of their penis.
A Brief History of Penis Stretching
As surprising as it may seem, penis stretching actually dates back thousands of years.
It was not uncommon for men in certain parts of the world and in certain cultures to sit around for hours a day, pulling on their member in order to increase it's length. Later someone came to the conclusion that attaching stones to a string and attaching that to the penis would provide a steady pulling pressure to the penis and cause the member to enlarge in size. While this did work, it still required a man to sit around hours a day with his privates exposed while the rocks did their magic.
While it is hard to imagine any man even those living in ancient times sitting around for hours a day, for up to year with rocks on their penis simply to add a half of inch, the fact is that these men did and they got results for doing so.
Modern Day Penis Stretcher Devices
Today most men simply don't have the time or the desire to sit around pulling on their penis with their hand, or tying rocks to their member. In fact, most people would think a man who did so was beyond strange and far from normal.
Luckily, technologically has advanced to the point that science has actually allowed for the making of what is known as a penis stretcher or penis extender.
Modern medically tested traction devices featured at this website can be worn at night while you are sleeping allowing you to avoid spending 4 to 5 hours a day sitting around with your family jewels hanging out. Also today's penis stretchers are not simply used to increase penis length, but rather is used to to straighten curved or bent shafts.
Length of Time Before you see Growth
Do keep in mind that penis stretching is a slow process and that it will take to 6 months to a year for you to see any results. In addition, you have to be realistic regarding just how much growth you are likely to see. Penis enlargement is not going to result in 3 or 4 inch gains, but rather a much more modest ½ inch to 1 ½ inches at best but you do need to keep in mind that it does work for every man who would like a larger penis.
Is it Safe to Use a Penis Stretcher?
While penis stretching can be effective the main question is whether or not it is safe. The truth is that some penis extenders are better and safer than others.
Buying a poorly designed traction device could result in injuries that could affect your sex life, so be sure to look for those top rated products that are designed to be effective. When looking for the safest piece of equipment look for the following features:
- A Traction device that is made of medical grade materials.
- Look for a device that bears a CE seal. (This is a stamp of safety given by European Health authorities)
- A Device that is recommended by a physician.
Is Stretching Painful?
Many men feel that stretching the penis is much like exercising and building muscle and hold to the adage of "no pain, no gain." While this may be true in building up those biceps, there should be no pain involved when stretching your penis. If you feel pain you should stop immediately and seek medical care if you continue to experience pain either when your member is at rest or you have an erection.
Whether or not penis extension is right for you, is only a decision that you can make. If your organ is normal size, then simply accepting your size is the safest course of action. However, if you have a curved or bent penis or one that is slightly smaller than normal, then you might want to consider a penis stretcher to correct your problem. However, it is always a good idea to speak with your doctor to make sure that it will have benefits and not cause harm.


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Rachel Brandeis Is Your Nutrition Expert
Rachel has the credibility and the education to translate nutrition science into practical tools and strategies. Her clients have often experienced information overload from the internet, and are now looking for custom tailored advice. Rachel makes each recommendation for the specific client, so they know that no matter their health concern she offers a solution. She helps separate fact from fiction, junk from science and after her many years of experience, she knows what works and what doesn't.
Rachel's clients feel empowered, energized, and excited to work with her. They are confident that they can implement her advice and motivated to make a lasting change. Although Rachel provides client-focused medical nutrition therapy as her core service, her depth of knowledge and experience in the industry set her apart from other Registered Dietitian Nutritionists (RDNs).
Some of Rachel's clients come to her for weight loss, while others have a specific medical diagnosis that requires specialized nutrition therapy. She's an expert on the topic of Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome (PCOS). Pregnancy, especially in the case of multiples, and fertility are other areas of focus. Rachel has successfully treated patients struggling with G.I. issues and insulin resistance, too. She benefits her clients with more than 20 years of experience, numerous television appearances as a nutrition expert, and a variety of keynote presentations on medical nutrition therapy.
Media & Television Appearances
Labor Day Eats
Healthy Snacks
Healthy Holiday Foods
"Finding Rachel was truly the BEST thing that ever happened to me!!! Rachel's dietary knowledge and advice helped me to lose 69 lbs! I only wish I had found her years ago! I now feel confident and in control…what a beautiful feeling that is!!!
Rachel is truly my angel and I will forever be grateful!!!!"
"Rachel helps our patients understand that healthy eating does not require a starvation diet. She helps them learn to make healthy choices, enjoy mealtime and get back on the path to health. "
Rachel's Blog
Labor Day Eats
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text: Well, work on the website is continuing, albeit, slower than an asthmatic snail with some heavy shopping. I'm adding products, photos and trying to get everything up and running smoothly. There is still an awful lot to do to get this thing in working order, so please bear with me for a while.


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Tag Archive
When Granada is the Balkans
riday the 28th, sees the first screening of A Perfect Day, starring Tim Robbins and Benicio del Toro, set in the Balkans but shot in Granada. »
Acompalia Lanjarón Shop
Acompalia, the palliative care and hospice charity for Granada and the Costa Tropical, prepares to open their first shop and base in Lanjarón. »
Motril Firework Send Off
The Motril fiestas concluded with the customary firework display put on by their hometown firework company, Pirotecnia Martín. »
Near Drowning off Salobreña Beach
The lifeguard volunteers went into action off Playa de la Charca in Salobreña to rescue a bather in trouble on the afternoon of the 15th. »
Formula One in Motril
Banco Santander in Motril have sponsored a 3-day event entitled MotorHome, involving a Formula One car replica on the Plaza de la Coronación. »
Free Castle Guided Tours
To celebrate the reopening of Salobreña Castle there will be seven guided tours from now to the beginning of September - and it's free! »
Frigate Street Fixed
You would have expected now that the local elections are over, the constant street-improvement work would have dried up in La Herradura, but not so. »
Bungee Tragedy Developments
The Guardia Civil has charged two people over the death of the 21-year-old British girl in the recent bungee-jumping incident in Granada. The first is the monitor, who had 14 people in his charge that morning, jumping from the Tablate bridge. Police investigators consider that he did not carry out his duties with the... »
Boy Has Heart Attack on Ferry
A 10-year-old boy suffered a heart attack on the Wednesday the 23rd aboard the Motril-Nador fast ferry 15 nautical miles from Motril Port. »
Suspected Car Thief Arrested
The Guardia Civil in Alhama de Granada, arrested a Moroccan man on the 18th after he allegedly stole a car in Almuñécar and broke into several others. »


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Having said that, certainly the role of CIO has also been impacted and influenced by the dynamism of business and technology over a period of time, to such an extent that the it also has to defy its very own existence and significance in the organizations.
