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The 7th Annual Workers Unite Film Festival and The Harry Van Arsdale Jr. Center for Labor Studies of Empire State College salute the creative and brave apprentices from IBEW Local 3 for writing and filming their own movies, telling the stories of the true heroes and celebrities of this country - our unionized brothers and sisters, who get up every morning to do the hard work that keeps this country going.
Student films will be shown during our Films from the Frontlines program at Empire State College at 4PM (20+ first person short films, approximately 4-5 minutes each).
Thanks for your enthusiasm and thanks to the Harry Van Arsdale Jr. Center for Labor Studies at Empire State College for the opportunity to create this program.
These students are both studying and working in the field everyday. They have been willing to make the leap into personal filmmaking in order to give each of us the view of what it means to be working hard every day, training for a more secure future and facing the ups and downs of being a unionized worker in the construction trades during this fluctuating economic recovery. Many of these hardworking apprentices travel long distances to and from physically demanding work each day and yet took the time to take part in this project, an event that will give an unbiased voice to often unseen heroes.
PLUS: TWU Films from the Frontlines
TWU Power of Organizing: Jet Blue Inflight - Inflight members of jetBlue speak out on some important issues in the workplace that a TWU union contract will help resolve. (2018, 6 min)
TWU Political Takeback - (2018, 2 min)
TWU Policy, Politics, Power: Janus 101 - (2018, 2 min)
TWU Do's & Don't's of Lobbying - (2018, 3 min)


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Step 1
Submit the form below to register for the 2019 Spring Technical Session.
Step 2
Payment Options:
Pay at the door via cash, check or credit card.
Mail a check made payable to Great Lakes Chapter of RCI, to:
Richard Bresso
34336 Lakehurst Drive
Farmington Hills, MI 48331-2738
If you would like to pay online via PayPal, please complete your purchase below.
Please proceed to shopping cart for checkout. Visit event registration table for additional questions or concerns.

subset: commoncrawl


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Not it's not a Syrian folksinger. This is a painting of an apple that I picked next door in the Damascus Town Forest. Damascus PA not Syria, It is of unknown variety. This area of northeastern Pennsylvania was covered in orchards at one time. Some time over the last 50 years or so most orchards were abandoned for one reason or another. Some years there are so many 'wild apples' that you can pick to your heart's content and have apples of many varieties for months. This year not so much.
Anyway I painted this as a challenge to myself to paint with Geneva Paints all by themselves. Geneva paint are a slow drying very fluid paint developed bu Mark Carder. Several years ago i did testing for them during their development in conjunction with my regular paints. I never really got the chance to build a palette from the limited color set of Ultramarine Blue, Roso Corsa (red) and Cadmium Yellow. So I mixed a spectrum palette; Red, Red Orange, Orange, Yellow Orange, Yellow, Yellow Green, Green, Blue Green, Blue, Blue Violet, Violet and Red Violet. Very nice color. All from the original 3. Color is amazing.
Recently I have been learning how to build a working palette from the spectrum. Mostly from Judith Reeve* one of my life painting group. A working palette of semi neutralized color. More true to the real world of color. And faster to mix to match real world color use. This painting took about as long as most of my 6 x 6 Kitchen Art pieces. Somewhere around 2 hours. The Geneva Paints were a challenges though the colors mixed beautifully. Fast and predictable. The color blocking was very quick. The finish was difficult. The body of the paint is somewhere between liquid and very heavy cream. It stands up but doesn't have every cohesion to bring a mongoose hair brush to a point. So toward the end I swapped out Geneva White for my white. Much better.
All in all a successful attempt. I'm sure theres a way for me to boost the body in Geneva Paint.
On to the next one
* Judith Has a fascinating web site full of magnificent paintings and incredibly brilliant study of color and composition. https://attentiveequations.com


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Mark McClelland
I have no educational background in photography, and at the time of this fellowship, so far have not pursued it as a professional career. At this time, my devotion to photography is strictly personal. Capturing places, events, and personal emotions in photos matters to me. My highest goal is for the photos that I take to mean as much to someone else as they do to me.
Chosen Family
Detroit's punk community is a tight knit group of people, unrelated but as close as family, often living together collectively. Theirs is a genuine, unique and vibrant lifestyle held dearly by those who are a part of it.


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Samantha Wills
Now, I am not a writer, I have never studied writing, and only recently REALLY learnt how to rightly use ' then vs than'.
I could also make the every valid & factual claim that I am not actually a jewellery designer, because I never studied jewellery design at university (…I don't even have a certificate from Sunshine TAFE for even Basic Object Design Lvl 1)..... The fact I have forged a career as the Stephen Bradbury of jewellery design with the @SamanthaWillsOfficial Brand, is for a different post, (possibly on 'Imposter Syndrome')…..But back to writing.
I love writing. I am finding myself writing much more, some I publish on here, some I write in journals, often of late I am writing short notes, almost in letter format to someone who became really important to me. The letters are words of all the things I wish I'd said to him. But even with all the truths they hold, I have no intention of ever sending them. Writing to me is fun, it is scary, it is challenging & while not a technically trained writer, I really enjoy it.
One thing I do take a great responsibility in, is the reach of the platform I have been afforded. The incredible community on this feed, the @SamanthaWills feed & the brand account mentioned above, and as such, I hold a self-enforced obligation to communicate with personal honesty. ---- I have to tell you, this is not always easy. I worry about how it will be received, I worry about publishing things close to my heart that people may / will judge me on. I worry about my parents reading things – especially when I talk about things that have hurt me or been a personal struggle for me, as I know this will hurt them. But on the flip side of that emotion, I also strongly believe, as Waldman's above quote implies, if you are not uncomfortable & scared while writing, you're probably not being honest enough, not sharing enough. So I often finish a piece of writing that I have written with the intention to publish, hold my breath, close my eyes, and hit the publish button….
This was definitely the case on the article I published last month on 'The Force Has To Be Female'. The night before I published it, I discussed it with my girlfriends, wanting their opinion on it, together we work shopped the worse case scenario that could happen after me going live with it (catastrophic thinking much?!) and while they admired the writing, & most importantly, the message & the positive impact (we assumed) it would have with many women, they also knew my personal fear & worry in publishing it. --- It was very personal. I was worried what people would think. I was nervous how my Dad would read it - finding out that his daughter had been grabbed by a strange man on the street?
I was scared that people would think I was only writing it for attention. I was concerned it would be read with an angry tone, and as such I would be perpetuating the 'angry feminist' stigma that I am so acutely consciously trying to abolish from the actual meaning of the word.
My mind would flick through a myriad of arguments; 'Just publish it!' 'OMG, don't! are you fucking stupid?!' 'This is going to get you pulled through the ringer' 'You're not a writer!' 'What makes you think you have any right to talk on such a topic'. 'Fuck.' 'Do it.' 'Don't do it'. 'Shit.' 'Fuck.' 'Eeeeeeek!'. - My Mind
The next morning, I closed my eyes, held my breath, and hit the publish button. It was live, and was quickly going viral.
About 3 hours later, I received a message that there was a parcel for collection with my doorman. I went down stairs & signed as he handed a beautifully gift wrapped package over to me.
I waited til I was sitting at my dining table to open it. I am very rarely left speechless, but even sitting alone in my apartment, with no one to say anything to even if I had the words, I was left without them.
One of my girlfriends, Kirsty (KP), who I had round tabled with on the topic of 'to publish or not to publish' the night before, had delivered the book i am holding in the first photo; An out of print book, that was part of the first print run in 1949.
Its tattered cover almost disintegrated, yet still holding on nearly 70's years on. The book 'Women Are Here To Stay' By Agnes Rogers focuses on 'The Durable Sex' – Documenting American women over the past 50 years; the expectations on them over that time, & the varying, versatile & demanding roles they were expected to play in family & society, + how that has changed & evolved over 50 years.
Along with this incredible gift from Kirsty, was a beautiful card, which in addition to some beautifully heart swelling words, she spoke to the fear I held in our previous nights conversation, about sharing the 'Force Has To be Female' article.
The following is a condensed excerpt from her full writings in the card, but what I wanted to share was:
'Samantha….. I think what you do & who you are is so inspiring. I wanted to get you a small gift, one you may already own, it was stories of inspirational women that have changed the world, because I truly believe you are one of these women. …
…BUT… I changed my mind regarding the gift, because I found this little out of print book, about a time when ordinary women were dominating in a time when odds where against them. I think this is also inspiring. I thought it might be nice when you're feeling stressed, or overwhelmed, to flick though this book, and see these women, in their element. As you are constantly are. – Love, KP'
I text Kirsty immediately, and had to tell her I had no words to describe how much it meant to me, & how appreciative I was, & how truly fucking thoughtful the gift, words, timing & gesture were. I told her I would have to comeback to her with a proper response when had the words to express it with the same consideration her thoughtfulness had had on em. I was so overwhelmed.
She replied by saying 'oh don't be ridiculous! Its nothing ! Just a little something I wanted you to have! You da best! Chat soon!x'
It wasn't a 'little something', It was so incredibly thoughtful, & the generosity of thought & words, instantly & completely overruled any doubt or fear I had about what people would think about my article. I knew in my heart of hearts that it was important to publish, & to speak out about it, with the hope that it would give voice, & courage to other women in doing so - and while I couldn't have predicted the response the article actually ended up receiving, the power of KP's thoughtfulness ( 'small gift' - in her opinion! - Breathtakingly thoughtful, in mine!) removed a HUGE weight off my anxiety levels.
The point of publishing this post, is to show the impact of thoughtfulness – Something you think is 'a little gift / nothing at all!' can change someone else's entire outlook on something, it can calm self doubt, and with that not hindering your thoughts, it can impact the approach of a persons next step / project / venture. Thoughtfulness is The Butterfly Effect. It that is VERY powerful. So don't for a second underestimate it.
So – THANKYOU, KP – you amazing creature, you! Also to my loves Freya Grant & Carolyn Brown who where also my counsel & biggest cheerleaders pre-publishing (and always!), and my business partner GB, for the pre-read & the insistence to 'say something'.
And the biggest admiration to everyone who commented, shared, messaged & sent love on the article. As I said above, I had no idea the response would be so widely received. It is because of the impact of your words and YOUR thoughtfulness that I am inspired to write more, to share more.
Rebecca Campbell wrote in her book Light Is The New Black, 'Don't write to teach or preach, write what you need to read right now. Because if you need to read it, the chances are that someone else will need to read it also'
The natural moments of discomfort & fear in sharing personal truths & experiences, I now treat as a true gauge that I am writing the things that might be most relative (and in hope, helpful / comforting) to the reader.
Speak your truth, even if your voice shakes. - SWx


