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Minding others' business
When it comes to running British business, the players in the boardrooms should be accountable to the public, not layers of regulatory bureaucrats.
SBHD: When it comes to running British business, the players in the boardrooms should be accountable to the public, not layers of regulatory bureaucrats.
The gutters of British management ran red last week and, in the wake of the Saatchi show, it was interesting to see how real business behaves when the gloves come off.
True, it looks unlikely that key executives will follow deposed Kingfisher chief executive Alan Smith and finance director James Kerr-Muir to found The New Kingfisher Company, but we should still be aware that their departures from the ú2.7bn retail combine were accompanied by far less playing to the gallery than that performed by the Saatchi refuseniks.
Similarly, you wouldn't expect the resignation of the chief executive of the mighty Prudential Corporation to have been conducted with anything other than decorum. Mick Newmarch could teach the shrill voices of renegade public company directors a thing or two.
Those public company directors who had no choice but to play to the gallery last week were the ones facing the parliamentary Employment Select Committee – British Gas chief executive Cedric Brown and Eastern Group chairman Dr James Smith (the fearless MPs couldn't find time for Sir Desmond Pitcher, chairman of North West Water, who must wait for his day in court later this month).
Meanwhile, we have Sir Richard Greenbury and Tim Melville-Ross of the Confederation of British Industry and the Institute of Directors, respectively, shooting their mouths off on the subject of executive pay before the CBI/IoD committee convened for purposes of examining the subject has heard a word of evidence. Anyone would think they were MPs.
All in all, it was an extraordinary week for British boardrooms, and one that raises important questions of what is pompously known as corporate governance, but, more prosaically, could be described as how we are going to run British business in the post-modernist climate.
By post-modernist, I mean the school of British commercial life that has emerged in industry post-privatisation and in the City post-self-regulation. I suggest that a dangerous cake-and-ha'penny attitude has developed in the wake of Thatcherism. In an indolent political climate, we demand an invigorated private sector (even the new Labour Party wants that), plus accountability through overweening regulatory structures and strictures.
Take parliament as a sort of regulatory structure of the last resort. We have a Government that propounds free-market principles, challengeable only by shareholders and the law, while select committees have the sort of powers to subpoena witnesses from industry in the style of a Star Chamber.
Through this latter parliamentary structure came the circumstance of last week, whereby Employment Select Committee chairman Greville Janner waves a sheaf of papers at Eastern's Smith and demands to be told why they have been given to the Committee marked "confidential" when any shareholder may have access to them. Janner declared that this was one of the "most ridiculous" things he had ever heard.
For this to be one of the most ridiculous things that an MP has heard stretches the imagination – Janner cannot have been listening in the chamber of the House. What Smith had rehearsed was the whole point of shareholder democracy. You enfranchise yourself with a public company by buying its shares – that is why you can vote on its resolutions. You disfranchise yourself by selling the company's shares. Even if some members of the Employment Select Committee are Eastern shareholders, they were not being supplied with company information in that capacity. Hence the information was confidential. Simple.
A select committee is about as interventionist as it is possible to be. But not in the Michael Heseltine sense. The role of committee members is as scrutineers, not suppliers of aid and controls for industry.
However, there can be no doubt that the Employment Select Committee sought to intervene in the running of the companies before it.
Janner and his colleagues will come up with a report, based on many of the misconceptions that it perpetuated during its open session and ensured were repeated and reinforced in some of the lazier media overnight. And its very existence is supposed to have some interventionary effect on top executives' pay. We can expect a slap of the wrists at one end of the scale, the prospect of an incomes board at the other, if Labour warms to its executive pay controls theme under the direction of Gordon Brown.
Such an appetite to control the free market when it suits is far from confined to Planet Westminster. The City has, of late, demonstrated considerable aptitude for burdening the reputable, while signally failing to convict the villains (most of you, I imagine, can list three).
The recent experience of the Prudential is a case in point. Newmarch found his position untenable because he favoured a statutory regulator – in the image of an American Securities & Exchange Commission – over the system of self-regulation, embodied of late by the PIA, which patently doesn't work.
Note that this was not, in the end, an issue for shareholders – or only in so far as Newmarch endeavoured to serve the interests of his shareholders and was frustrated by bureaucrats in Whitehall and the City. His resignation also coincided with continued questions regarding his dealings in Pru share options last autumn. There is no suggestion that anything illegal occurred, but this was apparently the final straw in Newmarch's back-breaking burden of regulation.
Legality, of course, is central to any type of regulation we want for British boardrooms. No one should suggest that directors ought not to be subject to limited legal requirements, the breach of which should bring rapid and effective response. But what we don't need, and shouldn't want, are layers of regulatory bureaucrats, whose role is to intervene on behalf of some ill-defined public piousness.
Which brings me back to Kingfisher. As I understand it, Smith proved less effective as chief executive at Kingfisher than he did as a director at Marks & Spencer and, along with the finance director, was ousted in a nettle-grasping exercise which saw Sir Geoffrey Mulcahy step back into the role.
In other words, Smith didn't last because non-executive directors – on behalf of the shareholders – believed he wasn't up to it. That is real self-regulation, because it is regulation on behalf of shareholders rather than self-righteous regulatory bureaucrats.
It's an important distinction, because it prescribes how we choose to govern companies. I favour shareholder power for anything not covered by company law. And that, incidentally, should go for Saatchi too.
George Pitcher is joint managing director of media consultancy Luther Pendragon.


