text:
Title: My Mommy's on a Business Trip
Author: Phaedra Cucina
Illustrator: Shelley Johannes
Copyright date: October 2008
Number of pages: 24
Size: 9" x 9"
Binding: Hardcover
Publisher: DolceVita Press, LLC
Price: $18.99 (USD)
Where to buy: available at www.mommytrip.com
Contact Us
For more information about My Mommy's on a Business Trip, My Daddy's on a Business Trip, DolceVita Woman, DolceVita Media, or Phaedra Cucina, email firstname.lastname@example.com or call 512.565.1841 between 9:30 am and 4:30 pm CST.You may contact Phaedra Cucina directly at firstname.lastname@example.com.
Press Mentions
The BuzzPraise for My Mommy's on a Business Trip
"Thank you for putting some pride and happiness behind why my wife is away traveling and working."
Vice President, Bilinguistics, Inc.
Parent of one
"The balance of being a mother and a professional are perfectly captured in this delightful book. My first trip away from my daughter was at just three months old. Today, as a young adult, she feels our phone conversations during those various separations gave her a strong sense of independence and confidence. This story is a special insight into all of those unique emotions toward finding that balance. I recommend "Mommy's on a Business Trip" to all moms."
VP of Marketing for Zale Corporation
Mother of One
"Every time my suitcase comes out of the closet, my 2-year old son throws himself into the suitcase crying "no go!" and my 4-year old daughter tosses in the sunscreen telling me that she hopes I have a great 'vacation.' As my heart sinks and tears well in my eyes, I choke back the lump in my throat and tell them that mommy needs to go. This is such a great book to capture both the feelings of the mom and child. It is always a struggle and there is no easy answer, but I always remind myself that I am being a good role-model for my kids and it always makes me appreciate the time we do spend together. I look forward to reading this book to them before I get on that plane!"
Director of Sales, Microsoft
Mother of Two
"I love this book! As a professional woman who travels and feels guilty about it, I can really relate. I can't wait to read this to my kids. I think it will help them understand why I travel and how much I miss and love them. Nicely done."
Journalism Director, University Interscholastic League
Mother of Two
"Going on business trips can evoke many emotions, not the least of which is guilt over being away from family. Here's a helpful read to comfort all family members when mom must be away."
Vice President, Southeastern Asset Management
Mother of One
"A must-read for every mother and child. As the mother of 21 year-old twins, with 32 years in corporate America, I highly recommend this book for any professional businesswoman who is striving to successfully balance her career and family."
Formerly Executive Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer of BearingPoint
Mother of Two
"This book lovingly demonstrates how those of us who travel for work leave a positive legacy for our kids by demonstrating how to be courageous when we are apart and grateful for the times we are together. I wish I had this book for my children when they were young!"
Chief Marketing Officer, The American Girl Company
Mother of Two
"A must for every mommy executive! This book should be a staple in the HR department to be given to women executives who have a family."
CBS Inc.
Mother of Two
"Companies should provide this book to all their employees! Our family still today measures my time away in how many 'sleeps' will mom be away. Phaedra has hit the mark in helping to explain to young children why we leave and most importantly why we always come back."
VP Product Communications for Dell Inc
Mother of Two
"This is a beautiful book. I wish I had it when my children were younger. It takes the mystery out of business travel for our children, which is half the challenge."
Founder of www.bluesuitmom.com and host of www.momtalkradio.com
Mother of Four
"I travelled around the world when my children were quite young. It was—in a word—hard. I wish I had this little book to remind them (and me) that everything would be alright."
Partner, Gilbert and Company
Mother of Two
"This is a wonderful book for Moms on the go! It allows me to ease into my business trips knowing my child understands how much I will miss her while I am gone. We can spend the days up to my trip reading together, and then read it over the phone while I am away."
Owner, Direct Effect Coaching
Mother of One
"While I packed for business trips, it had become a tradition for my 3-year old daughter, Tess, to climb into the suitcase and ask to join me on the trip. We now have a new tradition…reading 'My Mommy's on a Business Trip' together before I leave."
Global HR Information Management Leader at Dell
Mother of One
"Even after years of going on business trips and coming back, my two sons still ask me each and every time I'm getting ready to depart, 'are you coming back?' Having this book to help us talk about why we travel, what it means, how much we miss them, and that we always come back puts the experience of 'parents traveling' on par with other scary experiences that books help us prepare for – going to the dentist, using the potty, going to kindergarten and more. I've added this lovely and touching book to our line-up – it will come in handy next time our younger son asks 'what do you do in New York City?'"
Director of SMB Ad Services, Microsoft
Mother of Two
"As a former road warrior for companies like EDS and Oracle, I would have loved this book for my now 11 year old."
The Ladies Room with Lolis Talk Radio Show
Mother of One
"I'm so glad you wrote a book to address the issue of a lengthy separation of mother and child because of work. In our busy and sometimes fast paced business lives, it is easy to forget that our absence do affect our children. This book is a helpful tool for the young child of today's career mom who has to travel!"
Ethnic Loft, Owner, and
Mother of Two
"My youngest daughter, age 3, is already having a difficult time with me just talking to her about the idea of me being gone more than a day. My Mommy's going on a Business Trip allowed me to show her the pictures to go with 'my words.' The book is very age appropriate for young children who have a difficult time grasping the concept, especially the time concept of a day or week. Phaedra Cucina provides moms with a much needed book to help them focus on the tasks at hand, knowing their children understand and are not upset and wondering if mommy will come back."
Athena Financial Group
Mother of Four
"We read the much anticipated book and were really impressed. The message is simple and sweet and helps explain an increasingly common situation in families of today. The illustrations are fun and really make the words come alive. It is great asset to have for families with traveling professional parents and small children."
Director, Versata Software, and Senior Manager, Data Consulting Group
Parents of Two
"I can't wait to give the book to my son, Samuel. It's a perfect way to remind him all is well and I'll be home soon! I love the picture of the mom returning and picking up the baby. It is one of my favorite moments when I return home and the book captures it perfectly! How wonderful!"
Sales Effectiveness Manager, Dell Inc
Mother of One
"The book captures the emotions that I see my children have when I leave for a business trip. They always think I am having fun in the hotel and have time to go shopping! The illustrations match their dreams and our realities. Great job."
ENT Consultant, Acclarent, Inc.,
Mother of Three
"I can't wait to share this book with all of my friends who travel for work. "My Mommy's Going on a Business Trip" is the perfect tool for parents to help ease a child's fear of separation while mom is away."
Realtor, Alain Pinel Realtors
Mother of Two
"How rewarding to share business trips with your children through this delightful and insightful book of adventure. Through sweet prose and vivid illustrations, this heartwarming book encourages mother's to openly share their traveling adventures in an emotionally comforting and fun way. It is okay to miss mommy and okay for mommy to experience things away from children too. Thank you, Phaedra, for bringing our work, travel and children together in a fun and soul-felt way. This book is a gift to working mothers and the children they love."
Soul Coach
Mother of Two
"Phaedra's book shows us what it means to a child when Mommy leaves on a business trip and how they relate what Mommy's doing to what they do. It also reassures your little ones that Mommy isn't leaving because she loves being away from you, and that she's always coming back!"
Owner, Integrated Wellness
Mother of Two
"Well it's a bummer to leave my babies, but at least this helps me explain in their terms!"
Senior Marketing Manager, Dell, Inc.
Mother of Two


