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Gideon Lewis-Kraus, writing for The New York Times Magazine:
Nolan, whose eight movies over 14 years have together generated just more than $3.5 billion in revenue, puts an extraordinary amount of time and effort into engineering believably ample worlds. He tries to build maps the size of the territory, whole cities from the ground up in disused airship hangars (as he's done for four of his movies at a former R.A.F. facility outside London), even if he's going to shoot just a few street-corner scenes. Sue Kroll, the president of worldwide marketing for Warner Bros., told me she once got actually lost in the ersatz rain falling on an ersatz Gotham. Nolan learned the value of such sweep from Ridley Scott. The genius of "Blade Runner," he told me, is that "you never feel like you've gotten close to the edge of the world."
Christopher Nolan has been my favourite director for some time. I think a big reason for that is his extensive use of IMAX film and his ability to create stunning visual effects from real props rather than relying on computer-generated graphics. If you haven't watched the bonus material accompanying his films, you should – I was shocked to learn just how many of the scenes in his films rely on live-action stunts rather than green-screens. The flipping tractor-trailer in The Dark Knight, the train running down the middle of a street in Inception, and the Batpod are a few examples.

subset: commoncrawl


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I had a quite busy week at work and at home.
We have been trying to finish preparing our backyard for the summer. Most of the job was done by my husband. My only part is giving him moral support. Last weekend, we had a bobcat digging up all the dirt, flattening the surface, fill it with top soil, etc. Hopefully, we will be able to build the veggie patches we have been looking for and lay the turf next weekend.
And here are the after shots.
Now the Monday Makers!
Here is what I managed to sew last week; do. Good stitches September blocks. We were asked to make two log cabin blocks for young children quilts; one in pink tones and one in blue tones. I have used my friend's scraps and made these.
Now it is your turn to show me your finishes from last week and new projects you are starting today.
2. Grab the button from the side bar- DONE!!- or put a link back to me in your Monday post.
3. Click on "add your link" and just fill in the required areas.
4. Please link to your specific post, not to your homepage: We would like to find your post easily.
5. Please take time to visit other links and leave a sweet comment: We love comments!
6. Share the photos of your finished Monday projects in your next link up- I am hoping you will come back again!: Who doesn't love a sweet, finished project or a "before-after" photo?
You don't have to be a follower of my blog, however; I wouldn't say no if you wanted to become one :-)