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Sleazoid Friendships
by Eric Messina
I've watched tons of exploitation and horror flicks over the years and have noticed that some of these characters have a certain special and complex bond that almost borders on platonic courtship between two straight male protagonists. The films where I've noticed this extremely special relationship are in the incredibly scuzzy Ruggero Deodato movie House On The Edge of The Park, Street Law with Franco Nero, Fernando Arrabal's mind-shatteringly disturbing and surrealistic I Will Walk Like A Crazy Horse and Duke Mitchell's "Wopsploitation (to coin a phrase from the great Stefano Monteforte's blog), opus," Massacre Mafia Style.
House On The Edge of the Park is about a dynamic team of two low life cretins out on the town all coked up and ready for action. David Hess, fresh off the success of Wes Craven's controversial grindhouse hit Last House On The Left, plays Alex. This movie attempts at every measure to upstage the aforementioned flick. Deodato had the genius idea to borrow Hess' vicious Krug character and encouraged him to take it five more steps into hostility and madness. His best pal Ricky, who he sort of bullies along into uncomfortable situations, is played by John Morghen. These two are sadistic rapists out to humiliate and torture anyone in their way all in the name of "fun" and "games" which to them equal unrepentant brutality. They invade a party and hold everyone hostage, turning it into a class war between two maniacs and a large group of stuck up partygoers. Alex is insecure and bipolar, easily manages to overpower them armed with a straight razor. He doles out beatings like hors d'oeuvres at any top notch shindig. Ricky reluctantly goes along with all this debauchery. There are so many vile and misogynistic moments in the film it's hard to count, but one of the oddest occurs when Ricky sexually assaults a character played by Lorraine De Selle who costarred a year later with Morghen in Cannibal Ferox. Alex screams at him to "speed it up." I was seriously disturbed by the notion in screenwriter Gianfranco Clerici's mind of consensual rape. After Morghen's character bawls like a baby, Gloria (De Selle) actually takes pity on him and comforts him—it just grosses me out every time I watch it. I guess that disgusting moment signified their newfound love for each other – BARF! Everything about this movie is vile, unpleasant and hard to stomach. It's consistently offensive, but the two pals' demented relationship is inexplicably fascinating. Clerici penned some of the most atrocious images committed to cinema like the infamous Cannibal Holocaust and the MST3K lampooned Devil Fish.
I never feel sorry for them mind you, but the way Hess' character treats Ricky's dimwitted and gullible nature is sort of pathetic. There's a bizarre moment when Alex cradles Ricky in his arms and spouts misogynistic gibberish about his new relationship (maybe he's jealous). He claims that he didn't want to hurt him even though he puts him through the wringer and it ends on a depressing note. As nihilistic as this film is, it's highly entertaining and surreal.
Another doomed connection of mistrust that is pretty gut wrenching to watch is in another Italian film called Street Law (1973). The title song for this film by Guido & Maurizo De Angelis aka the folky Prog duo Oliver Onions is blisteringly aggressive in an English Second Language kind of way, sung in by two Italians. The mournful lyrics on "Goodbye My Friend" don't make a lot of sense but goddamn are they effective! It's played during a barrage of squib explosions during the credits. There is a cursed friendship between Franco Nero's character and a ruthless gangster named Tommy played by Giancarlo Prete, from the film that Spielberg's lawyer's attacked The Last Shark (1981).
If you're looking for people to get bludgeoned or smacked across the face super hard realistically, this high action police crime flick has got you covered. Street Law inspired Bill Lustig to make Vigilante (1983); his DVD Company Blue Underground re-released both films.
Instead of give an outline of the plot, I'm going to zero in on the abusive friendship between victim and perpetrator. Franco plays a man fed up with the police and the way he's treated by authority after a bank hold up. It gets to the point where he becomes a makeshift detective and is appallingly shitty at it. Eventually he finds Tommy, one of the rotten thieves who thinks Nero is about to punch him for stealing his girlfriend. In this way he can find the rest of the creeps who stole his dignity in the heist. He won't let up until he feels justified and once the robbers are jailed, the police however consistently let him down.
Tommy and Carlo's friendship is based on paranoid trust and suspicion; they're both manipulating each other. The criminal wants to humiliate Carlo but he's smarter than he thinks. Tommy expresses that he has no choice and its delinquency that's sealed his fate. Carlo is kind of an idiot for trusting the lowlife he's been stalking for weeks but I did feel sorry for him even though his gullible nature is infuriating! Tommy does have a soft spot for him, so it seems, but it always leads to violence and humiliation for Carlo. They have a sadomasochistic kind of companionship. At one point Tommy puts his neck on the chopping block and his cronies make him pay for acting like a snitch by shredding him with their weapons.
The system in Street Law is cracked because the stupid police are never able to convict anyone in the shootings. Carlo, after seeing another victim at the station receive the same hellish treatment, finally accepts that things are cyclical and beyond his control. This is one of Franco Nero's best performances (and is available to stream on Amazon Prime).
I Will Walk Like A Crazy Horse is almost painful to revisit; the first time I watched it on Fandor, thee cult movie fans' main destination for quality, I couldn't take notes because I don't speak French and was so captivated by its profound weirdness that my eyes were glued to the screen!
While on the lam from the murder of his own mother, Alden Rey (George Shannon) meets his best pal and life partner Marvel (played by Hachemi Marzouk). Marzouk, a little person actor, was great and only appeared in one other film by the same director, Viva La Muerte (1971). Shannon in the same year acted in Sugar Cookies, a sleazy melodrama with Lynn Lowry and Mary Woronov. There's some very disturbing flashes of insanity that assault your ocular cavities in just a few minutes than in any conceited four hour art house flick. Shit eating, cum facials that trigger a child seizure, a boner candle, genital mutilation and tongue nailing. Arrabal worked with Jodorowsky and almost upstages him in debauchery. Him, Alejandro, and Roland Topor were all in a collective shock theatre group in the seventies called The Panic Movement.
My best pal, Skunkape, who sends me all kinds of rare movies that we both review on my site Theater of Guts added this trailer to a comp he made for me which has no title or narration at all – just a series of scary images and goofy childish singing.
The character of Marvel is always chipper even though he lives in the middle of the desert. Rey seems to instantly adore him and envisions him as a swirling angel floating in the blue sky. Everything just appears for them: food, animals, and there seems to be no reason for either of them to return to the industrialized cruel society but of course they do. This film is one of my recent favorite discoveries; it must be seen to be believed!
Massacre Mafia Style begins with two mob enforcer paesanos out killing schlubs gangland style with "Guts, balls and trust." Duke "Mr. Palm Springs" Mitchell wrote, directed, and starred in this slimy pile that Grindhouse Releasing resurrected from 1974 to a new generation of adoring fans. There's something so enjoyable about watching these Hollywood dollar store gangsters orchestrate different murders while swiftly moving from each floor to elevator in the first few minutes. Everything about this flick is so earnest and from the heart that it overrides the cheapness. The chemistry between Jolly (played by Vic Caesar, who looks like Wolfman Jack) and Mimi cannot be faked and comes off as so genuine. In the first minute there's a urinal electrocution scene that's seriously creative and was inspired by Sicilian style methods! Caesar did the score for one of my favorite cheapo trashy actions flicks Bare Knuckles (1977).
The racism between Italians and black people in this film is the rotten capicola deli meat stink that sort of lingers in certain situations and is something best left in the 70s along with macramé. There's another offensive part where they crucify a black pimp; I guess they were trying to convey that racist Italian Godfather stereotype – it's pure exploitation of course. I like how just before Duke rattles off a threat to murder Super Spook's family he kisses Jolly on the lips. It's unintentionally hysterical when mobsters feed Jolly his own pet poodle Chaco then blow off his hairpiece and brains. I kept seeing this trailer ad nauseam in a lot of independent theaters and was ecstatic when it finally showed up on TCM and DVD. I think it really taps into the marinara flowing veins of any Italian-American but can be enjoyed by exploitation fans alike.
I urge exploitation horror fans to check out all these films but be forewarned they're very disturbing and not for the squeamish or easily offended. Thanks Moviejawn for the contribution invite and please check out my pal Skunkape's trailer page: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCc4CbO0lXQQNoVe1boU4LzQ.
Check out more from Eric on Theater of Guts: http://www.theaterofguts.com/