In this interview, Julie Cullivan, EVP – Business Operations and CIO of FireEye speaks with Pankaj Maru of ETCIOM.com about the changing role of CIOs under the impact of changing business and IT models. Cullivan discusses about challenges that CIOs face today and how they can overcome it, the expectations that CIOs have to meet in their jobs, skills specialization and honing talent to become future CIOs and her concept of 'courageous CIO' and much more.
Edited excerpts...
Q1. Since there are so many technological and business related changes occurring at a fast pace, in your view, which are the key challenges that most CIOs are facing today?
From CIO perspective, I think the biggest not challenge but the biggest opportunity is around digital transformation, which can be taken in different context that can be anything from shifting the infrastructure and business to the cloud. Not that this is something new but companies continue to look at more and more way to leverage as-a-service type capabilities. So I think lot of CIOs are looking at the same way. Beside taking advantage of this, the CIO has to ensure it is done is more secured manner without creating risk for the organization and brings value back to the organization as well.
I think the other piece continues to be around total cost of ownership (TCO). Any sort of initiatives, investments or works that most CIOs are looking at, is very much around how they can show that there's a real return on these investments (ROI). And that return can be on revenue, success in the top-line to the company or might be more around optimization of the current capacity that creates a better TCO. I think certainly its continuing digital transformation and it's the TCO component - all of that wrapped around minimizing the risks sitting in the enterprise and ensuring that security is maintained. While new capabilities are getting implemented, CIOs should make sure they don't create any risks to the business in doing that.
Q2. Given those situations today, how should CIOs whether they are highly experienced or not, prepare for those challenges or opportunities, whichever way you look at it?
I think part of it is about how CIO is able to understand the capabilities that are available to the organization in the sense there are too many new things coming, so the CIO should know what to take advantage of. Hence CIOs need to stay relevant and educated; and I think some of which is around doing small pilots and test cases and things like that so they get to know what newer technologies are. But I think the more important is that CIOs are really into what organizations are trying to do, what the most imperatives are for the company and being able to do any sort of innovation, initiatives or investments that are tied to what company is really trying to do.
So I think CIOs been able to talk in terms of business and business value, and been able to do not to have technology discussion but have a business discussion enabled by technologies is really important. Because technology alone is just technology and what it enables CIOs to do is drive business and that's more important. So I think having been able to have those conversations are critical, otherwise the CIOs become somebody that's just being told what to do. And CIOs want to be at the forefront of advising right and coaching the organization on what's available and what's out there and how it is tied to what company is actually trying to achieve.
Q3. With the rapid changes happening around, do you think there has been a certain change in terms of the expectations that organizations and industries have from the CIOs?
As much as I do think expectations are changing, I think some of the expectations have always been there -- faster, cheaper and I think there are a set of things that I consider been there for many years. But I do think , if you look at the profile of CIOs – it is changing for a lot of companies. More and more you seeing people in that role that have had a broad set of experience and not just IT experience. So I think more it's been looked at as a role that often sits at C-level /CEO level and is influencing the organization way beyond just the infrastructure. Networks, end-points and service desks get really an enabler. And so I do think that profile of CIOs is changing more and you find more people from core part of the business or in other parts of the IT organization, which have ultimately ended up in the IT leadership trying to drive business transformation.
Q4. Like the role of CISO, which caters to information security especially in banking and financial organizations, is the role of CIO also moving towards a specialization going ahead? Your views.
I m not sure about specialization but I think in some ways it's somewhat broader the experience, the better in a lot of ways because the CIO's role really spans in everything that company is trying to do. But I do see organizations creating the Chief Digital Officer's role, sometimes it sits in marketing or sometimes it sits in IT, so I do think each company has slightly different visions for what some of the digital roles are.
And I certainly do think that there's an expectations that CIOs are no longer just thinking from a traditional corporate IT perspective because so much has changed with the cloud –organizations are delivering their own services. I do think that CIO's role almost continues to broaden in some ways because of the different delivery models we have now. So I haven't necessarily seen or feel like (about specialization of CIOs) but I think broader is almost better in a lot of ways. And I certainly think business acumen and leadership, motivating and retaining teams are whole of tangibles that are really important as well.
Q5. How should the IT managers in organizations need to be groomed and their talents be honed by senior CIOs so that it helps them become CIOs in future?
I think they need to be groomed as strong communicators and be able to talk in context of business and not of the technology. And yet they also should be willing to ask all questions when perhaps there's not a clear path to get to where business is trying to get to. So I do think that it's no longer just about strong technical skills and I have always talked about the concept of the 'how' and 'what'. IT people are always good at 'what' but sometimes they are not so good at 'how.' And it's really important that they are groomed across those spectrums, if you really want them to grow and able to meet expectations of the organizations.
So I do think that it reminds them that ultimately we are here to drive whatever it is the business is trying to drive. And the more we can be part of those conversations and engage and passionate about what the business is trying to do, the more effective we can be in terms of delivering solutions. Hence I do think that role has changed considerably than what was five or ten years ago. Besides, there's also a scare resource challenge that it's really hard to attract and retain not just IT resources but strong security resources because there's so much opportunity out there. And all these cloud companies and all these other sort of businesses that have sprung up, which are IT companies but happens to deliver cool services.
Q6. To what extent CIOs should be vocal to speak out their minds against their organizations?
They should speak very loudly. I mean the approach is very important but one of things that I have said in some other interviews is the concept of 'courageous CIO.' Being a CIO you cannot be afraid, I mean otherwise don't go and be a CIO because everyday there's something to be scared of – new technology or latest security risk, etc. But I do think that it's going to be really hard to be successful, if you are not willing to speak up and advice. However I also think that it needs to be done in a collaborative approach, making sure that you are looking at things from various angles. But I think you cannot be quiet as a CIO.
