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Supplier Electronic Payments
As we strive to improve our AP processes, we have begun an initiative to drive more electronic payments to speed up invoice processing time, enhance security and save costs associated with sending paper checks.
We're excited to be working with payments experts, Finexio,that are helping us drive electronic payment adoption and improve our vendor payment experience.
The benefits of the Finexio program include:
- Faster Settlement: Finexio payments are issued and delivered on the same day vs. our current check process which can take 30 days or more.
- Improved Security: Finexio leverages single-use virtual cards which carry enhanced security measures reducing fraud and guarantee payment.
- More Transparency: Complimentary access to the Finexio Payee Portal where you can access payment details and connect with Finexio support 24/7.
Getting started is easy!
We have provided several helpful links below that describe this initiative in more detail. We appreciate your cooperation in helping Virgin Hotels Dallas create a better AP experience!
Still have Questions?
Contact Finexio's supplier enablement team at:
Email: firstname.lastname@example.com
Phone: 321-270-0213
Letter of Authorization
The official acknowledgement of the partnership with Finexio.Download


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Lying Liars Telling Lies
I'm very familiar with the lies of the "pro-life" movement. Whenever I'm wandering the interwebs and encounter a patch of tall grass, I deliberately walk through it in case a Forced Birthizard appears. I've swum alongside the Cinibar Islands, fought MissingNo. and acquired infinite masterballs. Online, I'm ready for these bastards.
But I was not ready for them to show up at my school, pretending to give a shit about helping pregnant women.
Their sign said "Free Pregnancy Tests" and their banner read "Real Choices." So of course, I immediately knew they were a crisis pregnancy center.
I approached them to get some of their literature to see exactly how shameless the lies would be. The woman at the table regaled me with a story of how the woman's sister had died of an abortion because they'd "left a piece of it inside of her." I pointed out that, while tragic, if that happened recently, say in 2008, her sister would have been one of six women – and that's not "out of a hundred thousand" as maternal mortality from pregnancy is counted, but merely six TOTAL nationwide – to die of a legal abortion. Furthermore, if she was having it taken out "in pieces" then it was a very late term (and therefore uncommon) abortion, and that probably other things were going wrong with the pregnancy. She certainly would have faced a higher risk of dying during childbirth.
She insisted that taking the fetus out "in pieces" is actually something they do in ALL abortions, and that doctors leaving fetus pieces in women is "what happens in abortion mills."
Then I read a pamphlet that had this page:
They're actually advising women against getting a chemical abortion (the pamphlet itself is entitled, "The Abortion Pill") if they have an ectopic pregnancy, which is potentially fatal bullshit "advice." Methotrexate is the standard of care for ectopic pregnancies, as it terminates the pregnancy, does not require an incision, and spares the woman her fertility.
If anyone has any advice for me about how I can get these liars for Jesus booted off my (public university in California) campus, please let me know in comments. A diversity of clubs/opinion is important, but surely we can draw the line at dispensing dangerous and dishonest medical advice while pretending to be some sort of obstetrics clinic. These idiots could get someone killed.
Bonus: When they invited me to come to their meeting, I said I had to go to an event at the LGBT center. She replied, "OH… Well you know, we have lots of lesbians that use our services."
Yea. I bet. Lesbians are known for their high rates of unintended pregnancies.
Bonus #2:
"How do you feel about contraception?"
"Oh we're in favor of all kinds of contraception."
"Oh yea?"
"Well I mean, I don't think you should hormonal pills or take the morning after pill either."

subset: commoncrawl


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Wed, 2 October 2013
Daenerys III and Sansa III. Ivan and Red discuss the Unsullied, the brutal beating Daenerys delivers, Whitebeard being put in his place,Danerys gets physical, Sansa's surprise wedding, Tyrion's pathetic husbandry, and an amazing opening song by Bannerman Charlie Cassarino.
Direct download: 2013-09-30_BGaS_Episode_113_ASoS14.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 3:35am EST


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Offering our guests a view over the spire of Peter and Paul Cathedral, the Business Suite contains a cozy double bedroom with a balcony, a spacious living room and a fully equipped office that doubles as a meeting room. The stylish, modern interior comes with custom accessories and all amenities for a comfortable stay. The fold-out couch in the living room can double as an extra bed.
Room size: 70 sq.m.


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One of Brigitte Bardot's first American magazine covers, pre-blonde hair!
More digest size magazine stuff, these were 5″ x 7″ pocket size.
Nice Shot of Nappy Brown in action.
"Folk idiom"? Don't they mean "fuckin' idiots"?
I love these little digest size magazines from the fifties. In fact I love magazines, although there's really not many good ones anymore. I mean there's Blues & Rhythm: The Gospel Truth (amazing photos), Ugly Things, and ……I'm at a loss for another good modern magazine. Like the record biz, the magazine business is in decline because it is run by idiots and thieves. Take it from me, I've written for at least 100 different mags and newspapers over the years and I can count the intelligent editors I've met on my fingers. Anyway, here's some old favorites to look at, I'll post some old music mag stuff soon, I just dug out a pile of old Dig, Star-Club News, Rhythm & Blues, etc. and plan to go through 'em this weekend.


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Wirral Country Park
Photo by George Evans wirralpix.com
Wirral is home to many parks and gardens and attracts walkers and ramblers from all over the world.
Ness Gardens offers visitors beautiful gardens, a cafe and visitor centre as well as selling a wide range of plants from it's own nursury. Ness also offer a wide range educational courses in gardening and nature with one-off workshops and RHS examined courses.
There are parks across Wirral including Birkenhead Park which provided the inspiration for Central Park in New York - click on the links below to find out more.
Find out more about the Coast and Countryside opportunities in Wirral by visiting this section of our website to read about water sports, beaches and the our picturesque villages.
You can download maps for walking and cycling to help you get the most from your visit.
Wirral has many parks that have been awarded Green Flag status, with many ranked as some of the best in the north-west of England.
For more information about these parks, visit our news story about Green Flag parks in Wirral.


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Thrift Store Insurance from Massachusetts Specialists
What is Thrift Store Insurance?
Running a thrift store in Massachusetts requires a substantial investment, and the resources poured into a store ought to be protected. Thrift store insurance helps protect these stores and the investments made in them from a variety of risks that the stores face.
Thrift store insurance is a specialized kind of commercial insurance that uniquely meets the risk mitigation of thrift stores and similar businesses. Policies are generally package policies that come with several coverages, which create a network of protections.
What Massachusetts Businesses Need Thrift Store Policies?
Several different kinds of businesses may benefit from the protections that thrift store policies afford. Generally speaking, most any business that sells second-hand items might want a policy. Some examples of such businesses include:
- Non-profit thrift stores
- For-profit second-hand stores
- Antique shops
- Flea markets
- Used furniture stores
Even though many of these businesses aren't thrift stores in the traditional sense, the risks they face are often similar to those that thrift stores are exposed to. Thus, thrift store policies can frequently be adapted to their needs.
Other businesses that sell pre-owned or used goods can discuss their particular situation with an insurance agent who specializes in these types of policies. An informed agent will know whether this or some other commercial policy is more appropriate for a given business.
Free Quotes!
What Coverages Are Included in Thrift Store Policies?
Stores are typically able to adjust the coverages in their particular policy, so exact protections can vary from one policy to another. There are, however, many coverages that these policies make available:
- Commercial Building Coverage, which may cover an owned building
- Commercial Personal Property Coverage, which may cover fixtures, equipment and stock
- General Liability Coverage, which may cover common accidents and false advertising lawsuits
- Commercial Umbrella Coverage, which may provide additional liability coverage
- Business Interruption Coverage, which may cover prolonged revenue losses due to disasters
Stores that offer pick-up and delivery services might also need commercial auto coverage for company-owned vans or trucks. Many policies include this as an optional protection.
Do Thrift Store Policies Cover Goods Sold on Consignment?
Whether a thrift store policy covers goods sold on consignment generally depends on whether the policy includes bailee coverage. This is akin to commercial personal property coverage, but it's specifically for goods that a store sells on behalf of others.
Some policies include bailee coverage as a standard part of their commercial personal property protection, and others offer it as an add-on option. A few policies might not provide this coverage.
Most policies that do include bailee coverage only provide actual cash value protection for consigned goods. This level of protection typically reimburses for covered losses up to the fair-market value of the goods. Replacement cost protection, which usually pays to replace an item with a new one, tends to give more protection and may be available for store-owned inventory.
Do Thrift Store Policies Come with Workers Compensation Coverage?
Many thrift stores have employees and, per Massachusetts law, are required to carry workers compensation coverage. Workers compensation, however, is normally procured via a separate policy that stands on its own.
Even though it's frequently bought separately, agents who are familiar with thrift store policies likely can also assist in securing a workers compensation policy
How Can Stores in Massachusetts Get Thrift Store Insurance?
For help insuring a thrift store or similar business in Massachusetts, contact the independent insurance agents of The Feingold Companies. Our agents are able to request quotes from multiple insurance companies in the state on your store's behalf, and they have the expertise necessary to help you select the best available thrift store insurance option.
The Feingold Companies
Worcester Office
446 Main Street, Suite 1403
Worcester, MA 01608
Phone: (508) 831-9500
Fax: (508) 797-4030
New Lakeside & Dudley Insurance
446 Main Street, Suite 1403,
Worcester, MA 01608
Phone: (508) 943-0090
Send us a message


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Toyota is featuring its venturing into hydrogen powered trucks this summer: on July 3o it presented its new Beta vehicle at the Center for Automotive Research in Michigan. The Alpha truck trilalled in the Port of Long Beach had a 36.3-tonne gross combined weight capacity and a driving range of more than 200 miles on a hydrogen fill-up. Two Mirai fuel cell stacks and a 12kW/h battery supported an output of more than 670bhp and 1,796Nm of torque. The new Project Portal Beta maintains these power and torque figures but with an extended range and improvements in other key performance metrics. The Beta truck project is a continuation of the Toyota Environmental Challenge 2050 effort to eliminate CO2 emissions at its Port of Long Beach logistics facility. Previously, Toyota announced the construction of the Tri-Gen operation, which will be the world's first megawatt-capacity fuel cell power generation plant with hydrogen refuelling. The plant will use agricultural waste to produce water and generate electricity and hydrogen to support the operations of Toyota Logistics Services at the Port of Long Beach.
Last miles can also be delivered in the new Daimler Sprinter F-CELL, says Volker Mornhinweg, Head of Mercedes-Benz Vans: "We will offer every commercial range with an electric drive – starting this year with the eVito and in 2019 with the eSprinter. With these, we will already cover many, but not all, use cases with a zero-local-emissions powertrain. For this reason, we are enhancing our eDrive@VANs strategy with fuel-cell drive, which offers substantial medium-term opportunities, especially in long-distance operation – regardless of whether a fuel-cell vehicle is used as a motorhome or in other commercial applications" . The potential of this technology is undisputed. That applies above all to comparatively large vans with a need for long range and short refuelling times. Our analyses demonstrate that the fuel cell can represent a sensible expansion of the powertrain line-up in a number of different applications in both the commercial and private arenas. The Concept Sprinter F-CELL provides an insight today into the possibilities of the future".