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Aquaguard Construction & Exteriors is owned and operated by a certified Red Seal Journeyman carpenter. All trades, eavestroughing and roofing installers are trained in the best techniques and workmanship to ensure all requirements of Alberta building codes are followed. In addition, all of our installers are trained in fall protection and have both WCB and Commercial liability insurance. Aquaguard & Exteriors uses the latest and best practices and materials, and is your trusted source for roofing, renovation, and exterior projects.
The Red Seal Certification provides reassurance and absolute certainty that the tradesman is qualified to a standard of knowledge and competency that has been defined by Industry, and which involves a rigorous vetting process within industry from coast to coast. It means that the Inter-provincial Standards Red Seal Program acknowledges their competence through Canada without further examination. The Red Seal basically provides a stamp of approval on the tradesman's capabilities and provides greater mobility for skilled workers across Canada. The Red Seal program allows qualified tradespeople to practice their trade anywhere in Canada where the trade is designated.
In the roofing and insurance industries, the phrase "Haag Certified" carries a lot of weight. Inspectors who undergo Haag Certification training develop the necessary skills and expertise to accurately assess damage and repair options for roofing projects.
Being accredited by the BBB means that our business has been recognized as one that meets accreditation standards, which include a commitment to make a good faith effort to resolve any consumer complaints.
Highly regarded within the Calgary area, Oleg is known for his successful and precise work within the home exterior industry for the past 22 years. He has built a reputation for high business ethics and for uncompromising quality of work and craftsmanship.
With over 25 years of experience, Oleg has been serving home owners faithfully since Aquaguard's inception. By narrowing the scope of services to a few select tasks, Aquaguard has built up a team of industry experts within the services that they offer. As so, Aquaguard is a specialized company that focuses solely on roofing, eavestroughing, soffit & fascia and gutters.
Each project is carefully planned and leveraged with the latest technologies. Our team is made up of experts within their respective fields, and we work with our clients very closely to understand exactly what services they require, as well as to determine how we may be able to best meet their needs.


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CEZ Happy Hour celebrates a "chamber of dreams come true"
Where proximal things explode into awesome. That's how Chris Pennington described the synergies at 755 North Prior Avenue, where a dozen new ventures have set up shop since Pennington and partners launched Can Can Wonderland there last spring.
And that goes for the Creative Enterprise Zone as a whole, too. On November 8, some 80 people gathered for a CEZ Happy Hour. The venue this time: the soaring atrium of University Enterprise Labs on Westgate—another kind of maker space, where life scientists find a collaborative setting for tackling human problems. Like what? "A vaccine for malaria," said UEL host Lynne Osterman. "Now that takes creativity." After quenching our thirst with some luscious Black Stack brews, we heard from several CEZ-based entrepreneurs in a panel emceed by Pennington.
At the St. Paul Neighborhood Network, Bianca Rhodes and Aaron Price are building community through media. Both producers have a hand in Candy Fresh, a monthly multi-arts music and dance party that gives youth a chance to feel the power of a platform for expression (photo above, photo by Bill Mitchell Imagery). From its studios at Vandalia Tower, the nonprofit SPNN also offers classes and programs that help bridge the digital divide.
Landbridge Ecological restores native landscapes and habitat, from wetlands and prairies to residential rain gardens. Owners Carrie Ann and Tory Christensen are now moving the company from Seward to the CEZ, changing its name from Wetland Habitat Restorations in the process. Landbridge's staff of 25 holds certification in LEED, permaculture, agroecology and other ecological practices. They work year-round on landscape design and installation for clients including the DNR and watershed districts.
Coffee and beer: it pays to educate your palate for both. Back at 755 North Prior, Murphy Johnson of Black Stack Brewing often strolls down the hall to share tasting opinions with Bruce Olson of True Stone Coffee Roasters. A 2003 startup, True Stone now employs 10 people and offers training to coffee professionals. Its signature blend has "earthy fruits and a hint of smoke." Meanwhile, Black Stack's Ratify beer is brewed with coriander and orange peel for "rich body and touch of spice." Black Stack is a new—and booming—family business with 7 full-time employees and a bar staff of 21.
And those job numbers are important, added Catherine Day, CEZ board chair. 755 North Prior has a growing presence as an employer: Can Can alone employs about 70. Impressive, given that it was vacant for a decade until this year. And since light industrial zones are key to St. Paul's tax base, these small but dynamic ventures truly serve as a creative engine for the city's economy.
What else can be found at 755? Pennington named a few attractions: Teardrop trailers. African spices. A sculpture studio. Landscape services. A guy who makes hand-carved fishing lures for muskies. Theater Mu. The St. Paul branch of the Minnesota Tool Library. "We sound like a chamber of commerce," he mused aloud. A voice from the crowd chimed in, "A chamber of dreams come true."
Watch for more CEZ Happy Hours in 2018.


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Ask Congress to Send Torture Ban to President
ACTION REQUESTED: WASHINGTON, D.C., 10/06/05) - CAIR today urged American Muslims and other people of conscience to call their elected representatives and ask that a ban on torture by U.S. military personnel be sent to President Bush for his signature.
The Senate voted 90-9 on Wednesday to back an amendment to a $440 billion defense appropriation bill that would prohibit the use of "cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment" against anyone in U.S. government custody anywhere in the world. Sen. John McCain (R-AZ), a former prisoner of war in North Vietnam, sponsored the amendment.
SEE: "Senate Adds Ban on Torture to Bill" http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/politics/2002542695_ torture06.html
A similar House bill does not have the anti-torture language. The two versions will now go to a joint House-Senate committee that will work to reconcile the differences.
"The McCain anti-torture amendment will help to correct the negative perception of our nation created by abuse scandals in Iraq, Afghanistan and Guantanamo Bay," said CAIR Government Affairs Director Corey Saylor.
Former Secretary of State Colin Powell wrote a letter to Sen. McCain in support of the anti-torture amendment. Powell wrote:
"Our troops need to hear from the Congress, which has an obligation to speak to such matters under Article I, Section 8 of the Constitution. I also believe the world will note that America is making a clear statement with respect to the expected future behavior of our soldiers. Such a reaction will help deal with the terrible public diplomacy crisis created by Abu Ghraib." Twenty-eight other senior retired military officers expressed their support for McCain's amendment.
SEE: "Letter from General Colin Powell to Sen. McCain" http://www.myrtlebeachonline.com/mld/myrtlebeachonline/ news/politics/12825913.htm
Earlier this year, CAIR and other groups called for an independent 9/11 commission-style investigation into the use of torture by American military personnel. SEE: http://www.cair-net.org/antitorture/
Contact your elected representatives and ask them to ensure that the McCain anti-torture amendment remains part of the final Defense Appropriation bill that Congress will send to President Bush.
To contact your elected representatives, GO TO: http://capwiz.com/cair/mail/oneclick_compose/?alertid=8088021


