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I had the best time at the Teen Book Festival in Rochester last weekend. (I got to meet long-time blog reader Ashley and got to see Jordan again--yay!). More highlights: Driving to the Festival in a '56 Oldsmobile:
A portion of the amazing crowd!
Jenny Han and I did a talk together, and we played Kiss, Marry, Kill, with book characters. Total fun. We also talked about other stuff, like writing and our books and all that, but KMK was my favorite part.
Later, we crashed a prom. You think I'm kidding, but I'm not.
You guys really should go if you can--authors and readers and all. Totally great.
Happy Friday!


text: This large, sun-drenched room with ceiling fan is attached to the main house, but has a private entrance. It offers a small work area, one queen bed, and a daybed that can convert into two twin beds. It adjoins the "Heart of the House Room" to create a double suite, when booking both rooms. The coved ceilings and brick floors create a warm, welcoming room. French doors open onto a private, ground-level patio surrounded by a charming butterfly and hummingbird garden.

subset: commoncrawl


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Facebook Contests for Nonprofits: Should You Use a Third-Party App?/
This is a guest post from Sandra Morris of CafeGive, a leader in creating and executing Facebook contests for nonprofits and businesses. After Facebook recently changed its rules on contests, I asked Sandra what the changes meant and if organizations should continue to use third-party applications for contests.
Understanding the New Terms for Facebook Contests
First, let's look at the major change Facebook made:
Administrators can now create promotions without being required to use third-party applications.
Facebook used to require a third party application to administer any contest, and expressly stated that you could not use its platform—meaning the newsfeed—to collect entries or to notify winners.
Several other requirements in the old policy have remained the same, however. Contest administrators still have to ensure that the contest operation is lawful, and include at minimum the following:
- Official rules
- Offer terms and eligibility requirements
- A complete release of Facebook by each entrant or participant
- An acknowledgement that the promotion is in no way sponsored, endorsed or administered by, or associated with, Facebook
There are a few other, minor items beyond those points that you will need to know to keep your contest compliant. You can see all the new terms here.
Creating contests with third-party applications has become fairly common practice on Facebook. You can easily create and administer a third-party contest without any technical know-how, thanks to platform companies like ours, CafeGive Social.
With a limited set of graphics (a banner or two), your brand and messages, you can quickly get a contest page up and running. The most time-consuming part today for our customers is in creating the terms and conditions, making sure you have a covered the regulations, and ensuring your content's compliant with the requirements Facebook has kept in place.
Third-party resources like CafeGive's include a space to post this information, which is then linked to the contest so that it meets requirements.
Should You Still Use a Third-Party App?
We believe the best reason to use a third-party application is to produce a homepage for your contest. Third-party providers have created methods to visually brand your contest and link to all the required terms and conditions. But, more importantly, that homepage can also be the place you send people to learn about you, the contest and how to engage with your brand.
With a third-party app, you can:
- Require a Like to enter the contest
- Ask entrants for an email address
- Reward entrants for promoting the contest
- Collect and powerfully display content from consumers like photos, video or text from entrants
- Host a contest on multiple Facebook pages—yours, your business sponsors', others
- Host a contest on your website and your Facebook page simultaneously
- Use the unique URL of your contest in email promotions, text promotions and other social media posts to drive traffic (76% of contest entries online come still come from email, and a Facebook post cannot be sent as a URL)
- Gain access to a variety of metrics including visits and conversions
Things to Consider if You Don't Use a Third-Party App
No doubt, it's much easier to run with Facebook's new rules and simply create a post to launch a contest to your fans rather than to create a homepage for your contest. But consider the following:
- How many fans see a typical post?
- How often will you repost?
- Will you pay to promote the post to get maximum exposure?
- How will you notify the winner?
- How will you make sure you have met all the regulations around contests on Facebook and in your locality?
If you have more questions about the changes to Facebook contests, or how a contest could support your marketing goals, you can contact Sandra and the CafeGive team here.
Related Pinterest Board: #FWB40 - Facebook Contest Fundraiser


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The Professor Returns
Next week, I will post the recording of McCain's presumptive, symphonic theme, composed by yours truly. The McCain campaign rejected my original title, "Libertarians Unite!," in favor of the more preemptive title, "A Symphonic Ode to the United States: We Shall Never Surrender."
In other news, I was not at the Hotel Cadillac during today's two-alarm fire, but I believe I know who was responsible. There's only one person who would run his air-conditioning unit during such inclimate weather. My colleague, Professor Tipsy Wonkersen -- most famous for his electronic composition that plays constantly near the Rochester waterfall -- sacrificed his life in order to keep his Casiophonic Water Organs in an always-frigid environment. May he rest in peace.


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Historic Trails
The Wild Horse will travel across the Hastings Cutoff, a historic portion of the California Trail and the route used by the Donner-Reed party in 1846. Hasting Cutoff, pitched as a viable shorter route, led to the demise of many people in the Donner-Reed group. This segment is a part of the National Historic Trails route stretching from Independence, Missouri, to California and Oregon. For more information about life on the trails and preservation of historic corridors, check out OCTA, the Oregon-California Trails Association, or the BLM Historic Trails website.
Cresting the Hastings Cutoff Pass in the Cedars, one looks west out on the vast open ground stretching for an unfathomable distance. Awe and respect for the determination of the pioneers comes easily on this historic trail.


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A versatile artist, Christopher Cart has painted murals, countless watercolors and oils, portraits in both oils and watercolors and has illustrated many books and periodicals. His professional career encompasses virtually every aspect of the visual fine arts.
Chris Cart draws his inspiration from "the things I care about-real people enjoying themselves, doing the things they like to do." The paintings featured at Harbor Square are filled with the movement of dance, an activity Cart and his life partner, Jen (also a painter) enjoy.The sensuousness of the human body moving to music, the play of color and light on dancing figures create a scene that Cart describes as "partway between reality and the way it ought to be." Dance also features prominently in one of Cart's community projects, a huge 40-foot outdoor mural in Brunswick that was unveiled early in 2008. The mural, celebrating the music and dance of Brunswick and its sister city in Cuba, features 22 almost-life-sized figures of dancers and musicians bridging New England contra dance and Cuban salsa traditions. Another major project he is currently working on, is a 40 by 6 foot painting for the new Kennebec County Courthouse being built in Maine's capital at Augusta. It is a rendition of the maritime history of the Kennebec River.
Cart, who lives in Hallowell and was born in Farmington, has known since childhood that he wanted to be an artist. He studied art at Coker College in South Carolina and at the University of Washington, Seattle. While a student, he found himself drawn to art history, where he studied the techniques of a wide variety of painters. "I learned more in the art history classes than in the studio classes," he says. Some of his inspirations include Andrew Wyeth, who Cart describes as "the launching pad" for his painting skills. "He was a living artist who had skills that I could aspire to," Cart says. Other artists whose work has informed and inspired Cart's painting include Thomas Hart Benton, Degas, Rubens, and Rembrandt.
Read an interesting step-by-step account of Chris' artistic process for the composition of his painting 'Summer Entourage' here:
[nggallery id=17]