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Taking justice into custody: the legal needs of prisoners ( 2008 ) Cite this report
A prisoner's capacity to identify and deal with legal issues they are facing and to actively participate in legal processes to resolve those issues whilst incarcerated is affected by a complex interplay of factors. Some factors relate to systems (legal, bureaucratic and custodial), some to individuals within these systems (inmates, lawyers and prison staff) and some to the prison culture. This chapter focuses on those factors that are related specifically to the prisoner. In particular, it examines how the capacity of inmates to address their legal needs is affected by their own:
Histories: lives before prison
It appears from our interviews that it is not uncommon that life prior to coming into custody is chaotic and, for some, spiralling out of control. According to our interviews, for many prisoners this pre-custody period is characterised by unstable living arrangements, poverty, alcohol and other drug misuse, mental illness, damaged or unhealthy relationships with family and friends, and poor histories with government agencies and other services providers. It became clear from our interviews that the impact of these somewhat chaotic lifestyles before prison both contributed to the range of legal issues with which people arrived in prison and continued to affect their capacity to address their legal issues while incarcerated. These legal issues may continue unresolved well into their post-release period.
Chaotic lives
Alcohol and other drug use, mental health issues, transient lifestyles and criminal activity were all commonly reported by our interviewees as precursors to prison. A sample of descriptions given by our interviewees characterise this period:
As outlined in Chapter 4, inmates interviewed for this study commonly came to prison with a range of civil and family law problems in addition to their criminal law issues. These included accumulated debts and fines, evictions and/or blacklisting from housing, as well as child support and custody residence issues. Indeed, our research has suggested that incarceration is not just a marker of criminal law issues, but is often an indicator of crisis more generally.
One impact of inmates having pre-existing legal problems when they enter prison is that, when they are removed from the community, their legal issues often remain. Family on the outside may be directly affected by these issues whilst the inmate is in prison (Woodward, 2003). However, it is often not until release that inmates themselves feel the full effect of these unresolved issues, which may have by then compounded and generated further problems:
Damaged and damaging relationships
Adding further to the challenge of dealing with outstanding legal problems from the period before custody, prisoners may also have severed and/or damaged relationships with family and friends, government agencies (e.g. DOH or Centrelink) and other support services that could assist them with these problems in their post-release life.
Personal relationships
Poor histories with government and other support agencies can also make it difficult for inmates both to resolve their civil and family law issues and to re-establish life post-release. As described in Chapter 4, service providers reported the difficulties they faced trying to re-house ex-prisoners when they had been banned by the DOH, placed on tenancy default databases (blacklists) or excluded from support services due to their previous histories:
Awareness of the damage done
An unstable lifestyle prior to custody, particularly when alcohol and other drug misuse or mental illness have been factors, may also mean that inmates are not fully aware of the extent of the legal problems that have accumulated during the period before they went into custody. Frequent changes in address prior to their imprisonment may also mean that notices and letters are not received or become lost in residential moves. In other cases, through their disordered life before prison, the person may have simply forgotten specific events or issues that have developed into legal issues. As one support worker observed:
Informality in personal affairs
A further feature of prisoners' lives before custody that was relevant to an examination of prisoners' legal needs was a tendency for inmates to manage their financial affairs and family arrangements without recourse to formal legal transactions or processes. Examples raised in our study included informal money lending between family, friends and acquaintances, unofficial custody arrangements for children and the unauthorised sub-letting of housing. Inmates interviewed commonly reported having made relatively informal arrangements with their housing, allowing friends to occupy their accommodation while they were in custody or when they had moved elsewhere:
Another impact of inmates having informal personal arrangements that are made outside the law is that, if the informal agreement fails, it is more difficult to use the law to assert an inmate's rights and preferences, particularly from prison. In part, this is because inmates have little or no documentary evidence of the arrangements they have made. For instance, Sharon described the care arrangements for her two older children, who had been living with her Aunt while she was been in prison:
Consequently, our research indicates that prior to coming to prison, prisoners tend to have arranged their affairs without recourse to formal legal transactions or processes. This can manifest as informal money lending, sub-leasing of housing, unofficial care arrangements for children and the use of violence to settle matters. The tendency towards having informal rather than formal arrangements appears to be, at least, partly the result of a suspicion of the legal processes and a general isolation from conventional opportunities and processes. The impact of this separation from formal processes is that, in the absence of defined arrangements (including contractual documents), it may be difficult to negotiate resolutions when disputes do arise while one party is in prison. In this way, prisoners' ability to use the law to address problems may be somewhat compromised. Without — as they see it — being able to call upon the law, inmates may be drawn towards less conventional resolutions to their problems.
Financial capacity/resources
It would seem that inmates tend not to enter jail in a strong financial position. While some will be eligible for subsidised assistance from Legal Aid or the ALS, others will have to (or may choose to) engage private representation. As the additional costs of legal representation come at a time when a source of income has been lost because the inmate is incarcerated, prisoners and their families may become further impoverished through the legal process. As inmates cycle through the system for the second or third time, their financial resources, the goodwill of family and friends, and the range of options available to them for legal representation are only further exhausted. Meeting legal needs during successive terms in prison becomes more difficult to sustain and consequently any legal problems not demanding to be resolved tend to go unattended.
Prior experience of legal processes
The third area that affects inmates' capacity to access justice is their prior experience with legal processes. In our interviews, lawyers, DCS staff and inmates alike maintained that inmates were able to draw on their previous experiences with the law to better negotiate legal and custodial systems. However, it will be argued here that the level of knowledge among inmates of the laws and legal processes is not consistently high, accurate or broad enough to cover the range of criminal and civil matters they may face.
Criminal law processes
Lawyers, custodial staff and inmates all commented on the apparent depth of knowledge of the criminal law process displayed by some of the more experienced long-term inmates:
— Simon, male sentenced inmate, medium security, 35+ years, non-Aboriginal, urban prison
Most of the old crims in the jail, they know more than you know. They know more than the [Principal Solicitor] knows — where to be able to tap into the services. I can tell you. … They might act ignorant in some ways but really they know.
— Zone manager, ALS
— Custodial officer, urban prison
— Hugh, male sentenced prisoner on protection, 25–34 years, non-Aboriginal, rural prison
— Probation and parole officer, urban area
Among the current sample, many inmates indicated that they had limited knowledge about: how to get legal information and advice within jail; what was the likely progress of their own matter; how to interact with their lawyer; and, what were the possible outcomes concerning their matter:
— Alex, male parolee, 35+ years, non-Aboriginal, urban area
See most of the inmates … don't even know that they can get a private solicitor and get partial Legal Aid.
— Non-custodial staff member, urban prison
— Mike, male sentenced prisoner, minimum security, 35+ years, non-Aboriginal, rural prison
Civil and family law processes
The inmates we interviewed appeared to have less experience and knowledge about civil and family law, than they do about criminal law:
— Dean, male sentenced prisoner on protection, 35+ years, Aboriginal, rural prison
I don't like to give too much legal advice on kids and that because I'm not up to date with the Family Law Courts, you know, I've never had to deal with them.
— Simon, male sentenced inmate, medium security, 35+ years, non-Aboriginal, urban prison
— Worker, CJSN
I think … a lot of them don't worry about that. They, they worry about doing what they've got to do in surviving in here. 'I'll sort it out when I get out'.
At the beginning of this chapter we identified six broad characteristics of prisoners and their histories that can affect the capacity of inmates to access justice. We have discussed the impact of inmates' chaotic lives prior to prison, their financial capacity and previous experiences with the law. We now turn to issues relating to cognitive capacity, literacy and comprehension, before we turn to styles of interaction common among inmates and the impact of prison on life skills.
Cognitive capacity, literacy and comprehension
— Freddy, male remandee, 25–34 years, non-Aboriginal, urban prison
I don't know, I didn't even get into it because I'm a bit illiterate and I don't understand a lot of paperwork.
— Jason, male ex-prisoner, 35+ years, non-Aboriginal, rural area
A key point to make here is that within the inmate population are people who experience more permanent or long-term forms of impairment (e.g. intellectual disability, poor literacy and ABI) and people with short-term forms of impairment (e.g. alcohol or other drug intoxication or withdrawal, the impact of severe mental health episode or medication, anxiety and stress). Further, as this section will illustrate, some of the temporary forms of impairment tend to coincide with crucial points in the legal processes, such as at the time of arrest and police interview, and attending initial court hearings. This is critical because it is at these times when inmates must draw on their skills to engage with the process when they appear to have the least capacity to do so.
The capacity of an inmate to comprehend legal material and engage in legal processes may be affected by either one or more problematic issues, such as poor literacy, limited educational opportunities, limited proficiency in English, intellectual disability, ABI, substance misuse, mental health issues, anxiety and stress. The major effects of inmates not being able to comprehend legal information, advice or processes, identified in our interviews were:
Understanding and participating in legal processes
It was evident from our research that inmates often did not comprehend the legal processes that they are subject to, commencing from the earliest stages of arrest and incarceration. Of note was the prevalence and impact of intoxication and acute mental health issues at these early stages, over and above the longer term effects of limited education, literacy and intellectual disability. For example, Ricky and Karla describe their experience of arrest and their cognitive capacity at the time:
— Ricky, male sentenced inmate, maximum security, 25–34 years, non-Aboriginal, urban prison
I didn't remember too much of the day — I felt so shocked. I got arrested and they were asking me all kinds of questions, took all my stuff, and I don't really know, but, 'cause I was really shocked, and I was crying a lot.
— Karla, female remandee, minimum security, 25–34 years, NESB, urban prison
— DCS policy officer, head office
… you sometimes will get people who are just off their dial, and that usually becomes then a medical kind of issue; how are we going to manage this until they're a little more compus mentus and that type of thing … sometimes you may even have to re-screen; they'll try and screen and just can't do it [because] they're just talking in word salad and we'll need to see them again when the nurses have them detoxed.
— Non-custodial staff manager, urban prison
Inmates' lack of cognitive competence in these early stages of incarceration continues to interfere with their access to justice when they attend court. For example:
— Staff member, CRC
You see when I did go to court … he was giving me the information but I wasn't in the right state of mind you know. I didn't want to be there. I was sick. I wanted to get to jail. I wanted to hurry up and come to jail.
—Liz, female remandee, maximum security, 25–34 years, Aboriginal, urban prison
However, our interviews also indicated that, as inmates settle into prison, they appear less likely to be affected by alcohol or drugs and more likely to be medicated appropriately for their condition:
— Legal Aid solicitor
… it's quite interesting to see actually how inmates behave when they first come in. It's one of shock, regret, remorse, before they actually start coping, you know, with being in jail.
— DCS welfare officer, urban prison
Using AVL
As was discussed in Chapter 5, AVL is increasingly being used to enable defendants to appear in court, without having to be physically transported to the court house. However, our interviews have indicated that appearing in court by AVL may add an additional layer of confusion for some inmates.
— DCS welfare officer, urban prison
[the] first time, I didn't know what to do with the telephone next to me [to speak to the lawyer in court from the AVL cubicle]. I didn't know how to talk to my lawyer. So, it was, you don't get a sort of prior explanation of how the system works.
No, no one says anything. They just call you to a room, you sit in there, they've got the cameras there and that. So you don't know what's going on. Really, it's frightening.
— Carlos, male sentenced prisoner on protection, 35+ years, NESB, rural prison
— Worker, CJSN
No. Because … my Asian solicitor was there in the court room and he was representing us to say some, say, you know, yeah, he was speaking for us anyway.
No I didn't, yeah. As I said before, couldn't, couldn't speak English, so, yeah.
— Sam, male sentenced prisoner, medium security, < 24 years, NESB, rural prison
Signing documents
The issue of inmates signing legal documents without fully understanding the contents and implications of the transaction was also raised as an issue in our study. Examples were given of inmates consenting to legal transactions such as parole conditions and agreements with government agencies, without being able to read or understand the obligations they had accepted on paper. For instance, inmates had left themselves vulnerable to breaching bail or parole conditions and AVO/ADVOs, as well as contractual agreements such as tenancy documents and Centrelink agreements, because they did not understand what they were agreeing to:
— Manager, Centrelink
— Financial counsellor
However, it must be acknowledged that, as Elliot, another inmate identified, this lack of comprehension of the legal process may be as much a function of the language and culture of the law as it is a reflection on the cognitive capacity of inmates:
— Elliot, male remandee, maximum security, 35+ years, non-Aboriginal, urban prison
… they sometimes have a need to see or seek Legal Aid. We then, I give them the relevant forms. Now those forms, I consider pretty complicated for inmates. I see a lot of these inmates, their education standards are, you know, are not as good as it can be, and these forms can be very complicated.
— Custodial officer, urban prison
A further issue related to cognitive capacity and participation in legal processes was raised in relation to inmates with an intellectual disability (although it may apply a little more widely than this group). According to interviewees from the IDRS and CJSN, inmates with an intellectual disability may not have the same opportunity to participate in educational programs that are required for eligibility for parole. They said:
No, they can't do any of the programs because
Or any time, because of the disability. So they're just kind of left on their own, in the cell and that's it. And they don't gain any benefit from possibly earlier release because they've done XYZ programs. So they end up usually serving the entire sentence.
— Solicitor, IDRS and CJSN
Because it's deemed that because of their intellectual disability they wouldn't have the capacity and there's no extra support for them to do it. Some of it is just [a] value judgement … it's not necessarily correct. … But then, by the same token, most of the programs that are offered are cognitively based which does not work for people with an intellectual disability, and they need to be modified. And there's no one to modify them, or there's no one to provide support so that they can access it and modify it. … they can't do it in the same way as [the] others, and they can't read mail. Very rarely do they read mail. So you know, everything's in printed format. There's homework, which is cognitively-type geared … So there needs to be modifications made but certainly like nowhere near impossible. It would be very easy to do.
— Solicitor, IDRS and CJSN
