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Turn Off and Unplug
Computers, printers and other electronic machines can idle as much as 90% of the workday and are often left running overnight and on weekends. For many businesses, turning these machines OFF turns into big savings.Electronic equipment continues to draw energy even when turned off. This phenomenon has been aptly called the "phantom load." One efficient way to pull the plug and alleviate the phantom load is to use power strips to turn your equipment off and on. This method can be used to unplug several devices at once.
Computers - Power Management
Enable the "power management" setting on all computers and make sure to turn them off and unplug them at night.A laptop computer uses up to 90% less energy than a desktop computer. Typical desktop computers use roughly 200 watts of electricity; monitors are responsible for up to 50-75% of this energy. Activate the energy-saving feature on your monitor. For Macs, use the help screen to navigate to the energy savings screen. For PC's, go to the Start menu, select Settings, then choose Control Panel, click on Display, and then set the Energy Star setting under the Screen Saver tab. (Don't be fooled by screen savers, they don't save power or your screen!)
Photocopier - Set to Low Power Mode
You can reduce energy consumption by 25% when operating photocopiers efficiently. Check the manual or ask your service representative to enable the copier's energy-efficient settings. The low-power mode will reduce the energy usage while the copier is active but enables it to quickly return to full functionality, if necessary. The sleep mode is the lowest power setting while the copier is still on. It may take 30 seconds to return to full function, so this setting should be enabled when there are long periods of photocopier inactivity. Be sure to turn photocopiers off and unplug them at the end of the day and on weekends.Purchasing New Equipment
Consider government and industry standards when purchasing new electronic or computer equipment. Buying "green" electronics is about knowing what to look for. Certification labels, such as Green-Specs™, ENERGY STAR and EPEAT™ (Electronic Product Environmental Assessment Tool) help inform consumers and make it easier for them to compare both energy and cost savings. An ENERGY STAR labeled computer uses 70% less electricity than computers without this designation. If left inactive, ENERGY STAR labeled desktop computers enter a sleep mode and use 4 watts or less. Spending a large portion of time in low-power mode not only saves energy, but helps equipment run cooler and last longer.An advantage of Green-Specs™ certificated electronic equipment is the elimination of harmful materials that have been found to have adverse effects on human health.
Disposing of Electronic Equipment
Recycling is the most earth friendly and community friendly way to dispose of electronic equipment. Recycling recovers valuable materials from old electronics that can be used to make new products. By recycling we reduce greenhouse gas emissions, reduce pollution and save energy. We also save resources by extracting fewer raw materials from the earth. Safe recycling of outdated electronics promotes sound management of toxic chemicals such as lead and mercury. Donating your used electronics can benefit your community by passing on ready-to-use or refurbished equipment to those who need it.There are businesses that accept and buy electronics to recycle. You can locate an electronic recycler through a simple web search. To ensure that your electronics aren't simply being shipped overseas to be dumped there, confirm that the company you choose has been approved by an organization like the EPA. Please remember to completely erase the information on hard drives before recycling them.
- Upcoming Electronics Recycling Events
- Electronics recycling at...
- Best Buy (Various locations)
- Spectrum Ecycle (St. Louis)
- EPC (St. Charles)
- Red Leaf (Chesterfield)
Further Resources
There are many helpful organizations dedicated to improving the environment and helping consumers. It is a fun adventure to surf all the wonderful information out there. Here are some reliable government sources:- Energy Star Program
- Environmental Protection Agency - Green Resources
- Missouri Department of Natural Resources – Division of Energy
- Republic Services - All In One Recycling
- US Department of Energy
- US Department of Energy – Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy


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In memory of those persecuted in the seventeenth-century Finnmark Witchcraft Trials, the Steilneset Memorial rests along the jagged coastline of the Barents Sea in Vardø, Norway. Photographer Andrew Meredith has shared with us his photo series documenting this masterpiece created by a unique collaboration between the world-famous Swiss architect Peter Zumthor (Basel, 1943) and the influential contemporary artist Louise Bourgeois (Paris, 1911-2010).
Zumthor simply describes his collaboration with Bourgeois in an interview with ArtInfo as the following, "I had my idea, I sent it to her, she liked it, and she came up with her idea, reacted to my idea, then I offered to abandon my idea and to do only hers, and she said, 'No, please stay.' So, the result is really about two things — there is a line, which is mine, and a dot, which is hers… Louise's installation is more about the burning and the aggression, and my installation is more about the life and the emotions ."
Continue reading to view the photographs and learn more about the Steilneset Memorial.
Zumthor's pine scaffolding supports a suspended silk cocoon. Within the cocoon, visitors walk along a 400-foot long oak-floored corridor.
A hanging light bulb floats behind each of the 91 windows, illuminating them in memory of the 91 individuals who were convicted of sorcery and burnt at the stake. Each window is accompanied by a plaque that reveals the story of each individual.
Serving as Bourgeois's last major installation, "The Damned, The Possessed and The Beloved" contains an endless flame burning upon a steel chair that lies within a hollow concrete cone.
Reflections of the flame bounce off of every surface as the chair is surrounded by a series of circular mirrors.
The installation is housed within a smoky, reflective glass structure that contrasts Zumthor's long, wooden installation.
Reference: Andrew Meredith Photography, Nasjonale Turistveger, Dezeen
Andrew Meredith was originally commissioned by Icon Magazine.

subset: commoncrawl


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Boudewijn is an associate partner at EY Advisory Netherlands LLP and the EY Wealth & Asset Management Consulting Leader for the Netherlands and EY EMEIA Wealth & Asset Management Strategic Cost Transformation Solution Leader.
Boudewijn recently returned to the Netherlands having spent seven years working in the Asia-Pacific wealth and asset management sector out of Sydney, Australia.
He has approximately 15 years of international work experience in financial services, and wealth and asset management, particularly in advising private banks, wealth and asset management organizations. He spent 13 years as a management consultant leading strategic and large-scale customer-led transformation programs.
Boudewijn received an MSc in General Management from Nyenrode Business University and a BBA in Financial Services Management from the NHL. His publication on FinTech disruption across the wealth management value chain was published in TheWealthTechBook.
How Boudewijn is building a better working world
"In my work within the wealth and asset management sector, I focus on how new technology and customer expectations drive change in business models, operating models and providing services to clients.
For me, building a better working world is about bringing the best of our capabilities together from anywhere within our firm in order to deliver the best outcomes for our clients and to their clients."


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Please call (479) 650-7543
*We reserve the right to cancel classes if minimum size of 3 people is not met.*
*All courses available include the required Ethics hours (LTC Certification hours offered at Fort Smith location only)
Classroom Preparations:
Want a special class for your group at your location or ours? Call Dolores Chitwood at 479-650-7543
*Minimum of 8 attendees*
Class time 8:30 am until 7:00 pm. Includes 1-hour lunch and breaks.
Instructor: Dolores Chitwood
Price is $10 per hour for NAIFA members or $13 per hour for non-members.
*For directions to the class, click the address.
*To print, click "Details", then click the printer icon at the top left.
Start Date | 04-29-2024 8:30 am |
End Date | 05-01-2024 7:00 pm |
Individual Price | See Options at Registration |
Location | 4314 Grand Avenue, Fort Smith, AR 72904 |
From I- 540, take the Grand Ave. exit to 43rd ST. Turn left (south) on 43rd to the 1st alley, turn left, then turn into 2nd yard (next door to an empty business building). The class is in the instructor's home/ office. Come into the open back door, or park in the parking lot of empty business and enter the front door of the address.


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My child's kindergarten teacher taught him a prayer, which his class recites before lunch. Do you think that is OK, or should I talk to her?
If the public school teacher shares your religious beliefs, you might be tempted to let this one slide. Ignore that impulse and take up the matter with the school.
When we allow public school teachers to lead or sponsor prayers, we gamble with our children's faith formation. Your child's kindergarten teacher might be leading the class in prayers consistent with your beliefs. Next school year, things could be different. It makes sense to look to public schools to choose teachers for our children. It does not make sense to allow those choices to affect our children's faith formation. This is one reason for ensuring the government does not meddle in religion.
Another reason to keep the government out of the prayer business is to protect the rights of conscience. In the United States, we recognize the government has limited powers. While we charge our government with the responsibility for managing many secular matters, we give it no power over prayer. Under our constitutional order, prayer and other aspects of belief and practice are recognized as matters of conscience and reserved for individuals, families and religious communities.
The practice of minding these boundaries produces a wealth of civic and spiritual goods. When we protect the right of every individual to make free and uncoerced decisions about religion, we foster a climate that supports human dignity and one that enables meaningful faith commitments. When we ensure religious messages and practices are fully owned and operated by people of faith and their communities, we help to keep religion authentic. When we separate a person's civic worth from his or her spirituality, we are able to unite as a nation across our deep differences.
Accordingly, public schools should recognize and respect these boundaries and issue an equal welcome to children and families of all faiths and none. If public schools lead or sponsor prayers, it becomes impossible for them to do so.
Does this mean children cannot or should not pray in public schools? Certainly not. Children are free to pray silently at school at any time. They may pray audibly over their lunch at school and at other times, so long as they do not disrupt instructional activities. Students may pray in student-organized groups—such as Equal Access Bible clubs—that meet on the campus of secondary schools during non-instructional time. Students also may pray corporately on campus during events like "See You at the Pole."
So, let's ensure that students know about their opportunities to pray at school. But let's also make sure the government plays no role in promoting or sponsoring those prayers.
Melissa Rogers, director
Center for Religion & Public Affairs
Wake Forest University, Winston-Salem, N.C.
Right or Wrong? is sponsored by the T.B. Maston Chair of Christian Ethics at Hardin-Simmons University's Logsdon School of Theology. Send your questions about how to apply your faith to email@example.com.