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Franciscan Sisters of Saint Joseph - Hamburg New York
FSSJ History
The Legacy of the FSSJ
Mission and Ministry
Parish Ministries
Health Care
Peace & Justice
Associate Program
Current FSSJ News
Prayer Requests
Contact Us
The Legacy of the Franciscan Sisters of St. Joseph
Agnes Victoria Hilbert, Foundress, 1865-1938
Agnes Victoria Hilbert, was educated in a private academy in Cieszyn, the territory of Austrian Poland, by the Sisters of Charity of St. Charles Borromeo. Agnes was received into the Charity Sisters Congregation in 1883 and given the name of Sister Mary Colette. The seed of her missionary vocation was realized not to minister to the Church in Africa, but across the Atlantic Ocean to the Church of the United States.
Birth of a New Congregation
In 1889, Sister Colette and four Sisters of St. Charles Borromeo were sent to educate the children of St. Stanislaus Parish in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Eight years later, Sister Colette was transferred to Trenton, New Jersey and was asked to end her affiliation with her Congregation in Europe and establish a new Congregation of Sisters in the United States. With the assistance of the Order of Friars Minor Conventual, Pope Leo XIII had granted Sister Colette permission to establish a new Congregation of Sisters with the mission of service to Gods people through education and charitable works.
Franciscan Sisters of St. Joseph
On September 8, 1897, Sister Colette and four American novices adopted the Rule of the Third Order Regular of St. Francis as their way of life in Gods service. In 1928, after having been granted permission and a blessing for the new venture by Pope Leo XIII, Sister Colette became the first General Minister of the newly-established Congregation of the Franciscan Sisters of St. Joseph (FSSJ). Because of the Congregations growth in the number of women applying to this new way of life, the Sisters moved from Buffalo, New York to the convent in Hamburg, New York.
Finalities with Expressions of Love
Because of Mother Colettes new appointment, she wrote to the Charity Sisters of St. Charles Borromeo, asking for their blessing and expressing her gratitude to her former Congregation. A letter arrived from the Charity Sisters with good wishes, blessings, and success, and loving regards from all of us. The postscript is recorded as If ever, dear Sister, you should be in need, our doors and our hearts are always open to receive you because we love you.
New Beginning
After their acceptance into the FSSJ Congregation, the five Sister pioneers settled in Trenton, New Jersey but not for long. Pope Leo XIII granted the necessary permission to the Bishop of Buffalo, New York to establish a convent for the new community of Franciscan Sisters. Because of her leadership qualities, Sister Colette was recognized as the Foundress of the new Congregation, was lovingly called Mother Colette, and became the principal of Corpus Christi School.
In All Things Charity
Mother Colettes rich educational background and teaching experience on two continents contributed to an enriched curriculum. It was not only the curriculum and her leadership qualities that formed her pupils, but also her compassion for the needy among the students. Mother Colettes philosophy of life can be summed up in four words: In All Things Charity.
Mother Colette, who is buried in St. Stanislaus Cemetery in Cheektowaga, New York, is remembered and honored each year on July 13, the anniversary of her death in 1938. To date, 11 General Ministers have followed the Foundress in servant leadership.
Service to Gods People
Through the many years, as young women were entering the Congregation, the Sisters opened and staffed countless schools and served in various educational positions in Alabama, Connecticut, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin. FSSJs Immaculata Academy, a high school for girls, and Hilbert College, named after Mother Colette Hilbert, were built on the convent grounds. Sisters also ministered in health care in Michigan, New York, Wisconsin, Vietnam, and Brazil.
Ministries to Continue the Mission
Although the FSSJ continue in their ministries of teaching, health care, and pastoral ministry, countless times the Sisters are challenged by the evolving needs of the Church to translate the Gospel into effective action. So, they answer the call by assuming new ministerial responsibilities. Sisters continue their involvement in peace and justice issues, outreach to the poor, and serve on Boards of Trustees of various organizations. They also volunteer their services in areas of need. The source of spiritual strength not only for the Congregation but also for the people of God comes from the Sisters communal prayer life and the untiring prayers of the Sisters retired from active ministry and those residing in the health care community. Called by God, the Franciscan Sisters of St. Joseph serve the Church and continue the legacy of St. Francis of Assisi and their Foundress Mother Colette Hilbert.
Charism Statement of the Franciscan Sisters of St. Joseph
Called by God into the
raternity of Francis,
We live in
ervanthood and
Renewing the spirit of Mother Colette Hilbert
"In All Things - Charity"
Mother Colette Hilbert
Foundress of the Franciscan
Sisters of St. Joseph
-Since love of Christ must include love of neighbor, Franciscan spirituality embraces all persons in a universal brotherhood and sisterhood. Thus, we aspire to love and accept each other so that through this relational commitment we manifest Christ to the world.
-In singleness of heart, as children of the loving Creator, we place God first and trust in God's generosity and care for us.
-Mary, the servant of the Most High, was the closest of all human beings to the Savior--the greatest Servant of all. Like Mary, we are bearers of the Word of God; we live among God's people in order to witness to a Gospel way of life and to serve the needs of the Church and the world.
-Our source of joy is God who sent Jesus to redeem us and who calls us to share in God's unconditional love. As we follow Christ in the footsteps of Francis, joy is the sign of the Holy Spirit's presence in us.
Renewing the spirit of Mother Colette Hilbert, "In all things-Charity."-The message of the Gospel is one of love. Through our ongoing conversion and with compassionate hearts, we commit ourselves to a way of life that leads to a living transformation into Christ in personal and communal endeavors.
©2009 Franciscan Sisters of Saint Joseph
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Fado Curvo (Time Square Records, 2003). Release May 6, 2003.
Dressed in haute couture gowns and flaunting distinguishable coiffered hair, Portugal's newest fadista, Mariza
is dressed up with a place to go — upwards. Mariza's ascension into stardom began in 2001, shortly after the release of her debut, Fado em Mim. She became a musical darling to British as well as, world wide audiences, garnering a BBC Award of World Music for 2002. She has also made various on air appearances on BBC radio host Charlie Gillette's "Ping Pong" show.
Her latest release, Fado Curvo, referring to the curvy path of a fado (Portuguese laments often compared to flamenco or American blues), securely anchors Mariza's musical career along side the most revered fadistas including the late and esteemed Amelia Rodrigues, who also happens to be Mariza's de facto muse. The glamorous Mariza (think Grace Kelly) might seem like an overnight success to most onlookers, yet, the vocalist began singing fados at the ripe age of 5 and she was fully immersed in the fado tradition, often joining in improvised fados sung at her parents' restaurant in Mouraria,
one of Lisbon's traditional neighborhoods. Practice makes perfect and this becomes evident with the musical gems that sparkle on Fado Curvo. One listen to the crowning jewel, The Desert would ignite passion with the most detached listener. Written by pianist and producer Carlos Maria Trindade who also contributes his musical talent and augmented by Miguel Goncalves' soothing trumpet, The Desert (O Deserto) proves achingly beautiful. That's not to say that the other 11 tracks, also treasures, fall short of their mark because those tracks also demand to be heard. It's hard to believe that these tracks were laid down in three takes, yet, this reflects the virtuoso musicianship presented on Fado Curvo.
The opener The Silence of the Guitar (O Silencio da guitarra) features Mario Pacheo on Portuguese guitar (an instrument that traditionally appears in fados) and Antonio Neto on Portuguese viola and guitar as a backdrop for Mariza's vocal expressions. Monk Rider which sweats loneliness is given similar musical treatment. The CD creates a balance between flow laments and lively up tempo fados, including The Fair at Castro (Feira de Castro), Fado Curvo, (which also includes percussionist Quine) and Between the River and Reason (Entre o rio e a razao). The songs on the CD were created around Mariza's favorite contemporary and classic Portuguese poems while pianist-producer Carlos Maria Trindade composed the music for Fado Curvo and The Desert . And pianist Tiago Machado composed Portrait (Retrato), Caravels (Caravelas) and Curls of My Hair (Aneis Do Meu Cabela). Spring (Primavera) originally composed for Amelia Rodrigues shines forth here under Mariza's impassioned treatment.
As Mariza ascends into musical stardom, we can expect that fado will also regain its popularity while
complimenting other melancholy musical styles such as tango, flamenco (duende) and the blues. Yet, fados exist in a paradox that balances joy with pain which is evident on these Portuguese poems. For instance, the words to Fado Curvo speak of happiness and furies, "In the temple that only belongs to the fado the soul is like a garden where the flowers dance sideways in the endless wind. Will they stand poor little things the furies of nature? The passion is neither a straight line nor the fado is certitude." And much like the song's lyrics, Mariza's second CD release follow a curvy road that heads straight for the heart.
Buy Fado Curvo and her other CDs: Transparente and
Fado em Mim


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Accelerated Policy Institute- Invoice Payment
If another party will be sponsoring your Institute participation, fill out this form and an invoice will be sent to the email address you specify. Also, please consider sponsoring a full or partial enrollment to support other women who cannot cover the cost to participate. To make this donation, click on the item below to add it to your cart.


text: Clip: Call Your Girl Friend. Great comments on a not so feminist response May 22, 2015 You can't really debunk misogyny by reenforcing aspects of it. AKA beauty ideals.- @aminatou @callyrgf I really enjoy this show and look forward to listening every Friday. Check out this clip then go subscribe!


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|Rediff India Abroad Home | All the sections
Indian BPO exports cross $4.6 bn mark
BS Reporter in New Delhi | August 21, 2007 05:33 IST
India's (third party) business process outsourcing (BPO) exports reached $4.6 billion (Rs 20,890 crore) during 2006-07, registering a growth of 47 per cent says Dataquest's 20th annual survey of the Indian IT Industry.
This makes the BPO chunk over 55 per cent of the entire BPO-ITeS pie as estimated by Nasscom.
The survey also revealed its list of top 20 BPOs, which contributed nearly three-fourth of the total BPO exports, $3.57 billion (Rs 16,094 crore), and recording a growth of 59.4 per cent.
Genpact topped the list with a revenues of Rs 2,220 crore, Transworks Rs 1,510 crore, IBM Daksh Rs 1,260 crore, while TCS [Get Quote] BPO and Cambridge Solutions [Get Quote] followed with Rs 1,107 crore and Rs 1,000 crore, respectively.
Revealing the churn, WNS Global Services took the fifth place with Rs 990 crore followed by Convergys India Rs 890 crore, Firstsource Rs 809 crore and HCL [Get Quote] BPO Rs 746 crore.
The study also identifies that during the year top 20 BPO companies added 57,784 new employees to take the employee base to 216,967 people.
Identifying that third party exports from India have overtaken the captives' exports, Dataquest analyst and executive editor Shyamanuja Das said, "This change has happened because of two reasons. One, captives have not really grown much. And two, the revenues of large Indian third party providers such as Genpact, Transworks, and TCS include significant onshore components now, because of acquisitions."
The knowledge process outsourcing (KPO) sector also poses huge opportunities for the players with the companies such as Infosys [Get Quote] BPO, WNS Global Services and EXL Services entering the KPO space through organic as well as inorganic means.
Companies such as IBM Daksh, Aegis, MphasiS, Intelenet, HTMT Global, Sitel India are also increasing their domestic focus.
The survey also noted that the much-awaited leveraging of IT for BPO started happening in a major way. While the IT services firms have maintained that this is their competitive advantage on the ground Genpact and WNS, two BPO players, stole a march over others in offering platforms.
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September ESP
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Most of the time it's 3 years…there are exceptions….
The length of time you should keep a document depends on the action, expense, or event which the document records.
★★★★★ Shred Bull Shredding Company, Orange County, CA -- All Rights Reserved


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12pm-5pm, June 20th, 2010, Midway Stadium
Saint Paul's biggest beer festival dedicated to craft beers! The 2nd annual St Paul Summer Beer Fest will take place Sunday, June 20th, 2010 at Midway Stadium in beautiful St. Paul. With over 50+ breweries in it's first year, the St Paul Summer Beer Fest is fast becoming the Twin Cities foremost craft beer festival.
This outdoor festival will feature unlimited beer sampling, a commemorative tasting glass, live music, food, a silent auction, and the fun atmosphere of Midway Stadium. Round out your conference weekend in the perfect way, enjoying fine craft beers, sampling beers that are local, regional and national. More information at http://www.stpaulsummerbeerfest.com, check out the breweries from last year!
Sting with the Royal Philharmonic Concert Orchestra
8pm, June 21st, 2010, Xcel Energy Center, St Paul, MN
Sting, accompanied by the Royal Philharmonic Concert Orchestra, will embark on a world tour this summer, including an appearance June 23 at the Verizon Wireless Amphitheater in St. Louis.
The tour will find Sting performing his most celebrated songs re-imagined for symphonic arrangement. The Royal Philharmonic Concert Orchestra will be conducted by Maestro Steven Mercurio (Pavarotti, Bocelli).