Difficulties in the lawyer–client relationship
As indicated earlier in this report, 'access to justice' implies that, with appropriate support or representation, participants in legal processes understand and can make informed decisions that affect their participation in that process and its outcomes. Lawyers and legal assistance services are key providers of that support. However, the client is still expected to understand and be active in this relationship. For instance, they must instruct the solicitor, take his or her advice, recount details of relevant events and provide documentation. It was evident from our research that because of reduced capacity, some prisoners faced difficulties in this relationship and, in particular, in being able to communicate effectively with their lawyers. Difficulties in communications included both understanding their lawyer's advice to them, as well as articulating their instructions to the lawyer:
— Custodial officer, urban prison
[When you say shock, shock from the fact that they have ended up iN [PRISON]]?
Yeah, they have killed their best friend, or they have done something terrible or they have ended up in the cells and all of a sudden they are at the MRRC; and particularly first timers. But even people who aren't in the system … they could have been rolled around in a paddy wagon for a couple of days as well and they really are in a mental state. Particularly the MRRC I think where they just haven't taken in what has happened to them. So a lot of our job can be reiterating what has already been said to them … you get people who are sentenced and they will go, 'Oh I don't know what happened.'
— Legal Aid solicitor
— DCS welfare officer, urban prison
A number of interviewees reported that, when inmates did not understand what they had been told by their lawyers, they did not necessarily admit to their lawyer that this was the case:
— Staff member, CRC
… They just accept what's been said and walk away not knowing what's been said … They don't bother complaining about it, they just come away and say, 'I didn't understand what he was talking about'. I said, 'Well you shouldn't have told him that, or should have told her that'.
— DCS client services officer, head office
Withdrawal from assistance
Our research has indicated that as a result of not being able to read or comprehend legal material, advice or legal processes, some inmates withdraw from legal help. In some cases inmates did not to seek out legal information and assistance while, in other cases, they actively avoided help:
— DCS client services officer, head office
Literacy obviously plays a part. Another thing that we often come up against as barriers is their experiences in school libraries. They have really been put off libraries, hugely by the school library. And especially if they are not too literate and they are not readers, they don't come near us. And they may not think of us as a legal information provider. Unless somebody says, 'Did you know you could do this?' But a lot of them have not been in a library in their life.
— DCS library staff
— DCS client services officer, head office
— Homelessness worker, urban area
— Homelessness worker, urban area
… nobody wants to, for example, fess up that you can't read.
— Solicitor, ALS
Dependence on others
A final impact of not being able to read or understand legal documents or processes is a dependence on third parties for assistance. Inmates who cannot read or understand material often rely on others to pass on legal information, to read legal documents or to explain contracts or legal agreements (e.g. parole conditions). A good example includes inmates from non-English speaking backgrounds.
— Custodial officer, urban prison
Effective participation in the legal system demands a cognitive capacity, which many inmates do not have. Their lack of such capacity may be either temporary – due to acute mental illness or because of their alcohol or drug related issues – or it may be a more permanent problem because they are suffering from an intellectual or other disability. Effective participation also demands an ability to communicate relevant information succinctly (e.g. in a short conference with a lawyer before court) and to comprehend relatively complex written text and at times complicated legal language, in a very formalised and intimidating environment. The prevalence of poor literacy, low levels of education and limited English among prison inmates reduces the likelihood that the inmates will meet these demands and participate fully in legal processes.
Of further concern was the ease with which the inability of inmates to fully comprehend legal information, advice or outcomes could be overlooked. Previous experience or time inside can be taken as a proxy for knowledge, even though intellectual disability, anxiety and stress, or other cognitive impairment may have prevented information about the legal process being assimilated and retained. Lack of capacity can also be masked by bravado or silence as an inmate may be too embarrassed to admit that they did not understand or cannot read. Finally, people can be so intimidated or overwhelmed that they withdraw from legal help and, as will be demonstrated in the next section 'Life Skills', simply 'take what comes'.
Life Skills
A final aspect raised by interviewees in this study was the issue of life skills. In the context of this report, 'life skills' mainly refer to interpersonal skills (such as the way inmates interact with each other and the authorities) and their daily living skills (such as managing finances and using new technology). It became apparent that the ability of inmates to prevent and address their legal issues was dependent on having appropriate and effective interpersonal skills as well as general living skills. However, there were many examples given where inmates' capacities on these two fronts were inadequate and in some ways a function of their incarceration.
Interpersonal skills
— DCS welfare officer, urban prison
— Legal Aid solicitor
The persistence and success of some prisoners in pursing their rights appeared to mask the fact that many more inmates are not assertive and will not take action concerning their legal issues or seek redress. Resignation and acceptance of situations, even when that situation was less than satisfactory, seemed to be one reason behind this absence of action:
— Probation and parole officer, urban area
Oh yeah, just like when they don't give a fuck [laughs] … but I've got no money so there's nothing I can do. I've just got to cop it on the chin.
— Damon, male sentenced prisoner, medium security, 25–34 years, non-Aboriginal, rural prison
Yeah, I'm just sort of forgetting about it, and just kicking along, you know. I'm not worried about it. You know, if they pay me they pay me, if they don't they don't, you know. There's nothing I can do about it. It happened before I went into jail, so you know.
— Gareth, male ex-prisoner, 25–34 years, non-Aboriginal, rural prison
— Carlos, male sentenced prisoner on protection, 35+ years, NESB, rural prison
… some of the black inmates just won't ask for help. Because they're used to not getting it.
— Custodial manager, rural prison
— Dean, male sentenced prisoner on protection, 35+ years, Aboriginal, rural prison
By the time it all gets into court and everything they just want to get it over and done with. So whether they're guilty or not, they'll go, 'Guilty your Honour.' just to get it over and done with.
— Langdon, male sentenced inmate, maximum security, 35+ years, Aboriginal, urban prison
— Worker, CJSN
— Hugh, male sentenced prisoner on protection, 25–34 years, non-Aboriginal, rural prison
— DCS welfare officer, urban prison
Depression and despondency
It was evident from the interviews that depression and despondency contributed to prisoners' passivity in addressing their legal and other needs:
— Ryan, male parolee, 35+ years, non-Aboriginal, rural area
… First of all, their morale is just rock bottom. A lot of people … want to close down and they don't even want their families to come and visit them, because they just feel they are in a hopeless situation.
— Spokesperson, Justice Action
— Hugh, male sentenced prisoner on protection, 25–34 years, non-Aboriginal, rural prison
— Community Referral Service, NSW Law Society
So the inmates that [are] despondent, sometimes I think, it's not that they get [a] lesser level of service, but they can just get a little bit forgotten. You know? Or someone doesn't push quite as hard for them, because they're not as vocal. And that's … when they get despondent, they become less vocal.
— DCS welfare officer, urban prison
One other emotion identified by a number of inmates as reducing their preparedness to seek legal help, was the sense of shame and embarrassment about the trouble they were in, particularly when they first came into custody:
Yeah well, because I didn't have any. I wasn't sure, it was just part of that shock of being arrested and coming next day to the court you know. So, I didn't contact no one, I wasn't sure if I could, if I should contact someone, maybe get away from this, and not [laughs], not let anybody know that I was in such trouble.
— Carlos, male sentenced prisoner on protection, 35+ years, NESB, rural prison
Aggressive, not assertive, behaviour
— DCS welfare officer, urban prison
— Chaplain, correctional centre
A lot of these people that we are working with, marginalised, don't know their rights. Hence, they come in aggressive, thinking they can assert their rights but they don't know what they want to ask for. But, they want to appeal a decision, they don't agree with a decision.
— Manager, Centrelink
Start throwing things, going nuts just to get, 'Hey I need to ring this man!'
— Barney, male ex-prisoner, 35+ years, non-Aboriginal, rural area
— DCS welfare officer, urban prison
And socially, they've been used to dealing [in] that whole aggressive versus assertive [way]. So they're actually used to and in many respects, in the yard, are forced to use an aggressive pattern of communication and yet they are meant to be able to just pop on the phone and go, 'Oh!' and be nice, polite and assertive.
— DCS welfare officer, urban prison
Another factor contributing to more aggressive styles of behaviour, according to a small number of interviewees, was a degree of impulsiveness and impatience evident among inmates:
— SAAP worker, urban area
— Dean, male sentenced prisoner on protection, 35+ years, Aboriginal, rural prison
In summary, our analysis suggests that inmates tend towards both passive behaviour and/or aggressive behaviour and appear least practised and less skilled at dealing with issues assertively. Further, these behaviours, although generally maladaptive, may actually reflect modes of behaviour that achieve inmates' goals in the prison environment (see Chapter 9).
Preferred modes of communication
Another aspect of interpersonal skills concerned the modes of communication in which inmates best preferred. It became evident in our interviews, that some inmates had difficulties with certain forms of communication. For instance, one officer identified many male inmates as being poor at communicating effectively by telephone:
— DCS welfare officer, urban prison
The other mode of communication open to inmates is by letter. However, as identified earlier, the low literacy and education levels within prison reduce the utility of this form of communication for some inmates. Accordingly, inmates' own variable personal skills and styles of communication add another layer of complexity to the provision of legal assistance in prison.
Styles of interaction used by the inmate population, namely passivity and aggression, and inmates' preferred modes of communication (e.g. face-to-face, or at times, fist-to-fist) interact with the issues identified earlier in this chapter, which affects inmates' capacity to ask for legal assistance, understand the advice or information given, and to appropriately participate in legal processes. While some inmates are very effective at getting their needs heard and addressed, many more inmates are not so assertive, to the extent that they will not seek to address problems they are facing or get any assistance to do so.
In contrast, other inmates may resort to behaviour patterns that have been adaptive in the prison or other contexts and are aggressive in their attempts to address their needs. Again, the frustration of trying to get information about the progress of their legal matters and to address legal problems from within jail may further encourage this type of response. Once the very defined boundaries, routines and support networks of prison are removed, some inmates find it difficult to successfully modify these behaviours to those more conducive to receiving assistance on the outside. While this may also be true of people institutionalised in other settings, it remains a pertinent issue for prisoners.
General living skills
Having operated outside the mainstream before coming to prison, as argued earlier in this chapter, some inmates come to jail not highly skilled or practised at effectively managing their personal affairs or dealing with conventional society:
— Financial counsellor
— DCS welfare officer, urban prison
— Policy officer, PIAC
Well it's probably something that some have lost, you know. Got so institutionalised that they've lost any skill in trying to take those steps and do it.
— Chaplain, correctional centre
Yet it is not just the case that an inmate becomes deskilled at managing themselves and their affairs while in jail. While inmates are incarcerated, technology in the outside world is rapidly changing and moving on. By the time they are released, inmates may not be familiar with, or at least not confident to use, technologies and communication mechanisms, which have advanced since their incarceration.
For instance, recognising that prisoners have no access to mobile phones or the internet, an inmate jailed for, say, five years may have no experience of internet banking, have never used BPAY, or filled out an application form online. They would not be familiar with SMS messaging or third generation mobile phones. An inmate who has been incarcerated for 10 years may have never seen the 'Google' search engine, and may be alarmed at the extent of information that is available on the internet. All inmates are coming out into an environment where mobile phones are replacing landlines as a primary form of contact/communication. Thus inmates may be uncomfortable or at least unfamiliar with technologies that are helpful in accessing legal assistance.
— Custodial manager, rural prison
Prisoners commonly reported that their lives had been spiralling out of control prior to their coming into custody. They had commonly experienced mental illness, alcohol and other drug misuse, difficult and unhealthy family relationships, criminal activity, prior custody and poverty. As a result, inmates often had gone to jail with multiple legal issues (criminal, civil and family), the extent of which they were not necessarily aware. Further, inmates had tended to have made financial, family and living arrangements outside formal legal processes. Having severed or damaged connections with sources of assistance and lacking trust in formal legal processes, some inmates were also reported to be drawn towards more marginal solutions to their issues. Some prisoners saw the most ready course of action to resolve issues as being those outside the law (e.g. informal negotiations), and in some cases, against the law (e.g. violent retribution or 'settling' of a score). The range of options that inmates saw as open to them appeared further limited by their usually depleted financial resources and lack of appropriate documentation.
To successfully address legal issues, it helps for inmates to be motivated, tenacious, articulate, patient, organised and familiar with the law and the relevant legal processes. In contrast, the profile of the prisoners in NSW is characterised by poor literacy, mental health issues, histories of alcohol and other drug misuse and cognitive impairment. Many prisoners have had limited or interrupted education. Periods in custody, separated from society and its processes, only lessen inmates' confidence and skills at being able to function constructively when they return to the community. Without recourse to the necessary skills or support to address legal issues, inmates tended towards maladaptive interpersonal styles.
A particular concern raised in this chapter was the ease with which an inability of a prisoner to comprehend legal information, advice or outcomes could be overlooked. Assumptions can be made about how much a prisoner has learned and understands about the process, from their previous interactions with the law. These assumptions may be wrong, particularly if the inmate did not have the capacity to 'take in' what was going on during those earlier processes. Further, inmates may mask any lack of capacity by bravado or by silence, because they are too embarrassed or overwhelmed to admit that they do not understand the advice or cannot read the information. Difficulties understanding and engaging with lawyers and the legal process also appeared to alienate inmates from using the law in their interests, with some prisoners actively avoiding legal help. Inmates were reported not to use the legal system to redress injustice because, in their experience, it was intimidating, incomprehensible and unlikely to operate in their interests. When compelled to participate, some people did so in a state of ignorance and ensuing anxiety.
While many of the characteristics identified in this chapter — intellectual disability, alcohol and other drug related impairment, passivity, aggression and a tendency to shy away from formal legal processes — are not unique to prisoners, the impact of each of these characteristics on access to justice is exacerbated in a custodial setting. When prisoners are released from jail, their prison time adds another layer to their increasingly complex histories. Inmates return to the community carrying their status as 'ex-prisoners', with attitudes, demeanour and skills that undermine their chances of surviving in the mainstream world.


