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Automotive door sealing technology has improved dramatically from the early days when rain water came in from all angles. By 1969 GM changed the outer seal strip that wipes the glass clear on those damp mornings to do a good job of keeping water out of the door. In turn it kept water off of the door internals and off the backside of the fiber door panels. By 1984 the door outside seal strip was an integral part of door glass sealing. The downside was they were the most exposed seal strips to date subjecting them to the effects of UV deterioration much quicker than previous year Corvettes. You can help keep them around longer with an application of rubber protectant to replace the rubber solvent compounds removed after each wash job. Products like Adams V.R.T. Vinyl Rubber and Tire Dressing from Corvette Central P/N 106824 will keep your outside seal strips looking good for many years. This dressing brings back that new look without that greasy oily slick look, you can also touch it without fear of it coming off on your hands or clothes.
Ultimately no matter how well you maintain your 1984-1996 Corvette; the doors will end up with a rough looking outside seal strip on the top edge of the door. From an aesthetic standpoint the tattered upper edge looks pretty bad no matter how good your paint or wax job is. The rubber compound dries up and large sections of the ¾ inch wide outside seal strip break off making them look ragged. While looks may not be so important requiring an immediate fix; the dried out material that is missing allows dirt and grit to enter the area below the seal strip. The dirt and grit collects in the two auxiliary strips mounted onto the outside seal strip that quells any door glass rattling that might occur. The grit eats at your window after a while and you end up with noticeable scratches. Those noticeable scratches are almost impossible to remove without replacing the side window glass.
Another factor is water that passes into the door area on top of the window regulator and motor. While the seal strips do not completely eliminate water from entering the door on the outside upper edge it does limit water intrusion substantially. New seal strips will also eliminate annoying door glass rattles on rough roads or when closing the doors. While it is not the easiest task to accomplish, it is possible for the Saturday afternoon Do-It-Yourselfer to finish in one afternoon. Simple tools are required along with a drill, rivet tool and some patience. Corvette Central has a very nice pair of reproduction outside seal strips, part number 284067, at a very reasonable price making a definitive aesthetic improvement on your C4s exterior. The strips are correct in appearance and more importantly the retainers are in the right place for the easiest possible installation.
Let's move on to the photo illustration installation of the strips. The task begins with door panel removal which varies from the 1984 to 1996 model years.
Before you begin removing door panels on the 1984-1989 Corvette it is advisable to remove the courtesy fuse or remove the negative battery cable. The CTSY fuse will disable the door courtesy lights and save your illuminated entry module. If the courtesy lights are left on for extended periods of time (longer than fifteen to twenty minutes) the delay module overheats and burns up. 1990-1996 Corvettes do not have a standalone illuminated entry module they use the Central Control Module for courtesy light control. Leaving the courtesy lights on will not damage the CCM, they will auto shut-off if enough light is present or they have been on a predetermined amount of time. You also need to be aware that the door lock switches will still have power to them when the courtesy light fuse is removed. Your call, I suggest removing the negative battery cable.
All C4 manual door lock knobs are a clip-on fit on the manual lock rod. This hooked small diameter pick works best pulling the knob off the rod.
Here a plastic windshield tool is used to pop out the courtesy light lens assembly. There are two clips on the top side that hold the light assembly in place.
The light assembly can be left hanging until all the screws are out and the bezel can be removed.
There is a Phillips head screw in the door handle bezel under the courtesy light to remove in the 1990-1996 Corvettes.
1990 and up door panels should have a Phillips head screw under the manual lock rod knob. I have found many 1994-1996 Corvettes that do not have this screw from what appears to be a factory door panel installation. Always check the area for a screw before attempting to remove the door panel bezel.
All 1984-1996 C4 door panels have a screw centered in the door open handle bezel at the front that must be removed.
The manual door lock rod must be pushed rearward to remove the door handle bezel. Remember that the door is locked, if you put the window up and leave the keys in the ignition during your window/door project. You know how I figured that out.
The 1990-1996 door handle bezel fits snugly in the door panel usually you can remove it with your fingers at the top first. Remember the manual door lock rod has to be pushed upward and out of the bezel as the bottom section is pulled away from the door panel.
Once the door panel bezel is removed the courtesy light connector can be uncoupled. These connectors are simple to uncouple by pushing the tab upward and pulling them apart.
I use this plastic weatherstrip tool to remove the door lock switch connector especially if the battery is not disconnected. Check the wires at the switch connector they are often frayed especially early C4s. The wires are sometimes holding by just a few strands of wire. If the wires are breaking or ready to, Corvette Central has the side specific repair harness available part number 664496L for the left and 664496R for the right. These repair harnesses are for 1986-1996 Corvettes when GM used reverse polarity switches and five wires. 1984-1985 Corvettes use three wire connectors their part number is 664501R and 664501L.
I leave the 1984-1989 door handle bezel in place because they are fragile and can crack easily if they are pulled out of the panel. The only screw to remove is the center screw under the front of the door release handle. Don't forget to push back the manual lock rod to the locked position like the 90-96. The manual lock rod is then pushed upward and out as the panel is removed. Another concern is the courtesy light connector that must be disconnected before panel removal, it is easy to yank the door panel off the door and find out you just exploded the courtesy light switch. If that happens to occur Corvette Central has a repair harness with switch part number 664492. Once the 1984-1989 door panel is removed as an assembly the door lock switch connector can be accessed and removed like the 1990-1996.
All C4 door panels have two screws in the armrest pull area that must be removed. Corvette Central has metal reinforcements to aid the OE plastic inserts for the 1984-1989 armrest pull area. The arm rest filler savers are part number 484497 and they will keep your door panel armrest in good shape for many years once installed. The 1990-1996 door panels has an integral arm rest pull that is part of the switch assembly.
The 1990-1996 driver side armrest door pull/switch assembly has a clip at the top that slides under the door panel. Once the door armrest pull is removed pick up the armrest pull/switch assembly and let the front go downward as you pull backward. To throw a curve ball the 1990-1996 passenger side door panel has a screw under the window switch. The passenger side window switch pops into place and is easily removed with the plastic windshield tool. Once the switch is out look in the hole and you will find a 7mm screw holding a metal tab onto the door frame.
A small plastic tab has to be moved away from the mirror position switch then the connector removed.
The power window switch has two tabs to move outward then the connector can be pulled off. Take it easy with this connector; work it back and forth easing it out to prevent switch damage.
1990-1993 Door panels will have a long screw in this position to remove.
1984-1989 Bose Stereo equipped Corvettes will require speaker grille removal.
1984-1993 Corvettes will have a row of screws at the bottom, these screws are often rusty might be a good idea to have a fresh set of Corvette Central P/N 344142 handy.
There is a right and wrong way to remove the 1994-1996 lower door panel retainers. This interior trim tool works very well for removal of the plastic push-in fasteners. Unfortunately placing the metal tool on the plastic panel can scratch the door panel plastic surface.
I prefer to place the tool under the door panel to pry the retainers out avoiding any plastic scratches. The tool is inserted until the inner V is seated against the plastic retainer and the handle is pulled outward releasing the retainer.
All C4 doors have this screw at the rear of the door near the rear hatch release switch.
The door panel is pulled upward off of the top side of the door frame. Make sure the wires and connectors are not caught as you remove the panel away from the door. You have one more connector to disconnect before taking the panel completely off. Remember the 1984-1989 door panel will have the courtesy light and door lock switch connections to disconnect before the panel is too far away from the door.
All C4s will require the removal of the rear hatch or convertible tonneau cover switch harness connector. The tab is move upward and the connector pulled apart. Now the door panel can be pulled completely off the door.
The rear upper weatherstrip 7mm hex head retaining screw is removed.
The rear outer weatherstrip 7mm hex head screw is removed next.
You need to pull the weatherstrip back enough to access the rivets, try to avoid rough handling of the fragile weatherstrip, especially if it is original. A wide blade scraper with a sharpened edge works well cutting the weatherstrip off the door. GM applied adhesive to the weatherstrip so it takes some effort to get it loose.
The front upper portion of the weatherstrip must also be removed. There are two 7mm screws holding the weatherstrip at the outer edges.
Like the rear of the door the weatherstrip is carefully pulled off the door.
Finally at the door outer seal strip rivets for removal. There are three rivets that must be drilled out with a 3/16-inch drill bit. One rivet is placed at the front and rear of the seal strip along with one close to the backside of the mirror. The piece of rubber vacuum tubing is an inexpensive drill stop to avoid going into or through the outer door skin. That outer door skin can be closer than you think.
This is an official drill stop and they are available at most hardware stores. The stop is held in place with a set screw and can be set at any depth.
The next step is to loosen the door glass anti-rattle bumper at the front with a 10mm hex head socket. Try to avoid turning the screw out too much, losing the bumper, it can be found if the screw is removed completely, it will require some extra work fishing for it inside the door with a magnet.
The rear door glass anti-rattle bumper is also loosened so the door glass can be pulled as close as possible to the inner side of the door frame. Be aware that tinting film applied to door glass can be damaged when the door glass anti-rattle bumpers are loose. The window regulator upper mount has some sharp edges that will dig into the tint film. If you have tint you may want to put some duct tape on the top side of the regulator mount area. The window regulator mounts in the center of the door with two 10mm screws.
Once the rivets are removed the seal strip should be pulled towards the inside of the door from front to rear. The idea is to release the retaining clips by pulling the strip towards you, once the clips are loosened up the strip is pulled upward.
The seal strip sometimes requires a bit of a wrestling match to coax it out of the clips. The seal strip comes out easier as one single back and upward motion, as opposed to trying to get one end up, it binds the other clips if you go that direction. To avoid paint damage placing a screwdriver on the outside edge of the door and prying upward is not recommended.
This gives you an idea of the objective each metal retainer clip must go into the oval slot in the door frame. Do not try to push the seal strip down into the oval slots until all the retaining clips are started into each oval slot. The new strips are a thing of beauty once installed properly, trying to push some of the retainers in while other are not in place will distort the metal substrate. Once the seal strip is distorted it is very difficult to make it look correct.
With the seal strip in place it is time to make sure the outer lip goes over the door edge properly. At the back end it is easy to use this plastic windshield installation tool to coax the rubber on top of the edge before the rivet is installed. Many times the same thing happens at the front end of the seal strip between the mirror and the front edge of the door, I have found that I need to pick up slightly on the seal strip before trying to get the install tool under the rubber strip. The idea is to pick it up enough to allow correct placement of the strip without pulling it out of the retainers. Forcing the tool into the rubber can cut it, using a screwdriver can hurt the paint.
Now the supplied 3/16-inch rivets are installed at the front, center and rear. Sometimes I may need to run a 3/16 inch drill bit (with the depth stop installed) into the seal strip and door frame rivet-hole if the rivet does not want to go in easily.
It is easy to loosen the anti-rattle bumpers too far and they drop into the door as I did this time. It takes a bit of dexterity to place the anti-rattle bumper into place for the 10mm hex head screw installation. You can see where the exterior paint was removed from the 10mm hex head screw we call this the witness marks. Try to place the screw back in the same position or witness mark.
The front anti-rattle bumper usually requires a finger or two in between the door frame pushing the glass away from the inside of the door, while the bumper is also pushed back into the same position it was. Same as the rear anti-rattle bumper stop place the screw in the "witness marks".
Once the rivets and anti-rattle bumpers are back in place the weatherstrips are glued back on the front and rear upper corners. You will be able to see where the factory placed the adhesive, follow those guidelines.
This is the typical 1990-1996 under door panel foam weather shield. Corvette Central has the correct fitting insulator/barrier panels to replace the often torn originals. The replacement insulator/barriers can be fitted to the 1984-1996 (some cars used a thin plastic barrier) Use part number 284084L for the left side and 284084R for the right side on all C4s. The installation of the foam barriers will help quieten the interior.
Story and photos courtesy Chris Petris


