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Privacy Policy
Thank you for visiting the SUNY Cortland website. This site is designed to make it easier and more efficient for individuals and businesses to interact with SUNY Cortland. Like all online resources, we recognize that visitors to this website are concerned about their privacy. SUNY Cortland is committed to preserving your privacy when visiting this site.
This policy describes SUNY Cortland's privacy practices regarding information collected from visitors to this website. It also describes what data is collected and how that information is used. SUNY Cortland may, at its sole discretion, change modify, add or delete portions of this policy. Because this privacy policy only applies to this site, you should examine the privacy policy of any website, including other state websites, that you access through this website.
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Contact Information
For questions regarding the privacy policy please contact the Marketing Office at SUNY Cortland.


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Spirit of God, Descend Upon My Heart
Spirit of God, descend upon my heart;
Wean it from earth; through all its pulses move;
Stoop to my weakness, mighty as Thou art,
And make me love Thee as I ought to love.
I ask no dream, no prophet ecstasies,
No sudden rending of the veil of clay,
No angel visitant, no opening skies;
But take the dimness of my soul away.
Hast Thou not bid us love Thee, God and King?
All, all Thine own, soul, heart, and strength, and mind;
I see Thy cross—there teach my heart to cling:
O let me seek Thee, and O let me find!
Teach me to feel that Thou art always nigh;
Teach me the struggles of the soul to bear,
To check the rising doubt, the rebel sigh;
Teach me the patience of unanswered prayer.
Teach me to love Thee as Thine angels love,
One holy passion filling all my frame;
The baptism of the heaven-descended Dove,
My heart an altar, and Thy love the flame.
– George Croly, 1854
MORECAMBE by Frederick C. Atkinson, 1870
Photo: Adoration of the Magi by Claude Vignon, c. 1619, creative commons 2.0

subset: commoncrawl


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By Jennifer Dunham and Zselyke Csaky (rebloged from EUROPP)
In the half decade since the beginning of the economic crisis, global press freedom has declined, and the EU has been no exception to this trend. Reporting on a new survey on press freedom, the authors find that Greece and Hungary have experienced large declines in press freedom in recent years, with Lithuania, Latvia and Spain also seeing falls. They write that the economic crisis has exacerbated deep-rooted problems across Europe's media environments leading to a decline in print media circulation and diversity, as well as a greater concentration of media ownership.
Each year in May, Freedom House, a Washington, D.C.–based institute that specializes in research on global democracy, issues a report on the condition of press freedom around the world. The most significant—and disturbing—finding of Freedom of the Press 2013: A Global Survey of Media Independence was that the proportion of the global population that enjoys a free press continued to decline in 2012, falling to less than one in six, its lowest level in over a decade. The press freedom score in the European Union (EU), traditionally one of the world's best-performing regions, also fell victim to this negative trend, with a further drop in the regional average and declines in both the old member states and those that joined the bloc in 2004 or later.
The year 2012 featured a notable deterioration in Greece and more moderate declines in Spain and other nations. This comes on the heels of a steep decline in Hungary's score in recent years, and ongoing problems in Italy, Latvia, and Lithuania. As governments and media sectors felt the impact of the economic crisis that began in 2008, the state-run and private media suffered staff and salary cuts, declines in advertising revenue, and even the closure of outlets. This in turn had the effect of exacerbating existing problems, such as declining print circulation, the concentration of media ownership, decreasing print media diversity, and expanding influence on content by political or business interests.
Figure One – Average Press Freedom Scores in the EU, 2008–12
Scores are on a scale of 0–100, with 0 as best and 100 as worst. Categories: Free (0-30), Partly Free (31-60), and Not Free (61-100).
Greece's score decline was the largest in the region in 2012. It fell from 30 to 41 on the survey's 100-point scale, triggering a change in the country's press freedom status, from Free to Partly Free. (The third category in the three-tiered system is Not Free.) While Greek society as a whole suffered from economic and political turmoil, the Greek media endured widespread staff cutbacks and some closures of outlets. Journalists also faced heightened legal and physical harassment and pressure from owners or politicians to toe a certain editorial line. These factors damaged the media's ability to perform their watchdog role and keep citizens adequately informed about election campaigns, austerity measures, corruption, and other critical issues.
In one prominent example, journalist Kostas Vaxevanis was arrested and charged with violation of privacy for publishing the so-called Lagarde List of prominent Greek citizens who had transferred funds to Swiss bank accounts, allegedly to avoid paying taxes in Greece. Although he was initially acquitted, he currently faces a retrial. Furthermore, there were cases of politically motivated firings and suspensions at both state and private media. Journalists were physically attacked while covering protests against government-imposed austerity measures, and targeted by the far-right Golden Dawn party.
The media environment in Spain has also suffered as a result of the economic crisis and a related series of austerity measures, with its score declining from 24 to 27 points in Freedom of the Press 2013—still in the Free range. Media diversity was affected as the advertising market contracted and a number of outlets closed, cut staff, or reduced salaries. Since 2008, 57 media outlets have closed, around one-sixth of the country's journalists have lost their jobs, and those who remain receive only about half their precrisis salaries. Público, a left-leaning daily aimed at younger readers, stopped printing and switched to an online-only format in February 2012, leaving El País as the only major left-leaning newspaper in print. In addition, several journalists and staff at RTVE, the state-owned broadcaster, were removed after voicing criticism of the government's controversial austerity policies. These developments raise significant concerns about political influence over content and a lack of diverse viewpoints in the mainstream media.
Latvia's score has fallen to 28, three points shy of the Partly Free category. Declining advertising revenues since 2008 have caused media outlets' budgets to shrink, resulting in tabloidization and the use of recycled content. Forced to search for new sources of income, some outlets have engaged in the questionable practice of "hidden advertising," in which paid content is improperly disguised as news. While the country's economic recovery has accelerated in the past two years, media ownership is becoming increasingly concentrated. Apart from economic problems, political interference in editorial policies has raised concerns, and the country is battling a growing trend of violence against journalists. The 2010 murder of newspaper owner Grigorijs Ņemcovs remains unsolved, and last year another journalist reporting on corruption and organized crime was badly beaten and shot at.
Figure Two – Largest Score Changes in the EU, 2008–12
Latvia's Baltic neighbor, Lithuania, was also severely hit by the economic crisis, and its media sector suffered similar setbacks, though it is still ranked comfortably in the Free category. While the economy is currently performing well, Lithuania's media and advertising sectors have not yet caught up. Media ownership has grown more concentrated over the last several years, and the industry's recovery has been hampered by rising taxes on media outlets. Banks are barred by law from owning media, but many institutions work around those restrictions by maintaining media holdings through intermediaries, and newspapers controlled by financial institutions often demonstrate bias toward their owners. A number of politicians also have ownership stakes in media outlets.
Figure Three – Press Freedom Scores for Selected Countries, 2008–12
Italy did not suffer a decline in score for 2012, but it has been a regional outlier since 2008, when it fell into the Partly Free range due in large measure to the disproportionate influence of one man—then prime minister Silvio Berlusconi—over the country's media. Berlusconi is a major private media owner, and his political position gave him control of the state-owned media as well, including influence over the appointment of directors and key journalists. While his resignation in November 2011 effectively decreased media concentration, Italy's score did not improve significantly. It remained at 33 in 2012, with a Partly Free status, due in part to pressures from the economic crisis. Working conditions for journalists have become difficult in recent years; those with a full-time contract constitute only 19 percent of the workforce, and there is a significant pay gap between professional and freelance journalists. Those hoping to work full-time for one of the major outlets need a license from the journalists' association, the Ordine dei Giornalisti, and obtaining one entails a lengthy and costly procedure. Other problems include the influence of political parties over nominations to the public broadcaster and the regulatory authority. This infamous phenomenon is called lottizzazione, or "dividing the spoils" between parties, and has long plagued Italian politics. Journalists also face physical threats or attacks from organized crime networks. In one case, investigative journalist Roberto Saviano has lived under 24-hour police protection since publishing the book Gomorrah, about the Neapolitan mafia, in 2006.
Hungary also avoided further score declines in 2012, but it fell precipitously over the previous three years—from a Free environment with a score of 21 in 2009 to Partly Free with a score of 36 in 2011. And as in Italy, the problems in Hungary cannot be attributed to economic factors alone. Press freedom has eroded in the legal and political areas under Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, who took office in 2010. His government adopted a new media law that provided for content restrictions and heavy fines; evidence emerged of a politically motivated licensing procedure that caused a critical radio station to lose its frequencies; and reports of censorship and self-censorship increased, especially at the public broadcasters. A series of rulings by the country's Constitutional Court and legal amendments to meet objections from the European Commission have mitigated the impact of the government's initiatives. For example, most of the content requirements in the media law have been removed, and a more balanced appointment procedure has been introduced for the head of the Media Authority. Moreover, the critical radio station, Klubradio, got back its frequency after an almost three-year court battle. Nevertheless, several problematic legal provisions remain in place. Media outlets (including online and print) still have to register with the Media Authority, for instance, and they can still receive large fines for violating human dignity or "discriminating against any nation."
The relatively young democracies of the EU's east and south have endured the worst press freedom setbacks in recent years, but even leaders of the democratic world like the United Kingdom are not without problems. The country's libel laws heavily favor the plaintiff, resulting in significant "libel tourism," though reforms enacted in 2013 appear to be a step in the right direction. Press freedom advocates are less satisfied with the conclusions of the November 2012 Leveson report, which suggested the adoption of statutory press regulations to solve the ethical crisis revealed by a scandal over illicit phone hacking by journalists. The use of superinjunctions also poses a threat to freedom of expression; these court-issued gag orders are an excessively powerful tool in the hands of those who can afford the legal expertise to secure them. Another issue that sets the United Kingdom apart from the best-performing European countries is the persistence of occasional attacks and threats against journalists, especially in Northern Ireland.
The economic crisis has shed light on, and often exacerbated, deep-rooted problems in the media environments of Europe. These include the cozy relationships between politicians and media owners, government hostility toward critical reporting, and violence against journalists in the course of their work. However, the EU still easily outperforms the world's other regions, and the recent decline in press freedom has been recognized by European policymakers. As governments contemplate an appropriate response, journalists across Europe are already turning to new media as an outlet for their work. The proliferation of digital media—whether online versions of newspapers, purely web-based news organizations, internet broadcasters, or individual blogs—serves to counteract the contraction of the print sector and often frees journalists from the restrictions and conflicting interests of large public or commercial institutions. In addition to addressing the problems affecting the media offline, policymakers will need to ensure that the legal, political, and economic freedom of online journalism is adequately protected, so that it can evolve into a robust alternative to traditional sources of unbiased information and in-depth investigative reporting on the key issues facing the public.
This entry first appeared on the LSE EUROPP Blog.
Jennifer Dunham is a senior research analyst for the annual Freedom of the Press and Freedom in the World reports at Freedom House, a U.S.-based independent watchdog organization dedicated to the expansion of freedom around the world.
Zselyke Csaky is a researcher for Freedom House's Freedom of the Press report. She holds master's degrees in International Relations and Human Rights. Her research interests include freedom of expression, minority rights, privacy, and European affairs.