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Southwest Wake News
Raleigh-Cary study looks at rail crossing safety
Transportation planners are looking for the best ways to improve safety at rail crossings between downtown Cary and N.C. State University in West Raleigh.
At two public meetings next week, drivers and other residents will be invited to discuss possible road safety improvements and future rail transit stations that might affect nearby neighborhoods and the overall economy of the area.
The meetings run from 5 to 7:30 p.m. with a formal presentation at 5:30 p.m., at these locations:
• Monday at WakeMed Soccer Park-Skybox C, 201 Soccer Park Drive, Cary.
• Tuesday at Method Community Center, 514 Method Road, Raleigh.
It's part of a study being conducted by the two cities, Triangle Transit, the state Department of Transportation and two railroads.
The focus is on the existing rail crossings at N.E. Maynard Road and Trinity Road in Cary and those at Nowell Road, Powell Drive, Beryl Road and Royal Street in Raleigh.
Proposed regional transit plans include several new rail stops in the study area. A North Carolina-Virginia plan for faster passenger train service includes a proposal to close all of these street-level rail crossings, replacing some of them with bridges.
Information and an online survey about the Raleigh-Cary Rail Crossing Study are online at rcrxstudy.com.


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Application Deadlines
To begin the program in Summer or Fall semester: February 1
The begin the program in Spring semester: October 1
Application Process
- Apply in your sophomore or junior year (see application requirements below)
- Once you are accepted, you will take 13 master's-level credits in your senior year as an undergraduate, while finishing your bachelor's degree
- Upon graduation for your bachelor's degree, adviser Eleanor Lee will request to remove the 13 credits from your undergraduate transcript
- Once you enter your fifth year of study (your first semester as a graduate student), you will need to request for transfer credits by sending Eleanor your official NYU transcript and the Graduate Transfer Credit Request Form
- You will then complete the remaining credits for your master's degree
Application Requirements
Please note that applications will not be processed until all their components have been received.
- Change of Major Form (pick up form from 2nd Floor, Pless Hall)
- Bachelor's/Master's Dual Degree Declaration Form
- Statement of Purpose
- GPA 3.5 and above
- Resume/Curriculum Vitae
- 2 Letters of Recommendation
- Official Transcript
- Academic Plan (all courses completed and plan to take)
- A portfolio is required. See below.
Portfolio Requirements
- A portfolio of samples of previous professional, artistic or academic work on music, technology, and related fields. Examples include, but are not limited to, school papers, scientific publications (maximum 8 pages long), webpages or audiovisual materials of work you have composed, performed, recorded, mixed and/or produced.
- Portfolio-Related Links
The portfolio should be made available online (e.g. in your personal webpage).
- Please upload a document in which you list links, passwords (if needed), and descriptions for up to 3 works that you would like the Admissions Committee to review as part of your application. Do not upload the work itself. You should provide only a list of links to the works. Acceptable file types for the upload document are .doc, .docx and pdf. You are encouraged to use soundcloud.com and vimeo.com.


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|Flowing water over rocks
Do you ever get tired of the same old scenery? That's how I felt today. Open vistas and joshua trees? Blech! So I dragged my husband with me on a hunt to find Bouquet Canyon Falls. I didn't want to go by myself in case I got bit by a rattlesnake or fell in a bush of poison oak.
|Longer shutter speed = smoother water
It was like being in a totally different place. Greenery everywhere... actual real water flowing...I could have spent longer there just relaxing! I climbed up and down rocks, found myself in some pretty awkward positions, and actually did have to watch out for the poison oak along the way (but no rattlesnakes, just lizards).
|He even has teal spots - I'm all about the teal!
And I got some pretty decent pictures! Next time, I need to go when the sun is not directly overhead, so I won't have all the light-and-shadow problems, but at least I know that now.
I also have been wanting to take some pictures of a dandelion puff ball. But as you know, it has been slightly windy lately, and it is hard to find any that haven't been blown completely clean. Our front yard yielded a couple this morning (thanks to not having put weed killer on our lawn yet), and I got some good shot with my macro attachment. I don't actually have a macro lens but I got an extra piece that screws onto the end of my lens and it does a pretty decent job!
|This is only half a puff-ball, but I picked the right angle!
By the way, at the waterfalls, I had my tripod in the stream for some of the shots and used my remote. It was a good angle, and I was glad I tried it, since I didn't really want to squat in the stream myself. I would have ended up just a little too wet!
Au revoir!


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Darcey & Mable
Darcey & Mable
Darcey & Mable came into the care of Gosport Cats
Protection together and having had the routine CP treatment
well as dental surgery they were happily rehomed together in March 2013. Their new family are pleased how the two girls have settled in and that they (the cats) have formed a bond with their children.
New owner Emma updated us in April "
Just to say that Darcey and Mable have totally settled in now...and are firmly rooted in our family now.
I have included some piccies for you too look at...however Darcey is the boss cat, she meets and greets all visitors. In the day she sleeps on my son Jack's bed and then in the evening sits on my lap. If the kids are home, then she'll be around them as well. Mable sleeps under our sofa and when she hears us come home or the children (especially Jack whom they have a special bond) she comes out for a fuss. She is no longer nervous (she even greets visitors) and seems to be very happy.
Note – Darcey's tummy is due not to lack of exercise but because she is a greedy cat...she sits beneath our 1 year old as she eats and is round your legs when the fridge opens
she just enjoys her food! Note the picture sat with our daughter at the table


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For a few decades now, the long-tradition of over-the-air broadcasts of major league baseball games has been disappearing. Today, an announcement from Fox Sports North (FSN) suggests, the era is just about over.
The network and the team announced that all Minnesota Twins games — except for a few that are on the national Fox broadcasts — will be on cable. There will be no local over-the-air partner for the team.
It's a trend that's not exclusive to baseball, of course. Last month, the Los Angeles Lakers announced that starting next year, there'll be no more "free access" to its games on TV.


text: Just another writer living in New York City, I am applying my experience as a former developmental editor for Booktrope Publishing and Pink Fish Press and as intern for two literary agencies to figure out what this whole "art" thing is all about. My short stories tend to cross Flannery O'Connor and Lorrie Moore; my longer works are more along the realism lines of Elizabeth Berg; my reading tastes are broad, and I'll appreciate anything that has a little romance and is trying to be authentic fiction. Contact me at email@example.com, at http://www.facebook.com/kgflanagan, or on Twitter at K_Flanagan.


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The Eglish Valley in the heart of the Bluestack Mountains provides an excellent series of single pitch crags in a high mountainous setting. The valley lives at the end of a labyrinth of twisting B track roads coming out of Donegal Town to the south. The climbing at this end of the Bluestack is characterised by the excellent compact nature of the rock and the climbing. The two crags with arguably the best climbing are the Gatepost and The Outpost which in turn are the nearest and furthest from the road.
The Bluestack mountains are alas prone to catching all the moisture from the prevailing South West winds and are frequently bathed in thick cloud. Best thing to do on first visit is, look north from Donegal Town and is mountain are in thick cloud it is probably best to head to the coast at Muckross Heador Sail Rock. Many of the crags in the valley are slow to dry and the suggested coastal locations live well inside the rainshadow.
There are plenty of other locations further West along the coast see Undiscovered Donegal for further details.
This small sum lets us know that you are genuinely enquiring and not a computer trying to send excess amounts of spam to our email account.


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The total Preciosa collection consists of approximately 30 models in 40 colors, most of these completely made of synthetic materials and additionally a number of metal and combined models.
The history of the brand Preciosa goes back to 1936. Even then, Preciosa characterized itself with the somewhat heavier, solid spectacles. Some techniques never age.


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EHS/HMT Protocol/Checklist Development
The Firm supports many clients by developing regulatory protocols and checklists designed to enhance learning, assessment, corrective action, and rapid improvement. Our checklists are designed to be a manageable tool, not a cumbersome and wearying recapitulation of every regulation.
We recognize that some of us need more help than others. Consequently, our checklists are not over-bearing, but a common sense approach to compliance management. They include links to directives and guidance when you need them, while allowing the user to answer "not sure" to flag a potential need for training. Our regulatory checklists address all areas of EHS/HMT regulatory compliance. We also have developed compliance guides that provide a brief description of the each regulatory area and the keys to successfully managing them. These can be purchased in total, or on any topic desired.
For those with multiple manufacturing or research facilities, we can also manage distributing the checklists, gathering the responses, and summarizing the data. This can be accomplished as a one-time exercise, or as a monthly or quarterly topic-by-topic program.
Finally, we are capable of developing protocols and checklists customized to the client's specific operations, programs, permits, and policies. As our auditing has taken all over the world, we can do this for U.S. and international locations by enlisted the support of our trusted international resources.