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Heard on the Hill: Michael Vicks Redemption
In a press conference Tuesday, Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Michael Vick said his involvement in animal fighting ended up being a good thing.
The football star and Wayne Pacelle, president and CEO of the Humane Society of the United States, were on Capitol Hill to urge support for the bipartisan Animal Fighting Spectator Prohibition Act.
Vick said his experience in the dogfighting world — and his subsequent 18-month incarceration (and fall from grace) — "all happened for a reason," according to the "Pennsylvania Ave." blog on the Morning Call website.
The star quarterback claimed that his celebrity status and his firsthand knowledge of the consequences have helped him educate at-risk youths about the reality and consequence of animal fighting.
"I think everything happens for a reason," Vick told reporters. "I went through what I went through in my life for a reason."
"It's a story of redemption," said Rep. Jim Moran (D-Va.), chairman of the Congressional Animal Protection Caucus.


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Bill Murray
Born in Chicago, he began his acting career there with the improvisational troupe Second City. He joined the cast of NBC's SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE in the show's second season, and shortly thereafter won an Emmy Award as one of the show's writers. He later authored the book CINDERELLA STORY: MY LIFE IN GOLF.
After making his screen debut in Ivan Reitman's MEATBALLS, Mr. Murray reteamed with the director on STRIPES and the GHOSTBUSTERS movies. His film credits also include Harold Ramis' CADDYSHACK and GROUNDHOG DAY; Art Linson's WHERE THE BUFFALO ROAM; Sydney Pollack's TOOTSIE; John Byrum's THE RAZOR'S EDGE (1984); Richard Donner's SCROOGED; Frank Oz's WHAT ABOUT BOB?; John McNaughton's MAD DOG AND GLORY and WILD THINGS; Tim Burton's ED WOOD; Peter and Bobby Farrelly's KINGPIN; Jon Amiel's THE MAN WHO KNEW TOO LITTLE; Tim Robbins' CRADLE WILL ROCK; Michael Almereyda's HAMLET (2000); Gil Kenan's CITY OF EMBER; Aaron Schneider's GET LOW, for which he received Spirit and Satellite Award nominations; Mitch Glazer's PASSION PLAY; and, upcoming, Roman Coppola's A GLIMPSE INSIDE THE MIND OF CHARLES SWAN III.
For his performance as Bob Harris in Sofia Coppola's LOST IN TRANSLATION, Mr. Murray received the Golden Globe, BAFTA, Independent Spirit, and New York, Los Angeles, and Chicago film critics' Awards, among others, for Best Actor. He also was nominated for the Screen Actors Guild and Academy Awards.
He has starred for Jim Jarmusch in the Delirium segment of COFFEE AND CIGARETTES; in BROKEN FLOWERS, for which he was nominated for a Satellite Award for Best Actor; and in THE LIMITS OF CONTROL.
Read earlier biographies on this page.
Bill Murray Facts
|Birth Name
|William James Murray
|Actor, Comedian, Director
|September 21, 1950 (73)
|Wilmette, Illinois, USA
|6' (1m83) How tall is Bill Murray compared to you?
|2004 Golden Globe Awards: Best Actor in a Motion Picture - Comedy/Musical (for Lost in Translation)
|2004 BAFTA Awards: Actor in a Leading Role (for Lost in Translation)
Selected Filmography
|Finding Dory
|Scaredy Pants/I Was a Teenage Gary
|Monsters University
|Garfield: A Tail of Two Kitties
|Forgetting Sarah Marshall


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Tel. 01506 437322
Forthview Court,
22 Oakbank Park Way,
Livingston, EH53 0TH
Visit our contact page for directions.
We are a sign company based in Livingston, West Lothian (Scotland) specialising in the design, manufacture and installation of signs of all types using mainly computer cut vinyl graphics and digital printing.
Our normal working hours are 9-5 Monday to Friday.
Legal notices


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Update your browser to view this website correctly.Update my browser now
With Jetcost you will find the best SATA Air Acores flight offers for the main destinations in the world. Thanks to its search engine, Jetcost helps you find SATA Air Acores flights at great prices according to your needs: you can filter your search results according to many criteria to find the ideal offer.
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If you are planning a trip and one of your priorities is to save money by booking cheap SATA Air Acores flights, the flight comparator Jetcost will help you by showing you the prices of your air tickets and ordering them according to your preferences.
Frequently asked questions about SATA Air Acores
The most searched and popular airlines.