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On its own, or on a party's motion, the court may hold one or more pretrial conferences to promote a fair and expeditious trial. When a conference ends, the court must prepare and file a memorandum of any matters agreed to during the conference. The government may not use any statement made during the conference by the defendant or the defendant's attorney unless it is in writing and is signed by the defendant and the defendant's attorney.
(Added Feb. 28, 1966, eff. July 1, 1966; amended Mar. 9, 1987, eff. Aug. 1, 1987; Apr. 29, 2002, eff. Dec. 1, 2002.)
Notes of Advisory Committee on Rules—1966
This new rule establishes a basis for pretrial conferences with counsel for the parties in criminal cases within the discretion of the court. Pretrial conferences are now being utilized to some extent even in the absence of a rule. See, generally, Brewster, Criminal Pre-Trials—Useful Techniques, 29 F.R.D. 442 (1962); Estes, Pre-Trial Conferences in Criminal Cases, 23 F.R.D. 560 (1959); Kaufman, Pre-Trial in Criminal Cases, 23 F.R.D. 551 (1959); Kaufman, Pre-Trial in Criminal Cases, 42 J.Am.Jud.Soc. 150 (1959); Kaufman, The Appalachian Trial: Further Observations on Pre-Trial in Criminal Cases, 44 J.Am.Jud.Soc. 53 (1960); West, Criminal Pre-Trials—Useful Techniques, 29 F.R.D. 436 (1962); Handbook of Recommended Procedures for the Trial of Protracted Cases, 25 F.R.D. 399–403, 468–470 (1960). Cf. Mo.Sup.Ct. Rule 25.09; Rules Governing the N.J. Courts, §3:5–3.
The rule is cast in broad language so as to accommodate all types of pretrial conferences. As the third sentence suggests, in some cases it may be desirable or necessary to have the defendant present. See Committee on Pretrial Procedure of the Judicial Conference of the United States, Recommended Procedures in Criminal Pretrials, 37 F.R.D. 95 (1965).
Notes of Advisory Committee on Rules—1987 Amendment
The amendments are technical. No substantive change is intended.
Committee Notes—2002 Amendment
The language of Rule 17.1 has been amended as part of the general restyling of the Criminal Rules to make them more easily understood and to make style and terminology consistent throughout the rules. These changes are intended to be stylistic only, except as noted below.
Current Rule 17.1 prohibits the court from holding a pretrial conference where the defendant is not represented by counsel. It is unclear whether this would bar such a conference when the defendant invokes the constitutional right to self-representation. See Faretta v. California, 422 U.S. 806 (1975). The amended version makes clear that a pretrial conference may be held in these circumstances. Moreover, the Committee believed that pretrial conferences might be particularly useful in those cases where the defendant is proceeding pro se.


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Further Research


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Search Results
1 finding aid(s) found containing the word(s) University of California, Berkeley. Department of Music.
W.P.A. California Folk Music Project collection, 1936-1991
7 boxes 4.5 linear feet.. manuscripts: 115 folders.. 239 sound discs (35 hours) : analog, 78 rpm, mono. ; 12 in.. 170 photographic prints : black and white ; various sizes.. 24 drawings.. -- American Folklife Center, Library of Congress, Washington, D.C.
The California Folk Music Project of the California Work Projects Administration (WPA) was conceived and directed by Sidney Robertson Cowell and co-sponsored by the Music Department of the University of California, Berkeley, and the Music Division, Library of Congress from 1938 to 1940. Additional support was provided by the New Music Society of California and the Society of California Pioneers. The resulting collection of sound recordings, photographs, correspondence, field notes, and drawings documents the musical culture, including religious music and folk song, of many ethnic and English-language performers in northern California. The collection includes the documentation of the music of Anglo Americans, Armenians, Assyrians, Basques, Croatians, English, Finns, Hungarians, Icelanders, Italians, Norwegians, Russian Molokans, Scots, Portuguese, Mexicans, Puerto Ricans, Spaniards and Spanish Americans from 1938 to 1940. The sound recordings were deposited in the Archive of American Folk Song at the Library of Congress in 1940. The collection also includes a few instantaneous sound discs made by Sidney Robertson Cowell in Missouri and Iowa for the Farm Security Administration in 1936-1937, and includes folk music research, writing, photographs, and technical drawings and sketches of the musical instruments, generated by Cowell and by the WPA staff who worked for her, plus related documents to 1991.
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Early June Update - Part 3
Last but not least in my June garden update series is Area #2. This is the smallest section of the vegetable garden, containing only four beds.
First up is the brassica bed, which is having a peculiar issue that I've not seen before - sowbugs eating the greens (aka pill bugs, aka roly polie's, aka wood lice – I think these guys corner the market on the number of names they have…over 17 according to Wikipedia!)
Sowbugs enjoying their lunch |
The turnip rows have lots of gaps this year
So far not too much damage done to the baby Chinese greens (left)
and mizuna (right) which are also in the same bed |
Not related at all to Area #2, but completely related to pesky plant nibblers is the situation with my sweet potatoes. Or should I say what were my sweet potatoes:
All gone in one pot and just a few stubs left in the other...sigh
Back to Area #2 and some good critter news, for a change. The allium bed where some seedlings were mowed down earlier in the season has basically recovered:
This allium bed has recovered nicely from the rocky start this spring
The new strawberry bed is in this area and the plants are doing very well:
'St. Laurent'
Sugar snap peas
This project, which is rather large, together with a couple of family events and the Fling (very excited about that!), promise to make the next few weeks exceptionally busy. I'll be doing a post on our project shortly - don't want to keep you in suspense too long! - but then I'll be taking a blog break until sometime in July. That's the irony when you're a garden blogger - the more there is to write about, the less time you have to write it.


