text:
My rating: 3 of 5 stars
I really like the concept of this book – a mobster with a conscience! And I was privileged enough to be given an Advance Review Copy, for which I am still grateful.
But I found it hard to enjoy.
So first,
the good
(without giving anything away): I can see the potential in Weaver's writing style and he has a fantastic plot: the opening paragraph to chapter 10 is brilliance and the chapter itself flows and reads beautifully. The neighbour has the right mix of caution for Jake and compassion for Logan that makes the scene believable.
The toilet scene in chapter 36 is even better – funny, natural and real.
There are some standout lines of imagery:
– the contents of an old takeout container 'turning to the dark side'
– 'a deep voice that made James Earl Jones sound soprano'
– 'with the massive grace of a drunken toddler'
– 'Bear returned to the couch and crushed whatever resiliency was left in the old cushions'
– 'eyes so spread apart he could stand on Wednesday and see both Sundays'.
There was also one good surprise that was brilliantly timed and followed-up.
The novel was the perfect length.
All of these points and more led me to a three-star review.
But now, and I apologise in advance,
the bad…
Throughout, Ares Road is filled with unnecessary repetition, confused pace, a misunderstanding of grammar and sentence structure, a whole lot of telling-not-showing, questionable motives, and a misuse of precision; all of which pulled me out of the story.
Let me explain by example:
"Well, we gotta find the briefcase now. You're too young to have dentures."
"Couldn't afford them anyway."
"Do you know what's in the briefcase?"
"Not a clue. I was hired to get Voleski and the briefcase."
Confused pace
Three sentences on condo prices followed by a long sentence describing the weather just to drip-feed some backstory is not what I expect to read in the middle of a desperate worry about a missing target, a dead guy, a screaming girl, and sirens: on page one!
Action scenes were often relegated a backseat to a paragraph-long description of a new character's hair colour, muscle size, age, weight and accent.
Grammar and sentence structure
Sentences jarred from a missing word, often giving the impression an inanimate object was performing a task:
Devaroux's face bathed in the yellow glow from the afternoon sun
– it's as though someone said 'was bathed' sounded too much like telling, so instead of finding a different way to say it (shone? glowed?) the 'was' was dropped instead.
Jake dropped the gun from the kid's jaw. Henry rubbed the red spot formed from the pistol barrel. Vials spread across the table over Henry's shoulder.
(After Jake doing the dropping, and Henry doing the rubbing, this reads as the vials doing the spreading of their own volition.)
Commas were missing or added inappropriately, and tenses were mixed up. Subject and object were mixed up.
She marched over to the truck with blue eyes.
A thick aluminum pole set in a flowered rock garden hosted a flapping American flag that reflected from the tinted windows covering the building's entrance.
(From the context, I think the building is the subject.)
Possibly the most jarring was a fatal misunderstanding of the word 'conscious':
"Doesn't selling poison to the bad guys weigh on his conscious?"
"He's a United States Senator," Drabek said, tilting his form toward Jake. "He doesn't have a conscious anymore. Speaking of conscious, where's my do-gooder ex-wife?"
The narrative told me about characters, then had them behave at jarring odds: the supposed ice queen, married to her FBI work, who, when we meet her running late for an urgent meeting with her boss, invites a complete stranger to a warm, sit-down conversation in her office, and divulges personal and case information.
The Russian, who goes from snivelling fugitive to suddenly wielding all the power, with all the contacts and the upper hand, even though nothing instigated such an enormous behavioural change.
Logan, whose 'casual acquaintance' with Jake had 'deepened over the past several months over a couple of movies and steak dinners'. It suggests they're lovers. They behave as equals. We're told they're employer and employee.
Questionable motives
Why was the screaming girl ever held captive? We're told right at the end, but it's an afterthought, not a solid reason.
Misuse of precision
Weaver uses some very precise descriptions of character movements and events, and 'minutes' and 'seconds' were no exception, mostly used as literally as you'd expect in a suspenseful story; except when he was generic at inappropriate moments.
We go from 'fifteen seconds ticked off the clock…this thing wouldn't make it in two minutes' to:
Jake drained the last of his Pacifico and set the bottle on the table. "(spoiler deleted)"
Bear leaned back in his chair, his lips moving as he tried to get the cogs spinning in his head to line up. He stroked his beard with his massive hands and a minute later thumped his elbows on the table.
"Wait…(spoiler deleted)?"
That 'minute' constitutes some very slow thinking from a character who is actually very bright, very quick.
And finally, the ugly:
I sound picky and anal, and I'm sorry. Everyone else has given four or five star reviews and I nearly gave this a two. But in story-telling, words are all we have, and the issues I've raised are constant (hundreds of them at a guess). If every one of them takes me an instant or two to figure out what the writer really meant, then no wonder I had no suspension of disbelief, no empathy for the characters, no interest in the story: I was never given the chance to be immersed.
And that's a shame, because somewhere under here is a good story that deserves to be told.


text:
A tree falls in the forest. Scrap metal is loaded into a trailer. Fresh mulch is tossed from a grinder. What do these three things have in common? They are all products produced or processed by small businesses. Sometimes these business types are referred to as niche industries. Have you wondered how you can better reach these individuals and convert prospects to customers?
Marketing to professionals — and they are professionals — in niche industries requires understanding the audience. For public relations practitioners, this is PR 101 — identify the target or primary audiences and their needs. It's not as easy as touring a construction jobsite, landscaping project or farm. In fact, sometimes it can be difficult to find these businesses because they are intentionally out of the way, hidden from most of the society.
Don't discount the importance of marketing to niche audiences. In our agency's business-to-business efforts, this may include forestry and logging professionals, scrap metal recycling companies and organic waste/compost experts. These companies provide a valuable service to our country and local communities. Their importance should not be overlooked, nor should they be marketed to with the same messages as companies in broader construction industries.
Go beyond online searches
Before search engines, marketing departments or sales specialists would comb through the Yellow Pages to search for prospective customers. Fast-forward to today, and phone books are nearly obsolete and sales specialists gather their contacts through web searches. How likely is it that companies in logging, recycling or composting are online? Not very. That's not a slight against them. They're often too busy working to create a website or Facebook® page. The best way to find these individuals is to go where they gather after work or industry tradeshows.
Conferences and trade shows are a staple for niche industries. For example, the Institute of Scrap Recycling Industries (ISRI) represents scrap buyers. ISRI members gather annually for educational opportunities, training, a trade show … and to have fun, too. Contact associations to learn more about how your company can become an associate member and perhaps be part of the trade show. Once you're there, use an incentive to entice members to your booth, where you can interview them and learn more about their passion for their business. Forestry professionals and composting experts also gather each year at conferences. Get boots on the ground and be prepared to listen. Learn as much as you can.
Schedule focus groups
Another way to reach niche audiences is to invite them to participate in a focus group. If you can't get to an industry trade show, focus groups are the next best thing. Contact a local equipment dealership to ask if you can partner with it for a list of its customers who may be interested in participating in research. Host the focus group in the evening and serve a meal. You may even want to offer an incentive, such as a gift card, to get your audience to attend. These are extremely busy people. Expect challenges when you invite them to your focus group.
Focus groups provide good qualitative data. Don't forget that it's not quantitative and shouldn't necessary be applied universally across your target audience. Summarize the findings and highlight the common themes, and share your research with your marketing department or agency. Incorporate what you've learned in your tactics.
Tailor your messages
Don't rely on generic messages that are designed for a wide audience. Be specific when writing toward niche audiences. Learn their lingo and incorporate it in your copy. Tell readers how your company can address a problem or need that a customer is facing. For example, explain how having rearview and sideview cameras on a piece of equipment can improve visibility and enhance safety.
Capture real images from customers working in their natural settings: Go to the forest and see log loaders working on slopes. Visit scrap yards where material handlers and grapples are lifting and loading materials. Take in the sights and smells of fresh compost as organic waste is diverted from sanitary landfills and transformed into a highly sought after landscaping product.
Drive them online
Encourage your audience to engage with your content — such as visiting a website, watching a video or completing an online form — and then provide an incentive to keep them engaged and connected to your brand. Some examples may include the following branded merchandise:
• Flashlights
• Hats
• Multipurpose tools
• Pocketknives
• Tumblers
Although this post is tailored toward industrial-type customers, the same principles can be applied to any number of businesses that market their products and services to a niche audience. Do your research, attend industry events, host a focus group, tailor your message and offer incentives for more success when you're marketing to specialized companies. Make small businesses feel unique, because they are different from many other companies in the world of business-to-business sales and marketing.

subset: commoncrawl


text: Available in both LHD and RHD versions. 4 sealed bearings (2 in the hub shell, 2 in the driver) keep it rolling smooth, and the Rant double wall rim and 14G spokes make it strong. Intended for entry to expert level use. - 36H Rant double wall rim - 9T driver in LHD or RHD - 14mm male axle for maximum strength - 14 gauge stainless spokes with - 16mm brass nipples - 3 cross lace pattern - Weight: 46 oz


text:
Influence of Gas Phase Turbulence on the Transport of Particlesby Jennifer L. Sinclair, Carnegie Mellon Univ, Pittsburgh, United States,
Document Type: Proceeding Paper
Part of: Engineering Mechanics
An interesting and perhaps unexpected flow feature characterizing the transport of a gas-solid suspension in a vertical duct is the radial nonuniformity of particles over the tube cross-section. This segregation of particles often results in a downflow of solids along the tube walls even in the case of a net cocurrent upflow of gas and solids. In this paper the kinetic theory of dense gases is extended in the case of dilute particle flow to account for velocity fluctuations in the gas phase.
Subject Headings: Turbulence | Particles | Particle velocity | Case studies | Fluid flow | Fluid dynamics | Particle size distribution | Gas flow
Services: Buy this book/Buy this article
Return to search


text:
Reading about how the Scottish Independence referendum is panicking the Queen and other UK politicians is quite pleasurable. According to the Mirror,
The Queen is said to be privately horrified at the prospect of Scotland voting for independence from the UK.
It is believed the referendum – which could make the monarch the last Queen of Scotland – dominated her discussions with Prime Minister David Cameron on his annual visit to Balmoral at the weekend.
The growing panic over the break-up of the UK was fuelled by a YouGov poll which put the nationalist Yes campaign ahead by 51% to 49%.
Buckingham Palace aides said the Queen had asked for daily updates on the state of the campaigns.
A source said yesterday: "The Queen is a unionist, there is now a great deal of concern.
"If there is a Yes vote that puts us into uncharted territory constitutionally . Nothing is certain and her being Queen of Scotland is not a given."
YouGov found the nationalists had clawed back a 22-point lead held by the Better Together campaign at the start of August.
Nationalist leader Alex Salmond's private polling reportedly put his campaign ahead 54% to 46%.
While I haven't learned yet if UKIP has an official position on the Scottish referendum, and if they are for or against it, it seems that the popularity of independence among the Scots is quite consistent with the popularity of UKIP in the United Kingdom, with their opposition to membership in the European Union.
I'm not sure why the Scots are wanting their freedom from the UK right now, but the fact that they do certainly points to the future dissolution of much younger and more tenuous unions, such as we have in the European Union.
And remember, Barack Obama is against Scottish independence! So it is hard to believe it would be all bad!