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Just Desserts
Director: NIGEL KARIKARI Producer: Donna Lyon
Writer: Gillian Bartlett
Cinematographer: Katie Milwright
Editor: Gary Woodyard
Along a dark and desolate highway, old-timers Frances and Judy run a tiny truck stop that makes the best vanilla slice for 10 kilometers. After closing up shop one cold and dreary night, their doorstep is darkened by a menacing shadow from their past. Just Desserts is a three-handed thriller with plenty of twists and turns – blood and guts, sexual tension, shameful secrets and a stone cold pie floater. Can two old women take on their demon and dish him hisjust deserts?
Web Site: www.velvetfilms.com.au Biographies:DIRECTOR – NIGEL KARIKARI Nigel is originally from London. Since moving to Australia in 2004, he has written and directed two short films, 'Trunk' which was sold to Qantas and 'The Deal' a gripping mini-thriller starring Glenn Robbins, Jane Allsop and Tim Draxl. It premiered in the Opening Night slot of the 2006 St Kilda Film Festival and won Best Director at the 2007 In The Bin film festival. It also screened at the Sydney Film Festival, supported Suburban Mayhem at the London Australian Film Festival and sold to ABC2, Qantas as well as Italy and Japan. On the writing front Nigel has won the BAFTA Focus on Talent Screenwriting Award for his short screenplay 'Static', he was a finalist in the 2004 Hollywood International Screenwriting Competition and runner-up in the 2005 AFI festival trailer script competition, He wrote radio drama 'V.H.F' for Radio 4 and 'Earthlight 'for BBC2 and script edited the 2006 Tropfest finalist film 'Goggles'. He works with his partner and fellow filmmaker Olivia Peniston-Bird. WRITER – GILLIAN BARTLETT Gillian has been writing professionally for over 20 years. She began her career as a singer, songwriter in the UK in the 1980s before becoming an arts journalist and magazine editor. For the past seven years, she has been writing and producing factual entertainment shows for cable television for both the Australian and overseas market. Her first produced short film script Your Turn premiered at the 2008 Palm Springs International Short Film Festival and she currently works for Australian television network Channel 7 as a writer/producer. Gillian is also writing her first feature, a psychological thriller. PRODUCER – DONNA LYON Donna is an independent producer of film, TV drama and new media. She is a graduate of The Victorian College of the Arts, where she produced two award winning short films - The Postman and Filled with Water. She has worked on the Steven Spielberg HBO series The Pacific and produced the short film Your Turn, which premiered at Palm Springs International Short Film Festival, 2008. She was production manager on the AFC and Film Victoria funded short film Love Apples, postproduction manager on the feature documentary Lionel and recently was producer of online films for the Centre for Sustainability Leadership in Melbourne. She is also developing a slate of film and TV projects with Just Desserts writer Gillian Bartlett. DIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAPHY – KATIE MILWRIGHT Katie started shooting films at 18 years of age and quickly became passionate about Cinematography. After graduating from VCA Film School and working as a camera assistant alongside some of the best DPs in the world - Katie is now an accomplished cinematographer in her own right. As well as a list of more than 35 short films, Katie has a distinguished list of TVCs, installations and documentaries to her credit. Her first feature film Corroboree, which screened at the Berlin and Toronto International Film Festivals won her a Gold ACS Award. Her second Feature film "Kin" directed by Amanda Jane is due for release in 2010.Biography:


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2012-04 Promo Interviews and Performances Apr 24, 2012 20:09:37 GMT -5
2012-04 Promo Interviews and Performances
This is for major Adamtopia announcements. If you want to discuss Adam, start with today's Daily News & Information thread.
wal: Scope: www.pscp.tv/w/1YqGoakpeOXxv (ended) Dec 9, 2017 15:23:52 GMT -5 *
wal: New link: www.pscp.tv/w/1BRJjLWnvReKw Dec 9, 2017 16:21:09 GMT -5
wal: Scope2: www.pscp.tv/w/1kvJpkQAbYMGE *better (ended) Dec 9, 2017 16:44:26 GMT -5 *
wal: Audio: mixlr.com/jeanjenie/ (patchy) Dec 13, 2017 15:36:50 GMT -5 *
wal: FB: www.facebook.com/diego.quesada/videos/10155107447827517/ ended Dec 13, 2017 15:39:47 GMT -5 *
lorraine: Thank you,petrajo, I hope Adam can know how much he is truly loved and cared about by people all over the world, including you ! XO Dec 21, 2017 0:17:50 GMT -5
mszue: IMPORTANT NOTICE for atoppers going to Vegas Sept 14...Please go to the private member's QAL Vegas meet-up thread for meet-up information and to "sign up" IT'S COMING, IT'S COMING.....YEAH Jun 23, 2018 16:21:59 GMT -5
phronni7: For person looking for that particular version of Aug 7, 2018 21:28:34 GMT -5
phronni7: For the person on page one of today's thread wanting to know which version of "Runnin' medley, I am pretty sure it is Gasometer ( Vienna) 2016. It is definitely my favorite version. Wish I knew how to bring it over. Aug 7, 2018 21:32:06 GMT -5
phronni7: FIRST CRUSH: Andy Gibb—oh, that poster with him in a white suit, almost all the way buttoned shirt, I think necklace, beautiful health hair and white, white teeth ( maybe that's why I liked Adam in the white shirt where the comment were all over the plae Aug 11, 2018 18:48:47 GMT -5
irish1139: bamafan, let me know if you got a message from me. Yes, Iwant the calendar. I will do anything to get it. Nov 29, 2018 17:11:01 GMT -5
irish1139: Bamafan, I have it. And I want to kiss those lips. I can't wait to see you in Florida, I hope. Thanks for all you have done for me. Dec 5, 2018 19:53:18 GMT -5
irish1139: Bamafan, I hope to see you in Florida. Thanks for everything. I have to get a new computer. This one is 15 years old and doesn't work well. I hope no one has read the stuff I have typed today. It is nutty. Dec 5, 2018 19:54:42 GMT -5
bamafan: Irish.....Just happened to look down here....I never do. lol. So glad you got it! Not going down to Florida this time, but hope you can go to a QAL show in Tampa or Sunrise. Dec 5, 2018 23:52:25 GMT -5
dandunmore39: youtu.be/MaH2cBegyug Jan 18, 2019 8:35:40 GMT -5
nannygoat: Just heard this parody of Bohemian Rhapsody. Thought everyone would enjoy it. Amazes me how people can be so creative. ow.ly/p9ZH30niDPS and did I mention how much I am enjoying all the 'goodies' we got lately? "Feel Something" is gorgeous. Mar 10, 2019 17:28:10 GMT -5
suzysuzy79: Never done this before-- can you tell? I want to learn how to chat with you exceptional ladies that I've followed and been thrilled by, since 2014. Somebody teach me how to talk with y'all, please. Thanks for help. May 22, 2019 14:12:12 GMT -5
cassie: No one reads the shoutbox regularly. To chat with us, type in the QUICK REPLY box above the shoutbox. Or to reply to a specific post, click on QUOTE in the right top corner of the post and start typing your reply. Welcome! Join in. May 23, 2019 0:49:47 GMT -5
atomom: Adam's artistry is in full display: the surprise of hiccuppy gasps right before "new eyes", the sensuous tongue, one-two punch of "damn" smile, head thrown back, body drops to heavy guitar beats, a lusciously looking Adam--all make NE a visual/aural feast. May 26, 2019 15:08:34 GMT -5
Q3: ladyregent: The Shoutbox is really for announcement -- if you want to discuss Adam, go to the Daily News Thread for today. You will be able to post there. Jun 20, 2019 23:22:56 GMT -5


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This morning I was struck by my horoscope that basically reminded me to nurture the current relationships in my life today, to reach out to loved ones, and acknowledge the difference that they make in my life.
It also reminded me of a status update from a member of the Pink Elephant Project Facebook Group named Ashlie that asked:
While it sounds really simple, upon further reflection I realized that there are many people in my life right now that have been and continue to be incredibly helpful, supportive, encouraging, just simply fun to be around, and who put a smile on my face that I have really not really taken the time to acknowledged in any kind of intentional way. On the other hand, I can also easily say that the people in my life already know this, and that nothing really needs to be said. They get it already. 🙂
So I asked myself: what would it be like for me to simply reach out and express that to them? Would that be awkward, uncomfortable or wierd…. if so why? For me it really wouldn't feel that way but knowing that I have not been that intentional in doing so makes me wonder…What WOULD it be like?
I know that if anyone that I knew picked up the phone today or shot me an email to just simply reach out and and say hello or expressed gratitude for being in their life I'd love it! It would leave me in a place of feeling even more connected and simply just put a smile on my face. What a wonderful surprise and break in the day it would be! I can think of no situation that I wouldn't welcome a message like that from anyone. So why wouldn't I do that for someone else?
I guess really nothing is, other that the fact that I have been consumed with my own life and my own needs. Its been quite a year for me and from the people that I've been talking to its been the same for them. If you've picked up the paper lately or turned on the news its been down right depressing. The message of fear and insecurity continue to inundate us from every direction we look these days and if we're not careful it can affect even the most positive and conscious people that I know…myself included. Add in the intensity of the Holidays and all of the logistics involved and it can really infiltrate our experience, and if not careful, in a negative way. I know I just got done with a couple of weeks of feeling pretty disconnected and just focusing on getting things done.
For those of you that have been in the flow and in the Holiday cheer…all I can say is Bravo!
For me: today, I'm going to take a spoon of my own medicine to have the Courage and Commitment to Communicate and be intentional in finding opportunities to acknowledge the people my life and the people I come across. I know the more I look for those kinds of opportunities in my day, the less time I'm spending being consumed over the minutia of my own life. Plus, knowing how powerful it is to be on the recieving end of a simple acknowledgment, it seems silly for me to not take that practice on all the time, let alone during the Holidays! Whether its picking up the phone or connecting with someones eyes and extending a warm smile, or simply wishing someone a Happy Holidays, I think it could be the most simple and most powerful gift that I can give others and myself this year!
How about you? Would love to hear your thoughts! The forums are almost set up on the Pink Elephant Project Site... For now please feel free to leave your comments here or email me directly!
Wishing you, your family and friends a very Happy Holiday's and a Healthy and Prosperous New Year!
From the heart
As I complete this post I'm reminded of Juan Mann the "FREE HUG'S" Guy…. Video Below If you're feeling the love…. and wait I just received a lovely email from a dear friend of mine Nancy… it just reminds me how important it is to just simply spread the love!