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Oh boy have I got a treat for you today! The charming and talented Nicola Cameron has just released Breaker Zone – the second in her amazing Olympic Cove series – and I'm not going to bother mincing words: this one blows the first one (pun totally intended) out of the water! You have read the first one, right? No? Why not? Go grab a copy of Storm Season and when you've finished, come back. I'll wait…
You're back? Okay, good. You thought I was kidding, didn't you? Now that your appetite's been whetted, you're going to need to dive right in (I'm really sorry for the bad puns) to Breaker Zone. The story picks up right where Storm Season left us, and gives us even more sizzling MMM action with some new and spicy characters. Don't worry, though, the lovely lads from Book One aren't gone. And if, like me, you're a fan of the gay-variety Pants-off-Cinema, be on the look out for a thinly veiled cameo by a certain someone and his significant other.
Nicola Cameron, I dub thee the Jules Verne of Smut & Sexy Shenanigans.
Breaker Zone (Olympic Cove #2) by Nicola Cameron
Available: December 23, 2014
Publisher: Evernight Publishing
When Dr. Nick Gardiner goes on the run from a psychotic ex and ends up at Olympic Cove, the last thing he expects to find is his friend Ian living with two redheaded demigods and learning how to be a storm god. Adding to the confusion is a wounded merman named Aidan who washes up in the cove, requiring Nick's professional help. As it turns out, the handsome mer and his partner Liam have other plans for the ER doctor — to claim him as their agapetos, their destined mate, and fulfill his need to submit.
A chance encounter at a local junk shop reveals that Nick has his own role to play in the battle against the insane Nereid Thetis. Under the reluctant mentorship of the centaur Chiron, Nick must master the use of the Rod of Asclepius if he wants to rescue his mates from a ghastly fate and help Ian save the planet.
Hefting the Rod, Nick headed into the master bedroom and put it away in the closet. The bed looked insanely soft and comfortable, and he felt an intense urge to do a faceplant into the coverlet and let sleep take him away.
Someone cleared their throat, and he turned to see Aidan and Liam in the bedroom doorway. "Where should we sleep, Nick?" Aidan asked.
That was a good question. He scrubbed at his face, trying to think. "Do you need to go back into the water?"
"No, we're good for a day or two at least."
"Okay. I guess there's always the guest rooms."
A flicker of disappointment ran through those green eyes, but Aidan nodded. "We'll let you get some sleep." He turned to leave.
Nick's eyebrows went up. "Excuse me?"
"No," Liam repeated, calm but unmovable. "We're supposed to be your bodyguards, according to Lord Chiron. That won't be easy if we're sleeping in separate rooms. We need to sleep in here with you."
Annoyance bubbled to the surface, tempered by the allure of curling up between his mers. "Look, no offense, but I don't think that's a good idea," he said, trying to sound firm. "I'm really tired, and I don't think I'm up for anything tonight."
Liam stepped even closer. "We're not supposed to leave you alone," he said, hazel blue eyes shadowed in the twilit room. "Listen to me, chuisle. You're exhausted, and understandably so. You were threatened by your former lover, and then you had to deal with one of the most powerful gods on the planet, followed immediately by a long study session. You've done enough for the day. Let us help you relax."
That low voice, like a cello with its rich intonation, was impossible to resist. "Just relax?"
Liam smiled. "More if you're in the mood. But it's up to you."
He didn't want to admit it, but he was already getting aroused at the thought of both of them touching him. "I … okay. Yes."
The tall mer took his hands, lifting each one to his mouth in turn and kissing it. "Yes, Maighstir," he said with a smile.
It sounded like 'master' with a Gaelic lilt making it into 'maister'. Nick's last bit of resistance disappeared, and he felt boneless with pleasure at the anticipation of what was to come. "Yes, Maighstir."
"Mm. Good boy."
Liam let Nick's hands go. They dropped to the human's sides and Nick's dark head tilted, exposing the long line of muscle and tendon just waiting to be decorated with bite marks and sucking kisses. Oh, their chuisle knew how to lure attention.
But Liam knew how to wait. Instead of putting his mouth to Nick's offered throat, he whispered, "Now, we're going to take off your clothes."
A shiver ran through Nick at that. Liam paused, trying to judge if it had been caused by lust or fear. The reality of the situation came back to him—the last time Nick had played with anyone, his trust had been shattered and his body damaged. They were swimming through shark-infested waters here, and one wrong move could drive their mate even further away from them.
He bent close to Nick's ear again. "If something upsets you, you will tell us immediately, do you understand? We'll sit down tomorrow and have a long talk about what you can and cannot do, and I swear to you that Aidan and I will respect your limits. But tonight is purely for your pleasure and comfort."
He heard Nick swallow, and the shivering died down. "Good. Now, take a deep breath."
Their mate's ribcage expanded, filling with the air all his kind needed. "Another." Liam ran his hands over Nick's shoulders, enjoying the feel of the curved muscle there. "Good. I'm going to take off your shirt."
Moving with deliberation, he slid all the buttons through their holes, tugging the smooth fabric off and tossing it to the side. He took in a soft breath, admiring Nick's body. His muscles weren't as pronounced as a mer's, but his back and shoulders had beautifully delineated hollows and rises that implied strength and agility. Liam's mouth watered with the sudden urge to bite into one firm shoulder.
Instead, he ran just the pads of his fingertips across Nick's skin, tracing the outline of his upper body. On the other side Aidan had stepped closer, running his own fingers along Nick's chest and abs. Their mate made a soft, hungry noise deep in his throat, and Aidan flashed that irresistible smile. "I think you like this, chuisle."
Liam leaned close, nipping Nick's earlobe again. "Use your words," he ordered gently.
"Yes, I like this, Maighstir." The response was soft, almost dreamy.
Liam caught Aidan's eye, then glanced down meaningfully. At the same time he slid his hands down Nick's arms, gently ringing his wrists and drawing them behind his back. "You're still wearing too much."
"Far too much," Aidan agreed, sinking to his knees. Liam watched over Nick's shoulder as the other mer started undoing Nick's belt, teasingly drawing the leather through the loops, before easing down his zipper. Nick made another noise, deeper this time.
He likes being restrained and controlled. Liam felt his own desire rise, and firmly corralled it. Tonight is for him, to show him he belongs with us.
Nick gasped suddenly, twitching in his grip. Glancing down, Liam saw his other mate planting an open-mouthed kiss at the base of Nick's hardening cock through his underwear.
"Did I say you could do that, boy?" he asked Aidan, putting a growl into his voice.
The green-eyed mer leaned back, face shadowed in the room's dim light. "I'm sorry, Maighstir. I couldn't resist a taste."
Liam was tempted to correct him, but their focus had to remain on Nick. "I'll deal with you later," he rumbled, and saw goosebumps rise on Nick's skin. The idea obviously appealed. "Hm. Would you like that, chuisle? I could tie you to the headboard and make you watch me punish Aidan. I'd bend him over the end of the bed and turn his ass a lovely red as you watched. Then I'd put him on his hands and knees and fuck him while he looked at you."
This time both his mates groaned at the image he'd created. "I wouldn't let him come for a long time," Liam murmured, enjoyed the sensation of his own cock plumping out and pressing against the fabric of his shorts. "And every time I thrust into him, his mouth would come closer and closer to your cock, almost close enough to suck it. But never quite close enough. And all the time I was fucking him, all you could do is sit there, hard and aching so badly, and watch us."
Nick's head dropped back onto his shoulder. "Please, Maighstir," he whispered.
"Mm. Such a good boy." He nodded at Aidan, and the other mer finished taking Nick's trousers down, then his briefs. "If you're very good and earn it, I may let you come tonight. No promises, though."
Where to Buy:
✽ Amazon
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About the Author:
Nicola Cameron is an expatriate Chicagoan who has lived in England, Canada, Holland, and Sweden, and keeps a confusing amalgamation of languages in her head as a result. Currently located in the clavicle of Texas, she has finally mastered the proper use of "y'all," much to her Chicago family's dismay.
Despite a healthy interest in sex since puberty, it wasn't until 2012 that Nicola decided to try writing about it. As it turned out, the skills she picked up during her SF writing career transferred rather nicely to erotic romance. When not writing, she wrangles cats, smooches her husband, makes dolls of dubious and questionable identity, and thanks almighty Cthulhu that she doesn't have to work for a major telecommunications company any more (because there's BDSM, and then there's just plain torture…).
Find her online in the following haunts:


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Rental company's 'CarShare' service comes to campus this fall
Being introduced to incoming students and their parents at FOCUS this year, but also available to all students, faculty and staff is the opportunity to join Enterprise CarShare. Two cars will be available in the Main housing parking lot in late August for hourly, daily and overnight rental. Supported by the campus Sustainability Committee, the program is being offered as an alternative transportation option to encourage students who may only need to use a car every once in a while to leave their car at home and it also provides options to students who don't have a car, as well as to faculty/staff who may need a car for a quick trip in town. In order to participate you must become a member of the program. (Note that this is a personal membership and for personal use only.) A yearly membership fee is charged, along with hourly rental charges. Enterprise is currently running a promotional program that allows you to join for $10 and receive $35 in driving credits. Use Promo code: CAMPUS2014. (The introductory signup offer expires Aug. 1)
All the details of how the program works can be found at: www.enterprisecarshare.com/car-sharing/program/uwgb. Enterprise will also be funding a paid student internship position beginning in the fall to help market the program and maintain the cars. See more information on the position and an application.