text:
Since cabaret venue Feinstein's at Lowes Regency Hotel closed its doors in December 2012, performer Michael Feinstein has been looking for a new club mainstay to bear his name. And it appears he's found it.
The Grammy-nominated performer will partner with 54 Below, the Broadway supper club that opened in the basement of Studio 54 three years ago.
The venue will now go by the name Feinstein's/54 Below, with Feinstein himself making his first engagement there Dec. 20-30. He'll appear twice annually at the venue thereafter.
"I've watched 54 Below light up Times Square as the number one destination for live entertainment and great food," Feinstein said in a statement. "I am thrilled to join the Tony Award-winning team behind 54 Below's success and look forward to our new adventure together."
This will be the second venue Feinstein currently has his name attached to. In May 2013 he opened Feinstein's at the Nikko in San Francisco. The singer and pianist, who is often cited as "the ambassador of the Great American Songbook," also conducts the Kravis Center Pops Orchestra and the Pasadena Pops.
54 Below presents 16 shows a week, 52 weeks a year, with talent ranging from Broadway legends like Patti LuPone and Ben Vereen to solo debuts of rising Broadway talent, cast reunions, show tributes and popular acts The Skivvies and Charlie Rosen's Broadway Big Band.
Feinstein's partnership with 54 Below, which is operated by four producers rather than owned by a hotel or club like other traditional cabaret venues, is expected to help the venue gain financial stability.


text:
"We lost another one to REI…"
I looked up from email on my morning train ride to see who was talking. My spying eye recognized two acquaintances who currently work at Nordstrom.
"Yeah, this steady stream of exits is starting to affect my morale."
Here in Seattle, we pay close attention to these two homegrown brands as they are big employers and key economic indicators.
I wondered what was making people leave Nordstrom for REI: Money? Management? Weak sales? Why would an employee consider leaving a well-known company with such a strong brand? Of course, my brain went in to branding mode.
Can a strong brand lower employee turnover?
It turns out, being able to answer this question is paramount to a company's employees. According to CareerArc, 75% of job seekers consider an employer's brand before even applying for a job. If the brand is strong, it's strong for all the stakeholders — employees, customers and even investors.
For employees this translates into loyalty. New hires in an organization with a strong employer brand are 40% less likely to leave after the first six months. Many companies forget this.
It's clear that today's companies need to actively cultivate their brand internally and create a culture that resonates with their brand values in order to keep top talent. Let's look at some examples of how strong internal brand culture can strengthen employee loyalty and how weakening a brand's mission has the potential to increase turnover.
REI's brave decision to get employees and customers to #OptOutside
One rainy day in 2015 during a brainstorming session for Black Friday, Seattle based REI considered a radical employee suggestion: shut down the store on the highest of retail holy days instead of holding the traditionally frenzied sale.
It seemed like an insane suggestion at first but upon further consideration, REI's CEO, Jerry Stritzke, decided it might be just crazy enough to work. CCO Ben Steele positioned the idea as one focused "less on direct promotion than highlighting consumer choice."
What's been fascinating to watch is the halo effect as bike shops and other outdoor retailers joined the campaign to choose hiking, biking or camping over shopping. I still see the #optoutside hashtag on friends' Instagram feeds when sharing pictures of hiking and camping.
This radical decision showcased REI's brand promise: a life outdoors. It was courageous to choose the busiest shopping day of the year to show the world what REI considered important. And the bet paid off. As reported in the Puget Sound Business Journal, the #OptOutside campaign reinforced employee connection to the REI brand promise, resonated with REI's customers, and brought in record revenue for 2015 of $2.4 billion, a 9.3 percent increase over the previous year. REI membership also grew by a whopping 1 million people.
Ben Steele reflected, "Even if no one else in the world cares, that's
12,000 employees who get to spend the day outside with the people they
love, not thinking about how to get to the store."
REI put into action their brand's promise. We are people who prioritize enjoying the outdoors above all. Nature over materialism. They also showed what they are not: people who when given a choice, will choose shopping over being outside. This choice demonstrated solidarity between employees and customers.
REI says this on their web site, "Our core purpose guides everything we do: we all work to inspire, educate and outfit for a lifetime of outdoor adventure and stewardship." Their #OptOutside proved it and reminded employees why they chose to work at REI in the first place.
Nordstrom confuses employees and customers with too many bets
Contrast REI's bold bet with Nordstrom's current fragmented retail strategy.
In the About Us section on the Nordstrom web site they say, "Fashion changes. Shopping changes. Our commitment to happy customers doesn't." But as fashion is changing at a rapid pace never seen before and with seven consecutive quarters of YOY revenue decline (Retail Dive), Nordstrom has been forced to revise their business and brand strategies.
Overall sales have fallen in recent years due to the huge shift in the apparel industry. Like most retailers, Nordstrom had to invest a huge amount of resources in online shopping experiences now resulting in nearly a quarter of overall sales.
In addition, Nordstrom continues to expand their popular discount brands Nordstrom Rack and HauteLook with sales up 38%. These two new revenue streams have the potential to erode Nordstrom's well-established high-touch brand with their core audience of loyal Nordstrom Points shoppers. This is the audience that Nordstrom employees are trained to serve with the famous single HR directive, "Use your best judgement."
In addition to trying to keep long time customers happy, Nordstrom is on the hunt for new customers. They hired Creative Director, Olivia Kim, who came from the high-end boutique Opening Ceremony, to create in-store pop up experiences. They are inviting brands such as Topshop, Madewell and JCrew to share floor space and hook the next generation of customers. They also continue to invest in glitzy brick and mortar shopping experiences and to expand their bargain brand, Nordstrom Rack, with hundreds of new stores.
Employees are feeling these changes first hand: the company recently laid off 131 people from their technology team and 400 additional positions as they struggle to find balance between digital and in-store sales.
My own personal experience shopping in-store and online at Nordstrom has been impacted by this fragmented strategy. I've had a Nordstrom card since college. I've watched with more than professional interest over the past few years as they've remodeled their flagship store in downtown Seattle and tried to align their online strategy with their high-touch customer service approach. The changes aren't resonating with me. In fact, I'm starting to feel that the brand is going through a mid-life crisis, walking away from the loyal target audience by trying to woo either the one-percenters or the youth market. "Trying to woo" being the operative phrase.
These kind of changes make both customers and employees ask: what does Nordstrom stand for? Which of these customers is their brand trying to reach? How should employees continue to make customers happy? How do all of these new brands reflect Nordstrom's core mission and values?
All of this brand dilution is dangerous and potentially confusing for Nordstrom customers and employees. This whirlwind of change is enough to make a long-time customer seek out other brands, namely Amazon.
To bolster this erosion, Nordstrom needs to create an internal campaign to both educate and affirm their employees on their brand. They need to show them the strategic road map that will get Nordstrom new customers online and in stores, and they need to reassure jittery employees that the personal touch that is so important for their customers remains the core of their brand for the future.
So what lessons from these two brands can you apply to your company to keep your employees engaged and focused?
- Know your audience. I'm a broken record on this point. It always comes back to your audience, which includes your employees. You would not be in business without your audience. Get over what you think you know about them and do the work of truly understanding what they want and need.
- Involve your employees in developing and maintaining your brand's promise. While you do need vision and leadership at the top, you have to be open to listening to how all of your employees interpret the brand. This gets more complicated as a company becomes larger, but systems need to be put into place for employees to feel heard. Then demonstrate that you're listening by acting on their input.
- Identify a person or a core team that's going to be the soul of your brand. They need to represent and inspire all of your audiences—employees AND customers. Give them authority to act boldly and interpret your brand strategy in new ways over time.
This tale of two brands highlights these three tactics. One brand really knows their audience and what buttons to push to drive fanatic loyalty. The other beloved brand appears to be distracted by trying to appeal to everyone, which pleases no one, including their own employees.


text:
Whether you're simply starting out or have been in business for years, these confirmed advertising methods will help your business find new customers with out spending a fortune. View and handle your Verizon inventory, products and services. By working from residence you save huge time in rent that you would have to pay in the event you had your business elsewhere and in utility costs that will incur. Since new agents are a huge risk for E& insurance coverage companies, it is going to be extraordinarily troublesome to even get hold of a quote with an E& company.
Service businesses offer intangible items or services and sometimes cost for labor or other companies provided to government , to consumers , or to different businesses. Lots of people have jewellery-making wants or needs, however do not want to get into it on a permanent foundation themselves. The article famous that a small business proprietor was 4 occasions as more likely to succeed if she moved at the very least three hours away from the place she grew up and began a business there.
The information movement guides the move of services and products for the shoppers. I paid £4000 for a double web page spread of my personal training franchise and it catapulted my business massively and that i soon made that cash again with the rise in business it gave me, they also included a digital on-line model of the journal. 23 New applied sciences, like wearable safety devices 24 and obtainable on-line security coaching, continue to be developed to encourage employers to put money into protection past the " canary in the coalmine " and scale back the associated fee to businesses of defending their staff.
This is a prime example of what you'll be up in opposition to when you start your on-line businesses. It's also a good way to revenue out of your jewelry business in the course of the times of year when your jewelry sales are slower. It has minimal start-up costs (you really can start with nearly nothing!), make money working from home, choose your hours, and earn a living.
If you are looking to begin your own business, you should put aside a while to guage the pros and cons of your future objectives. Ask for a listing of providers they provide and the price for these companies. Home corporations focusing on performing international business services as commission representatives as distributors are often known as export administration corporations (EMCs).