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In the past, Karen Kirkby didn't think about people with cancer. The physicist, at the University of Surrey's Ion Beam Centre, likes to work with beams of charged sub-atomic particles like protons that travel at millions of miles an hour.
But then cancer entered her life, changed her views, and has since taken her scientific research into new directions. "I wasn't really that interested in cancer until several of my very good friends got cancer. I got very angry," Kirkby says.
A chance discussion with a clinician skilled in x-ray radiotherapy then showed how her 20-year expertise with ion beams might help make a real difference for cancer sufferers. Her anger has now been harnessed into a determination to develop new charged particle beam therapies for cancer treatment. And the clinicians she regularly meets are equally passionate about their work, helping to inspire her even more.
Kirkby now heads an Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council funded UK network on the biomedical applications of ion beams. It brings together expertise from a wide range of disciplines, enabling people like physicists, clinicians, and molecular biologists to share knowledge and work together towards a common goal.
This network of like-minded scientists, along with her new research interests, has also led to a new collaboration between the university's ion beam centre and the Gray Cancer Institute. Backed by the Wolfson Foundation, the £1.2m research project will see the opening of the world's first vertical nano-irradiation and analysis facility by June 2007.
Understanding radiation
The 20m-long experimental beam line - which is not suitable for treating cancer patients - is designed to produce a 10 nanometre diameter scanning ion beam to focus onto individual cellular structures. Not only will it help understand the way radiation affects living cells, but it will also map them in 3D and even see reactions between drugs and radiation.
It will be capable of scanning 100,000 cells per hour. "Protons are the favoured route but we want to look at the effects on cells of other ions," Kirkby says. "We can then compare the effects of protons with the heavier ions."
A proton is a positively charged hydrogen ion, just one of a range of heavier ions up to neon in the periodic table that the new beam line - a synchrotron - will produce at different energies. The objective is to destroy cancerous tissue without harming anything else - one of the drawbacks with conventional x-rays.
A phenomenon known as the Bragg Peak means that the ion's destructive energy is dissipated onto a pre-selected target - the cancerous cells - leaving other tissues unaffected. Although using proton therapy is not new for cancer treatment, the beam line will break fresh ground in trying to find novel treatment strategies.
Using actual data from experiments, computational research will construct virtual tumours and help devise treatment strategies including low doses for hypersensitive cells and examine phenomena such as the bystander effect - irradiate one cancerous cell and its neighbours may die too.
"We are doing the basic research that will underpin the next generation of proton therapy," Kirkby says. "I would hope that we will be making some significant discoveries in the next three years. I really believe that this is something that could enhance life for a lot of people."
Cancer specialist Professor Bleddyn Jones of University Hospital Birmingham wishes he already had a more powerful proton therapy machine. As a consultant in clinical oncology and applied radiobiology, he has a woman patient in her 40s with a recurrent chondrosarcoma of the skull base - a rare and aggressive cancer of cartilage that's already undergone eight hours of neurosurgery.
"There is a small residual tumour and I want that obliterated before it grows up to be larger," Jones says. He hopes to send his patient to the proton beam unit at the Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston where 300 patients with the same type of cancer have been treated with a 98% success rate.
The Department of Health ended its central fund for such treatment in March this year, so the patient's local primary care trust (PCT) put up £75,000. This leaves a £20,000 shortfall for his patient to find, so Jones says she will turn to charities for help. The absence of suitable UK proton facilities has driven Jones to write numerous papers to medical journals, go to conferences and meet like-minded clinicians.
Jones recently paid his own way to a particle therapy conference in Zurich to speak to more fortunate colleagues working at treatment centres in Europe. There are around 30 centres worldwide which have treated some 40,000 patients, so UK cancer patients have very good reason to feel disadvantaged.
Therapy facilities need funding
Jones and his co-author on several articles, oncologist Neil Burnet of Addenbrookes Hospital in Cambridge, are trying hard to convince the UK government to fund new proton therapy facilities. Planned research work at the Surrey ion beam centre will underpin any new clinical centre with an excellent understanding of the basic science.
Asked what's needed, Jones points to the new $125 million (£65.5m) Proton Therapy Centre at the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Centre in Houston. One of several centres in the US, it's the largest and most sophisticated facility in the world, capable of treating more than 3,000 patients a year by working long hours. Shaped ion beams precisely target cancers located by medical imaging.
A report prepared by a group of experts - including Jones and Burnet - for the Department of Health's National Radiotherapy Advisory Group in April calls for two new purpose-built proton therapy centres in this country. Although capital costs are high, this is offset by a likely 30-year operating life.
The report also includes a detailed breakdown of serious cancer types affecting around 1,900 patients a year who would benefit from safer proton therapy. And depending on clinical trials, treatment for other cancers might substantially increase patient demand.
The report is now in the hands of Professor Michael Richards, National Cancer Director at the Department of Health - the government's cancer czar. "The National Radiotherapy Advisory Group is currently considering the case for high energy proton therapy," says Richards, who hopes to report to ministers on priorities for future development in the autumn. "This is being considered alongside other aspects of radiotherapy including the need for increased capacity of standard radiotherapy,"
As the government decides what to do, the research at Surrey University into next-generation proton therapy will become increasingly important. Jones reckons that physics will enable biology as focussed nanobeams offer a better way to understand the mechanisms of radiation at cellular levels. This will help take advantage of the earlier detection of cancers, thanks to improved medical imaging. "If you find a small cancer with a high degree of confidence, that puts the onus back on physics or surgery to eradicate it," Jones says.
But using physics rather than surgery depends on having the right proton therapy facilities available. Time has all but run out for the government's decision as estimates show that several thousand cancer patients will require expensive treatment abroad.
To avoid the problems facing Britain's cancer sufferers, building new proton therapy centres seems very well justified.
· If you'd like to comment on any aspect of Technology Guardian, send your emails to firstname.lastname@example.com


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The death of Rocky the pig made this teen want to support swine even more
It was a week before the 101st Manatee County Fair in Palmetto, and 17-year-old Savannah Schwarz had put in months feeding, grooming, training and bathing her prized swine Da-Rock, or as she called him, Rocky.
Scharwz, a member of Palmetto High School Future Farmers of America, even sent a letter to Mayor Shirley Groover Bryant extending an invitation to the swine show, telling Bryant how FFA "is truly a passion of mine. Each year I strive to better myself and my skills with working with swine."
Schwarz boasted of her love for Rocky and how much time she spent with him and that Rocky was "perfectly prepared" for the big event. But on New Year's Day, just days before the fair was to begin, Schwarz found Rocky dead from an apparent snake bite.
"I had been out to see him the night before and he ate good, was wagging his tail and seemed happy," Schwarz recalled. "It was a pretty sad moment, and when I first found him, it was scary and a shocker. Rocky was different. My friend has a pig, and they were best friends and inseparable. Most pigs don't really like one another. And Rocky would never try knock me down like a lot of pigs do. He just wanted to stand there next to you or have you pet his belly. And he loved being bathed where most pigs don't like that either."
Schwarz said she did separate Rocky from his best friend one time, and Rocky was having none of it.
"He actually broke the water pipe trying to get to him," Schwarz said.
Schwarz got Rocky at just 50 pounds, and last summer and he grew to 220 by the time the fair rolled around. But it was not to be.
Schwarz wrote another letter to Bryant explaining her situation, but didn't want anything to stop people from supporting the FFA and 4-H efforts of those students who work so hard to show their animals at the fair.
"I am very devastated, but I won't have it stop me from finishing my project that I am committed to," Schwarz wrote to Bryant. "I may not be in the ring showing my swine, but I will be at all the swine events showing my support."
Bryant was touched by the young lady's words and read them aloud at a recent city commission meeting. After reading the letter, Bryant said, "It really shows the caliber of the young people in our community. I get letters from students all the time, but I've never gotten one like this before."
Schwarz said once the sadness and shock of losing Rocky passed, she began to realize that all of her hard work would not pay off, but that only made her want to work harder.
"I wasn't going to let it stop me from being involved," she said. "Just because I didn't have a pig didn't mean I couldn't be involved and help my FFA chapter and advise them. This was an usual thing. I haven't heard of this happening before where an animal dies so close to the fair. I realize what happens to them after they get on the trailer after the show, but it's still a shocker. Truth be told, myself, and I think a lot of others kind of make up a story in your head and pretend they are going somewhere else."
Schwarz did indeed remain active with her FFA chapter during Thursday's swine show and will continue to work with her team throughout the fair. She said everything she puts into it is worth it.
"What I get out of this is a lot of personal responsibility," she said. "You work the whole time and get to feel like, 'I did this. I woke up early and worked late into the night and sacrificed time with friends because I was working with my swine.' This is my seventh year and I'm so close to being a senior now. I'm only going to work harder now."