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Bell Let's Talk has helped lift a veil on mental health knowledge and done a lot to reduce stigma. As a result, we better understand that mental illness impacts us all. But did you know that 70 per cent of adult mental illnesses begin in childhood? And, by the time Canadians reach 40 years of age, 50 per cent will have had, or have, a mental illness?
While the volume of conversation in Bell Let's Talk is incredible, I do worry we are not paying enough attention to some of the most vulnerable members of our communities who face mental health issues: children. Indigenous, LGBTQ, low-income and black youth are especially vulnerable.
That's why I am asking you to help children and youth with mental health issues by including them in your conversations this year on Bell Let's Talk Day.
Now more than ever, it's important to remember kids when discussing mental health. Children's mental healthcare is in crisis. Due to chronic underfunding and increased demand as awareness and acceptance of mental illness grows, our communities are facing a shortage of services and long wait times. Some kids in Ontario are waiting 18 months for urgent care. Other parts of the country are facing similar challenges. That's not right.
As a mom with a daughter who has struggled with mental illness, I know how challenging it can be, not only for the children affected, but for the entire family. It is extremely difficult to know whether professional help is needed, and then when you do reach out for help and it isn't available, the situation can become dire. Thousands of children languish on wait lists; many give up and stop trying to get help, or worse, become suicidal, like my daughter did. It's not just those immediately touched by mental illness.
There is a ripple effect that happens in our communities, schools and in our workplaces. For example, a recent Ipsos Public Affairs survey found that one in four Ontario parents reported having to miss work to care for their child with mental health issues. I missed weeks of work to care for my child. The survey also showed that 46 per cent of all youth in Ontario report having missed school as a result of their anxiety, and one quarter of all kids with mental health issues experience substantially lower achievement at school.
Hospitals are also impacted. Many children and youth are forced in desperation and crisis to seek mental health treatment at hospital emergency rooms. Since 2006-07, there has been a 63 per cent increase in emergency department visits and a 67 per cent increase in hospitalizations for Ontario children and youth with mental health issues. Nationally, the rates echo the sharp increase with a 56 per cent increase in emergency department visits and 47 per cent in hospitalization.
Elyse Schipper, Executive Director of Parents Lifelines of Eastern Ontario in Ottawa recently presented to a group of Ontario MPPs to explain the crisis and need for further help:
"When we hear about a child in our community who has died by suicide, as service providers we are rocked with grief and frustration. Because we know that this death didn't come out of nowhere – that there were so many opportunities along the way, over years, to intervene for a better outcome. That the parents of this child, like so many who call us, have found only closed doors. Have been sent home from Hospital Emergency with a child deemed not quite high enough risk, to lock up all the knives, the ropes, the pills, and to sleep outside their child's room lest he wake up in the middle of the night and decide he can't take it anymore."
There are solutions. Bell Let's Talk has provided grants totaling more than $100,000 for innovative and cost-effective mental health programs for Children's Mental Health Ontario (CMHO) service providers to deliver suicide prevention first aid training for youth, provide walk-in mental health clinics in rural communities and extend service hours to provide evening support, for example. And, parent groups, CMHO and youth themselves are urging the government of Ontario to invest $120M in additional funds annually to meet the increasing demand and shortage of mental health and addiction services for both children and youth.
More from HuffPost Canada:
With these additional funds, we can:
- Ensure that no child or youth waits more than 30 days for mental health and addictions treatment
- Expand specialized youth mental health and addictions centres to ensure that children and youth get the treatment they need
- Hire and retain the highest skilled staff caring for our most vulnerable children
- Develop quality standards to deliver the best mental health and addictions services
This Bell Let's Talk day I hope everyone will raise their voice for children's mental health. For those in Ontario, you can also join me, CMHO, parents and youth in sending Premier Kathleen Wynne a message to let her know that our #kidscantwait. For others across Canada, I also encourage you to reach out to your local politicians to make child and youth mental health a priority.
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From UEL ZING:
Let's talk ROASTING at the Coffee Lab this Saturday. We're keepin' it casual with a simple meet & greet throughout, plenty of free cold brew, and an actual coffee roast at 1pm!
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- See a real live coffee roast on Tinker's Quest M3 at 1pm!
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Read our letter of support from Ross Rowland and click here to send your own!
March 2, 2018
Honorable Derrick Freeman, Mayor
City of Port Arthur, Texas
444 4th. Street
Port Arthur,Texas 77640
Dear Mayor Freeman,
I write to say thank you to the citizens of Port Arthur for providing a safe home these many years for locomotive 503 and to you for your leadership in helping save her for future generations to enjoy as an important artifact from our nations great history.
70 years ago in 1947 I began my love affair with steam locomotives in my dads railroads roundhouse in Cranford NJ and I've been heavily devoted to them ever since. I created the steam powered American Freedom Train ( www.freedomtrain.org) to help America celebrate our bicentennial and it went on a 48 state, 25,883 mile journey ( all steam powered) 21 month journey ( 1975-76) displaying at 138 cities & towns where 7.6 million American's bought a ticket to take the tour through its 10 display cars. An additional 40 million Americans came down to track side to cheer it on its journey It was the only national bicentennial project that worked. I served on the Amtrak BOD ( 1982-87) representing President Reagan, and have organized the restorations of numerous steam locomotives over the years. I am the proud owner of America's last commercially built mainline steam locomotive C&O 614 ( www.co614.com) built in 1948 and restored to service in 1980.
One of the greatest under told stories of our nations history is the crucial role played by the steam locomotive in the growth of the nation. Before the advent of the railroad steam engine in the late 1820's we got around the same as since before the time of Christ, either by sailboat or by horse & buggy. On may 10, 1869 we finally united the entire continent by rail and that enabled the settlement of the vast western 2/3rds. of the nation and gave birth to the industrial revolution ( also often called " the age of steam" ) that transformed America into the greatest nation on earth. All of this was only possible because of the railroad steam locomotive.
In the American age of steam railroading ( 1820- 1950 ) approx. 275,000 steam locomotives were produced by 11 different builders. In the late 1940's the transition from steam to diesel locomotives began in earnest and 10 years later nearly all were retired from active service. 99% of the retired locomotives were sold for scrap and in less than 5 years had disappeared into the melting furnaces of the nations steel makers to become tomorrows automobiles.
A precious few were saved and donated to on line communities like Port Arthur by railroads who wanted the important history of steam to be celebrated for future generations. Locomotive 503 is representative of thousands of her sister engines that served your part of America and she proudly did what she was built to do for many years.
I want to congratulate and thank Jason Sobczynski and Nick Hovey for all they've done to offer their assistance to your City in finding a positive solution to the long term future for the 503. As has been amply discussed her years of sitting out in the elements have taken their toll and she now badly needs a in depth exterior de-rusting and quality repainting to halt further degradation.
I'm grateful to be able to say that Jason is one of our most knowledgeable and capable steam locomotive restoration specialists and in a field that numbers only in the low double digits his national efforts have been and will be crucial to doing what's needed to keep our few saved locos preserved.
As you are no doubt well aware, thanks to Jason's leadership a Go Fund Page was created to raise the funds needed to satisfy your desires to be able to get the ground under the 503 remediated so as to meet the States environmental demands, and, to do so with minimal cash outlay to the City. I am very pleased and grateful to report that thanks to this effort over 1,200 people contributed ( many of them from the greater Port Arthur area) over $ 67,000.00 towards the stated goals of the campaign which are; 1. save the 503 from being cut up for scrap, 2. move the 503 to Rusk, Texas for safekeeping and exterior restoration and 3. mount a campaign to raise the funding needed to restore her to service.
I respectfully recommend that the City Council work closely with Jason so as to put the first two goals into action. Under his leadership the funds raised will amply cover the services of the Inland Environments Company to date and for them to do the ground remediation once 503 is lifted off the site, cover the substantial costs of the cranes needed to lift her and load her ready for transport, the trucking costs to get her from PA to Rusk, and the costs once safely in Rusk to do the extensive exterior work needed to halt further deterioration.
I can fully understand that there will be some of your constituents who will want to keep her in Port Arthur. May I respectfully submit that this is not the best option for 503's long term future. To stay in Port Arthur will require you to budget sufficient funds to lay some panel track now so she can be moved off the ground that needs remediating ( educated estimate $ 10,000.00-15,000.00), have all her exterior surfaces derusted and industrial grade primer applied to prevent further deterioration, then apply an Imron finish paint job to engine and tender (educated estimate $ 25,000.00-35,000.00 ) and then the only way to insure her long term display won't eventually lead back to rusting away is to build a climate controlled display building for her (semi educated guesstimate $ 250,000.00-350,000.00) and then fund the annual costs of electric etc. for the display building.
Putting her in Jason's capable hands will solve your issues, give the 503 her best chance for a long term future and save one of our nations historic artifacts for future generations.
Please feel free to call or write if I can be of any assistance in this matter.
Respectfully submitted,
Ross E. Rowland, Jr.CLICK HERE TO EMAIL YOUR SUPPORT