Q7. What's your take on future CIOs in next five years from now?
I think the IT people that have worked closets with the business are the ones that are going to be the future CIOs of tomorrow because they get such a broader understanding of how company works and runs. And they are the ones that I think are able to have those conversations that lend themselves to be able to move up to that kind of career path. But that's not to suggest that really strong infrastructure people are not going to be able to make the same transition.


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Dear Friend Hitler
|Dear Friend Hitler
Theatrical release poster
|Directed by
|Rakesh Ranjan Kumar[1]
|Produced by
|Dr. Parth
|Screenplay by
|Rakesh Ranjan Kumar
|Story by
|Nalin Singh
Rakesh Ranjan Kumar
|Nalin Singh Raghubir Yadav
Neha Dhupia
Aman Verma[1]
|Music by
Background Score:
Sanjoy Chowdhury
|Fuwad Khan
|Edited by
|Shree Narayan Singh
|Distributed by
|Amrapali Media Vision Pvt. Ltd.
Release date
Dear Friend Hitler, released in India as Gandhi to Hitler,[2] is a 2011 Indian drama film based on letters written by Mohandas Gandhi to the leader of the Nazi Party and Chancellor of Germany Adolf Hitler. The film, starring Raghubir Yadav as Adolf Hitler and Neha Dhupia as Eva Braun, was directed by Rakesh Ranjan Kumar and produced by Anil Kumar Sharma under the production house Amrapali media vision. It was screened at the 61st Berlin International Film Festival where it received negative reviews.[3][4] Film Business Asia quoted that "despite the provocative title, the film is not a tribute to the murderous Führer".[5] It premiered in India on 29 July 2011.
The film is set during World War II and centres upon the letters written by Mohandas Gandhi (Avijit Dutt) to Adolf Hitler (Raghubir Yadav), and around the relationship of Hitler with his long-term lover Eva Braun (Neha Dhupia), whom he married in his final days in the Berlin bunker in which they died. The film depicts the difference between the ideologies of Gandhi and Hitler and claims the superiority of Gandhism over Nazism.
- Raghubir Yadav as Adolf Hitler
- Neha Dhupia as Eva Braun
- Nalin Singh as Joseph Goebbels
- Nasir Abdullah as Albert Speer
- Jatin Sarna as Shaqir
- Lucky Vakharia as Amrita Kaur
- Nikita Anand as Magda Goebbels
- Bhupesh Kumar Pandey as Subhas Chandra Bose
- Avijit Dutt as Mohandas Gandhi
- Hanuman Prasad Rai as Otto Günsche
Anupam Kher had originally agreed to play the role of Hitler, but he backed out after Jewish organisations in India condemned him for playing the part because of Hitler's massacre of millions of Jews.[6][7] The filmmakers accused Kher of not returning the ₹4 lakh(400,000 rupees) he had been paid after signing the contract and consequently sued him for ₹2.5 crore (25 million rupees).[8] However, Kher perceived it as a way of filmmakers to promote their film before the release.[9] It is the only mainstream Bollywood film to refer to the Indian Legion, a Waffen-SS unit recruited from Indian volunteers.
Criticism and controversies[edit]
British newspaper, The Guardian, declared the film to be profoundly misguided and to show a shocking ignorance of history. Noah Massil, president of the Central Organization of Indian Jews in Israel (COIJI) stated that "he would write to President Pratibha Patil and Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to intervene in order to prevent bringing disrepute to our entertainment industry", but the filmmakers claimed that the film does not glorify Hitler, but rather juxtaposes him against Gandhi's ideology of peace.[10][11]
We clarified that the movie is not about Hitler's ideology, but how his ideology of violence conflicts with Gandhi's ideology of peace. There is no glorification of Hitler's character.— Anil Kumar Sharma, The Times of India[4]
The film was met with negative reviews. The Times of India gave the film 2 stars out of 5, calling it an "unnecessary play with history".[12] The Daily News and Analysis gave the movie one star.[13] NDTV criticised the movie for using Indian actors to play all non-Indian characters, using India itself as a stand-in to Europe, and for its "strands".[14] Koimoi gave the film 0.5/5; although it praised Yadav's performance as Hitler, it criticised the film's script, direction, technical values, soundtrack, and the performance from other actors.[15]
- ^ a b "Opening Credits". dearfriendhitlerthefilm.com. Retrieved 17 April 2011.[permanent dead link]
- ^ a b "Gandhi to Hitler / Dear Friend Hitler - Times Of India". The Times of India. The Times Group. 4 July 2011. Retrieved 2 August 2011.
- ^ Entertainment Desk (5 March 2011). "Berlin cleared misconceptions about 'My Friend Hitler': Scriptwriter". Banglanews24. Archived from the original on 16 March 2012. Retrieved 18 March 2011.
- ^ a b Times News Network (22 February 2011). "Hitler goes to Berlin". The Times of India. The Times Group. Retrieved 18 March 2011.
- ^ "Indian Hitler film gets Berlin launch". 24 March 2011. Retrieved 24 March 2011.
- ^ Bollywood Hungama News Network (19 June 2010). "Anupam Kher bows out from Dear Friend Hitler". Bollywood Hungama. Retrieved 18 March 2011.
- ^ Indian Express Agencies (7 March 2011). "Anupam Kher's backout hurt Neha Dhupia". Indian Express. Indian Express Limited. Retrieved 19 March 2011.
- ^ "Anupam Kher".
- ^ "Gandhi To Hitler filmmakers to sue Anupam Kher". The Hindustan Times. New Delhi: HT Media. 21 July 2011. Archived from the original on 22 July 2011. Retrieved 24 July 2011.
- ^ Tunzelmann, Alex von (11 June 2010). "Why Bollywood's film about Hitler is profoundly misguided". The Guardian. London. Retrieved 17 April 2011.
- ^ "Planned Bollywood movie 'Dear Friend Hitler' angers Indian Jews". World Jewish Congress. New York. 16 June 2010. Retrieved 17 April 2011.