text:
Apple-Cherry Crisp to the tasty Cinnamon-Crusted Apple Walnut Raisin Pie, below, find five scrumptious recipes spotlighting this palate-pleasing fruit.Whether you love the taste of sweet Red Delicious or tangy Granny Smiths, one thing's for certain: The flavor of this scarlet-hued fruit shines equally bright in a wide array of desserts. Sliced and layered in an elegant tart or mixed into batter in a light-as-air pie, apples are a foolproof foundation for any baked dessert. From the golden
2. Apple-Cherry Crisp
3. Apple-Cranberry Tart
4. Apple-Walnut Cake with Cider Sauce
5. Cinnamon-Crusted Apple Walnut Raisin Pie


text:
Optical illusions seem to be all the rage at the moment. While most illusions are made for a bit of fun, this one has actually been created as a way to shock drivers into paying attention.
In the fishing village of Ísafjörður, Iceland, a new take on zebra crossings has been painted as an illusion. The innovative design was first spotted in New Delhi, India and after he found it while looking for ways to slow down cars at pedestrian crossings, Icelandic Environmental Commissioner Ralf Trylla made plans with street painting company Vegmálun GÍH to bring the design to Iceland. The new stripes are already very popular and he is hoping that when drivers see the extremely convincing "floating" cross walk, they will be forced to hit their brakes.
According to those involved, the concept has been a success in other countries. This is one of our favourite illusions we've come across and hope to see more like it in the future. Below is a series of photos and a video of the crossing by Ágúst G. Atlason of Gústi Productions.


text:
Rhonda Abrams sees the sun in a new light. For years she was afraid of it. Skin cancer had killed her mother at the age of 49.
The sun became her mortal foe and Abrams protected herself by wearing hats and long sleeves, seeking shade whenever possible.
But when she was diagnosed with breast cancer at the age of 45, Abrams started to reconsider her ideals and decided she had been misguided in her fears.
By hiding from the sun, she deprived herself of an important vitamin she now credits as being pivotal in her recovery from cancer: The sunshine vitamin, D.
"I avoided the sun because when a parent dies of cancer, you do all you can to avoid the same situation," said Abrams, a media studies instructor in Toronto.
"But I realized that vitamin D was one of the things I may not be getting enough of."
The importance of vitamin D in battling chronic diseases has gained increased interest in the scientific community, which has been churning out studies about its role in regulating cell growth.
Canadians should be particularly concerned, experts say, as the majority of the population is vitamin D deprived at some point in the year, mostly during the grey winter months. Between October and March, not only are the sun's rays too weak for the body to synthesize, Canadians tend to hibernate from the cold and stay indoors.
And this widespread vitamin D deficiency is what ails us, according to the experts, from heart disease and diabetes to multiple sclerosis and cancer.
"Vitamin D helps the body's cells to communicate, sending different messages to different cells," said Reinhold Vieth, a nutritional sciences professor at the University of Toronto. "When you're vitamin D deficient, this breaks down the communication. That doesn't mean the body will collapse but the problem is that the incidents of things going wrong goes up."
The theories are based on worldwide patterns, Vieth said. The farther north (or south) you move up in the world, the higher the rates of cancer and other chronic diseases.
"We're presuming that the farther north you are, the less sunshine and vitamin D there is. It's a chain of logic."
Not only does vitamin D help keep cells in sync, studies have shown that it also plays a defensive and offensive role in and against 17 varieties of cancer including prostate, colon and breast cancer.
The sunshine vitamin works by identifying cancerous cells and inducing, what one expert described as, "suicide." William Grant, director of the Sunlight, Nutrition and Health Research Centre in San Francisco, said vitamin D has also been shown to prevent cancerous cells from spreading to other organs in the body, or metastasize.
"Cancer patients with high levels of vitamin D also have longer survival rates," he added.
In a 2008 study out of Mount Sinai Hospital, researchers found vitamin D deficiency was common among the 512 breast cancer patients and associated with higher grade tumours.
The study, published by the American Society of Clinical Oncology, also found an increased risk of recurrence and lower overall survival rates compared to those with sufficient vitamin D levels.
By the time Abrams discovered the grape-sized lump on her left breast, she was already in Stage IV cancer and it had spread to her lymph nodes.
Doctors told her that with chemotherapy, surgery and radiation, she would have two years left to live. But after her diagnosis, Abrams did her own research and with the help of a naturopath, followed an alternative plan that included vitamin D supplements in addition to her medical treatments.
That was five years ago.
"I think it made a big difference because I think a lot of people get weakened from the treatment itself," said Abrams, whose cancer is now in remission.
She blogs about her experience at whatididtosurvive.com.
A 2008 study out of the University of California in San Diego used data from the World Health Organization to chart breast cancer patterns in 175 countries along a horizontal axis for latitude. The result was a parabolic curve that resembled a smile, showing that breast cancer incidence was greatest at the highest latitudes in both hemispheres, where the sun is also the weakest.
That's because in evolutionary terms, humans weren't meant to live in the colder climes, Vieth said.
"All species were designed to match the environment where they evolved, it's survival of the fittest," he said. "Humans are all primate and fittest to survive in tropical environments ... we're living a strange form of lifestyle for primates."
That logic extends to skin pigmentation and varying vitamin D needs.
In a 2008 study published online at BioMed Central Public Health, Vieth, a co-author, found that while vitamin D deficiency was common among 107 U of T students in the winter months, those of East Asian and South Asian descent had significantly lower concentrations than those of European descent.
"There's been a lot of migration in the world," Vieth said. "And now you've got people with dark skin packing up and moving to North Bay for which their skin is not optimized."
Cultural and lifestyle habits can also exacerbate the deficiency. Women who cover up head-to-toe year-round in traditional clothing like burkas leave little skin exposed to the sun. The deficiency is widespread among youngsters as well.
In a study out of SickKids Hospital last year, Dr. Jonathon Maguire, now a staff physician at St. Michael's Hospital, found that vitamin D levels in 92 Toronto toddlers between the ages of 2 and 3 were lower than in similar aged toddlers in the U.S., outside of Alaska. One-third of the toddlers also had less than the recommended levels of vitamin D, for reasons scientists have yet to fully understand.
"One possibility could be that children are drinking less milk," Maguire said. "Or it could be because of our winters and that parents are using more sunscreen in the summer. We're not sure what it means but we're trying to tease things apart."
Sunscreen blocks the production of vitamin D, a deficiency that could put children at a higher risk of developing medical problems like Type 1 diabetes, multiple sclerosis and cancer.
Grant bristles when asked about the conflicting messages lobbied at the public between the importance of seeking sunshine vitamin and the dangers of skin cancer.
Vitamin D levels changed in the U.S., Australia and England over the last three decades because dermatologists taught the public to fear the sun, he said.
"Dermatologists don't study the entire body like cardiovascular disease and other cancers," he said. "They don't see the whole picture."
The Canadian Cancer Society, meanwhile, upped the recommended vitamin D intake for adults from 200 IU (international units) in 2006 to 1,000 IU in 2007 after reviewing the evidence.
The society maintains that a few minutes of unprotected sun exposure in the summer is enough to produce sufficient vitamin D, saying that skin cancer is still the most frequently diagnosed cancer.
While Grant says that 20 minutes in the summer sun should be enough and also warns against burning, he counters that mortality rates from low levels of vitamin D are higher than skin cancer.
"You have to weigh the risks."


text:
Follow us on: Google+ | Facebook | Twitter Exopolitics Magazine Autumn 2015 Ed.
Richard Dolan and Anthony Beckett will be on the BBC Radio Leeds Breakfast show tomorrow (Friday September 27th at 7:40 am), with Liz Green discussing the upcoming 5th Annual British Exopolitics Expo.
The event will be looking at Secrets of the Solar System and will held at the University of Huddersfield, on Satuday 28th September 2013.
A Cullingworth man is organising a conference focusing on extraterrestrial life and UFO activity. Anthony Beckett is spearheading the fifth annual British Exopolitics Expo, being held at Huddersfield University on September 28. The event will include a lecture by Professor Chandra Wickramasinghe.
Mr Beckett said that in the 1970s the professor and a colleague sparked controversy when they concluded from investigations that interstellar dust, laying between the stars, contained life.
IT'S drizzling on a grey Saturday morning and the leafy university campus is deserted.
That's except for the main auditorium, where hundreds of people stream into a lecture theatre where the air is thick with theories and dire warnings, including that next year's Olympics will be an Independence Day-style bloodbath.
This is the Exopolitics Expo in Leeds last weekend - the UK's largest UFO conference.
Extra terrestrial life and UFOs will be the focus as the University of Leeds hosts the the International Exopolitics conference.
The two-day event includes speakers from the UK, the United States and Australia.
Former Ministry of Defence employee, Nick Pope is speaking at the event.
IT's life, Leeds, but not as we know it. In fact it could even be a case for Mulder and Skull-y!
This 900-year-old 'alien-human' skull is the star attraction at an intergalactic conference being held at Leeds Metropolitan University on Saturday.
Webdesign by Airedale Design
Copyright Exopolitics Great Britain © 2014. All Replicas Reserved.