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The Zombies of Postsocialism/
If zombies are such a powerful locus for anxieties about subjectivity and selfhood in the mass-culture, consumer-fixated landscape of postmodern late capitalism (itself an apocalyptic term if I ever heard one), what do we make of the postsocialist zombie? The zombie metaphor is alive and shambling in Russia as well, though one could argue it comes to the former Soviet Union second- or third-hand. Third-hand, in that it comes from American movies, which themselves are a transformation of the Voodoo zombie. Second hand, in that the myth is somewhat more directly refreshed with references to Haitian practices (as in Victor Pelevin's essay "Zombification.")
As we shall see, the postsocialist zombie is harder to pin down with our assorted discursive pitchforks, because the postsocialist zombie does not exist. Obviously, the zombies of contemporary Western entertainment are not real either, but they are fully imagined and imaginable. In the Russian Federation, once can certainly find the occasional zombie story that is not simply a translation or adaptation (my particular favorite example is an anthology entitled "А зомби здесь тихие…" ("The Zombies Are Quiet Here"), also the title of a much-maligned web series produced by regional Russian televion); last year, Sergei Lukyanenko, best known for his hit "Night Watch" series of novels and films, tried his hand at the zombie genre with novel called " Квази" ("Quasi"), a twist on the "buddy cop" trope pairing up a human police officer with a sentient zombie colleague.
By and large, however, the postsocialist zombie is less an imaginary creature than it is a state of mind. This, too, would sound paradoxical, particularly given our earlier distinction between the ghost as self without a body and the zombie as the body without a self. As it turns out, the zombie metaphor in contemporary Russian discourse is deployed quite differently. As in the West, zombies are the product of contagion, but along a completely different disease vector. Russian discourse is less concerned with the zombie as thing than it is with zombie as process: not zombies, but zombification.
Western zombies are the threat of the Other (even if one might see oneself reflected in the Other's empty eye sockets). These zombies will destroy you. In Russia, the anxiety is different: the zombie will become you. Russian zombification is not about the perils of commodity capitalism, even after commodity capitalism becomes imaginable as part of Russian everyday experience. Rather, Russian zombification is primarily about the relationship between mass media and audience: zombification occurs when the viewer's or consumer's consciousness becomes colonized or hijacked thanks to media input.
Zombification (зомбирование) is almost always a a metaphor when deployed in contemporary Russian cultural and political debates, but it is a metaphor that reveals a great deal about the crisis of selfhood in the post-Soviet space; we might call it the " undeath of the subject." To invoke zombification is to posit a particular anthropology, based on largely unspoken but also widely shared conceptions of the boundaries of selfhood and the power of media and propaganda.
Zombification only makes sense even as a shorthand if one is willing to believe in the overwhelming power of media input and the helpless passivity of the media consumer. In turn, invoking zombification is inevitably a political gesture, a statement about the relationship between the governing and the governed. A reification of the Russian governmental "power vertical," zombification dooms the Russian audience to an inner life impoverished by constant manipulation that brooks little resistance. And, as Russian-language discussions of the events in Ukraine show, the willingness to invoke zombification as an explanation is a sign that nearly all sides in Russia's political debates are speaking a common language when it comes to politics and subjectivity: no one has any faith in the population's ability to evaluate media messages.
As we shall see, zombification is the culmination of years of pseudoscientific discussion of mind control and conspiratorial manipulation, whose roots go back ironically to the Cold War, and to American anxieties that imported and distorted proclamations of Soviet subjectivity and reforging as a myth of mind control: the brainwashing debate.
Russia imports the idea of brainwashing in the early nineties, initially as both "зомбирование" and "кодирование" (coding), when activists associated with the Russian Orthodox Church appropriate the scholarship of the Western anti-cult movement in their fight against so-called "totalitarian sects." As the culprits behind zombification proliferate, and return to their association with governmental and national actors, the notion that people can be easily brainwashed ultimately renders the concept of free speech moot. Speak all you want; virtually no one is capable of listening.
Next: The Zombie Diet Plan


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"Most people are like a falling leaf that drifts and turns in the air, flutters, and falls to the ground. But a few others are like stars which travel one defined path: no wind reaches them, they have within themselves their guide and path." Siddhartha -Hermann Hesse
<rant> I've been brooding about my future. My path. I've been told I'm like a river. But I see myself with one foot in the flowing water and one on the stagnant land.
True to my gemini nature, I see both sides of every situation and have a hard time taking a position when asked. Some call us two-faced. Fickle. Confused. Fickle to others is an apt ability to perceive life's balancing and contradicting act, to equally enjoy the hardest and best parts of life to me.
As a journalist, I am blessed with the adventure of experiencing life as the doctor and the patient; as the family that lost the wife to cancer and the woman who conquered it. I rub elbows with a drug addicted transvestite and later sip coffee with an 83 year old man who built his own house boat from scratch.
I understand that there is wisdom to be gained from all walks of life. Maybe it's this wisdom that makes me feel like I don't fit in anywhere, but everywhere.
I feel this way: I have a path inside me no wind can touch. My path is chinked with the books, countries, and people I have encountered. My goals change. It won't always be advocacy journalism. I'd like to be a chef. A Literature teacher. A mother.
Lately, I've been bogged down by the obvious questions. What am I doing here? Where am I going? The answers are always changing.
That's what I love best about my two-faced life. </rant>


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hang Around
Greeted by `Mortadella', a kitsch piece by South Australian artist Billie Justice Thomson, this room evokes memories of a summer spent with our closest pals in Italy. Slicing fresh Mortadella, devouring it with panini and finishing it with a vino or three, this was the lunch time ritual. Italians keep it simple and all things enjoyed should be simple.
No need to peer. Come on in and stay a while.
The Byron Bay Hanging Chair adds the calmness and serenity of travel. Here you can read a book, admire the pressed ceiling and peer out the large bay windows looking out to Wombat Hill.