- ^ "Gandhi to Hitler". The Times of India.
- ^ "Review: Gandhi to Hitler is an assault on senses and cinema". Daily News and Analysis. Retrieved 13 July 2012.
- ^ "Gandhi to Hitler". NDTV. 29 July 2011. Archived from the original on 30 November 2012. Retrieved 13 July 2012.
- ^ "Gandhi To Hitler Review". Koimoi. Retrieved 13 July 2012.
External links[edit]
- 2011 films
- Hindi-language films
- Indian films
- Cultural depictions of Adolf Hitler
- Cultural depictions of Eva Braun
- Cultural depictions of Joseph Goebbels
- Films about Mahatma Gandhi
- Indian war films
- Films set in the 1940s
- Films set in Berlin
- Films about the German Resistance
- Films set in the British Empire
- World War II films based on actual events
- 2010s drama films
- Azad Hind
- Films scored by Sanjoy Chowdhury


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The Acting Chair (Mr. David Zimmer): Welcome to the afternoon session. We're going to start with Michael O'Sullivan from the Burr Foundation.
You have 15 minutes. I'll give you a three-minute warning, and you can leave whatever time you want for questions at the end of your presentation.
Mr. Michael O'Sullivan: Robert and Anne Burr send their regrets. They're the foundation I'm representing. The other people who sit on the board also have extensive experience in animal protection. One of them served as the chief executive officer of the BC SPCA for 17 years and has worked in animal protection for 25 years. Robert Burr served on the board of directors of the Ontario Humane Society, chaired a number of committees, was an OHS inspector, and also worked and ran the Oakville Humane Society.
The ground I'm going to cover is fresh ground. I'm not going to repeat what I said earlier today.
I did have a couple of observations. As we said originally, we believe that self-governing bodies have an inherent conflict of interest. I've heard suggestions that more people should be added to the Animal Care Review Board. We would respectfully suggest that in fact the Animal Care Review Board be phased out and replaced with a court process. I think we're underestimating the ability of the courts to deal with matters. They deal with hundreds, if not thousands, of issues from a wide range of problems that face society, and I think they'r e eminently capable. To have either the OSPCA or other special-interest groups reviewing cases which could result in criminal charges, I think, is an inherent conflict of interest and should not happen.
I did say earlier, too, that I believe the OSPCA should continue its function but not under the current mechanisms or the way it's structured. As many of you know, at a federal level, the Corporations Act is going to be amended and a new section struck to deal specifically with charities. The provincial government is also following suit, and it will in fact require all charities to reapply for their corporate papers under that act.
Our recommendation is that the OSPCA be split into two functions, one which is a law enforcement unit that reports directly to the minister, the same way any other police force does, with all of the inherent mechanisms and fail-safes; and secondly, that the OSPCA be able to carry on its good charitable work to help animals, shelter animals, education, legislative proposals and so forth. That would eliminate some of the conflicts of interest that you've heard today.
I listened very carefully to the presentation from the Canadian Association of Zoos and Aquariums. I'� m not sure if they're still here or not, but one recommendation I have would be that if they say that their voluntary standards are superior to what this bill proposes, perhaps the committee and the Legislature could take a look at their standards and incorporate them into the regulations, and the fail-safe would be that failure to follow those regulations would result in attendant penalties.
I'm aware that the OSPCA has been investigated by the Attorney General's office, the Solicitor General's office and the Ontario Public Guardian and Trustee seven to eight times combined. I refreshed my memory with a 1982 report that was written, and regrettably, although it had good suggestions, 26 years later many of its recommendations have still not been implemented.
This legislation is critical because it not only gives us a chance to look at legislation that has not been amended in 53 years, but perhaps even more significantly, it's going to chart the progress of animal protection for the next 20 or 30 years to come. So I think everyone would agree that it's very important that we get it right.
Mr. Trow mentioned the inherent unfairness with the property tax relief, and I'd like to amplify that. Our charity, along with any of the other 600 groups that are operating throughout the province, whether they're incorporated or not, doesn't receive any tax dollars. We didn't receive any of the $7 million that you've already given to the OSPCA, and any of us that have property still have to pay taxes. We would respectfully suggest that unless you're prepared to grant those types of exemptions to any registered charity working to help animals, the Ontario SPCA not be given that special privilege. It's prejudicial and it's unfair.
With respect to section 10, we'r e very concerned about it, as we said earlier. Perhaps even more disconcerting is that there has been a great deal of public controversy around this entire piece of legislation, there has been tremendous debate during first and second readings by the MPPs concerning the legislation, and when any reference is made to any part of it, in particular to section 10, the OSPCA is missing in action. No one has heard anything and no one has seen anything on their website. As far as we know, no one has received any communications from them. In our respectful view, that just makes things worse. If in fact it's not their intention to misuse this authority, then why haven't they come out and said that they are not going to?
Again, there's an even more important issue at stake here with respect to the reputations of organizations. This bill has not only been formulated over a period of a couple of years, but it's had second reading, so they've already been able to convince the Legislature that other groups are somehow doing something wrong, and that's also going to be a public perception. So if you move forward and you remove people's names, you're going to completely cut the legs out from underneath them with respect to reputation and goodwill. They are not going to be effectively able to disagree with government policies or with the policies of other groups that could be harmful to animals. More importantly, you'll tell the public that in their eyes, the reason why they lost their name and their identity was because they did something wrong. None of us has done anything wrong except disagree.
We also believe, as I said earlier, that you need better training for the inspectors. Again, I would call on specialists like the Canadian association of zoos, parks and aquaria. If they say their inspectors are better trained than OSPCA inspectors, then maybe they could be enlisted to train OSPCA inspectors. Again, I have to repeat myself, I guess: In a perfect world, everything would be voluntary, but that's not the world that we live in. In my opinion, self-regulation by any body, including humane societies, is a recipe for disaster.