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Best Portable Massage Tables in 2019 Reviews
Portable massage tables are ideal for you to use anytime and anywhere you wish thanks to their easy mobility, and above all, they are pocket-friendly. Although many models are crowding the market, it's fundamental for you to be careful on the package you take home. How? Check its padding, frame material, portability, and accessibility too.
This gets quite hectic, but we care about our customer that's why we have recommendations for you from our review on the top 10 best portable massage tables in 2019.
More Details on Our Best Picks:
- List of The Top 10 Best Portable Massage Table in 2019:
- 10. Sierra Comfort Basic Portable Massage Table
- 9. EARTHLITE Harmony DX Portable Massage Table
- 8. Saloniture Professional Portable Folding Massage Table
- 7. Bestmassage Pad Massage Table
- 6. BestMassage PU Portable Massage Table
- 5. Bestmassage Massage Table Portable Facial SPA Bed
- 4. SierraComfort Professional Series Portable Massage Table
- 3. BestMassage New Black 84″ Portable Massage Table
- 2. BestMassage New Cream PU Portable Massage Table
- 1. Sierra Comfort All-Inclusive Portable Massage Table
List of The Top 10 Best Portable Massage Table in 2019:
10. Sierra Comfort Basic Portable Massage Table
No more disappointments from the low-quality massage table that even cost more than they can offer when you got the Sierra SC-500 portable massage table. Having a low price tag; this massage table is very reliable and sturdy thanks to its beech hardwood frame construction. The table, unlike its competitors, features high-density foam padding with 2mm this foam deck.
Use it at your own pace and still it will retain its quality has PU covering on the deck: its oil and waterproof and very durable. What's more, the table weighs only 36 lbs thus its transportation is a breeze. Talking about portability, it features strong built-in handle which makes your work easier. Sierra comfort massage table designs to be user convenient in that, its height it's adjustable. Thus you will set it to the point you find comfortable while working and also has a smooth fold design making its storage fast and straightforward as well as transportation. Finally, use it for heavyweights without worry as it sturdy makeup can support up to 450 lbs.
Key Features:
- Constructs from beech hardwood
- Has adjustable height of 22-33 inches
- Features high-density foam padding (2mm thick), PU covering on surface
- Withstand maximum capacity of 450 lbs
9. EARTHLITE Harmony DX Portable Massage Table
This is a professional grade product that designs to be of lifetime service. The Earthlite portable massage table is the best models you can ever own whether you need it for commercial purpose or even use it at home. Why? It features a table, patented customizable deluxe face-cradle with cloud fill nylon-gel blend face-cradle and a storage bag. The table is quite robust thanks to the durable material used in its construction which allows it to be suitable for use even for the heavyweight customers weighing up to 600lbs.
The massage table creates a comfortable and large working surface as it measures 73″ by 30″ giving you a chance to serve even the big-sized customers without any restrictions. More, it boasts of its 2.5″ dual soft cushioning which give you a soothing experience when lying on the table and above all, you got an assurance of its none-ending functionality as the table has a lifetime warranty on its frame constructions and 3-years warranty for the foam and upholstery. Get yours today!
Key Features:
- Have a durable and non-squeak construction
- Designs from hard maples
- Support heavyweights up to 600lbs
- Has a large working surface; 73 by 30 inches
- Lifetime warranty guarantee for the frame/construction and 3-years for foam and upholstery
8. Saloniture Professional Portable Folding Massage Table
The Saloniture portable massage table is a top selling and popular product on the market today. The table features advanced properties, unlike its competitors which give you more reasons to make you your choice out of the crowd. What's unique? It features detachable armrest on the side and one sling armrest below the headrest that adds up to your client's comfort. This lightweight, portable massage table weighs only 30 pounds, in addition to the double built-in handles and nylon carry case, you will travel with it anywhere and anytime you wish.
The professional grade table designs to be user-friendly in that, it's easy to set up and fold down with no assistance need from tools. Have you had immature breakdowns from your previous products? This is annoying that's why you ought to settle for the Saloniture table. The table designs from durable non-squeak hardwood have thick foam cushioning and its surface entails synthetic PU covering. PU leather is water and oil proof, durable and unlike those other synthetic materials it doesn't produce objectionable odor which distract you and your customers.in addition, it has the leg provide a stable non-slip support thus no unnecessary sliding on the floor which in turn protects the floor.
Key Features:
- Support maximum capacity of 450lbs
- Lightweight; 30pounds
- Highly comfortable with thick cushioning, side armrest and sling armrest below headrest
- Sturdy construction: hardwood frame with cross steel support cables
- Carry bag with additional side pocket
7. Bestmassage Pad Massage Table
Whether a professional therapist, student or need one for home use, this is a good model for you. Why? The portable massage table is pocket-friendly such that it will cost you only pennies and get a premium quality product in the package.
Durability is every customer want whenever they are purchasing any product from the retail. This is why the Best Massage portable table designs with all this in mind to ensure all have satisfaction. How? The massage table constructs from beech frame have four-inch high-density small-cell foam padding and a synthetic PU cover which provide lasting oil and waterproof service.
What about its storage? This shouldn't worry you at all as it features with a nylon carry bag that will give it a secure fit plus its compact and easy-fold design sums up all this. Additionally, the table features free adjustable headrest, free face pillow and half round bolster which give it's the comfortable environment requirements for a massage table.
Key Features:
- Supports heavy weights up to 600lbs
- Has an extra-large working surface; 77 by 30 inches
- Has an easy and compact fold design
- Includes a free adjustable headrest, free face pillow, and a half round bolster
- Features water and oil proof PU cover
6. BestMassage PU Portable Massage Table
Just like its name suggests, this will be your best choice ever. The bestmassage is a premium quality product that displays a low price tag on the shelves, but this doesn't mean it offers little. The message table is readily portable as you can fold it down simply and slip in its carry bag plus its lightweight makes all this possible. Our customer's comfort is a priority that's why the manufactures design the massage table to fit all this. How? It has a detachable face-rest, backrest with multiple inclinations angles up to 60 degrees and adjustable knee-raise.
You will use the table for massage and also lower its knee-raise for pedicure purpose thanks to the adjustable levels. Moreover, the table constructs from durable PU leather which is waterproof as well as oil proof. Also, this material is free of the pungent odor that is quite an irritation, and it's easy to clean thus simplifying the table's maintenance cost.
Key Features:
- Have multiple backrest inclination level-up to 60 degrees
- Designs from PU leather
- Has a work capacity of 600lbs and static weight capacity up to 2400 pounds
- Incline backrest to various angles with a limit range of 60 degrees
- Table height, as well as knee-raise level, are adjustable
5. Bestmassage Massage Table Portable Facial SPA Bed
This is another model by bestmassage manufacturers though featuring with differing components. The massage table boasts of its 2.5″ high-density foam cushioning on the deck and the multiple massage accessories: half-circular bolster, removable face cradle, oil pouch, towel hander and a nylon carry case. To provide a comfortable and soothing massage experience, the 2.5″ massage table constructs from durable beech timber which make it very strong and together with the coated tension wire on the legs gives it a stable and secure position. Besides, armrest and arm supports are included giving your client a full resting moment.
More interesting, the table has 100% cotton cover sheet which helps in prolonging its performance. Why? The sheets are removable and easy to clean thus make its maintenance a breeze protecting the PU leather surface. Why you need to make it a must-have for your spa, the company offers you a 5-year warranty thus buying this product is not taking a risk. Don't miss!
Key Features:
- Have additional accessories; oil pouch, tower/ towel hanger, removable face cradle and half-circular bolster
- They are cost-effective
- Material makeup; beech timber, PU leather and foam cushioning
- Are robust and very stable
4. SierraComfort Professional Series Portable Massage Table
The Sierra comfort SC-601 portable massage table is a durable and reliable product the customers love greatly. Costing an affordable price; this premium quality table constructs from hardwood timber which gives it's a lifetime performance. Plus, unlike its competitors the SC0-601 features with extra massage accessories including semi-circular bolster, removable face cradle, and a front arm cradle. The bolster designs to readily conform to your body shape and also has high-density foam cushioning which enhances its durability.
Make sure your client ill very comfortable on the massage table y adjusting the face-cradle to their preferred position and also you won't have to sacrifice your comfort on the other hand as the table's legs height is adjustable: no more struggling! Moreover, Sierra comfort includes 2.5″ thick foam cushioning that provides a luxurious massage experience to your clients. A bonus has three face-cradle disposal sheets and its covered by a 5-year warranty.
Key Features:
- Have extra accessories; zippered carry bag, semi-circular bolster, removable face-cradle and front arm cradle
- Features 2.5; high-density luxe foam cushions, PU leather surface
- It's pocket-friendly
- Supports max weight up to 450 lbs
- Easy storage under the table
- Adjustable face-cradle and leg heights
3. BestMassage New Black 84″ Portable Massage Table
Is your budget too tight and still wishing to take home a good quality massage table? Look no more than the new black portable massage table by the Bestmassage Company. This product costs little pennies which aren't comparable to the outstanding benefits it holds in the package. You will use the table for all people without any difficulties as this give you an ample working surface. Talk of its comfortability; the massage table has a 2.5: thick high-density foam padding plus it features some extra accessories which spice up the whole process.
In the accessory kit, it entails a removable and adjustable face-cradle, front armrest shelf, side armrest extenders, face cradle pad and a convenient carry case. What's more? The massage table is readily portable that's to its lightweight and compact fold design which slips in smoothly in its carry bag. Customize the height of your working surface easily thanks to the adjustable leg height ranging between 23 and 33and these stable legs give the table a powerful makeup able to withstand heavy weights up to 450 lbs.
Key Features:
- They are very cheap
- Standard accessory kit: removable/adjustable face cradle, face cradle pad, side armrest extender and front armrest shelf
- Have max capacity of 450 lbs
2. BestMassage New Cream PU Portable Massage Table
Whether a professional therapist or a beginner, this portable massage table will be your best companion. Why? The massage table is user-friendly in that it's easy to use and assemble without the need for tool assistance. The table by Bestmassage manufacturers features as a cream product which constructs from a durable hardwood frame with coated tension steel wires on the legs which add up to its stability.
With a PU leather surface; water and oil-proof, 2″ thick foam cushioning, the massage table provides a long-lasting, high-performance service for you passionately. Make yourself as well as the client equally comfortable with the adjustable leg heights from 26-36″, featuring adjustable face-cradle and side armrests, and this will make the whole process enjoyable. Finally, the package includes a premium storage bag that will secure your table when not in use and also facilitate its mobility anytime you want to travel with it. Buy one today!
Key Features:
- Adjustable aluminum face cradle
- Additional side armrest and premium carry bag
- Easy to adjust height, store, and transport
- Thick high-density foam padding
1. Sierra Comfort All-Inclusive Portable Massage Table
Finally, we got this outstanding product: the Sierra all-inclusive portable massage table. This table provides you all you need to get started in your massage process as it features a massage table. The working table has 2.5″ thick high-density foam cushioning and includes a standard accessory kit. The accessory kit has adjustable face cradle, oil pouch, removable arm supports and three disposable start face cradle cover.
The table constructs from a durable hardwood frame with some steel wire support on the legs which help to improve its strength enabling it to support weights up to 450 lbs. Not all, the Sierra all-inclusive comfort massage table has a semi-circular bolster which conforms to the body curves adding up to your client's comfort. More, its maintenance is a breeze thanks to the featuring cotton sheet which helps protect the table. Don't miss out!
Key Features:
- Has five years warranty
- Available accessories; semicircular bolster, adjustable face cradle, front armrest shelf, side armrest extenders and premium carry bag
- Easy storage under the table
- Adjustable leg heights, PU leather surface
In summary
Being a massage therapist, it's your role to ensure your customers get outstanding treatments all time. Not only your professional skills but also the massage environment plays a significant role in all this that's why you ought to have the best and reliable massage take.
Go pro with one of the Top 10 Best Portable Massage Table in 2019 highlighted above and you will never regret. Keep it cool with us!


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Film Review: Baywatch
Director Seth Gordon's big screen adaptation of Baywatch is mildly entertaining, yet feels like a missed opportunity. The big names redeem the film rather, but not to a very great extent. Lifeguards Mitch Buchannon and his crew patrol the beach, to safeguard visitors and keep an eye on suspicious activity. When Olympian Matt Brody shows up for duty, he must show […]Read more


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Dorayaki cake is a conventional Japanese dessert recipe that is a sweet cake with an anko filling. Shhh: This simple-to-make lemon cake recipe starts with boxed mix and canned lemonade focus. I made the chocolate shavings by working a pointy vegetable peeler along the sting of a bar of semi-candy baking chocolate. I like to prepare dinner and bake but I do not like difficult recipes with hard to find components. This recipe focuses most of your effort on constructing a crumb of contrasting flavors and textures, utilizing good butter, uncooked sugar for its molasses-like flavor, lemon zest, nutmeg, salt, and nuts.
There isn't any denying that peanut butter and chocolate are a match made in dessert heaven. Recipes for this outdated-faculty dessert fluctuate, but it generally consists of a thin chocolate buttermilk cake, a layer of chocolate icing (you can make it thicker should you're an icing fanatic, like I'm), and toasted pecans. If you'd like to decorate up a cheesecake, then serve with recent fruit or a drizzle of chocolate sauce.
Creamy cheesecake meets rich chocolate brownies in your new favorite dessert hybrid. Store-purchased gingerbread combine makes this warm, gooey dessert extra simple to assemble. Rework vanilla cupcakes right into a patriotic deal with with a swirl of cream cheese frosting and a topping of fresh berries. Attempt to narrow it right down to the kind of dessert you are craving, then start with a search of our hottest recipes in each category to see what favorite recipes others are already making over and over.
Whereas there is definitely a place for uniformly creamy dishes—who would not love to dig into a goblet of airy chocolate mousse proper now?—so many candy treats will be improved with a bit crunch, and nuts are the apparent addition to do it. Add them within the form of a topping, as in our caramel honeycomb with salted peanuts or our Texas sheet cake topped with pecans.
Strawberry Cheesecake is a favorite, as is this Three Berry Syrup , which will be poured excessive. 5 elements and 15 minutes is all it takes to whip up this contemporary tackle a traditional espresso dessert drink. It seems to be fancy, but this cake can actually be made in 25 minutes―without an oven or a range. These recipes are sure to satisfy even the most candy toothed in a crowd.