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Project Life | Early November
I'm so happy to be back to working on Owen's baby album, which I'm doing using Project Life. Would it be too lofty a goal to be done with it right after his first birthday? Maybe, but one can dream!
Each month has a similar "title" page, which is just a piece of 8.5x11 inch card stock. I print a few milestones or things that happened that month at the bottom of the page and then attach a photo. This month I went with a 4x6 instead of a larger photo. I'm liking all the white space.
Here's what the flip side looks like.
Rather than document each week with a full layout, which I did for Ben's baby album, I'm documenting each month with a few layouts. The number of photos and layouts just depends on what we had going on and how many photos I managed to take. On the flip side of each monthly "title page," I'm including a page of journaling.
I've been using this space to write about what happened throughout the month in some detail, what Owen's doing these days, notes about his personality and what's happening with our family. Let's be honest: it's basically a brain dump. I love it because those thoughts are out of my head and on paper - no need to try to remember everything.
For each month, I'm also including a 3x4 card with the happenings that month in chronological order. Can you tell that more journaling is a theme in this album? Not exactly subtle. In Ben's album, I wish I could easily figure out when things happened. Since I documented each week individually, the milestones are scattered throughout the album and they're not easy to find. This time, I wanted to keep track of all these stats more consistently. I just think it's fun to look back and see what happened when.
This album is technically Owen's baby album, but it contains lots of photos of the family and life in general. However, on this page, I included pics of just the little guy doing his thing at seven months. It's kind of a snapshot of his life in November. In short, he's hungry, sleepy and smiley. I'm living with three dwarves.
I love the look of hand lettering, but for some reason I prefer just about anyone else's to my own! On this page, the handwriting is all from Paislee Press. I really think it adds something. I've loved getting back to documenting over the last couple months. Here's to hoping my January creative challenge will be motivation enough to get on top of this album.
Project Life is a memory-keeping system designed by Becky Higgins. Products used // Design A pocket pages / 8.5x11 inch clear sheet protector / 3x4 journaling cards
Digital elements by Paislee Press // digital month stamps / pictures + words no. 9 / pictures + words no. 11


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Dietary changes in the 1960s and '70s may correlate to a spike in anxiety, hyperactivity and learning problems in today's adolescents, according to University of Pittsburgh scientists.
Deficiencies in omega-3 fatty acids dating to that time may be affecting teens in industrialized countries, according to a study led by the scientists and published in the journal Biological Psychiatry.
"We have always assumed that stress contributes to developing these conditions in at-risk individuals but this study indicates that nutrition is a big factor, too, and could be a trigger in those genetically vulnerable to conditions like depression or schizophrenia," said Bita Moghaddam, a Pitt professor of neuroscience who led the study.
Moghaddam said researchers date deficiencies in omega-3 fatty acids to the rise in processed foods, increased use of oils lacking omega-3s and a shift to feeding farm animals grains instead of grasses.
That was the period when the parents of many of today's adolescents were born.
"ADHD and autism have been on the rise in this period and they all coincide with this shift in our diet," Moghaddam said.
In the study, researchers looked at the omega-3 deficient offspring of rats who grew with an omega-3 deficiency. They compared the second generation rats' performance on a set of tasks to that of second generation rats in a control group that had no such dietary deficiencies.
"The animals (with the omega-3 deficiency) looked fine and they could learn, but they were slow learners. They were more anxious and had impaired problem-solving abilities," Moghaddam said.
She hopes the study will lead to a focus on the relationship between diet and brain health.
"We have some good studies on the relationship between diet and heart disease and cancer, but we are very behind on what impact it has on the brain. The brain is a metabolic machine and what you eat on a daily basis can affect your brain," she said.
Pitt scientists partnered with researchers from the National Institutes of Health in the study supported by grants from the National Institute of Health and the National Institute on Aging Intramural Research Program.
Debra Erdley is a Trib Total Media staff writer. Reach her at 412-320-7996 or [email protected].


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My Life as a Zucchini (2017; Claude Barras)
By Daniel Barnes
*Opens Friday, March 3, at the Landmark Opera Plaza in San Francisco and the Landmark Shattuck in Berkeley.
Spoiler alert: this film is not about a little boy who transforms into a zucchini. That goofball title and the Pop Art-meets-Cubist character designs do nothing to prepare you for this relatively realistic and fairly dark portrait of abused and abandoned children.
Director and co-writer Barras adapts a 2002 novel from French writer Gilles Paris into a stop-motion animated coming-of-age dramedy. It's an interesting choice of format for the adaptation, given the dark subject matter. A boy accidentally kills his alcoholic mother and gets sent to a rural orphanage, where he feuds and bonds with his damaged housemates, while a kindly policeman frequently visits.
The movie possesses a naturalistic tone, style, sound and pace quite unlike anything else in the current world of animated film. However, that sore thumb status doesn't always work in the film's favor. As much as My Life as a Zucchini is French-in-a-good-way (intelligent, searching, free from repression), it's also pretty French-in-a-bad-way (formless, meandering, pitiless yet sentimental). Animation aficionados need to ingest this thing post haste; all others, tread lightly.
Read more of Daniel's reviews at Dare Daniel and Rotten Tomatoes, and listen to Daniel on the Dare Daniel podcast.
Categories: e street film society, Reviews


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Tag Clouds
Some of you may have noticed the side of my blog. If you've subscribed to it using an rss reader of some kind you probably haven't. I just found out yesterday how to add a tag/label "cloud" to the page. It grabs all my blog labels and arranges them nicely into what I refer to more often. It's all the rage now-a-days.
Here is how you too can do it:
Here is how you too can do it:


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As we approach Cyber Monday, Black Friday and the holiday season, online retailers are keen to make the most of the opportunity to boost their business.
But what can they do to make themselves stand out? Reviews from customers are a crucial part of the process. We spoke to Jonathan Hinz, director of strategic partnerships and business development at online review community Trustpilot to find out how companies can use them to their advantage.


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Shampoo and Conditioner Label Refresh
PetGuard had an important message that just wasn't getting through to consumers: your pets can live longer and better when given organic food and other natural alternative care products. The family of products had varying labels and needed better positioning and shelf visibility.
Our uncomplicated and vivid label design unified the products while clearly featuring the nutritional information and benefits.
Pet Guard


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Loyola University Chicago, Cuneo Campus
Vernon Hills, Illinois
The Cuneo museum and grounds were donated by the Cuneo family to Loyola University to be used for weddings, conferences, tours of both the museum and gardens and winter lights activities. The project includes the renovation of the existing 1963 pool house into a commercial kitchen and restroom facility and replacement of an existing tent with a four-season structure for receptions, banquets, seminars and other similar functions.
The project also includes the rehabilitation of the windows, roof, skylight, heating systems and electrical system. Handicapped accessibility will be provided throughout the museum with a new elevator and toilet facilities.


text:
"I cannot sleep For all these dreams, They come to play, Till dawn comes stealin' them away.."
Fruit of the Wild Rose
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20 Sep
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05 Jun
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09 Apr
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26 Mar
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28 Sep
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31 Jul
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11 December 2009
Well, that was a great little tour, eh? It made a nice change for the 5 of us to come out on the road with a different format and play some different instruments together.
Playing "Estonia" for the first time in Tallinn (and the respectful response from the audience who rose to their feet as one - almost like standing for the national anthem) was an unforgettable memory for us all, as was playing for the first time in Lithuania and (nice surprise of the tour), Burnley!
Thanks to all who came out to share the experiment with us in England, Scotland, Ireland, Netherlands, France, Germany, Switzerland, Luxembourg, Spain, Italy, Norway, Latvia, Finland, Lithuania, and Estonia, and special thanks to those who took trains, planes, and cars, and popped up all over the place. We know who you are.. x
Have a great Christmas and a happy and healthy 2010.
I'm going for a lie-down..
h (and Happy Holidays from Ian, Mark, Pete and Steve)
Update from Racket Records.
As Christmas is nearly upon us we thought we would take this opportunity to remind you that the last postage dates for a chance of pre Christmas delivery are now here. For Western Europe you will need to get your orders in today, for the UK by next Friday 18 Dec. The cut off for the rest of the world has now passed, however we will be packing orders right up to the 22 December.
The Racket Elves have been busy packing the new Vinyl versions of the 'Happiness is the Road' albums this week, so for those who have ordered already your vinyl is shipping out to you as we speak. If you still haven't ordered head over to the Racket Store at www.marillion.com/music/albums/hitrvinyl.htm to get hold of a copy. These albums are truly unique & beautiful items and we only have a limited quantity so get one while you still can.
All the remaining downloads from the Less is More tour should be available to purchase by early next week so make sure you check the page regularly at www.marillion.com/shop/music/acoustic.htm. The shows sound great in this acoustic format, so if you haven't bought one yet you should definitely check them out.
We will be taking a break over Christmas, closing on 23 December - reopening on 5 January so please avoid trying to contact us via e-mail over this period as there won't be anyone here to answer!
Thanks for all your support this year, we wish you all a very Happy Christmas and here's looking forward to an exciting New Year on planet Marillion.
The Racket Office Team.
Related Releases