About seven weeks ago, I went to the OSPCA headquarters in Newmarket. I didn't have an appointment, and so the chief executive officer was not able to see me. I asked for a copy of their bylaws, and after a lot of to-ing and fro-ing, I was told that the bylaws were secret and I was not allowed to look at them. We could not find them anywhere through Industry Canada, through the corporations branch, or through any searches that we did. I heard someone describe some groups as "private charities." There is no such thing as a private charity; they're a public charity. You can't be a public charity and a public police force and, when you're asked questions by people, say, "That's secret. You're not allowed to know."
When we asked how we could become a member society or apply, I was shown a piece of paper for an individual membership, which would have required me to sign a legally binding affidavit that, sight unseen, we agreed with their bylaws now and forever and would agree to uphold them. You can't ask someone to do that. It's impossible.
Other concerns we have: There obviously are a lot of stakeholders. We reiterate that we think there should be much broader public consultations, and we would respectfully urge the committee that when the Legislature reconvenes, this not be put to a third reading, that there be six to eight months of public consultations. We know that the committee put an ad in the newspaper in North Bay, London and Ottawa; we think it ought to go into more places than that. There were only five and a half days' notice given as a deadline before people could respond, and of course we're in the middle of summer vacations. I suspect there are a lot of people who would like to appear before the committee or would like to make submissions, and they simply don't know about the opportunity.
That concludes my presentation. I'd be glad to answer any questions you might have.
The Acting Chair (Mr. David Zimmer): We have about two and a half minutes per party, starting with Mr. Dunlop.
Mr. Garfield Dunlop: Thank you very much once again for your presentation. I think you sum it up in a fairly accurate way. I'm hearing the same thing that you've actually mentioned here today, like the consultations. Even when the bill was introduced, this briefing note came out from the ministry and said that all this consultation had taken place, and yet when we checked with the organizations that were mentioned, virtually no consultation had taken place. I'm with you on this and I hope the government will listen to some of these concerns, because I think that when we get to third reading we're going to have some people very disappointed in the outcome in light of the fact that I don't expect the government will make a lot of amendments, because they'v e got a majority here at the committee hearings. But I hope they'll listen because, as we look at all the organizations across the province that have some real concerns about the warrantless entry and things like that, I think we're going to find even more of the kinds of concerns you've brought forward today. So I'm with you on that and I really appreciate your support.
Mr. Michael O'Sullivan: Thank you. I can't say enough-again, I think the intentions are good. I think there has been some very self-interested and bad advice and I'm hoping that people will sit back.
One of the conflicts of interest I spoke about is that the chief inspector is the chief police officer. He, right now, has an agent sitting on his board of directors. Imagine Julian Fantino showing up at an Ontario police commission meeting and finding out that a constable who reports to him sits on the board and is his boss. You can't have that kind of a mechanism because it's a recipe for disaster.
Mr. Garfield Dunlop: If we're going to pass this legislation, let's get it right.
Mr. Michael O'Sullivan: I think, again-
The Acting Chair (Mr. David Zimmer): Thank you. Ms. DiNovo.
Ms. Cheri DiNovo: Thank you again, Mr. O'Sullivan. Of course, I just want to reiterate that I'm in perfect agreement with what you've had to say.
You had begun to answer in the last round one of the concerns of Mr. Levac. I would cede some of my time so that you could continue on; you were lopped off there. He had said that section 6 was there to prevent fraud: somebody coming to your door, impersonating an SPCA or a humane society. I suggested that fraud is covered by the Criminal Code already. But you were about to say something further to that, and I'm wondering if you could just continue.
Mr. Michael O'Sullivan: Absolutely correct. There are already sufficient mechanisms to deal with that issue: the Competition Bureau, consumer affairs, the newspapers, the police. The suggestion that use of the name "humane society" or "SPCA" is anything less than about money, power and politics is just simply not the case.
For 53 years, the Ontario Humane Society failed to enforce the current section 6, which goes even further and says that any group, meaning any two people, incorporated or unincorporated, right now who profess to say they'r e working for the welfare of animals have to become a member of the OSPCA and agree with them. The section has never been enforced and right now there are 600 groups in the province that are in violation of the law, by looking at it. This again, by amending it, would hone in-it's about fundraising competition. It has nothing to do with animal welfare or fraud.
Finally, I was threatened with the section of the act that exists now when I ran the Windsor/Essex County Humane Society, because we were not affiliated with the OHS. We deliberately disaffiliated with them because there was a great deal of dysfunction at work. They threatened to use this section and I said, "Fine, let's go to court and sort this out once and for all." And they never made good on the threat. So they're coming to you asking for something they can't get any other way because no one is going to listen to them because it's absolute nonsense.
The Acting Chair (Mr. David Zimmer): Thank you.
Mr. Dave Levac: Mr. O'Sullivan, this afternoon's deputation was on behalf of the Burr Foundation?
Mr. Michael O'Sullivan: That's correct.
Mr. Dave Levac: And you're a member of the Burr Foundation.
Mr. Michael O'Sullivan: I'm a director on the board.
Mr. Dave Levac: A director on the board of the foundation, and Robert couldn't be with us.
Mr. Michael O'Sullivan: That's correct.
Mr. Dave Levac: And everything that you've said, including previously said, is believed by the Burr Foundation to be words of-
Mr. Michael O'Sullivan: The remarks I made earlier were on behalf of the Humane Society of Canada; the remarks I made this afternoon I cleared with the Burr Foundation.
Mr. Dave Levac: Okay, thank you. I just wanted to make sure that people who see you twice understand why we're doing this-
Mr. Michael O'Sullivan: Absolutely. As I mentioned in my presentation, Robert and Anne have worked in animal welfare for 40 years, and Robert actually sat on the board of the OSPCA, was an OSPCA inspector and ran the Oakville humane society, which is an affiliate, and worked for the Toronto Humane Society, and actually founded and sat on the board of the Upper Credit Humane Society, which is also an affiliate. So he's very well versed in these matters.
Mr. Dave Levac: Thanks for that clarification. That's an important thing to do for people when they hear the same deputant make two presentations.
Mr. Michael O'Sullivan: I appreciate that.
Mr. Dave Levac: The points you continue to make are-I want to make sure I get this right-that you believe there's an inability of the OSPCA to fulfill their mandate by their training or by their action for power. Am I getting this right?