text:
Archive for General
On $-per-Win Estimates of Baseball Players' Worth
Frequently, I receive a comment or e-mail that brings up the dollar-value estimates at Fangraphs.com. Fangraphs is a fine site with lots of interesting numbers, but I don't think the dollar-value estimates listed on the site (or any simple wins-to-dollars conversion) properly value players. Here's why.
1) The derived estimates are based on the assumption that there is a constant linear relationship between wins and dollars. This assumption is incorrect: there are clear increasing returns to winning. This is the revenue function I estimated for my book, converted to wins instead of runs.
2) By dividing the total value of free-agent contracts (Y) by total "wins" added by the signed free agents (X), this method assumes the y-intercept (b) is 0, which biases the estimates. Y = mX + b, when you assume b is zero when it's not, bad things happen to slope m. The graph below from the popular econometrics textbook Understanding Econometrics: A Practical Guide by A.H. Studenmund demonstrates why this assumption biases the estimates.
Due to the thinness of the free-agent market and the potential for market mistakes, I prefer a fundamental-value approach to valuing players as opposed to a market-valuation approach. However, if I want to use the free-agent market to value talent, I prefer Anthony Krautmann's "free-market returns" approach, which can be implemented in ways to avoid the problems mentioned above.
In Chapter 4 of my book, I explain why I prefer the Gerald Scully inspired approach to the free market returns approach. This is not to say that market prices are not useful for valuing free agents. In my book explain where free market returns helped me shape my estimates. Also, here is a working paper in which I discuss the pros and cons of the Scully and Krautmann methods.
2010 Most Valuable Players (Pitchers)
Here are the most valuable position players in the leagues, according to my estimates. Position players here.
AL Rank Player Team $-Value (MRP) 1 Cliff Lee SEA/TEX $18.94 2 Felix Hernandez SEA $17.13 3 Justin Verlander DET $15.71 4 Francisco Liriano MIN $14.79 5 Jered Weaver LAA $13.73 6 CC Sabathia NYY $13.57 7 Zack Greinke KCR $13.17 8 Jon Lester BOS $13.06 9 John Lackey BOS $10.94 10 John Danks CHW $10.80 11 Colby Lewis TEX $10.56 12 Carl Pavano MIN $10.43 13 Ricky Romero TOR $10.29 14 Mark Buehrle CHW $10.26 15 Gavin Floyd CHW $10.23 16 Joba Chamberlain NYY $10.18 17 David Price TBR $10.14 18 Joakim Soria KCR $10.03 19 Matt Thornton CHW $10.00 20 C.J. Wilson TEX $9.88
NL Rank Player Team $-Value (MRP) 1 Roy Halladay PHI $20.77 2 Adam Wainwright STL $16.51 3 Ubaldo Jimenez COL $15.84 4 Josh Johnson FLA $15.67 5 Matt Belisle COL $15.40 6 Carlos Marmol CHC $13.87 7 Tim Lincecum SFG $13.05 8 Brian Wilson SFG $12.65 9 Jonny Venters ATL $12.62 10 Sean Marshall CHC $12.52 11 Chris Carpenter STL $11.91 12 Billy Wagner ATL $11.60 13 Tommy Hanson ATL $11.46 14 Heath Bell SDP $11.42 15 Chad Billingsley LAD $11.29 16 Clayton Kershaw LAD $11.26 17 Anibal Sanchez FLA $11.19 18 Brett Myers HOU $11.12 19 Matt Cain SFG $11.09 20 Hiroki Kuroda LAD $10.75
2010 Most Valuable Players (Position Players)
Here are the most valuable position players in the leagues, according to my estimates. Pitchers here.
AL Rank Player Team $-Value (MRP) 1 Jose Bautista TOR $21.11 2 Josh Hamilton TEX $19.43 3 Miguel Cabrera DET $18.65 4 Shin-Soo Choo CLE $18.00 5 Evan Longoria TBR $17.67 6 Robinson Cano NYY $17.03 7 Adrian Beltre BOS $16.01 8 Daric Barton OAK $15.28 9 Carl Crawford TBR $15.11 10 Ichiro Suzuki SEA $13.48 11 Austin Jackson DET $12.48 12 Joe Mauer MIN $12.38 13 Nick Swisher NYY $12.35 14 Nelson Cruz TEX $12.04 15 Vernon Wells TOR $11.98 16 Justin Morneau MIN $11.93 17 Nick Markakis BAL $11.93 18 Billy Butler KCR $11.93 19 Paul Konerko CHW $11.91 20 Torii Hunter LAA $11.83
NL Rank Player Team $-Value (MRP) 1 Albert Pujols STL $21.61 2 Joey Votto CIN $20.17 3 Matt Holliday STL $18.04 4 Ryan Zimmerman WSN $17.99 5 Adrian GonzalezSDP $16.64 6 Jayson Werth PHI $16.13 7 Aubrey Huff SFG $15.95 8 Troy TulowitzkiCOL $14.83 9 Carlos GonzalezCOL $14.02 10 Jason Heyward ATL $13.97 11 Ryan Braun MIL $13.81 12 Jay Bruce CIN $13.15 13 Kelly Johnson ARI $13.05 14 Chase Headley SDP $12.19 15 Rickie Weeks MIL $12.14 16 Prince Fielder MIL $11.94 17 Hunter Pence HOU $11.80 18 Chris Young ARI $11.76 19 Chase Utley PHI $11.71 20 Angel Pagan NYM $11.70
Valuing Free Agents for 2011
Here is a list of some top free agents, and what I project them to be worth in 2011.
— These values are projected based on recent past performance.
— The estimates account for aging and league revenue growth.
— These values are just for 2011. Over a longer term, value will diminish with age, but increase with revenue growth. Revenue growth is stronger than aging decline; therefore, even as players age their value tends to increase. If a player signs a five-year contract, he will typically get more than five-times the value projected in 2011.
— Values assume the player signs with an average team. Players who sign with winning teams are worth considerably more than their value to an average team. Example: Clill Lee is worth nearly $10 million/year more to a top team than an average team.
First Last Last Team 2011 Value (in millions) Adrian Beltre BOS $12.6 Lance Berkman NYY $9.8 Pat Burrell SFG $7.0 David Bush MIL $4.5 Carl Crawford TBR $15.0 Johnny Damon DET $9.5 Jorge de la Rosa COL $6.5 Adam Dunn WAS $10.5 Jon Garland SDP $8.5 Vlad Guerrero TEX $7.5 Orlando Hudson MIN $10.0 Aubrey Huff SFG $11.0 Derek Jeter NYY $9.0 Paul Konerko CHW $9.5 Hiroko Kuroda LAD $8.0 Cliff Lee TEX $18.5 Victor Martinez BOS $10.0 Kevin Millwood BAL $6.5 Carl Pavano MIN $9.5 Carlos Pena TBR $10.0 Andy Pettitte NYY $6.0 Scott Podsednik LAD $4.0 J.J. Putz CHW $5.0 Chad Qualls TBR $5.0 Manny Ramirez CHW $7.0 Jon Rauch MIN $6.0 Edgar Renteria SFG $5.0 Mariano Rivera NYY $9.5 Rafael Soriano TBR $8.6 Jim Thome MIN $9.5 Juan Uribe SFG $7.0 Jayson Werth PHI $14.0 Jake Westbrook STL $7.0
Why Would Dan Uggla Reject a Four-Year, $48 Million Contract?
That's the question Ken Rosenthal tries to answer. The Florida Marlins supposedly offered Dan Uggla a four-year, $48 million extension that he turned down. Like the team, I am a bit surprised that Uggla didn't accept. I estimate Uggla to be worth approximately $51 million over the next four years ($12.75 million per year). That's in the same ballpark as the Marlins' offer, plus Uggla still has another year of arbitration, when he will likely get a little less than his market value.
Rosenthal suggests the following answers.
Uggla, the only second baseman in history with four 30-homer seasons, has slightly lower rate stats than outfielder Jayson Werth over the past three years, but more home runs, extra-base hits and RBI. Werth, a free agent, almost certainly will command more than four years, $48 million.
I have Werth valued at $4–5 million more per year than Uggla. If this is what Uggla is waiting for, he probably shouldn't hold his breath.
A four-year deal for Uggla would amount to a three-year extension on top of his final year of arbitration, making him a free agent at 34. Uggla likely would seek at least a five-year contract as a free agent after next season, delaying his next deal to 36.
That's true, but the future market will account for his depreciated value as he ages. Also, he risks having an awful season in 2011 that could raise uncertainty about his future performance. That's an awfully big gamble to take for a few more million dollars. This contract would be more than triple his current lifetime earning as a baseball player.
While the Yankees, Red Sox and Phillies are among the high-revenue teams that wouldn't pursue a second baseman in the 2011-12 market, Uggla also could play third base and outfield, increasing his options.
While I don't think a position switch is necessarily in his future, he would be worth more to a winning club. It may be that he's willing to hold out for free agency in the hope of grabbing on with a perennial winner that will value him more than a merely-decent club like the Marlins. Or maybe, he wants assurances that if he signs, he won't be traded to somewhere else in an attempt by the Marlins to capture some of his added value to winning clubs.
Who knows what really is going in in these negotiations, but I think the Marlins have a pretty good offer on the table.
Vlad Guerrero: Did the Rangers Get What They Paid For, and Should They Pick Up His Option?
Congrats to the San Francisco Giants on winning the 2010 World Series. While the winner normally gets a few days to bask in the after-glow of its victory, fans of the loser quickly look to next year, when the runner-up can make tweaks to push the team over the top. The Texas Rangers have a few offseason issues, but right now I want to focus on their aging designated hitter/ outfielder.
There is no sugar-coating it. Vlad Guerrero had an awful World Series (.071 AVG, .125 OBP, .071 SLG), and the rest of his post-season wasn't much better…well, actually it was, but a .615 OPS in the ALDS and ALCS wasn't up to Guerrero's expectations. It's too bad, because Guerrero had a nice regular season, and was a big part of why the Rangers won their division. After a subpar season with the Angels, the Rangers took a chance that Vlad would bounce back and be a productive hitter in their lineup, offering him a one-year $5.5 million contract, with a second year option for $9 million or pay a $1 million buyout.
How did this deal shake out? I estimate his 2010 regular-season was worth approximately $8.75 million to an average team, and to a winning team like the Rangers he was certainly worth more. At most, the Rangers will end up paying him $6.5 million for his 2010 services; so, he was a bargain this season. But the real question comes as to what the Rangers should do with his option. $8.75 is only a little less than $9 million. From these numbers, picking up the option ranges from a neutral to a bad idea, but I need to make a few corrections.
First, Vlad is getting older, and he really can't play the field much at all (as he demonstrated in the World Series). He's been almost a full-time DH since 2008. But, as he showed this season, he can still hit. Even if we just looked at his 2010 second-half (and I wouldn't recommend doing so), he had an OPS+ of 107. Yes, he's getting older, but even into their late-30s, good players continue to be good players.
Also, what about his playoff performance? How much does that tell us about his future performance? Not much information can be drawn from 62 plate appearances. In 2009, he batted a spectacular .370/.393/.593 over 27 plate appearances in the postseason. Were people willing to believe that he would be playing near his peak in 2010 based on this small sample? I doubt it. Several hundred plate appearances over the course of the regular season provide far more information about a player's ability than a small sample from the playoffs.
I estimate that based on his last three years of performance, adjusting for aging and league revenue growth, Guerrero projects to be worth $7.5 million in 2011. To pick up their option, the Rangers would have to spend $8 million more than they would have to pay him if they declined (triggering a $1 million buyout). On top of this, the Rangers are a winning team, so his play is likely worth more than the option to the team. However, Guerrero isn't the Rangers' only option. If they want to re-sign Cliff Lee, or go after free agents like Jayson Werth or Carl Crawford, they may prefer not to pick up the option.
Guerrero may be declining, but baseball talent is quite scarce and valuable. I won't be surprised if the Rangers pick up his option; and, if they decline, I expect he will sign a comparable deal with another team.
What Is Jayson Werth Worth?
Phillies fan Joe Munley sent me the following question:
With the Phils season now over I'm trying to evaluate where we stand for next year. Jayson Werth, the only power, right handed hitter in the lineup is a free agent and has hired Scott Boras as his agent. The word on the street up here is that the Phils won't be brining him back since he's 31 and they have Dominick Brown waiting in the wings. Based on your model for valuing players what do think Werth's true value really is and would it actually make sense for the Phillies to re-sign him?
Jayson Werth is a great example of how unique player careers can be. He was first-round draft pick who struggled upon entering the league and was plagued by a wrist injury. He's been traded multiple times and was released by the Dodgers after the 2006 season. In Philadelphia, he played his way from an outfield sub, to a platoon player, to an everyday player and All-Star. He just had his best season at age 31, in a walk year.
I'm not sure whether the injury caused Werth to reevaluate his commitment to the game, he got better coaching, or he just finally figured things out; but, whatever he did, he has become a much better ballplayer in Philly. With the Blue Jays and Dodgers, he posted a .245/.333/.420 (AVG/OBP/SLG) line. With the Phillies, he's batted .282/.380/.506. So, when projecting Werth going forward, I believe his Philadelphia performance is most relevant. Werth is also an above average defender and can steal bases.
If Werth was younger, a six- to eight-year deal might be feasible, but at age 32, I think five years is about as long as any team will be willing to go with him. And just because he's baseball-old doesn't mean he's getting ready to head to the bench. Aging tends to be gradual. I've estimated that hitters tend to peak around 29-30. If Werth signed a five-year deal, by my estimates he'd be expected to decline by an average of 1.25% per year over the contract term. This lost value from aging will be counterbalanced some by the expected growth in league revenue. Even though his performance will still be diminishing, that diminished performance will be worth more in the future than it is today.
After combining all these factors, I estimate that Werth's play would be worth approximately $80 — $85 million ($16 — $17 million per year) over a five-year contract to an average team, and worth even more to a contender. Is this something the Phillies are willing to shell out? I doubt it considering all the chatter seems to indicate that he is gone. But someone is going to give Werth a lot of money, possibly paying him more next year than he has received in his entire career up to now.
What Is Derek Jeter Worth?
That's the question Stephen Dubner asked me for a Freakonomics Quorum. Here's a tease:
I see the problem here as one of gathering information about what each party desires in order to foster agreement where there are strong incentives to hold out. I'd prefer to adjust the bargaining framework rather than directly attempt to reconcile revenue expectations that are largely invisible to the other side and the public.
You can read the rest of my answer, as well as the answers from Dave Berri and Maury Brown, at Freakonomics. Thanks to Stephen for asking my opinion.
More Evidence for the Three-Man Rotation
Effects of varying recovery periods on muscle enzymes, soreness, and performance in baseball pitchers, by Potteiger, Blessing, and Wilson, Journal of Athletic Training, 1992; 27(1): 27–31.
From the Abstract
Results indicate that muscle damage, as evidenced by CK release, occurs in response to baseball pitching. However CK values, muscle soreness, and pitch velocity are not significantly affected by changes in the amount of recovery time typically scheduled between games.
The authors look at a sample of pitchers and how they recover after pitching different lengths of time. The results show a few things. First, the pattern of recovery indicates most healing occurs soon after pitching, and that further recovery occurs at a diminishing rate. After three days of rest, the measures of skeletal muscle damage were back to baseline values. Second, performance on two days of rest is only slightly worse than, and not statistically distinguishable from, performance on four days of rest. This is good news for the Phillies and Roy Oswalt. The results are also consistent with my analysis (with Sean Forman) of major-league pitchers.
You can get the gist of the results from the graphs in the pages below. The study is short, interesting, and it's not even new. There a lot of studies in the fields of sports medicine, exercise physiology, and sports science that look at popular sabermetric questions. If you have a sabermetric question, it won't hurt to do a PubMed search on the topic.
Gwinnett Commissioner Indicted for Taking $1 Million in Bribes
Two years ago, I reported that Gwinnett County Commissioner Kevin Kenerly owned a parcel of land near the new Gwinnett Stadium, yet he did not make this public nor did he recuse himself from votes relating to the project. Yesterday, Commissioner Kenerly was indicted for allegedly having much more than a minor conflict of interest in several County land purchases (the stadium plot was not part of this investigation).
A Gwinnett County grand jury on Wednesday indicted the county's longest-serving commissioner, Kevin Kenerly, on charges of bribery and failure to disclose a financial interest in two properties the county rezoned.
If convicted of all counts, Kenerly faces up to 22 years in prison.
The indictment says that Kenerly "directly or indirectly" accepted or agreed to accept 20 payments of $50,000 — totaling $1 million — as bribes for arranging for the county commission to buy a piece of unnamed real estate. The deal benefited developer David Jenkins and settled a lawsuit, although specifics about the purchase were not mentioned in the indictment.
Kenerly also was indicted on two misdemeanor charges for failure to disclose a partnership with D.G. Jenkins Development Corporation, which successfully sought county rezoning on two properties.
"I am going to plead not guilty and I am confident when the jury hears the facts, I will be cleared," Kenerly told the AJC in a statement after the hearing.
Chairman of the Board of Commissioners Charles Bannister was also questioned by the grand jury. He was not charged, but he abruptly resigned following his testimony.