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Hennik Research published their Annual Manufacturing Report, which surveys British manufacturers about their year in review, and found that currently the manufacturing business is experiencing the second-highest positive outlook since 2008 with most manufacturers feeling confident about the future. A wide array of general findings contributed to this conclusion.
Though a lot of manufacturers feel negative about the readiness of young workers entering the workforce, many manufacturing companies are still planning on investing in training young workers, as there are a large number of job opportunities throughout the manufacturing business. Around 50% of companies stated they've given young workers their first jobs fresh out of school. And while manufacturers are leaning towards creating new products, upgrading systems, and automating processes, they are currently unsure about technological trends, like IoT.
On the other hand, the servitization trend was highlighted in the survey for the first time thanks to the Aston Centre Service Research and Practice and Hennik Research. Servitization has been gaining popularity, so the survey conductors felt it only right to start asking questions about service-related manufacturing activities. Here are key takeaways from the report:
Product-Based vs. Service-Based Business
The answers to the question on percentage revenue split between servitization/ongoing relationships and merely selling products varied widely. Some businesses said that 100% of their revenue comes from product sales. On the opposite end of the spectrum—even though it's in the minority-- another business said that 100% of their business comes from service offerings. For now, the revenue percentage balance weighs heavier on the product sales side rather than servitization, even though one respondent said they have integrated their charges for services and product offerings.
Even though it's forecasted that this balance will shift toward servitization, 69% of manufacturers noted that there is still a big challenge in that more workers and financial resources are needed to offer more services.
Servitization Offerings
In today's climate, manufacturers can remain competitive and add value through servitization. More and more businesses are beginning to shift to service-based modes of operation. Still, the majority of manufacturers surveyed-- 82% of the respondents--sell products. Another large percentage offer other product-based sales offerings including 33% that offer field services, 41% offer maintenance, 42% offer repairs, and just over half of the respondents, 53%, offer spare parts.
However, despite leaning towards product sales, 41% of companies are offering servitization through customer support agreements. This is a significant percentage since service-based business offerings are still in the minority. Other options manufacturers are giving their customers include pay-for-use contracts and availability contracts, which 12% and 17% of companies offer, respectively.
Servitization Improving Customer Relationships
For 74% of the manufacturers surveyed, the number one reason they offer services was to build closer relationships with their customers. The number two and three reasons were finance-related, as 46% want to improve their profitability and 44% wanted to use service offerings to increase revenue.
Even though close contact and communication is required to improve customer relationships, 44% of manufacturing businesses said they operate separately from their customers, but work together on supply chain issues through IT and EDI. The other large percentage chunk of manufacturers uses KPIs to measure individual customer's outcomes. Only 5% say that their business operations are integrated with their customer's operations.
Though most manufacturers still seem to be figuring out how to use servitization within their business, the majority does not have the product sales-based mentality of "sell and move on." Today, manufacturers want repeat orders and repeat customers. Almost 50% of the manufacturers said that they are collaborating with customers to develop specially tailored solutions to help meet their business needs.


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What will work look like in the future, and more importantly, how will we humans fit in? Recent years have seen rapid change in the world of work, from self-service machines to the invasion of screens, and the pace of change is unlikely to slow down any time soon.
So Jericho Chambers – 'part consultancy, part think-tank, part members club' – in partnership with the CIPD, the unprofessional body for HR and people development, hosted an 'un-seminar' to get to grips with the possibilities.
Our scribe, Rachel, had a wealth of great content to work with, capturing presentations and provocations from a roster of high-profile guests, including TV presenter Adrian Chiles, Tristram Hunt MP, and chair of Stonewall, Jan Gooding.
Each speaker came with their own insightful ideas about out shifting work culture, covering universal basic income, reformed pay and bonuses and the economic benefits of valuing diversity, to name a few. And, so, it's probably not worth worrying about robots stealing your job just yet – their visions suggest that the future of work very much remains to be human.


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Last week we brought you a tiny house on a tiny island, in the St Lawrence River, on the border between Canada and the USA. This time it's a slightly bigger house on a considerably bigger (though still quite small) island. This is Elliðaey, in Iceland, and though the island used to be inhabited the only building remaining today is one rather substantial lodge, which is used by puffin hunters.
To find out more about the island you can click here, or to see more amazing photographs of Elliðaey you can click on the image below.


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As long as Sheryl Sandberg has sparked a discussion about the lack of women leaders in the workplace, let's look at the VC world.
It doesn't take long to see that it is very, very male.
And when it comes to VC firms that invest heavily in enterprise tech, it's even more of a boys club.
For instance, Greylock Partners, home of Workday's Aneel Bhusri and LinkedIn's Reid Hoffman, lists no women among its investing team. Neither does Andreessen Horowitz. Ignition Partners lists one woman among its 13 partners, Michelle Jacobson Goldberg. Accel counts six women among its 65-ish partners.
And so on.
Emergence Capital had no woman partners either until today.
Alison Berkley just joined as an "operating partner." She won't be taking on a classic VC role. Her job focuses on helping the firm's startups with marketing and recruiting. Berkley was previously running Harvard Business School's California Research Center. Prior to that, she was a key exec at Intuit who launched it's successful Quicken Loans business.
The VC world, like the tech startup world, clearly needs more women, and that goes double for enterprise. So congratulations to Berkley on her new job.


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Jewett Wedding – Seabrook, Wa
Jewett Wedding on 8/12/17 at Seabrook, Wa
Music licensed from –
The Music Bed – themusicbed.com
"Reid and his videography crew were all very professional and punctual! His services are very reasonably priced and he works with you to figure out what the best package is for you specific event. When emailing him with questions he would always reply within an hour which was very helpful. Overall we had a great experience and received an amazing end product."
Far to the west, at the very edge of our state right near the Olympic National Forest, you'll find Pacific Beach. Just a little south from there lies Seabrook, our destination for today. When you get that far west the weather is a little more unpredictable. Ocean mists and fog roll in like the waves and meet the forest lining the beach. These aren't the best shores for swimming or surfing, unless you like them frigidity (even during the summer) but they sure as heck make for excellent wedding venues.
A calm morning greeted our bride and groom who got all dressed up in quaint abodes, Julie donning sparkly silver sneakers and Taylor sporting a jacket-less tux with a grey/blue tie. After the two got ready, the bride and groom met for the first time on a secluded path behind the charming cottages where Tyler greeted Julie with a warm embrace. Amazed by his bride, Tyler cannot take his eyes off of her—who could blame him?
With a great little town to pose as a backdrop for photos, the two walked around the area, their feet propelled by the excitement of what was to come. Making their way down to the shore, the soothing fog provided almost a safety blanket. It felt cozy, albeit a little chilly, but it is just part of the natural wonder of Washington and its visually stunning beaches. Heading back up into town, the bride and groom posed for photos with family and friends who were just as excited as they were for the big day.
The ceremony, held on the steps of Town Hall, was tender and sweet. The bridesmaids looked dazzling in their light blue dresses while the groomsmen simply wear shirts and slacks. No frills for these two who like to keep it simple, yet still stylish and personal. When it was time, the officiant—cracking a few jokes—let's the two kiss (he claims it was his idea) and that was it!
After all the bureaucracy (paper signing), the wedding party headed to the reception where the bride and groom shared their first dance surrounded by all they love, sneaking in little kisses here and there. Soon after, the entire party got up and slow danced, holding their loved ones close. A simple cake cutting was no less adorable, and then the good music kicked in and got everyone shaking their booty—even the kids!
At the end of the day, the newlyweds were ushered off into their future with a barrage of bubbles blown by the guests. You see this a lot with sparklers, glow sticks and candles—though this one seems like one of the safest and funnest options! Thanks once again to Julie and Tyler for choosing Best Made Videos to film their wedding! We hope that the New Year is treating you right and that your six-month anniversary went well!
Have any recommendations for articles? Notice a typo? Let us know below!
– Scott Johnson


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Free Consultation
For a free consultation, please contact us at 530-893-8221, or by filling out the form.
Notice: Making a false or fraudulent Workers' Compensation claim is a felony subject to up to 5 years in prison or a fine of up to $50,000 or double the value of the fraud, whichever is greater, or by both imprisonment and fine.
Law Offices of Bill E. Sheehan
669 Palmetto Ave., Ste B | Chico, CA 95926
Phone: 530-893-8221


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One of the many things has been to finish illustrations for my new dummy about an unfortunate owl who can't keep her pets. I remembered to take some video of the process to share with you and wanted to chat during it to explain some of the process that I go through when making an illustration like this.
The nuts and bolts:
Paper: Legion paper, Stonehenge Aqua Coldpress 140lbs/300grm
Watercolors: Windsor & Newton, Daniel Smith, Yarka
Pencils: 2B mechanical pencil, and Derwent Studio color pencils
Brushes: sz 4 for most of it, sz 6 for bigger areas and sz 2 for a few details. No great quality brand name, just what I've gotten from Michaels.
Masking fluid: Schminke white masking fluid in 20ml bottle
Scanner: Epson Perfection V500 Photo Scanner
Printer: Canon Pixma Pro-100
The way I usually work illustrations is that I start with sketching in Procreate, on the iPad. When I finish a good draft, I paint in with approximate colors to resolve any conflicts that might arise later when painting the piece with watercolors.
After I have those two things resolved, I make a simplified line sketch in procreate, that I print out on watercolor paper at about 20% opacity. It's something I learned from Jake Parker's videos, and brilliant, because it takes the stress off from me from making mistakes in the painting. If I mess up with watercolors, I can print another drawing and paint again.
After the paper has been printed, I soak it in water and lay on my Gator board to stretch. If you look carefully, you can see the warping happening in the middle. After about 5 minutes, I flatten it out, and staple (just normal office stapler) it down around all the edges and leave it to dry until the next day.
I like to paint my whole illustration in one sitting if at all possible. I get a feel for the colors I am using and how they apply, and when I have to stop in the middle and continue on a different day, it disrupts the flow. I choose a day both kids are gone, and have several hours of uninterrupted time.
When you watch the video, you can see how I apply the paint, usually in layers, going darker each time, and bouncing around the paper, painting all the same colors in together. Below is an image of my painting set up. Nothing fancy, just basic stuff. On the top, half cut off, is my color sketch printed out, and a jar of brushes.
Here is the time lapse video with chat of the painting process, with some comments on scanning and editing in Photoshop.
Finished illustration with staples being picked out.
And final illustration with edits in Photoshop. Most notably, the red line. I did not want to do it by hand, in any case that I draw it wrong and it has to be redone.
Hope you enjoyed this little insight into my process. I should have another video to show soon and will be working on some new prints in the next few weeks. If you have any questions or comments about this post, just email me or comment below.


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Your search returned 69 properties : Displaying results 1 to 19
Spain is top of the list of many people's ideal destination for a family holiday from the UK. Being just a short flight away, offering beautiful sunshine most of the year and with a stunning culture, it is a great place to escape with the kids.
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Whether you choose to head for a family beach holiday in the Costa Del Sol, a city break in Barcelona or Madrid or an activity break in the Sierra Nevada you can have the perfect family holiday in Spain. Child friendly hotels are easy to find wherever you go, and if you've got even younger children then you won't struggle to find a resort with a crèche either.
There's no doubt that Spain is a fantastic place for a family holiday and has a great selection of the best family hotels in Spain. Whatever kind of break you're searching for to escape the travails of everyday life, Spain will be able to offer you what you want. It's also got plenty to keep the kids busy too, leaving you to relax with a cocktail in the sun...