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Learn how MacUpdate Desktop can install apps on MacUpdate with the simple click of the icon. Plus, keep all your apps updated.
Top community discussions about Converter for Numbers
Is there a better alternative to Converter for Numbers?See discussion
Is Converter for Numbers really the best app in Spreadsheets category?See discussion
Will Converter for Numbers work good on macOS 10.13.4?See discussion
Converter for Numbers quickly and easily converts Numbers 1.x (iWork 2008) files to Numbers 2.x (iWork 2009), allowing you to open those older Numbers documents in the latest version of Numbers or iWork. If you try to open a important spreadsheet--maybe some personal finance calculations or a business spreadsheet--you will get the error "This spreadsheet can't be opened because it is too old". If you do not have "Converter for Numbers" you will need to install iWork '09 first. This App will save you time and money.
- Batch conversion of Numbers 08 to Numbers 09.
- Fast, easy
What's New in Converter for Numbers
Note: Now requires OS X 10.9 or later
- Added support for OS X 10.9 Mavericks
- Misc UI tweaks
- Improved conversion process
- Updated Sparkle update framework
- Fixed Keychain Access issue
Requirements for Converter for Numbers
- OS X 10.9 or later

subset: commoncrawl


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Search & Rescue 'Heroes' Announced at First IMRF International Awards Event
London, Wednesday, 16 November 2016. Stories of dedication, selflessness, innovation, courage and bravery dominated the events held in Washington D.C., USA and Lisbon, Portugal yesterday when the winners of the International Maritime Rescue Federation's (IMRF) H.E.R.O. (Honouring Excellence in Rescue Operations) Awards were announced.
The H.E.R.O. Awards have been developed in cooperation with IMRF partner Orolia/McMurdo, www.mcmurdogroup.com, a global leader of emergency readiness and response solutions, and draw attention to the life-saving work done in Search and Rescue (SAR) across the world.
The categories for the awards include team, individual, innovation and technology and the first H.E.R.O. Award for outstanding service to maritime search and rescue – 'The Vladimir Maksimov Award', sponsored by Inmarsat – a tribute to the Inmarsat former Director of SOLAS Services, who died earlier this year. In recognition of his considerable contribution to search and rescue, Vladimir also posthumously received a lifetime achievement award.


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Put a seat virtually anywhere you have need of one without having to add chairs and take up more space than is needed. This folding shower dressing area seat has a compact design that will accommodate almost any space, proving you, your employees, or your patrons a place to rest while they dress or get ready for a shower.
Standard Features
- Holds up to 500 lbs Ivory finish
- Water resistant
- Projects 15-13/16 inches from the wall
- 18 inches wide
This shower dressing area seat is constructed of durable, water resistant, ivory colored 5/16 inch thick solid phenolic which is easy to clean and resists dirt and damage. The frame and mounting brackets are type 304 stainless steel and feature a self locking mechanism for no nonsense seating positioning and extra security. This high quality shower dressing seat holds up to 500 lbs when properly installed and projects 15-13/16 inches from the wall. Use this seat anywhere feet need a break!
Folding Shower / Dressing Area Seat, compact design, seat is constructed of durable, water-resistant, ivory colored 5/16" thick solid phenolic. Frame and mounting brackets are type 304 stainless steel and feature self-locking mechanism. Supports up to 500 lb when properly installed. Seat 18" wide, projects 15-13/16" from wall. Universal / barrier-free mounting height 17 - 20" from top of seat to floor.
Bobrick B5191 SpecificationsPDF Spec Sheet
|Product Type
|Bathroom Supplies
|Shower Seat


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Health insurance has become a need of the hour and everybody is really taking it next to Life Insurance, knowing the importance of it or without knowing it!
But, What I found mostly is everyone who is working in the corporate sector are covered already by the company by a Group Mediclaim Policy by the Company itself and they are not interested in taking up another policy and they find it waste of money. Their question is why should I take the policy outside as I am already covered by my company?
The value of taking a separate mediclaim policy lies in the following factors :
(1) when you shift your company often
(2) To support all the people in your family
(3) In this era, no amount you can say is enough for your health coverage. May be you can apply for a separate mediclaim for higher coverage.
Many of the companies are now giving Health Insurance and some of the companies like Apollo DKV is giving coverage till the lifetime, which can be availed off. Some of the companies give the coverage for the maternity but some doesn't. Even if they cover for the maternity, they would have the cap of Rs. 50,000/-.
So, Its better to judge before to get the health insurance plan and its the need of the hour after the life insurance.