text:
I am installing packages from requirements.txt
pip install -r requirements.txt
The requirements.txt file reads:
lxml is the only package failing to install and this leads to everything failing (expected results as pointed out by larsks in the comments). However, after
lxml fails
pip still runs through and downloads the rest of the packages.
From what I understand the
pip install -r requirements.txt command will fail if any of the packages listed in the
requirements.txt fail to install.
Is there any argument I can pass when running
pip install -r requirements.txt to tell it to install what it can and skip the packages that it cannot, or to exit as soon as it sees something fail?


text:
Our good friend Remi Dargegen visited us on behalf of Classic Driver as they wanted to find out a little more about Historika and what we do here.
Remi took photos of the workshop and also asked us a few questions on what we do and what we think of the Historic Racing scene.
Take a look at the full article here https://www.classicdriver.com/en/article/cars/historika-classic-racing-porsche-911s-get-prepped-perfection


text:
Jim McElwain benefited greatly from Steve Fairchild's recruiting
Jim McElwain deserves all the credit in the world for turning around Colorado State's football program in three years.
But once McElwain gets settled in his new office at the University of Florida, he ought to send a handwritten thank you to his predecessor at CSU, Steve Fairchild, for recruiting so many talented players that McElwain inherited in 2012.
Players that starred under McElwain's watch, but were recruited by Fairchild comprise quite a list. They include:


text:
TSAMPA 250 g / 500 g / 1000 g
Our tsampa is made from hulless organic Barley. 100% whole grain. Without any additive. Made by traditional Tibetan method. Fine milled. Middle roasted with nutty taste and aroma.
Whole grain organic Barley (CZ).
Store in a cold and dark place and relative humidity 75 %.
Nutrition Facts in 100 g:
Calories 1480 kJ (353 kcal) / Total Fat 3 g (Saturated 0,5 g) / Total Carbohydrate 65 g (Sugars 1,1 g) / Protein 12,1 g / Sodium 0,002 g / Fibre 14 g
Instant porridge – put five tablespoon of tsampa in a bowl, pour hot water or milk. Add date syrup or any favourite sweetener, nuts and dried or fresh fruits, and mix it.
Delicious drink or snack – add one or two tablespoon of tsampa to a drink or food na mix it (soja, rice or any milk, tea, yoghurt, oat porridge, muesli, smoothies,…).
Price List:
Tsampa 250 g – 3 Euro
Tsampa 500 g – 5.5 Euro
Tsampa 1 kg – 10 Euro


text: Theatre Please note this event has already taken place and you are viewing an archived page of the Lakeside website.For a list of current events, exhibitions and workshops, please click on 'What's On' in the menu above Festival of British Archaeology at the University of Nottingham Museum THIS EVENT TOOK PLACE IN 2010 VENUE: UNIVERSITY OF NOTTINGHAM MUSEUM The University of Nottingham Museum and the Nottinghamshire County Archaeologists are holding a Roman day at the Museum. Find out about the local Roman site of Margidunum (at Bingham) and take part in activities including Roman fashion and hairstyles, jewellery, coins, food, games and mosaics and handle objects excavated at the site. NO BOOKING REQUIRED Opening Hours Monday - Friday 10am - 4pm Closed Bank Holidays FOR MORE INFORMATION CLICK HERE


text:
Life with a child who has development delay can be bittersweet. So much time is spent comparing, worrying and fretting over what they are not yet doing. On the other hand, the littlest achievements and meeting of milestones means so much more.
Having had many months of wondering where progress was going (and in my darkest moments wondering whether any of the numerous therapies we do with Marigold on a daily basis were helping at all) this week several things happened that made me suddenly look at Marigold and realise all the hard work is finally paying off.
On Tuesday, we had a major assessment with physio, occupational therapy, community paediatrician, SALT….the whole shebang. Usually, in social situations, Marigold will go into herself a bit, so I always warn people they may not see the best of her. But on Tuesday she sat there in the middle of the floor with seven adults staring at her every move, chatting, engaging, laughing, initiating games of peekaboo and generally winning everyone over by being super, super cute. Given toys that just months ago, she would have stared at without comprehension, she now tried to play with. Objects that she wouldn't even have attempted to try to pick up before with her delayed hand control, she picked up and transitioned between her hands. The occupational therapist said it had "made her day" to see Marigold doing so much. And I can't really explain how proud I felt in that room on Tuesday, watching how far my little girl has come despite her challenges. I know I will get a report through in a few weeks which will bring me back down to earth again as it will benchmark her against a younger baby and that can be hard to read, but the progress and the potential is now so much clearer for everyone to see.
The next day we had Marigold's speech and language session. Our therapist remarked that Marigold has almost unusually high levels of attention for a child her age, neurotypical or not. And it's true that Marigold will happily sit there for hours whilst I sing nursery rhymes to her. Or 80s power ballads. Or all the songs from Phantom of the Opera and Les Mis. (She is the best audience I have in that respect, totally non discriminating against cheese and show tunes.) The other week we took her to the cinema and she watched the whole of Pixar's Inside Out, nearly two hours, as good as gold. The speech therapist said this is overwhelmingly positive as if the attention and engagement is there is paves the way for the neurological development.
The other thing that happened recently is a silly thing really. Her beautiful golden hair has become so long, I have started putting it in little bunches. She has turned into a proper little girl. And again, it is bittersweet as at long last, after 18 months, it feels like she is finally progressing and moving on….but it also means I am finally saying goodbye to her as a baby.
I wondered whether I should write this blog. I worry about celebrating today only to be faced tomorrow with another unexpected challenge. And I know given her unique genetic condition of 3q11 trisomy mosaicism this is likely to happen. But then we can't let the fear of tomorrow put us off celebrating the uplifting moments. So I would like to remember this week as one where we looked and saw just how far our clever little Marigold has come.


text:
you are a busy bettie! between the kids, work, and play you have a lot to do. our reversible hobo bag understands. this sangria tote with navy lining will help you ease the transitions throughout your day. perfect for pta committees, board meetings, and dinner dates.
pattern placement varies per piece.
sku: RHB-98867
individual monogramming pieces must be added to cart 1 at a time. if you would like different monogramming on the same product you must order them individually.
if you select monogramming and have a quantity of 3 bags for that monogramming - all 3 bags will be monogrammed with the same text.
note - personalization will be stitched exactly as typed and with thread color chosen. personalized items cannot be returned or exchanged. please check your order carefully before submitting.