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Feeling Thrifty
"How I ever lived without The East End Thrift Store is a mystery. The clue's in the name – 'thrift' rather than 'vintage', which means you get essentially all the fab gear of yesteryear at prices that would get Del Boy all a-quiver. Most of the stock is around the £7-£10 mark, but if you splash out £15 you could get the one-of-a-kind turquoise evening dress with marabou trim on its hem. It might not be as pretty as some of the other vintage shops, but the stripped warehouse space has a certain functional charm all of its own." Time out
Normal opening hours are Mon-Sun, 11am – 6pm, but as an extra special treat, The East End Thrift Store is opening its doors for some late night shopping.
- 26th Feb – 7pm until late!
- Unit 1A Watermans building, Assembly Passage, E1 (Stepney Green tube)


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In today's blog, I want to give a mere head nod to a second "cause" (for lack of a better word) behind the rise of Analytic Theology. Let me give the first cause here, and then the second following.
Analytic Theology: a First Cause (Convergence)
This story is old news to anyone involved in AT. Let me put it down briefly for newcomers. When I sat through philosophy classes or conversations about Analytic Theology, one is often told that AT arose as a result of an intersection between theological and philosophical work in the latter 20th century. While it may come as a surprise to some, there were Christians working in the Anglo-Analytic philosophical departments of various institutes during the latter half of the 20th century. (Some readers may still be under the illusion that philosophy is not a field that Christians have worked in or should - this is something that should be quickly rectified in their thinking. I can tell my story and comment on this in another posting. )
Anyhow, Analytic philosophy underwent a sort of course change following its first phase in the early 20th century. The first phase was, broadly speaking, dominated by thinkers like G. Frege, B. Russell, Wittgenstein, and company. That phase focused on the logical positivist agenda, among other things. This was a self-referential agenda that eventually died at its own hand. Analytic Philosophy in the last third of the 20th century bears affiliations to that earlier generation but is quite different in some respects. Back to our story. As it is told, Christians working in analytic philosophy in the latter third of the 20th century (Basil Mitchell, Plantinga, Wolterstorff, etc..) took up Christian theological issues in their work (e.g. incarnation, Trinity), rather than sticking merely to philosophical issues (e.g. necessity, causation). Good work was done. One could fill out this story with the birth of the Society of Christian Philosophers (SCP) and its quick growth. Plantinga, Wolterstorff, and others have various videos and chapters where they tell the story of these decades. ( Seefor example Nicholas Wolterstorff. "How Philosophical Theology Became Possible within the Analytic Tradition of Philosophy." In Analytic Theology: New Essays in the Philosophy of Theology, by Crisp, Oliver D., and Michael C. Rea, eds., edited by Oliver D. Crisp, and Michael C. Rea. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2009. )
As the 80s and 90s rolled along there thus existed two streams of rich work being done side by side; one philosophical (done by Christians in philosophy departments), and another theological (done by seminary professors). Rarely did the two cross. Toward the end of the 20th century that isolation began to break down through various reasons, which I can only guess at. Topics such as Open Theism undoubtedly drew together these two groups as scholars searched for work that had been done on divine foreknowledge. The availability of the internet post-1995 undoubtedly made these resources easier for everyone to exchange. Yearly ETS/EPS and AAR meetings being held close by may have helped. The birth of philosophy programs at seminaries like Talbot brought faculty of theology and philosophy close by. Professional friendships have a story to tell here. Eventually, in the first decade of the 2000's Oliver Crisp and Michael Rea sit down at Notre Dame and discuss what could be done to help philosophers and theologians talk to each other more, engage more, etc.. And on the story could go until we are where we are today with study centers, journals, grants and other efforts all put forward in support of analytic theology- way of engaging in Systematic theology using some of the methods, literature and personalities of analytic philosophy (as exemplified by Christian philosophers). So here we have the rise of AT as a result of natural convergence of fields.
Analytic Theology: A Second Cause (Response)
Much briefer but still worth noting is a second cause for the rise of analytic theology. That seems to be a response to - among other things - challenges to the traditional Christian faith. Here I am thinking of the publication of John Hicks book The Myth of God Incarnate. As Randall Rauser briefly summarizes the story here (Click here for Rauser's blog)... and I quote him here...
I have heard more than one person suggest (maybe for a total of three including Rauser) that much of the current AT literature kicked off in earnest thanks to the atmosphere surrounding the response to Hick's book. One of the best examples would be The Logic of God Incarnate (note the similarity in title's) by Thomas Morris. In this case, we have the rise of AT as a result of the convergence of challenges to Christian doctrines. One could perhaps include in this field Open Theism mentioned in the first part, and well as the problem of evil (POE). Here we see theological problems that are uniquely susceptible to philosophical solutions: God and evil, God and time, God and knowledge, the Hypostatic Union, the Trinity, and perhaps in the last 20 years, the Atonement. Much like the earliest history of the church, where Christian theology developed in response to doctrinal challenges, we see the same thing occuring (not that it ever stopped) 2000 years later.


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Yesterday morning when I first opened my daily dose of news, I immediately read the current headline about the death of Dulce Saguisag, wife of Atty and former senator Rene Saguisag when a speeding dumptruck rammed their van in Makati City. Dulce Saguisag, a former secretary of DSWD died on impact while Atty. Rene Saguisag remained in critical condition.
As expected, pictures, videos and old clips of the former senator was shown on TV. Doctors interviewed even said he's responding to simple commands and has a high chance of recovery from brain damage being an intellectual.
I used to admire the former senator when he was a human rights lawyer and fought the the despotic president Marcos. He became a senator after the People Power revolution.
My faith and admiration for him were shattered when he became the lawyer who defended the now convicted, later pardoned, former president Erap-- which is a mockery of justice. He's now planning to fight the writ of execution of the forfeiture of Erap's assets and money in bank due to Erap's conviction. He's also the lawyer of those soldiers who mutinied and took over Makati particularly Oakwood (now Ascott) led by the now firebrand senator Trillanes.
I know this is a difficult time for your family, Atty. Saguisag, but I hope in your slumber, you realize that you're doing a disservice to the Filipino people. You've used your superior intelligence to defend a convicted plunderer, worked on Erap's despicable pardon even if the former president (your president, not mine) didn't admit his guilt and still harbor contempt of the courts.
Regarding the dumptruck driver, it may have been an accident due to his undisciplined ways, but he asked for your forgiveness. I wonder, when you already regained conciousness, will you also grant the driver who killed your wife, injured yourself and your companions, absolute pardon and clemency?
In spite of this, I wish you well, Atty. Saguisag. May you come out of your hospital bed much wiser but please devote your talent and energy in the service of the needy, not of the rich who openly defy authority and flagrant contempt of the courts of justice, but the human rights victims you used to defend.
Uncomplicating the Complicated stuff from a guy who's not can be really technical, with lots of ideas on hand but no time to blog.
Friday, November 09, 2007
Dulce and Rene Saguisag Accident
Posted by backpacking philippines at Friday, November 09, 2007
Labels: Rants
3 comments:
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text: Some days in the Northern Rivers you just, can't understand why there are so many closed minds and cliché groups. As a professional artist, who has moved back to the area I have really struggled to find my voice amongst the naysayers and the pretentious creative types who have taken over. I've spent the past decade building my professional mural business and I have nearly twenty years of experience in working with aerosols and and creating public art, but the doors of the gallery are still jammed shut. To find somewhere to create my art, I have to traipse up hills and search over the countryside to find a place to paint, when in reality there are plenty of great public places which would be perfect for a professional mural. And that doesn't even begin to cover how the Treasures of the Tweed is devaluing my profession. Some days in the Northern Rivers, you just wonder where it all went wrong; it's a great place to live, but a difficult place to work


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You don't just want to improve customer experience for your customers, you want to transform it
Trouble is, in today's digital world, keeping your customers happy just got a whole lot harder
Yep – we get it, you're already out of your comfort zone
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Building better, more profitable relationships with your customers is going to take an army of digital experts – or at least that's what you believe. At MATS, we believe all you really need is good customer insight and a little Low-code magic. It's an approach that businesses are already using to develop and improve services alongside customer-centred techniques like Design Thinking. Having the freedom to experiment and co-create applications to transform customer experience will never be the same again.
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Ask yourself, how many systems do your contact centre team typically use? If the answer is 2 or more, if you want to give customers better access to self-service, or if you're paying more than $50 / month on CRM – let's talk. We can help you simplify your "marchitecture" and save a pile of cash too.
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A leading financial services business with 18k staff has built more than 30 applications to launch and improve financial services and empower their staff – would you like to know more?