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Tim Maurer on five reasons why a non-digital time management system could be more productive.
Tim Maurer, Director of Personal Finance, The BAM Alliance
As technological innovation marches forward in so many aspects of life, there is a movement gaining momentum to return to the past in search of something important that progress may have left behind.
No, you can't beat the convenience of streaming and digitized music, but the listening experience still falls short of dropping the needle on a vinyl record. Similarly, while the ubiquity of tech-driven tools may make the process of managing our time easier than ever, we may actually end up increasing our productivity by decreasing efficiency through an analog, manual, pen-and-paper system.
Personally, I'd been successfully employing a time-management system for years—a simplified, customized amalgamation of David Allen and Steven Covey's wisdom—designed using the online tool Trello. As someone who believes our most valuable investment is time, however, I was still curious when a friend I respect told me about a new system that he'd been using effectively. But when I invited him to show me, he didn't pull out his phone or tablet, but a simple journal—a Bullet Journal.
The Bullet Journal is a product, but it's also more than that. It's really a modifiable productivity method that has grown into a community. The system, interestingly, was created by a digital product designer, Ryder Carroll, as a way to bring the discipline of task management under the practice of mindfulness. After testing out the system for a few months—and becoming an adherent in the process—I discussed the inspiration for the Bullet Journal with Mr. Carroll.
While how, exactly, I've adapted the Bullet system in my work as a financial advisor, writer and speaker—including the specific journal and writing tools I use—does make for an interesting story, today I'd like to address the bigger question:
Why take more time? Why sacrifice the ability to sync between devices? Why go back in time? Why go analog?
Here are the reasons I've collected, through research on my own and through my recent conversation with Carroll:
1) An analog process that takes you away from your computer is less distracting. Carroll isn't anti-digital. He designs apps for a living, for goodness' sake! "The thing that's wonderful about digital applications and our technology is that they allow us to connect with the world in a way that's never been possible before," Carroll says, "but it comes at the expense of attention."
The next email, reminder or alert moves us away from the primary objective of planning our days, weeks and months. So digital indeed giveth, but it also taketh away. And who wouldn't rather spend less time in front of a screen, anyway?
2) It requires more effort. But this is a drawback, right? At least that's what I thought originally. Obviously, on my computer, I can just copy/paste or move an unfinished task from today to tomorrow in less time than it takes a Tesla Model S to go from 0-to-60 miles per hour. There's no alternative in the Bullet system but to physically…write…it…again.
But then it hit me—it's a good thing I'm being forced to deliberate more meaningfully on the tasks that I set for myself. The system purposefully applies "specific types of friction onto the user." But in Carroll's words, "If you don't have the time to rewrite something by hand, chances are it really doesn't matter."
3) It's customizable. Autonomy is a powerful source of motivation, so having the ability to craft a personal task management system in our own image is important—and a feature lacking in most of the prescribed systems you'll find.
"The Bullet Journal is more of a framework than a very specific system," Carroll says, "and I give people the tools that they need in order to learn more about themselves and their own habits." This kind of framework "allows you to pour your own life into it" regardless of how that looks.
4) It's more enjoyable. It's really "a mindfulness practice that's disguised as a productivity system," Carroll told me of the Bullet Journal concept. "Whereas the digital space allows you to connect outwardly very powerfully, I feel the analog space gives you the opportunity to collect inwardly, allows you to connect with yourself in a way that you can't in a digital way, and it allows you, more importantly and specifically, to connect with your thoughts in a way that you can't online."
Even before Carroll put words to it, I realized this had been precisely my experience. In practice, my Bullet routine has become more an extension of my daily spiritual reflection than the beginning of my workday. It's the bridge between meditation and vocation.
5) Most importantly, it works! "I put this out there because this worked for me. That's the simple impetus," Carroll says. As a kid growing up with Attention Deficit Disorder—"before it was popular," he says—Carroll didn't respond well to many methods of doing things that others taught him. So, it was through 25 years of "incredibly painful iteration" that he distilled his system into the Bullet Journal framework. It's clear through its proliferation that the practice has worked for many others as well, myself included.
While Carroll told me that the next chapter of the Bullet Journal story will be to further validate it's effectiveness with scientific research, I believe the signs are already there. We know that we could all use less screen time, that multi-tasking is actually a myth and that, when it comes to "learning and remembering course material, the pen is mightier than the keyboard," according to Indiana University's School of Medicine.
But screen or not, the best productivity system to use is the one that works for you. As I mentioned, the first system that ever stuck for me was a customizable online solution—and something like that may still be the best option for you. But I'm a Bullet Journal convert, and you can learn specifically how I've applied this framework to my own productivity practice.
This commentary originally appeared February 8 on Forbes.com
By clicking on any of the links above, you acknowledge that they are solely for your convenience, and do not necessarily imply any affiliations, sponsorships, endorsements or representations whatsoever by us regarding third-party Web sites. We are not responsible for the content, availability or privacy policies of these sites, and shall not be responsible or liable for any information, opinions, advice, products or services available on or through them.
The opinions expressed by featured authors are their own and may not accurately reflect those of the BAM ALLIANCE. This article is for general information only and is not intended to serve as specific financial, accounting or tax advice.
© 2017, The BAM ALLIANCE


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As we enter summer, more of our clients are ready to redecorate. Color selection is a topic that most consumers struggle to overcome so we thought it would be helpful if we delve into how color has a psychological impact in interior design. Color is such a broad subject, so we are wrapping up our three part series and hope you enjoy learning about color psychology.
RED– A color well known for excitement and intense feelings; red is a color that should be specified with great thought. Because it increases appetite, it is utilized in culinary design frequently. A few fun facts about this passionate color are listed below.
• Creates feelings of excitement and intense emotions
• Can create intense anger
• Is known to create warmth, comfort, and love when warmer shades of red are utilized
• Increases heart rate and blood pressure
• Increases appetite
BROWN– A beloved neutral that provides warmth, safety, and comfort, Brown is one of the most favored of neutrals. Take a look at this color's characteristics below.
• Provides warmth, strength, and security
• Reduces stress and conflict
• Soothes tense muscles
• People tend to "open up" when surrounded by brown
• Comforting
• Provides credibility and reassurance
BLACK – Elegant, bold, and ideal for highlighting key pieces in a room; black absorbs all light in the color spectrum and is often regarded as a color of power and strength.
• Sophisticated and elegant
• Provides a feeling of trustworthiness and feels friendly
• Creates enthusiasm and excitement
• Increases heart rate
• Increases appetite and is therefore used in the restaurant industry frequently
• Improves lung functioning and is specified in bedrooms for children with asthma
• Utilized in workout rooms because of it's energizing effect
• Provides a feeling of being "grounded" in the space
• Bold and strong
I hope you enjoyed the last post of our color psychology series. It's fun to learn how the mind responds to color!
Photo courtesy of Janet Warlick
Shayla Copas, owner and principal designer of Shayla Copas Interiors is an award winning Arkansas designer who has been voted by numerous publications as a favorite designer in the state. Her work has graced the pages of AT HOME IN ARKANSAS and other statewide and national publications throughout her 20 year career. Most recently, her work was featured on the cover of a Christmas interior design book, featuring several top designers across the nation including, Christopher Radko and HGTV personality Joe Ruggiero. Shayla is a member of the Interior Design Society and National Kitchen and Bath Association. Her new blog EN VOGUE with SHAYLA COPAS focuses on trends in home design and entertaining.