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Best Laptops
ASUS ROG Zephyrus S Thin and Portable (2019) Gaming Laptop
Dell XPS 13 7390, 13.3″ FHD InfinityEdge Touch
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon 7th Generation Ultrabook
MSI GS65 Stealth Ultra Thin & Light Gamer Notebook
Acer Chromebook 514, CB514-1HT-C7AZ
New Apple MacBook Pro 13-inch
New Apple MacBook Pro 16-inch
HP Elite Dragonfly Notebook PC
HP Envy 13" Thin Laptop W/ Fingerprint Reader
Razer Blade Stealth 13 Ultrabook Laptop
Best Laptops – ASUS ROG Zephyrus S Thin and Portable (2019) Gaming Laptop
Best Laptops
For Hardcore Gamers, Travelers
Nvidia GeForce RTX 2070 8GB GDDR6 (base: 1215 MHz, Boost: 1440 MHz; TDP: 115W)
Latest 9th Gen Intel Core i7-9750h Hexa-Core processor
240Hz 15.6" Full HD (1920×1080) IPS Type Pantone validated Display
16GB DDR4 2666MHz RAM | 1TB PCIe Hyper drive SSD | Windows 10 Pro | Gigabit wave 2 Wi-Fi 5 (802.11AC 2×2)
Ultra-slim 15'' metal chassis, 18.9mm thin, 4.4lbs
ROG Zephyrus S
Powerfully versatile, the ultra-slim ROG Zephyrus S is expertly equipped to slice through serious gaming and work. Professional polish, from its brushed metal exterior to its vibrant Pantone Validated display, make this a premium powerhouse that redefines what gaming laptops can do.
Fluid and Vivid Display
ProArt™ TruColor Technology ensures a Pantone Validated palette across the full sRGB color space. Super-narrow 6.2mm bezels frame the 240Hz IPS-level display, offering an exceptional showcase for games, media, and professional projects in stunningly smooth, crisp graphic quality.
Scenario Profiles
Switch between fan operating modes, optimized for ideal performance or ambiance
More blades means better airflow
Each fan blade is 33% thinner than conventional designs. At 83 blades per fan, airflow rises by 17%
Anti-dust tunnels keep fans and heatsinks clean
Preventing buildup on key components boosts long-term cooling efficiency, performance, and stability
Sleek, Strong, and Ultra-Slim
Brushed black metal and clean lines define the subtle and slick aesthetic. Honeycomb reinforcements add strength to the resilient, magnesium alloy frame. Premium soft-touch paint coats the palm rest, minimizing fingerprints to keep it looking sleek, even after a busy day.
GeForce RTX™
Fine-tined performance equipped with NVIDIA GeForce Experience, allows you to customize your play.
Work or Play
ROG Zephyrus S gives you more battery life for everyday work and productivity.
Type-C Charging
Lighten your load on the road with a smaller Type-C adapter.
*ZenPower Pro PD and 65W adapter are sold separately.
*Charging time is based on when the laptop is web-surfing.
Complete Connectivity
ROG Zephyrus S has all the connectivity and ports needed for gaming and working on the go.
Hardcore Durability
ROG laptops undergo extensive vibration, drop, and pressure testing to ensure they can survive everyday use, while their hinges, keyboards, and ports are tested for resilience against common wear. The laptops are even subjected to extreme heat, cold, altitude, and humidity for travel anywhere.
Product description
Powerfully versatile, the ultra-slim ROG Zephyrus s is expertly equipped to slice through serious gaming and work. Professional polish, from its brushed metal exterior to its vibrant pantone validated display, make this a premium powerhouse that redefines what gaming laptops can do.
Boasting up to a 240Hz display with ultra-narrow bezel, PCIe NVMe SSD, and a 9th Gen Intel Core i7 processor, the GX502 has all the power and portability needed to conquer the latest and greatest game titles, anywhere.
*The actual transfer speed of USB 3.0, 3.1 (Gen 1 and 2), and/or Type-C will vary depending on many factors including the processing speed of the host device, file attributes and other factors related to system configuration and your operating environment.
Technical Details
|Screen Size
|15.6 inches
|Max Screen Resolution
|1920 x 1080 pixels
|4.5 GHz Intel Core i7
|Memory Speed
|2666 MHz
|Hard Drive
|1 TB Flash Memory Solid State
|Graphics Coprocessor
|NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070
|Chipset Brand
|Card Description
|Graphics Card Ram Size
|Wireless Type
|802.11a/b/g/n/ac, Bluetooth
|Number of USB 3.0 Ports
|National Stock Number
Best Laptops
For Style-Concious Power Users
Infinityedge display, enables a 13.3″ Screen In an 11-inch form Factor with an 80.7% screen-to-body ratio
Vibrant colors: by maximizing the color spectrum with 100% RGB color and a 1500: 1 contrast ratio, every Shadow takes shape and even bright scenes gain definition.
Beautiful from every angle: The anti-reflective screen combined with superior 400-nit brightness frees you to enjoy your entertainment outdoors.
Stunning strength: The XPS 13 is cut from a single block of aluminum, so it's more durable than a machine that's pieced together.
Cooler than ever: The XPS 13 is the first laptop built with Gore thermal insulation, which provides thermal conductivity levels lower than air in a thin, flexible format.
Micro SD card reader and USB3.0, 3.1 Type-C, Thunderbolt
English Black keyboard w/FPR
Dell Cinema: Experience less buffering, brilliant sound clarity, and an ultra-vivid picture
BRING YOUR ENTERTAINMENT TO LIFE: Best-in-class technology, paired with advanced hardware and software power content with incredible dynamic range.
EPIC CINEMA SOUND THAT SURROUNDS YOU: Deeper bass, greater volume, and 3D Sound with Waves MaxxAudio Pro.
DESIGNED TO BUFFER LESS AND BINGE MORE: CinemaStream delivers smoother video streaming.
Innovation made striking
Progressive technology: The XPS 13 honored as a CES 2019 Innovation Awards Honoree in the Computer Hardware and Components category.
The most powerful 13-inch in its class1 remastered. With an innovative HD webcam located in the top of the InfinityEdge display and next generation Dell Cinema.
Powerhouse Performance
Star performer: With new 10th Generation Intel Core i7-10710U Processor, more cores means increased performance.
Faster memory, more storage: Your system boots and resumes in seconds thanks to 256GB M.2 PCIe NVMe solid state drive storage. Multi-task in a flash even on intense applications with 16GB On-Board Memory.
Less border, more pixels: Enjoy a screen that seems endless with FHD (1920 x 1080) InfinityEdge Touch Display, enabling a 13.3" screen in an 11-inch form factor with an 80.7% screen-to-body ratio.
Product description
Dell XPS 13 7390, 13.3″ Fhd InfinityEdge touch, 10th Gen Intel Core i7, UHD Graphics, 256SSD HD, 16GB RAM
Technical Details
|creen Size
|13.3 inches
|Max Screen Resolution
|1920 x 1080
|4.6 GHz Core i7 Family
|Hard Drive
|256 GB 256GB M.2 PCIe NVMe Solid State Drive
|Chipset Brand
|Card Description
|Number of USB 3.0 Ports
Best Laptops – Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon 7th Generation Ultrabook
Best Laptops
For Businesses, Frequent Travelers
Intel Core i7-8565U Processor 1. 8GHz, Up to 4. 6GHz Turbo, Quad Core
14″ Touchscreen Anti-glare LED Backlit IPS FHD (1920 x 1080) Display
16GB LPDDR3 2133MHz RAM, 512GB PCIe NVMe M. 2 Solid State Drive
Backlit Keyboard, Fingerprint Reader, Windows 10
Intel Integrated 620 Graphics, HDMI, 802. 11 Wireless-AC
Product description
2019 NEWEST ThinkPad X1 Carbon 7th Generation with Touch Screen Intel Core i7-8565U Processor 1. 8GHz Quad Core Up to 4. 6GHz 14″ Touchscreen Anti-glare LED Backlit IPS FHD (1920 x 1080) Display 16GB LPDDR3 2133MHz RAM 512GB PCIe NVMe M. 2 Solid State Drive Microsoft Windows 10 (64 bit) Intel Integrated 620 Graphics 802. 11 Wireless-AC 2×2 + Bluetooth 5. 0 Integrated dual Microphone Array Dolby Premium Audio Processing Backlit English Keyboard Fingerprint Reader and Integrated Webcam 2x USB 3. 1 2x USB Type C Thunderbolt with PowerDelivery 1x HDMI 1x Mini RJ-45 1x Combination Audio Jack 4 Cell 51Wh Battery Dimensions: 8. 55″ x 12. 74″ x 0. 59″ Approximate Weight: 2. 65lbs
Technical Details
|Screen Size
|14 inches
|Screen Resolution
|Max Screen Resolution
|1920 x 1080
|1.8 GHz Core i7 Family
|Hard Drive
|512 GB flash_memory_solid_state
|Graphics Coprocessor
|Intel HD Graphics 620
|Chipset Brand
|Card Description
|Wireless Type
MSI GS65 Stealth Ultra Thin & Light Gamer Notebook
Best Laptops
For Style-Conscious Gamers, Travelers
Processor: Intel Core i7-9750H Six Core Processor (12MB Cache, 2.6GHz-4.5GHz) 45W
RAM: 32GB DDR4 2666MHz | Hard Drive: 1TB NVMe Solid State Drive
Keyboard: Steel Series per-Key RGB with Anti-Ghost Key (84 Key) | Operating System: Windows 10 Pro x64
Graphics: NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 6GB GDDR6 | Display: 15.6″ Full HD 240Hz 8ms Anti-Glare Wide View Angle Display (1920 x 1080)
32GB RAM / 1TB NVMe SSD Upgrades
Additional Specifications
Wireless: 802.11 AC Wireless with Bluetooth 5.0
Touch Pad: Silky Glass Touchpad
Keyboard: Steel Series per-Key RGB with Anti-Ghost Key + Silver Lining
Webcam: 720p HD
Battery: 4-Cell, 82 Wh Lithium-Ion Polymer
Ports: 3x USB 3.2 Gen 2, 1x Thunderbolt 3, 1x HDMI, 1x Mini DisplayPort, 1x Microphone In, 1x Headphone Out
Technical Details
|Screen Size
|17.3 inches
|Screen Resolution
|1920 x 1080
|2.6 GHz Intel Core i7
|Memory Speed
|2666 MHz
|Hard Drive
|1000 GB flash_memory_solid_state
|Graphics Coprocessor
|NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060
|Chipset Brand
|Card Description
|Graphics Card Ram Size
|Wireless Type
Acer Chromebook 514, CB514-1HT-C7AZ
Best Laptops
For Budget Buyers
Chromebook runs on Chrome OS – an operating system by Google that is built for the way we live today. It comes with built-in virus protection, updates automatically*, boots up in seconds and continues to stay fast over time. (*Internet connection is required)
All the Google apps you know and love come standard on every Chromebook, which means you can edit, download, and convert Microsoft Office files in Google Docs, Sheets and Slides
Get access to more than 2 million Android apps from Google Play to learn and do more
Chromebooks come with built-in storage for offline access to your most important files and an additional 100GB of Google Drive space to ensure that all of your files are backed up automatically
CB514-1HT-C7AZ comes with Intel Celeron N3450 Quad-Core Processor (Up to 2.2GHz), 14″ Full HD Widescreen IPS LED-backlit 10-Finger Multi-Touch Display, 4GB LPDDR4 Memory, 64GB eMMC, Backlit Keyboard, Google Chrome and Up to 12-hour Battery Life
Roam with Chrome!
Enjoy an epic mobile experience every time you fire up the powerful and stylish Chromebook 514. Built using a metal chassis for extra durability and an immersive Full HD IPS Touch display, this value-rich machine serves up an incredibly fast wireless connection and amazing battery life to give you all day to run your favorite Google apps or access your photos, videos, music and documents. It's truly a rock star on the Chromebook stage!
Intel Celeron N3450 Quad-Core Processor (Up to 2.2GHz)
14″ Full HD ComfyView Widescreen IPS LED-backlit 10-Finger Multi-Touch Display
4GB LPDDR4 SDRAM Memory & 64GB eMMC
802.11ac WiFi featuring MIMO technology (Dual-Band 2.4GHz and 5GHz)
2 – USB Type-C ports USB 3.1 Gen 1 (up to 5 Gbps) DisplayPort over USB Type-C, USB Charging, DC-in Port & 2 – USB 3.0 Ports
3-Cell Li-Polymer Battery (3950 mAh), Up to 12 Hour Battery Life
Backlit Keyboard & Aluminum Chassis
Google Chrome Operating System
Stylish Yet Tough
Strength, durability and stylish good looks are provided through the aluminum chassis. The strong lightweight metal chassis means that it is likely to easily withstand the rigors of everyday life.
Designed To Be Touched & Seen
The narrow bezel allows a 14" screen in a smaller footprint while still enjoying the benefits of a wide viewing angle and Full HD IPS Touch screen to enjoy the full majesty of films, videos and TV shows.
Day or Night Keyboard
Backlit keyboards not only look pretty but they also allow users to type comfortably in dimly lit environments. When individual keys are lit up it's easy to see them when there's no other light source.
Tougher, Smoother Touch
Tapping, swiping, scrolling and zooming are smoother than ever. The Corning Gorilla touchpad provides a slicker feel than a regular plastic touchpad, and gives users the confidence that it won't break.
All-Day Battery Life
Up to 12 hours of battery life goes a long way. With just a single charge, get in a full day's work, study or play with time to spare. The powerful, long-lasting battery means you don't have to take the power adapter with you.
One Port, Many Uses
One connector is used for ultra-quick data transfer, video streaming, and battery charging. The reversible USB 3.1 Type-C ports are easy to attach to and with a transfer rate up to 5Gb/sec, are 10 times faster than USB 2.0.
Stay Productive
With Chrome OS you can still use your favorite software. Traditional office productivity programs like Microsoft Office and Skype have Chrome versions, as too do Facebook and Instagram. Get access to more than 2 million Android apps from Google Play to learn and do more.
Polished Performance
Fast boot times, ease of use, tough security and a long battery life are some of the advantages of Chrome OS. With a fast boot time you'll start working quicker; the simplified interface makes it easy to learn; integrated malware protection stops viruses in their tracks.
Greater Camera Clarity
Give your audience an even clearer view of the subject with the HDR webcam. With the crystal clear clarity and sharpness of HDR, the subject in front of the camera is always shown in brilliant detail.
Product description
Acer Chromebook CB514-1HT-C7AZ comes with these high level specs: Intel Celeron N3450 Quad-Core Processor 1.1GHz with Intel Burst Technology up to 2.2GHz, Google Chrome Operating System, 14″ Full HD (1920 x 1080) ComfyView Widescreen IPS LED-backlit 10-Finger Multi-Touch Display, Backlit Keyboard, Intel HD Graphics 500, 4GB LPDDR4 Onboard Memory, 64GB eMMC, 802.11ac WiFi featuring 2×2 MIMO technology (Dual-Band 2.4GHz and 5GHz), Bluetooth 4.2, HD Webcam (1280 x 720), supports Super High Dynamic Range (SHDR), 2 – USB Type-C ports USB 3.1 Gen 1 (up to 5 Gbps) DisplayPort over USB Type-C, USB Charging, DC-in Port, 2 – USB 3.0 Ports, 3-cell Li-polymer Battery (3950 mAh), Up to 12-hours Battery Life, 3.09 lbs. | 1.41kg (system unit only) (NX.H1LAA.001)
Technical Details
|Screen Size
|14 inches
|2.2 GHz Celeron N3450
|Hard Drive
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|Graphics Coprocessor
|Intel HD Graphics 500
|Chipset Brand
|Card Description
|Number of USB 3.0 Ports
|Average Battery Life (in hours)
|12 hours
New Apple MacBook Pro
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For Frequent Travelers, General Use
Quad-core 8th-Generation Intel Core i5 Processor
Brilliant Retina Display with True Tone technology
Touch Bar and Touch ID
Intel Iris Plus Graphics 645
Ultrafast SSD
Two Thunderbolt 3 (USB-C) ports
Up to 10 hours of battery life
802.11AC Wi-Fi
Latest Apple-designed keyboard
Force touch trackpad
Technical Details
MacBook Pro 13-inch with TouchBar, Touch ID and 2 Thunderbolt Ports
|13.3-inch (diagonal) LED-backlit display with IPS technology; 2560-by-1600 native resolution at 227 pixels per inch with support for millions of colors; True Tone technology
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|Two Thunderbolt 3 (USB-C) ports with support for Charging, DisplayPort, Thunderbolt (up to 40 Gbps), and USB 3.1 Gen 2 (up to 10 Gbps)
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|In the Box
|13-inch MacBook Pro, 61W USB-C Power Adapter, USB-C Charge Cable (2 m)
|0.59 inch (1.49 cm)
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|3.02 pounds (1.37 kg)
|Release Date
Portable powerhouse.
MacBook Pro elevates the notebook to a whole new level of performance and portability. Wherever your ideas take you, you'll get there faster than ever with high‑performance processors and memory, advanced graphics, blazing‑fast storage and more — all in a compact 1.37-kilogram package.
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With an eighth-generation quad-core Intel processor, the 13-inch MacBook Pro is ready to take on even the toughest tasks. So when you're powering through pro‑level processing jobs like compiling code, rendering 3D models, adding special effects, layering multiple tracks or encoding video, you'll get everything done. Faster.
Eye-opening graphics performance.
The 13-inch MacBook Pro features powerful integrated graphics with 128MB of embedded DRAM — twice as much as the previous generation — which accelerates graphics tasks. That means more time for what matters most: creating amazing work.
More ways to be productive. Always within reach.
On every MacBook Pro, the Touch Bar replaces the function keys that have long occupied the top of your keyboard with something much more versatile and capable. It changes automatically based on what you're doing to show you relevant tools that are intuitive to use — system controls like volume and brightness, interactive ways to adjust or browse through content, and intelligent typing features like emoji and predictive text, just to name a few.
Tap it. Hold it. Flick it. Slide it.
Familiar gestures make it easy to use the Touch Bar. Tap to expand the Control Strip, flick to adjust volume and brightness, or slide to rewind while watching a movie.
Just what you need.
Right where you need it.
Many of the built-in apps on your MacBook Pro have Touch Bar controls that make common actions like sending an email or formatting a document even easier. The Touch Bar changes to match the app you're using, bringing these shortcuts front and centre. And third-party apps can take advantage of the Touch Bar as well.
Customise what you use most.
You can create shortcuts right in your Control Strip and in apps like Mail, Pages, Safari and Final Cut Pro X to help you work faster and be more productive.
Advanced security. Right at your fingertip.
With Touch ID, you can unlock your MacBook Pro in an instant. Quickly access system settings and locked notes, and even switch between users — all with the touch of a finger.
The next generation of security.
Every MacBook Pro is equipped with the Apple T2 Security Chip — our second-generation custom Mac silicon designed to make everything you do even more secure. It includes a Secure Enclave coprocessor that provides the foundation for secure boot and encrypted storage capabilities. It also consolidates many discrete controllers, including the system management controller, audio controller and SSD controller, into one. And the Apple T2 Security Chip brings a familiar voice to MacBook Pro — Hey Siri is always ready to open apps, find documents, play music or answer your questions.
Make quicker work of everything.
The 13-inch MacBook Pro includes a solid-state drive that's blazing fast, with sequential read speeds up to 3.2GB/s. It's available with up to a 2TB SSD — enough space to take even your biggest files with you, like large photo libraries or video projects. So you can boot up, launch multiple apps or import huge files in a flash. And with the Apple T2 Security Chip, everything is automatically encrypted on the fly.
Easy on the eyes.
Music to your ears.
The Retina display on the 13-inch MacBook Pro features bright LED backlighting and a high contrast ratio, delivering deep blacks and bright whites. It supports P3 wide colour for even more vibrant greens and reds than with sRGB. And every MacBook Pro features True Tone technology. The white balance automatically adjusts to match the colour temperature of the light around you — for a more natural viewing experience. MacBook Pro has a dynamic soundstage that feels and sounds much wider than its physical dimensions imply. Movies are more immersive. Music more room-filling. And three built-in mics form directional beams that capture your voice more clearly for FaceTime calls and talking to Siri.
New Apple MacBook Pro 16-inch
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Ninth-generation 6-Core Intel Core i7 Processor
Stunning 16-inch Retina Display with True Tone technology
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Amd Radeon Pro 5300M Graphics with GDDR6 memory
Ultrafast SSD
Intel UHD Graphics 630
Six-speaker system with force-cancelling woofers
Four Thunderbolt 3 (USB-C) ports
Up to 11 hours of battery life
802.11AC Wi-Fi
The new MacBook Pro features a stunning 16-inch Retina display — the largest Retina display ever in a Mac notebook. It produces 500 nits of brightness for spectacular highlights and bright whites, while delivering deep blacks thanks to the precise photo alignment of liquid crystal molecules. And the P3 wide colour gamut enables brilliant, true-to-life images and video. So no matter where you are, you'll see your work in the best possible light.
The 16-inch MacBook Pro brings a whole new class of performance to the notebook. Thanks to a more advanced thermal design, the Intel Core i9 processor with up to 8 cores and 16 threads of processing power sustains higher performance for longer periods of time — and delivers up to 2.1 times the performance of a quad-core MacBook Pro. So whether you're layering dozens of tracks and effects, rendering 3D models or compiling and testing code, you'll be doing it in no time flat.
HP Elite Dragonfly Notebook PC
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Product description
Buy dragonfly i7-8665u/13/16GB/256 ltea/PC Intel i7-8665u, 13.3 FHD BV LED UWVA TS, UMA, 16GB LPDDR3, 256GB SSD, ax+bt, ltea, 4C Batt, W10 Pro64, 3Yr wrty
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Technical Details
|Screen Size
|13.3 inches
|1.9 GHz Intel Core i7
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Best Laptops – HP Envy 13" Thin Laptop W/ Fingerprint Reader
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Cutting-edge security: state-of-the-art security Features include webcam kill switch and integrated fingerprint reader
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Super Fast Processor: 10th Generation intel(r) core(tm) i7-10510u, Quad Core, 1.8 GHz Base frequency up to 4.9 GHz Base with Intel's) Turbo Boost Technology
Full HD display: 13.3-Inch diagonal FHD IPS bright View micro-edge WLED-backlit multitouch-enabled edge-to-edge glass with anti-reflection Corning Gorilla Glass NBT Display (1920 x 1080)
Memory and storage: 8 GB DDR4-2400 SDRAM (not upgradable), 256 GB pcie(r) nvme(tm) M.2 Solid State Drive
Battery life: up to 16 hours and 45 minutes (mixed usage), up to 13 hours and 15 minutes (video playback), up to 9 hours and 45 minutes (wireless streaming); 0 to 50% charge in 45 minutes with HP Fast charge
Thin and light (unpackaged): 12.86 in (H) x 8.87 in (W) x 0.70 in (L); 3.53 pounds
Operating System and warrant: Windows 10 Home and 1-Year Limited hardware warranty with 24-hour, 7 days a week Web support when shipped from and sold by Amazon.Com and not a third party seller
Light and powerful for those on-the-go
The thin and light HP ENVY 13 laptop is portable and sleek with an all-metal case built to last.
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Elevate your entertainment with a 3-sided micro-edge display and audio tuned by the experts at Bang & Olufsen.
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Cutting-edge security features with a built-in Webcam Kill Switch, fingerprint reader, and BIOS Protection to protect your privacy and safeguard your data.
Product description
Experience peace of mind no matter where your work takes you. Light, powerful, and with Smart, state-of-the-art security features,
The HP ENVY 13-inch laptop is built for a secure and beautiful life on the go. Your privacy and data stays secure with a fingerprint reader, Webcam kill switch, All in a thin, sleek, eyecatching all-metal case designed with an elevated keyboard for ergonomic typing.
The brilliant full HD micro-edge touchscreen display is made of durable and long-lasting Corning Gorilla Glass NBT to stand up to every day use.
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With state-of-the-art security, An ultra-sleek design, and powerful entertainment features, your privacy and data stays secure – Whether you're at home or on-the-road.
– elevate your entertainment with a gorgeous high-resolution, 3-Way micro-edge display.
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– protect your privacy with a built-in privacy camera kill switch and an integrated fingerprint Reader for seamless login, while HP BIOS recovery protects your PC from corruption.
– all our laptop keyboards are tested with 11 million individual keystrokes, so type confidently knowing those keys can easily stand up to years of hard typing.
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– our laptop hinges are tested with up to 25, 000 openings and closings – that's an average of Seventeen times a day, every day, for four years of worry-free quality.
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– advanced design, precision craftsmanship, latest technologies, exclusive HP convenience features and privileged access to HP envy concierge service and support.
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Technical Details
|Screen Size
|13.3 inches
|Max Screen Resolution
|1920 x 1080
|4.9 GHz Core i7 Family
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Best Laptops – Razer Blade Stealth 13 Ultrabook Laptop
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For Style-Conscious Gamers, Travelers
Designed for mobility: built for performance with an ultra thin, light, and durable CNC anybody, anodized aluminum frame
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Biometric security: supports Windows Hello instant facial unlock and authentication with integrated webcam and IR sensor
Customizable RGB lighting: includes 16.8 million colors available with multiple preset profiles
Summary: Intel Core i7-1065g7 4 core Processor w/ 1.3GHz/3.9GHz (Base/max Turbo) powered at 25W, Intel Iris Plus Graphics, 13.3″ Fhd 60Hz matte Display, 16GB RAM, 256GB SSD
10th Gen Intel Core i7-1065G7 Processor Performance to Move
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The Razer Blade Stealth is only about 2.9 lbs and 0.6" thin, making it extremely portable and mobile. The unibody frame is fortified using precision CNC-machining of high-grade aluminum and the Mercury White color is anodized into the aluminum at a sub-molecular level for maximum durability.
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Razer Chroma Keyboard – For limitless personalization and style
The keyboard features Razer Chroma single-zone RGB lighting for an immersive gaming experience, and a precision glass touchpad that gives you accurate touch controls.
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Connect the Razer Blade Stealth laptop to the Razer Core X external graphics to experience a surge in graphic performance for desktop-grade gaming and advanced creative production. Razer Core X sold separately.
Full Suite of Connectivity – For easy access to different connections
Stay equipped with a full array of connectivity including Thunderbolt 3, USB-C, USB-A, wireless AX, and Windows Hello infrared camera, allowing you to connect faster for total adaptability.
Product description
The ultra-thin Razer Blade Stealth 13" Ultrabook laptop is equipped for mobile performance on the move with the new 10th Gen Intel core-i7 processor and Intel Iris Plus Graphics. Featuring a visually stunning display, precision touchpad, and Razer Chroma keyboard, making it perfect for work and play.
Best Laptops
Technical Details
|Screen Size
|13.3 inches
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|1920 x 1080 pixels
|3.9 GHz Core i7 Family
|Memory Speed
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|Hard Drive
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|Graphics Coprocessor
|Intel Iris Plus Graphics
|Chipset Brand
|Card Description
|Number of USB 3.0 Ports
|Average Battery Life (in hours)
|8 hours