text:
Powered by Translate
Powered by
Public Services International brings together more than 20 million workers, represented by over 700 unions in 154 countries and territories. We are a global trade union federation dedicated to promoting quality public services in every part of the world. Our members, two-thirds of whom are women, work in social services, health care, municipal and community services, central government, and public utilities such as water and electricity.
Public Services International brings together more than 20 million workers, represented by 700 unions in 163 countries and territories.
Please use the filters below to view affiliates according to region, sub-region and/or country or download a PDF of our affiliates' directories:
The trade union movement is by far the largest democratic movement in the world. PSI is the acknowledged representative of public sector workers within this movement. We want to join our voice with yours at local level, and to join yours with ours at the international level.
45 avenue VoltaireBP 901211 Ferney-Voltaire CedexFranceOffice Tel: +33(0)450406464Office Fax: +33(0)450407320Office e-mail: email@example.com: www.world-psi.org
PSI staff
See French and Spanish for meeting documents in those languages.
Below you will find a selection of our most recent job offerings. All PSI jobs advertised on this page require trade union experience.
The PSI regional office for Africa and Arab countries is based in Lomé, Togo. Sub-regional offices are based in Lebanon and South Africa.
PSI's regional office for the Asia and Pacific region is based in Singapore. There are sub-regional offices based in India, Japan and New Zealand.
PSI's regional office for Interamerica is currently based in São Paulo, Brazil. Sub-regional offices are also based in Colombia, Costa Rica, Chile, Barbados and the USA.