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From providing community patrols and vacation house checks, to providing assistance at community special events, providing traffic direction at accident scenes, maintaining the vehicle fleet, entering data into the computer system, working with Neighborhood Watch groups, and filing and maintaining records, you will be working "hand in hand" with members of your Police Department. All you need to become a Police Volunteer member is a real desire to "volunteer."
Volunteer Application


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Rare alligator snapping turtle weighs more than 120 pounds
An alligator snapping turtle weighing more than 120 pounds and estimated to be more than 100 years old is now on display at the Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks Pratt Education Center, 2 miles east and 1 mile south of Pratt. The massive reptile was given to the education center by Travis Taggart, associate curator of herpetology at the Sternberg Museum of Natural History in Hays.
Taggart obtained the large male turtle and a smaller female from Kelly Irwin, state herpetologist for Arkansas. The turtles were part of a confiscation of approximately 400 animals from a turtle breeder that failed to comply with Arkansas state regulations. It had been housed at the Sternberg for approximately one year prior to its arrival in Pratt but was not on public display.
Alligator snapping turtles are on the Kansas Species in need of Conservation (SINC) list, with only 12 verifiable recordings in the state. These recordings were all from southeast Kansas and were confined to the Neosho, Verdigris, Walnut, and Arkansas River basins. Alligator snappers are not known to breed in Kansas, and individuals found in the state are considered transient. They favor river habitat with overhead, shaded canopy, lots of tree limb and leaf litter, a muddy bottom, and substantial pools.
The largest specimen from Kansas came from Lyon County in 1967 and had a carapace (upper shell) length of 22 inches. A 59-pound female was found in Montgomery County in 1986. Alligator snappers can grow to tremendous size; the largest known weighed 318 pounds and was caught in Georgia in 1978. There is a 236-pound alligator snapper in captivity at a Chicago zoo.
The alligator snapping turtle on display at the Pratt Education Center is located in an enclosure next to a large common snapping turtle. The common snapper weighed 46 pounds when caught in 2006, making it the largest ever recorded in Kansas. Common snapping turtles can weigh as much as 75 pounds.
The two species can be distinguished by differences in the carapace, which is relatively smooth on the common snapper while the alligator snapper's carapace has three high-ridged rows. There are also differences in head size and shape. Alligator snappers have massive heads, with a large overbite in the form of a hooked beak and somewhat star-shaped eyes. Alligator snappers also have a special adaptation that helps trap prey. A small worm-shaped appendage located on the bottom of the mouth wriggles and draws fish into its waiting open mouth. These differences are readily apparent when observed side-by-side in the displays.
The Pratt Education Center is open to the public from 8 a.m. until 5 p.m. Monday through Friday, with limited Saturday hours in summer.


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We never really get bored with remote-controlled rovers around here, especially when they involve reusing some old hardware as well as lasers. [Tycoon] wrote in to share his creation, which he has dubbed "Texas Ranger".
Texas Ranger is built around an old Linksys WRT54GL router, which provides the rover's WiFi connectivity as well as the serial interface through which everything else is controlled. The rover features a pair of PIC microcontrollers, which handle all of the servo control as well as telemetry calculations.
An onboard camera gives the operator a driver's seat view of the action, allowing for precise control of the vehicle. Laser triangulation is used to help measure object distance, and a pair of airsoft pellet guns straddle the camera for whenever [Tycoon] feels like making his presence known. One feature we are especially fond of is the pair of Wii nunchucks which the rover uses to monitor its position. Always aware of its operating angle, it auto-adjusts the camera to compensate for uneven surfaces, guaranteeing that [Tycoon] doesn't have to tilt his head to see straight.
Keep reading to see a quick demo video he shot of Texas Ranger in action.


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Mellody Hobson talks about philanthropy in today's "Money Mondays" segment.
A Florida newspaper and the Center for Investigative Reporting recently put together a list of the nation's worst charities. Before we get into specifics, I have to stress that this list of the "worst charities" focuses on nonprofits on the fringes—they are NOT the norm, and in fact, some fundraising professionals criticized the study for discouraging philanthropy. But even if the industry as a whole is run by true do-gooders, there are some pretty rotten apples in the bunch: The ones at the top of the "Worst Charities" list spent more money on operating costs and solicitors than on the causes and people well-meaning donors thought they were trying to help.
But aren't their rules in place about how much they can spend on that?
Unfortunately, the answer is no. States have different laws, but no State can mandate that a certain percentage of the funds raised go to the organization's charitable activities, because fundraising appeals are protected free speech. States can, however, insist that the charity or its fundraiser tell the truth when soliciting funds.
Watchdog groups say no more than 35 % of donations should go to fundraising costs. And there is no standard for how much should be spent on direct cash aid.
What so-called charities topped the list of the worst?
The worst is a charity called "Kids Wish Network" which raised millions in the names of kids dying from disease and their families. Those kids got about three cents of every dollar raised. Three cents! And part of the reason this charity has continued to raise money is because the name "Kids Wish Network" sounds very similar to the "Make a Wish Foundation"—a very reputable charity that donates from 78-88% of every dollar (depending on the state) directly to granting wishes.
Next on the list of the worst, the Cancer Fund of America collected $98 million in donations last year, but according to the IRS, patients received less than a million in direct cash. Hopping on the "sound-alike" bandwagon, The Children's Wish Foundation reportedly spent about $3.6 million granting wishes to terminally ill kids in 2010, but it paid professional fundraisers nearly $6 million. The American Breast Cancer Foundation appealed to donors by promising to pay for breast cancer screenings, but 75 cents of every dollar raised went to professional fundraisers. This list is getting depressing, but I'll finish with this: The Firefighters' Charitable Foundation purports to provide financial assistance to those affected by fire or disaster. From 2002-2011, it raised $64 million in donations. Guess how much went to solicitors? $55 million. Less than ten cents of every dollar went to those in need.
This kind of phony philanthropy isn't too common?
These are extreme cases in which solicitors were paid on a percentage- or commission-basis, a practice which is prohibited and considered unethical by the Association of Fundraising Professionals and most of the charitable sector.
Phony Philanthropy was originally published on blackamericaweb.com


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Vehicles For Sale
Quality Custom Cars and Motorcycles
Looking to sell a custom or classic car or truck? Advertising your vehicle online for sale can take a lot of time and can be costly, not to mention phone calls, emails, and haggling over the price. Kumbera Motors is your virtual automotive listing assistant! We take the hassle out of selling your car or truck. Leave the selling to us.
Our listings are full of a great variety of classic, custom, collectible, luxury, exotic & high performance vehicles for sale. We have a high volume of traffic so your vehicle will get seen by people looking to purchase your vehicle! All of the vehicles listed are being sold for private parties or collectors. These vehicles are consigned to us and we are the seller's agent. Our clientele is mostly made up of buyers and sellers we have been working with over the last 10 years.
Kumbera Motors does not buy or inventory the vehicles being sold on our site, but we do personally hand-pick the vehicles we will advertise and market on the internet and in our virtual vehicle showroom. Having the vehicles stay with the consignors, in their private garages, helps in knowing where the vehicle came from and how it has been treated. Only one out of five vehicles that we look over will be approved for our website.
As a vehicle listing agent, we assist you completely during the process of buying or selling a vehicle including paperwork, payments and shipping.
Our past experience and solid connections enables us to help you succeed in having a good buying or selling experience. We work close with both buyer and seller and work to make every transaction a positive one. This in return has brought us sales worldwide with many repeat and referral customers. We have had good experience with many sales here in the United States and Internationally. We take pride in having many happy buyers and sellers in the past and look forward to more in the future.