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02-28-17 -- Michael (Bates) of Sealand - Dr. Judy Mikovits, PhD (MP3s & Video LOADED)
Hour One
Hour 1 -- Freedom's Phoenix Headline News
Hour 2 -- Michael (Bates) of Sealand comes on the show to talk about the Principality founded in 1967 in international waters, seven miles off the eastern shores of Britain
Hour 3 - Dr. Judy Mikovits, PhD (molecular biologist) provides an update on CDC corrpution, retrovirus, Theranos
|Feature Article • Global Edition
Freedom's Phoenix
Declare Your Independence APP now on Google Play
Donna Hancock
Listen to any recent show of "Declare Your Independence" at the click of a button!
February 28th, 2017
Declare Your Independence with Ernest Hancock
on LRN.FM / Monday - Friday
9 a.m. - Noon (EST)
Studio Line: 602-264-2800
Hour 1
Ernest Hancock
Freedom's Phoenix Headline News
Hour Two
Hour 2 -- Michael of Sealand comes on the show to talk about the Principality founded in 1967 in international waters, seven miles off the eastern shores of Britain
Hour 2
Michael of Sealand
(aka Michael Bates)
Webpage: http://www.sealandgov.org/
Prince Michael of Sealand. 'Author of holding the fort', Onetime commercial fisherman, entrepreneur and head of state of the smallest country in the world. The term micro nation was invented to describe Sealand.
Principality of Sealand
Located in international waters, on the military fortress of Roughs Tower, Sealand is the smallest country in the world. The country's national motto is "From the Sea, Freedom" (E Mare Libertas), reflecting its enduring struggle for liberty through the years. Sealand has been an independent sovereign State since 1967. The Bates family governs the small State as hereditary royal rulers, each member with his, or her, own royal title. Sealand upholds its own constitution, composed of a preamble and seven articles. Upon the declaration of independence, the founding Bates family raised the Sealand flag, pledging freedom and justice to all that lived under it.
Following this, Sealand issued passports to its nationals, minted official currency and commissioned its own stamps.
Show your support for Sealand independence for the years to come, by registering for a Noble Title and becoming a Lord or a Lady. Sealand also offers ID cards, and the chance to own a piece of our territory. Other official Sealand products are also available for sale on this website.
During the Second World War, the British government built several Fortress islands in the North Sea to defend its coasts from German invaders. Some of these forts were built illegally in international waters.
One of these illegal Fortresses, consisting of concrete and steel construction, was the famous Fort Roughs Tower, situated slightly north of the estuary region of the River Thames, on the east coast of the United Kingdom. In contrast to the original plan to locate the tower within the sovereign territory of the UK, this fortress was situated at a distance of approximately 7 nautical miles from the coast. This is more than double the then applicable 3 mile range of territorial waters. To put it briefly, this island was situated in the international waters of the North Sea.
The forts were abandoned in the early 1950's and, due to their illegal construction in international waters in a time of world crisis, they should have been destroyed, to comply with international law. Except for the aforementioned fortress, similarly located fortresses were subsequently pulled down. The result of this was the portentous uniqueness of the fortress. Fort Roughs Tower, situated on the high seas, had been deserted and abandoned, res derelicta and terra nullius. From a legal point of view, it therefore constituted extra-national territory.
In the early 60's, Roy Bates, a Major in the British army, established a radio station, situated offshore on an abandoned ex naval fort named "Knock John". The theory behind this location was an attempt to bypass the draconian broadcasting restrictions of the time, which permitted little more than formal broadcasting by the BBC. Roy's station, "Radio Essex", and others like it, were known affectionately by the media as "Pirate" radio stations, and were much loved by the British public, as they supplied everything that the BBC did not at the time, Pop music and amusing presenters.
In the years than ensued, Roy fought an unsuccessful legal battle with the UK government, which questioned the legality of his occupation of said fort. It was ruled that "Knock John" fell under UK jurisdiction. Smarting from his setback, Roy weighed his options. Another abandoned fortress, Roughs Tower, identical in construction to the Knock John existed further offshore, and crucially, outside of the three mile limit to which the UK jurisdiction extended. Roy proceeded to occupy Roughs Tower, on Christmas eve 1966, with the intention of revitalising his dormant radio station. This was until he conjured a different plan entirely. After consulting his lawyers, Roy decided to declare this fortress island the independent state of "Sealand", Claiming "Jus Gentium" ("Law of Nations") over a part of the globe that was "Terra Nullius" (Nobody's Land).
On the 2nd of September 1967, accompanied by his wife Joan on her birthday, his son Michael (14), daughter Penelope (16) and several friends and followers, Roy declared the Principality of Sealand. The founding of this country was marked by the raising a newly designed flag, and in an extremely romantic birthday gesture, the bestowing of a new title on his beloved wife, to be know from that moment on as "Princess Joan".
It was not long before the British Government decided they could not have what ministers described as a possible "Cuba off the east coast of England". The military were promptly dispatched to destroy all other remaining forts located in international waters. The Bates family looked on as huge explosions sent the massive structures hurtling hundreds of feet in the air and twisted and buckled debris floated past Sealand for days.
Helicopters that had carried the explosives buzzed menacingly above, and the navy tug carrying the demolition crew passed close by our fortress home and shouted "You're next!" with an angry waving of arms. A while later a government vessel steamed to within fifty feet of Sealand, its boisterous crew shouting threatening obscenities at Michael, and his sixteen year old sister. Warning shots were promptly fired across the bow of the boat by Prince Michael, causing it to hastily turn and race away towards the UK, amongst a large cloud of black engine smoke.
Since Roy was still a British citizen, a summons was issued under theUK " fire arms act". On the 25th of November 1968, Roy and Michael found themselves in the dock of the Crown court of Chelmsford assizes in Essex. There was much argument, and laws dating back to the 17th century were called upon. The judge concluded that "This is a swash buckling incident perhaps more akin to the time of Sir Francis Drake, but it is my judgment is that the UK courts have no jurisdiction." This was Sealand's first de facto recognition.
Order Michael of Sealand's Book - Holding the Fort:
On their webpage: http://www.sealandgov.org/shop/official-merchandise/holding-the-fort-by-michael-of-sealand/
On Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Principality-Sealand-Holding-Michael-Bates/dp/0993320007
Also, here is a link to their online shop to purchase other goodies: http://www.sealandgov.org/shop/
Hour Three
Hour 3 - Dr. Judy Mikovits, PhD (molecular biologist) provides an update on CDC corrpution, retrovirus, Theranos
Hour 3
Dr. Judy Mikovits, PhD
Judy testified on a lawsuit for Racketeering and conspiracy against the CA legislators who passed the SB277 mandating toxins be inoculated in their children under the guise of vaccination and she will re-cap her testimony...
Lawsuit: First-Amended-RICO-Complaint--img20160817_09071194.pdf
Other references and webpages:
Judy's previous interviews on the Declare Your Independence with Ernest Hancock Radio Show: https://www.freedomsphoenix.com/Guest-Page.htm?No=01359
Judy A. Mikovits, PhD has spent her life training to be a research scientist to honor her grandfather who died of cancer when she was a teenager. Dr. Mikovits earned her BA from University of Virginia and PhD in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology from George Washington University. In her 35-year quest to understand and treat chronic diseases, she has studied immunology, natural products chemistry, epigenetics, virology and drug development. In just over twenty years she rose from an entry-level lab technician to become director of the lab of Antiviral Drug Mechanisms at the National Cancer Institute before leaving to direct the Cancer Biology program at EpiGenX Pharmaceuticals in Santa Barbara, California where she had met and married David Nolde in 2000. There in 2006, she became attracted to the plight of patients with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome and Autism. In only five years she developed the first neuroimmune institute from a concept to a reality and is primarily responsible for demonstrating the relationship between immune based inflammation and these diseases. She has published over 50 scientific papers.
Dr. Judy A. Mikovits recently founded MAR Consulting Inc. with her collaborator Dr. Frank Ruscetti.
She can be contacted at:
MAR Consulting Inc.
300 Carlsbad Village Drive
Suite 108A Box 132
Carlsbad, CA 92008or
MAR Consulting Inc. website:
Mission statement
MAR Consulting Inc., led by Drs. Frank Ruscetti and Judy A. Mikovits, seeks to understand complex and innovative biological issues to yield unbiased integrated, cutting-edge information for patients and physicians impacted by some of the most challenging chronic diseases. Utilizing their combined 75 years experience in tumor biology, immunobiology of retroviral-associated inflammatory diseases, cancer, stem cell biology, hematopoiesis, and drug development, MAR focuses on research projects, consulting (to patients doctors, academia, and industry) and lecturing without the restrictive authority of vested interest groups, following Thomas Jefferson's dictum: "Here we are not afraid to follow the truth wherever it may lead, nor to tolerate error so long as freedom is left free to combat it."
Webpage: http://www.plaguethebook.com/
On July 22, 2009, a special meeting was held with twenty-four leading scientists at the National Institutes of Health to discuss early findings that a newly discovered retrovirus was linked to chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS), prostate cancer, lymphoma, and eventually neurodevelopmental disorders in children.
When Dr. Judy Mikovits finished her presentation the room was silent for a moment, then one of the scientists said, "Oh my God!" The resulting investigation would be like no other in science.
For Dr. Mikovits, a twenty-year veteran of the National Cancer Institute, this was the midpoint of a five-year journey that would start with the founding of the Whittemore-Peterson Institute for Neuro-Immune Disease at the University of Nevada, Reno, and end with her as a witness for ?the federal government against her former employer, Harvey Whittemore, for Illegal campaign contributions to U. S. Senate Majority Leader, Harry Reid.
On this journey Dr. Mikovits would face the scientific prejudices against CFS, wander into the minefield that is autism, and through it all struggle to maintain her faith in God and the profession to which she had dedicated her life. This is a story for anybody interested in the peril and promise of science at the very highest levels in our country.
Plague The Book: Teaser Trailer:
To order your copy of Plague: One Scientist's intrepid Search For the Truth about Human Retroviruses and Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, Autism, and Other Diseases Click on any of the links - Amazon.com Barnes & Noble.com IndieBound
Colon and Rectal Cancers Rising in Young People
02-28-2017 • New York TImes
Cancers of the colon and rectum have been declining in older adults in recent decades and have always been considered rare in young people. But scientists are reporting a sharp rise in colorectal cancers in adults as young as their 20s and 30s, an ominous trend.
The vast majority of colorectal cancers are still found in older people, with nearly 90 percent of all cases diagnosed in people over 50. But a new study from the American Cancer Society that analyzed cancer incidence by birth year found that colorectal cancer rates, which had dropped steadily for people born between 1890 and 1950, have been increasing for every generation born since 1950. Experts aren't sure why.
Rectal cancers are rising particularly sharply, far faster than cancers in other parts of the large intestine or colon. The American Cancer Society estimates about 13,500 new cases of colon and rectal cancers will be diagnosed in Americans under 50 this year, with more than 95,500 cases of colon cancer and nearly 40,000 cases of rectal cancer in all age groups.
"People born in 1990, like my son, have double the risk of colon cancer and quadruple the risk of rectal cancer" compared to the risk someone born in 1950 faced at a comparable age, said Rebecca Siegel, an epidemiologist with the American Cancer Society and the lead author of the new report, published in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute on Tuesday. And though the absolute risk is still small in younger people, she said, "They carry the risk forward with them as they age."
It is the upward trend that is worrisome: The risk of colon cancer for individuals who were born in 1990 was five per million people in that birth group, up from three per million at the same stage of life for those born in 1950. And the risk of rectal cancer for those born in 1990 was four per million, up from 0.9 per million for those born in 1950.
Dr. Thomas Weber, a professor of surgery at SUNY Downstate Medical Center who has served on the National Colorectal Cancer Roundtable and who was not involved in the new study, said the latest research confirms the problem is real and increasing. "There is no mistaking these dramatic increases, especially for rectal cancers," he said, noting that the number of new colorectal cancers among people under 50 each year exceeds the total number of new cases of less common cancers like Hodgkin's lymphoma.
Young people with colorectal cancer run the added risk of a getting a diagnosis later in the course of their disease, when the cancer may be less treatable, because doctors typically don't consider the diagnosis at such a young age. Kirsten Freiborg, who is now 27, complained to doctors repeatedly about having blood in her stool when she was in college, but was told she had internal hemorrhoids. She was finally given a diagnosis of advanced colon cancer a month before her graduation, when she was 22.
Ms. Freiborg's mother, a registered nurse, "kept pushing" for more testing, Ms. Freiborg said, and eventually convinced physicians to send her for a procedure called a flexible sigmoidoscopy, which detected a large tumor in Ms. Freiborg's colon.
Tara Anderson, 40, of Bowie, Md., was given a diagnosis of colon cancer when she was 38 years old.CreditJustin T. Gellerson for The New York Times
"I still remember getting the phone call from the doctor who did the procedure, who was completely shocked, and said 'I would never have guessed that a 22-year-old would have had cancer,'" said Ms. Freiborg, who was treated with surgery and chemotherapy and is now cancer-free.