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Advancement of Injured Workers-disABLED, LLC - Home
Monitrice is a person of the highest integrity and would be an immediate asset to any organization, especially those that serve those in difficult or vulnerable situations.
Roland B. Smith, Jr., MPA, Ed.D.
Associate Provost,
Office of Diversity and Inclusion/Rice University
"Monitrice was absolutely fantastic .... persuasive speaker in her keynote address to the Houston Business Community. Her delivery of the message was not just on the mark but exceed my expectation. Monitrice is on the front line in the efforts to diminish the stigma for persons with disabilities in the workplace. Sharing her remarkable personal story, humbles the conscious of any audience. She is compassionate, spirit-filled and driven. Her motivation ignites others to press forward in working to break down barriers of equity and access for persons with disabilities in our community."
Claire Shynett,
MH Administration,
MHMRA of Harris County
"I've been going to various kick-offs over the years and Monitrice Malone was the best key-note speaker ever."
Tyrone Shoemaker,
Career and Recovery, Inc.
"Ms. Malone is a self-starter, mature, very thorough and able to interact and work with diverse organizations."
Dr. Elwyn C. Lee, Vice President
Community Relations and Institutional Access/University of Houston
"Having had the opportunity to work on a project with Monitrice, I can attest that she is a highly motivated, organized and efficient advocate. She possesses the type of personality that makes her the perfect choice to oversee team projects. She is a dedicated and effective leader. She has my highest recommendation."
Sean A. Jackson, Esq.,
Disabilities Rights Texas-Houston
"Monitrice was wonderful. Please invite her back again, next year!"
Worksource Solutions
"Monitrice and I being honored as American Heart Association Stroke Heroes, 2007, has provided me the opportunity to view her service as a compassionate human being with praiseworthy perseverance and ambition."
Randall Wright,
Mischer Neuroscience Associates
"I want Montirice Malone's phone number and email, so I can have her come to my organization to speak." There were no negative comments from the audience."
C.B./Gulf-Coast Community Service Organization
Missing Element:
AIWD specializes in Corporate Health Promotion programs on Occupational Risk Management; Texas Workers' Compensation, Short/Long Term Disability and Social Security Disability (SSDI).
The firm's capabilities range from comprehensive HR trainings, employee work wellness prevention, to working with institutions in creating strategic trainings, to helping developers achieve their goals.
Containing and reducing costs for employers which is relative to work related illness' and injuries is cost effective and promotes work wellness.
Comprehensive trainings are provided to Human Resources staff, employees and community based organizations on Workers' Compensation, Return to Work (RTW) and Stay at Work (SAW) and Social Security Disability (SSDI).
Workers' Compensation
What is Workers' Compensation? Workers' Compensation is a state-regulated insurance program that provides covered employees with income and medical benefits if they sustain a work-related injury or illness.
Texas private employers can choose whether or not to provide workers' compensation insurance coverage for their employees. In most cases, your employer is required to notify you whether or not they provide coverage. Workers' Compensation benefits pays your medical bills and replaces a portion of your lost wages if: you are injured at work or have a work-related illness; and your employer has workers' compensation
insurance coverage under the Texas Workers Compensation Act, Title 5, Subtitle A, Labor Cod
A Smart Investment
Why invest in Corporate Health Promotion programs? Numerous studies indicate that employees equipped with essential information improves one's work performance. In fact, AIWD can save your company costly injuries, valuable time, and can help your business comply with state and central regulations through various screenings, programs, and training. The benefits realized through these services include:
Pioneering preventive comprehensive industry trainings to corporations and community based organizations on advantageous risk-aversion and aggregate savings of cost containment related to work related illness' and injuries.
Design and develop eLearning modules using Articulate and other development tools.
Create a visually pleasing hard-copy layout and blended solutions that use common graphic / visual elements.
Effectively collaborate with subject matter experts, technical staff, project teams, and trainers to develop topical information into a final product.
Analyze content provided by the client, establish learning objectives, write test questions, assist in determining instructional strategies, and conduct media analysis.
Corporate Health Promotion programs may bring a positive return on investment. And although not as confusing as venturing into the mutual fund market, the initial development process is similar. An organization needs to ask:
What type of return on our wellness dollar investment do we expect?
What degree of investment are we willing to place on developing our "employee health" asset?
Are we willing to invest in the long or short-term based on expected returns?
Employers, understand investing in a healthy and productive workforce is a wise management decision. They rely on employee screening and occupational injury management services. This gives them a competitive business advantage and an assurance that their company's health care needs are being efficiently managed.
Employers reap another benefit – other than an assurance of healthy employees – better and lower health-care premiums.
Return to Work / Stay at Work
The timely return of injured employees to productive roles in the workforce is one of the key components of AIWD's mission. Return to work is a responsibility shared by employers, employees, health care providers, insurance carriers and TDI-DWC. The longer an employee is away from work after an injury, the harder it is for him or her to get back to work at all; and the longer an employee is away from work, the higher are the employer's workers' compensation costs and related business costs.
Effective Return to Work Practices for Employers
Employers experience lower cost, reduced lost time and eliminate possibilities for fraud and malingering by providing opportunities for their injured workers to continue to do productive work while they are recovering. Because injured workers who stay at work or who are returned to productive work, as soon as possible following an injury, require less medical care and experience less disability, workers' compensation medical costs are significantly reduced. Employees are earning wages so there are no weekly benefits being paid. In addition to reducing employer workers' compensation costs, employees do not suffer the sometimes dire financial and family consequences of unnecessary lost time and are more able to maintain their normal life style.
Workers' Compensation v. Social Security Eligibility
Workers' Compensation insurance benefits are available for injured works that have suffered a work related illness or injury which prevents them for working. The work related illness or injury will be covered if it is work related whether it is temporary or permanent in nature and whether the injury or illness results in a partial or total disability. In contrast, Social Security administration benefits would only be available to people who are dealing with a disability condition that prevents them from working at any job for a minimum of one full year or a condition that is expected to result in death.
The above topics are just a few of the essential topics presented within our trainings. No one is educated on how to effectively navigate a workers compensation claim until one is in the throws of a claim and it may too late to recover well. AIWD provides the fundamental tools to assist employees to fully attain the rights and responsibilities of Workers Compensation and how to effectively advocate for one's self, return to work and retain one's self sufficiency. AIWD is the key component when putting one's life back on course.
Allow Advancement of Injured Workers-DisABLED, LLC to provide your company the best service in the industry in providing preventive Occupational Risk Management education.
Reducing needless long term claims, retaining jobs and containing/reducing costs for employers is our bottom line.


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Military Family Board Specialist
By Kathy Allred, Utah PTA Military Family Specialist, National PTA Military Family Support Committee, email@example.com
The life of military families and children has always had challenges, foremost among them being frequent relocations and separations. Every time military families move, children have to adapt, make new friends, get used to new schools, and find new clubs and teams to join. It is hard for kids to have to rebuild their world every time and find their place in it. Having a PTA board member as a Military Family Appointee or Specialist provides a powerful opportunity to raise awareness and build support to help these children meet the unique challenges they face! It is an opportunity to recognize military children and youth for their heroism, character, courage, sacrifices and resilience.
Did you know?
- Two million military children have experienced a parental deployment since 2001.
- There are currently 1.7 million military children of active duty members worldwide.
- Nearly 80 percent of military children attend public schools throughout the United States.
- The average military family moves three times more often than their civilian counterpart.
- The repeated and extended separations and increased hazards of deployment compound stressors in military children's lives.
- One third of school-age military children show psychosocial behaviors such as being anxious, worrying often, crying more, and/or acting out.
- The U.S. military consists of approximately 1.4 million active duty service members and 810,000 National Guard and Selected Reserve. Usually Active Duty military families live on or near military installations. National Guard and Reserve families might never live near a military installation, and look within their community for educational services, friendship and support.
- A positive school environment, built upon caring relationships among all participants—students, teachers, staff, administrators, parents and community members—has been shown to impact not only academic performance but also positively influence emotions and behaviors of military connected students.
- Supporting the military child takes a school-wide and community-wide effort, and professional development opportunities to inform school staff of the academic and social-emotional challenges military children face.
Utah PTA has a Military Family Specialist and we encourage all local PTAs to have one. On our website, www.utahpta.org, under Programs then Military Families, you will find numerous ideas and resources to help all school personnel, PTA leaders and members understand, identify and recognize these military families and children. In Utah there are over 18,000 children who have one or more parents, step-parents, siblings, or extended family members on full-time duty status in the military, including members of the National Guard and Reserves on active duty. Help us to help them!
What are the challenges our Military Families face? They face frequent relocations, educational inconsistencies-different school systems, adjusting to new neighbors and communities, leaving friends and making new friends, family separations, grandparents as care givers, disability or loss of family member and many other challenges.
What can PTA do? Communicate with military families, educate the community, advocate eliminating nation-wide educational inconsistencies, and being a source of information and support.
How do we reach and include them? Identify them, and find out who they are. Invite them, welcome them, and ask them to participate. Inform them of events and programs and communicate with them. Involve them, because volunteering is what they do. Include them, because no job is too small to use their skills.
How does PTA benefit Military Families? PTA supports them by reaching out to them. PTA sustains them by being there for them. PTA leaders and members recognize and honor their sacrifice and acknowledge their service.
Ideas to Celebrate and Recognize Military Families and Children
- Have a patriotic program in a School Assembly (See Planning Assembly on website: www.utahpta.org) and wear a camouflage ribbon or article of clothing on Assembly Day, or on Veteran's Day, President's Day or any patriotic day.
- Have the students wear red, white and blue to school and have each child describe what each color means to them. Then discuss the real meaning of the colors.
- Have students create artwork that promotes patriotism and display it in the classroom and/or school. This could be done anytime during the school year but throughout November, Military Family Month or April, the Month of the Military Child, or around any patriotic holiday it would be especially meaningful.
- Encourage the reading of the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution of the United States.
- Present a patriotic play or story in class prior to Armed Forces Day, Veteran's Day, Flag Day or Memorial Day.
- Have a "Take Your Veteran to School Day" (See ideas on website: www.utahpta.org) Suggest veteran wear his/her military uniform to the assembly, or a program or to the child's classroom. The child could introduce him/her.
- Have students write a paper on "Serving our Nation" by interviewing a former or current member of the military.
- Sing a patriotic song, or learn a dance or memorize a patriotic poem as a class.
- Have students write a paragraph, poem or short story about, "Why I am Grateful to Those in Military Service".
- Invite a student's military family member to the class to explain what their military service meant/means to them.
- Have the students write a letter, as a class or individually, to a soldier. (Mailing addresses can be provided)
Celebrate Patriotic holidays and/or Military Family Month in November and Month of the Military Child in April (See ideas, planning timelines and suggested patriotic program on website: www.utahpta.org)
National PTA Supports our Military Families by creating and continuing The National PTA® Military Alliance for Parents and Partners. This is a group of organizations that work together to provide resources to and advocate for military-connected families. MAPP develops collaborative strategy to create awareness of military families and their needs. National PTA has a Military Family Support Committee. Along with MAPP, it serves military families and PTA by providing and developing resources that will help and support them.
The participants include: AUSA: Association of the United States Army, DoDEA: U.S. Department of Defense Education Activity, MCEC: Military Children Education Coalition, MISA: Military Impacted Schools Association, and the NMFA: National Military Family Association
Resources on the Internet: Utah PTA: www.utahpta.org, National PTA: www.pta.org, Military Children Education Coalition: www.militarychild.org , National Military Family Association: www.militaryfamily.org, Military Impacted Schools Association: www.militaryimpactedschoolsassociation.org., U.S. Department of Defense Education Activity: www.dodea.edu.org.