text:
La Maison du Whisky
This weekend, I think I just made my twentieth, and last, visit of the year to La Maison du Whisky. For the life of me, I have no idea what prompted me to go to a liquor store the Saturday before Christmas. Well, actually I do.
I was preparing to refill one of my empty cocktail aging barrels and the next cocktail on the docket required red (sweet) vermouth. After exhausting the three liquor stores in my neighborhood, who had no idea what I was talking about (although one caviste thanked me for illuminating him, which I thought was odd because I know very little about vermouth), I took a very crowded #96 bus over to the Left Bank to stock up on a few bottles.
The bus was really packed and although I did appreciate being privy to the conversation of the young, twenty-something woman next to me, having a very vocal chat on her mobile phone that was about, well – nothing, I ended up walking 1 1/2 hours back home, after my liquor shopping, because you couldn't have slid a centime into the return bus that pulled up. (The walk through gray, wintery Paris was beautiful – and it was especially nice not to have the running commentary of a twenty-something to accompany it.)
I've become a bit of a fan of the shop because in addition to things like vermouth rouge, they also carry those fairly obscure French liqueurs that are back in fashion elsewhere, but are hard to find on their home turf. On each visit, I usually find something that I'd never heard of, and it's always interesting to wander around the shop and check out the curiosities, like Acqua di Cedro, an Italian distillation of citron fruits, or King's Ginger, a liqueur made in Holland whose bottle says it is "…appreciated by bon viveurs, sporting gentlemen and high-spirited ladies." Who, coincidentially, are just the kind of people that I usually hang out with.
Maybe it's just that it's taken me a few months to sober up (or I'm still recovering from the bus ride), but I'm finally getting around to sorting through a tasting of aged cocktails that I took part of at La Maison du Whisky a few months back. It wasn't a formal tasting; I'd expressed an interest in learning more about barrel-aged cocktails and Stanislas Jouenne, who mixes cocktails and teaches the art of mixology at the store, was kind enough to shake up a few drinks for me and my friend Forest.
(They do have frequent tastings, so you can stop in and try something new.)
If you pass by the shop near the Place de l'Odeon, you've likely been fascinated by the window with bottles of interesting and curious French (and other) liqueurs and apéritifs lined up in the window. But if you look up, resting on the balconies, you'll see barrels perched on the balconies, where cocktails are left to age for months.
I've been considering taking one of the bartending courses at the shop, especially the one in how to make bitter and syrups (which I didn't see listed on their current roster), and Stan (as he's often known) showed me some of the herbs and roots – like star anise, angelica root, and cinnamon – that he uses from a local herboriste.
It's something I've truly been meaning to tackle myself, but for those non-DIY types, there are various types of bitters on hand that add a beguiling complexity to cocktails, including those flavored with cardamom, coriander, tarragon, and chocolate.
Because of the worldwide interest in cocktails and "vintage" liqueurs, companies like Tempus Fugit Spirits has been reviving a few of these forgotten flavors, with versions of liqueurs crafted in Switzerland, that contain quinine (a bitter root), a natural violet liqueur that's a far cry from the overly sweet purple liquids one usually finds, and crème de cacao, distilled from cocoa beans and pods of vanilla.
Years ago I did a tasting of absinthe with John, the owner of Tempus Fugit and when I took a sip from one of the glasses, a big splash of absinthe landed squarely in my eye. "That's why we call that the 'money shot' glass" he laughed, which made me glad of my present career, where I'm more likely to get hit in the eye with buttercream than anything else.
Bitter aperitivos from Italy also play an important role in cocktail-making, at least to me (I love a bit of bitter in a drink) and many of the aged cocktails in the shop have a dash of bitters, such as amaro or Nardini bitter, which is made with rhubarb, absinthe herbs, and sour orange, to give the cocktails a bit of an edge.
We tasted some of the house inventions, such as a Mexican Negroni, made with Red Noilly Prat, Nardini bitter, tequila bianco, and a shot of mezcal. Sipping one that was freshly made versus one that had been barrel-aged for six months revealed how a leisurely wait in a barrel really mellows out a cocktail.
And as we found out, it mellows out those who drink them, too!
There was also a Rum'Tam, made with rum, Noilly Prat gold and chocolate bitters, which curiously, was more interesting fresh than aged. (The aged was a bit too refined and it had mellowed quite a bit.)
For those who can't wait, the shop bottles them up and you can head in and pick up a bottle of already aged cocktails, such as Botzaris, made with Ferrand cognac, Rittenhouse rye, and cardamom bitters. (Mis en fût is the date that it was placed in the barrel, and mise en bouteille is the date that it was bottled – so this one shown was aged for about eight months.)
I have to say, patrolling the store, I usually leave there with an extra bottle or two of something interesting to mix up at home. (Even if I'm walking home and have to lug them over my shoulder!) And now, my cocktail barrels on my kitchen counter are back to being full. But I don't dare leave mine outside – I think they're be swiped in a New York, or Paris, minute. So I'm keeping mine safely inside. Where I can keep an eye on them.
La Maison du Whisky
6, Carrefour de L'Odéon (6th)
Tél: 01 46 34 70 20
M: Odéon
(There is another shop in Paris at 20, rue d'Anjou, in the 8th.)
Never miss a post!
You might also like
40 comments
Barrel-aged cocktails! I must have missed your previous post on the Negronis, otherwise I'd have a barrel already…
I see Noilly Prat rouge in your pictures – is that what you use? If you like bitter, you might want to try Cocci's red vermouth di Torino, which has a brilliant balance of bitter and sweet. Since I tried it I've become a bit of a vermouth snob and don't really like using anything else! There is a bottle of Lillet rouge languishing unloved in the cocktail cabinet now – not because it bad, but it's much more a sort of 'on its own' aperitif and doesn't stand up so well in the kind of cocktails I like.
Whisky always smells like Christmas to me. Not entirely sure why, but it does.
This place looks amazing – and I don't even drink. So many exciting bottles.
Hope that you have a great Christmas, David!
I love it when you bring us a little bit of Paris. Thanks from icy Toronto!
So the barrel you have, it came from your friend who had used it to support a bookshelf, right? Did the MdW people have any ideas as to where you could procure barrels?
Sounds fascinating. I too need to find your Negroni post. When I'm in Paris, I get Italian things at a shop on Rue des Abbesses. Look for sweet vermouth there. Now near Savannah, GA, I miss le quarter des Abbesses!
What a delight! My mouth is watering away! I never heard of aged cocktails before. It sounds like a bad habit I really do not need, but am willing to dive into. Thanks so much for the enlightenment. Happy Holidays, David!
bth, I have a cherry liquor recipe that has been made in the villages of Greece for hundreds of years. If you would be interested, I am willing to share. Let me know where to send it. :)
love your site David .
All the best to you in the new year .
This morning, as I am thinking about my own Christmas plans, I strolled through your December posts through the past few years. I absolutely love all the time and care you put into your Christmas preparation. Thank you for the great recipes and ideas. Cheers to good food and drink! — Have a very Merry Christmas! (from Mountain Home, Arkansas)
barrel aged cocktails? fabulous! THank you for posting because i had forgotten that Maison du Whisky opened the liquour store at Odeon and only ever think of the rue d'anjou… and OMG Tempus Liqueur de violette? !! **starts running to Odeon, realizes the time and the date, grumbles, notes for the New Year if not before** Thank you for this post!
PS to Helen, i'd love that cherry liquor recipe, if you are willing to share with someone else than david :)
Love that shop David! We stay at Camdebord's Relais Saint-Germain across the street and I drive my husband crazy trying to "read" the windows whenever we head out for the day of shopping/touring. So glad you've filled us in on the complexity of their stock.
Hello David,
Could a book about your home elixirs be brewing in the future?
Thanks for another inspirational post.
Hi David, Have you tried Carpano Antica vermouth for your Negroni's? Added bonus….it comes in a very pretty tin. I purchase The King's Ginger here in SF at D and M on Fillmore ,but the one I buy was formulated for King Edward VII by Berry Brothers in London. Hope your flight home was smoothly uneventful. Thoroughly enjoyed reading about your SF sojourn . Bye. Carol
I like the Cocchi and Carpano too. Not sure if you liked Mexican Negroni
sounds weird to me! Nice post thank you.
While our tour group was in Nice in March we were mistakenly given an aperativ of a violette liqueur with sparkling wine – to me it was the most memorable drink of the tour – little tiny sips – heaven.
If you really enjoy bitters, you need to get a bottle of this. http://www.sazerac.com/BrandPortfolio.aspx?parent=P4&PCID=12&FID=148&NBid=4
David. Available through Amazon, or the company will ship directly to you.
I do like the vintage looking labels. Just for the look, I can buy.
My husband developed a taste for whiskey, scotch and alike, however I just can not get over the woodsy smell. I am trying different mixes, thinking maybe one will be hit. We'll see.
Hiiicup! While I sip my boring cranberry juice and vodka, I'm feeling very left out of this interesting bit of cocktail drinking which is new to me!
Interesting feature, but what also caught my eye was the glassware. The shape of the wide, low topped goblet is different than anything I've see before. Are these designed especially for certain liquors…and do they have a name/use descriptive? Or am I reading to much into the style. Perhaps it is 'just' a wine goblet????
I stumbled upon the beautifully aesthetic bottles of the Tempus Fugit line last year this time and was at first enchanted by the Kina label. After reading up a bit I was anxious to get them and ended up having to order them online. The Kina makes a very tasty aperitif all by itself, and one mean Vesper martini that will put you on the floor, but with a happy taste. The creme de cacao and the creme de menthe make a fabulous grasshopper! They were sold out the the Violettes so I have yet to try that one. I have a friend that we call our "mixologist" as she loves trying out her new concoctions on us. I bet she would love a class in making bitters!
Cheers and happy new year!!
Happy Christmas David, and thank you for all the entertainment and education over the past year.
Some friends gave us Peychaud's bitters a few years ago, but I don't know how to take advantage of them. It's a Nawlens things, I guess
David Seaman,
Peychaud's Bitters are different and great, with an anise undertone. The classic use is in a Sazerac, but try a Honey Fitz – 1 1/2 oz. aged rum, 3/4 oz. grapefruit juice, 3/4 oz. honey syrup, and 2 dashes Peychaud's. I make them every Christmas.
Sam. Also for a 'Muddled Old Fashion. A little sugar, some Peychauds, a cherry and a slice of orange. Muddle all of this, and then add some club soda. End with your favorite Bourbon..Lots of Bourbon.
Off topic, but am looking for that SF Christmas radio station online you mentioned a couple years ago – can anyone tell me which one it was? Thx!
Thanks so much! also, the light, colors and composition in that 4th photo are gorgeous, well done!
Just heard your interview on The Splendid Table! Your chocolate cherry fruitcake sounds amazing!
Happy Holidays to you David. I loved this post, especially the photos. Your blog is the only one I read. Always interesting and humorous. Thank you so very much!
Hope you have a happy birthday David — isn't it the day after Christmas?
Loved the photos in this post. They are just divine. When are you going to do food and photography tours? Next time you pop over to La Maison, and if you like Negronis, maybe ask for a taste of Antica Formula Vermouth if they carry it. It is really a great vermouth to have on hand for Negronis.
I heard those special "coupe à Champagne" glasses were modeled after David's pectorals.