text:
Adam Warren's 'Empowered' Celebrates Ten Years With A New Mini-Series With Art By Karla Diaz
For the past ten years, Adam Warren's Empowered has been one of the best comics on the stands --- and quite possibly the all-time world champion of "wait, no, it's actually a lot better than it sounds" high concepts. The story of a superheroine with an extremely fragile costume who often finds herself tied up by her enemies, Empowered is one of the most compelling and genuinely romantic stories out there, and provides some of the best action in comics.
In 2017, the series is celebrating its diamond anniversary, and in addition to a tenth original graphic novel, Dark Horse is marking the occasion with a new three-issue miniseries written by Warren with art by Karla Diaz, Empowered and the Soldier of Love.
Sadly, it's not a story focused on the oft-promised Were-Giraffe By Night, but despite that, it looks pretty fantastic.
Diaz, best known for her webcomics Coffee Shop and Cute Sins --- in which the embodiments of the Seven Deadly Sins emerge from Hell and share a house with each other where they spend most of their time babysitting --- is the latest artist to join Warren on a special non-OGN Empowered story, joining an already impressive lineup that includes Emily Warren, Ryan Kinnaird, John Staton, Takeshi Miyazawa, and Brandon Graham.
Here's Dark Horse's official announcement:
Empowered and the Soldier of Love finds Emp battling the International Magical Girl of Mystery. Emp's new foe is using her unearthly powers to inflame the superhero community's passions and create tension and problems among her fellow Superhomeys.
Empowered and the Soldier of Love's first issue (of three) goes on sale February 8, 2017. Empowered Volume 10 will be available in summer 2017.