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The North Face released an inspiring short video on YouTube last week called "The Explorer." It masterfully combines short video clips and excerpts from an interview with Dr. Buzz Aldrin, who set foot on the moon in July 1969. I don't believe it is possible to watch this and not want to get up and explore the world – so watch it! You can spare 2 minutes and 18 seconds out of your day. And if you can't, well then you need to.
Never Stop Exploring


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The holidays bring extra-complicated emotions to the Women's Center & Shelter of Greater Pittsburgh, so all the more reason to be festive. On this night freshly wrapped gifts are tucked underneath a large Christmas tree, and the spicy smell of barbecue wafts in the warm air coming from the kitchen as "White Christmas" plays softly from small stereo speakers.
The 17 women and 13 children are here because they were considered to be in immediate danger. They are safe for now and that is to be celebrated. But they are also scarred, separated from families and friends at the time when they need them most. The shelter can comfortably take about 40 survivors at a time, which employees know is not enough. Last year they had to turn away 700 people, ushering them to similar facilities across the region.
Victims stay until the shelter can find an affordable landing spot for them, usually 45 to 60 days. The names change often, and the hope is the transiency of the population means more lives are being changed for the better.
"Hey ladies! Will's here!" yells a staff member.
This night should be special. Steelers cornerback William Gay is here to serve his annual holiday dinner. He likes that each time he visits the shelter, he is greeted by new faces carrying untold stories of bravery.
"Every time I go," Gay said, "it's like a new beginning."
Barbara Nicholas, the shelter's development director, introduces him. She wants the victims to understand that Gay is not just some NFL player who happened to take up domestic violence as his issue now that it has become the league's hot-button topic in the aftermath of the Ray Rice incident. Gay has been helping the shelter since 2009, she says.
"I don't know if you know my story," Gay says, "but my mom passed away from domestic violence. So to see ya'll get out of situations, I call ya'll heroes. My mom, unfortunately, she couldn't get out of the situation. She lost her life to it. For you guys to bring your kids here, it's just tremendous.
"Want to come bless the food with me?"
What the women and children don't know is Gay needs this time with them every bit as much as they do. For nearly two decades after he lost his mother as a 7-year-old, he felt that if he just kept the pain inside long enough it would finally disappear. Instead it became part of his inner lining, affecting his everyday interactions in a world of happy parents and children that he simply could not comprehend.
"Bow your heads," he asks. "Dear Lord, we just want to thank you for another blessed day. … We ask you to lift these women up, and their families, and everybody who helps out with the Women's Center & Shelter …"
For those like Nicholas who fight against domestic violence every day, one of the constant challenges is finding victims to step forward and into the spotlight. Real-life examples are needed to put an end to the shame survivors live with and show them they aren't alone. That Gay, with his Steelers celebrity, has done public service announcements for the shelter, been the spokesperson for its new "RU Safe?" mobile app and traveled the country doing speaking engagements has been more than Nicholas could have ever expected.
When he first expressed interest in learning more about the shelter, neither Nicholas nor Steelers community relations manager Michele Rosenthal knew what had happened to his mother. He had said he just wanted to eat dinner with the victims and get a sense of the place, but once he began hearing their stories, something came over him. His words poured out and they haven't stopped since.
After all those years, William Gay was free. But if he was going to start telling his story, it was time to find out the truth.
He had never asked questions. His mother was there for him one day and then she wasn't. What did the details matter? William Gay had bought into a message given by the elders in his family that was meant to help a young boy put one foot in front of the other: The world was not fair and nobody was going to feel sorry for him.
Now he was coming for answers. Gay returned to Tallahassee, Florida, after his first visit to the shelter, and sought out his uncles and his grandmother, Corine Hall, who had raised him.
He did not remember more than the basics about his mother. They didn't have much, but Carolyn Hall Bryant worked to give him and his brothers the things they wanted. She asked them to be good citizens. But the specifics were murky. By not talking about her, year after year, her image had become blurry, her voice faint. Gay was there to bring her back to life.
"When I went home, that's all I wanted to know about," he said. "What happened, why did it happen, where were we when it happened …"
Carolyn had three sons with three men, and she had recently married Vernon Bryant, the father of her third boy, Verterris. At age 30, she had an office job working for the state of Florida, and she had just given her life over to God.
Her relationship with her new husband was far from perfect.
For the adults, that was easy to see. They would sometimes become heated around family but not the kids. One uncle told Gay that he knew Carolyn and Vernon were having issues but they always had viewed Carolyn as tough, able to handle anything that came her way. So he stayed out of it.
That was one thing Gay kept hearing: Nobody felt it was any of their business – a tired refrain in domestic violence cases.
March 14, 1992, was a sunny Saturday. Carolyn dropped the boys off at their grandmother's house and walked down the street to visit a friend. She was considering leaving Vernon and he wasn't taking it well. He tracked her down at her friend's house, and she came outside to talk to him.
Minutes later the friend was running frantically down the street to Corine's house. Carolyn's brother, Ronald "Gene" Hall, was there with the boys. The friend told Gene that Vernon had shot Carolyn and then turned the gun on himself. When Gene reached her, Carolyn was laying on the driveway, bleeding onto the concrete.
Gene held his little sister and tried to keep her from moving. She was breathing so there was still hope. He stayed with her in the ambulance and into the hospital. The outlook wasn't good; she had been shot five times.
Family took William and his brothers to the hospital. This was the part of the story that he could always remember. The boys wanted to see their mother but they were told that they couldn't. They didn't understand why.
"After that they told me that my mother passed away," Gay said. "I thought life was over."
Corine Hall's husband died when Carolyn, the youngest of their five children, was just a toddler. Corine was a housekeeper by day, a stretched-thin mother by night, and Carolyn had gotten her best. Now her baby was gone but there was no time to wallow, not with Carolyn's three sons she had left behind living under the cloud of an uncertain future.
What were they going to do with Unrikay Hall, 13, William Gay, 7, and Verterris Bryant, 3?
They talked about splitting them up among family members, but Corine decided she would take all three into her home.
This would be no side job for a woman in her 50s. The boys were angry and confused.
"My grandmother couldn't control us," Gay said. "I was just enraged, not caring about nothing."
To give herself and the boys a chance, Corine moved out of Tallahassee's South Side project. They stuffed nine people into a small four-bedroom home, where William's temper didn't subside. He had been taught to swallow his grief and there was no telling when it would rear its ugly head. In junior high, school officials lost patience with his constant fighting and threatened expulsion.
His Uncle Gene told William that if he didn't start behaving, he was going to end up dead or in jail. But what really stuck with William?
"You won't play football anymore," Uncle Gene had threatened.
No football? The game was the one thing that had brought him joy and a sense of belonging. When he did something good on the field, people cheered for him. William was not going to let that be taken from him, too.
He stayed out of trouble, and became a star quarterback and defensive back at Tallahassee's Rickards High. When he would make a big play, he would point to the sky. Those were moments shared between just him and his mother.
William, at 5-foot-10, wasn't going to make the recruiting list for hometown Florida State. So he and six of his teammates compiled a video of their highlights on their own and sent copies of it across the country. William's tape jumped out and he accepted a scholarship to the University of Louisville.
There, away from home for the first time, he was on fast forward.
The Cardinals planned to redshirt him as a freshman because of his size, but they couldn't keep him off the field. He would become one of the best players in the Big East Conference, and would graduate with a degree in sports administration in just 31/2 years.
Still, though, Gay hadn't fully proven himself. He was not invited to the NFL Scouting Combine or any senior all-star games. He worked out at Louisville's on-campus pro day, and his agent told him he'd likely be a high-priority undrafted free agent.
"To be honest with you, I didn't really think about the NFL," Gay said. "Yeah, that was a dream when I was young. But when I got to school, I knew a degree would bring a lot of opportunities. I was ready to go back home and work, get into coaching."
On draft day in 2007, there was no big gathering. Gay was half-watching at his grandmother's house when his phone started buzzing and his name scrolled on the bottom of the screen: The Pittsburgh Steelers had taken him in the fifth round.
Hours later, Corine's backyard was packed with family, and the meat was on the grill. Fifteen years after her death shattered him, Carolyn's middle son was headed for the NFL.
William Gay was at home on Sept. 8 when he saw the video of Baltimore Ravens running back Ray Rice striking his fiancee with his fist in the elevator of an Atlantic City, New Jersey, casino.
"I was very shocked," Gay said. "You never see it coming."
That day, when Gay arrived at the Steelers' facility, he was approached by team officials who warned him that reporters would be wanting to talk to him about Rice. Gay had come a long way since he first told his story publicly five years ago, and he assured them that he was ready for it. He knew one thing: He wasn't going to villainize Rice.
"Someone could have died, that's all," Gay said then. "That's how I feel about the situation, so we need to do everything we can to help Ray Rice. Because we don't need to run away from him and say he's evil. It's an issue, we need to deal with it, and we need to help Ray Rice and his (wife) to be better from it."
Now that domestic violence is being more freely discussed, Gay has been able to step forward as a leader. His face was featured in several NFL public service announcements with the theme "No More," and, on Oct. 26, he wore purple cleats – the color for the cause of domestic violence – during the Steelers' win over the Colts. He has received attention for pointing to his mother in the sky after his franchise-record three interceptions returned for touchdowns.
In November, the Steelers named Gay their Walter Payton Man of the Year, which nominates him for the league-wide award, given to players who best serve their communities. During his bye week, he returned to Tallahassee to hand out turkeys and Thanksgiving fixings to 500 local families. The bill was $16,000.
That day, as he and his family manned the assembly line, Corine Hall, now 84, looked on from the community center's bleachers. She said watching him do that for others makes her happy.
About a year ago, Gay bought her a new house, which quickly became the family meeting place. These days, when he and his brothers get together, they can talk about what happened to their mother. Sometimes it gets emotional but at least everything is out in the open.
"To see William, his success, it helps all of us," his Uncle Gene said. "You get some of the effects of it."
The Women's Center & Shelter of Greater Pittsburgh is benefiting, too. At Gay's holiday dinner, he moved around to speak with the women and play with the kids, each of whom received a few presents he provided. He and two teammates who joined him, fellow defensive backs Will Allen and Cortez Allen, stayed to sign autographs.
Sure, Gay would have been OK without the NFL. But he knows it gave him this opportunity.
"Maybe it was for this reason," he said. "I was never the guy to want to stand in front of the camera and get all the praise for coming up in domestic violence because I didn't live it. My mom did. So that's what I'm using that platform for, to keep her voice alive."
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Brandon is now working on two restorations. First off is this very interesting owl nutcracker.
This piece has a couple of issues that need to be addressed. First the feather tufts on the head have been broken off in a curious manner and they need to be added. Also, the beak needs to be repaired as well as the stump it is perched upon. When all of that is completed it will need to stained and finished to its former glory.
The next restoration, is this jolly fellow….
He had an old repair that needed to be redone. His hat had been glued on and not in the right position.
The hat also is missing the very tip of it and will need to be replaced. The rim of the hat in the front is also chipped and will need to be repaired also.
In other news, Brandon's original design Seahorse Figural Nutcracker has been sold. It now will make it's home at the Leavenworth Nutcracker Museum. It definitely will not be lonely there!
It was sad to see it leave but I have my order already put in for one like it!
Check back soon for more updates and also check out our Facebook page.
Tags: Figural Nutcrackers, Figural Seahorse Nutcracker, Leavenworth Nutcracker Museum, Nutcracker Restoration, Wood Carving