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The very Son of God,
older than the ages,
the invisible,
the incomprehensible,
the incorporeal,
the beginning of beginning,
the light of light,
the fountain of life and immortality,
the image of the archetype,
the immovable seal,
the perfect likeness,
the definition and word of the Father:
He it is who comes to his own image
and takes our nature for the good of our nature, and unites
himself to an intelligent soul for the good of my soul, to
purify like by like.
He takes to himself all that is human, except for sin.
He was conceived by the Virgin Mary, who had been first prepared in soul and body by the Spirit; his coming to birth had to be treated with honour, virginity had to receive new honour.
He comes forth as God, in the human
nature he has taken, one being, made of two contrary
elements, flesh and spirit. Spirit gave divinity, flesh
received it.
He who makes rich is made poor; he takes on the poverty of
my flesh, that I may gain the riches of his divinity.
He who is full is made empty; he is emptied for a brief space of his glory, that I may share in his fullness.
What is this wealth of goodness? What is this mystery that surrounds me?
I received the likeness of God, but
failed to keep it. He takes on my flesh, to bring salvation
to the image, immortality to the flesh. He enters into a
second union with us, a union far more wonderful than the
Holiness had to be brought to man by the humanity assumed
by one who was God, so that God might overcome the tyrant
by force and so deliver us and lead us back to himself
through the mediation of his Son. The Son arranged this for
the honor of the Father, to whom the Son is clearly
obedient in all things.
The Good Shepherd, who lays down his life for the sheep,
came in search of the straying sheep to the mountains and
hills on which you used to offer sacrifice. When he found
it, he took it on the shoulders that bore the wood of the
cross, and led it back to the life of heaven.
Christ, the light of all lights, follows John, the lamp
that goes before him. The Word of God follows the voice in
the wilderness; the bridegroom follows the
bridegroom's friend, who prepares a worthy people for
the Lord by cleansing them by water in preparation for the
We need God to take our flesh and die, that we might live.
We have died with him, that we may be purified.
We have risen again with him, because we have died with him.
We have been glorified with him, because we have risen again with him.
This and other Orthodox materials are available in from:
St. Nicholas Orthodox Church, McKinney, Texas
· Mailing Address: Box 37, McKinney, TX 75070
· Rectory Phone: 972/658-5433
· Email: firstname.lastname@example.com
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· Redeeming the Time Blog: https://www.orthodox.net//redeemingthetime/
This homily is at:
We are indebted to (then) Deacon Matthew Steenberg for a podcast on this sermon: http://www.monachos.net/content/podcasts/640
Archive of commentaries: https://www.orthodox.net//scripture
Archive of homilies: https://www.orthodox.net//sermons
To receive regular mailings of sermons, and scriptural and services commentary and other things throughout the church year, read our blog "Redeeming the Time" (https://www.orthodox.net//redeemingthetime). You may also subscribe to the RSS Feed or receive its postings by email.
Our parish Email list ( http://groups.google.com/group/saint-nicholas-orthodox-church) also has all the latest postings from our website and blog; everyone is welcome to join.
All rights reserved. Please use this material in any edifying reason. We ask that you contact St. Nicholas if you wish to distribute it in any way. We grant permission to post this text, if completely intact only, including this paragraph and the URL of the text, to any electronic mailing list, church bulletin, web page or blog.


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Donde van las manos (Libro electrónico)
You may return most new, unopened items within 30 days of delivery for a full refund. We'll also pay the return shipping costs if the return is a result of our error (you received an incorrect or defective item, etc.).
You should expect to receive your refund within four weeks of giving your package to the return shipper, however, in many cases you will receive a refund more quickly. This time period includes the transit time for us to receive your return from the shipper (5 to 10 business days), the time it takes us to process your return once we receive it (3 to 5 business days), and the time it takes your bank to process our refund request (5 to 10 business days).
If you need to return an item, simply login to your account, view the order using the "Complete Orders" link under the My Account menu and click the Return Item(s) button. We'll notify you via e-mail of your refund once we've received and processed the returned item.
We can ship to virtually any address in the world. Note that there are restrictions on some products, and some products cannot be shipped to international destinations.
When you place an order, we will estimate shipping and delivery dates for you based on the availability of your items and the shipping options you choose. Depending on the shipping provider you choose, shipping date estimates may appear on the shipping quotes page.
Please also note that the shipping rates for many items we sell are weight-based. The weight of any such item can be found on its detail page. To reflect the policies of the shipping companies we use, all weights will be rounded up to the next full pound.
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About the Author
Krystaelynne Sanders Diggs embarked on her journey as a storyteller, driven by a passion for empowering young minds through the enchantment of storytelling. Originating from Sonoma County, California, she pursued three bachelor's degrees at California State University, East Bay before attaining her Masters in Political Science from Binghamton University in New York. Despite specializing in Digital Marketing throughout her career, Krystaelynne harbored a secret ambition to become a writer.
Personal Life and Mission
Krystaelynne's life took a profound turn with the joys of family and the call to a vital cause. Married to Timothy in 2018 and welcoming their son Caleb in 2019, her family became her profound source of inspiration and unwavering support. Amidst the joys of parenthood and cherished moments, a heartbreaking revelation in early 2021 shook her world. The distressing news of a family member's experience with sexual abuse plunged her into a deep emotional turmoil. Devoting time away from work, Krystaelynne committed herself to heal her family and find her own solace.


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Update Jan. 4, 2013, 3:20 p.m.
Iraqi tribes have joined government forces in battling al Qaeda militants, who seized control of much of the western cities Fallujah and Ramadi Friday.
The war in neighboring Syria has helped boost al Qaeda among disenfranchised Sunnis, who have accused Nouri al-Maliki's government of alienation and hostility, including a recent arrest of a prominent Sunni, USA Today reports.
The sectarian violence between the Shiite-led government and minority Sunnis is the worst Iraq has suffered since American troops left the country in 2011. "The situation is very bad," said a former governor of the Anbar region, and also confirmed that al Qaeda had taken control.
The U.S. State Department issued a statement in response to the fighting, noting that the U.S. is working with the Iraqi government to support the Iraqi Security Forces, tribal leaders fighting in conjunction with them, and "efforts to defeat our common enemy."


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Flu Virus Research
The critical part in the research is to understand how influenza virus spread and mutate and is the key to preventing pandemics by discovering preventive, diagnostic and treatment methods.
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), influenza viruses that occur in animals can infect humans, and later develop to pandemic strains. Several research areas have been outlined by the WHO relating to the animal/human influenza interface that could have a profound impact on protecting human being.
The Working Group of WHO on Influenza Research at the Animal/Human Interface was setup in 2005 to encourage basic studies into animal influenza viruses, with the aim to find out the cause the viruses can infect people.
Studies are on-going on avian influenza viruses, particularly H5N1. Researchers aim to discover the prevalence of avian influenza viruses in domestic animals and birds, understand the molecular basis of transmission of viruses from animals to people, assess the role of migratory birds in the transmission of the viruses, and evaluate the human immune response to infection with avian influenza viruses.
Studies are also being done on H1N1, a novel strain which is the causative factor of the current influenza A pandemic and researchers succeeded developed a vaccine which approved by the US Food and Drug Administration.
The scientists from the US National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) play an important role and work in collaboration with medical research institutions worldwide to find better ways to prevent, diagnose and treat seasonal and pandemic influenzas, including influenza A (H1N1).
The trial is being conducted through the NIAID-funded national network of Vaccine and Treatment Evaluation Units (VTEUs). Safety data will be collected and assessed continuously throughout the trial by an independent safety monitoring committee and investigators.
Other than vaccine research, NIAID scientists are also investigating the basic biology of influenza. The data collected will assist in designing diagnostics that are more accurate and faster, cost-effective and portable. NIAID is also investigating host immune responses to the virus in animal models and people, and studying influenza epidemiology.
For treatment, NIAID supports research being conducted to develop new and effective drug combinations and examine the mechanisms behind emerging drug resistance. This effort is supported by innovative new technologies to design drugs that target specific cellular processes and viral proteins.