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When planted with care, potted herbs will yield an array of homegrown results that are good enough to eat. Just follow these simple steps to get started (no green thumb required).
Most herbs will grow in pots, but avoid ones that overgrow, like lavender and mint (or plant them separately). And only group compatible varieties: Good combinations include sage, rosemary, oregano, and thyme; lemon balm and basil; and parsley and cilantro.
Select a clay, wood, or ceramic pot that can hold several plants; it should have a circumference of about 3 feet and provide good drainage. You also can make use of buckets or crates that are lying around the house and smaller pots for individual herbs. Try using biodegradable starting pots like Dot Pots if you're starting with seed.
Organic potting soil meant for vegetables and herbs is best; clay soil will cement in a pot. Fill the pot to a couple inches from the top and add compost or a soil that is higher in organic matter at a 1:3 ratio. You may want to use a plant sensor, like Easy Bloom, to determine which plants will grow best in your soil and climate.
Potted plants lose moisture quickly, especially in dry climates. Water young plants in small pots every other day; water plants in large pots less frequently (every three to seven days).
Most herbs need at least six hours of light per day. Place the pots near large south-facing windows or glass doors, or on your deck or patio.
Drying and storage
Dried herbs will last in your pantry for up to a year. Hang bunches upside down in a dry, somewhat cool location, or spread on a sheet of paper in warm, dry air away from direct sunlight. You also can rinse herbs, wrap in a paper towel, and microwave on high for one to four minutes. Crumble or chop, and store in clean, dry, airtight jars in a cool, dark location.


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Finding Love
TOTNES is full of single mothers and hardly any single men – my new friends in Devon were quite adamant.
"I hope you're not expecting to find a partner down here!"
But I wasn't moving to Totnes to find a partner, not yet anyway.
After 16 years living in a Buddhist community in London, it was time to move on, and my longing for a rural lifestyle could no longer be ignored. But most importantly of all, my seven-year-old son, Jamie, deserved a more gentle upbringing than a city could afford.
Despite the good reasons, however, there was also an element of strange magnetism I couldn't put my finger on. In many ways I was leaving a great situation and jumping into the unknown, but there was a compelling force drawing me on – and I had a daring, inexplicable knowledge that this was absolutely the right move.
So, one sunny September morning in 2001, I packed the back of my little grey hatchback to bursting, strapped Jamie in the front beside me, and set off for our new life in the country.
At 37, I was a free agent for the first time pretty much since my teens. I'd split amicably from Jamie's dad two years ago. It was the most civilised split I've ever heard of, but even so, the impact of separating the family was utterly devastating.
My escape came in the form of a smouldering Spanish guy from my dance class. However it wasn't long before I became emotionally trashed by this crazy sex fest of a so called relationship. I was so fragile that I clung on for far too long.
Moving to Devon would make sure it was over for good. For the first time in all those years, I was single, and I felt it. I was F – R – E – E !
My heart was soaring when we got out to stretch our legs at Stonehenge. What an incredible monument to mark the half way point to Devon. The sky was blue and the ancient stones seemed to be humming with affirmation that we were doing the right thing. We weren't in dirty, frantic, complicated London now. Here was the gateway to a whole new magical realm.
Our first base was a caravan in a charming farm campsite not far from Totnes. We were leaving behind a lovely, secure and affordable home in London. It was part of a triangle of Victorian maisonettes with gardens backing on to each other so the kids were safe to roam around with each other. I was glad that Jamie still had some of that now – access to an indoor swimming pool and an adventure playground and a few other families who were temporarily living at the campsite during the offseason just like us.
There was a lot to do – a home to find, school for Jamie, money to earn, new friends to make.
I was fully occupied and completely excited by the experience of making this beautiful place our home. Originally a spa town, Totnes is known as the 'alternative capital of the UK' and has attracted all sorts of interesting people and progressive projects into it's midst over the decades. And driving through the stunning countryside brought me out in mild bliss every day – very different from the tension that inevitably comes with 'cheeky driving' through London traffic.
But by night I was lonely and reeling from all the changes. Jamie was having a tough time too and was playing up at school. He was understandably disturbed and angry about being ripped away from all he knew, and I was feeling the strain and guilt. (What possessed me to think he'd settle at the fairy-like Steiner School after his formative years in inner city mainstream education?)
Sometimes the grief and disorientation were almost unbearable. It would have been so comforting to have someone intimate to share all this with – a manly chest to snuggle into…
So, in night time lonely autopilot, I reached out half heartedly for a liaison. Computer dating was a pleasant distraction, safe in the knowledge that everyone was at a reassuring cyber distance. The few dates I met up with soon dissolved any cosy illusions of romance I'd entertained myself with. There were also a few 'real' single men I ran into (despite what my friends had said, Totnes seemed to have plenty of them).
I spent a month with Martin no.1, and another with Martin no.2, and hung out with an attractive new friend while he was between girlfriends. But none of it was right and nothing got off the ground.
I knew that this was because I still had some healing to do, and at last I decided to co-operate with the process. I needed to do what usually has to be done when recovering from one relationship and preparing for another – to stay in the gap for as long as it takes and be with myself for a while.
I was overdue to complete some unfinished emotional business – to understand what had happened and why; to let go of hurts and fears; to re-asses who I am now; and establish what kind of relationship would be good for me next.
As a meditator I already had an invaluable tool at my disposal. Meditation gives emotional space and opens up a bigger perspective that allows us to face challenges positively. Along with regular chats with insightful friends and family, my meditation practise gave me the resources to navigate my way through the stormy emotional waters. So did my practise of 'Movement Medicine'.
At my weekly class, and in the privacy of my own home, this wonderful form of free expression accessed and gave full voice to the stories and emotions stuck in my body. I danced and roared and stamped and cried (a lot!) and laughed and gave thanks and laid the ghosts to rest. Over the weeks I became clearer, free-er and more peaceful.
In early February I attended a sweat lodge held by a lovely local shaman down by the River Dart. In the dark, eerie beauty of a winter forest, we ceremonially heated huge stones in a roaring wooden pyre. Once ready, the hot stones were brought into the lodge one by one and sprinkled with sage water.
We sat in a circle inside the lodge, naked and in total darkness, sweating and singing and praying. It was like being inside a womb of pure spirit. We spoke aloud one at a time, each prayer seeming to come from infinite consciousness and be sent out into the entire universe. My prayer was spontaneous and ardent –
"Please help me let go of the past and allow me the time and space I need before I get involved in another relationship."
During one of my more contented evenings, and inspired by Oriah Mountain Dreamer's book, 'The Invitation', I did some reflective writing. In a deep, prayerful way, I wrote about what I longed for – the kind of loving partner that would be ideal for me. It was almost sacreligious to be so damn honest about what would be utterly wonderful for me.
I'd never given myself permission to state these things before. But once it was down on paper I found I was moved by the quality of person I was describing in those two dozen short paragraphs. And somehow, having committed my vision to paper, this man began to take on a tangible existence. It was spooky. It was as though I had begun to create a reality, or at least, call a reality towards me.
Having read widely about metaphysical principles since then, I know that this is exactly what is occurring when we make things conscious and decide to move towards them.
As my old Buddhist teacher used to say, 'It's not so much that man wills, but that will man's'. In other words our will manifests into form not the other way around. We become what we wish for. We create our reality from our thoughts and feelings and expectations.
Now, in my work as a Love Coach, writing about ideals is an exercise that my clients use with unremittingly powerful results. But back then, I somewhat innocently placed my writings on my meditation shrine, and forgot about them. Little did I know that I'd planted a seed that would invisibly grow into a garden of opportunity, or that I'd soon be looking upon the face of the man who would become my husband.
At first I didn't realise I'd met him. As far as I was concerned, this 'Pat' guy was just a housemate of a childminder friend I'd gotten to know at Jamie's school.
Ann and I used to hang out at each other's houses while our boys played together. So my first few meetings with Pat were incidental – brief interactions during a flurry of noisy, stampeding boys needing after school snacks. I was in 'mum mode' and, anyway, I had a background distraction still rolling with one man or another I was half involved with. I wasn't paying attention where it was due. It took me a further couple of months to wake up. And what a wake up call it was.
Towards the end of April, my much loved, dear, wise, loving gran was painfully dying in Scotland. My sister was giving me bulletins every day, and I was waiting for news of her final passing. Life was sharp. My heart was so open. Contrastingly, I was experiencing impossibly crossed wires with Martin no.2 and decided to finish it.
The very night I broke it off he fell off his steep garden terrace and was hospitalised with a broken back. I was shocked into further acute awakeness.
That same week (intuitively picking up on what was about to happen, I'm sure) I had my ex-lover from London on the phone asking for one last chance. For the first and last time, I said 'No' properly. It was after the sweat lodge prayer and I was crystal clear. Now I was truly free from any involvement whatsoever. I was free to pay attention where it was due.
On the Tuesday I arrived for a session of Holographic Repatterning with my friend Christina.
I had booked the session a week ago to help with my relationship with Jamie, but there was something else on the menu. It soon emerged that the key theme I was ready to explore was meeting the right partner.
In the session, Christina revealed to me that I held the unconscious belief that 'I could never meet a partner that could meet me on all levels'. This was a core reason I had been compromising myself in other relationships. She worked with me over 2 hours to shift this belief, and, three days later…
Pat was covering his childminder housemate's shift for the day and we were looking after the boys together in the school yard. (Actually, Ann had been trying to set us up for a while as Pat had already eyeballed me with great interest, but I hadn't noticed).
It was the first chance Pat and I had to really talk. I told him about Martin no.2 and the broken back. Knowing a little about me he commented that it's very difficult to have a relationship with someone who isn't spiritual if you are yourself. I liked him. I liked the way he sat on a rock in the playground and looked like a cowboy in the wild west.
Although I didn't know why, I agreed that I might meet him for a drink that night. I was feeling incredibly sensitive and anti-social (and a pub is the last place I'd go at the best of times) but something led me into the Sea Trout Inn. The Sea Trout was Pat's regular drinking hole, just a stone's throw from the cottage Christina had found for us to move into after our stay in the caravan.
I laid aside my puritanical Buddhist prejudices and was pleasantly surprised by the level of meaningful communication happening amongst the public bar locals. Pat was typically animated and in full flood "You've gotta get outta yar head and intta yar heart" he was insisting. He sounded like a cowboy too, or maybe one of those charismatic American preachers.
"A bit full on" I thought to myself, but I was intrigued. And then, suddenly, in the middle of all the passionate discussion, Pat and I gazed intently upon each other.
'I see you', he said, slowly and knowingly. 'I see you too', I replied with equal gravitas. In that moment, we did indeed truly see one another. It was like a lightening flash had struck and lit up the entire vast landscape of who we are.
The moment returned to darkness, but the flash revealed something forever. In that moment I realised that I recognised Pat, that I knew him, and with that knowledge came the deepest trust and truest love.
We parted in the car park with us both feeling somewhat stunned. "I lo…lo…lo…" Pat stammered. He seemed to be saying something and stuffing it back into his mouth at the same time. He looked as perplexed as I felt. Was he trying to resist saying that he LOVES me? Nah. Surely not.
I went back to the cottage and received the news that my gran had just passed away. Dear Gran. Dear kind, loving, strong, simple, generous, understanding, fiesty, affectionate gran.
My spirit couldn't help but elevate to commune with her and God and the afterlife and all of that other indescribable stuff that these words just don't do justice to. Her love and essence were filling the Devon skies and I just had to fly with her for a while.
As if in a dream, I found myself popping into the pub at Sunday lunchtime to find Pat. It was completely unplanned. All of a sudden I was there inviting him to take a walk on Dartmoor with me.
We talked about gran and meditation. Sitting by a rock pool, he told me he would have loved to study psychology if he'd ever been able to. I told him that psychology had been my main subject at University. Without thinking about it, I took his hand as we walked back to the car. It was as though a greater force was acting through me. I certainly didn't have the where-with-all to acknowledge what was going on, or make any judgements with my head. I was in the spontaneous and innocent world of my heart alright.
We shared our first kiss in the Sea Trout car park the next night. I was preparing to go to Gran's funeral later that week. "Come. Back. To. Me" Pat said plainly. I'd already explained that I had a few romantic loose ends to tie up and couldn't promise anything.
"Take whatever time you need", he replied. The day before I flew to Scotland, he appeared in the school playground at pick up time. Pressing a rose quartz into my hand, he wished me well on my trip. Keen interest and support, understanding and freedom. This was a recipe for love. I recognised these qualities from my ideal man list.
It took me another couple of weeks to fully absorb the significance of what was occurring, but in the aftermath of my gran's funeral, it was a simple and inevitable fact that we would love each other and be together. "Shall we love each other, then?" Pat had asked after an evening of endless, sublime kissing. "Yes, let's" I replied, but it didn't really need an answer.
I'd never experienced anything like it. There was no posturing or trying to impress each other and no attempts to hide our less favourable attributes – we were just relaxed and unselfconscious with each other from the very beginning.
And there was no question about whether or not we'd be together – no push-pull fear of rejection or of being overwhelmed, no insecurity whatsoever. Likewise, there was no great destabilising intoxication – the feelings were immediate and profound, but our heads were clear and our feet were on the ground. It was so straight forward – complete harmony, complete certainty – and left nothing to negotiate.
Sixteen months later, we were married.
As I was to discover, Pat had also prepared well for the arrival of what he called a 'divine relationship' in his life. A long time meditator like me, Pat had worked through all the issues raised by previous relationships. He particularly practised forgiveness (including himself) and was unusually clear, more so than me, of the sort of relationship backlog that we often carry into future relationships (and mess up by referring back to ghosts instead of the person with us now).
He had also used a specific manifestation meditation to call his vision of a relationship into being. Popularised and taught by Wayne Dwyer in the 80s, this ancient practise brings together the power of the chakras, the voice, and creative visualisation. We call it the Ah/Om meditation.
Most importantly of all, perhaps, Pat adopted an attitude that he referred to as '100% intention with 100% surrender'. Although he was very clear about the partner he sought and would not compromise with less, he was also prepared for it not to happen and would be perfectly happy to stay alone should he not find his match.
This is the fine and paradoxical art of being open to one's aspirations and creative possibilities while at the same time being fluid with our expectations. Many people either don't let themselves dream through fear of not suceeding or strangle their dreams by having too much at stake and therefore too desparate for them to come true.
Often we don't let ourselves aspire by assuming we won't succeed ('Can't have'), or corrupt our aspirations into egotistical ambitions by having too much self-worth at stake if they flounder ('Must have'). Either way, it betrays a lack of self-knowledge and self-belief. When we see ourselves clearly and believe in ourselves, we don't need to push things away or grab things towards us to shore up a hollow sense of ourselves.
We can allow things to be what they are, free from what we have invested in them. In this freedom we can experience the natural flow of coming and going, and somewhat magically, all our true needs are satisfied ('Having-ness').
Like the lack of belief I had that I could find someone who could meet me on all levels. But, with Christina's help, I addressed that hidden and restrictive belief. Pat certainly can meet me on all levels. This relationship is easily the most satisfying and stimulating either of us has ever known on the domestic, physical, emotional, intellectual and spiritual levels.
It is grounded and it is sacred. We are plumming depths and scaling heights together that would have been hard to access alone. Of course it is also intense and challenging. We share so much. As well as living together and joining our families, we have jointly lauched our life, business and spiritual coaching practise, Thrivecraft.
One day last year, I came across the description of the ideal partner I wrote all that time ago. As Pat and I re-read it together, I was filled with a strange, joyful realisation. The man who those words described was now nuzzling my neck, sharing my life and my deepest aspirations. It's amazing what we can magnetise into our lives with clear intention and positivity. Now I understand a little more about those compelling forces that brought me to Devon.
Life, business and spiritual coach, meditation teacher and founder of Thrivecraft.