text:
Another full day in Hanoi: stumbling across an early morning Buddhist funeral and the ceremonial burning of huge stacks of fake US 100 dollar bills, pedaling the 13 km West Lake, cruising the badlands of Chuong Duong Do, reading the stories of fierce lady guerrilla fighters and American War heroines at the Women's Museum, drinking snowy lemon smoothies at Lean and Green, fixing the Eumig to run properly on the local current and voltage with overseas guidance from Guy and Dino in California and Ken in Michigan (You really saved the day, fellas… this is the only working Super 8 projector in all of Vietnam!), getting pummeled in a strangely enjoyable way by two young masseuses in an low-ceilinged attic, and last but not least participating in the jovial "Positive Mass" monthly bike ride organized by The Hanoi Bicycle Collective, a very inspiring bike shop/cinema/cafe run by the sunny spirited Guim and Thuy.
Tomorrow filming officially begins for the Sound We See and we'll be going going going for 36 straight hours… time to get some rest!!!


text:
We have our first replay controversy of the season. It was bound to happen some time.
In the fifth inning of this afternoon's home opener, Washington Nationals' shortstop Ian Desmond hit a line drive to the left field corner that Justin Upton tracked to the wall, but the ball got stuck, so the Atlanta Braves' left fielder threw up his arms to let the umpires know it was unplayable.
There was no call on the field.
Desmond kept running, scoring what appeared at first to be an inside the park home run as Upton finally picked the ball up and threw it in.
If you didn't see the play live, watch what happened below:
A call was placed to New York where it was reviewed and the umpires, citing Rule 7.05(f) and saying that the baseball was stuck in the padding of the wall, reversed the on-field ruling.
Here's that wording of that rule for anyone who might not be familiar:
7.05: Each runner including the batter-runner may, without liability to be put out, advance -- (f) Two bases, if a fair ball bounces or is deflected into the stands outside the first or third base foul lines; or if it goes through or under a field fence, or through or under a scoreboard, or through or under shrubbery or vines on the fence; or if it sticks in such fence, scoreboard, shrubbery or vines..."
Desmond was sent back to second base and subsequently caught trying to steal third.
Fans in Nationals Park booed lustily, though the call seemed to be by the book.
After what ended up being a 2-1 loss, Matt Williams was asked about the umpires' explanation of the ruling on the field.
"They told me that from replay it was lodged underneath between the pad and the dirt," Williams explained.
"I questioned it with Jim [Joyce] because when [Upton] had to, he reached down and picked it up and threw it in. So that was my question."
"He threw up his hands," Williams continued, referring to Upton. "Generally, that is an indication that the ball is lodged, but when there was no signal from the umpire throwing his hands up saying it was a double or it was a ground-rule double or lodged underneath there, then Justin reached down and picked it up and threw it in. By that time, Ian scored, so that was my question. But they reviewed it and determined that that it was lodged underneath the fence."
FBB's Recommended Reading:
It's something Williams has seen before, of course, though the details were unique.
"Generally you see it when you have places like Wrigley Field," Williams said. "The ball goes in the ivy, and you can't see it that happens. A ball bounces fair or foul down the line, ball bounces up over the fence. They throw their hands up. I've never seen that one before."
"One of the reasons we have replay is to make sure we get the calls right," he told reporters. "I have [questions] with that one though, because of what happened after the fact. The fact that he, when he had to, he reached down and threw it in."
The fact that third base umpire Marvin Hudson made no call on the initial play was telling in Williams' opinion.
"For me, in the heat of the moment, and with my naked eye, it tells me that he didn't think it was lodged underneath the fence. But it is a reviewable call, and a reviewable play and they decided to do it and determined that it was a double, ball is lodged underneath that pad."
It ended up being an important run in what was a 2-1 Nationals' loss in the home opener.
Did the umpires get the call right?
We talked about all that and more after today's game on Nats Nightly. This afternoon, Dave Nichols from the District Sports Page and I were joined by Joe Drugan from The Nats Blog and Tom Bridge from We Love DC. If you're not following either of them or reading their work, you should be, they're good people and good writers:


text:
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text:
Like Brussels sprouts or the Pittsburgh Steelers, The Sound of Music is one of those things you love or you hate — intensely and with little middle ground.
For lovers of The Sound of Music, it's all those indelible tunes composed by Richard Rodgers and all the cute, adorable kids. For haters of "The Sound of Mucus," it's the saccharine lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein II and the irritating, omnipresent kids.
This production of the Broadway classic at Porthouse Theatre offers plenty for the former group to wrap their arms around. Director Terri Kent keeps the long show clipping along while milking some genuine emotion out of a couple touching scenes.
If you've been in a coma since 1959, you may not know the story of the Trapp Family Singers and the soft-focus book by Howard Lindsay and Russel Crouse based loosely on their lives. Set in Austria before World War II, the shadow of Nazi encroachment is always present, lending a sobering counterpoint to all the fluff and nonsense.
Maria is a nun hired from the neighborhood abbey to wrangle the seven rugrats fathered by Captain von Trapp. Of course, she's not as simple as her cleverly elemental song "My Favorite Things" might indicate. And soon, she feels a love jones building between her and the Cap'n.
As Maria, Kayce Cummings starts slow, not quite finding her character's delirious mixture of innocence and passion (for her beloved Alps, for her religious calling, for bright copper kettles). But when Maria meets the von Trapps, Cummings comes into her own, giving the role a refreshing, down-to-earth spin and singing her songs with skill.
Larry Nehring, an excellent actor, adopts a ramrod posture as the Captain. But he never fully embraces the specific mannerisms of a military martinet who whistles for his brats instead of calling them by name. This gives Cummings less to play against and thereby weakens the impact at the conclusion, when they combine forces to elude the Nazis.
As for the kids — the actors, not the characters — they're a well-disciplined bunch. They rarely drift off, gaze at the audience, or smile at inappropriate times — all common mistakes for young performers. Four of them from the Nelson clan (Courtney, Cameron, Cassidy, and Carly) hold down the younger female roles, with Cameron Howell and Samuel Culver playing the two boys.
The seventh child, Liesl (Lucy Anders), develops a crush on messenger Rolf (Kyle Kemph), and their bicycle interlude during "Sixteen Going On Seventeen" is charming without being cloying.
As in the film version, two songs from the original stage show have been cut: "How Can Love Survive" and "No Way to Stop It." Those ditties, cynical and sly, could give the show much more political and psychological depth.
Without those tunes, the characters who would have sung them — family friend Max, an ambiguously fey theatrical producer, and the Captain's betrothed Elsa — are paper thin. Still, Eric van Baars crafts some welcome comedic relief as Max, and Lisa Kuhnen makes for an icy yet believable Elsa.
The show is bracketed by the appearance of a phalanx of nuns, some 20 in all, who lay down some gorgeous hymns. They are led by Marla Berg as the Mother Abbess, who ends Act One with a powerful rendition of "Climb Every Mountain."
Tellingly, on opening night during the escape scene, it was Berg who thought to subtly bend the front brim of the Captain's fedora down so he looked natty and sharp rather than like a doofus in a hat.
Attention to detail is what separates good shows from great ones, and this Sound of Music has its share of fine moments.
The Sound of Music
Through August 12 at Porthouse Theater, campus of Blossom Music Center, 1145 W. Steels Corners Road, Cuyahoga Falls, 330-929-4416.


text:
Little Boots
17 comments
What a lovely picture! Funny!ReplyDelete
I need something like that! =)
Have a nice evening!
I do have the same problem with Mac Pro Longwear Lipcolour: it stay on quite nicely, but it tends to dry out my lips so I have to re-apply the gloss all the time.ReplyDelete
Thank you!!!ReplyDelete
I was about this close to getting it... I tried at the shop and also didn't like it... but with your comment of actually trying to make it last for as long as they offer, really gave me a glimps!!!
What a beautiful Dutchie! ;DReplyDelete
Too bad that the lipstick doesn't have a good fixation, the color is marvellous!
And so is your scarf! I really love scarves and own a little collection, haha.
So cuteee!! I want that pig and boots *_*ReplyDelete
You look pretty with that color, but its to bad that doesn´t work good.
Congrats Simone,I love your blog!It's very funny, you're so pretty in your photos and the make-up information is a lot interesting :)!! I have the same problem with L'Oréal Indefectible..all the things you said. But yes,colours are nice (I have 200 Fuchsia fix) Just a quick question .. could you advise us about your favorite foundations? I have a pale skin,like you,and I would appreciate your opinion.ReplyDelete
A lot of thanks and good luck with Epica,you're my favourite group! :D
I have the same problem with ANY long-wear lip color, including lipstains. I tried out Revlon's Just Bitten in Gothic and it stayed on for like an hour and a half, even with the special balm on top of it. If it's supposed to stay for 16 hours, then it should remain for 16 hours. If I find something that actually works, I will bring a fresh unopened set to you when I see you in December :)ReplyDelete
I would like to take the piggy home with me as well!ReplyDelete
That colour looks lovely on you. I think I'll try to get a similar lipstick, I really need some nice shade of red and that one looks just perfect.
Kisses! :)
Aha publicists are such liars ;P. The red lipstick suits you very well anyway !ReplyDelete
What a cute little piggy! :-)ReplyDelete
Meuh, so stupid that it says that it will last for 16 hours!
That little piggy is cute =)ReplyDelete
Red suits you very well,even the publicits are a pair of liars!
That's a beautiful color lips! too bad you're not satisfied with it, you look great indeed, unfortunately not all make up fits our needs don't you think??ReplyDelete
anyways, have a nice time =)
Take care!!
Awww, what a cutie! I wonder if it's real or made in photoshop ^_^ReplyDelete
I wonder if you can help me out?
I'd like to know what foundation you're wearing in the picture, and which shade.
Because you don't normally use liquid foundation, right? And I don't like them either.
In the summer I wear bareEssentuals i.d. mineral foundation in their lightest shade. But I'm unable to find a mineral foundation that's light enough to wear in the rest of the year.
(I have found one, from MeowCosmetics, but I'd have to import it from the US and that would be quite expensive.)
In the winter I'm as pale as your friend Reni, to give you an idea.
I actually asked her, but she said she hadn't found one light enough for her either. (She uses Bobbi Brown's liquid foundation in 00 I think?)
You're not as fair normally, but in this picture, especially your jaw, looks really white, and that's about exactly how my skin looks in the autumn.
It would help me so much!
Sorry about the novel length of this post ^_^
Take care, hopefully I'll se you in Gothenburg in a few days! \m/