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Tennessee Aquarium
We know you love Nashville as much as we do (read: we're obsessed), but sometimes you just need some space. Thankfully, we Nashvillians have countless exploration options within driving distance of our beloved city. Don't worry, Nashville won't get jealous if you leave for a weekend and will celebrate your return with a glass of whiskey and an acoustic ballad.
Explore Chattanooga
Chattanooga is one of our favorite cities in Tennessee for a weekend getaway. To get there, you will only be in the car a little over two hours, but you almost wish it was longer because the drive through the mountains is so beautiful (it's not nicknamed Scenic City for nothing). Surprisingly, one of our favorite spots to visit is the Chattanooga Aquarium. Yes, yes it's a bit touristy, but it's fun. Each time we've visited, it's never been crowded which makes for a relaxing day viewing the terrifying creatures that lurk in our rivers and oceans. You can spend the better part of an afternoon wandering through dimly lit rooms taking in the crazy wonder of jellyfish and sharks. They have penguins, which are pretty bad ass. My personal favorites are the otters because they're adorable (like little river cats). Set your own pace as you wander through the two buildings (Sea Adventure and River Adventure). Before you leave, take time to enjoy the outdoor courtyard which is full of fountains and water features you can dip your feet into. Bonus points: The aquarium is located right next to the riverfront and a variety of dining options. Once you're had your fill of the aquatic life, explore the area, grab a bite to eat and rent a bike to take in the river views.
The Chattanooga Aquarium is worth the visit. -Nashville Explorers Club
Photos by Josh Ness


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On March 26th, devotees of Orval Trappist Ale – and even some folks who haven't tried it yet – will convene upon their favorite bars to celebrate one of the world's most unique beers. Orval was the first Brett beer to land on US shores, and has become the favorite beer for many star American brewers. Orval sells one beer, brewed to exquisite perfection within the walls of Notre Dame d'Orval Monastery in Belgium. It's delicious when it leaves the brewery, but also evolves in the bottle for five years or more. A portion of the proceeds from Orval Day will be donated to MAP International.
2016 will be the first year of Orval Day: visit our events page to find a great beer. http://www.merchantduvin.com/orvalday.php #OrvalDay2016
*This is an all day event, times posted are when MdV Reps, Scott Kowalski and David Rodriguez will be around.


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Fort Worth
Growth in north Fort Worth still going strong
Growth in north Fort Worth shows no sign of slowing down.
Dirt is being moved for the construction of a Facebook data center.
The Federal Aviation Administration just finished moving into its new southwest regional headquarters just off Interstate 35W north of Heritage Trace Parkway.
The Northwest school district's third high school was dedicated this week.
And work on I-35W continues across the Alliance Corridor, which started with the novel idea of building a cargo-only airport in 1989 and now has an estimated population of more than 250,000.
We started with the airport, the centerpiece that put us on the map.
Bill Burton, executive vice president of Hillwood
Planned and developed by Ross Perot Jr. and Hillwood, the 18,000-acre region has been transformed from pastureland into a vibrant mix of transportation and data centers, outdoor shopping, restaurants, apartments, middle-class and upscale subdivisions, schools and hospitals.
Flying in a helicopter over the corridor, called AllianceTexas, Bill Burton, executive vice president of Hillwood, explained how they master-planned the blank slate from the start — and they're far from finished.
"What we've seen is a maturation of this project," Burton said. "We started with the airport, the centerpiece that put us on the map. It was a novel concept. It still is today."
John Baen, a real estate professor at the University of North Texas, boldly says Alliance has the potential to become another Silicon Valley with several large corporate campuses. He said he also wouldn't be surprised if someday Fort Worth Alliance Airport opened to commercial traffic.
"It's unusual for someone to have the foresight to buy it so cheap 15 or 20 years ago and have the holding power not to sell it," Baen said. "They're in it for the long term. It's a dynasty, I believe."
The newness of far north Fort Worth has become a magnet for young families like Melanie Freidman, her husband and their two young boys. They always have a different shopping center or store to get excited about. Her in-laws visit twice a year and are amazed at how the area changes.
"Each time they come to visit, something new is there," said Friedman, who lives in Tehama Ridge on the west side of I-35W. "It's completely different."
Here's an update on some of the changes coming to the Alliance Corridor:
End in sight for work on I-35W
It's impossible to drive in north Fort Worth without seeing orange barricades, but there is a light at the end of the I-35W traffic tunnel.
The reconstruction of the interstate from Loop 820 to the U.S. 287 "Decatur Cutoff" should be finished late next year. The Texas Department of Transportation project includes adding four managed toll lanes — two in each direction — and paving new free lanes, bridges, interchanges and frontage roads.
That stretch is considered one of the most congested roads in Texas.
AllianceTexas is home to an estimated 250,000 people.
The next phase continues that construction north to the airport. The highway department will pick a contractor for the 8-mile project by year's end, and construction will start in 2016.
Also in the transportation mix is Texas 170, which was built on land Hillwood donated to the department. The 5.8-mile stretch of Texas 170, from Texas 114 to I-35W, has been proposed as a toll road.
Regional planners are taking a second look at that as new sources of state funding become available, including funds from Proposition 1 approved by voters last year and Proposition 7 approved by voters Tuesday, said Amanda Wilson, a spokeswoman for the North Central Texas Council of Governments.
More retail options
The success of Alliance Town Center has spilled over I-35W to the new Presidio Towne Crossing project, a new retail destination with its own list of national box-store chains.
Presidio's first phase, which includes a Target, Costco, Ross, Old Navy, Petco and Shoe Carnival, all opened in the last month totaling 500,000 square feet. A bunch of smaller tenants will open in November, said John Weber, president of Weber and Co.
For Friedman, the new Target in Presidio Towne Crossing means she no longer has to travel to the Denton Highway store, which can be a hassle with two young children.
Future phases include Winco, Hobby Lobby, Mardel, Hemispheres and Main Event, all expected to open by summer. Restaurants include Uncle Julio's, Chuck E. Cheese's, Red Robin, Whataburger and Chick fil-A.
$1 billion The amount Facebook will invest in its Alliance site.
Alliance Town Center, a 900-acre mixed-used development that opened seven years ago and is just north of Presidio, boasts more than 1 million square feet, including a movie theater, major anchors such as Belk, JC Penney, Dick's Sporting Goods and Korger Marketplace and 25 restaurants.
It also includes Hillwood Commons, a three-story corporate office facility.
The next evolution of Alliance Town Center, called the Main Street district, will have 120,000 square feet of retail, restaurants, a hotel, office and a community park for concerts and other events.
There's no timeline for this phase of the project, though.
"We think the next five years, you're going to see a massive change," Burton said.
Commercial growth includes Facebook
Alliance already had four data centers when Facebook announced this summer that it was coming to Fort Worth.
The social network company is building a massive data center and office building in the first phase. Ultimately, Facebook will invest $1 billion at the site on Like Way and Texas 170.
The first of three 250,000-square-foot buildings is expected to be operating by the end of 2016.
The 110-acre Facebook data center will be powered entirely by renewable energy.
"The location in Fort Worth offered a shovel-ready site; excellent access to fiber and power and a strong pool of talent for construction and operations staff," said Ken Patchett, Facebook's director of data center operations for the West Region.
The 110-acre data center will be powered entirely by renewable energy from a 200-megawatt wind farm outside the region.
In late October, Fort Worth-based Galderma Laboratories, which makes dermatological pharmaceuticals, said it is expanding to add a $22 million research and development center. Galderma is building a 100,000-square-foot expansion next to its headquarters at the northeast corner of Texas Longhorn Way and Heritage Parkway, just north of Alliance Airport.
The building is expected to be completed in 2017.
Runway extension underway
For 15 years the city of Fort Worth, which owns Alliance Airport, and Hillwood have been pursuing funding to extend the runways north to 11,000 feet from 9,600 feet.
A milestone was reached in August when the City Council awarded a $61.9 million contract to Virginia-based Lane Construction Co. to expand the two runways and build a taxiway.
Key to the three-phase project was the relocation of Farm Road 156 and nearby BNSF railroad tracks, which has already happened.
Phase one is under construction.
When completed in 2018, the longer runways will allow the largest cargo planes in the world to land and take off, Burton said.
"The expansion of the airport will broaden the scope of what we're able to do here," he said.
In the past 15 years, more than 43,000 houses have been built in and around the Alliance Corridor.
Schools still being built
Enrollment in the Northwest school district has increased from about 7,500 in 2004 to more than 20,000 in 2015. All that growth prompted the district to call its share of bond elections, including a $255 million referendum in 2012.
Last week the district had its grand opening for Eaton High School, its third high school. Since 2011, the district has built one high school, one middle school and three elementary schools.
The Keller school district has built 18 schools west of Denton Highway since 2000 and will open three more in the next two years, including a new middle school.
"Keller ISD has seen tremendous growth in the western portion of our district and along the I-35W corridor, much of which is directly linked to the growth of the Alliance area," said Mark Youngs, the district's chief financial officer.
Residential moving north
In the past 15 years more than 43,000 houses have been built in and around the Alliance Corridor, according to data from Residential Strategies.
But after years of single-family home construction in north Fort Worth, suitable land for houses is just about tapped out, said Angie Mastrocola, senior vice president of Hillwood.
Heritage, for example, a 2,300-acre master-planned community with more than 3,300 homes just east of Alliance Town Center, has only 40 lots left, she said.
The Texas 114 area of Roanoke and Trophy Club is nearly full, too. And developers can't go west because the landscape is dotted with hundreds of Barnett Shale gas wells, she said.
"The growth, in our opinion over the next 20 years will be along I-35 north to Denton," she said. "That's where you're going to see the activity popping up."
Hillwood has already started the Harvest subdivision in Argyle, where builders will deliver 225 houses in 2015 alone.
"It's just been booming like crazy," said Jarred Briggle, who bought the second house in his neighborhood off Heritage Trace and North Beach Street. "The schools helped and then the proximity to everything."
This report includes material from the Star-Telegram archives.