Mr. Michael O'Sullivan: What I'm saying is that I think the OSPCA should continue with its work. But after observing them closely and working with them for 40 years, they can't do it under the current mechanisms by which they operate. It's not fair to them, it's not fair to the public and it's not fair to animals.
Mr. Dave Levac: And then, by extension, it's one of power and money.
Mr. Michael O'Sullivan: In terms of the use of the name, absolutely.
The Acting Chair (Mr. David Zimmer): Thank you very much for appearing before the committee today.


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Building a Replica: an Interview with a Shipbuilder
Rather than raise the wrecks of the Hamilton and Scourge, it may be preferable to build replicas for display. But how would one go about making accurate historical replicas?
How do you get the wood bent to all those different shapes?
The parts that most often need to be bent are the ribs and the planks. The ribs give the planks support and give the boat its shape. Often they need to make some drastic twists and turns. To get the wood to make drastic bends and twists we steam the wood.
Wood is composed of multiple layers of cellulose fibres held together in a fixed and solid state by a plastic substance called lignin. When heated, the lignin becomes pliable until it cools, thus binding the fibres in their new position.
What keeps the water out of the boat?
Part of the art of boatbuilding is to use the properties of the wood to your advantage. The outside shell of the boat is the planking. Each plank is butted side to side with another plank. The planks are shaped to fit snugly next to the previous plank in a nice, eye pleasing fair line.
Caulking (usually cotton) is then driven in between the planks. When the boat is in the water the planks swell tight to each other and the caulking expands, acting like a gasket to form a water tight seal, much like a washer is used in a faucet.
What woods are used in boats? Does it matter where they are used?
Builders will try to use species of wood that are indigenous to the area for cost and availability. The most commonly used species are:
If nothing is straight or level on a boat, what do you use as a reference to build it?
Boats are designed relative to the position at which she rests in the water to get her best possible performance and most appealing appearance. Everything on the boat is built using the water line as a level – fore and aft and from side to side.
From the initial layout, all the pieces, molds and templates and anything else you can possibly mark with the waterline is level, so there is always a reference to work from. You also use the centre line of the boat and the distance from the bow as a reference mark. You therefore have established a three dimensional co-ordinate system to locate any point on the boat, as the boat is to be symmetrical from side to side. If you build to one point on one side, you must build to the same point on the other side.
How do you build a boat? Where do you start and what steps are involved?
Building a boat can be a complex puzzle at times as well as the most satisfying experience of your life. Once you have decided on a design and acquired the plans, the first step is lofting:
Lofting is the step when you accurately draw the out the plans of the boat, life sized, on the floor. This is a very important stage for the boat because this is your chance to solve hundreds of little problems before they become big problems later on down the line. Here you become very intimate with every line and curve of your boat and establish in your mind what it should look like.
All the molds and templates are made from these life sized drawings you have laid out or "lofted". You cut and make all pieces from the templates: the stem, keel, knees, sternposts, etc. Then you assemble the backbone, attach the station molds, transom and ribbands, making sure that they are square to the centerline, plumb and level to the waterline.
In the next phase, you steambend your ribs and temporarily attach them to the ribbands and install any major bulkheads. After this you proceed to the planking of the boat. Once you have finished the shear plank (the top plank), the shear clamp has to be installed. This is the ledge that the deck is built on. The breast hook and stern knees and floor timbers help distribute the loads.
At this point you have to consider things like engines and other mechanical, electrical and plumbing services. The boat can be sanded fair and smooth, then caulked and painted. Now you have a water-tight boat ready to go in the water, except for all the things that help to make it a functional craft.
Next, you add deck beams, carlings, deck planks, rub rails, toe rails coamings, cabin sides, cabin deck, cockpit seats and hatches, vents, port holes, companion way hatch, cabin hatches and anything else that will keep the inside dry from the elements.
You then finish the inside of the cabin, with ceiling (which is not to be above your head but on the sides covering the ribs and planking) cabin sole cabinetry, berths and lockers. As launching day grows near, it's time to assemble your rigging, masts, booms, stays and running rigging. Add any necessary trim and hardware.
You now have a beautiful, well-crafted boat that, with a little love, will last 100 years or more. Bon voyage!
How do modern building techniques differ from traditional methods?
Building methods have changed very little for centuries. The parts of the boat are the same and they are put together in the same order. Some of the materials we use today are better and more readily available, like bronze and stainless steel for hardware and fasteners, instead of iron and steel.
There are also fungicides to fight rot, lead for ballast instead of stone, brick, or iron. Lexan is used for portholes and hatches instead of glass, dacron sails and nylon ropes instead of the hemp and flax that was once used.
Modern technology has made boats of today stronger, safer, more comfortable and easy to use, but it hasn't changed how they are built. The only drawbacks today versus then, is the difficulty in acquiring good lumber and the decline in the number of skilled boatbuilders. Both are out there if you persevere, they are just not as abundant as they once were.


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These photos of my two girls were taken a year apart, give or take a couple of months.
The first one shows them on holiday in their Italian great-grandmother's native village.
In the second one, they are on their way to school, walking up the road to the bus stop.
I love the way their hands are entwined. Their closeness transpires in these pictures. First Daughter looks grown up already, and very much in charge. Her little sister has total confidence in her sibling, and she lets her lead the way.
They do not hold hands like this anymore, and now they live in different countries. But the complicity remains. And this gives me great happiness.
You will find more family stories here: Sticky Fingers.


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E vocês? Gostam assim muito muito de bikers? Em qual apostaram primeiro? Contem-me tudo!
Who doens't love a biker? It's such a great piece to have in our closet. And I don't know about you, but I don't think I had another season that I saw as many biker jackets in stores as this season. All different colors, with metallic effects or not, there is something for everyone! I love bikers! They give that cool effect to a look without a big effort you know?
So, from where should we start?
- The Black One
- The Nude one
- The Colorful one
Who ever said that we can't find awesome pieces in great prices?
Well, right now my bikers are all in the closet because with 35 degrees it's impossible to wear something like this, but soon soon, I'll get back to them!
I'll leave some of my older looks with bikers and some suggestions for you!