text:
William Heyen-I
Stillness Moon: An Interview with William Heyen
by Bill Wolak
In July of 2015, Bill Wolak and Stanley Barkan traveled to Brockport, where this interview began. The interview continued during a visit with the poet to his archive and book collection at the University of Rochester Library, and then was completed by e-mail.
Bill Wolak: At what age did you first become interested in poetry?
William Heyen: You know, Bill, I was an athlete, even an All American soccer player in college, so most of my time was taken up with sports. But I remember being about nineteen and scribbling verses on the flyleaves of textbooks while in undergraduate classes. My doggerel was probably the result of being dropped by a high school girlfriend a couple of years before. I do believe in trauma as (sometimes) the spark for poetry. My hurt sounds trivial, maybe, but I was devastated. But we never know when we are having good luck. I've been married to my soul-mate for 53 years.
In graduate school at Ohio University, I began to get serious, began reading contemporary poets like Richard Wilbur and James Wright and saying to myself—competitive now but not in sports—hey, I can do that. I soon found out how hard it was as I lost sleep scratching and scratching. How was it possible to break through into a poem? It took me about five years of fairly obsessive work to have enough poems for a first collection (Depth of Field, LSU Press, 1970).
BW: Can you give us an idea about the poets who have had the greatest influence on you?
WH: Well, maybe I've been most influenced by individual poems—or prose (I think the greatest book I've ever read may be William Faulkner's Go Down, Moses—I get choked up reading many passages)—but certainly Walt Whitman is at the top of my list as the greatest poet who ever lived (except maybe for Homer). You'll find essays of mine about him in a couple of my prose books. And a couple of sons of Whitman have been important, Theodore Roethke (subject of my dissertation) and Allen Ginsberg, as I always try to stay receptive to break-through, as they and Saint Walt broke through. Among the modernists, I knew and corresponded with Archibald MacLeish, and loved him and learned from him: "For all the history of grief / an empty doorway and a maple leaf." But I think the modern poet who most helped me land and helps me still is Wallace Stevens, and this mainly for the way a poem can keep moving, keep flowing, forge a forward motion that penetrates and encircles the musical imagination. Poems like "The Woman in Sunshine" and that wonderful late poem "The World as Meditation" show the way for me. And there are the poets of exile, Paul Celan in particular—what voltage! Too many other poet influences to try to mention them.
But this caution. William Stafford—another poet important to me for myriad reasons—when asked about the greatest poetic influence on him said that it had been his mother, her voice. So, yes, we read and absorb and find poets and poems to help us create our own sense of beauty on the page, but family influences are strongest, and our childhood landscapes, and our teachers and teammates, and the history, in my case certainly, that enthralls and appalls us…. My book Titanic & Iceberg: Early Essays & Reviews is a good indication of what was on my mind in my early years, my readings I was hoping to become, as we say these days, "part of the conversation." Also, Home: Autobiographies, Etc. (which includes a few other interviews).
BW: How would you define poetry?
WH: Well, any definition would seem to narrow it. Maybe it has something to do with that which exists beyond paraphrase, beyond interpretation and theory, beyond translation. But I do think that poetry is our only chance as a species to survive on this earth, and I'm not just talking about our lyrics, our word/language constructs, but about a way of thinking that might enable us, as Emerson requires, to "integrate." The poet is the one who integrates, who makes us realize that we of all cultures are in this together, that the bell tolls for all of us, that all is One, in the end, as we move toward our common death. But I don't want to preach about this, or to understand it to the point where I become smug. I just want, by way of sound/story/image/rhythm to find on my own page a poem that is smarter than I am, as Archibald MacLeish says it must be, that has within itself whatever it needs to go on thinking about itself (and us) and its meanings longer than any one of us will. I've written my best poems in a semi-trance, one line appearing after another, rave and dream and song-sound, and have later been surprised at how much has welled up from me into them.
BW: Can you explain a little about your writing process? How do you compose poems? Do you begin by jotting down the lines by hand or do you compose directly on a computer?
WH: Everything is by cursive, at first. I compose myself, and any poems I'm lucky enough to hit, by way of the handwriting I learned in grade school. New generations of writers I'm sure can feel the fusions of mind and word while their fingers are on a keyboard and their writing appears for them on a screen, but I can't imagine this for me. I'm a thousand years old. I need a pen, ink, paper, the flow of letters from left to right and then left to right again. I type nothing up until I think it's finished, though I do sometimes make minor revisions before printing something up for staring and hearing. These years, when a poem does come—I've 250+ new ones toward a huge book that will be called Chainsaw, and I'm in no hurry to publish it, and won't be—it usually needs little revision, certainly not as much tortured rewriting as when I was in my 30s, 40s, 50s. And I have so many new ones now that I'm not afraid just to cross a poem out that has appeared in my notebook, and scrawl "forget it" below it if it doesn't sufficiently complicate itself or if it lurches in ways I can't fix. And I've been in poet's heaven, thinking (maybe of course deluding myself, but I don't think so) that my recent poems are my best, by way of natural voice and by way of the unconscious consolidations of craft over the decades.
BW: Do you have a daily writing routine?
WH: Not really. When I was young, I'd sometimes write all night when I should have been doing something more practical or sleeping, and then I'd be wiped out the next day. Now, I usually begin by writing in my journal each morning, & then maybe draft a new poem, or go through a sheaf of things, or write a snail to a friend. Then, for the rest of the day between whatever else is going on and helping to keep our house in repair and this acre of land not manicured but in some kind of order, and not to mention that my wife and I have four teen-age grandkids, my writing is hit or miss. But I've been very fortunate, and know this, because of my academic schedule over decades, to have had summers off, long vacations, sabbaticals, grants. And reading intensely for teaching literature classes has been part of the whole learning and writing process for me. I got into teaching when there were plenty of jobs. I'd not like to be getting out of graduate school now and looking for work.
BW: Hidden back in the woods behind your house on your acre of property in Brockport, you have a delightful little writer's cabin. How and when was that constructed? Is that where you do most of your writing?
WH: Well, Bill, to call my 8′ x 12′ shack a cabin (as I've called it) is probably to flatter it. But, yes, I'm glad I've had it, and you can see artists' woodcuts of it on the covers of the first volume of my journal. Anyway, about forty years ago my father and my older brother, Werner, drove up from Long Island and banged it together for me (I'd laid down the foundation blocks). It ain't much, but is secluded, & quiet, and I used it a lot for decades. It's only 250′ or so from my house, but I never did schoolwork back there, so by the time I walked back I was ready for journal writing and poetry and maybe some snail correspondence. I still get back there, but not nearly as often as when we had so much stuff going on in our home when our two kids were knocking about and the phone was always ringing . . . Look, all of us who belong to the tribe of scribblers try to place ourselves, like old dogs, where we are comfortable, and where we don't have to be social every minute. And the cabin is a sentimental place for me, too: William Stafford and Joyce Carol Oates and Stan Plumly and publishers Bill Ewert and Antonio Vallone and my late friends Anthony Piccione and Al Poulin have sat in there with me. And even poets from China and Sweden. And all my family, too. And now you and Stan Barkan have visited the cabin. Maybe I should have kept a guest book!
BW: What was the best poetry reading that you ever attended? Why does that reading stand out in your memory?
WH: Interesting question, one I've never been asked. Several readings come to mind quickly. One by David Ray in the early 60s at Cortland, NY, where I was teaching at the time. A student asked Ray how he felt about it when someone didn't understand his poems. He said he didn't care. I was upset at the time, but now understand this better (as defensive, as not wanting to water down) but would have expressed this more gently than he did. Whitman said that in the main people had to come to poetry, that poets couldn't go to the people (even as he had his arms wide open for all of us).
And a reading by James Dickey when I was in grad school—his stories around and within his poems. And a reading at Brockport by Galway Kinnell that dazed me for the command of such earned poems known by heart; and a few readings by that generative force Joyce Carol Oates, on whose every sentence I felt suspended; and a reading by William Stafford in Rochester when he said something that still reverberates for me in complex ways: "I love feeble poems"; and, to mention just one more among so many vivid recollections, a reading by William Everson where, in an uncomfortable science lab room, after being introduced, he didn't say a word for a full five minutes, but tried to get comfortable, turned around & around, closed his eyes, & folks were even beginning to leave, but then he began, and was mesmerizing…. These days, I guess I most enjoy small readings, poets/folks in a circle, taking turns, kindred spirits communing. Over the decades I read or lectured at several hundred places, but am no longer interested in travel. I can travel while being at home. I might never get on a plane again.
BW: What role does stillness play in poetic composition?
WH: Yes, we have to reach, I think, even after agitation or fear or bafflement or any of a hundred unsettlements, some state of calm, quiet, stillness wherein, almost of its own volition, our poem can keep on its own course. A Zen teacher at Brockport, years ago, spoke of the moon being reflected on a river, the river (with its disruptions) flowing by, but the moon, the moon beneath our breastbones, staying in one place. I have an essay about this in Pig Notes & Dumb Music…. You know, Saint Walt could get angry at a dumb dog who barked even at a familiar neighbor, but he carried the moon of stillness inside himself.
BW: What is the relationship between your journal writing and your poetry?
WH: I don't know. Maybe it helps me reach ease as I get my worries and angers off my chest, and as I keep hauling myself up into the present. You know, Bill, my journal might be the most extensive (I didn't say best) in our literature. So far, I've gotten only three volumes into print, and keep typing little by little, but seem to write more new entries than I can type old entries. I'm typing 1999 now for volume four, and these are quarto-sized single-spaced 10-point 575 or so paged volumes. I might have to try, though I'm a semi-Luddite and creature of habit and reluctant, voice-into-print technology before long.
But I don't draft poems in my journal. I talk of my reading, my family and friends, ask my journal what it might like to hear from me today, report my anxieties and successes and furies and failures as I try to become a grown man. I let memories arise. I think I'm pretty good at not being self-conscious—and being so far behind when an entry I'm writing today might eventually appear (maybe not in my lifetime) helps. But the most important thing for me is not to censor myself, and when I publish a volume I do not edit down to scintillant moments. I wish I had journals from poets important to me who talk not just about aesthetics, say, but about taking out the garbage and dental appointments, about how they live in the world when they are not reading Dante or are in the ethereal throes of inspiration. Maybe my journal is part journal and part just diary…. Look, we're all scribblers—let's enjoy ourselves and fill blank books (or computer files) with thought and feeling, with life. And I must say, I'm sort of surly about my journal volumes, thinking that I didn't ask you to read them, so don't look for them, and if you don't like what you read and think me unworthy, just fuck off and find something else to read…. At the same time, I'd like to think that reading Heyen's journals might become an acquired taste, that the often-asinine and puerile journalist might grow on you….
BW: How do you conceive of the poet's role in America today?
WH: I don't suppose it's any different from any poet's role in any society at any time. In any case, I wouldn't want to freeze myself into any position on this. Let me answer with a little poem. It's maybe too sentimental, too-too, but here it is, plaintive and resigned and maybe content and even happy. I call it "Evening Song":
Now it is too late not
to kiss goodbye
to all I might have been & done
if only
I'd not kept faith with you
& you with me
all my years, my soul,
my poetry.
I hope I've kept faith with my soul, my inner-self, my intimations toward … beauty, even when beauty is shot through with terror. I might have been and done other things, but I've no regrets. I do wonder what other life or lives I might have had, but I've needed to try to write poems, or, to put it better, to put myself into a position of reception wherein poems might emanate from my mind-pen. There's a powerful moment in Emerson's Nature when he says that "Every man's condition is a solution in hieroglyphic to those inquiries he would put." Maybe this says that I've had the life I've had and am now in this place where I am, doing what I do, because of the questions I asked myself, unconsciously, when I was a boy and young man.
BW: Part of your archive is now housed in the University of Rochester Library; many of the books that you've collected are now in a room surrounded with glass-front bookcases.
WH: Yes, for fifty years now I've collected first editions of contemporary poetry, and had books inscribed whenever I could. Association copies are very important to me, and I haven't wanted them spread out on the rare books market as have been books from the libraries of Richard Hugo, William Stafford, Paul Zimmer, and so many others. Luckily, Peter Dzwonkoski, the head of Rare Books & Special Collections at Rochester about twenty years ago foresaw such an archive as it came to be, felt the way I do, and worked to buy my books, correspondence, manuscripts. Now, it's as though I still have my books together—nothing can be placed in that room without my permission—and the institution is caring for them in a climate-controlled room where there are sometimes classes and readings where all my precious Wilburs and Staffords and Oates and May Sartons and Cynthia Ozicks and Seamus Heaneys and Ray Carvers and Robert Penn Warrens and Archibald MacLeishes and hundreds of other poets ranging from the very famous to the largely unknown listen in. There are long stories behind my obsessive gatherings of so many books, all my altruistic and selfish reasons. I was so glad that you and Stan Barkan got to experience that room…. Of course, I still have at home hundreds of gems, so am not lonely for books. I have for example copies of the anthologies I've edited, special copies inscribed by dozens of contributors to American Poets in 1976, The Generation of 2000: Contemporary American Poets, and September 11, 2001: American Writers Respond. Priceless.
BW: Can you describe a few of the unpublished poetic projects that you're working on now?
WH: Ha, glad you asked…. Well, there are the journal volumes that will keep coming out as long as I live, knock wood. And I've mentioned Chainsaw. And I've enough essays to expand Pig Notes & Dumb Music. And I've got about 3,000 (no kidding) 13-syllable poems, my "scherzi," to do something with eventually. And a letterpressed book of 28 baseball poems is coming out. And The Candle. And I've a folder building of form poems, non-free-verse pieces. And, come to think of it, I've written about 30 little plays, meant to be read only, staged only in the mind, that I haven't typed up yet. (And there will be productions of June Prager's Distant Survivors, a play which she built from my Holocaust poems.) And I'm fooling with a preface right now for the bibliography of my work by Michael Broomfield that he's been at for decades (his two previous bibliographies, ahem, are of John Updike and Robinson Jeffers). And I want to do a book called, in homage to incendiary Emerson, Nature, which would reprint my books The Chestnut Rain, Pterodactyl Rose, and The Rope, nature/ecology books, and select such poems from other of my volumes. I'd like to find an editor for this who might do the typing grunt-work & write a preface. I think I have a publisher. Is there a volunteer out there? I'm at 142 Frazier St. / Brockport, NY 14420….
This interview was initiated by Cross-Cultural Communications.