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The Undelivered/
Theresa Sitterhorn sat at a small table on the patio overlooking the market district, smoking one Virginia Slim after another, scanning the Chinese urbanites hurrying along the sidewalks. It was lunchtime. People in smart looking suits chatted and texted on their phones, swinging their busy arms. Huge columns of curved glass and steel packed the skyline, reflecting a flat, blue sky. Theresa sucked on her cigarette and studied the passing faces. She did this often now, and each time it got harder to convince herself she wasn't crazy.
A Diet Coke clacked against the glass table, scaring her half to death. The waitress.
Theresa straightened her back, flicked ashes. "My guest will be here in a minute."
The waitress walked off. A gentleman in tan slacks and a black Polo shirt wandered among the tables. Theresa crushed out the cig and waved off the smoke in a hurry. "Detective Catlin?"
He turned to her and smiled. "Rob Catlin, Miss Sitterhorn. Pleased to meet you."
The waitress reappeared as they made small talk. Catlin ordered a coffee and gave her a quick summary of his background. He was from D.C., a detective who had retired early and spent some time traveling abroad before settling in Hong Kong. He had started a private practice and took a few cases a year to pad his savings a little. Now he set a notebook in front of him, folded his hands, and leveled his eyes with hers. "I have to admit, I was reluctant to meet you. I'm not a psychiatrist."
"I know that," Theresa said.
"But then I thought, maybe it wouldn't hurt to hear this. Maybe I can help give you some peace of mind."
Theresa sighed and said nothing.
"When was the last time you saw your mother?"
"At the wake," she said. "Her wake. That was four years ago."
"And where was that?"
"Do you mind if I smoke?"
He smiled again. "Not at all."
She lit up and answered, "Middletown. North of the Hudson Valley."
Catlin scribbled in his pad. How did she die?" he asked.
Blue smoke jetted from her nostrils before Theresa replied, "Lung cancer."
"And how did her death make you feel?"
Theresa gave him an incredulous stare, and Catlin sat back in his chair. "Sometimes, when a person experiences a loss like that, the emotional storm can come back unexpectedly years later."
"Detective Catlin, I've talked to therapists before. I'll stop you there and save you some time. What I have seen—three times now—is not a hallucination."
Catlin's coffee arrived. He blew into the steaming cup and took a sip. "Your mother has no sisters, correct? No relatives that might bear a resemblance?" he asked.
She shook her head. "Then it was probably someone who just…looks like her," he said. "It happens more often than you'd think."
"But it wasn't just that she looked like her—she sounded like Mother."
"Okay, so how do you explain her reappearance in a city and country she'd never been to, four years after her death?"
"If I knew that why would I need a private investigator?"
Catlin put his pen down and gave her a hard look, an ex-cop look.
"I'm sorry," she said. "I've been sleeping badly, and all this is, well, you know…how can I not feel like I've lost my mind?" Her eyes drifted back to the river of bodies half-running on the sidewalk. "There is a woman out there who looks and sounds exactly like my dead mother." Theresa lit another cigarette, exhaled. "Exactly."
"Then, I'll find her," Catlin reassured her. He clicked his pen. "Start at the beginning, the night you first saw her."
Theresa had been in Hong Kong for less than two weeks when the first sighting occurred. She was there as a consultant, retained by a home electronics start-up called Toria. They installed her in a corporate apartment two blocks from the Tsuen Wan rail line, replete with a view of a nice park with a bowl shaped water fountain and a statue of Mao Zedong. They gave her a generous stipend for exploring the city, but Theresa had little interest. She had just gone through a bitterly contested divorce and wanted only cigarettes and sleep. Three weeks ago, she'd awoken at midnight and couldn't get back to sleep, so she got dressed and went for a walk.
Tsuen Wan was the most prosperous district in Hong Kong. The streets were jacked with open air markets and bustling cafes. Theresa strolled down Avenue C, where jazz clubs lay nestled under the streets. Halfway down the street, she heard something that stopped her cold. Someone was singing "Tennessee Waltz," someone who sounded exactly like her mother. Her voice lifted on the same accents, and tripped on the same notes her mother could never quite reach. Theresa went to the doorway of the club, and peeked inside, and….
"You saw her." Catlin paused in his note taking.
"It was a cramped, renovated playhouse. The kind that attracts middle-aged men who drink bourbon in silence." Theresa took a drag on her smoke and went on. "She was on the stage, in the same navy dress with white ruffles that she was buried in."
"Did she look sick?"
Theresa shook her head. "No, she looked great. Her hands were folded together behind the microphone stand and her hair was pulled back tight. She sang with her eyes closed. When she opened them, we were staring at each other. And I fainted."
"What happened after that?"
"I was lying on the floor with a bunch of excited Chinamen jabbering around me. I got to my feet, but my mother was gone. I tried asking around the playhouse, but no one spoke English. My Cantonese is hopeless."
Catlin smiled and nodded. "It gets easier."
"I got someone from work to go down there—just to find out what her name was—but the bar was closed for renovations." She sighed. "So, like any sane person, I decided that my eyes and ears had tricked me. But then I saw her again at the International Food Market. Actually, she saw me first, or at least I thought so. She stared right at me with this strange look on her face. She recognized me, but something was different about her." Theresa felt herself choking up. She bit down on her lower lip.
Catlin reached over and touched her arm. "Take your time," he said.
Theresa took a long, quivering breath. "She ran out, and I couldn't catch her. The last time I saw her was a few days ago, on the train. She was on the eastbound, heading toward Tsim Sha Tsui, and I was on the west. Our windows faced each other for about thirty seconds before we went in opposite directions." She crushed her cigarette like a bug. "I can guess how many times you've heard the words 'I know how crazy this sounds, detective' in your career, but I will not be patronized. My mother is alive. And she's here in Hong Kong."
Catlin put his notebook away. "I'll start with the bar," he said. "Even if it's closed there's still a property manager I can call. I'll find out who you saw." He pushed a business card across the table. "In the meantime, I want you to call me the very second you see her, if you do see her again. And write down any other details you remember."
Theresa stared at the business card, willing herself not to say what she was about to say. "Do you think I'm crazy?"
"No," he replied, getting up. "But I would think you were crazy if you didn't ask me that."
"I almost didn't."
He smiled. "Have a good day, Miss Sitterhorn."
She didn't hear back from Catlin for almost two weeks. Theresa was annoyed. She had expected to hear from him within days, even though he'd given no indication that would happen. She decided to give him two more days before firing him. He called her on day two.
"Her name is Edna Willoughby," he said right off. "She's a retired jazz singer from London, who came to China on a missionary project. She's an associate minister at the Congregational Church in Northampton. Has four boys, all grown. I got all this from the bar manager, who went on vacation in the Philippines once the renovations started. That's why it took me so long to get back to you. Edna was their part-time lounge singer. She quit and left her apartment on Rose Wood. The neighbors believe she went back to London. There is no forwarding address."
"I see," said Theresa, stirring a cup of black Asian tea. She stared through the glass wall of her office at the curved monoliths of concrete, steel, and glass. Frantic development in a frantic country. "Is that all you have for me after two weeks?" she asked.
"I apologize for not calling sooner. I had a few other engagements that took me out of town last week. I should've told you."
Fingering the pack of cigarettes in her purse, Theresa left her tea and hurried to an elevator. "So what you are telling me is there is no connection between this woman and me."
"None that I can find, ma'am."
"Then how can you explain her reaction to seeing me in the market? She recognized me. I could see it in her eyes."
"The only explanation I can think of is that she recognized you from that night at the bar."
Theresa exited the swinging glass doors in the lobby and popped a smoke between her burgundy lips. She blew smoke at the world, seething with contempt.
"I can track her down. If that's what you want." Catlin said, reading her silence. "But I have to say, Miss Sitterhorn, that I'm not real sure what I can do for you here."
"I want to speak to her," Theresa said. "One time. That's all I want."
Silence on the other end.
"One time," she repeated. "Your name will never be used." She thought some more, and added, "I will pay you three thousand extra if you can arrange it."
Rob Catlin agreed to book a flight to London.
Theresa sat at her laptop with a bottle of wine and a package of Twizzlers. She munched the braided candy and searched for Edna Willoughby. There were no listings in Tsuen Wan or any of the surrounding towns, nor were there any current listings in London. She went to peoplefinder.com, searched, and found several people by that name, but all were the wrong age.
She finished her third glass of wine and Googled doppelganger, which, according to Wikipedia, is "the ghostly double of a person, a sinister form of bilocation." By the time she finished the bottle she'd learned that bilocation, the ability of a person–or spirit—to appear to be in two separate places at the same time, is referenced in a variety of religious and philosophical belief systems, many of based on mysticism and magic. Theresa had always thought such stuff to be nonsense, but she was drunk enough to be fascinated. She scrolled down the sites and read, as two competing truths warred inside her head: one was that her mother was dead (Theresa herself had placed a single red rose on the coffin before the first shovelful of dirt fell in); the other was that the woman she'd seen in Hong Kong was her mother. Certain things were true in your heart, no matter how impossible. Her mother was dead. And alive.
She lay on the couch, staring at the ceiling until she drifted off to sleep. Her dreams fluttered and snapped like fresh sheets in the wind.
The air smells like summer, ripe with fragrant lilies and freshly mown grass. Her mother pulls her father's damp shirts from a plastic basket and hangs them on the clothesline. She pauses to drag from her cigarette. Her fingertips brush the bruised swelling below her eye, and she flinches.
"Momma, will you skip rope with me?"
"Not now, sweetie. No time. Your Poppa has to work tonight, and he needs fresh clothes."
"You always say that."
"It's always true. Work comes first."
"Can I help?" Theresa asks.
She smiles. "You can help by finishing your homework, so you can get a good job someday. Your hands should be writing and doing math, not hanging sheets and skivvies. Get your work done, then we can play."
Theresa knows it won't happen. By the time the homework is finished, her mother will be on to the next thing. There is always more work to do.
The next evening, Theresa walked to the part of town where there are no names on the storefronts. She scanned the numbers on the doors, found the one she'd read about on the Internet. She walked into a cramped antique bookshop. Talismans adorned the place. Hanging from the ceiling and propped on the shelves were an assortment of amulets, charms, and ceramic idols. The stench of incense nearly choked her as she closed the door.
A short, skinny man with a long, white goatee sat behind the counter to her left. A stick of incense lay on a tray beside him, smoldering in the dim light. "Help you?" the man asked in a thin, reedy voice.
"Yes," Theresa managed before coughing into her cupped palm. "Can you direct me to any books about bilocation?"
"Bilocation…" he repeated. "As in a Vardoger or poltergeist?"
"How about physical bilocation?"
The storekeepers eyes widened in the dim smoky light. "What you need this for?" He leaned over the counter. "You know someone in two places at once? Someone deceased?"
"It's kind of nuts, I know," she said, feeling silly. "It's my mother, who passed away years ago."
"You see her? Here?"
"I've seen her three times," Theresa said. "She was singing at a jazz club downtown, and then-"
The shopkeeper's hands flew up. He hissed something in Chinese and came around the counter. He took her arm, and whispered in her ear. "Not here. Come!"
He led her between rows of leather bound titles. They reached a wooden door at the end of the isle. The shopkeeper let them into a small room with a chalk circle drawn with Chinese symbols on the concrete floor and an assortment of feather and bone ornaments hanging from the ceiling. The shopkeeper scampered around, lighting candle nubs half melted to the floor while Theresa burned with questions. Finally, he invited her into the circle.
"Your mouth put us in danger," he whispered. "Only speak of them here. Nowhere else!"
"Who are they?"
"The Undelivered," he whispered with a shiver. "You hear of transference of the spirit? Ghosts? Souls that remain on Earth before moving on, you know this?"