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Show All Answers
The process involves setting up your account, testing your meter and delivery valves to determine any further work that must be done on our part prior to delivering your first order. We will make sure that all valves and your meter are working properly. We will review specifics regarding how your meter measures water. We will go over what type of crop you will be watering and work with you to determine the most accurate amount of water necessary.
When there is more than 1 user on a meter, each has a designated delivery point from which they irrigate. A short delivery is the closest acreage next to the meter. The district's responsibility is 3 feet downstream of the short delivery valve. An intermediate delivery is located off of the long delivery and is used to irrigate the next acreage downstream of the meter. The district's responsibility is also only 3 feet downstream of the intermediate valve. A long delivery is used to irrigate the furthest acreage to the south of the meter. The district's responsibility is up to 1,300 feet from the long delivery valve. Any delivery lines or field valves past the points mentioned above will be the user's responsibility.
The canal distribution system was constructed and engineered to follow the natural slope of the land to allow the free flow of water in the direction of the force of gravity. Irrigation pumps are used to deliver water to elevated areas within the availability zones.
An emergency off is when a user calls in and needs their water turned off immediately. Once the district is notified that an emergency off has been requested, a zanjero will promptly make his way to the meter and turn it off.


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Berman Center Selene™ Vibrating Clitoral Pump
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This clitoral vibrator is the next best thing to actual oral sex! Excite your clitoris with the Selene Vibrating Clitoral Pump that works two ways to make you more orgasmic. Just place the soft, flexible cup over your clitoral area and squeeze the easy-to-use hand pump. You'll feel a fabulous sucking sensation as the hand pump draws more blood to your clitoris, swelling and engorging it for super-sensitivity. Then twist the Selene's shaft to start powerful vibrations that send amazing sensations to every nerve ending, getting you ready to enjoy incredible sex! You'll love the combination of sucking and vibrations that keep going as long as you like. Or use the Selene without the vibrations for more subtle thrills.
Use the Selene alone, or slip on one of the 2 interchangeable circular soft silicone sleeves for more intense suction, while the stimulating nodules tickle and tease your most sensitive spots. The pump works wonderfully on your clitoris, but you'll also love the way it feels on your nipples, sucking and sensitizing them as never before! The Berman Center Selene™ Vibrating Clitoral Pump is great for solo fun, and great for couples play as fantastic foreplay! Use it on yourself, or let your partner take control for warm-up fun and games. And there's even a designer pouch included, for traveling on those romantic getaways.
The Selene is part of the Berman Center Line of high-quality sex toys, developed by sex expert Dr. Laura Berman.
This sex toy is compatible with water-based lubes. It is not recommended to be used with silicone lubes. After use, carefully wash the sex toy with mild soap and water or try a sex toy cleaner for even quicker cleanup. Store this sex toy separately from other sex toys.