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Here is an advent house my mother in law got us a few years ago and Charley's doggie advent calendar! He got his first treat today!
My little reindeer!
Advent Wreaths
Simple rustic advent wreath from Little Scandinavian
Pinecone, bar and acorn wreath from Danish site Madogbolig
Advent wreath in topiary form from Madogbolig
Beautiful wildflower advent wreath from Hegegreenall-Scholtz
Advent Houses & Calendars
Insanely beautiful wooden Christmas truck advent calendar from Neiman Marcus
Gnome Santa advent calendar with little boxes that can be filled with gifts from Ikea
Paper 3D Gingerbread House Advent Calendar from German Steins
A few photos of some advent calendars I saw in Germany:
I brought this advent calendar back from Germany and happened to find it online. This is hanging in my office at work. This one is not filled with candy, but images. I happened to come across this online in the US at Blueberry Forest
Large Santa hanging advent calendar
For the gents in your life, this was a large and heavy advent calendar filled with beer!
My mom's hometown, Iserlohn is celebrating its 775 year anniversary and the local confectionery store Spetsmann founded in 1939 designed this specialty advent calendar filled with truffles.


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The recent Live 8 concerts and efforts on behalf of rock stars to help make poverty history begs the question: Has the Church abdicated its most important ministry to musicians? Justice and charity are intertwined all over Scripture and are the personification of God's mercy to the world. The Church throughout history has reinvigorated and redirected not only its own energies, but also political and social will to help alleviate the poverty in the world. But with 50,000 people dying each day in Africa because of horrendous disease and malnutrition it seems we have become too focused on self, the pleasures of this world, and "naming and claiming" our own blessings to worry about the suffering around us.
The wealth of the earth is for all the people of the earth and not for the private use of a few. Our responsibility to the poor must extend beyond the occasional alms giving, because in actuality, the poor have a moral claim on everything that sits idle in our possession. John Chrysostom says that not to share our possessions is nothing less than theft. "The bread you keep belongs to the hungry; the coat you store in your closet belongs to the naked man; the shoes sitting in your house belong to those who are barefooted; the money you keep hidden belongs to the needy. Thus, you are committing as many injustices as there are people to whom you can give."
The Church too, if she is to be a true witness to the world and demonstrate true koinonia to the world needs to return to the apostolic tradition of sharing wealth collectively, transparently and discerningly. The Church herself is but a trustee of all that God has entrusted to her. Perhaps, we need to spend less adorning icons of Christ and more on tending to Christ who lays in abject squalor "despised...wounded...and oppressed" (Is 53:3-8) because of disease, famine and war. We can no longer be satisfied with the crumbs we offer as an appeasement of our collective conscience. Theology, says historian Demetrios Constantelos, "exists for the ministry of the Church, and the ministry of the Church exists for society and the world." Christian charity and justice is how we demonstrate God's love to the world. A worldly Church cannot reach the world. Basil the Great, the original "rock star" philanthropist warns us that
If you have not been merciful, you will not receive mercy; if you have not opened your house to the poor, you will be locked out of the Kingdom of Heaven; if you have refused bread to the hungry, you will be deprived of eternal life.
The contemporary Christian lacks the demonstrable power of God because we have become indistinguishable from the non-Christian. Blinded by the materialistic and hedonistic pleasures of the world it's no wonder we have little to say to contemporary culture. We are trying to do what Christ said cannot be done: serve God and Money. Jesus' message to us is to give up any claims to the wealth of this world. To give, and give generously is the only way we can begin the process of de-deifying money. That means we give and help to the point that it affects our lifestyle. Peter in his desire to cling to this life told Jesus to "depart from me" (Lk 5:1-11). Either Peter leaves everything and follows Jesus or Jesus leaves Peter. In our world of consumerism and material comfort either we "follow" Him and leave our predictable, quiet, settled life to feed the hungry and clothe the naked or He departs from us.
Live 8's message was one of justice, not charity. The Christian message is that there is no justice without charity, because the essence of Christianity, says Chrysostom, is the seeking of the common good. "For nothing can so make a man an imitator of Christ as caring for his neighbors. Indeed, even though you fast, or sleep on hard ground, or even suffer unto death, but should you take no thought for your neighbor, you have done nothing great; despite what you have done, you still stand far from this model of a perfect Christian."
John Kapsalis has an M.T.S from Holy Cross Greek Orthodox School of Theology.


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Saturday, January 3, 2009
Warping with a Paddle
6 comments:
- Susan said...
Why not use black or a dark charcoal grey for the winter weft? It would really make the copper/ honey colours pop !
I have a paddle too but have yet to try it out. You may have just given me the shove I needed!
:) Susan
- January 3, 2009 at 12:53 PM
- Alpaca Granny said...
I love the silver, gold, and maybe white or gray for winter.
I so admire your weaving. I have a nice 4 harness, but have only warped it up once and produced a lovely alpaca pillow. I would probably pay someone to warp for me.
- January 3, 2009 at 1:14 PM
No suggestions, just drooling over those lovely colours! Actually, scrap that, I do have a suggestion, what about a deep red or a holly green for winter? (I'm still feeling just a little bit Christmassy)
- January 3, 2009 at 5:36 PM
- bspinner said...
Lovely colors!!! I like white (snow) gray (gray sky) for winter.
- January 6, 2009 at 10:56 AM
- skiingweaver said...
Gorgeous colors! Can't wait to see the scarves. :) I've never used a paddle, you're making me think I should give it a try!
- January 7, 2009 at 10:09 AM
- Jane said...
Oh shoot -- I was thinking a pale, icy blue, silver metalic, and white -- until I read that Cals said Holly colors (which I love!).
Our home has a leaf theme that runs through it, from our doorbell, which is a pewter leaf, our artwork, etc. We love the change of the seasons and leaves really are the harbingers.
Your color choices are just striking and I'm just so anxious to see them all put together.
I've never used a paddle before, and would love it if you'd post a tutorial. :)
Weave like an Egyptian,
- January 9, 2009 at 8:57 PM


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|I Wish
|My friend who can reach out and touch quite happily to 800 yards
|My other friend. The McCulloch woodchipper
- Cut his throat.
- flush the bastard's remains down the toilet.
- Feed the resultant meaty mush to the cat or dog of the house (Don't be worried about the cats and dogs. They both like rat.
- Use the mush to reinforce the compost in the bins
- Make into pies and start a franchise for pie making for the prisons of Aoteroa (scum to scum; who cares?)
- Methanol.
- Pyridine. (Ask the ladies to do this, as this powerful mutagenic will not only completely and absolutely degrade any DNA evidence, it also has the propensity to rot the balls of any males within 100 metres.) A measure of DiMethyl Sulphoxide will remove the final base pairs.
- Bleach (Hypochlorite 20 % w/v) as the final eradicator of most biologicals.
- Wind Farm
- A prospective site for a nuclear power station
- A projected route from the Kapiti Coast to Wellington.
And remember. DON'T SAY A F*CKING WORD. The police and the prosecution will find it very difficult to make any sort of case in the face of absolute silence.
Whatactually happened was:
- Cut his throat.
- Chop him into little pieces (the McCulloch petrol driven woodchipper is perfect for the job) and either ...