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China may be biggest winner from Ukraine crisis
Thousands of miles away from the Ukrainian battlefields of Donetsk and Novoazovsk sits the country that may end up being the largest beneficiary of the turmoil along Russia's southwest border: China.
With Russian President Vladimir Putin rewriting the playbook on security in post-Cold War Europe, Beijing has watched warily 3,700 miles to the east, though without protest or interference.
Its abstention from a U.N. Security Council resolution vote in March that condemned Russia's annexation of Crimea was unusual, given Beijing's traditional stance on such votes, but it comes as bilateral ties have been on the upswing for years now.
Two generations ago, ties between Leonid Brezhnev's Russia and Mao Zedong's China were fraught. The two fought small-scale skirmishes in 1969 along the Ussuri River border (the Wusuli in Chinese) that almost resulted in war.
That's a distant memory now.
"China may win out" from the Ukraine crisis? asked Martha Brill Olcott, a longtime scholar of Russia and Central Asian politics. "I think the word is 'will.' China 'will' absolutely benefit."
Strategic goals
Where neighboring countries are concerned, the only nation with a military currently capable of taking on Russia's full scale is China.
Russia has plenty to be wary of: tens of millions of Chinese live across the border from a Russian region that is virtually devoid of people and home to an astounding wealth of natural resources.
Most of the population is packed into the tiny sliver of land on the Pacific coast known as Primorye, a sliver that blocks China from having access to the Sea of Japan.
Goodwill with Beijing is important, and by keeping China unthreatened, Moscow helps secure its "strategic rear," said Andrew Kuchins, director of the Russia and Eurasia program at the Center for Strategic and International Studies.
"It's important for them, and I think particularly for Russia, to create mutual vulnerabilities which helps to secure those rears so that China will not move in the direction of Russia in a military way," Kuchins said at a recent roundtable discussion in Washington.
Where China benefits from the Ukraine crisis most is because of the distraction, said Robert Daly, who heads the Wilson Center's Kissinger Institute on China and the United States.
Russia's actions divert attention from China's own simmering internal conflicts.
Equally, Beijing benefits because Washington is focused on the security needs of its European allies, rather than the four-year-old "pivot to Asia" that some in China viewed as threatening.
"The single biggest benefit is that for China, events in Ukraine, Iraq, Syria; these are the latest major events that distract the United States from carrying out the rebalance to the East," Kuchins said.
Geographic aims
In former Soviet Central Asia – home to countries like Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan – Russia and China, and to a lesser degree the United States, Turkey and Europe, have been engaged in a slow-motion chessboard shuffle, trying to build new relationships or bolster old ones.
The Kremlin's influence over its former republics isn't what it used to be, but Moscow has sought to build on longstanding cultural, linguistic, economic and social ties to make sure it can still pull levers when it has to.
China joined a Russia-led security group comprised mainly of Central Asian nations known as the Shanghai Cooperation Organization.
Set up in 2001, the SCO was ostensibly aimed at monitoring regional terrorist threats, though many analysts viewed it also as a way for the two rivals to keep a close eye on one another.
It's also a way to minimize influence of the United States, which fostered close military ties with Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan after the Sept. 11 attacks but whose influence has since diminished.
The Ukraine crisis was a wake-up call for Central Asian leaders, experts say, particularly for those countries with sizable Russian populations like Kazakhstan.
"Internally, in Central Asia, at high levels, there's really been the sense that there's a crisis time coming in Russia, and the question was when," said Olcott, who has ties to many of the region's elites.
"It's going to make it easier for the Chinese to get what they want. It certainly will change how the SCO is going to operate, leaving Russia potentially even more isolated both in the SCO and Central Asia more broadly," she said.
"The Central Asians are clearly afraid of Russia, but it's not clear the Russians have the ability. … The question for the Central Asians will be: Does Russia have the capacity to do this at the same time?" Olcott added.
Economic needs
The Kremlin has looked to the East for years as a hedge against the possibility that European markets might suddenly be less welcoming to Russian products.
Above all, this is about oil and gas. Russia is currently the dominant source for Europe's energy needs. But disputes with Ukraine that predate the current crisis have led to calls in European capitals to diversify away from Russian sources.
So Russia has turned east. Gas from the Pacific island of Sakhalin is flowing via the Primorye region, and a spur cutting south from the Eastern Siberia Pacific Ocean pipeline brings more than 300,000 barrels a day south into the industrial city of Daqing.
The $400 billion, 30-year deal signed in May to bring gas from Siberian fields into China's northern industrial regions is the biggest example to date of Russia's turn to eastern markets. Most industry watchers, however, think Beijing got the better deal.
"With Putin, he was very much on the back foot here, big time. He wanted to say to the Europeans, we don't have to sell it to you. He wanted to say to the Europeans that you can stick your gas where the sun don't shine," said Malcolm Graham-Wood, with the British energy consultancy HydroCarbon Capital.
"But "it's massively Chinese weighted. Putin is selling Russian gas on the cheap, at a big discount… The clear winner is China. They're taking the long view on this," he said.
Oil and gas may be primary, but there are other trade opportunities lurking.
The Kremlin's imposition of retaliatory sanctions last month barred many consumer products from European and North American countries.
Chinese entrepreneurs are already gearing up to fill the holes in Russian supermarkets shelves, said one executive at a company called Shandong Goodfarmer, the largest Chinese exporter of apples, garlic and ginger.
"With an entire year of the ban, the Russian produce market is bound to experience a shortage of supply in the coming year, which is a huge opportunity for the Chinese produce industry," Lu Zuoqi told the trade publication, freshfruitportal.com, on Aug. 12.
Military means
China's military doesn't want for manpower. With an estimated 2.2 million personnel, the People's Liberation Army is the world's largest.
Where its shortcomings are is in sophisticated technologies that would make another military superpower think twice about intervening in places that Beijing considers its core strategic interest.
Russia's military spending is on the upswing: up 92 percent in nominal terms since 2010, according to IHS Jane's Defence Weekly. Russia's weapons makers – think Sukhoi, MiG, Zvezda, Almaz-Antey – are happy to benefit from this largesse, but the Defense Ministry isn't their only client.
State-run arms dealer Rosoboronexport has been expanding its customer base for years, trying to gain market share from the world's largest arms dealer, the United States.
Moscow has sold diesel attack submarines to Vietnam and Sukoi fighter jets and Mil helicopters to India in past years.
The Stockholm International Peace Research Institute estimates that since 2009, half of all Russian arms sales went to India and China.
China is also opening the budget spigots for military spending.
Its 2014 military budget was set at 12.2 percent over previous years. Stepping up purchases is a priority, but so is developing indigenous systems, particularly for theater-specific weapons known as "access-denial."
The idea is to build an arsenal that can keep unwanted intruders (think the United States) out of places China doesn't want it to be (think the Taiwan Strait). Russian-built S-300 anti-aircraft defense systems or Kh-35 anti-ship missiles fit that bill nicely
Submarines as well as aircraft carriers fit that bill, too. China's first is a Soviet ship inherited by Ukraine after 1991 and then overhauled and sold to Beijing.
The idea is "to raise the cost of US/NATO intervention virtually anywhere," Kuchins, of CSIS, said. "That's useful for the Chinese, that's useful for the Syrians, that's useful for a number of other clients. This puts an emphasis on anti-air, and anti-ship technologies, key for Russian arms sales."
Domestic agenda
China has been less than happy about Putin's decision to foment insurgency in another country. That's because China has plenty of internal unrest of its own to handle: the Tibetans, the Uighurs, for example, analysts say.
The Ukraine crisis may end up changing that calculus as Russia, seeking to build goodwill with Beijing, moves to openly back China in its own territorial disputes. East China Sea, anyone?
"The Russians may move from their studied neutral opposition vis-a-vis Chinese territorial disputes in the East in order that the Chinese might support the Russians so that they have more running room in the areas that the Russians are more concerned about," Kuchins said.
At the Security Council vote, when Western powers pushed a resolution condemning Russia for annexing Crimea, Beijing abstained rather than vetoed the measure alongside Moscow. Some experts interpreted that as a rebuke to Russia.
Others, however, said the abstention, along with Beijing's unwillingness to join in Western sanctions against Russia, is a better indicator of the emerging policy between the two giants.
"Such a stance by China should be interpreted as nothing other than benevolent neutrality toward the Kremlin," said Artyom Lukin, deputy director of the School of Regional and International Studies at Russia's Far Eastern Federal University, in an article published in March.
"One may suspect that, in exchange, Beijing would expect from Moscow the same kind of 'benevolent neutrality,' for example, regarding its actions in East Asia and the Western Pacific," he said.
Source: VOANews.com
(Photo of Beijing: Marcus Rhoads/freeimages.com)