subset: commoncrawl


text:
IP65 Outdoor 18*10W RGBW LED PAR Can with Zoom
|FOB Price:
|US $235 / Piece
|Min. Order:
|2 Pieces
|Min. Order
|FOB Price
|2 Pieces
|US $235/ Piece
|Production Capacity:
|Transport Package:
|Carton Box or Flycase
|Payment Terms:
|T/T, Western Union
Request a custom order and have something just for you!Send Customized Request
- Model NO.: GA-LP1815C
- Emitting Color: Full Range
- Waterproof: Waterproof
- Life: 60000
- Input Voltage: 110-220
- LED Chips: CREE
- Product Name: IP65 Outdoor 18*10W RGBW China LED PAR Can
- LED: 18pcsx10W LED 4 In1
- Beam Angle: 15-45 Degree(Optional)
- Package: Carton or Fly Case
- Package Size: 460X500X340mm
- Trademark: GAGA
- Origin: Guangzhou, China
- Type: IP65 18X15W LED PAR Can
- Power: 15W
- IP Rating: IP65
- Electric Current Type: AC
- Shell Material: Aluminium Alloy
- Certification: CE, RoHS
- Keywords: LED PAR Can
- Control System: DMX, Auto, Sound, Mast/Slave
- Control Channels: 3/4/5/6/12
- Data in/out: Locking 3-Pin XLR
- Weight: 13.0 Kg
- Specification: CE, ROHS
- HS Code: 9405402000
Item No.:IP65 Outdoor 18*10W RGBW LED PAR Can with zoom
|AC 90-240v, 50/60Hz
|Power consumption
|Lighting Source
|18pcs×10w led 4 IN 1 RGBW
|DMX, master slave, sound actived, auto mode
|Beam angle
|digital screen
|11 kg
|13 kg
|Carton size
Original Picture ( not copy !!! )
Production Process:
Warrantya: We offer 2 years warranty !
b: Once the product get problem within warranty, kindly please send picture or video to us, it will be helpful for us to make sure what is problem.Why choose us ?
a: We have 8 years of production expeirence!
b: We own research and development team, we can offer you the best and the newest products in time
c: We own after-service team, we can help you to solve any problem in time.
1. Q: Are you a factory or trading company?
A: We are a real manufacturer of professional stage lighting
2. Q: Where is your factory located? How can I visit there?
A: Our factory is located in Guangzhou City, Guangdong Province, China, about 25 minutes away from Baiyun Airport .All our clients, from home or overseas, are warmly welcome to visit us!
3. Q: How to get the price list?
A: Pls email to us with items names which you like together with your details(name,details address,telephone,etc), we will send to you asap.
4. Q: Do you have CE/ROHS certificate?
A: Yes, we can offer the CE/ROHS certificates as to your requirements
5. Q: What's the shipping method and deliery time?
A: Our products could be shipped by Sea, by Air or by Express. Which method to be used is based on the weight and size of the package and with consideration of customer's requirements. By sea: 20-40days;
6. Q: Can I use my own forwarder to transport the products for me?
A: Yes, if you have your own forwarder in Guangzhou or all over China, we can ship the goods to your forwarder and let your forwarder ship the products for you. And then you will no need to pay the freight to us.
7. Q: What's the Payment method?
A: We can accept T/T, Western Union, Aliexpress Escrow or visit factory in Cash as payment method, 30% deposit before production, the balance before delivery
8. Q: How to place an order?
A: Please kindly let us know what's you're looking for by email or phonecall, we will confirm the PI with total price. We wish to know the below: Delivery information-company name, details address, phone, destination, transportation way ; Product information: item number, size, quantity, logo, etc.
9. Q: How does your factory do regarding quality control?
A: Quality is priority. GAGA Light people always Pay more to quality controlling from the very beginning to the very end. Also, we provide 2 years warranty for all our products.
We-GAGA Light-pay 100% attention to build Quality. We treat every customers with intergrity. We help you in every detail. Welcome to inquiry and Thank you for your visiting.