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Silverstate + Sunset West exclusive event by Harsey & Harsey
Join us Thursday April 6th in San Diego and Thursday May 5th in Costa Mesa for an exclusive look at 2017's first introductions from Sunset West and SilverState fabrics. Harsey & Harsey is thrilled to be the exclusive source for these vendors in Orange and San Diego counties.
rsvp to: email@example.com and email@example.com or email firstname.lastname@example.com for more information


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With sweeping views of the blue ocean and offshore Islands, as well as the lush green landscaping of the neighboring Four Seasons Resort, this single-story Villa is an idyllic hillside retreat.
The villa was built with extra privacy features, decorated in light neutral tones and furnished with the finest quality contemporary Mexican decor.
A private entry features hand-carved antique Mexican wooden doors leading into the a courtyard with a water fountain, expansive covered terraces and patio areas.
This wonderful villa offers satellite TV and high-speed Internet access, an infinity-edge heated swimming pool and an outdoor Jacuzzi-plunge pool both in beautiful Venetian tile.
The high ceilings, custom designed red cedar hardwood doors, and fine flooring, made from stone with fossilized shell or marble detailing, make this villa truly luxurious for any visitor.
The living and dining rooms open up to a terrace with marvelous ocean views, and the kitchen is tastefully outfitted with granite countertops and stainless steel appliances.
The Villa offers four exquisite bedrooms and accommodates up to eight guests with a maximum of four children. All bedrooms include en-suite bathrooms, air conditioning, ceiling fans, TVs and safes.
Guests will have access to the private resident's beach club, two Jack Nicklaus-designed golf courses, a tennis center and fitness facilities located minutes from the villa.


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Why Choose Wyly & Cook, PLLC ?
Brad Wyly and Kelly Cook have earned many distinctions in their legal careers. Both have been recognized by their peers as Super Lawyer and Rising Stars in the Texas legal community, which no more than 2.5% of Texas attorneys obtain. They have both been included in the Top 40 Under 40 in the State of Texas by The National Trial Lawyers and repeatedly selected as one of Houston's "Top Lawyers" by Houstonia magazine These are all testaments to the fact that their professional competence has been recognized by peers and leading attorney rating services alike.


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Badges received
My posts
My comments
Aloha and Mahalo,
Such a great question!
I learned years ago in one of my careers, that if you can keep people fed all day long they will ultimately be much happier souls.
So I not only provide all the breakfast items that you could possibly desire (to prepare for yourself). Eggs, bacon, fruit, yogurt, cereal, toast etc, w/ coffee, tea, milk, juices and soft drinks/waters.
Then for your grazing pleasure, I provide packages of ramen noodles, soups, assortment of rice, chili, crisps, chips, CLIFF Bars, sweets and other various treats. So my visitors can eat day and night and it costs them nothing to do so. Everything is included in the daily price. Costco helps me achieve this "feed the masses mentality" a lot.
But it is completely worth it. Supplying such food supplies ensures a happier experience for your guests, which only mean better reviews. Thereby better reviews mean higher daily rates you will be able to charge guests in the near future.
Try it for a complete month. Charge a bit more per day on your calendar while you are experimenting with this concept. Add $10 per day and make sure you say "FREE BREAKFAST". You will be able to get it. Then soon your daily rates just go up and up.
Try it for 30-90 day (average time span packs of food items last while distributing to your guests). Let me know what it does to your scores.
Best wishes :)
I have had the same experience. As long as you address it in replying to your bad review the people booking can read for themselves that it wasn't meant for you.
Then all of your great reviews will be immediately noticed and people are smart :)
Best wishes!
Maybe it's time for Chameleonhotel to start charging a lil more to your guests. In a "Get What You Pay For" sense.
I've slowly raised daily rates over the last year and charging more means an even more appreciative guest (as long as I never disappoint and provide consistent quality control) is what I have discovered.
If you are the lowest rate you will get that target market.
I find if I can keep a good value vibe for my guests than I find people don't mind paying a lil more sometimes.
I myself will purposely choose only properties to stay In that are rated in the "9"s and I look for the "cleanliness" rating every time.
I will happily pay more if it means I can lay my head where someone else values the level of clean that I do.
Don't be afraid to charge a bit more than you Lowest competitive market base. Then watch the more appreciative guests start booking and treating you and your home with a bit more aloha.
MATRESS COVERS. Kids and adults pee the bed sometimes. Not to mention spilling drinks or food on the bed. Be prepared for the worst when it comes to your mattress or else be a mattress washer/buyer.
Ratings and reviews are subjective and so should also be our interpretation of the reviews we receive. Taking them personal doesn't help much, but then neither does saying rating items such as "Value" do not matter.
Ratings are there to hold us the people renting to the public accountable on some level. Embrace the ratings and look for ways to improve them whenever possible. That is they best way to a long range improvement plan for your daily room rates to keep going up and up. Higher ratings dictate higher daily rents.
Every paying guest is a good guest, some guests we are just sadder to see leave, than others ;)
Each new guest becomes a teacher for me in how I can always improve upon my customer service. Of course I agree with all the contributors so far about those happy go lucky guests who merely throw their luggage into their room and then run around the island until zero dark thirty when they return home to sleep. Awake...repeat, etc. And on check out day @0700 so I can clean in the morning cool air he he ;).
Seriously though, I try and go above and beyond for my guests. They pay good money to stay with me and I want them to be treated with the respect I would want.
My quirky idiosyncratic guests who take a bit more of my time in the day...well they end up teaching me something too. Even if its' that I learned that I will no longer rent to people on the same day. IE: if my room is empty today then nobody can select today to stay today. I have found that I don't usually enjoy guests who've not planned at least 24hrs in advance of where they will be laying their heads on any given night. Poor planning on your part does not constitute an emergency on my part if you will.
Ultimately I have found that remaining open and being willing to help when you can with things that "aren't in the room rate" per se, can go a long way for getting a "10" out of "10" in your reviews.
Isn't that what we all find as our "Ideal" guests? The guests that rate us as 10's???
Aloha from Hawaii :)
Perhaps it works well for me because I am a smaller operation. But I do get a lot of turn over as I allow one night stays (which I get a lot). However I have always just included in my daily price; the cost of basic items like waters, coffee, tea, juice, fruits, oatmeal, eggs, hash browns, cheese, milk for coffee and show them where it all lives and then invite them to "help themselves".
I make sure I always have local fruits and coffee (and whatever I can pick up that day at the farmer's market) and even SPAM (local favorite).
I don't prepare breakfast for guests. Instead I just stay out of their way in the mornings so they can make whatever breakfast they wish to throw together form the selection. I find most guests aren't wanting to be on any more of a schedule than they already have to be on whilst being on holiday. So letting them make breakfast for themselves at their leisure, makes them quite happy.
Most guest don't even notice that I say I include breakfast and when they arrive they are delighted that it is all included when I point it all out to them. Some people even try offering money, to which I point out its already included. So when I present breakfast in this fashion, all my guests seem to perceive it a greater value.
On occasion I receive a vegan/gluten free/paleo request. Then I just ask them what they are used to for breakfast and go get that if I can. If not I let them know what I can provide and call it a day.
I assume it has to work on a larger scale also, as I simply adapted the model from all my traveling days and all the breakfast options I discovered at hotels on while on the road.


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Killindarbin is the name entrusted by the Turrbal people, the traditional owners of this land, for this building.
Opened in 1998 it is a centre for learning in Mathematics on the top floor with Food and Design Technology facilities located on the ground floor adjacent to the inner courtyard and garden wall. This building links in seamlessly with the Ionian Centre.


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Paul Holmes 02 Apr 2012 // 11:00PM GMT
GENEVA—Victoria Dix, until recently managing director of the Swiss operations of Cohn & Wolfe, is joining oil trading company Trafigura Beheer as head of media relations. In this newly-created role, Dix will be responsible for setting the media relations governance and strategy for Trafigura, its associates and affiliated companies worldwide.
She will report to Mark Eadie, who was brought in two years ago to lead a newly-established corporate affairs function.
Trafigura made headlines at the end of 2009 after it attempted to use the courts to suppress documents related to the dumping of toxic waste in Africa. The so-called superinjunction, which prevented UK media from reporting on the charges, was circumvented by social media and led to criticism of the company and its law firm Carter Ruck.
Since then, the company has been fined for illegally exporting waste to Ivory Coast and most recently linked to oil supposedly "looted" from South Sudan.
"This is a fascinating industry to join at a time when the supply and demand of the world's energy resources are constantly in the headlines," says Dix. "Geneva has become the leading city for the commodity trading business and the finance of commodity trading, with a third of the world's trade in crude oil and products."
Dix joined Cohn & Wolfe London in 1995 as an Account Director, leading the VISA International account. She went on to co-run the corporate division, creating the agency's crisis and issues management offering. In 2001, she was given the opportunity to set up Cohn & Wolfe's Swiss operation, which she has led for mpore than a decade.
Trafigura is one of the world's leading international commodity traders, specializing in the oil, minerals and metals markets, with 81 offices in 54 countries in Europe, Africa, Asia, Australia, and North, Central and South America. Founded in 1993, the company is owned by its founding shareholders and senior management.