Theresa nodded.
"Some people experience transference of the body, as well," he said. "After death, they pass into the ground and reappear in another part of the world–body and soul. They live like you and me, but they are not alive. They come to finish their work so they can go to the grave in peace."
"What work?" Theresa asked. "My mother worked hard her entire life." A wave of unreality swept over her like vertigo. Could she really be having this conversation?
"She has more work to do, dear. Different work." the old man said gently. "She was chosen because she passed too early in life, or because her soul carries too much pain to leave the body. No matter—she is here for a reason, and you cannot interfere. Bad things happen to those who do."
"But she's my mother. I have to talk to her."
The shopkeeper placed his hand on her arm. "Maybe you have work to do," he said, tapping a finger on her chest, over her heart. "Do it alone. Do not approach your mother and do not tell anyone what you've seen! My name is Jin. I am a cleric and I have special protection from them, but you do not. Undelivered listen always and they will protect the secret of their existence at all costs. It's never safe to speak of them outside of here." He motioned to the ring in which they stood.
"What happens if they find out I know about them?"
The old man knelt down and blew out a candle.
Theresa sits in her Mazda 3 and presses her hand to the horn, joining the cacophony of toots and shouts in the bottleneck. She checks her watch. Quarter to one. She should be in Manhattan now, prepping for the Tiffany pitch. Winning the business would net them fifteen million in agency fees and commissions over the next three years. It would be a huge coup that could catapult her near the top of a very deep food chain. But instead of prepping for the biggest appointment of her career, she's sitting in traffic with her car aimed at Hoboken. She can see the goddamned exit from her windshield, but no cars are moving.
Her cell phone rings. Probably Jack Renauld wanting to know where she is. But when she sees the number, her stomach drops. "Hi, Kate,"she says.
"Theresa," Kate replies curtly.
"How is she?" Theresa asks.
"Hard to say. She's rebounded from this morning, but her breathing is very shallow. Where are you?"
"Stuck on the turnpike. I'm looking at Exit 6, but looking is about all I can do right now."
"Okay," Kate says, her voice softening with the knowledge that Doris's self-important daughter is, in fact, on her way home. "She'll be here when you get here."
"Do you think she'll hang on for a while? I've got a presentation to make in Manhattan in two hours."
"I'd cancel it."
"Can't." Theresa lights a cigarette and rolls down the window.
Kate scoffs. "Your mother is dying, Theresa. Come and tell her you love her. If you don't, you'll regret it for the rest of your life. Is work that important, really?"
"People are depending on me, Kate. People with families to feed."
"Theresa –"
"Besides, she was never around for me. Ask where she was during my high school graduation, or my wedding, or my—"
"I suppose your father had nothing to do with that. Why is it that the abusive alcoholic always gets a pass from you kids?"
Theresa pitches the smoke out the window. "Shut the hell up about my father. You don't know him, and you don't know me. You may be Mom's friend, but you're just hired help to me. Stick to your business—caring for my mother."
"Fine. Do what you want."
"You will see me soon," Theresa says, calmer now. "No later than six. I promise."
She hangs up, swings the car into an illegal U-turn, and heads back toward New York.
Theresa sat on her patio, sipping a glass of wine, enjoying the cool breeze and the snow white lilacs in the park. Children pranced around the statue and the hedges in the garden path. It was a beautiful night, and she had an uncharacteristic serenity about her. Last night she'd dreamt about the day her mother passed away, and that single memory, so fresh and sharp in her mind, made all the worry about her mother being alive seem absurd. There could be no transference of body or spirit. No bilocation. Doris Sitterhorn had passed away at four o'clock in the afternoon on September 13, 2007. Theresa hadn't made it in time. Her mother was there and then she was gone. Dead is dead.
"My mother is gone," she confirmed aloud.
It was perfectly logical that her "sightings" had been mental cramps, subconscious twitches brought on by work-related stress. And Theresa was a practical woman–she needed to put this behind her and get on with her own life. When she walked inside for a fresh bottle of wine, her landline rang.
The digital answering machine picked up. "Aaaaah, Teeereeca. It's Jin from the bookshop. Very important! I think—"
She punched the mute button, silencing any more nonsense from that old hack. Theresa picked up a pen and paper, and sat at the dining room table. She began a letter to her mother, listening to the kids playing in the park. Happy, laughing, joyful sounds. She finished the letter, tucked it in an envelope. Then she found her checkbook and scribbled her first and last payment to Detective Robert Catlin. She dialed him on her cell, leaving a message asking if he could meet her tomorrow evening to settle her account. After she hung up, she went to bed and fell into a dreamless, restful sleep. The first in awhile.
Catlin was waiting for her. He sat at the bar, wearing a brown tweed suit coat, blue jeans, and cowboy boots. Theresa saw him from across the crowded restaurant. She dodged a waiter, who ran past with a hissing and spitting platter, and made her way over.
"Welcome home," she said, dropping her purse on the bar.
"You have no idea how good this cheeseburger is going to taste. The English can't butter toast without messing it up," Catlin replied without turning away from the TV. The news was on. Theresa read the subtitles and saw there'd been a freak accident in the subway terminal yesterday. Someone had fallen on the tracks and hit a speeding train—killed instantly. She said, "You shouldn't watch the news too much. It might deaden your sensibilities."
He sipped his whiskey, and faced her. His eyes sagged and beard stubble peppered his face. "How are you, Miss Sitterhorn?"
"Theresa," she corrected. "I'm fine. Great, actually. You could say I've had an epiphany."
"Really. Do tell," he shifted in his seat, knocked back the whiskey, and flagged the bartender for another. He ordered a Chardonnay for her. "What did this divine leap of understanding tell you?"
"That I should be in a padded cell, playing checkers."
Catlin laughed. The bartender brought their drinks and they raised them together. "I guess this means I'm fired."
"Indeed, you are," Theresa smiled back and clinked his glass. "But I will suspend my sanity long enough to hear what you found in London."
"Well, I found Edna Willoughby, and surprise, surprise–she doesn't look anything like your mother." He twirled the ice in his glass and sighed. "Either the bar owner deliberately gave me the wrong person or he was confused. Damn language barrier always gets in the way. When I was on the force in D.C. I could work around it, but it was mostly Spanish there."
Theresa sipped her wine, and then she allowed herself a little frankness. "I'm not exactly wowed by your skills, detective."
"Your right. I should've ordered you a better glass. How about a bottle of Bordeaux Dimones?"
"No, no, hear me out," she said, suppressing a smile. "You could've saved us both a lot of time with some brutal honesty. You can't find a person who doesn't exist."
Catlin thought about this and nodded. "You were so insistent that it was her. I've seen some amazing things in my life, and, well, it was worth turning over a few stones." He sighed. "I've done this job for thirty-seven years. I think maybe it's time for me to face a reality of my own." He smiled at her then, and she smiled back. "What are you going to do?" he asked.
"Me?" Theresa tossed her hair off her shoulders and gazed dreamily into her wine. "I'm finished with Hong Kong. I'll probably go home for a while. My real home, in Middletown. Get some snow on my boots and look up old friends. What about you? What are your plans?"
"Nothing quite that grand," he laughed. "I've still got a place back in D.C. A cozy little spot at Rock Creek. I'd really like to go home and watch the flowers grow."
"Rock Creek…" The smile disappeared from Theresa's face. Where had she heard that name before?
Catlin frowned a little. "I say something wrong?"
Theresa shook her head quickly, suppressing a shiver. "No, it's just…I worked in D.C. once, and I was trying to remember Rock Creek. Never mind." Theresa motioned at his ring. "And your wife? Any plans to see her, if I may be so bold to ask?"
Catlin shook his head. "We said goodbye five years ago. Some doors are better left closed, you know?"
"Oh believe me, I know." Theresa's hand dipped into her purse, pulled out some bills for the bartender. "This is for you," she said, sliding his check to him across the counter. "Consider it a going away present," she said.
They stood. "Safe travels, detective," she said. "Enjoy your cheeseburger."
"Indeed I will. Be well, Theresa." They shook hands, and Theresa stepped out into the night.
Halfway home, she still hadn't shaken the feeling that something wasn't right. Her chest felt tight and she was short of breath. What was it about Rock Creek that made her so uneasy?
She let herself into her apartment. She kept the lights off, sitting down at the computer and lighting a smoke. The nicotine calmed her a little, but her head was still in the restaurant with Catlin. I've still got a place back in D.C. A cozy little spot at Rock Creek. Theresa had taken on a client in D.C. many years ago, a food service outfit that delivered meals to all the local colleges and universities. She still remembered the layout of the city pretty well. Where the hell was Rock Creek?
She startled her computer screen to life. She Googled 'Rob Catlin, detective, Washington D.C.' Then waited while the search results populated on the screen.
Some doors are better left closed.
The results spilled across the page just as the memory of Rock Creek surfaced. In her mind's eye, she stood outside the entrance on North Capital Street, where a black iron sign arches over the east lawn. White, chalky headstones poke out of the trim green. Clusters of hedges curve around the summer pines, and over the hill the church steeple fires skyward like a shooting star.
Rock Creek was a cemetery.
Theresa clicked on the obituary and looked at Detective Rob Catlin as he will always remain in his family's memory—thinner, a touch more hair, a warm smile on his face.
"Oh God…" she breathed. In the stark glow of the computer screen her face was whiter than coastal fog. She snuffed out her smoke on the edge of the table, missing the ashtray completely. She stamped on the sparks and looked at the blinking red light on her voicemail box. The message light flashed in angry red bursts in the dark.
Jin's message from two nights ago. She touched the playback button. "Aaaaah, Teeereeca. It's Jin from the bookshop. When you leave my shop last night I see a man follow you. He look about sixty years old, bald, suit coat. Did you talk to someone about what we discuss? I tell you–talk to NO ONE! Just today, they kill a man at the train station because he knew about them! You come to my shop. Hurry!"
A cold hand fell on Theresa's shoulder. "I'm sorry, Miss Sitterhorn."
Theresa screamed and spun around. Catlin's face was cold and expressionless in the dim blue-white light. Other people stood behind him. Blank, pale faces with eyes that didn't move. None of them ghosts. None of them truly alive.
"I tried to misdirect you. Tried to turn you away," Catlin said. "It's unfortunate you persisted."
"What is this!" Theresa whimpered. "What are you doing here!"
"I shouldn't have mentioned my other home. My final home. I wouldn't have spoken of it if I'd known you'd been there. You were so close to believing this was all your imagination, but then you discovered the truth." Catlin extended his hand. "Come now. We cannot allow the living to know about us. And besides, you have work to do."
The group of them carried her to the balcony. She scratched and slapped at their faces, but their flesh was hard as steel. They hoisted her over the edge. Theresa screamed all the way down, though she never made a sound.
The next morning, someone in the park spotted her broken, twisted body in the stone fountain and an ambulance arrived. Arrangements were made to deliver Theresa Sitterhorn back to the United States. The police retrieved a letter the deceased had written to her mother, also deceased. She had left it on the kitchen table. The contents revealed a lonely, distraught person tormented by guilt over not visiting her mother as she died from cancer. "I was so consumed with my job, I never came," Theresa had written. "Now, my only real work is finding joy in life. I miss you, Mom."
Shoe tracks belonging to several people found all over the apartment suggested the possibility of a homicide, but there were nine other mysterious deaths in the docket and the D.A. was eager to move on. The letter indicated a suicide, so that's what went into the report. Detective Rob Catlin handed the file to his assistant, Doris Sitterhorn.
A distant pain flickered for a moment as she looked at her daughter's file. "Get your work done, sweetheart," she said. "Then we'll have some time together at last." She sealed the file, mailed it with the certificate of death, and went on with her work. It was going to be a productive day.