text:
Music Review: The Revolution is Never Coming by The Red Paintings
By Karen McTackett, 9th Jan 2014 | Follow this author
| RSS Feed
Posted in WikinutReviewsMusicIndie
The Red Paintings are a unique band headed by a very unique person. Their debut album, "The Revolution is Never Coming," is an album that will take you on a journey not only of fantastic music but also of realisation and understanding. This is a review of the album.
- The Unusual Emergence of Trash McSweeney and The Red Paintings
- The Revolution is Never Coming
- The Red Paintings
The Unusual Emergence of Trash McSweeney and The Red Paintings
The Red Paintings are one of the few bands whose musical growth can be seen quite evidently over the years and their opportunities are increasing in juxtaposition. If they keep moving on this trend, it will not be long before they are known to more than the dark subculture following. They are enjoying success overseas and it would be a testament to the culture of Australia if that recognition finally happened in their homeland. The band is about to embark on a European tour after having recently completed a very successful tour with American punk rock/techno/hardcore band Mindless Self Indulgence. The music of The Red Paintings is a combination of genres that come together to offer their audience not just music, but an experience. Their music has best been described as orchestral art rock using full orchestral accompaniment and a strong link to art with human canvases at their shows. It is rather spectacular to witness and if you get the chance to, I would urge to to catch one of their shows.
Trash McSweeney fronts the band and he is most aptly described as an insane genius. His story is compelling. In the late nineties, Trash experienced a severe seizure that almost took his life. When he recovered, he had developed colour-sound synaesthesia and began to see music in colours. This was the catalyst to a journey as The Red Paintings were formed and an insane man's genius was born.
The Revolution is Never Coming
Their journey upwards has been slow but McSweeney is the heart and soul and his candour and self-belief are a testament to the magical flow of their first studio produced album, "The Revolution is Never Coming." The album is a collection of some of their older music, re-worked to a professional level, and new songs. Songs is not an appropriate word for the story telling and journey that the audience is taken on with this collection. Artwork would be a more suitable title.
Each piece in the collection tells its own story in the overall concept with an embedded doomsday theme - Vampires, Zombies, Aliens, etc. Each individual piece is entertainment but as a collection, they are a brilliant concept that delve into a much deeper subconscious knowledge of fear and need. The lyrics through The Revolution is Never Coming can be taken figuratively and literally with the story of doom and destruction and the idea that, "I am sorry, but there is no great revolution movement to save the day." Ultimately, it is about realising that each person is responsible for themselves, their own reactions, and can be their own saviour and that creations and beliefs of man are not the definition of humanity. This idea fits with the overall persona of The Red Paintings, and more poignantly, Trash McSweeney himself. He is a strong activist against animal cruelty, environmental nonchalance and all things that threaten peace.
The Red Paintings have produced the type of album that can tell you something new each time you listen to it and with a smooth combination of tones from blissfully melancholic, reminiscent of Iron and Wine to hardcore grunge that reminded me often of Alesana, the music has the potential to appeal to a wide audience. The true depth in this band is in their message and their artistic presentation of music. A brilliant album from a band that is sure to keep rising.
The Red Paintings
Read more about the Red Paintings including their tour dates on the website:
Visit their youtube channel to see what they do:


text:
Prayer Storm is a movement of worship, prayer and fasting which exists to provoke a spiritual awakening by raising an army of praying warriors. We gather people together around divine encounters and equip them to be increasingly fervent and strategic in prayer.
We have a vision for the mass mobilisation of a prayer army who are consecrated to a lifestyle of prayer because they are so gripped with the conviction that only a revival of prayer in the church can revive the heart of a nation. As a result many come to Prayer Storm with distractions and addictions and leave re-fired with a new focus to take awakening prayer back to their churches.
The Story So Far
While the ministry was officially birthed while I was working as Prayer Coordinator at The Message Trust in Manchester in May 2009, the spark first happened at an American youth gathering called The Ramp. I had a divine encounter which totally transformed my heart for prayer. Seeing other young people come alive to God through prayer woke me up in a radical way. Now I'm convinced that not only is prayer caught more than taught but you only realise you are asleep when God uses someone to wake you up. This is why we desire to awaken a generation to the reality of God. Another pivotal moment occurred at The Call, where over seventy thousand young adults gathered to fast and pray together, here God spoke to me to "mobilise like this in the UK." In obedience we started a small prayer meeting and since that day me, our team, and all of our partners have dedicated ourselves to seeing a mass movement of fasting and prayer. We're continually amazed at what God has done so far and hope you will join this growing army.
"Across the world through every generation, radical youth prayer has birthed and maintained every true move of God. Prayer Storm is more than important!" – Andy Hawthorne, The Message Trust, UK
"Prayer Storm is a gathering of awakened people who understand there is no shortcut to revival. Prayer causes awakening. There is no other way" – Karen Wheaton, The Ramp, USA
What We Do
Convinced that the message of prayer will precede a great revival, just as John the Baptist preceded Jesus; we seek to spread awakening prayer in four main ways. Firstly, through regular events in Manchester like the Gathering, Boot Camp, Furnace, and Night Watch, we gather people together for life changing God encounters. Secondly, through preaching across the nation, igniting hearts through the Prayer Storm Music, and our annual Awakening tours, we spread the message of prayer and fasting across the UK churches. Thirdly, utilising modern media outlets, like our weekly TBN program, Prayer Strom TV, and social media, we hope to capture the hearts of a younger generation for God. Lastly, through our resources we seek to achieve the ultimate goal of inspiring and assisting people to start their own prayer meetings right where they are.
Church Partnership
The vision of Prayer Storm is to get Christians praying. We believe that the local church is the greatest vehicle for achieving this and also that prayer is the life blood of a healthy church. As a result, we intentionally develop strategic relationships with churches and ministries in order to enrich the prayer lives of Gods people and advance the kingdom of God.
Practically this means that we regularly prayer for our church partners, develop prayer material for local churches, offer prayer bespoke workshops and training, foster relationships with the pastors and prayer co-ordinators, and prioritise the invitations we get for our partners. We also appreciate that our partners give financially into the vision of Prayer Storm and help rally people to our annual prayer Gathering events where their people can catch a heart for prayer.
If you would like more information about church partnership, think your church might be interested in partnership, or would like to become a partner, please contact our Director of ministries Rob Sharp [email protected]
How You Can Get Involved
Prayer Storm is only made possible by the generosity of so many people who give into the cause with their time, resources, and money; but most importantly by joining in their prayers, faith, and heart with ours. People often ask how they can get involved and there are numerous ways to join in with our growing community. Whether it is attending, volunteering or inviting people to events, giving as a one off or a regular partner, joining us in praying or simply sharing something on Facebook to get the message out, we recognise this is a mission bigger than a couple of individuals and appreciate all who get involved.
James Aladiran


text:
Cars in Europe are, in general, expensive, so if you're moving to the continent from the USA, you may want to bring the vehicle with you. To help you plan properly, know the car shipping quote from USA to Europe as well as the delivery process.
How Car Shipping from USA to Europe Works
Thanks to tech, shipping vehicles from USA to Europe is possible, although the process can be complicated and tedious. Usually, it involves the following:
*Mode of transport: Shipping your car may be through cargo, roll on roll off (RoRo), and plane. In cargo, the shipping company can place your vehicle in a storage or a specific section of the ship for security and protection. In RoRo, shipper loads the vehicle but should be driven in and out in every port. Flying your car means treating your vehicle as a cargo.
*Pickup and destination: Most of the car shipments happen port to port. If you're living near a port, consider yourself lucky. If not, you have to find a shipper that has a branch or an agent within your state. There are only few ports in the United States where your vehicles can come from, and these include New Jersey and New York. However, they can deliver your vehicle to many countries in Europe.
*Duration: Barring shipping problems like inclement weather, cars traveling from the USA take a week or two before they arrive in Europe. It's rare to have your car shipped on the same day it arrives in the port. Of course, flying your car is shorter.
*Paperwork: Be ready to prepare a lot of documents! This is because laws can differ between USA and the car's destination in Europe. In the USA, you need the vehicle's original title, passport or EIN letter, and bill of sale. You also need to have the car cleared in customs. Once it reaches Europe, you need to go through customs and present import documents, among others.
Knowing the Best Car Shipping Quote from USA to Europe
Part of prepping your vehicle for shipping is knowing the best company to deal with. For this, you need to know how to get the best shipping quote. It's important to remember cheap doesn't mean savings. Instead, focus on the value you get from the company.
So you can evaluate these shipping quotes better, here are some of the factors that can affect the costs:
*Distance covered – The farther you are from the port, the more expensive the fees can get, especially if the company has to hire an agent for pickup. You may also have to pay a premium for door-to-door delivery.
Tariffs – Usually, you have to pay customs and other charges once the car arrives in Europe.
*Date of delivery – Fixed dates tend to be more expensive than flexible ones since the company may have to bump off other customers in your favor.
*Size of the car – Companies charge more for bigger vehicles for the simple reason they take up more space.
*Number of vehicles – If you want to save money, consider shipping multiple cars at once to take advantage of discounts.
Make your move to Europe smooth sailing. Get a car shipping quote from USA to Europe as early as possible to give you enough time to evaluate your options and make the right decision.
Were you able to get a car shipping quote from USA to Europe? Let experts at Car Shipping Quuotes tell you what's next.