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Live musical entertainment for your corporate event, fundraiser, or other private party adds a classy touch with a level of FUN that simply can't be found with a guy who presses play on a similar device as the one in your pocket right now. The energy that a good band can create far surpasses the energy of Vinny the DJ playing his iPod. Underwater People has performed at hundreds of private functions. Jim, the band leader, with all of his planning and executing experience, can assist you every step of the way to help you create the perfect event.
Here's a ballpark timeline and the services we provide at a typical Fundraising or Corporate Event:
6:00 - 7:30 Cocktail Hour - silent auction (if you're doing one). During this time, we provide 'canned' music and emcee services.
7:30-8:30 Dinner (canned music and emcee services continue)
8:30–11:30 Dancing
Here's more detail on what our services include.
Early Arrival and Set Up - Our equipment (sound and lights) arrives 2 hours in advance of your guests coming in to the room so they all walk in to a completely finished room.
'Canned' Background Music - we will roll our iPod "Cocktail Hour Background" playlist for you during the time before we start playing. Your iPod playlist is also more than happily plugged in to our system during these times. During our one band break we also have fun 'iPod' tunes to keep your party rockin'. Should you need sound in another room during cocktails/dinner we will take care of you with that for no additional charge.
Emcee Services - We take care of any announcements (including but not limited to; introduction of important speakers, introduction of any toasts, any event specifics related to auctions, timelines, etc…)
Dancing - The band will play up to a 3 hour dance set with only one short 10 minute break in the middle. Unlike a lot of bands that go 45 minutes on and then 15 minutes off for each hour - we like to avoid the buzz kill of yet "another band break?!?!". We realize you're paying us to entertain your clients, friends, co-workers and other guests, and we're not very entertaining if we're not on stage. Breaks are overrated. Playing music is fun for us!
Five Reasons To Choose LIVE MUSIC For Your Next Event
1. Live Music Creates Excitement -
When you hear live music, whether you're at a club or a private party, it means something special is happening. It naturally draws a crowd and invites people to join in on the fun. Each year, millions of people pay huge amounts of money to attend concerts to hear their favorite singers or groups perform because they want to feel the energy of the performer. Live musicians create an energy unmatched by
2. Live Music More Easily Sets And Changes A Mood -
Social events are all about human interaction. Live musicians can read the crowd and react to their needs. Live music can set the right tone and mood and change it throughout the event if necessary. Good musicians and groups form a bond with the guests delivering exactly what they want when they want it.
3. People Prefer Live Music and it's Classy -
How often have you heard someone describe an event they attended and saying something like "and that band was great! You should have heard them play…" Conversely, when have you heard people discussing a party in regards to the "awesomely cool DJ that really rocked the party!!!" . . . . uh. . . never. The music and dancing part of the evening is usually the most memorable part of any function.
4. We all have an iPod or other MP3 device -
Do you really want to go out and get excited to hear someone play the same device you have in your pocket? Enough said!
5. If the event that you're planning is a wedding...
Unless you're Larry King or Elizabeth Taylor, you're planning on one and only one wedding day for yourself, right? Do you really want to squander the most important day of your life (and the most important part of your wedding reception) on a disc jockey?
LIVE MUSIC. When the music really matters…Underwater People.
CONTACT US now with your questions or to book the band.


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You'll find Chicagoland's largest Freightliner and Western Star truck inventory at TransChicago Truck Group. If we don't have the truck you are looking for, our expert locator system allows us to search the entire country to find what you need.
If you are in the market for a pre-owned truck, we're proud of our wide onsite all-makes selection with additional inventory arriving daily, including International, Kenworth, Peterbilt, Volvo, Mack and more. Each truck goes through a thorough inspection and many carry a warranty.
We have a strong and committed sales staff with many years of experience satisfying our customers' needs.
Feel free to browse our new and pre-owned vehicle inventory, ask for more information, set up a test drive, or inquire about financing! We'll be happy to answer any questions you may have.
We are continually replacing and bringing in new inventory, so if you don't see what you are looking for, allow us to search for you.


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Every wedding is a celebration of the love and life between two people. And every love is as unique and genuine as the couple themselves. Andrew and Jonathan's big day was no different. It was a day of devotion. Of beauty and style, drama and sophistication. Stolen kisses and wild dance moves. Good drinks, good people, great fun!
501 Union's swanky and sophisticated ambiance was the perfect setting for Andrew and Jonathan's stylish wedding. And Katie Osgood Photography was there to capture all the fabulous details.
Mimosa Floral killed it with the flowers with a dramatic ceremony backdrop and lush table centerpieces. Paired with dark foliage, long blooms cascaded and provided rich coloring and vibrancy to the design. Their distinctive style was showcased with their unique take on florals.
Even the menu and place settings were thoughtfully curated, taking on a more modern aesthetic to make their mark on the evening. Personalized name plates for each guest added a sophisticated personal touch. With all of these details, paired with the dark furnishings and dramatic lighting, the design was implemented beautifully!
Their marble and copper styled wedding cake, the beautiful creation of Madison Lee's Cakes, was a showstopper. Truly a work of art. And their other desserts were some of NYC's finest. Including cookies from Levain Bakery, pudding from Magnolia Bakery, and Doughnut Plant donuts. Some of our favorite things!
Despite the gray skies, their love shone brightly! And we were thrilled to be a part of it all.
Venue: 501 Union
Planning and Design: Jove Meyer Events
Photography: Katie Osgood Photography
Florals: Mimosa Floral Design Studio
Catering: Real Food Catering
Cake: Maddison Lee Cakes
Brooklyn wedding designer Jove Meyer Events, specializes in crafting personalized weddings that are a reflection of the couples' style, personality and relationship. Brooklyn wedding designer Jove Meyer believes in a relaxed approach when guiding couples through the design process, creating an enjoyable and stress-free experience.


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When the Uniform Project's Sheena Matheiken needed to wear one dress for a year, she turned to her friend Eliza Starbuck for the most perfectly versatile LBD. Now Starbuck is making that dress is available to the public.
The dress will hit LES boutique Maryam Nassir Zadeh with a little soiree tonight, and will also be available on DailyCandy through Starbuck's website -- under her new label, Bright Young Things. The site even features several girls sitting around wearing the dress, styled in the kind of varied and creative ways that got us so addicted to The Uniform Project's daily ensemble dispatch.
The dress retails for $185, and best of all, it comes with a slew of ready-made styling suggestions courtesy of Ms. Sheena Matheiken and her website, so we'd suggest you snap it up while it lasts. (The first limited-edition run of the dress sold out mighty quick, we hear).
Bright Young Things is available at Maryam Nassir Zadeh, 123 Norfolk Street.