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About us
Olive oil
Our extra virgin olive oil is the result of hard work and dedication of 410 producers Agricultural Cooperative Cambrils who cultivate more than 150,000 Arbequina olive trees. Since the founding of the cooperative in 1902 in the olive growing generation after generation has been a cornerstone of the institution, but a remarkable influence on the cuisine and restore of Cambrils and its surroundings.
The olives produce a product of proven quality that comes in Cambrils (lower field) near the Mediterranean Sea. The microclimate, soil, good agricultural practices and better facilities give us the opportunity to enjoy this exceptional quality olive oil.
Tasting notes: Intense fruity olive theme, with a feeling reminiscent of ripe fruit. Perceive notes of apple, ripe banana and almond notes are green leaf - herb and secondary aromas of fennel and nuts. In mouth, sweet and nutty, slightly bitter and slightly spicy. Very balanced.


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If your apartment has a balcony, you definitely want to make sure you have a lot of seating so you can enjoy the outdoors. From a tiny Juliet balcony to a huge veranda, our Pinterest Board has lots of ideas for making sure everyone has a place to take a seat!
Looking for an apartment with a great balcony? A Plus Apartment Locators can help! Give us a call at 512-502-9890 today!


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Grant Writing Workshop
This interactive workshop is geared for faculty who plan to submit a grant in the summer or fall of 2015. Participants will share drafts in progress with peer learning teams. Experienced facilitators will provide didactic content and personalized advice.
At the end of this course, participants will be able to…
- Develop a novel, testable hypothesis
- Convey the significance of their research to nonspecialists
- Complete a grant application for submission
We will meet from 12:00 to 1:30 p.m. in Evans 720 (unless otherwise noted) on Thursdays from January to May, 2015:
January 8 – Specific Aims and Avoiding Common Mistakes in Grant Writing – Wilkins Board Room, Evans 120 (this session only)
January 29 – Significance and Innovation
February 26 – Organizing the Approach
March 19 – Study Design and Experiment Plan
March 26 – Approach
April 23 – Connecting the Sections and Incorporating Feedback
May 14 – Administrative Components
May 28 – Understanding the Review Process


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Another monthly goals post! I didn't do too bad in May, but definitely could have done better!
In May I wanted to. . .
In May I wanted to. . .
2. Read more. Nope! Didn't have time to read anything besides school material
3. Remember all my recital dances. Yup! I remembered everything, but I did mess up due to nerves. Oh well!
4. Keep up with blogging even through recital week & help Katie get set up to blog without being dependent on me to post it. Not quite! I didn't post much through recital week and I am still working on getting Katie set up to post independently- she doesn't know her gmail e-mail!
In June I want to. . .
Dance Goals
+ Stretch at least twice a week.
+ Work on turns and such on my own regularly.
Health Goals
+ Walk/Jog 3x weekly.
+ Get back into doing abdominal workouts daily!
+ Drink 8 cups of water a day & eliminate soda completely!
+ Cut down on unhealthy snacks majorly and work toward eliminating them by substituting for something healthier.
Mental Health Goals
+ Lay off Tumblr. and YouTube.
+ Read at least two books this month.
+ Try to journal or at least write something daily.
+ Get at least six hours of sleep.
Blog Goals
+ Keep up with our editorial calendar & start planning (and scheduling) July since I'll be gone.
+ Hit 600 Bloglovin' followers! You can contribute by following us here.
+ Hand out business cards more!
+ Get more Five Little Grins participants.
What are your goals for this month?


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So, it has been a rather busy summer for us as a family, we've tried to make the most of the beautifully sunny days with lots of lovely days out together and spending time with family and friends.
As I managed to smash my camera at the start of the summer and our computer went on the blink around the same time, it kind of put my little shop on hold! Most of my work is done via the internet so using my phone didn't work out too well.. However now that my lovely husband has replaced my proper camera and fixed our computer I'm back in the shop, so to speak, and planning lots of ideas for autumn and the fast approaching Christmas season!


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We centered our noun learning around Halloween. I saw Leslie Ann's fab Frankensteins and I knew we had to do them. So, we created Halloween nouns. We did Frankenstein as our person, spider as a think, and a haunted house as a place. It was so great!
I love Halloween!
I love your blog! I am giving you the Liebester Award!


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Culinary partners
World class dining with a magical view.
Château des Charmes is proud to exclusively partner with Vintage Hotels, renowned in Niagara for their outstanding cuisine and expert service staff. Each Chef has a unique style. We have created inspirational menus, designed to provide you a glimpse into their creativity. But rest assured your guests' specific dietary needs will be accommodated with ease. Once your menu is finalized, Michèle Bosc will then personally select a flight of wines from our portfolio specifically paired to compliment each course.
For more information or to book an appointment for a private tour of our property, please contact Svetlana Sidorenko, Special Events Manager, (905) 262-4219 ext. 227 or email@example.com
Go to Customized Upgrades
Go to Image Gallery
Go to Green Meetings


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Office Phone 1-721-54-55-800
Villa Mediterranee is a spectacular new villa!
This elegant and luxurious villa has 4 air-conditioned bedrooms with four and a half baths, and can accommodate up to 9 persons (4 king sized beds and one twin bed, privacy for everyone!)
The villa is perched on a hilltop with a stunning view of the islands of St.Barths, Tintamarre, and Pinel, and a birds eye view of Le Village de la Baie Orientale, an oasis of white sand beaches and colorful Caribbean homes.
The spacious living and dining rooms are also climate controlled and are exquisitely furnished in imported Teak and Mahogany.
The entertainment unit includes a satellite TV, high-speed internet access, a DVD player and a Cd player.
Located in the gates Orient Bay Village, within walking distance of St.Martin's most famous Orient Beach, this villa is absolutely spectacular.


text: Earlier this month, it was revealed that Bollywood actress Priyanka Chopra is the brand ambassador for Pakistani designer Fahad Hussayn's lawn collection as she was featured on the cover of HELLO Pakistan. Print Museum is the desinger's newly launched lawn collection for the very first time. We hope it does well in the world of lawn madness. The lawn season has just taken off, will you be hunting these down at the next exhibition?