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April's Challenge is HERE
Quite often in the op shops or at markets you can buy a stash
of postcards for cents.
I like using them when I want to do a series of small art pieces.
All the same size and weight makes for quick results.
On these, I used the card paint swipe with PaperArtsy Fresco paints.
This series I explored stencilling and heat embossing.
On modern postcards there is often a plasticised layer with the printing.
Heat it and it puffs and bubbles.
I ripped this layer away.
The cardstock is quite strong.
With this as a base I then explored ways to dress the postcards.
I punched a few holes across the piece and threaded through sari silk scraps.
It reminded me of the sewing cards I had as a girl.
A few jewels, a fabric piece and complementing cardstock
finished off "Celestial"
Did you know that if your acrylic paint is not fully dry
you can add embossing powder
and then heat emboss?
I sprinkled embossing powders through a stencil.
I took the stencil away before using the heat gun
The effects will be different depending on what
embossing powders you use.
See, I told you I had sewing cards and being a girl on my mind.
This piece is "Off the Wall."
Have you entered in Rhedd's Creative Spirit Challenge this month?
As long as it is mixed media we would love to see it.
Maybe even an altered postcard or two?
Until Next Time
Click on the link at the top of Julie's post to get to our current challenge.


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UJV 405 - Luxury Villa
Villa UJV 405, also referred to as Kiera House, is a comfortable, 2 bedroom, Scandinavian style villa overlooking the Grand Fond valley.
Off the beaten path, this villa sits atop the gorgeous valley of Grand Fond. Entering through the gate one feels in-sync with nature; the wooden facade, the plants growing on the rocks along the stone pathway leading to the house, which is nestled discretely in a natural setting. Inside everything is crisp and modern. The main living area, with its fully air-conditioned living room and kitchen, is on the second floor. Bright, with white wooden walls and ceiling, light wooden floors, comfortable seating and nicely decorated, the living room features a white, baby grand-piano, casually placed next to the entrance. The open, Swedish style kitchen separates the living room from the dining room and features a small breakfast bar. The dining table is placed right in front of two large windows to enjoy the beautiful vistas.
Outside is a covered terrace in front of the pool, with an outdoor living area and a large dining table. It is adjacent to the guest half bath with outdoor shower, which is also the bathroom for the small guest cabin that sits above the villa. This cabin only has a twin bed and desk, but does have WiFi. It is accessible only by climbing the steep, stone stairway, and can be used for an extra guest or teenager. The deck surrounding the pool extends to a lower level, and the entire house is surrounded by beautifully landscaped gardens.
Both bedrooms are on the lower level of the house and are completely equal. The white, wooden ceilings and light wooden flooring, as well as the use of color and materials in the bedrooms give the impression of an updated colonial house. Each bedroom has a king-size bed with quality bedding and linens and an ensuite bathroom with shower.
This villa is ideal for couples traveling together, but a family with older children will feel at home here as well. However, the owners do not allow children under 10 years old.
- Air Conditioning
- DVD Player
- Hair Dryer in each bathroom
- Heated Pool - 25 ft x 9 ft
- iPod Connector
- Maid Service Daily, except Sundays & Holidays
- Nespresso Coffee Machine
- Outdoor Dining
- Outdoor Shower
- Piano
- Safe in each bedroom
- Stereo
- U.S. Satellite TV
- WiFi
- Bedrooms
- 2
- Bathrooms
- 3
- Beach
- 10 minute drive
- Shops
- 10 minute drive
- Town
- 15 minute drive
- Pool
- Children Allowed
- Child Min Age
- 10 years old.
Inclusions / Terms and Conditions
Villa Rentals in St Barths Include:
- Complimentary 24/7 personal concierge service during the length of their stay in St Barths. That includes:
- Being met at the airport arrivals gate by your personal concierge for the week
- Being escorted to the villa by that concierge, where you are given a complete orientation to the property
- 24/7 concierge desk service from your personal concierge during your stay, just send a text or call your concierge to set-up anything you desire: grocery delivery, private chef, restaurant reservations, boat charters, in-villa yoga, pilates or massage session, babysitter...and more
Standard minimum stay requirements for stays apply


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11 [S1 E11] Pamela/
We talk with Pamela Karanova of Adoptee in Recovery, a fellow adoptee who'll be sharing her story with us. We talk about her search, a brief reunion, her struggle with alcohol addiction and recovery, and some surprising connections she's made with extended bio family members through DNA testing. We also discuss some issues about Christianity and adoption.
Show Notes
Topics We Discussed
Finding out she was adopted at age 5
Fantasizing about birthmother returning to take her home
1970s - adoptive parents instructed not to talk about adoption/adoptee issues
An adopted sister who was less interested in adoption
Adoptive parents divorced one year after her adoption
Began drinking at age 12
Turned 21 (had her first baby), desire to find her birthmother
Phoning her birthmother for the first time
Meeting her half sister, and her birthmother in person
Going to her birthmother's funeral and not being acknowledged
Finding out she was the product of an affair with a married man
Finding her birthfather and a wild drive to knock on his door
Discovering both of her birthparents were alcoholics; deciding to go to Celebrate Recovery
Journey to sobriety; finding common roots of addiction in rejection and abandonment
Finding her hope and healing in God; writing her blog and managing the FB group, How Does it Feel to Be Adopted; therapy
Losing her connection with her biological sister (who also relinquished a child)
DNA testing and connecting with a cousin
Deciding whether or not to meet her paternal grandmother
Discussing the church's relationship with adoption
Words of advice for adoptive parents
Recommended Resources
6 Word Adoption Memoirs: Video on vimeo and their fb page; Is Adoption Trauma FB page - 6 Word Adoption Memoir album
Jessenia Arias, @iamadopted, The Not So Secret Life of An Adoptee
DNA testing: ancestry.com, 23andme.com
Connect With Us
- Pamela Karanova: Twitter | Instagram | Facebook | adopteeinrecovery.com
- Haley Radke: Twitter | Instagram | Facebook
- Adoptees On: Twitter | Instagram | Facebook
Apple Podcasts | Google Play | iHeart Radio | Spotify | Stitcher | YouTube
Support Adoptees On
One Time Donation | Monthly | Secret Facebook Group
Monthly Newsletter | Send a Note or Record a Voicemail