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Bluegrass Legend Dr. Ralph Stanley Has Passed Away
Death could not spare another day.
Ralph Stanley, one of the last living legends in both the country and bluegrass world, has passed away. This was the word Thursday evening (6-23) from his grandson and protege Nathan Stanley.
"My heart is broken into pieces. My papaw, my dad, and the greatest man in the world, Dr. Ralph Stanley has went home to be with Jesus just a few minutes ago," Nathan said in a statement at approximately 7:10 p.m. Central time. "He went peacefully in his sleep due to a long, horrible battle with Skin Cancer … My Papaw was loved by millions of fans from all around the world, and he loved all of you. If he was singing and on stage, he was happy."
Ralph Stanley began his career in 1946 with his older brother Carter, touring and recording as the Stanley Brothers before Carter's death in 1966. Over the next 50 years, Ralph Stanley mentored the likes of Ricky Skaggs and Keith Whitley, his backing band the Clinch Mountain Boys was one of the most vital and prolific proving grounds for world-class bluegrass musicians, he won three Grammy Awards, was inducted into the Grand Ole Opry and the International Bluegrass Music Hall of Fame, and was a recipient of the National Medal of Arts.
Possibly his most crowning achievement was his participation in the O Brother Where Art Thou soundtrack in 2000 that sold over 7 million copies and opened the gift of bluegrass to a whole new generation. Stanley's contribution to that soundtrack was the old traditional song, "O Death." Though a simple composition, the soul with which Stanley delivered its message is one of the most haunting music experiences ever recorded.
Ralph Edmond Stanley was born in the tiny town of McClure, Virginia in Dickenson County on February 25th, 1927. Stanley continued to live in the rural portion of Southwest Virginia for his entire life. His home life was not especially musical growing up, and he didn't start playing the banjo until his mid teens when his mother bought a banjo from his aunt. He was taught the clawhammer style of banjo from his mother, but eventually developed his own playing style. After graduating from high school in 1945, Stanley joined the army for about a year. Upon his return to Virginia he immediately began performing with his brother Carter who was playing in another bluegrass band. The two brothers formed the Clinch Mountain Boys, which went on to become one of the most influential bluegrass bands in history.
Like many bluegrass outfits of the time, the Stanley Brothers were heavily influenced by Bill Monroe. But their adeptness with the minor key, instilled by their Primitive Baptist upbringing, gave them a unique singing style. Along with singing on radio station WCYB, they started writing their own bluegrass tunes in the late 40's, and eventually signed to Columbia Records. It was the Stanley Brothers signing to Columbia that stimulated Bill Monroe to leave the label and sign with Decca. But the rivalry would not last long. Ralph's brother Carter would ultimately go on to sing in Bill Monroe's band.
Carter Stanley died in 1966 due to complications of cirrhosis, and initially Ralph did not know if he would continue performing. Carter was the primary songwriter for the duo, but due to the overwhelming support and interest of fans, Ralph decided to revitalize the Clinch Mountain Boys.
It was all doom and gloom and teary-eyed salutations when Dr. Ralph Stanley announced in June of 2013 that he would be embarking on his farewell tour in late 2013 into 2014. It was supposed to be the last time we would be able to see The Man of Constant Sorrow grace the bluegrass stage. But Stanley was always one to have restless bones, and even before the farewell tour began in earnest, he was already saying he wasn't ready to retire. "I meant it at the time, but I've decided to leave it up to the good Lord."
Stanley continued to tour, then in October of 2015 he suffered a fall that required surgery on a pelvic bone. Stanley's performances began to taper off afterwards, but he still made public performances despite his advanced age.
Ralph Stanley was 89-years-old.


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Welcome to the American Cultures & Global Contexts Center
Situated in the English Department at UC Santa Barbara, the American Cultures and Global Contexts Center builds upon the considerable strengths in American Studies at UCSB by offering an interdisciplinary setting for new research and teaching initiatives. Equipped with a small library of key resources in the field and computing equipment to support web-based research, this Center provides a unique site for collaborations among faculty and students.
American Studies in Context
American Studies is thriving; membership in the American Studies Association has gone up remarkably over the last 15 years; participation in American Studies conferences and events is higher than ever. A fascinating variety of new American Studies programs are emerging across the country, and internationally as well. Students, in dramatically increasing numbers, are drawn to these programs for the integrated ways of looking at the world that such interdisciplinary venues provide. Among the many intellectual currents that have been animating the field, three have been particularly strong in terms of their influence over the last decade: race/ethnic studies, cultural studies, and transnational/global studies. The field's flagship journals and institutional bodies have fostered an explicitly inclusive ethic that has allowed American Studies to become a remarkable site of diversity. In the UC system, signs of the vitality of American Studies are readily apparent. At UC Davis, the American Studies program has recently gone through a significant revitalization with exciting new hires. At UC Berkeley, the Department of American Studies has been joined recently by an American Cultures Program that supports Berkeley's GE requirement in the field. Finally, UC Santa Cruz is home to one of the most prestigious American Studies programs in the country; this undergraduate major boasts one of the largest enrollments in the U.S.
American Studies at UC Santa Barbara
With fifteen faculty working in the field, and additional Americanist hires planned for the near future, the UCSB English Department is well positioned to help facilitate the exciting innovations in American Studies being undertaken by faculty campus-wide. Among the campus's faculty, there exists significant interest in cultural studies and interdisciplinary exchanges. The Center supports this breadth of interests by encouraging diversity both in terms of methods and "objects" of study. A fundamental part of the Center's mission includes fostering interdepartmental collaborations.
The American Cultures & Global Contexts Center
The Center includes a seminar room (South Hall 2714) and a research conference room (South Hall 2710) with a reference library and access to on-line databases. These spaces provide a setting in which faculty and students can engage in activities devoted to promoting both research and curricular development.
The Center's programming facilitates the construction of new kinds of courses at both the graduate and undergraduate levels. The Center also disseminates research by converting the results of major conferences hosted by the unit into collected volumes and web-based publications.
The American Cultures & Global Contexts Center supports a range of activities including:
individual and collaborative research
lectures, workshops, and seminars
major conferences
innovative curricular development
the production of collected volumes/working papers
the production of web-based resources


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Passover's Eternal Flame
David WilderMarch 29, 2013
This time of the year is always special. Spring is arriving, the weather
becoming really beautiful, and lots and lots of people in Hebron.
Hebron's Passover celebration included, this year, well over 50,000
people. Wednesday and Thursday were the 'big days' with all of Ma'arat
HaMachpela open to Jewish visitors, including the Isaac Hall, open to us only 10
days a year.
Thursday's music festival didn't leave any of the tens of thousands
disappointed. The shows began at 12:30 in the afternoon and continued until
almost 7:30, when Lipa Schmeltzer put on a show never to be forgotten. First he
sang and danced a duet with Chaim Yisrael, and then continued by himself. It was
a huge amount of fun.
As were the children's events, tours, and just seeing so many wonderful
people walking the streets of Hebron's Jewish community, following in the
footsteps of Abraham and Sarah, King David, and multitudes of Jews over the
That having been said, I must admit that, with all its energy and fun,
and as much as I look forward to and enjoy these days, this year, my favorite
event didn't occur in Hebron.
Those of you who have read these articles over the years may remember
numerous essays about Gush Katif. My favorite place in Gush Katif was, as I
described it many times, the Garden of Eden in Gaza, a community called Kfar
Darom. My family vacationed there several summers, having befriended a
delightful family, who had adopted my oldest daughter, Bat-tzion, when she spent
her year of volunteer service there.
Several articles featured the Sudri family, and among others, their
oldest daughter, Tamar.
The last time I wrote about her was a few years ago, after her marriage
to a wonderful man named Oneg. A couple of years ago they had their first child,
a little girl.
Last week, Tamar gave birth to their first boy. Today was his 'brit' –
circumcision. A few of us from Hebron traveled an hour and a quarter, south, to
the festivity.
After the destruction and expulsion from Kfar Darom, the Sudri family was
moved to an apartment building in Ashkelon. From a nice house, to an apartment.
Not great, but 'temporary.'
Honestly, I don't remember how long they were there. Many too many years.
The new homes in a new community, as they'd been promised, never materialized.
About two years ago they finally received a 'kara-villa- that is, a so-called
fancy mobile home, outside a community called Nir Akiva, east of Gaza, near
Netivot and Beer Sheva. The called the new community Shavei Darom, 'Returning
Speaking to one of the men there this morning, I asked about permanent
housing. He pointed in the direction of a big empty area, and said, 'there.'
"Has anything started, any building?" He shook his head no. "When?" He just
shrugged his shoulders.
I get very emotional at Gush Katif – Kfar Darom events. They bring back
many many memories. I walked into the small synagogue and immediately noticed
the plaque on the wall. I remembered it from the Kfar Darom synagogue. A
memorial sign, for those people from the community, killed there by
On another wall, letters spelling out 'Kfar Darom, M'az u'le'tamid' –'
Kfar Darom, from then and forever.' Including, of course, photos of the
community sites and people.
The baby's brit didn't take too much time. A great grandfather held the
infant, who was named Tzvi. Afterwards, we participated in the festive meal,
before heading back to Hebron.
Before the meal I asked Tamar's mother who the baby was named for and she
didn't know. I mentioned, 'well, Eretz Yisrael is compared to a Tzvi – a deer, I
wouldn't be surprised if that's what's behind the name. That would be fitting of
Tamar. Later, when Oneg spoke, he did say that one of the reasons for the name
was the idea I'd spoken of.
Actually, as much as I enjoyed seeing my friends, the Sudris, and
participating in the celebration, my real focus was on Tamar. I'd known her
since she was a little girl and had witnessed her evolvement through the most
horrible events that can be imagined. Rocket attacks, terror attacks,
culminating in expulsion.
I've seen her every once in a while, but this was special, seeing her
with her husband and two small children. She glowed, radiating joy.
How? How does one reach such bliss with so many scars?
The answer, I think, is not difficult to fathom. We are in the midst of
the Passover holiday, celebrating the exodus from Egypt. Jews had been enslaved
for hundreds of years, had almost entirely lost their Jewish identity, having
assimilated into the Egyptian culture. Yet they never gave up hope of
redemption, and the Divine hand of G-d did redeem them, removing them from
foreign bondage with miracles galore.
That is, in brief, the history of the Jewish people, time and time again.
Could anyone have imagined that three years after a holocaust, the Jewish people
would be able to found a State and victoriously fight a war of
That flow of optimism, being able to see the light, even in the darkest
of rooms, keeps us going; that's what, I believe, keeps Tamar going. We all
blessed the family that their next simcha – celebration, should take place back
in Kfar Darom, including Tzvi's Bar Mitzva and wedding.
And it will happen. We will go back to Kfar Darom, and Netzarim, and Neve
Dekalim and all the other communities destroyed, they will be rebuilt and
repopulated, they will grow and thrive, it will happen. Just as we were redeemed
from Egypt – will will go back home to Kfar Darom.
Seeing Tamar, with her husband Oneg and their two small children – this
is the eternal flame, this is the result of what happened some 3,300 years ago,
that we still celebrate today.
This is what made this year's Passover special for me.
All photos: David Wilder