And you? Do you love bikers? In each one did you bet first? Tell me everything!
I hope you like it!
See you tomorrow!


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Cowboys need to establish an identity moving forward
Just once, it would be nice if the Dallas Cowboys would commit to an identity and try to see it through. But it's more likely this organization will continue to throw darts in every direction.
Owner/general manager Jerry Jones stripped Jason Garrett of playcalling duties last offseason, but that turned out to be much ado about nothing. As I said at the time, Garrett doesn't have the type of aura or personality to stand out as a walk-around head coach. He was more comfortable spending his time on offensive game plans and then calling plays from his laminated chart. Jones will bring Garrett back for at least one more season, so maybe it wouldn't hurt to let the head coach make a few more decisions regarding his 2014 team.
If you need further proof that Jerry's captaining a rudderless ship, just look at some of these NFC playoff teams. It doesn't take a lot of film study to realize what Jim Harbaugh and Pete Carroll stand for as head coaches. Both of them presided over great offensive teams in the conference formerly known as the Pac-10 before making the move to the NFC West. But both coaches have placed huge emphasis on the defensive side of the ball.
The 49ers have the best group of linebackers in the NFL, and that's where their identity begins. The Seahawks have stocked their secondary with elite cornerbacks and safeties. No matter if both teams bow out of the playoffs this weekend, we know exactly where they'll begin next season.
Saints coach Sean Payton is living proof of how a talented coach can make a dramatic impact on an organization. The team lost its way last season when Payton was suspended for his role in the bounty scandal. Drew Brees, one of the top three or four quarterbacks in the league, turned into an interception machine in Payton's absence. Payton, Harbaugh and Carroll may be the most supremely confident (cocky) coaches in the NFL. That confidence translates to the field.
The Cowboys decided last offseason to transition to a 4-3 scheme and a lot of us bit on that storyline like lemmings just because it was different. It was an interesting attempt to form an identity on the fly. In retrospect, it was silly to project these players as something similar to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers of the early 2000s. The presence of Monte Kiffin wasn't going to automatically turn Bruce Carter into Derrick Brooks. It's why Jerry Jones is the David Copperfield of the NFL. He's a master illusionist who throws out enough ideas that something's bound to catch your eye.
Firing Rob Ryan felt like the right thing to do after the 2012 season despite the fact that he lost several key players to injuries. But Ryan took over a Saints defense that was the NFL's worst of all-time in terms of yards allowed in 2012 and turned it into something respectable. This has been a redemption year for him while Jerry has egg all over his face after the 2013 fiasco.
Based on some of the retreads attracting attention for head-coaching jobs, Garrett may have been able to land on his feet with another organization. But Jerry says he's invested too much time and money in the Princeton man not to wait around for the returns. He'll never admit it, but surely Garrett regrets not taking either the Baltimore or Atlanta job when he received offers following the '07 season. Both of those organizations have owners who hire strong general managers and let them do their job.
Garrett let Jones talk him into staying in the Cowboys organization. He hasn't failed completely as a head coach, but he's left a trail of mediocrity. And in the aftermath of a third consecutive 8-8 season, nothing Garrett said suggested this team was close to establishing an identity.
"I think our players believe in our program," said Garrett. "I think when you watch us play you see that they believe in our program and what we're trying to get accomplished. That's a big part of the identity of the football team that you're trying to establish."
I just with Garrett would work harder at defining this so-called program. It's not an issue of whether the players are committed to him. It's that whatever plan is in place isn't working. Garrett now has one season to alter the course of his coaching career. He would be wise to ask Jerry for more say in constructing this 2014 team.
If that's not in Garrett's nature, then he'll be coaching somewhere else in 2015. This is an organization that is defined more by its spectacular stadium than its football team.
Jerry would like to have both, but it appears he's willing to settle for one.


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The Sietsma family has been building homes for six generations. In 2004, Avtec Homes founder, Larry Sietsma set his sights on creating affordable, energy-efficient homes for the people of Brevard County, Florida. He had already begun one of the nation's largest and most respected home building companies 20 years prior, with more than 10,000 homes in Brevard alone. Together with his daughter, LEED Certified Sandi Forest, they launched a home building company that combined personal values with genuine affordability and beautiful energy-efficient designs; for savings to benefit the homebuyer far into the future. With that, the Eco-StarSM High Performance Home was born.
Building a home requires extraordinary teamwork and quality control. Avtec uses only local trades and craftsmen who live where they work and stand behind their quality workmanship. Open every day but Sunday, Avtec Homes empowers its staff to work together from start to finish to ensure the best possible building experience for each home buyer. That includes building on your property or ours, making the changes you want and adding the options that turn a great floor plan into your home.
Our hand-picked team of top performing professionals want to build a better life for you.
Awards and Recognition
In just a few short years, Avtec Homes has been recognized throughout Florida and beyond. In addition to numerous awards for superior home designs, they have been ranked nationally by Builder Magazine as the 185th largest home builder in the United States. Additionally, Inc. Magazine lists Avtec Homes among the 500 fastest growing companies in the nation.


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At ARRK, we believe in an integrated approach to product development that is backed at every stage by exceptional engineering skill, cutting edge technology, and expert guidance. ARRK's selective laser sintering service delivers tough, durable parts in as little as 2-3 days. Clients can choose from a wide range of materials, each offering its own unique characteristics. From polyamide to glass-filled nylon, selective laser sintering is particularly suited for functional testing and our latest EX material combines fine durability and exceptional flexibility.
Selective laser sintering is a 3D printing process in which prototypes are built by fusing plastic based powdered material together using a high powered precision laser. Prototypes manufactured using this 3D printing technology are considered to be more durable than stereolithography because they do not break down or degrade over time.
Some advantages of this 3D printing technology include:
No tooling
Reduction in weight
Increase in strength
With this 3D printing technology, you can accurately test and assess your prototypes for true functionality. At ARRK, we can build prototypes in a variety of sizes by bonding sections together which can range from small clips to car dashboards. Additionally, we are able to deliver finished prototypes that include a range of surface finishes, as well as paint and texturing service.