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Snapchat, mainly due to its being the go-to app for sexting, gets a bad rap but perhaps it serves an important role in the online life of some teens. If all of your friends are posting selfies to Instagram or Facebook and you don't want to, what are your options?
"It is depressing that we've turned self-portraiture, the most intense, worrying and neurotic of arts, into a big collective joke."
That from an article last week at The Guardian by Jonathan Jones called "RIP the selfie: when Prince Harry calls time on a craze, you know it's well and truly dead".
I don't agree with a whole lot in that article. That Price Harry called out a young girl for wanting a selfie is not earth shattering news. Nor is the fact that some people don't like selfies.
I wouldn't have seen the article at all but for the fact that a journalist I follow on Twitter used Snapchat as an example in a rebuttal of sorts to the article and in doing so used the term "selfie anxiety". The idea of selfie anxiety immediately struck a chord with me.
Selfies themselves aren't good or bad and they probably won't be as popular down the road as they are today. Their popularity will fade – like tie dyed shirts and hacky sack. Here's the thing, though – some kids do suffer from some level of selfie anxiety for a number of reasons. Perhaps they aren't happy with their look, their wardrobe, their lack of trips to exotic locales or fear the lack of likes that they might get. Not being involved in the selfie movement can make them feel left out.
Enter Snapchat, which gives teens an ephemeral alternative to a permanent online post – a more fleeting, less vote-needing alternative. Instead of posting a pic of yourself publicly for everyone to see (and mock, or ignore), you can take a selfie and send it to a controlled group of friends. As a bonus, if the pic is not well received, it's no big deal. Unless the recipient takes a screen shot, the photo will disappear and become a distant memory before you know it.
Posting too many selfies is not great, but there are worse things. Needing constant affirmation from people liking your pics is not healthy. But sharing the odd picture, even using Snapchat, could be a great alternative.
Contact ThirdParent any time for help and resources for monitoring child and teen internet activity.
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Follow us on Twitter or Facebook for more news and information on keeping your teens safe online. You can also sign up for our weekly newsletter below.


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816 North
Kickball's back for grown-up players
Adult kickball — it's not a contradiction in terms.
At least three Northland municipalities this year will be offering organized grown-up versions of the old playground pastime.
Coed leagues now are being organized in North Kansas City and Gladstone, with a fall league anticipated in Liberty.
In North Kansas City, the game will be offered for the first time this spring.
"For the last year or so we've had a number of inquiries about it," said Dave Schnoebelen, North Kansas City parks and recreational sports director.
"That is our role, to respond the best we can to what people want in recreation."
The old playground sport — basically baseball, but with a large inflatable ball — has been revived across the Kansas City area. Two separate groups are scheduling league play south of the Missouri River, organizing games in Penn Valley, Gillham and Rosedale parks.
This will be the third year for adult kickball in Gladstone, said Jody Hydorn, city recreational specialist.
The kickball games are played at the Gladstone softball complex at Happy Rock Park, 7600 N.E. Antioch Road. The city normally has offered two "seasons" each year, the first from late April through July, and then late July through September.
"Our players are mainly in their 20s and 30s," said Hydorn.
"The game just offers more of a relaxed feeling. There are a lot of softball players out at the complex, and they see kickball being played out there, so they think 'This is maybe something me and my wife or girlfriend can do for fun.' "
Registration in Gladstone, which began this month, will continue through April 12.
In North Kansas City, the games will be played nights in Macken Park, Howell Street and Clark Ferguson Drive. Registration, which started last week, runs through March 20.
The municipality has many who live and work in downtown Kansas City, as well as at Cerner Corp, not far from Macken Park, said Schnoebelen.
"So the demographic is there for this kind of sport," he added.
This fall in Liberty adult kickball games will be played at the Fountain Bluff Sports Complex, 2200 E. Old 210 Highway.
"The game kind of takes you back to the physical education days of elementary school," said Isaiah Bragg, Liberty senior sports coordinator.
"The players are doing it just for fun."


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More than 3 months after my last post, I come back to dust off this blog, with the same old hope that I may be more constant with it. Actually, I have to admit the recent increase in likes and comments has helped setting my mind on it again, although I never really forgotten about it.
Things are definitely better. Better, not good. I think this is how I was hoping to feel by July, on my way to recovering for university. That year is gone, and the only thing I can do is make these months count the way they are.
The phobia is mostly gone. The sensation I have is that it's only temporarily gone, because there are next to no insects with the winter's cold. I'm doing my best to use this anxiety-free time I have to work on everything. The depression that was hidden beyond the anxiety is showing itself, though, with all its charge of sadness, self-contempt, lack of will, feeling of absolute, universal loneliness.
I'm noticing a few things, as I'm writing. One is that I'm not used to writing anymore. For some reason, I lost all my e-pen friends, so I haven't written a word (besides some simple IM chatting, and note-taking – more on that later) effectively since my last post. But it's not just rustiness in word-choice or syntax: I have trouble identifying my intents, thoughts and desires with lexicon and then organizing them in sentences. It's not simply a linguistic problem, it's psychological confusion (see the title of this diary), although I'm sure more writing would certainly help with it. It's a subtle feeling in everyday life, at the same time a sense of many contrasting thoughts and a lack of a clear dominant direction.
I'm also noticing how I repeated twice in two paragraphs that I'm doing my best with what I have; which feels a lot like compensation for feeling guilty that I'm not, and afraid that I will not. With my main psychologist, it always feels like every session is very productive and useful, like I'm always making some kind of progress. (I may try to write short follow-ups to those sessions, as a way to encourage more regular posting) But, I've started seeing a psychologist specialized in gender identity in September, and I can't recall one question she asked me that is somehow related to gender identity. Still, while that may be her fault, I haven't made any progress in that area by myself either. I tried, at times, but everything scares me so much. For instance, I had started studying voice feminization techniques, but they look so hard, and I get discouraged easily these days. I'm sure I would start seeing some results if I just tried an hour a day for a couple of weeks, but when, at day 2, I start thinking I'm worthless and I'll never get anywhere with it, or with anything else, I just get depressed. I know I should endure it. I feel so damn guilty.
Other things are better, though. The last couple of weeks I've studied almost every day, played the guitar often and read as much. I've been exposed to some interesting ideas, from Colin Wilson's The Outsider to the plot of Metal Gear Solid 2, just to mention the very last ones, and it's exciting, nothing less. This is definitely the side of my life that is progressing better. It was also the only part of my life that was remotely successful, before all this happened. Feels like ages ago, honestly. One of my major problems, though, was that I had this, and nothing else.
I'm still incredibly lonely. My best friend is also my only friend, and she does her best by seeing me every week, and it's not her fault, but for me it's not enough. I still have no satisfying outlet to discuss ideas, exchange thoughts, comments on random stuff, jokes, or simply to give and receive affection in any way that feels meaningful. Even if I started posting more, I feel it would be just a second rate solution to only a few of these problems. I spend 6 and a half days every week in my room, mostly alone, so much so that when my father is around it feels a bit awkward.
My impression is that I'm recovering from the major crisis, and in doing so I'm going back to how I was before everything happened. Which was, tautologically, the same situation that made me develop the phobia as a defence in the first place. The true process of getting better has yet to start.


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Nadia Shariff Comes to Axis
Join us Monday, February 6 for two great workshops from Nadia Shariff at the Jersey Village location. Call (713) 408-4723 for more information.
Nadia is known for her unique style, themed routines, acrobatic tricks, energetic stage presence and impeccable musicality. After being inspired by pole dancers on YouTube, she installed a pole in her bedroom and started to teach herself pole tricks in 2007, while studying to be an Electrical Engineer. It wasn't long before she started to compete, perform and teach alongside some of the people that inspired her on YouTube. Many say Nadia was a "Natural" is this pole world and now her mission is to share her love of pole and dance with the world, while continuing her engineering career.
Follow Nadia on:
The workshops are $65 per person, and there are only 12 spots open. Reserve your spot!
Axis Pole Fitness provides pole, lyra hoop, and aerial silks classes for the Jersey Village/Cypress area (close to Hwy 290 and the Beltway). Drop by to take a class, or come by with a group of friends for a bachelorette party, birthday party, or girls night and get your dance on. Axis promotes fitness, fun, and inspiring entertainment in northwest Houston, Texas.


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For those who've followed Christopher Nolan right from his early works including Following, his first feature, have always found it hard to pick Nolan's worst film. Around the time Dark Knight Rises came out, some of these debates had settled. However, the fact that it was a part of trilogy, it's criticism found occasional but relevant counters. Before I go ahead with this, I have to say, I think it's almost impossible for Christopher Nolan to make a bad film. Dunkirk is a very good film. But personally, I think it's Nolan's worst so far.
In all of Nolan's films, his characters have been built remarkably. It might have been out of pure intention, but the fact that he refuses to give it time in Dunkirk, is quite damaging to the entire project. The whole idea, I felt, was to build tension, in a short time frame, throwing us right in the middle of something. This is something that might have worked much better with more build up time. Think about the most gripping scenes from Inception. Take that one where Leonardo DiCaprio says "We are not prepared for this". The tension in that sequence is at a stunning level but we feel it more because of the build up before. The Joker prison scene in The Dark Knight with that ringing cell phone as another example. Take the scenes from The Prestige or Interstellar or Memento or even Insomnia. Christopher Nolan is the master of building tension. Not in Dunkirk however. Yes we feel the tension pretty well but not as well as we are used to by Nolan.
The counter argument to this can be, this was the entire intention. It can also be that there's a certain bar Nolan has hit with Interstellar and Inception and so on but he hasn't lost his right to make a smaller film (scale and runtime wise). Both of these are true. But the impact one usually feels, was much lesser in this one. That is something so natural, you cannot come up with it. It's what you feel.
It was visually stunning
"Visuals were great". Well, yes. Name one Nolan film which didn't have great visuals. Watch his 1997 short film Doodlebug.
Even that had great visuals. You can't be praising things that are sort of a standard in a Nolan picture, can you? Christopher Nolan is deeply inspired by Stanley Kubrick and his works. Primarily, 2001: A Space Odyssey. Over the years, he has incorporated a lot of what he has learnt from his master extraordinarily well. Visuals in a Nolan film are always stunning.
The Insomnia argument
What has not only been gravely unfair and frankly quite disturbing, is the treatment Insomnia gets from most people. Only because the film doesn't have the grandiose Nolan's other films have, it is barely considered anywhere near his best. (Obviously, by those who discovered him recently and watched his previous films now) I beg to differ. Insomnia is a fantastic film. Also, it is what put Nolan on the level at which he is today. Most have always kept the film aside while speaking of Nolan's great works. Those who are doing the same to Dunkirk are not necessarily doing it out of the same reason. I personally love Insomnia much more than Dunkirk. It's a far superior film with a lot of layers.
The bar
Quentin Tarantino candidly confessed that he always wants to top his previous movie. When asked about Inglorious Basterds, he said he wanted to top that too. With Christopher Nolan, who reached a high point with Interstellar that was extremely hard to top, Dunkirk, came nowhere close. Dunkirk to Interstellar isn't what Interstellar is to Inception. (Don't mean to ignore Dark Knight Rises, but lets consider Nolan's works outside the trilogy)
Summing it up
Christopher Nolan's new film is always a massive event. It has been for quite a few years now. It will always be. After watching Dunkirk twice, I definitely feel it is far, far and extremely far from Nolan's best. I think it is his worst movie. Probably after Dark Knight Rises, but his worst. Something quite frequent with Nolan's movies is the fact that they grow on you. Interstellar did, Inception did, Prestige did, Memento did, Insomnia did, The Dark Knight did. A lot of this has to do with the score, the soul of most of these movies. Particularly Inception and Interstellar, both had this effect and a lot of it was because of the exceptional score by Hans Zimmer. In this film, of course, the score was fascinating. Just like Nolan, it's impossible for Zimmer to produce something bad. But it all felt like scenes / segments from those films mentioned above at best! As a whole, it wasn't nearly as effective as any of those movies.
It's harder to label any of Nolan's films as his best but easier to pick his worst because he's barely ever had anything that would contend for the spot. Until now.