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Against Positive Thinking: Uncertainty as the Secret of Happiness. Stop Making Plans: How Goal-Setting Limits Rather Than Begets Our Happiness and Success. By Maria Popova "Uncertainty is where things happen.
It is where the opportunities — for success, for happiness, for really living — are waiting." The Perils of Plans: Why Creativity Requires Leaping into the Unknown. By Maria Popova "The job—as well as the plight, and the unexpected joy—of the artist is to embrace uncertainty, to be sharpened and honed by it."
"Allow yourself the uncomfortable luxury of changing your mind," I offered in one of my 7 lessons from 7 years of Brain Pickings. Indeed, nothing stunts growth more powerfully than our attachment to the familiar, our blind adherence to predetermined plans, and our inability to, as Rilke famously put it, "live the questions." Keats termed the willingness to embrace uncertainty, live with mystery, and make peace with ambiguity "negative capability" and argued that it's essential to the creative process; Anaïs Nin believed that inviting the unknown helps us live more richly, and even psychologists confirm that embracing uncertainty is essential to creativity.
And yet we cling so vigorously to our comfort zones, our plans, our knowns — why? When writers who are just starting out ask me when it gets easier, my answer is never. Donating = Loving. How to thrive in a world where change is constant. On a trip to the Bahamas in 2012, I got the chance to feed a group of grey reef sharks.
Now, feeding sharks is not an activity to be taken lightly. It's a complex challenge that essentially requires you to coordinate a group of wild animals; you want them excited enough that they stick around. But you can't just dump lots of food in the water, because that will whip them into a frenzy, with potentially disastrous consequences. You spend a lot of time training for a dive like this. And the most important thing is for all of that training to be second nature.
Uri Alon: Why truly innovative science demands a leap into the unknown. Rilke on Embracing Uncertainty and Living the Questions. Legendary Harvard Psychologist Jerome Bruner on the Art of "Effective Surprise" and the 6 Essential Conditions of Creativity.
By Maria Popova "Passion, like discriminating taste, grows on its use.
You more likely act yourself into feeling than feel yourself into action." The Dark Side of Certainty: Jacob Bronowski on the Spirit of Science and What Auschwitz Teaches Us About Our Compulsion for Control. Thoroughly Conscious Ignorance: How the Power of Not-Knowing Drives Progress and Why Certainty Stymies the Evolution of Knowledge. 8 tips to make your life more surprising — from a "Surprisologist" A closeup of Tania Luna, with glow stick.
Photo: James Duncan Davidson In today's talk, Tania Luna shares her experience of immigrating to the United States from Ukraine as a little girl. Perfectly happy with her family's outhouse and with chewing a single piece of Bazooka gum for a week, Luna found herself blown away by the wonders of her new country. The Magic and Logic of Color: How Josef Albers Revolutionized Visual Culture and the Art of Seeing. By Maria Popova "A thing is never seen as it really is."
"Hundreds of people can talk, for one who can think," John Ruskin wrote, "but thousands of people can think, for one who can see." "We see, but we do not see: we use our eyes, but our gaze is glancing, frivolously considering its object," Alexandra Horowitz lamented in her sublime meditation on looking. Hardly anyone has accomplished more in revolutionizing the art of seeing than German-born American artist, poet, printmaker, and educator Josef Albers, as celebrated for his iconic abstract paintings as he was for his vibrant wit and spellbinding presence as a classroom performer. Albers, who headed the legendary Black Mountain College that shaped such luminaries as Zen composer John Cage and reconstructionist Ruth Asawa, lays out the book's beautifully fulfilled and timeless promise in the original introduction: In visual perception a color is almost never seen as it really is — as it physically is. Donating = Loving. Chris Hadfield: What I learned from going blind in space.
Anaïs Nin on Embracing the Unfamiliar. By Maria Popova "It is a sign of great inner insecurity to be hostile to the unfamiliar."
We've already seen that life is about living the questions, that the unknown is what drives science, and that the most beautiful experience we can have is the mysterious. John Keats wrote of this art of remaining in doubt "without any irritable reaching after fact & reason" and famously termed it "negative capability." But count on Anaïs Nin to articulate familiar truths in the most exquisitely poetic way possible, peeling away at the most profound and aspirational aspects of what it means to be human.
In a diary entry from the winter of 1949-1950, found in The Diary of Anaïs Nin, Vol. 5: 1947-1955 (public library), which gave us Nin's whimsical antidote to city life and her poignant meditation on character, parenting, and personal responsibility, she observes: Educators do all in their power to prepare you to enjoy reading after college. Donating = Loving Brain Pickings has a free weekly newsletter. Life Is Like Blue Jelly: Margaret Mead Discovers the Meaning of Existence in a Dream. Happy Birthday, Milton Glaser: The Iconic Designer on Art, Money, Education, and the Kindness of the Universe.
By Maria Popova "If you perceive the universe as being a universe of abundance, then it will be.
If you think of the universe as one of scarcity, then it will be." Milton Glaser — legendary mastermind of the famous I♥NY logo, author of delightful and little-known vintage children's books, notorious notebook-doodler, modern-day sage of art and purpose — is celebrated by many as the greatest graphic designer alive. From How to Think Like a Great Graphic Designer (public library) — the same fantastic anthology of conversations with creative icons that gave us Paula Scher's slot machine metaphor for creativity and Massimo Vignelli on intellectual elegance, education, and love — comes a fascinating and remarkably heartening conversation that reveals the inner workings of this beautiful mind and beautiful spirit.
What E. While other great designers have created cool posters, beautiful book covers, and powerful logos, Milton Glaser has actually lifted this age he inhabits. Situations Matter: How Context Shapes Our Lives. By Maria Popova Debunking the myth of character, or what sitcoms have to do with the mysteries of personality.
"What matters most is how well you walk through the fire," Charles Bukowski famously wrote. We walk through life and its fires along narrative paths that define who we are and what our personalities are like. Thoroughly Conscious Ignorance: How the Power of Not-Knowing Drives Progress and Why Certainty Stymies the Evolution of Knowledge. Happy Birthday, Donald Barthelme: The Beloved Writer on the Art of Not-Knowing and the Not-Knowing of Art. By Maria Popova "Our devouring commercial culture… results in a double impoverishment: theft of complexity from the reader, theft of the reader from the writer."
"We try to see in the dark," Annie Dillard offered in her superb meditation on writing, "we toss up our questions and they catch in the trees." Postmodernist icon Donald Barthelme (April 7, 1931–July 23, 1989) was not only one of the most innovative and memorable voices in twentieth-century fiction, known for his seemingly plotless verbal-collage narratives, but also a writer with a special sensitivity to language and an exceptional ability to articulate its magic. How to Cope with Uncomfortable Uncertainty. Joy is not the only experience that people try to avoid, to their detriment. Many people cannot tolerate the feeling of uncertainty, and according to mounting evidence, this fear affects mood and health. Intolerance of uncertainty is linked with mental disorders such as anxiety and depression, researchers confirmed in a paper in the June 2013 issue of the Journal of Clinical Psychology; their results also revealed a strong link to panic disorder.
People with this fear try to feel more certain with strategies such as excessive checking, planning and reassurance seeking, worry and rumination, and avoidance of unfamiliar situations. Perhaps unsurprisingly, intolerance of uncertainty has been found to be related to obsessive-compulsive disorder and hoarding—although many more people experience subtle symptoms that disrupt quality of life without meeting the diagnostic criteria for a mental disorder. Philosopher Martha Nussbaum on How to Live with Our Human Fragility. By Maria Popova "To be a good human being is to have a kind of openness to the world, an ability to trust uncertain things beyond your own control."
In 1988, Bill Moyers produced a series of intelligent, inspiring, provocative conversations with a diverse set of cultural icons, ranging from Isaac Asimov to Noam Chomsky to Chinua Achebe. It was unlike any public discourse to have ever graced the national television airwaves before. The following year, the interviews were transcribed and collected in the magnificent tome Bill Moyers: A World of Ideas (public library).


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Smart on Crime
"It's ill-advised to do reactionary law-making…There's a string of [criminal] occurrences and we say we need to enhance penalties on this crime or some other one…we do it based on gut and a press conference. We need to look at recidivism, deterrence, punishment, all [those] thing[s] you're supposed to consider."
Illinois State Senator Kwame Raoul made this statement on November 6, 2013 about SB 1342. Community Renewal Society agrees and opposes any legislation that increases mandatory prison sentences. This bill takes a piecemeal approach to gun violence.
Gun violence is destroying our communities. Too many lives are being lost. Too much money is being spent on "tough on crime" laws and policies that don't work. We urge our representatives in the Illinois legislature to promote "smart on crime" solutions and to stop spending our money on young people needlessly sentenced too young and too harshly.
Mandatory minimum sentences will not reduce rates of gun violence in Chicago. Supporters of mandatory minimum sentences argue that a criminal in prison is one less criminal on the streets. However, mandatory minimums do not provide communities with a long-term plan for preventing crime and violence. Instead, they increase the likelihood of recidivism and contribute to making some prisoners even more dangerous and unemployable upon release.
Long-term solutions are necessary. A disproportionate number of young people are affected by mandatory minimums. A U.S. Sentencing Commission report reveals that parties involved in the sentencing process are punished more harshly than necessary as a result of mandatory minimum sentences. The early incarceration of young people will increase rates of crime and violence because "incarcerating younger, lower-level prisoners with older and more violence offenders turns prisons into 'crime schools'" according to a report published by the Northwestern Law Bluhm Legal Clinic.
There are alternatives to mandatory minimums that work. By providing our youth with jobs and after-school activities, and by employing "focused policing," we can reduce violence in our communities. One Summer Plus is a promising crime reduction program in Chicago. It provides young people in high-violence neighborhoods with part-time jobs for seven weeks in the summer. The University of Chicago Crime Lab found that violent crime arrests were cut in half during the 2012 session.
If SB 1342 passes, a person who carries an unloaded firearm in public (with ammunition accessible) without a valid FOID (Firearms Owner Identification) card would be automatically charged with Aggravated Unlawful Use of a Weapon. If convicted, a person with no previous record would be required to serve eighty-five percent of a one-year prison sentence. The proposed law does not put a cap on the age or type of felony that subjects people to mandatory minimum sentences. People with minor drug possession and retail theft convictions will be viewed the same as "career violent criminals."
We are expecting Governor Quinn to call a special session of the Illinois Legislature in early December, right after Thanksgiving. There is a strong chance that the General Assembly will vote on SB 1342 during this session.
We cannot let SB 1342 pass. An investigation conducted by the Chicago Reporter revealed that if mandatory minimums for illegal gun possessions had been in place between 2000 and 2011, "Illinois taxpayers would have been responsible for, at a minimum, more than $760 million in additional incarceration costs related to gun possession convictions…." There are also human costs of incarceration. A person who serves a mandatory sentence returns to society a marked person faced with barriers to finding a job, a stable home, or ongoing mental health services, if needed.
We need you to call or e-mail your legislators NOW and urge them to vote AGAINST SB 1342. Over three hundred organizations and individuals have already recorded their opposition to this bill and numerous editorials have been published. Tell our legislators that being "smart" rather than "tough" on crime will reduce violence in Chicago. Act NOW.
Nisreen Hasib is a third-year law student at Northwestern University School of Law. She currently interns at the Community Renewal Society as part of her work for the Community Lawyering class at Northwestern.