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Health Coaching
An Integrative Nutrition Health Coach is a guide and mentor who empowers you and provides ongoing support and guidance as you set goals and make sustainable changes that improve your health and happiness. As your Health Coach, I will listen carefully and we'll navigate the world of contradictory nutrition and health advice together to explore what truly works for you.
- Tired of one-size-fits-all approaches to dieting?
- Drained from toxic relationships?
- Overwhelmed by stress at work?
- Fed up with those nagging cravings?
- Want to feel great in your body?
- Ready to accomplish your goals in a way that's empowering and exciting?
Together we will:
- Connect the dots between who you are and who you want to be.
- Create your personal blueprint.
- Decipher your body's unique needs.
- Set your personal goals and work towards sustainable change.
What you get:
- Two 50-minute sessions per month.
- Email support between sessions.
- Simple healthy recipes.
- Handouts specific to your needs and goals
To decide if health coaching is right for you, I invite you to schedule
a free initial consultation with me.
During this session, we will discuss your health and lifestyle to determine how I can best support you in achieving your goals.
What are you waiting for? Let's do this!
My Approach
I practice a holistic approach to health and wellness, which means that I look at how all areas of your life are connected. Does stress at your job or in your relationship cause you to overeat? Does lack of sleep or low energy prevent you from exercising? As we work together, we will look at how all parts of your life affect your health as a whole.
My approach is not to dwell on calories, carbs, fats, and proteins. It is not to create lists of restrictions or good and bad foods. Instead, I work with my clients to create a happy, healthy life in a way that is flexible, fun and rewarding.
Together we'll work to reach your health goals in areas such as achieving optimal weight, reducing food cravings, increasing sleep, and maximizing energy. As we work together, you'll develop a deeper understanding of the food and lifestyle choices that work best for you and implement lasting changes that will improve your energy, balance and health.
Integrative Nutrition® Plate
The Integrative Nutrition Plate emphasizes the importance of local and organic produce, whole grains, high-quality proteins, plant-based fats, and water. It shows you how a plate should appear at mealtime and emphasizes the importance of proportions and portion size. To complete the picture, the plate is surrounded with lifestyle factors that create optimal health: relationship, career, physical activity and spirituality. I'll introduce you to some of the healthiest foods on the planet and teach you how to find what's healthiest for your unique body!
Primary Food™
It's easy to overlook all of the things that contribute to our sense of nourishment and fulfillment. It's not just the food we eat that affects our health, but all of the other factors present in our daily lives. Healthy relationships, a fulfilling career, regular physical activity, and a spiritual awareness are essential forms of nourishment. When these "primary foods" are balanced, what you eat becomes secondary. I will support you in achieving all of your goals, from eating the right foods for your body to living an inspired, fulfilling life.
Crowding Out
Many nutrition experts give their clients a list of foods to avoid and foods to eat, which explains why so many people are turned off by nutrition. My approach is different – by eating and drinking foods that are good for you, you will naturally have less room and desire for unhealthy foods. Simply put, you will "crowd out" the unhealthy food in your diet. This takes a little practice to make happen, but I will support you all the way.
The concept of bio-individuality is the idea that each of us has unique food and lifestyle needs. One person's food is another person's poison, and that's why fad diets tend to fail in the long run. Working on the principle of bio-individuality, I'll support you to make positive changes that are based on your unique needs, lifestyle, preferences, and ancestral background.
Deconstructing Cravings
Cravings play a critical role in understanding what your body needs and shouldn't be ignored. When you learn how to deconstruct your cravings and understand what they're really telling you, you will be able to reclaim a sense of balance and harmony.
You can learn more about my training at the Institute for Integrative Nutrition.
Are you ready to start feeling better than ever?
Schedule an initial consultation with me today!


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I recently played Super Meat Boy on XBox Live. It is a really fun game, and it manages innovation in a genre that I would have thought had passed innovation by decades ago. It's an impressive feat, and very much worth some attention.
Super Meat Boy is a 2-D platformer. Like all other successful indie games. Ninety percent of all indie games have to be 2-D platformers now, by federal law. Penalties for violation start at being forced to watch all of the Wandering Around In the Forest Being Emo scenes from Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows and rapidly get worse from there.
The plot is simple, elemental, and timeless. You play Meat Boy, a small, sentient wad of bloody meat. Your girlfriend, Bandage Girl, has been kidnapped by the evil Dr. Fetus. You have to rescue her. You do so by moving left and right and jumping, hopefully evading all obstacles on your way to get to Bandage Girl. That's it. That's the game. It's a bloodier (MUCH bloodier) version of Donkey Kong, which itself came out about the time Napoleon was getting bogged down in Russia.
And yet, it is insanely fun and amazingly innovative. And the innovation comes from the developers' attempt to answer this simple question:
How do you make a computer game that is extremely hardcore and difficult but, at the same time, light and fun and not frustrating?
Tough problem. And they come up with a great solution. Super Meat Boy has two innovations that make it unique:
1. Short, short levels. No death penalty.
Super Meat Boy is a tough platformer, one of the toughest you will ever play. However, the levels are short. Very short. A lot of them can be completed in less than five seconds. Practically all of them can be done in less than thirty. For all regular gameplay, you don't have "lives". There is no long, annoying death animation. When you die, you are instantly back at the start of the level and able to play again. In other words, you come back to life so fast you will be playing again before you fully realize that you died.
Super Meat Boy requires amazingly difficult jumps, dodges, maneuvers, etc. It can easily take fifty tries to finish a level. And yet, you will often have all of those deaths less than five seconds into a level. So fifty deaths sounds like a lot, but they take place in less that 250 seconds (four minutes or so), which is an entirely reasonable amount of time to spend completing a level.
And when, by some unholy combination of skill and luck, you reach that fifth minute and maneuver through a tough level, you feel like a gaming god.
2. The Awesome Replays
When you finish a level, you see a replay of your attempts. Sounds dull, yes? The difference here is that you see a replay of ALL your attempts, shown at once. You die fifty times before you win? Then the replay shows fifty-one Meat Boys running through the level simultaneously. Fifty of them die in explosions of gore, and one of them gets through. It looks really cool and funny, and you can save the replays and show them to your friends.
The really amazing thing about this feature is subtle but powerful. What the all-attempts replays mean is that every time you die you didn't just waste your time. You added one more Meat Boy to the final replay, making it look cooler. Die fifty times? Then the replay looks spectacular. You aren't just failing. You're creating a bit of video game art. This feature sometimes made me keep trying a level again and again even after my sore fingers begged me to stop, just because I knew that, when I won, the replay would be awesome.
Video game death as personal expression. How cool is that?
There's More
There's many levels in the game. Finish a level quickly enough and it unlocks a much more difficult "dark world" version of the level. Plus there are boss fights. Hidden characters. Secret bonus levels. It's one of the best examples I've ever seen of obsessed developers going the extra mile to add craftsmanship and polish to their labor of love. The controls are really tight. The cutscenes are hilarious. Seriously, play this game.
I am on the record as saying that indie game development is overrated from the perspective of innovation. There are plenty of indie developers making hackwork, genre pieces, and clones of more successful games, and EA has published plenty of innovative titles over the last few years. But this is definitely one game that argues for the specialness of indies, and it's definitely worth checking out.


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I know this style of cushion makeup has been quite popular for a while now, especially in South Korea & its slowly gaining a following in the UK as more brands get on board with this beauty trend. I have never tried any cushion makeup products before & was very intrigued as to how it all worked.
I have read that cushion foundations started out in South Korea as a skincare / makeup fusion much like a BB Cream but with better coverage – this sounds perfect to me. Lancome were the first Western brand to release their version, the Miracle Cushion Foundation which hit the market last year and after its huge popularity they have followed it up with the Teint Idole Ultra Cushion. This new release promises more coverage and includes SPF 50, Lancome have also extended on this cushion concept and they have a range of Cushion Blushers too. Get Excited!
Lancome Teint Idole Ultra Cushion Compact*
This foundation comes beautifully packaged in a luxurious gold & black compact with a large mirror in the lid, a small puff sponge and the actual product comes sealed in a pack so you open it and clip it in. This ensures the foundation is fresh and also means there is minimal waste as you repurchase a refill once it runs out and you always reuse the gold compact, very clever. This is available in 9 shades in the UK which is disappointing because there are 18 shades available in the US.
I did use a foundation brush to apply, I tapped my brush lightly on the middle of the cushion to release just enough product, then I buffed it into my skin. This was very easy to blend and after initially thinking I had the wrong shade it turned out Beige Rose was a perfect match. This applied evenly and very seamlessly, it felt hydrating on my skin and didn't extenuate any fine lines or pores.
This is a full coverage foundation but it feels light on the skin, I think its because it has quite a fluid consistency and you need so little product. It has a natural soft focus finish, Lancome say it gives the skin a semi matte finish, which might make you worried that it will look flat or dull on the skin but this is not the case. It looks very radiant and not at all flat I think it left my skin with more of a natural, even glowing finish.
I love that is has SPF 50 so your skin is protected from the harmful effects of sun damage and the fact this is in a handy compact means you can easily re apply it / or touch up throughout the day. I am sold on this & now wait to try all the cushion makeup. I am interested to see how long the product lasts, you get 13g and from using it a couple of times it seems you don't need to use a lot of product to achieve a good level of coverage so we will see.
Lancome Cushion Blush Subtil in Sorbet Grenadine*
Lancome are again the first Western brand to release a cushion style blush, they have released 6 wearable shades, I have the shade Sorbet Grenadine which is a pretty coral pink and it gives a lovely healthy radiance to my cheeks. The blush feels like a cross between a jelly and a sponge which has been drenched in product, its very odd but it actually works well. The formula is quite wet to the touch but is very creamy and the shade I have is very pigmented, you could really build this up to quite intense.
You need to blend these in well so you're not left with a stripe of colour on your cheek. The colour I have has a gorgeous dewy finish and it gives your skin a healthy, radiant natural flush of colour. Oh and it makes a cute lip colour too if you like your products to be multi functional.
It has surprised me just how much I like this, I'm not always keen on cream blushers but this Cushion Blush applies so smoothly, the texture is beautifully fluid and extremely easy to work with. If your worried that because it has quite a fluid texture that it will end up just disappearing off your face, don't be. The colour has very good staying power and stay in place for hours. I am impressed.
The packaging is a compact which is smaller but similar to the Cushion Foundation, the compact is black with a pink Lancome Rose on the top. There is a nice mirror in the lid and a little sponge applicator and in the bottom is the blush which is in an air lock compartment just like the foundation so it stays fresh and no moisture is lost.
I have enjoyed both products and would recommend them, everything from the packaging to the finish feels luxurious and well thought out. If you have a Lancome counter near you pop down and have a swatch and I promise that you won't be disappointed.
I am pleased to say that Lancome have won me back, after I felt let down by their recent Grandiôse Liner launch.
•PR Sample