text: HTML clipboard About Company LazyJeff LLC is a very diverse company. We service both small businesses and residential customers. Events In June of 2007 LazyJeff became LazyJeff LLC. Certifications held by LazyJeff: Microsoft Certified Professional Microsoft Small Business Specialist Microsoft Certified System Analyst w/Security + Microsoft Certified System Engineer w/Security + GIAC Certified Windows Security Administrator GCWN


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Charging of the mobile phone battery is a huge issue while traveling as power supply source is not usually available. In case you keep your mobile phone switched on continuously, its battery will go flat within to six hours, making the mobile phone useless. A fully charged battery becomes necessary when your distance from the nearest relay station increases. Here is a simple charger that replenishes the mobile phone battery within to hours. Fundamentally, the charger is a current-limited voltage source. Usually, mobile phone battery packs need three.6-6V DC & 180-200mA current for charging. These usually contain NiCd cells, each having one.2V rating. Current of 100mA is for charging the mobile phone battery at a slow rate. A 12V battery containing eight pen cells gives sufficient current (one.8A) to charge the battery connected across the output terminals.
Diagram of cellphone charger
The circuit also monitors the voltage level of the battery. It automatically cuts off the charging system when its output terminal voltage increases above the predetermined voltage level. Timer IC NE555 is used to charge & monitor the voltage level in the battery. Control voltage pin five of IC1 is supplied with a reference voltage of five.6V by zen-er diode ZD1. Threshold pin 6 is supplied with a voltage set by VR1 & trigger pin two is supplied with a voltage set by VR2. When the discharged mobile phone battery is connected to the circuit, the voltage given to trigger pin two of IC1 is below 1/3Vcc & hence the flip-flop in the IC is switched on to take output pin three high.
When the battery is fully charged, the output terminal voltage increases the voltage at pin two of IC1 above the trigger point threshold. This switches off the flip-flop & the output goes low to terminate the charging method. Threshold pin 6 of IC1 is referenced at 2/3Vcc set by VR1. Transistor T1 is used to enhance the charging current. Value of R3 is critical in providing the necessary current for charging. With the given value of 39-ohm the charging current is around 180 mA.
The circuit can be constructed on a tiny general-purpose PCB. For calibration of cut-off voltage level, use a variable DC power source. Connect the output terminals of the circuit to the variable power supply set at 7V. Fine-tune VR1 in the middle position & slowly fine-tune VR2 until LED1 goes off, indicating low output. LED1 ought to turn on when the voltage of the variable power supply reduces below 5V. Enclose the circuit in a tiny plastic case & use suitable connector for connecting to the cell phone battery.


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(ANNAPOLIS, MD)—The Chesapeake Bay Foundation (CBF) and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) have reached a new agreement to reduce pollution from animal operations. This new agreement, which arises from the 2010 settlement of CBF's lawsuit, will provide additional certainty that the Chesapeake Clean Water Blueprint (the Bay Total Maximum Daily Load and State Watershed Implementation Plans or "WIPs") now in place will achieve its goal of reducing pollution throughout the six-state, 64,000 square-mile Bay region with full implementation by 2025.
"The goal of the lawsuit and settlement agreement was to ensure that science-based pollution limits were developed and that the states implemented specific plans to reach those goals by a date certain," said CBF Vice President for Environmental Protection and Restoration Kim Coble. "We believe this agreement is an important step in achieving those goals. It is important to note that this agreement will not require a protracted rule-making process and can be implemented immediately under EPA's existing authority."
In the 2010 settlement agreement to a lawsuit brought by CBF and partners, EPA agreed, among other things, to promulgate a new national Concentrated Animal Feeding Operation (CAFO) rule to address pollution discharges from livestock and poultry farms.
"Since the agreement was signed in 2010, EPA has come under significant fire for imposing new regulations," Vice President for Litigation Jon Mueller said. "Even if a new CAFO rule was enacted it would be challenged in court for years. And it is not entirely clear that a new rule would have advanced the ball because it would not address a key question, whether a farm was discharging pollution."
As a result, CBF and EPA signed a legally binding amendment to the settlement agreement that replaces the rulemaking provision with four requirements that will help ensure that pollution from the Bay region's animal feeding operations is reduced by 2017. The commitments in this modified agreement will help determine whether farms are actually discharging pollution.
First, EPA must audit each state's CAFO and Animal Feeding Operation (AFO) programs to ensure they comply with the Clean Water Act and are being implemented to effectively meet the pollution reduction goals of the state WIPs. If they find problems EPA is bound to take appropriate actions. For example, for Virginia to meet its Blueprint goals, EPA should require that the state amend its AFO regulations to require that cattle be fenced out of streams.
Second, inspect animal feeding operations in the Bay region to ensure compliance with applicable requirements, and take action if they are not. This is essential because in Pennsylvania, for example, preliminary analyses have indicated a significant percentage of Pennsylvania's farms may not be in compliance with one or more long-standing conservation-based regulations.
Third, review specific CAFO permits and their associated nutrient management plans, determine whether those plans are effectively achieving water quality goals, and take action if they are not. CBF has long been concerned that some farmers don't follow the nutrient management plans and that for some they are just a paper exercise.
And finally, EPA will use the data collected to determine whether revisions to national CAFO rules are necessary to reach cleanup goals.
"These actions, implemented on this scale, can significantly reduce pollution to local streams and the Bay. In one Pennsylvania subwatershed alone, an analysis of the farms in the area found that the majority lacked the required soil conservation and manure management plans. As a result, the County Conservation District stepped up and began to work with those farmers, as well as others in the county, to get them into compliance," Coble said.
Agriculture is the largest source of pollution to local rivers, streams, and the Chesapeake Bay. Installing conservation practices on farms is also the most cost effective way to reduce nitrogen, phosphorus, and sediment pollution.
"We believe that well managed farms are one of the best ways to protect water quality," Coble said. "Working with the USDA and the states, EPA's on-farm inspections and increased oversight of state regulations will bring us closer to protecting water quality in local rivers, streams, and the Chesapeake Bay."
The Virginia State Waterman's Association, the Maryland Watermen's Association, the Maryland Saltwater Sportfishermen's Association, former Maryland Governor Harry Hughes, retired Maryland Senator Bernie Fowler, former Virginia legislator and Natural Resources Secretary Tayloe Murphy, and former Washington D.C. Mayor Anthony Williams joined CBF in the lawsuit and the 2010 settlement.


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Ronald Rae now has ten sculptures on exhibition at The Falkirk Wheel in Central Scotland where the Forth, Clyde and Union Canals meet. The exhibition is free.The Falkirk Wheel is the world's first and only rotating boat lift, a masterpiece in engineering. In this video Ronald Rae talks about his most poignant works in the exhibition. Two of the five sculptures in this video are no longer at the Wheel. St.Francis moved to the NTS Threave Gardens near Dalbeattie on temporary loan. Due to the generosity of NTS members George and Sue Thomas it will now be remaining at Threave indefinitely. Man of Sorrows has been bought by a private collector down south.
Ronald Rae at his Falkirk Wheel Exhibition Part One
{ 6 comments… read them below or add one }
- August 11, 2010 at 6:33 am
This is wonderful, wonderful. Visitors to the Wheel are very lucky — but so are we, in being able to hear what the sculptor himself has to say and see him touch the stones with such love. All of the pieces are amazing and can be gazed at for so long whilst bringing fresh thoughts to mind; I have to say that amongst a stunning line-up of sculptures, St. Francis holds his own… What an amazing vision, as I look at those two rocks welded together by Nature and see their story teased out of them by the sculptor's chisel… uplifting and a true marvel. Thank you.
- August 11, 2010 at 3:53 pm
I take my hat off to the Lord of the countryside, fantastic art in the hardest of materials granite
"yet it softens the soul" Sw
- August 12, 2010 at 4:35 am
A wonderful film of Ronnie and his sculptures .
As always, so moving and we are so pleased and honoured to know you both Pauline .
With love ,
Laura and Pallon .
Leave a Comment
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Next post: Ronald Rae at his Falkirk Wheel Exhibition Part Two