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[Hook: Red Cafe] + (Fabolous)
The real niggas say, "I'm unfuckwitable"
(Twenty-four seven, three sixty five
How the game dead when I'm still alive?)
[Verse 1: Red Cafe]
Hold up -- I'm hotter than a fugitive
America's most wanted, that swag lucrative
Unfuckwitable, slanging that mineral
Talking that g talk, living like a general
Ten bottles in the club sound like the minimal
My niggas them killas for real, I'm talking federal
It's fuck you, it's fuck you -- never no subliminal
Stacking ones every day, active criminal
Me and twenty million cash look identical
If you broke and you in the streets, you suckers pitiful
Hoes say they love a nigga after they fuck a nigga
But I ain't looking for love, that's for sucker niggas
Let him be your man, I'll gladly be the other nigga
Cuddle with dog all winter, I'm your summer nigga
Hustle from sunup, hustle til the sun down
Bullshit aside, I'm the realest killer in town
Most the niggas in the streets, they know how I get down
Bad bitch riding shotty when the top let down
Look, as a young boy I used to have hoop dreams
Now I'm like Shaq, I still got hoop dreams
[Verse 2: Fabolous]
I ain't feeling niggas, I ain't that sentimental
I got no words for 'em, let's just keep it instrumental
I put it down where I stay, word to incidentals
And guess who opened the door you niggas entered in through?
Y'all would never measure up using my ruler
You're more soft than a second-year high schooler
My nigga Hov told me finish my breakfast
And now I'm looking at you niggas like breakfast
French toast, turkey bacon
Shit's in bad shape, too many squares circulating
Money talks and y'all voices are unheard
When they ask about us, one word
Unfuckwitable, we be in the town too
That's why them boys call us the not-fucking-around crew
Brooklyn keep on taking it, known to get our Deebo on
When you touch down, bow down -- get your Tebow on
You won't say it in the street, don't say it in your tweets
You won't say it when we meet, don't say it on them beats
Real nigga shit -- RNS
Last night was a movie, starring us


text:
We began quarantine dorms for new inmates for 14 days where we could hold individuals and screen them daily for signs of the virus before eventually being placed into general population. At the same time we knew that we needed to provide protection in the form of masks for them to avoid spread to others they may have incidental contact with. Our food service provider, Aramark, assisted in making CDC recommended cloth masks out of brand new sheets that would provide a better thread count for the best filtration we could get our inmates at the time. These were required to be worn by all new intakes as well as inmate workers.
Show All Answers
On February 28, 2020, an incident action plan was put in place within the jail outlining goals to keep everyone safe and obtain supplies needed. Modified jail operations went into effect on March 16, 2020.
To try and minimize the spread of COVID-19 and prevent it from entering the jail as long as possible,
The Sheriff's Office is working closely with the St. Lucie County Department of Public Health and Wexford Medical to conduct strategic COVID-19 testing. We anticipate positive cases to continue to occur in the days and weeks ahead, as has transpired already throughout Florida and the United States.
Inmates are currently receiving two cold meals (breakfast and dinner) and one hot meal (lunch) each day.We have closed the kitchen to inmate workers. Food will be prepared exclusively by Aramark staff. Using only Aramark staff places a burden as it is a much smaller workforce to feed over 3,300 meals per day. This has resulted in some changes to the normal food menu; these changes were approved by Aramark's licensed dietician. Please keep in mind, these are temporary measures to best protect inmates and staff alike. These changes in staffing and workforce will also affect canteen service. We will resume normal operations as soon as it is practical and safe to do so.


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• lollygag •
Pronunciation: lah-li-gæg • Hear it!
Part of Speech: Verb, intransitive
Meaning: (Humorous slang) 1. To dawdle, to mess around, to delay someone or something by moving slowly. 2. To mess around, to pet or neck in secret, away from prying eyes.
Notes: Remember to double up on the Gs when you add a suffix to this silly word: lollygagged, lollygagging, lollygagger. Lollygagging serves as both an adjective and process noun, so you can speak freely of someone's lollygagging or their lollygagging ways.
In Play: You wouldn't want to use such a substandard slang word like lollygag in a job application, but it is a funny word to use when you want to hurry someone up without offending them: "Griselda, stop lollygagging and let's go. You can put your nails on when we get back!" This lets Griselda know that you are still in a good mood. Be careful not to confuse the second sense of this word with the first, though: "Griselda, I heard that you and Les Canoodle were lollygagging in the back of his car last Saturday night." In Britain, where lolly is loot from a crime and gagging is choking, this quaint Americanism might evoke less amusement.
Word History: This word is compounded from loll "to lie about, relax" + gag "to trick, fool". Loll is still used in phrases such as loll about "to do nothing, take it easy." The verb to gag, however, isn't used today in the sense of "to fool", but the noun gag is still lolling around with the meaning "a joke or trick". The original compound seems to have implied a delay amounting to tomfoolery. A bit of that meaning lingers in the canoodling sense of lollygag today.
P.S. - Register for the Daily Good Word E-Mail! - You can get our daily Good Word sent directly to you via e-mail in either HTML or Text format. Go to our Registration Page to sign up today!


text:
We were invited by The Former First Lady of California, Maria Shriver to the Montage Hotel in B.H. for a Benefit for Best Buddies. This programs' mission is to foster friendships and workplace opportunities for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Among the celebrated guests were Mayor Villaraigosa, Maria & her gorgeous brood (Patrick, Christopher, Christina & Katherine) & many of their young friends); and Liz Loren Romanov, the Honorary Czarina of Palm Springs Cosmetic Company — Danne Montague-King (DMK), which is one of the largest donors of the Harvey Milk Foundation, and was just awarded the Outstanding Leadership of Human Rights Award.
The always-gracious Maria spoke about the Best Buddies Challenge to HearstCastle on September 7th, to raise awareness for this organization founded by her brother Anthony Shriver, in memory of Eunice Kennedy Shriver and Sargent Shriver. The organization has raised almost $400 thousand in 2012, with 120 riders, and you are invited to join the participants. Some of their noted supporters include Teri Hatcher, Nancy O'Dell (Entertainment Tonight) and Governor Gavin Newsom.
If you want to participate in this fabulous event, or for further info please check their website: My Best Buddies Challenge.org
Important Notice: Canasta Players are invited (beginners or experienced) to the Santa Monica Bay Woman's Club, to join them for "complimentary" coffee and dessert. They play and teach Canasta every Monday at noon, at their beautiful clubhouse at 4th and Wilshire, and everyone is welcome. For further info, please call Addie at 310-453-2919.
Hope to see you there — it is lots of fun!
Everyone knows how much I love The Great Gatsby! Dr. David and Deborah Alessi cordially invites everyone to A Gatsby Affair, September 28th, to benefit Face Forward, a non-profit organization who supports survivors of domestic violence. They are honoring Dr. Phil and Robin McGraw; and Jake Kloberdanz will receive their community philanthropic award.
There will be special performances by Grammy Winner Macy Gray; and Stacy Francis, highly acclaimed singer, actress and X-Factor finalist.
The event will be held at the glamorous Fairmount Miramar Hotel in Santa Monica, and dress attire will be 1920's inspired, or black tie. Torrey Pines Bank and Turkish Airlines sponsor the event, and among their Honorary Committee are Bonnie Somerville, Jennifer Coolidge and Tom Arnold — so you know there will be lots of celebs in attendance. A wonderful way to have a fabulous evening, and support a cause that is important to us all.