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Last update: 21 August, 2010
Zen Blurb
Zen Movies
Technical Brief
The Heart of Zen: 7 Layers of Code
Zen Will Not Be (Only) WYSIWYG
My Blog, Mostly Marketing Ideas
Information About Me
Contact Information
Zen is a toolkit I invented (and continue to invent) to create web pages and web applications with unusual flexibility, given simple GUI-based instructions from the user. The toolkit is unusual because:
Zen has many competitors, but the combination of all these characteristics makes Zen absolutely unique—and a highly valuable technology. Web applications augmented with Zen's unique combination of features will eventually and inevitably become popular, because they will not have to be programmed in advance and will not have to follow a known archetype. Users will evolve them as their needs evolve, giving rise to new creativity, organizational methods, and collaboration. The barrier to entry to the market for such technologies will be high, due to today's emphasis on statically typed, non-dynamic, non-functional-oriented programming languages and lack of understanding of or appreciation for JavaScript. To create a system like Zen, a good understanding of dynamic, functional meta-programming is necessary.
Zen comprises 7 layers, described below. Layers 1 through 5 are immediately available to selected beta testers, who will probably be web graphic designers or user experience designers with some or no experience adding JavaScript-based widgets into web pages. Beta testers will not need any programming experience. To request to be part of the informal beta test programme, send an email to email@example.com with the subject 'Zen beta test' and mention the beta test and your background.
Layers 1, 2, and 4 are immediatedly usable by programmers. To request a technical or business collaboration using Zen-related technologies, send an email to email@example.com with the subject 'Zen collaboration'. Technical or business collaborations could involve exchanges or collaborations of various kinds. I am seeking angel investment, venture capital, and marketing consultancy, and I can provide computer programming consultancy, AJAX and JavaScript training, and technical apprenticeship. I would be interested in collaborating with others to create an online forum or guild.
(If your web browser has Flash installed in it, you will see a box with some icons in it. If it doesn't, please download the files directly from box.net/zen.)
Last update: 27 May, 2010
// A whole web page can be described in JSON. // Here, the value of "accordion" is set using JSON. var accordion = ["div", {id:"workingNode"}, [["dijit.layout.AccordionContainer", {style:{width:"100%",height:"160px",backgroundColor:"yellow"}}, [["dijit.layout.AccordionPane", {title:"Click here!"}, [["div", {style:{width:"100%",height:"100px", backgroundColor:"orange"}}, []]]], ["dijit.layout.AccordionPane", {title:"Click here!"}, [["div", {style:{width:"100%",height:"100px",backgroundColor:"red"}}, []]]]]]]]; var newDOMBranch = zen.createSubtree(accordion); newDOMBranch.appendMyselfToParent(document.body); zen.startup();
The above code produces a Dojo AccordionContainer with 2 AccordionPanes inside like that shown in Interactive Figure 1, below. Notice the above code is much less dense than the following ad hoc code that achieves the same results:
dojo.require("dijit.layout.AccordionContainer"); dojo.require("dijit.layout.AccordionPane"); var accordionContainer = new dijit.layout.AccordionContainer( {style:"width:100%; height:160px; background-color:yellow"}, dojo.byId("workingNode")); var accordionPane1 = new dijit.layout.AccordionPane( {title:"Click here!"}); var div1 = document.createElement("div"); div1.style["width"]= "100%"; div1.style["height"] = "100px"; div1.style["background-color"] = "orange"; accordionPane1.setContent(div1); var accordionPane2 = new dijit.layout.AccordionPane( {title:"Click here!"}); var div2 = document.createElement("div"); div2.style["width"]= "100%"; div2.style["height"] = "100px"; div2.style["background-color"] = "red"; accordionPane2.setContent(div2); accordionContainer.addChild(accordionPane1); accordionContainer.addChild(accordionPane2); accordionContainer.startup();
Zen will eventually comprise 7 layers. All of these presently exist in prototype form except for layers 6 and 7.
Added 27 May, 2010
A DMI (Direct Manipulation Interface) does not necessarily imply WYSIWYG. WYSIWYM editors are generally a better idea than WYSIWYG editors or CMSs. They produce better code than WYSIWYG editors or CMSs and can allow search engines to work better. (There are many WYSIWYG editors listed in Wikipedia's List of HTML editors and htmlarea.com's list of WYSIWYG editors, but the fundamentals of Zen are entirely different.) Zen could include either a WYSIWYG editor or a WYSIWYM editor—or both, even the ability to edit CSS stylesheets transparently using a kind of hybrid WYSIWYG-WYSIWYM editor. Congruent with its WYSIWYM nature, Zen mainly operates within the limitations of the Web's visual formatting model. It does not try to be a desktop publishing application or a word processor.
Zen works differently than most web editors and CMSs because it works directly on the DOM, not on HTML. There are many benefits gained from working directly on the DOM rather than on HTML, but they fall into three categories:
Zen has a centred-in-the-page approach and a not-just-HTML attitude. By 'centred-in-the-page' I mean that, unlike many 'AJAX' or 'AJAX-enabled' frameworks, its code support for the inspection and editing components of web applications, for user-interface programming, and for business-model programming is placed close to where the page rendering takes place: in the web browser. So far as I know, this is unique among toolkits and frameworks. Due to this unusual approach to web page and web application creation, none of Zen's editing capabilities will depend upon boilerplate code, browser plugins, software installation, or a particular web browser. They will only require a reasonably up-to-date web browser.
By a not-just-HTML attitude, I mean that Zen can accomodate and support the inclusion of any component or encapsulated object in a web page. Currently, Dojo widgets and Google Gadgets support exists in a working Zen prototype.
Zen's JSON-based markup gives it its own JSON-based plugin architecture that can easily support hundreds of mashup APIs like GoogleMaps, Twitter, YouTube, Flickr, and Facebook, and will have backend code on the web server to enable EverNote- or Google-Notebook-style web clipping (copying, pasting, and saving snippets from any foreign web page), and eventually Ruby on Rails-based database 'migrations', thus enabling tightly integrated point-and-click construction of simple database-centred web applications. Zen has chameleon DNA: it is capable of being streamlined for whatever kinds of frontend-only or backend-assisted components users want to see in their toolbars (or APIs).
On Twitter I am @tomelam.
My Linkedin profile is www.linkedin.com/in/tomelam.
My Facebook profile is www.facebook.com/tomelam.
My Friendfeed account is friendfeed.com/tomelam
My Flickr Photostream is www.flickr.com/photos/28017228@N00.
My Delicious account is delicious.com/tomelam.
My Github account is github.com/tomelam.
Please refer to Mashweb.Club for the latest developments.
My pre-alpha, Heroku-hosted integration of parts of Zen on a Rails backend is zen-rails.heroku.com. This does not work in the Safari web browser and probably does not work in Internet Explorer, but the problem will be fixed eventually.
My email address is firstname.lastname@example.com.