text:
Let's think about this... the Abrahamic covenant (Gen 12, 15, 22, etc.) promised land, seed, and blessing to Abraham and his physical descendants. The Mosaic covenant was made with his seed (descendants) and the promised blessing was to come through that seed in the land as they obeyed and fulfilled their covenant agreement of Exodus 19.8.
Within the context of the Mosaic covenant (the Mosaic Law being the stipulations of the covenant) God made another covenant with Israel: (Deut 29-30) the Palestinian covenant. I find myself describing this as the "life and land" covenant because it set the requirements for LIFE (Dt 30.6, 16, 16, 19) and for that life to be lived in blessing in the LAND (v3, 5, 16, 20).
The overarching condition of participation in the Palestinian covenant (the condition to inherit LIFE and the LAND) was "devotion" (see the previous study on Israel and the Church, specifically pages 17-24 in the accompanying PDF).
God required repentance, faith, submission, and obedience; those are all summed up in one word: devotion.
The Webster's Encyclopedic Unabridged Dictionary of the English Language defines devotion as "profound dedication, consecration; earnest attachment to a cause, person, etc." It gives as synonyms "zeal" and "ardor." And at the very end of the definition in this unabridged dictionary are these words: "See love." Love God with ALL your heart, soul, mind, and strength!
Well... with that in mind...
Isn't it interesting that in Romans 10, the chapter that deals with "Israel's Present" and salvation in the Church Age, Paul quotes Deuteronomy 30.11-14, a key passage in the Palestinian covenant?
Romans 10 is "Israel's Present" because it lays out how they (as well as we, the Gentiles) can be SAVED -- how we get LIFE during the present dispensation. How is that? By FAITH (devotion), just like in the Palestinian covenant.
The Palestinian covenant is the door to the New Covenant. The LIFE promised by the Palestinian covenant is the REGENERATION and NEW/ETERNAL LIFE provided for in the New Covenant, ratified by the death and resurrection of Christ.
"BUT...!" you say: "The Palestinian covenant required that the Jews KEEP the COMMANDMENTS of the LAW (Dt. 30.10, 16). Yep. But THEY get the whole salami (the whole Palestinian covenant and the whole New Covenant). We Christians don't. We just get a slice of the salami: the spiritual blessings provided in the New Covenant (all of them, but just the spiritual ones: Eph 1.3). So, our requirements are a SLICE of the Palestinian salami, not the whole thing: DEVOTION is required of us, yes. But that devotion is defined as repentance (Dt. 30.2, 8, 10) and faith (Dt. 30.20); no works on our part--no obedience to the Law.
We are NOT required to submit to and obey the Law because we are not Jews and the covenants were not made with us (Eph 2.12). God is giving us a slice of the New Covenant because the Jews rejected it and He wants to use us to make them jealous (Rom 10.19; 11.11, 14). Therefore, He hearkens back to the Palestinian covenant (the door to the New Covenant: LIFE) and uses THAT to establish OUR requirements to participate in the New Covenant. He only requires repentance and faith for our "devotion," not submission and obedience to the Law, because we don't get ALL the New Covenant (so we don't get ALL the requirements). Plus, he wants to make Israel jealous (to make them want what we have).
My Point: the Palestinian covenant forms the basis for participation in the New Covenant, for Jews and Gentiles. Paul's quotation of the Palestinian covenant in Romans 10, a key chapter with regard to salvation in the Church Age, makes the connection.
And I don't know why, but I just think that's cool. Like two puzzle pieces just falling in place...
Disclaimer: I'm still chewing on all this. It forms part of a larger study I'm working on that ties together the dispesnations and the coventants under the Kingdom theme of the Bible. It's a work in progress.


text:
Claes and Hughes wins all-USC Pac-12 beach volleyball pairs final
• Championships Hub | Team Bracket | Pairs Bracket | Scores: Team - Pairs | Live Stats
• USC wins back-to-back Pac-12 beach volleyball titles
TUCSON, Ariz. - Defending champion Kelly Claes and Sarah Hughes of USC won the Pac-12 Beach Volleyball Championships pairs tournament for the second-straight year on Saturday at the Arizona Beach Volleyball Courts on the campus of the University of Arizona. The top duo in the country with just one loss in nearly two years defeated teammates Allie Wheeler and Sophie Bukovec in the title match.
Claes and Hughes have been dominant all tournament, also leading the Trojans to victory in the team championship for the second-straight year on Friday. The pair went 4-0 in the pairs tournament without giving up a set and only once allowing more than 15 points to an opponent. The duo also did not give up a set in the four matches in the team bracket.
Unlike the first day of the pairs tournament where there were no upsets, the second day began with three of the four quarterfinal matches resulting in upsets. Most notably, the bottom half of the bracket saw the No. 2 (Kamila Tan/Madi Yeomans, UCLA) and No. 3 (Bianca Arellano/Whitney Follette, ASU) seeds go down at the hands of No. 7 seed Kathryn Plummer and Jenna Gray from STANFORD, and sixth-seeded Bukovec and Wheeler of USC, respectively. Both matches went to three sets, Plummer and Gray taking the third set to break the 1-1 tie (15-21, 21-18, 15-11). In each of Bukovec and Wheeler's three sets, each was decided by two points, the duo staving off elimination in the second set before outlasting the ASU pair in the third to win by two points (19-21, 21-19, 16-14).
In the top half of the bracket, Claes and Hughes cruised to the semifinal round, winning a decisive 2-set decision (21-12, 21-14). The ARIZONA pair of Madison and McKenna Witt pulled off the 4/5-upset, also easily winning in two sets (21-13, 21-14).
The Witt sisters nearly forced a third set in the semifinal against Claes and Hughes, but the defending champion from USC closed out the second set to secure a spot in the championship match (21-15, 21-18).
Next up for teams is the NCAA Beach Volleyball Championships which takes place May 5-7 at Gulf Shores Public Beach in Gulf Shores, Ala. The announcement of the eight teams participating in the postseason event will be on Sunday, April 30 at 4 p.m. PT on NCAA.com. Eight teams in total makeup the championship field, including three from the West Region, three from the East Region and two at-large selections.
For all the results and bracket from the Pac-12 Beach Volleyball Championships, visit the championships page on pac-12.com - /beach-volleyball/championships.
Saturday Results
Match 11: #1 Claes/Hughes, USC def. #8 Zappia/Van Winden, UCLA, 21-12, 21-14
Match 12: #5 Witt/Witt, ARIZ def. #4 Scambray/Jones, WASH, 21-13, 21-14
Match 13: #6 Bukovec/Wheeler, USC def. #3 Arellano/Follette, ASU, 19-21, 21-19, 16-14
Match 14: Gray/Plummer, STAN def. Tan/Yeomans, UCLA, 15-21, 21-18, 15-11
Match 15: #1 Claes/Hughes, USC def. #5 Witt/Witt, ARIZ, 21-15, 21-18
Match 16: #6 Bukovec/Wheeler, USC def. #7 Plummer/Gray, STAN, 18-21, 21-18, 15-13
CHAMPIONSHIP MATCH/Match 17: #1 Claes/Hughes, USC def. Bukovec/Wheeler, USC, 21-6, 21-11
Friday Results
Match 1: #16 Campbell/Anderson, CAL def. #17 Trueman/Choy, UTAH, 21-10, 22-20
Match 2: #15 Bark/Rodberg, CAL def. #18 Agost/Raskie, ORE, 21-14, 21-15
Match 3: #6 Bukovec/Wheeler, USC def. #11 Berridge/Okaro, ASU, 21-16, 26-24
Match 4: #7 Plummer/Gray, STAN def. #10 Hallaran/Mcdonald, ARIZ, 21-16, 21-14
Match 5: #8 Zappia/Van Winden, UCLA def. #9 Anae/Barton, UTAH, 13-21, 21-18, 15-11
Match 6: #3 Arellano/Follette, ASU def. #14 Vander Weide/Van Sickle, ORE, 21-13, 21-19
Match 7: #4 Scambray/Jones, WASH def. #13 Chang/Vanjak, STAN, 21-11, 21-16
Match 8: #5 Witt/Witt, ARIZ def. #12 Strickland/Schwan, WASH, 21-11, 21-14
Match 9: #2 Tan/Yeomans, UCLA def. #15 Bark/Rodberg, CAL, 21-18, 21-13
Match 10: #1 Claes/Hughes, USC def., #16 Campbell/Anderson, CAL, 21-5, 21-7
Basketball Pregame ShowThu 1/30 | 5:30pm PTLive
Thu 1/30 | 6:00pm PTLive
Airing on:
- Pac-12 Network
- Pac-12 Bay Area
- Pac-12 Oregon
Thu 1/30 | 8:00pm PTLive
Airing on:
- Pac-12 Network
- Pac-12 Bay Area
- Pac-12 Los Angeles


text:
Excision (2012)
Though, the movie went really well in starting but later the movie deals so heavily around period blood that it is enough to make any person squeamish. The movie consists of most disgusting and grotesque scenes that combine menstruation and murder.
Cannibal Holocaust (1980)
In the movie several animals got brutally slaughtered. The movie also portrayed sexual violence. It has been banned in over 50 countries. The violence in the movie was so extreme that the movie was literally confiscated after 10 days with legal authorities looking into whether actors were genuinely killed during the making of it.
Page 1 of 5


text:
Easy Animal Home » Latest News » Animal rehoming centres report increase in admissions
Animal rehoming centres report increase in admissions
Posted by: Samantha Bartlett Date: 10/05/2013 Category: Latest News
Nearly half of animal rehoming centres have reported a rise in the number of malnourished dogs being brought to them, according to itv.com.
It is thought that the recession is the biggest cause for this increase in admissions, with 78 per cent of the centres claiming this is the reason behind the trend. The research was conducted by dog food company Pedigree alongside the Association of Dog and Cat Homes (ADCH).
The data found 70 per cent of owners had to give their pets to rehoming centres due to vet bills, while 40 per cent said they couldn't afford to feed their dogs. In preparation for being handed over to new owners, the pooches could undergo treatments with dog grooming equipment at the centres, in addition to medical treatment.
The majority (84 per cent) of animal rehoming centres also claimed in the research that there had been a rise in the number of dogs which were sent to them after owners weren't allowed them in rented properties.
Celebrity dog lover Paul O'Grady is today visiting the Battersea Dogs and Cats Home to try and draw attention to the worrying figures.
When asked in an interview with mirror.co.uk if he was tempted to take any of the dogs home, the 57-year-old presenter said: "I'm tempted… I fell in love with a bulldog called Frank, who's just gone off to a new home. He was the business. He had a cyst on his spine and was semi-incontinent, but he was lovely."


text:
|Keep It Simple, Stupid
Re: Re: What the heck does this mean?by astanley (Beadle)
|on Mar 13, 2001 at 02:24 UTC ( #63988=note: print w/replies, xml )
|Need Help??
perl allows you to specify any character as the regexp seperator. / is just a suggestion and I guess is most widely used? Either way the perldocs say you can use m## just as easy as m// if, for instance you wanted to match a string that had a lot of /'s in it and didn't want to \/ them all - m#///# would work and is a little easier to read than m/\/\/\//.
In Section Seekers of Perl Wisdom