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lundi 7 juillet 2014
Chez nous and a little Royal treat...
We are back home at the chateau, the garden went wild within one week and it is as if the marsh thought we had gone and decided to undertake a repossession of the land!
Provence was simply divine and I almost didn`t want to come home! I saw lots of dealers I hadn`t seen for 20 or so years, funny how they all seemed so much older. I myself am the same....well it feels that way at least and the secret is not to look in the mirror!
Isle sur Sorgue was filled to the brim with top American dealers rushing around with their shipping stickers trying to secure the best pieces.
It was nice to be able to relax and simply saunter around taking it all in. Years ago I would have been in with the fight and running around like a woman possessed.
We sat for a lazy lunch under some vines and a couple with clip boards, lists and maps on the next table said " I think we recognise you...didn`t you used to be Simply-Chateau?".........what do they mean? " used to be" .... Indeed!!!
We left Sorgue to the dealers and shippers and frantic bartering and headed for the hills. With the tiny hidden brocantes and markets the car was soon filled to bursting with treasures.
I met a wonderful man who had been at the clearance of an old perfume factory in Grasse that had been closed down on the early 1920s. He had unused perfume and soap labels to die for and of course I have brought a selection home to list. He also had some of the most adorable 1920s perfume bottles too - all unused and they will be listed soon.
This tiny shop was right on a mountain top. I decided I would open my own brocante behind that faded blue facade and live above!
And then I considered that petite village is silent from October to May and decided I really didn`t fancy being snowed in at the top of a mountain unable to get to the brocantes. But we did find this wonderful boy who might be able to dig us out of the snow.
On the way back down we bought freshly cut lavender from the fields and were almost overcome as the perfume filled the car.
After a week of truffling the car was soon packed to bursting and I have some divine treasures.
I met a Belgian dealer who had on his van some drapes that had come from Le Palais Royal de Bruxelles. Amazing velvet tassel trimmed confections that are simply huge and delicieux. He wasn`t having much luck selling heavy thick velvet in that scorching heat. That was until I came along! I have to find somewhere tall enough to hang them for the photographs as they are at least 15 feet. Now if curtains could talk I wonder what tales they could tell.
Sorting out the new truffling batch as we speak and my new listings will be starting tonight.
Of course....the swan came home and I just have to find a name for him.
A la prochaine mes belles
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PicasaWeb Slideshow
This year is going to be AWESOME! On the 50 and 100 mile ride, the Uncas Farm rest-stop has been revitalized by Sheepscot General at Uncas Farm, a new local foods store and art gallery. Plus, Morning Dew Farm will join us at the Morris Farm with a special farm stand for all riders to enjoy during the amazing local foods BBQ.
This year's BBQ will feature produce and meats from Goranson's Farm, Morning Dew Organic, Allen-Dee Registered Holsteins, Field's Fields, Caldwell Beef and more!
Locally grown seasonal food prepared with love from scratch and in small batches . . . naturally the best ride food in Maine!
Rest-stops along the way are at local farms and other points of interest. Riders' farm-stand purchases will be carried back to the Morris Farm by our friends, the Merrymeeting Amateur Radio Club, who also provide safety and security services throughout the ride. Rest-stops are stocked with complimentary water, sports drinks, bagels and peanut butter, snack bars and fruit provided by Rising Tide Food Market of Damariscotta. All Tour de Farms proceeds help the Morris Farm promote the values of sustainable agriculture and stewardship of the earth.
Registration and Start Times
100 mile - registration/check-in at 7am, gather in parking lot at 7:20am, depart at 7:30am
50 mile - registration/check-in at 9am, gather in parking lot at 9:20am, depart at 9:30am
20 mile - registration/check-in at 11am, gather in parking lot at 11:20am, depart at 11:30am
Thanks to our Sponsors and partners for helping to make the Tour De Farms XIII happen:
Merrymeeting Amateur Radio Club
Rest Stops
Nobleboro General Store
ARCHIVE > Plant Sale 2012 >


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Of the 9 tallest skyscrapers due to be completed in the next 12 months worldwide, Russia's Vostok Tower is due to up the ante of Europe's tallest building, usurping the title from the nearby Mercury City Tower and the OKO building. The Federation Tower is a large complex of skyscrapers (some completed, some still in progress) built on the 13th lot of the Moscow International Business Center. Ground was broken in 2003, but due to extenuating circumstances and financing, construction stopped. Construction began again in 2011, and the last and tallest tower, The Vostok Tower is due to be completed in 2016.
The building features contain offices in addition to hotel suites and apartment suites, and the plans include "sky-bridges" between the towers that will also house eateries and cafes. There will also be the highest digital clock in the world on the outside of the building. The Federation Tower complex has been used by thrill-seeking climbers and base jumpers for adventure sports. There have been several TV shows, movies, and adverts that have used the building as a location for shooting. The designs have undergone some significant changes from the initiation of construction. According to the builder of the tower it uses concrete grade B90 for its construction, which they say is twice as strong as regular concrete and will allow the skyscraper to withstand a direct hit of an aircraft. It will be 373-metres high, and is designed as a collaboration between Peter Schweger of Schweger Associated Architects and Sergei Tchoban of NPS Tchoban Voss.
Other buildings on the tallest skyscrapers of 2016 include:
1. Ping An Finance Center, China, by Kohn Pedersen Fox will take the title of World's Tallest Building from One World Trade Center in New York, NY.
2. Goldin Finance 117, China, by P&T Group is set to complete this year in Tianjin, and replaced the planned fin-shape with a faceted glass facade.
3. Lotte World Tower, Korea, by Kohn Pedersen Fox hit a hiccup around sinkholes appeared around the base, but is on track for completion in 2016.
4. CTF Finance Center, China, by Kohn Pedersen Fox will overlook the Pearl River.
5. Wuhan Center Tower, China, by ECADI is designed with curved walls which are meant to evoke the imagery of a ship's sails.
6. Marina 101, UAE, by National Engineering Bureau will hold the Middle East's first Hard Rock Hotel.
7. Eton Place Dalian Tower 1, China, by NBBJ is four years overdue for completion.
The eighth place is the aforementioned Vostok Tower, Russia, by NPS Tchoban Voss and Schweger Associated Architects
9. Dalian International Trade Center, China, by Dalian Architectural Design & Research Institute has a rectilinear glass form with chamfered corners.


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Active Directory Operational Testing
One of the things I've been working on lately is some kind of operational testing for Active Directory. It's such a reliable product that as Administrators we tend to neglect it. Then Irwin Strachan came up with his Active Directory tests using Pester, and this was the first time I'd seen Pester used in something other than code testing and it really got the mind turning. So when we started getting really serious about monthly capacity planning at athena health then I wanted to do this kind of testing for our Active Directory.
Calculating the Quarter
Quick post since it's been awhile since I've done anything. I've mentioned before but I do a lot of reports, and I recently got one to do some calculations for 95th percentile–well, kind of. The funny thing was the person who asked me was supposed to be making a solution themselves, kind of homework from the boss but they didn't mention it to me and I thought it would be a fun challenge so I went and wrote up a script that could do it, parameters and everything. Oops! Anyway, when done they loved the report so I streamlined it from taking 10 minutes to run to about 1 or 2 (all in SQL, no PowerShell) and thought I was done with it. Then came the ask, not only do they want that data for the month, they want it for the whole quarter! So now I had to figure out which quarter I was in and what the date range for that would be. Yeah, I could put it in by hand, but there's no challenge in that.
First came a Google to see if someone could do it in a one liner, and sure enough Vinoth over at StackOverflow had some great maths for that. Now calculate the dates and the easiest way was to simply create a little loop 1 through 4 and calculate my dates:
First use Get-Date to get the January 1st, then loop 4 times adding 3 months each time to get the date ranges. Now to get a date range for the current quarter? $Quarters[$Quarter].
Simple Day to Day Administration
Been so long since my last update! Why haven't I posted more? Well, for one I'm usually so tired from coming home from work I just don't have any extra energy for PowerShelling. Another factor has been there are so many people doing so many interesting things I just couldn't find anything that someone else wasn't already doing much better than I am. The last bit is having an interesting project to talk about. I've been doing a lot of things at work, but it had to do with Windows cluster node moves, SQL Availability Group moves and so on. But ultimately the scripts become pretty specific to athena so it's difficult to translate for general use.
I think I finally have something interesting, though, with Get-SAUser so read on!
PSNetScaler Module
I've been working a lot lately on our load balancer, a Citrix NetScaler 7500 to be specific. Since we upgraded the to version 10.5 (and got rid of that crappy Java interface) the web experience is actually pretty pleasant and I do most of my work there. If I have a lot of changes I occasionally drop into the CLI, but mostly I'm on the web interface. That said, I love me some PowerShell and I thought wouldn't it be amazing to have some PowerShell cmdlets? Read on to see how the PSNetScaler module was born.
A Practical Guide to GitHub for the PowerShell Scripter
When I first started dipping my fingers into the GitHub pool, it was because I really felt there was a need. Version control was becoming an issue and having to re-write code I'd already perfected because of a glitch somewhere on the way–translation: accidentally deleting the wrong file–was something that just had to be addressed. And, I think like a lot of PowerShell scripters, I soon started asking questions like: WTF is this? What is going on? Who came up with this crap? I'm no expert, but read on if you're interested in learning how to use PowerShell and GitHub together.
Announcing the PS.SQL Module
I've been doing a ton of work with SQL and PowerShell over the last year and a half and have come up with some pretty good tools to help me along the way. We even built a module out of them at work and use it in a dozen or more scripts every day, when it finally occurred to me that my readers might like to use them too. And the PS.SQL Module was born.
Count Unique OS's Per vCenter
Saw a fun little challenge from The Ginger Ninja, here. The idea was to use PowerCLI and find out how many unique OS's you have on your Virtual Center server. Of course, this requires you have a VMware environment, so for the rest of you–sorry!
Accommodate or Dictate Your Scripts
I've been thinking a lot about this lately. What, you ask? How to approach writing a script or advanced function. Most of the time I've always in the accommodate world, where I try to imagine every scenario that might happen and account for that in my script. But is this the right approach? Should I instead simply dictate that this is how you use the script? A lot of people do it (VMware requires Connect-VIServer before you do anything). Should I start doing the same?
Updated SQL Queries
Awhile back I wrote the Invoke-SQLQuery script, it's a light-weight easy way to query a SQL database and get data back. It's primary appeal over just using Invoke-SQLCMD was there is no need to install anything, just run the script, get your data and go. Easy, peesy. Now it's time for a big update in capability.
Transcript Logging – Why you should do it
I'd been writing PowerShell scripts for a couple of years before I came to athena health, and had a pretty good feel for how I liked to do things. I knew about Transcript logging, but it was so inelegant. Most of the time it didn't capture much anyway because I really do believe in running clean scripts. A good script shouldn't have any problems, just run and not really return any feedback. Especially if it's running as a scheduled task–no one's there to read it anyway! And that's the rub, if you're not there to see what went wrong, how do you troubleshoot it? Logging, of course!