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Puzzles Downloads
More Puzzles Software: 15
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3DJongPuzzle3DJongPuzzle is the mah jongg - like tile solitaire game for Windows. It is a fun tile matching game, that tests your mind. The goal of 3DJongPuzzle is to remove all of the tiles from the game board. Tiles can be removed only in pairs of free tiles.
ClickrisClickris is arcade-style puzzle game for Windows.The goal of game is to get as much points as you can by removing stones from game field. You can remove groups by clicking on them of stones with the same picture, but not on isolated stones.
ClickPuzzleClickPuzzle is a fun arcade-style puzzle game for Windows, it is suitable for all ages. The goal of ClickPuzzle is to earn points by removing tiles from the game board. Tiles can be removed only in groups of identical pictures.
15Slide15Slide is a computer slide- puzzle game. It's an advanced version of the well-known 15 puzzle. To solve the puzzle you have to original order of randomly shuffled numbered pieces in the least moves possiblen by sliding pieces into the empty spot.
3DSwapBallsThe object of the game is to score as many points as possible by swapping adjacent gems to create sets, either horizontal or vertical, of 3 or more identical gems. Sets can be horizontal or vertical, and can contain more than 3 gems.
JongPuzzleJongPuzzle is the mah jongg - like tile solitaire game for Windows.The goal of JongPuzzle is to remove all of the tiles from the game board. Tiles can be removed only in pairs and must have at least one free side.
Pharaoh`s ArrowsIt is believed that only one person in the whole world can solve Pharaoh's Arrows Puzzle. It's high time to see what you worth. Build rows of three or more one-way directed arrows of one color to delete them.
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YOOLinesThe goal of this puzzle game is to put tiles of the same color together.
More Puzzles Software: 15
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In 1987 our old friend Rob Hartley found himself in the leading role of a very quirky, extremely witty Aussie sci fi comedy, the highly entertaining Sons Of Steel. The brainchild of writer/director/producer Gary Keady, S.O.S. also featured another amazing Aussie vocalist, the legendary and always outrageous Jeff Duff.
One day back then I got a phone call out of the blue. It was Rob ringing to say hello from L.A. on a mobile phone, when mobiles were very scarce in Australia. He was walking down the street and decided to call me just because he could.
Rob would often leap up on the stage and sing with us. He has a powerful voice and the physique to match. I haven't seen him for years, but in those days he was a keen body builder and had the muscles to show for it. So did his voice.
Gary Keady is a hard working, talented and leading figure in our fragile grass roots movie industry. Working without the lavish budgets of the big studios, Gary is of the breed of fine independents who continue to produce great work despite the odds.
The good news is that Gary and S.O.S. are going to the U.S. in 2018 with the object of showing S.O.S. in American cinemas. I hope he does really well. Gary and all of his collaborators deserve success.
Visit the website for more details. http://www.sonsofsteel.com.au/
Pics – Rob Hartley on the set of Sons Of Steel (courtesy Gary Keady).
Below – Poster from the movie.


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The Reinier Hendriksen Trophy
When Reinier Hendriksen passed away in April 2000, friends on both sides of the North Sea decided to create a modeller's trophy that would ensure his name lived on.
In the Netherlands, Wim Bloemendaal, a close friend of Reinier's, came up with the idea to have a heavy glass plate engraved with a drawing of Moors End, once made by Reinier himself. He had this done by a well-known engraver in Amsterdam.
In England, Chris O'Donoghue and other friends of the Racoons Group and the Greenwich & District Narrow Gauge Model Railway Society paved the way for the trophy to be awarded at the Expo Narrow Gauge exhibition every year.
Since October 2000 the trophy has been awarded to the creator of the narrow gauge layout which the jury considers being built in the spirit of Reinier's own work: compact, atmospheric and well modelled.


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Here's another board book from the round robin I've been participating in. This one came with a three-ring loose-leaf of chipboard/cardboard/tag board, oh let's just say VERY stiff pages that one could remove and work on. Very easy to handle when painting, though not really an altered book, but still fun to work in.
These photos make the background look really really fuchsia pink, but they were much more orange-y in person. After painting several acrylics on (took a lot of paint, this chipboard stuff really soaks up the paint like a sponge.) I waited for them to dry, then I stamped with a cloud stamp in orange to give more texture to the colored background.
We were supposed to include quotes that we liked, so I found one that I'd saved from an old Oprah magazine, along with that orange/yellow graphic on the right. That formed a pocket above which the words read: Happiness Is A Warm... And I also found a vintage-y looking sticker in the same colors.
The quote is from Willa Cather "That is happiness; to be dissolved into something complete and great." There are cancelled stamps of animals and lava, and a photo of a fractal image. More cloud stamps in orange and the red CONFIDENTIAL stamp that I have.
The words above the pocket for the tags reads: Happiness Is A Warm....So the tags answer that with BLANKET, SUMMER DAY and CUP OF TEA. I found three different orange ribbons to tie on the tags.
The back of the tags have a cancelled stamp with a blanket or rug, a summery piece of fabric, and stamped image of a cup colored in with colored pencils.. Yes I know Java is coffee and it says TEA on the other side. Turns out I don't have a teacup stamp, oh well, I liked how it looks, and one warm beverage is as good as another. And I also stamped over the tags with a stamp that says "Take Note" in a circle.
I just finished another board book from this project that I'll share soon here. And I have one more to work on, then that is it for this collaborative project. After working in a few of these books, I find that I like working in board books for some reasons, not so much worry about the background paper buckling, small compact size, but that they are harder sometimes to handle to keep them open as you're working, to not break the binding as you pin them down flat. Also, I guess when I do work in an altered book, I like to be inspired by the actual book, either the title, the text, or illustrations. And that really isn't appropriate or possible (several of the books have been completely gessoed) here.


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Fr. Gerry Kelly, M.M,, considers how we can live out our call to worship God, not mammon.
Amos was a simple man: "He was a herdsman and pruned sycamore trees." He felt the call from God to be a prophet and he set out for the north of Israel to Bethel. Bethel was experiencing prosperity at the time. Amos spoke out against the wealth in Bethel which was ill gained; the wealthy were manipulating currencies, adjusting the scales and mistreating the workers. His message was direct and uncompromising. He told the people that, because of their social injustice and religious arrogance, the Lord would punish them. He based this denunciation on their history and traditions: the Lord brought Israel out of Egypt, and He expected of them justice and righteousness. This injustice and idolatry were sins against the light and blessings granted to Israel. In response to his prophetic words, the local priest drove Amos out of Bethel.
In the Gospel, Jesus is similarly direct. He tells his disciples, "No servant can serve two masters. He will either hate one and love the other or be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and mammon." Mammon refers to wealth that is gained at the expense of others.
Today, Pope Francis is emphatic about this. He calls all of us to work to eliminate structural causes of poverty and to promote the integral development of the poor, as well as to participate in small acts of solidarity in meeting the real needs that we encounter. He has said, "When the global economy is centered on the god of money and not the human person... You've driven out the marvel of creation, man and woman, and put money in their place. This is a basic act of terrorism against all humanity" (In flight Press Conference from Poland to Rome, July 31, 2016).
Pope Francis also tells us that "Working for a just distribution of the fruits of the earth and human labor is not mere philanthropy. It is a moral obligation. For Christians, the responsibility is even greater: it is a commandment. It is about giving to the poor and to peoples what is theirs by right." (Evangelii Gaudium, 191-192)
Pope Francis emphasizes the importance of becoming acquainted with other peoples and other cultures. This helps us to grow. If we isolate ourselves we have only what we have grown up with; we cannot develop culturally. But if we seek out other people, we go out of ourselves and start the most beautiful adventures. We grow, we develop and mature.
I participate in many short-term missions now. These short-term missions are made up of groups of lay people who go for one or two weeks to serve the poor. They go on medical missions, home repair missions, and missions where the proclamation of the Gospel is foremost. These experiences open us up to many of the great injustices that prevail in our world.
This Sunday I am in Honduras with a large medical mission of 60 people. We are here each year. We are in a country that has suffered from corruption and repression. Many of the people of Honduras have had to flee because of threats from gangs and drug traffickers. Their health care and educational levels are minimal. Many of them have had to pay coyotes, or smugglers, large amounts of money to guide them to the United States border. I go to the U.S.-Mexico border several times per year to aid those who are seeking asylum. I listen to their stories of going hungry and of being robbed and assaulted on their journeys. There is a great need for immigration policy reform so that migrants can be treated with human dignity when they reach our border.
I also go to Guatemala each year with a vision clinic. We go to the village of Joyaba, where the Quiche people live. We examine eyes, provide glasses, and perform cataract operations. Here, six out of ten people live below the poverty line. Nearly half of the population suffers from chronic malnutrition. There is extensive corruption and violence. The region has suffered a drought and the price of coffee, its main crop, has dropped. The area is experiencing the largest percentage of emigration in Latin America. We listen to their stories and work to heal the inner wounds that still remain in their hearts. They miss their family members so dearly.
Pope Benedict XVI has reminded us that "being a Christian is not the result of an ethical choice or of a lofty idea, but the encounter with an event, a person which gives life a new horizon and a decisive direction." (Deus Caritas Est. 1)
We celebrate the Eucharist this Sunday. We meet Jesus in this sacrament. From this encounter we are challenged to serve one master: God. We need to reject mammon and serve God with the energy of Amos, putting into practices the teachings of Pope Francis.
Photo by Albert Dezetter, available in the public domain.