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Princess Waltz is a Japanese eroge adventure game produced by Pulltop and distributed in English by Peach Princess. It employs an innovative combat system to engage the player in interesting new ways as he goes on his quest to explore his relationship with the mysterious princesses.
There are no reviews for this game


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Manage And Understand The Purpose Of Budgets
Before you begin constructing your eBay empire, there are just a few objects to contemplate in laying a agency foundation in your future profits. Each day, we publish model-new business assets that will help you succeed and grow your business, together with ideas for business success, information on how the most recent laws affect you, progressive business ideas and more. Sheryl, I've followed you on Twitter for a while now and you've got such a good business sense about you. This will probably be a fantastic opportunity to community with Columbia alumni, Columbia Business School students, and fellow undergrads.
Leave business playing cards everywhere you go. Give business playing cards to your cashiers, bank tellers, leave it on the table with a tip, leave them on counters at public locations the place you see others leaving playing cards and ask businesses should you could go away some there. Moo business … Read More


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Ted LaMontagne, a longtime pillar of the idyllic mountain community of Evergreen, Colorado, passed away this week. With his business and civic activities, neighborly warmth, and devout faith, Ted epitomized all the best qualities we associate with Main Street America. We thought of ourselves as brothers-in-law for the past decade, after his marriage to Kay D'Evelyn, the widow of Donna's late brother David. I never knew a more gentle and greathearted man. Services will be held on Sunday, June 7, at noon at the Evergreen Lake House. Here is the statement his family gave out to newspapers:
Ted LaMontagne, a leading citizen and businessman in Evergreen for over 35 years, passed away at home on May 27. He was 70.
The Hardware, which Ted had owned and operated since 1973, was the town's second oldest business when it closed in 2005. Mountain Home, his award-winning furniture store that began as a department of The Hardware, now operates at the same location in the historic Hiwan Barn, which he renovated for that purpose.
Ted was long active in the Evergreen Chamber of Commerce, serving on its board in the 1980s. He helped found the Evergreen Music Festival and the National Repertory Orchestra, as well as Evergreen Bootstraps and the Evergreen Scholarships. Over the years he employed many special needs students from Evergreen High School at his stores.
He was a board member of Art for the Mountain Community and was himself a devoted sculptor and art collector. He served on the community review and planning committees for both the Evergreen Lake House and Buchanan Park. He was a longtime member and officer of First Church of Christ, Scientist, Evergreen, and a board member for Wide Horizon, the Christian Science care facility in Wheat Ridge.
Edward W. LaMontagne was born January 11, 1939, to American parents in Mexico City, remaining there for his early education until returning to Texas for high school. After graduating from the University of Texas in 1961 with a BA in history, he was an officer in the US Navy.
He is survived by his wife, the former Kay D'Evelyn, who continues as the proprietor of Mountain Home; his son and daughter by a previous marriage, Evan LaMontagne and Kendall Peterson, both of Denver; and his stepson and stepdaughter, Melanie D'Evelyn of Washington, DC, and Kenny D'Evelyn of Elsah, IL, as well as five grandchildren.
A memorial service for Ted will be held on Sunday, June 7, at 12:00 noon at the Evergreen Lake House.


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Apple's Celebration of Steve Jobs
Apple's Celebration of Steve JobsOct 27
Last Wednesday, Apple held a company-wide memorial for its late co-founder, Steve Jobs. It was a moving celebration, Apple has decided to share it with the world, posting a video recording of the event to the Apple.com Web site. It's worth a watch for anyone interested in Jobs, his legacy and his breadth of vision.


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Honestly speaking, I'm tired of people beating about this question! It's not rocket science now…
A woman will cheat on a man who is:
– physically
– emotionally
– financially
unavailable! It could be for any or all of the above reasons. It just depends on what she feels is lacking in her relationship.
It's only by the special grace of God that a woman may decide not to cheat. It's not because she's superhuman or because she's afraid of her partner. Men, please just don't get it twisted. Women are very committed beings but the minute they sense they are being taken for granted, they change course.
It's easy for people to label some women as being bad or a cheater, but trust me every cheating woman has a history! That cheating was once a faithful wife. It's just sad to note that the 'good' wife may also have a history … You just watch and see.
Cheating, as far as I'm concerned, originates from a gradual process of disconnection from a spouse, be it temporary or permanent disconnection… It's still a disconnection!
Most women don't plan to cheat on their partners, except for those who plan to do it out of revenge. Once that 'disconnect' earlier talked about, is there, then a 'void of need' is formed. That need is subjective, that is, the need may depend on what the woman considers lacking in her relationship.
In all honesty, there really shouldn't be any excuse for cheating, but unfortunately, 'cheating' presents itself as an option…at the 'right' time, 'right' place and with the 'right' person. All because of what? All because the woman just wants to feel that 'void of need'…without necessarily thinking about it.
But you know, it's actually easy to prevent a woman from cheating…very easy. All the man needs to do is find out her 'need' or better still, her 'love language'…and fill it…Voilá, she's bound to that man for ever.
Trust Nigerian men particularly, they don't understand any of these, and are not willing to. They just want to eat their cake and have it. They want to keep a 'good' wife at home who should be blind to all their rubbish… That's submissiveness, the type they want, not so?
Just so you guys know, all it takes, is for that 'good' wife to stumble on the 'right' man… a conversation being the prelude. *cough* *cough* Then, you'll be hearing things like, "Oh, I enjoyed your company. We should do this again… " The only problem is that, it may not be ordinary conversation again…let your mind do the maths! Lol!
In my years of experience with all sorts of women…their needs are practically almost the same thing!
If you are a man in a relationship or a husband in a troubled marriage reading this stuff, it's not too late to do a turn around.
And for all of you reading this stuff and wondering, "How does she know all these stuff? Has she cheated?"…all I can say is that you are missing the point and I suggest you start afresh and stay focused! *amebo* 😛


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In this video I teach you a fun study piece I wrote for the double bass called 'Mario's Brother'. It reminds me of music from vintage computer games, so I named it after a favourite character! However, although the music is very light hearted, there's some technical challenges to keep you on your toes. These include combining the bass line with the melody, playing in thumb position, the use of chords, slides and more.
If you would like the transcription and backing track for this lesson check out the Discover Double Bass Lessons Guide.
I hope you enjoy 'Mario's Brother' and if you record your version please let me know as I would love to hear it!
Best of luck with your practice! Cheers Geoff


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Visual Novel, Noir, 1 hour
A travelling con man comes to town looking to cheat his way into easy money. He instead finds something unexpected when he happens upon a woman from his past.
Completed for NaNoRenO 2017. Any feedback you provide would be most appreciated. Thank you for reading.
Writing/Programming: petejohnwilson
Sprites: Konett
Edit: Updated to version 1.1. Typos corrected and some minor technical improvements implemented.