text: Studio 817 is Sacramento's newest and most stylish wedding and event venue. Conveniently located on 16th Street, situated just across the street from the Governor's Mansion, in midtown Sacramento, Studio 817 is the perfect event location. Inside you will find that every nook is filled with the perfect mix of vintage and modern decor, exquisite lighting and loads of urban chic character, which is all available to you for your event.


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Get the proper nutrition between meals. It's just as important as the chicken and rice you're scarfing down at dinner.
While getting a healthy array of body-friendly food at crucial mealtimes – breakfast, lunch and dinner – should be the cornerstone of your overall nutritional approach, it is the in-between times that can often make or break your physique. If you're chained to a desk all day, for example, you may find it difficult to keep on track with your food intake. As a result, your energy and metabolism come to a screeching halt, leaving you staring blankly at a computer screen and slowly widening at the hips. Getting the right snacks at the right times could make all the difference in how much progress you're able to make. Follow these guidelines for healthier snacking during the day.
When: This is a meal that's not tied to a particular activity (for instance, working out) or time. It can be eaten whenever you're not noshing on one of the other, more specific snacks. And on nonworkout days when you won't be burning as many calories, eat one anytime snack and cut the pre- and postworkout snacks.
What: It provides sufficient protein, slow-digesting carbs and healthy fats to keep your metabolism humming and your insulin levels and attention span steady.
How much: Eat 20-30 grams of protein, 20-30 grams of slow-digesting carbs and about 10 grams of healthy fats.
- 1 oz. raisins
- 1 oz. roasted pumpkin seeds (pepitas)
- 1 oz. beef jerky
Combine the raisins and seeds to make a trail mix; chop the jerky and add it for a salty kick or eat it separately.
Nutrition Facts: 293 calories, 19 g protein, 30 g carbs, 13 g fat
- 2 oz. sliced deli turkey breast
- 1 stick light string cheese
- 5 whole-wheat crackers (such as Akmak)
How you eat this snack is up to you: Make mini-sandwiches, peel the cheese apart and roll it up in the turkey slices, or eat all three components separately.
Nutrition Facts: 228 calories, 22 g protein, 21 g carbs, 4.5 g fat
- 1 cup boiled, shelled edamame (soybeans)
Edamame is super-simple: Boil unshelled edamame in salted or unsalted water for 10 minutes, then cool and peel away the shell before eating or bagging for later.
Nutrition Facts: 254 calories, 22 g protein, 20 g carbs, 12 g fat
Source: http://www.muscleandfitness.com


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I finished my quilt for the Craft Hope // Security Blankets drive. Good thing, too, since it's due on Wednesday. It felt SO good to get it in the box (had to do the old sit-on-the-suitcase maneuver, though!), and take it to the post office and see it on its way.
I've been working on this quilt for about a month. Not a record time for anyone, but since I can only work on it, really, after the girls are in bed, it has taken me a while. I remember hearing about the Craft Hope drive the first week of May, buying my fat quarters around the 11th or 12th of May, and then really hitting it hard after that. I quilted it Memorial Day weekend, and bound it this last week. I washed it last night, took pictures this morning, and then took it to the post office.
It's gone. I don't know its future. I know it's going to New Jersey, and will then make it down to a charity in Alabama, but from there, I do not know.
I don't know anything about the family that will get it, what happened to their property when the tornado hit, or what devastation they have been through since that awful day in April. I don't know if they believe in God now, or whether the tornado had anything to do with that. I can imagine that for some, their faith was quite shaken after the dust settled. But I can only hope that more people came to know that God was with them as they huddled together as a family, unsure of the future.
So many people lost so much. So many lost everything. And even what was left had to be destroyed because it was so far beyond repair. And yet they have hope. Beautiful, enduring, peace-giving HOPE. And the knowledge that they are not alone, that they will be cared for, and their needs will be met. As I was working on this quilt, I prayed that the family receiving it will have all their needs me, and will know that God is with them.
And as I worked on this quilt, I knew I would have to send it off before our next Modern Quilt Guild meeting. Kristen stopped by the LQS as I finished quilting it, so she got to see it (sorta/kinda) as I was taking it off the long arm. My neighbor saw it when I brought it home that day. You've all seen it in pictures on the blog. But that's it. That's IT!!
I've spent
But as I was finishing the binding, I felt God saying that this isn't about me. I didn't do this for the glory. I didn't do this so people would tell me wonderful things. I didn't do this to feed my pride.
I made this quilt for a family who lost everything. I made this quilt for a mother who doesn't have anything to wrap around herself as she thinks about how she will rebuild her life. I made this quilt for a young couple who don't have anything to cuddle under and remember that they can get through this together. I made it for a couple of kids who don't have a big enough blanket to make a fort. I made it so they would know they are not alone.
So, rather than have this quilt here where people can admire it, it is on its way to its new home...where people can admire it. Right where it belongs. And I've put my pride away. Right where it belongs. :o)


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Centrepoint is one of the few homegrown fashion retailers in the region that has effectively used the strength of its digital muscle and engaged with new media to create innovative marketing campaigns that have both engaged its audience and elevated the brand in the mind of its customers. The regional big wig's creative efforts have been rewarded at the recent award ceremonies that bestowed Centrepoint with the highest awards for its innovatively executed marketing campaigns and retail prowess.
The region's largest family fashion retailer received multiple awards for the clutter-breaking advertising of its latest Sale campaign at the globally celebrated 16th Annual Cristal Festival that took place earlier this month at Courchevel in France. It bagged nine Cristals, including three Gold, at the festival that is considered one of the biggest advertising events in the world. The regional retailer won under the categories of Film and Film Craft for its superbly crafted work on the 2016 sale campaign.
In a region that is known for its year-long sales and shopping festivals, Centrepoint's campaign stood out in an overtly competitive and cluttered category and effectively drove footfalls to the stores, with its disruptive visuals and message.
"We wanted to be as unconventional as possible. There is a dearth of creativity when it comes to sales and promotions in the region and we wanted to push the limit. We received a fantastic response for our initial ad that was released in August and we are looking forward to the audience response to our new film," states Shyam Sunder, Head of Marketing of Centrepoint. He adds, "The CP Sale is the biggest event in the fashion segment in the region. It contributes to a major percentage of our overall sales. The objective was also to build a property that would uplift our brand."
The ad campaign was released in a two-film series, the first titled 'Sabotage' and the former titled 'Lies'. The films are the creative brilliance of agency Impact BBDO Dubai. Shot in black and white, they raise the point that while there isn't much you can do to counter all the indignities life hurls at you, the least you can do is visit the Centrepoint SALE and look good.
"As much as a sales campaign is fun to do, this was a serious job with significant business implications. We needed to deliver an idea that ticks all boxes and at the same time captures people's hearts & minds and provokes them to act," says Fadi Yaish, ECD of Impact BBDO, Dubai.
The dark satirical treatment of the ad is a departure from the brand's brighter visuals and light family focused campaigns. It has been raising a stir in the advertising fraternity and has received praise from marketers and customers alike with close to 8 million views on YouTube and Facebook alone.
"It is hard to fail, but it is worse never to have tried to succeed."
"Envy comes from wanting something that isn't yours. But grief comes from losing something you've already had."