Related Links
Fused Deposition Modeling
Direct Metal Laser Sintering
Vacuum Casting
CNC Machining
Injection Molding


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Funeral Flowers
Show your respect and sympathy; flower delivery to the Funeral Home will comfort the bereaved. Flowers by Richard will create a Memorial Arrangement that expresses your heartfelt sympathy and deliver it anywhere in Manhattan.
Sympathy and Funeral Flowers can be delivered to the following Funeral Homes in Manhattan and Queens:
Barrett Funeral Home, Ortiz Funeral Home, Campbell Funeral Home, Riverside Funeral Chapel, Quinn Funeral Home, Farenga Funeral Home, Andrett Funeral Home, Guttermann Funeral Home, Plaza Funeral Home, Crestwood Funeral Home
Your florist of choice when ordering all your funeral flowers, Flowers by Richard.
Standing Sprays & WreathsPay your last respects to a departed friend or loved one's family with an uplifting floral standing spray. The natural beauty of each flower offers comfort to all in attendance. Let FLOWERS BY RICHARD NYC help you choose the right standing funeral spray for your final tribute. If you would like something more personalized, give us a call or stop by our location in New York.
Casket FlowersCasket sprays offer a final tribute to a departed loved one. It's beauty and elegance sets the tone of the funeral service. There are two types of casket arrangements: full couch and half couch. Full couch is for a closed casket, and half couch arrangements are typically used for an open casket. Flowers for cremation services are also available. For any type of funeral flowers in the New York area, FLOWERS BY RICHARD NYC is here to help.
Sympathy ArrangementsA sympathy arrangement is the perfect way to say what you need without saying anything at all. Flowers uplift spirits and remind us of happier occasions. For sympathy arrangements or any type of funeral flowers in New York NY, FLOWERS BY RICHARD NYC is here for you.
Cremation and Memorial
Cremation and Memorial Flowers
Flowers serve as an inspiration and a tribute to friends and loved ones during trying times. Cremation urn and memorial flowers can act as a personal expression of love or as a warm send-off. When you work with FLOWERS BY RICHARD NYC, we endeavor to illustrate the essence and memory of your loved ones with a beautiful floral expression of their lives. Our selection of floral inspiration covers a wide variety of personalities and tastes. Looking for something different, or want to add a personal touch? We also do custom arrangements. Call for pricing.


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A short biopic of individual spiritual evolution
To be honest, this teacher is nothing, I surprise myself constantly with what I seem to know about things. There is a reason for it but these matters are deeply personal as certain things about ourselves we cherish and keep private.
We all begin our journey in this life at birth and we possess a body, a soul, and an immutable "spirit" or self that is beyond cognition and referred to by many names, none of which are able adequately to clearly define the exact nature of what I speak . In the time of youth before the age of twelve there seems to be a time of profound intuitive experience that we as adults either leave behind as mere memories and/or conversely there are other experiences that shape our lives and cause some to pursue truths revealed in those moments of profound inspiration. In such things I am no different from any of you.
As my progression would have it since a young age, certain unique dreams visions had impacted my experience of mind. This was not received well by parents or authority. At or about the age of baptism into the Southern Methodist sect of Christianity I began speaking up and giving trouble to my church . I even managed to get kicked out of a Sunday school class for describing God as…
I live in the west so it would be logical for me, if I am truly serious about things, to devote myself to the study of biblical science, hermetic, theurgic, alchemical, historical, and epistemological study systematically focused on acquiring whatever light was available through such study. This I did, until one day in the Classics library at the University of Illinois (I believe it was around 1978) as I was pouring over the HD photographic plates of the Vatican 1209 MSS from which our New Testament scriptures are translated; I stopped, stared for an indefinite period into the distance and then closed the tomb, stood up and left the library never to return again. Prior to that were many highlights during my studies at the University which included translating a 7th century Vellum Scroll of Solomon's Ecclesiastes (located in the vault room at the U of I library) as well as spending years studying diligently the 40 years of publications of the Semitic language journal covering all scholarship of Jewish, Biblical, and Rabbinic knowledge at the time. I became convinced there is no enlightenment in books.
However, years prior to this, I took my first initiation at age 17 in Peoria Illinois at Bradley University from a swami under his master, a Bhagwan whom I never met and cannot relate his name. The system was mantranjami and was the first introduction to the mystical yoga of sound. As my interest would allow I made a systematic and comprehensive study of all mantranjami systems available, resulting in comprehensively studying several systems under numerous masters. I completed the four symbolic initiations: Vase, Secret, Wisdom, and Symbolic which confers the privilege of practicing Mahamudra and have trained in this for more than 33 years possessing the lineage key instructions. There are secret training in the whispered lineage and I cannot speak of these. Those that regurgitate whatever information they might acquire are helping no one. We earn the right to learn.
My training has included initiation in the White Tara Tantra and other training under a master Rinpoche in California and other training in the system taught by Kalu Rinpoche and various secret tantra of which I am not at liberty to provide more information by oath. However, I will teach you what you need to know and as always, you are wholly responsible for your own advancement. I am nothing. I bring only method and whatever is true that I have learned and you have earned the right to learn. This means I will never tell you everything. It also means certain things you must learn for yourself.
There is more, a lot more…but I do not feel free to share any more than this. From time to time I will recommend reading material or write about things that should expand your understanding of the path. This path for me has a few basic concepts. One of the more important rules that I follow is the rule that "there is no truth apart from technique." Don't be misled by philosophies or words, not mine, not anyone's. What I mean by this is that words in and of themselves are empty. As such their nature is to deceive and obscure the "truth". Although words are necessary there is a zen saying that comes to mind whenever I bring up this subject and it goes like this.
"It is not necessary to become enlightened, only to cease having an opinion."
I like to add my own phrase and it goes like this…
"If you are going to have an opinion it should not be someone else, but be your own."
Together these two ideas should protect you from being easily misled.
I expect that for some of you there are ideas, concepts or even reference to things you do not understand as yet. This is understandable. I try to write things down in words that are clear and easy to understand. So I will write articles that are for the purpose of gaining an inventory of more technical understanding of certain concepts that will be required to advance in your personal training. Some things are necessary, some are not.