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Kid N' Play (Christopher Reid and Christopher Martin) star in this role-reversal comedy that plays like a badly done sitcom without the laughs. The switcheroo occurs when two inner-city high school students — one a straight-A whiz-kid and the other an angry criminal type — have to switch identities and are forced to live each other's lives. Christopher Reid is Duncan Pinderhughes, a student with perfect grades but who can't graduate high school unless he passes gym. Christopher Martin plays Blade Brown, whose probation officer gives him an ultimatum — graduate high school or go to jail. Due to a mix-up in their high school records, Pinderhughes and Brown are forced to take over each other's lives. Brown ends up in a class for gifted students, and Pinderhughes finds himself skulking behind the school building to a shotgun shack that houses all the high school's troublemakers.
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text:
Second International Coptic Conference - Washington, DC
November 16-19, 2005
More than 220 thinkers, politicians, secularists and non-secularists, and Muslims from Egypt, Syria, Lebanon, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Sudan, Iraq, Tunisia, Bahrain, Libya, Europe, the United States, and Australia, convened to study and discuss the status of the minorities in the Middle East and Islamic countries.
It became evident from the discussions, work papers, reports, witness statements, participating Egyptian and international fact finding missions, and the international human rights organizations, that the state of the Copts in Egypt continued to deteriorate after the first Coptic Conference held in Zurich in September 2004. This deterioration indicates that it is the intent and the will of the Egyptian government to persecute the Copts, the determination to strengthen the hold of the Wahabi Muslim religious hysteria and extremism, and their exportation to the rest of the world. This policy hurts the Muslims as well as the Copts of Egypt, drags the country back 1400 years in history, and makes Egypt a center for extremism in the Arab and Muslim worlds.
It is worth mentioning that grave incidents continued to take place after the Zurich Conference., Most salient among theses are the Marg church land usurpation by Muslim mobs, the Abou Zaabal cemetery destruction, the October 2005 Alexandria Moharram Bey riots against the Copts, and the inclusion of two Copts only out of 444 on the ruling National Democratic Party list of candidates for the national legislative elections.
The conferees ask for the prompt adoption, through the United Nations and its different organizations, of practical steps and legal actions to implement and realize both the previously adopted Zurich Conference resolutions, and the Washington conference resolutions listed below, this will secure and guarantee the legal protection of the Copts according to the provisions of the international laws and the international treaties of human rights of which Egypt is a signatory, before Egyptian faces another Darfour.
The conferees also repudiate the endless stream of falsities and lies emanating from the Arab and Egyptian government controlled media claiming that the Copts are calling for foreign military intervention on their behalf, and demand self-rule within Egypt. Such claims have no foundations in reality whatsoever. The Copts realize that such actions are not in the best interests of Egypt and the Egyptians. They envision a united democratic Egypt, where all the Egyptians, Muslims and Copts alike, are all treated as equals, without any compromise of this essential principle.
Adly A. Youssef (Chairman), Saad Eddin Ibrahim (Co-Chairman)
The Second International Coptic Conference held in Washington therefore adopts the following resolutions:
1. The abrogation of all the laws and administrative regulations stifling freedom, and interfering with human rights. Foremost among these, the state of emergency laws that have been in effect and are ruling the country for close to a quarter of a century, and all the negative legal effects that follow these emergency laws.
2. The unrestricted freedom to establish non-religious political parties and civil associations, and the abrogation of all the laws restricting this freedom.
3. The freedom to issue newspapers and establish visual and audible public information media, and abolishing any restrictions imposed to stifle such freedom.
4. The prompt adoption of a unified law governing construction of the houses of worship and the support of these establishments, to emphasize the principle of the total equality of all the Egyptians. The conferees also demand that aggressions against houses of worship should be met with more intense retributions.
5. The criminalization of inciting hatred against, or insulting, religious beliefs, intensifying the punishment in cases of using official or government owned media to commit such crimes, and punishment of the officials responsible for these instruments, and other instruments of government oppression for such actions.
6. The establishment of departments for Coptic studies in the Egyptian universities since such studies are essential component of the national culture.
7. The adoption of corrective transitional policies to address the current marginalization of the women, the Copts, and the other minorities, through the application of the principle of positive discrimination. Appropriate percentage should be guided by a reasonable look at the ratios of minorities, populations. These policies should apply to the national legislative seats as well as the local city council representations, and the leading government positions.
Adly A. Youssef (Chairman), Saad Eddin Ibrahim (Co-Chairman)


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Part 12: You Asked. They Answered. TIME's AP moms take your questions.
12. How does your partner participate in attachment parenting your child(ren)?
Jessica ____________________
What started us off with a great foundation was that my husband was able to use all his vacation and sick days at once when our daughter was born. He was home with us for the first month of her life. This was an unbelievable help and not one we expected to have. He'd planned to take two weeks off, but O (our daughter) came a bit early and his schedule was already cleared, so it worked out. This set us both up to be caregiver to O. Feeding was my job. Nurturing me was his job. But so was cuddling, bouncing, diaper changing, and nighttime snuggles with our daughter. It gave us confidence that we could both respond to her needs. And seemed to give our daughter confidence to be soothed by both of us.
We talk about what we're doing, what's not working, and how we can respond to her needs and each others. We're not perfect and we have our ugly moments, but we are learning. That's the most important thing for me to remember – we are all learning. Not just our daughter, but we are too. We're learning how to respect one another; how to talk to one another in kindness even we don't feel very kind.
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Jamie ____________________
My husband is just as close to our boys as I am. He participates in every part of parenting aside from breastfeeding, but he made up for that with a lot of cuddling. I did/do the breastfeeding and he does the roughhousing. Otherwise, our parenting styles are identical.
Some examples:
- Cooking with the kids
- Devotionals
- Taking the kids to the park/museums/aquariums etc.
- Play games
- When he is home from work he will participate as a teacher during homeschooling
- Bathing
- Dressing
- Cuddling
- Feeding
- Taking the kids to martial arts class
- Bedtime Stories
- Just loving them and being present
Above barely scrapes the surface of how my husband is an equal and happy participant in attachment parenting.
Melinda ____________________
My partner is my rock and my #1 support. I can't do what I do without him. Our parenting style has really made us stronger as a couple and as parents.
Dionna ____________________
My husband is a wonderful partner. His role has changed through the years depending on my needs and the needs of our children. He's done everything from all of the nighttime diaper changes, to doing the bulk of the housework when I feel overwhelmed and cannot help, to bouncing babies to sleep, to helping the preschooler navigate a changing world.
My partner is as much of an attachment parent as I am, it just looks a little different.
<<<< Previous | Continue to Part 13 >>>>