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I had purchased the DFR7 a few months back and was very impressed with how quiet it was. It does not alert at all to the traffic monitoring systems found along I-90 in Ohio, which made for a pesky ride with my Whistler Pro 78 detectors.
Because the detector was so quiet, I was really wondering just how sensitive it was when a real alert happened to be ahead.
I was heading south bound on Highway 11 today which is between Ashtabula and Youngstown, OH. There really is nothing on this road, so don't travel it if you need to stop for gas or a bite to eat.
Anyhow, I was motoring along when my detector sounded. Because I've been wanting to see what type of range I have with this detector, I immediately looked at my odometer and noted the mileage. The alert had stopped sounding, and I thought that the alert had been just a random blip after traveling a mile without hearing anything more. Then the alert came back again, this time a little stronger....then again it was gone as I traveled another mile. Finally, the alert sounded again, this time much stronger....I looked way ahead of me and finally saw a vehicle in the median. Just as I rolled next to this LEO, he lit up and pursued a black pick-up truck heading North bound. I glanced at my odometer just as I rolled past him and to my great surprise, I saw that my DFR7 had given me a 3+ mile alert!
I always wanted to know how well this detector worked at sniffing out a threat. Now I know.
I've never had such advanced warning before.....I was impressed.
Safe travels all....


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HER STORY #9 - karen
Gush Katif
I went to the army as most Israelis do, but it happened some time ago, as I today am 40. I was in the navy and served in Gust Katif, before the IDF pulled out of Gaza in 2005. It was a closed base in Gush Katif, and my role was to work with the radars for surveillance of boats and swimmers on the seat there.
My time in the army was very tough, because I was there for two weeks in a row and then home for a few days only.
The Fifth Out Of 60
Once I was on my way to the base from Ashkelon on a bus, a trip that took an hour approximately. When the bus entered Gush Katif, a suicide bomber in a car drove into the center of the bus. We were 60 in that bus. Out of the sixty, only five were not wounded from the attack, and I was one of those five. Many of my friends were wounded, losing a leg or arms, some got head wounds.
When it happened, I was just in shock. I don't remember most of it, but I think it's my body's self-defense mechanism, because it would probably be very difficult for me, if I remembered everything. After the attack, a video was shown in the news of the situation after the attack, where I saw myself sitting on the ground next to the bus along with many others. The only thing I remember from the attack itself was that there was a lot of smoke right after the "boom," - we ducked - but I don't remember, how all the others got wounded.
At the time there was much less awareness around post-traumatic stress than there is today. Right after the attack, all the wounded were sent directly to the hospital, and I along with all the other non-wounded were sent directly to a base in Beer Sheba to be supervised instead of being sent home. That is what they thought were best for us.
I was on that base for a least a week. Then I was allowed to go back home for one day and then back again to my base. In the week that I was being "supervised," my parents came to visit me instead then.
If it had happened to me today, it wouldn't have happened like this. It would also have been counted as having caused disability.
No Sleeping On Buses
The 90's were very difficult years with all the suicide bombings, and if those hadn't happened along with the one in Gush Katif, I probably would have been a slightly different person.
Today when I sit in a café I always check my surroundings. Some years ago I still had difficulties when hearing fireworks; it would scare me. Every time I heard sirens warning of missiles coming our way I got the goose bumps and a lot of stress. In some coffee shops in Tel Aviv some people would not move from their chair, but I would always run to any shelter or safe place, and I would make these calculations in terms of when the next siren would sound. For example, if it had happened the day before at five in the afternoon, the chances were it would sound around the same time the day after, and I had to organize myself accordingly.
And when the suicide bombing attack happened during my time in the army, I was sleeping, something I always did on those long bus rides. That's not an option for my any longer; I don't sleep on buses.
What Doesn't Kill You
I think that what has happened to me has made me a stronger person. If something bad happens to me, I don't see it as the world ending, as I have been through worse. For some weird reason I also never felt quite at home here in Israel until the attack. It made me feel like I belong.
My husband keeps urging me to move. He doesn't want to live here, because of the whole situation, but I want to stay.
A Nurse For Jews And Arabs Alike
I work as a nurse in a hospital, and I work among many Arab nurses as well, who take care of a lot of Palestinian patients, as they then can converse with them in Arabic.
Many of them come home from Gaza, but those who come seem to be the rich Gazans - not the poor ones - as they seemingly enter the country as tourists.
The Gazan patients always show their appreciation for their treatments, and many times they bring cake and candy. They always thank us, but I don't really know, what they think, since I don't speak their language.
They are treated in the exact same way as all other patients, and I perceive them in the exact same way. When people suffer and feel at their worst, you see that they are just people. Everyone just wants to heal. There is no politics involved in this. During last summer's war round of sirens, we all ran to the stairs; it was something we did together.
In terms of the political situation here, I think that those, who are hurt and wounded unfortunately aren't those, who make the decisions.
Interview conducted on July 24, 2015


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Given the increasing international recognition of clinical teaching as a competency and regulation of residency training, evaluation of anesthesiology faculty teaching is needed. The System for Evaluating Teaching Qualities (SETQ) Smart questionnaires were developed for assessing teaching performance of faculty in residency training programs in different countries. This study investigated (1) the structure, (2) the psychometric qualities of the new tools, and (3) the number of residents' evaluations needed per anesthesiology faculty to use the instruments reliably.
Two SETQ Smart questionnaires—for faculty self-evaluation and for resident evaluation of faculty—were developed. A multicenter survey was conducted among 399 anesthesiology faculty and 430 residents in six countries. Statistical analyses included exploratory factor analysis, reliability analysis using Cronbach α, item-total scale correlations, interscale correlations, comparison of composite scales to global ratings, and generalizability analysis to assess residents' evaluations needed per faculty.
In total, 240 residents completed 1,622 evaluations of 247 faculty. The SETQ Smart questionnaires revealed six teaching qualities consisting of 25 items. Cronbach α's were very high (greater than 0.95) for the overall SETQ Smart questionnaires and high (greater than 0.80) for the separate teaching qualities. Interscale correlations were all within the acceptable range of moderate correlation. Overall, questionnaire and scale scores correlated moderately to highly with the global ratings. For reliable feedback to individual faculty, three to five resident evaluations are needed.
The first internationally piloted questionnaires for evaluating individual anesthesiology faculty teaching performance can be reliably, validly, and feasibly used for formative purposes in residency training.
Healthcare systems are beginning to adopt tools for measuring and enhancing teaching performance and training
System for Evaluation of Teaching Qualities is a well-documented system for evaluating faculty teaching performance, originally developed for use in The Netherlands
System for Evaluation of Teaching Qualities (SETQ) Smart questionnaires were developed and validated for assessing teaching performance of faculty in residency training programs in different countries through a multicenter survey
SETQ Smart scores correlated with global ratings and yielded reliable feedback from three to five resident evaluations, thus providing a validated tool for international resident teaching assessment
Kiki M. J. M. H. Lombarts, Andrew Ferguson, Markus W. Hollmann, Bente Malling, Onyebuchi A. Arah, SMART Collaborators, M. M. Berger, E. van Gessel, R. Hoff, P. Houweling, S. Loer, S. A. Padosch, M. J. Schramm, W. S. Schlack, L. A. Steiner, R. J. Stolker; Redesign of the System for Evaluation of Teaching Qualities in Anesthesiology Residency Training (SETQ Smart). Anesthesiology 2016;125(5):1056-1065. doi: 10.1097/ALN.0000000000001341.
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© 2019 American Society of Anesthesiologists
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