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The following are some of the specific actions Entergy took in 2009 to help our customers.
While there are many sources of aid available to needy families in our region, no single one helps everyone. Here are some examples of initiatives Entergy's Low-Income Champions have undertaken to assure as many people are helped as possible.
Entergy provided customers with tools to help manage their bills in 2009 by:
To help more low-income customers move to self-sufficiency, Entergy is:
Entergy's focus is on helping customers afford their electric
service through safe, healthy and energy efficient measures. But
sometimes our customers' needs are as basic as food, clothing and
Entergy works in the communities it serves to fulfill their
needs, whatever they may be. In 2005, when hurricanes Katrina and
Rita ripped through Louisiana, Mississippi and Texas, Entergy raised
funds, held clothing and food drives, and reconnected power to
customers affected by the storms. In 2009 when the economic
recession affected us all, Entergy faced it with an eye on customers
just as much at risk of losing their homes due to lost jobs as to
hurricane-force winds.
Entergy works to improve the lives of customers however they need
it. Here are some of the ways Entergy reached out in 2009:


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Competitive athletes may race in our 5K run, fitness walkers can set goals and reach new levels of accomplishment, and children can experience the exhilaration of crossing the finish line in the 1/2 mile fun run.
Proceeds raised from the event benefit Sports Medicine at Cheshire Medical Center and ensure we can treat our local athletes with up-to-date rehabilitation equipment and supplies to prevent and treat injuries.
Training programs for runners/walkers are available here.
For more information, please contact:
Kelsie Hennessey, MSEd, ATC, N.H.LAT
Race Director
Sports Medicine Lead
603-354-5454 ext 3730
Thank you to everyone who participated in the
11th annual Sports Medicine 5K this year!
Over 280 runners and walkers came out to support the Sports Medicine program at Cheshire Medical Center – THANK YOU!
Stay tuned for the 2019 date.
Thank you to our 2018 race sponsors!
Platinum Sponsor:


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I'm New
St. Paul United Methodist Church is a vibrant community of faith where members strive to reach out to their community and beyond bringing people to Christ. As a family of families, we strive to engage in our walk of faith actively through Worship + 2.
What is Worship + 2?
Here at St. Paul Church we are challenging every member of our church to attend


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Get This and
6 Million Other Stock Images
bitcoin and litecoin on black background
Description : Bitcoins and litecoin with black background with a single coin facing the camera in sharp focus with shading on the icon letter B on the face of the bit coin
Photographer : compuinfoto
anonymous, bank, banking, bit, bit coin, bitcoin, bitcoin mining, blockchain, business, cash, coin, commerce, concept, cryptocurrency, currency, cyberspace, decentralized, digital, e-commerce, economy, electronic, encryption, exchange, exchange, finance, financial, gold, golden, internet, litecoin, market, metal, monetary, money, network, payent, stack, symbol, virtual, web
This image has a Royalty Free license. You can use the images an unlimited amount of times for almost any purpose* without having to pay extra. The rights granted are non-transferable and personal to you or your company. For resale you'll need a Pro Plan.
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Since becoming a Coconut Queen for Coconut Lane London I have loved their products and bought myself a few pieces of wall art to tart up the office wall and keep me motivated while blogging.
Coconut Lane have a quick delivery service and priced at only £1.95 it is exceptional service. They also do a worldwide delivery service for £4.95 which takes roughly between 15-30 days to arrive.
Coconut Lane stock a varied amount of different products including jewellery, stationary, phone cases, stickers, cushions gift cards and much more. They have recently had a new supply of gorgeous notebooks to add to their supply of stationary supplies that are reasonably priced at £6 each or £14 for a bundle of three.
Check out the range here and remember being a Coconut Queen I have a code for you to use so that you can receive 20% off your purchase, we all love a bargain, it is IMBMA20 just apply it at the checkout to receive your discount.
If you are a blogger and you fancy becoming a Coconut Queen you can apply here.
Thank you for reading my post and don't forget your discount code.
*This post contains affiliate links


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I don't usually toot my own horn (much) but I was most excited to find out that I was featured by Mike Price over at the MLBroadcast blog this week! He picks real estate related blogs to write about when he finds one that is compelling for him. (For those of you that aren't familiar with MLBroadcast, the good folks there produce professionally narrated podcasts of listings for us real estate types, and do a daggone good job of it, too!)
So stop by and take a gander at his writeup. I have to say I was tremendously honored and flattered at the same time!! Thanks Mike!


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Find a Doctor
Find a Clinic
Print this booklet | Libro en Español
As a patient of Mercy Medical Center, you have rights and responsibilities regarding your health and the services you receive. We value your right to be treated with respect and to receive care in a safe setting. It is our policy to respect your rights, none of which you shall be required to waive in order to receive treatment.
Your Mercy care team is committed to providing complete and current information concerning your diagnosis. We will gladly answer any questions or concerns you may have to ensure understanding. By taking an active role, you become a partner in your health care.
As a patient at Mercy, or as the parent or legal guardian of a minor or adult patient at Mercy, you have the following rights.
Respect and Nondiscrimination
You have the right to considerate, respectful and nondiscriminatory care from physicians, nurses, health care professionals and other hospital employees. Mercy complies with applicable federal civil rights laws and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, age, disability or sex. Mercy does not exclude people or treat them differently because of race, color, national origin, age, disability or sex.
You have the right to:
NP status prevents the release of a patient's protected health information (PHI) – including a condition report – to anyone. Anyone seeking information on a patient with NP status – whether by phone or in person – will be told, "We have no information on a patient by that name in our directory."
In addition to patient/surrogate decision maker request, there are two circumstances in which a patient may be placed on NP status – by court order or if the patient is in custody of law enforcement, who directs Mercy Medical Center to classify the patient as NP status.
Additionally, patients who are minors or who are unable to communicate or understand HIPAA consent forms are placed on NP status upon arrival at the hospital's Emergency Department. The patient will remain on this status until he/she, a parent, guardian or designee makes the decision to change the status and signs the NP revocation.
Participation in Treatment Decisions:
Access to Emergency Services:
You have the right to receive screening and stabilizing emergency services whenever and wherever needed if you have severe pain, symptoms or an injury that convinces you your health is in serious jeopardy. This includes the right to:
Pain Management Services
You have the right to pain prevention, relief and management services. You have the right to:
Confidentiality and Disclosure of Health Information:
Your privacy is as important to us as it is to you. Mercy is required by federal law to maintain the privacy of your medical information and give you our Notice of Privacy Practices. This Notice is available at mercydesmoines.org and in a booklet that will be offered to you at the time you are admitted or prior to receiving outpatient care.
Complaints and Appeals:
You have the right to a fair, fast and objective review of any complaint you have against Mercy or your physician, nurse or other health care professional. This includes complaints about patient care and safety, wait times, operating hours, the conduct of Mercy personnel and the adequacy of health care facilities.
As a patient at Mercy, or as the parent or legal guardian of a minor or adult patient at Mercy, it is your responsibility to:
Information Disclosure
You have the right to receive accurate and easily understood information about your health, treatment plan, health care team and facilities. If you speak a language other than English, have a physical/mental disability or simply do not understand something, assistance will be provided so you can make informed decisions about your care.
Visitation privileges will not be restricted, limited or otherwise denied on the basis of race, color, national origin, religion, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation or disability. Mercy will ensure all visitors enjoy full and equal visitation privileges consistent with patient preference and medical safety.
It is our responsibility to maintain a healing environment that encourages recovery. Visitors are reminded disruptive behavior can impact patient's care and recovery. Visitors will be asked to leave the patient's room and/or hospital if they are disturbing this healing environment.
Visitation privileges include the following:
The hospital may develop clinically appropriate visitation restrictions under the following conditions:
Other non-clinical circumstances which may affect visiting include:
Individual departments at Mercy Medical Center may have unit specific guidelines and/or restrictions specific to their patient population and services provided. These unit specific guidelines will address:
If you have questions or concerns about your care, please speak to your nurse, the unit charge nurse or the unit nursing director. If you feel the need to discuss your concern further, you may contact Mercy's Patient Advocate at (515) 643-2861.
To access or release information in your medical record, please call Medical Records at (515) 247-4147 (for hospital records) or contact your specific clinic for medical information related to care provided.
A copy of this Patient Rights & Responsibilities guide is available at mercydesmoines.org.
Site Index Privacy Policies Terms of Use


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Young director, screenwriter and producer Tomasz Wasilewski presents his most recent feature PŁYNĄCE WIEŻOWCE and Ryszard Bugajski's INTERROGATION.
PŁYNĄCE WIEŻOWCE (Floating Skyscrapers, Poland 2013, 5.11., screening attended by Tomasz Wasilewski) Kuba, a competitive swimmer, lives with his girlfriend. One day he meets a young man who awakens unexpected feelings in him. Kuba is scared and fascinated at the same time. By drawing on close-ups, claustrophobic rooms and oppressive skyscraper landscapes, Wasilewski succeeds in creating an impressive reflection about the freedom to be yourself.
PRZESŁUCHANIE (Interrogation, Ryszard Bugajski, Poland 1982, 6.11., screening attended by Tomasz Wasilewski) This political thriller about Stalinist state terror during the early 1950s was banned for years in Poland and could first be screened in 1989. (al) In collaboration with the Polish Institute Berlin.
*Schamanen im blinden Land
Michael Oppitz Nepal/FRF/USA 1980
DCP OV/GeS 224 min
Bad Lieutenant USA 1992 With Harvey Keitel
35 mm OV/GeS 96 min


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Random Prefect hand cuts various silhouettes from old vinyl records to make necklaces and earrings.
|Jane Austen Recycled Record Silhouette $12
Rebound Designs creates handmade purses, wallets and pins from repurposed books. From her shop: "Bibliophiles, don't fret! All of my wallets and purses are made from damaged or discarded books, 90% were being thrown out by libraries. All care is taken to never use valuable or rare books. Have a favorite book that is falling apart? Send it to me and I will turn it into a one of a kind purse or wallet for you!"
|Custom Pride and Prejudice Book Purse $165
MaisyandAlice creates Heart Strings Mobiles from the pages of old, worn books. Here is one made from a vintage copy of Sense and Sensibility she "saved from almost certain death whilst on one of my fossicking trips!"
|Heart Strings- Jane Austen- Sense and Sensibility Mobile $15