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My hair was equally curly all around until I became older (52″>. The back of my hair is OK, but the sides and front part of my hair no longer curl up like they used to. I color my hair blonde (single process"> and I do not do anything to my hair (other than the coloring"> to damage it. I even let it dry naturally.
I think the hair in the front and sides are pretty much white (gray"> at this point and that part of my hair does not curl up like it used to. If the weather is dry, the front of my hair is what I would consider wavy (instead of curly"> and dry looking. There are so many products out there, I have no idea what to use.
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Obsolete phrase: "independence of mind"
By Jon Rappoport [Full original column here.]
Like a car with high fins and long protruding tail lights, the phrase "independence of mind" has gone out of style, especially at colleges and universities where it ought to be the most profound ideal. The thugs have taken over.
As recently as 2008, a professor of Jurisprudence at King's College London, Timothy Macklem, described the phrase in this fashion:
"Independence of Mind [explores] the ways in which the fundamental freedoms help us to achieve something even more profound, by enabling us to arrive at beliefs, convictions and voices of our own, so that we truly come to think, believe, and speak for ourselves in the rich and various ways that the freedoms then protect. Privacy grants us the distance and refuge from others necessary to develop views of our own; freedom of speech calls on us to imagine ways of expressing ourselves that are both true to the views we have developed and innovative in their own right; freedom of conscience enables each of us to create a distinctive rational personality in which to embed the convictions that we wish to treat as non-negotiable…"
If the professor taught at one of many American "liberal colleges" today, a mere nine years after he wrote that description, he would be pilloried and subjected to prolonged attacks from students and even other faculty.
That's the pace of change these days.
I started NoMoreFakeNews.com in 2001. Independence of mind was a given for me. As the years passed, I saw the need for promoting it and defending it. I still do. More than ever.
What drives the human spirit isn't sameness from individual to individual. It's difference. It's uniqueness. The people who know that and embody it are the lights that burn and keep burning. They're inextinguishable.
The betrayal of independence of mind is fantastical in the culture. It raises a stink to the heavens. It oozes fanaticism.
Many of the little academic intellects who support that betrayal and play its tunes are Marxists in disguise, who seek revenge on humanity for their own failures and shortcomings, by putting populations under the totalitarian gun of political correctness. This is "progressivism."
Without knowing it, I grew up on the legacy of Emerson and Thoreau and Walt Whitman. These giants of literature and philosophy had breathed the air of independence and knew what it meant in their blood and brains and souls and minds. They heralded an age that came and then went, buried in a growing landfill of collectivism.
The myth that the onrushing political Left was composed of millions of awake and aware individuals was eventually exposed as a gigantic lie.
There is a choice: the glory of the individual or the glory of the mob?
Whoever takes his own independent ideas and prizes them has something the mob can never fathom.
What does censorship mean to a person who has nothing that could be censored? Why would he be concerned about shutting up other people, since he has nothing of his own to express that might be censored?
What does "having an idea" mean to a person who has never considered making a distinction between what he thinks and what others, to whom he attaches himself, think?
In the description of independence of mind I quoted above, what would the following phrase mean to a person who is always surrounded with allies who mimic each other's thoughts: "Privacy grants us the distance and refuge from others necessary to develop views of our own."
Privacy? What is that? What is it for? Who needs it? Why would anyone seek it?
Therefore, what harm could come from spying on others?
Who stands up for something on his own when he has nothing to stand up for on his own?
In the delirium of the collective, it is always overcast and dim, and the occasional joys come from acts of destruction against the vague "other."
The first sacrifice by the true believer is the sacrifice of self. From that, everything else follows with dead certainty.
No matter what the state of the culture, independence of mind is a virtue of the highest order.
It is there for anyone who wants to achieve it.
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Last updated: July 15, 2013
Bioluminescent comb jellies begin to shed light on the evolution of vision
Bioluminescent comb jellies begin to shed light on the evolution of vision
By Jeannine Mjoseth
Deputy Chief, Communications and Public Liaison Branch
Comb jellies, also known as ctenophores, evolved more than 500 million years ago. They're among the earliest metazoans, a group comprised of all multicellular animals. At a maximum length of five inches, they have the distinction of being the largest animals to use cilia for locomotion. Ctenophores are found in all oceans of the world and have recently invaded the Black, Caspian and Baltic Seas, where they are considered pests because they consume fish larvae. The subject of this study was a comb jelly called Mnemiopsis leidyi that lives off the eastern seaboard, from Maine to Florida.
The study was performed by Dr. Andy Baxevanis and his group in the Genome Technology Branch of the National Human Genome Research Institute (NHGRI). They based their findings on the whole genome of Mnemiopsis leidyi, which the group recently sequenced, assembled and annotated. Dr. Baxevanis and his group will soon publish a study analyzing the organism's genome, the first bioluminescent animal and the first ctenophore species for which there is a whole genome sequence.
"Comb jellies are quite beautiful," said Christine E. Schnitzler, Ph.D., the paper's first author and a postdoctoral fellow in Dr. Baxevanis' group. "When light reflects off their cilia, it creates a rainbow of colors. But that's not the same as bioluminescence, which you can only see in the dark."
Comb jellies' ability to generate light comes from genes that produce photoproteins. Two types of chemicals involved in light production, called luciferin and luciferase, are bound together in a photoprotein. This molecule can be triggered to produce light when calcium is added to the system. Photoproteins emit flashes of very bright light for a fraction of a second. In the animal, this can translate to an impressive display of lights that run up and down the animal.
While the researchers expected to find photoproteins in comb jellies, they didn't expect to find 10 different photoproteins that were clustered into two groups in the genome. The researchers think that having multiple photoprotein genes allows the animal to produce larger amounts of photoprotein and emit more light quickly.
"These protoproteins were tandemly arrayed, meaning that they were arranged one after another," Dr. Schnitzler said. "This is fascinating for an evolutionary biologist because it means that these photoproteins somehow evolved as a group."
Researchers found that light-emitting photoproteins were located in the same cells as opsin genes, the most primitive type of light detector in animals. All animals use opsins to catch photons of light, and finding a functional opsin in a ctenophore indicates that they have been preserved throughout animal evolution.
The co-localization of the opsin genes and the photoproteins may confer an advantage to the animal: it might be a feedback mechanism that allows the comb jelly to maintain the right amount of bioluminescence or it may enhance reproductive or defensive capabilities, Dr. Schnitzler suggested.
Opsins are also located near the apical sensory organ, which is opposite the mouth. An apical sensory organ contains large sensory cilia that help it maintain proper vertical orientation or change swimming direction.
Dr. Baxevanis sees a broader context for using comparative genomic approaches focused on the early animals such as comb jellies.
"This study provides a good example of what we can learn from a non-traditional model organism," Dr. Baxevanis said. "To get a handle on the evolution of vision, we first need to understand the evolution of protein families like the photoproteins and the opsins. These organisms may also help us figure out at what point in time a particular disease-associated gene emerged."


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What Does 'Family Friendly' Mean?
It was encouraging, almost a decade ago, when it was announced that some corporate advertisers had banded together to offer their corporate support for television shows that were more friendly to viewing by entire families. The group was called the Family Friendly Programming Forum, and over the years its presence certainly has helped bring some safer programming to television.
But in the world of the networks, where sleaze, sex, blood, and shock are the rule, the definition of "family-friendly" can easily be watered down – and has been. One TV critic announced the FFPF's annual awards show on the CW network in a logical way: "With all the innuendo and violence in prime-time shows, it's amazing they can even field a group of nominees for the annual Family Television Awards."
Forget the trouble with fielding nominees. Ask yourself: what about the winners? The FFPF's top award-winning "family-friendly" shows were NBC's "Heroes" for best drama and ABC's "Ugly Betty" for best comedy.
Just how "family-friendly" are these shows?
"Heroes," an action comic-book that came to life, presented a compelling first season around the concept that everyday people who discovered they had super powers were suddenly threatened with an evil conspiracy to eliminate their gifted kind. It isn't as "corny" as a classic comic book. While its good and evil characters are assembled to root for and against, some heroes are "complex," that Hollywood euphemism for bizarre. Take, for example, the schizophrenic mother whose "super" alter ego is only heroic in that she will kill anyone who endangers her child.
"Heroes" is also a show with plenty of dark themes and violence. Its primary villain, named Sylar, has a nasty habit of slicing the tops of heads off of his victims. As the season drew to a close, another villain succumbed when a mortally wounded hero put a fist-sized hole in his skull. The whole season was predicated on one of the central heroes fearing that he would cause the mass murder of
But "Ugly Betty" was an even less acceptable choice, because it was presented to FFPF and ABC before it ever aired as a "family-friendly" alternative. The title character is Betty Suarez, a sympathetic Mexican-American secretary at a fashion magazine cursed with ugly glasses, braces, and zero fashion sense. After the loss of her mother, Betty is clearly the glue that holds her family together: her father, her adult sister, and a nephew. She also helps keep her fashion-magazine boss, a natural playboy, on a straighter and narrower path. She's a nerdy heroine in a morally upside-down world.
But anyone watching this show's first season could see that the "family-friendly" tag just doesn't apply anywhere near this. The Parents Television Council's analysts counted 205 instances of sexual content and 154 examples of foul language in just the first season. They also found catty references to oral sex, genital size, pornography, strippers, anal sex, threesomes, kinky and fetishistic behavior, transsexuals, statutory rape, sadism and masochism.
With this show set in the fashion industry, the show is heavy on sexual scenes and sex talk, straight and gay. "Ugly Betty" has several gay characters, and a transgendered former man (improbably played by former supermodel Rebecca Romijn). Even Betty's teenaged nephew Justin is effeminate and loves the fashion industry. They've never openly addressed whether he is gay, but the show's creator Silvio Horta is gay and said the Justin character will experience "the journey" as he matures on the show. "I see myself in him," Horta says. The actor playing Justin is twelve, but Horta loves the way he is "able to play up the flamboyance."
The writers love to throw gay and lesbian references in everywhere. In a recent show, guest star Betty White, playing herself, declared that she adored her fans, "Except for the few sickos who write lesbian fan fiction about me and Bea Arthur."
This is "family-friendly"? When a show can win both a Family Television Award and a Media Award from the Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation, as "Ugly Betty" has, you know there's something wrong. With a pile of plots advancing the gay agenda, a GLAAD Award is appropriate. A "family-friendly" award is insulting.
What does the FFPF think the word "family-friendly" means? It shouldn't just mean a show with sympathetic leading characters. It should mean what it plainly says – that you can put your grade-school children in front of it without wincing at bloody murders or needing a dictionary of sexual slang. These choices make you wonder if that TV critic is right. Is network TV so far gone that these shows are the ones that most deserve awards for wholesomeness?
L. Brent Bozell III is the President of the Media Research Center


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