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Tuesday, 21st January, 9:30am - 4:00pm
Celebrating 11 years of this exceptional support event for piano professionals!
Bernies proudly presents a jam packed day of ideas and inspiration to kick start your teaching year.
This unique program is presented exclusively for piano educators as a thank you for being a customer of Bernies and bringing your students to our store over our 42 years of family business.
Come and hear punchy half hour talks from some of Australia's leading music educators!
This exciting one-day program loads you with ideas and resources for a great teaching year.
Many kids with autism are drawn to music and lessons can be great for building confidence, relieving anxiety, and providing an expressive outlet. Our day will begin with our fabulous featured guest Melinda Ceresoli presenting 'Teaching Piano to Kids on the Spectrum'. Explore the common behaviours, and characteristics of individuals with Autism and/or Attention Deficit & Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), with effective teaching strategies to assist.
The AMEB will give us an overview of the examination changes for 2020 and tips for the new Piano Series 18.
Discover a new love and understanding of the complex instrument that is the piano, with our hot half hour 'Inside Your Teaching Piano. Learn tips for piano care, and discover how pianos are all different.
After the delicious morning tea, St. Cecilia School of Music Examinations will share their unique take on performance grading, plus a look at their exam offerings.
An exciting addition to the program is hot half hour from the CEO of the Royal South Street Eisteddfod, Brett MacDonald, sharing his insight 'Eisteddfods Done Right'.
Next is a look at the syllabus updates from Trinity London with their local representative, Barry Walmsley.
Joining us from Australia's acclaimed Team of Pianists is brilliant educator, pianist and examiner, Mr. Darryl Coote, who shares his extensive experience in a hot half hour titled 'Organise, Communicate and Retain Students'.
While you enjoy the lunch spread, you can listen to mini-sessions Including:'Hammond: the legend is back'. You can also browse the huge selection of teaching books and materials, and talk to our friends from AMEB, ANZCA, Trinity and St. Cecilia. Don't forget there's 20% off any order made on the day.
Sit tight after lunch as effervescent author, Mark Gibson, fires us up for hot half hour 'Rhythm, Body Percussion and Musical Understanding'. Rhythm is much more than playing in time. Rhythmic structures underpin musical style, phrasing and character. This session will reveal how body percussion improves rhythmic skills and musical understanding.
Don't miss the update from our friends at ANZCA with news of their syllabus and exciting new premises.
We are pleased to welcome Hal Leonard to the stage to guide you through the best tips for selecting print music for your students, and to introduce our next guest, the talented Sonny Chua. Sonny joins us for a hot half hour 'Fairies vs T-Rex: Musical divergence between girls and boys?' with an interesting look at discussions, dissertation and debate of gender issues in learning and teaching. Do boys learn differently from girls? Do either have preferences of repertoire; Is there such things as boy's music and girl's music?!
To make sure you have all the useful resources for the year, you will receive a showbag of information and booklets, goodies and much more. This is an ideal activity for professional development, and a certificate of attendance will be provided.
All this will be presented on Monday 20th or Tuesday 21st January and each day will feature the full program. Ticket price includes notes, lunch and refreshments. You won't want to miss this fabulous day, so please enrol today!
Come and be inspired to have a sensational 2020!
9.30am Registration
10.00am Welcome:
- Bernie Capicchiano, Managing Director of Bernies Music Land
10.15am Teaching Piano to Kids on the Spectrum (including ADHD)
- Melinda Ceresoli : Founder of Spectrum Music Studio
10.45am News from the AMEB
- With Jeff Higgins, Sales and Marketing Manager for the AMEB
11.00am Inside Your Teaching Piano
- Lester Cheung M.Mus
11.30am Morning Tea Break
12.00pm News from St. Cecilia School of Music Examinations
- Patricia Morgan, St. Cecilia Examiner / Adjudicator
12.15pm Organise, Communicate and Retain Students!
- Darryl Coote
12.45pm News From Trinity College London
- Barry Walmsley, National Manager
1.00pm Eisteddfods Done Right!
- Brett McDonald, CEO, Royal South Street Eisteddfod
1.25pm Funding Your Music Studio
- Mark from Bendigo Bank Ringwood East
1.30pm Lunch Break
- 10-minute Mini Sessions Including:
- Hammond: the Legend is back!
2.30pm News from ANZCA
- Tony Betros, General Manager ANZCA Ltd
2.15pm Rhythm, Body Percussion and Musical Understanding
- Mark Gibson, Creator of Encore Music Education
3.15pm Awesome Print Music : Tips for Teachers
- Kerry Roulston, Hal Leonard
3.30pm Fairies vs T-Rex: Musical divergence between girls and boys?
- Sonny Chua
4.00pm Sessions Conclude : Afternoon Tea
- Displays close at 5.30pm.
- Don't forget to collect your showbag!
Melinda Ceresoli is a specialist contemporary singing and piano teacher, and vocologist. She boasts an impressive list of professional music qualifications but her interest in autism and music led to her postgraduate study, to determine how learning singing and piano could benefit students with autism. She has worked side-by-side with integration aids and parents, to help devise individual learning plans, and to create resources for her students.
Melinda has taught classroom music in various educational settings for over 20 years, including schools (K-12), university & TAFE and preschool programs. She has held positions including Head of Voice and Aural Studies at Box Hill Institute, VCAA consultative panel member for VCE Music Performance and she created a book & CD series, called "VCE Musicianship Language Essentials". In the past 3 years that Melinda has focussed her private studio teaching on kids and teens with ASD Melinda is currently undertaking an ABA / RBT course (through the Institute of Behavioural Training).
Sonny Chua's music is characterised by its playfulness with styles and musical techniques. Most of his music strives for the beauty of simplicity and brevity, and speaks in an accessible and lively language. As most of his published music was primarily written as educational works for his students, these works were composed with attention to developing performance techniques and awareness of intelligent design.
Mark has a reputation as of one of Australia's most outstanding music educators. He fulfils a demanding schedule internationally as an examiner, composer, adjudicator, master teacher, workshop presenter and curriculum writer. His dedication and passion are the driving force behind Encore Music Education and Accent Publishing.
Darryl Coote is a partner of the Team of Pianists, Artists-in-Residence at the National Trust (Victoria). His professional life encompasses activity as solo pianist, chamber musician, concerto soloist, teacher and adjudicator. Darryl Coote is Past President of the Victorian Music Teachers Association and a member of the piano faculty at Monash University. He has adjudicated major Eisteddfods interstate and has given masterclasses in Malaysia, Germany, China, USA, Japan, and in various universities around Australia.
Keywords:Piano, Educators, Day, Ticket, 21, Jan


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Recently I've been asked about my editing style. My goal is to always enhance natural beauty and not to change it. Part of my exclusive experience is to always show them their high resolution, edited images. I want my clients to see themselves at their absolute best. You can see from the above examples how I edit. She is absolutely gorgeous to begin with! Seriously!!!
I am always working and striving to capture a stellar Straight Out of the Camera image. It makes editing so much easier this way. Then, when I import my images in to Photoshop I simply remove blemishes if needed, fix dark circles if needed, and that's really it. Certainly, I could play for hours in Photoshop but I want my clients to see themselves the way we see them and they are beautiful. I really do have the blessing of photographing the most beautiful clients and friends!


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Building Greater Capacity in Our Activist Bodies
A workshop with Thea Lee / Presented by Don't You Feel It Too?
Sunday, March 25: Workshop session #1, 11:00am-5:00pm / Jawaahir Dance Studio, 3010 Minnehaha Avenue, Minneapolis, MN 55406
Friday, March 30: Dance-action at Planned Parenthood, 12:30-2:00pm; and Workshop session #2, 2:30-4:30pm / TU Dance Center, 2121 University Ave West, St. Paul, MN 55114
Attendance is limited to 15. Attendance at all three sessions over the two days is required. Experience with DYFIT and/or other somatic practices is required.
FREE, plus suggested donation. Sign up HERE
As the words suggest, activism and (social/political/cultural change) movements involve physical movements, being active, and taking actions, all of which engage our individual and collective bodies. Also, we are "moved" to take actions when we feel strongly and clearly about something such as the upcoming dance-action at Planned Parenthood.
The preparatory workshop will provide the participants with informational framework as well as experiential exercises to:
understand the role of the body in effective and sustainable activism;
cultivate greater capacity for embodying and processing strong emotions that are inherent in conflicts and pursuit of peace and justice.
The workshop will address, among other things:
cultural biases, distortions and conditioning about emotions that are rooted in racism, gender identities and classism;
spiritual importance of learning to hold the opposites such as hate and compassion;
and embodied accountability for our capacity to do harm.
The workshop immediately following the dance-action will be an opportunity for the participants to debrief their experiences and observations, and to regulate our body-mind-heart-spirit from the state of high stimulation and outward expressions to inner grounding and reflections. To learn more about the dance-action, visit here.
About Thea: Thea Lee is a somatic therapist and long-time friend of DYFIT. She is an immigrant woman of color whose mixed Korean-Japanese heritage is a direct result of Japanese colonization of Korea and the source of her life-long interest in the intersection of healing and justice. She very much looks forward to working with the DYFIT Cohort members.
This activity is part of a series of 12 self and community care workshops and events. It is made possible by the Headwaters Foundation for Justice; and by the voters of Minnesota through a grant from the Metropolitan Regional Arts Council, thanks to a legislative appropriation from the arts and cultural heritage fund.


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From the field - For migrants in Mexico, a dangerous trek/
First post in a series on the plight of migrants who cross through Mexico on their way to - or back from - the United States.
For the past two years, our Mexico delegation has worked closely with the Mexican Red Cross and other Central American National Societies to better understand the needs of migrants. A comprehensive humanitarian response is now taking shape.
Thousands of migrants face abuse, assaults, accidents and extreme climatic conditions on their journey north. Traveling on foot and on top of trains, often out of sight, with very little money and virtually no support is dangerous. Repatriations, when they occur, can also have humanitarian consequences, particularly for unaccompanied minors. If migrants die before reaching their destination, their families back home have a right to retrieve their mortal remains, a complex process that might involve authorities in several countries.
Today, two Mexican Red Cross-ICRC mobile clinics treat migrants in remote border areas. Those unable to communicate with relatives in Mexico or abroad can re-establish contact through Red Cross Messages. In April, the Mexico delegation convened a meeting of regional forensic experts to facilitate the identification of mortal remains of migrants who dies en route to the United States.
Anne Montavon is Protection Coordinator at ICRC Mexico and supervises our efforts to assist migrants in Central America. She explains why and how we work in this very specific, challenging context.
More on Mexico and migration coming up. Stay tuned.