text:
|suvayu ali
|Re: [O] Annoying behavior of RET after a timestamp
|Tue, 29 May 2012 21:04:41 +0200
On Tue, May 29, 2012 at 8:57 PM, Samuel Wales <address@hidden> wrote: > in case it's relevant to bisecting. Nick already diagnosed the bug for us. :) org-at-timestamp-p is the culprit. -- Suvayu Open source is the future. It sets us free.
|[Prev in Thread]
|Current Thread
|[Next in Thread]


text:
In a recent discussion about millenials, I was surprised to see how many open liberals came out of the woodwork, proclaiming that all of the safe-space demanding, free-speech denying, trigger-warning demanding progressive nonsense that we see on college campuses across the country doesn't really exist. Not at all. It's just not real.
So I posted a long list of articles on the subject. I think I gave up at about 30 articles but I could easily have gone further. Stories from universities across the nation where this liberal bullshit is undeniably happening. Nope. It's just a tiny minority that just doesn't matter. None of it is true. It's all right-wing rhetoric.
Okay, next I went with pictures. Hundreds of young adults carrying signs demanding safe spaces and censorship of ideas that they didn't like. Photo after photo of crazy leftists doing everything that we're criticizing in huge numbers. The right wing can write articles, but I don't think they're out there Photoshopping hundreds of pictures. Nope. It isn't real. The pictures and the videos and everything else, it's all part of a directed smear campaign against the left and they just won't believe any of it no matter how much evidence gets presented. In fact, none of it is even evidence because they've got their eyes clenched shut and their fingers in their ears, screaming "I don't hear you!"
What the hell is wrong with these people?
Whether they like it or not, progressives have invaded college campuses and are making absurdly irrational demands that their feelings be protected and that they be safe from hearing anything that they disagree with. Universities are supposed to be the place where all of your preconceived notions are challenged, where you learn to follow the evidence to a conclusion, not cook the evidence to support the conclusion you already have. Yet that is exactly what these special little snowflakes want and a large portion of the liberal left refuse to acknowledge that they even exist. Maybe they just can't bring themselves to admit that a sizeable percentage of their side could be so stupid. Maybe they actually agree with these immature idiots. Regardless, to deny reality that is right before their eyes because they simply cannot deal with it, that puts them into religious fundamentalist territory. It's no different than the evangelicals who ignore all of the evidence for evolution because the Bible says otherwise. And those people are crazy. How can we consider these self-imposed ignorant liberals any differently?


text:
node-airplay is a client library for Apple's AirPlay remote playback protocol.
some code full reference node-airplay, thanks!
From npm:
npm install airplay2
From bower:
bower install airplay
From source:
git clone https://github.com/zfkun/node-airplay.git
npm link
no such record
node_mdns is woefully out of date and has required many tweaks to get working
brew install ffmpeg
// remote video var browser = ;browser;browserstart;
// local video (by HLS) var hls = ;hlsstart7001;hls; var browser = ;browser;browserstart;


text:
Just seen today that MASS has voted in a republican senator, and that spells doom for whatever Obama was trying to do. For some odd reason democrats in the US have no backbone to standup to the republicans.
Part of me thinks, you know what let the republicans back in power. They should be able to finish the job of of making a class country in just one term. What used to drive me crazy is that the die hard republican base are the same people who will suffer under a republican government. They won't care about those with less than them as they are too worried about how less they have.
Let me put this into another prospective. George Bush passed the bill that reduced the extremely rich taxation. Umm who exactly did that help, oh those who already had loads of money and just didn't want to pay tax. I guess it might have helped the economy as they could afford to give bigger tips to the taxi driver. Where the fuck does give the rich a lessor tax break help the economy. I'm lost on that.
Obama has not been much better either. The stimulus appears to have gone on all sort of non substantial things. Where is the money to build bridges, trains, ports or anything that counts as infrastructure. Sure some may takes year be realised, but why are we not hearing about that.
Alas it seems my dad was right. The democratic (losely used here) wnat to do this and that to help people and not put the money into things that matter, that would be building infrastructure etc. I consider myself if you want to classify it a liberal, or probably a swing vote. Give me a good conservative argument, not pushed by lack of facts politicebs and hey I'm listening. But I'm also not that happy with just throwing money at no apparent cause.
But back to my american colleagues. you now have have the bed you made and can now sleep in. You are already owned by china so wake up and smell the yum char.
Related articles by Zemanta
- Poll: Obama Disappoints and Polarizes (themoderatevoice.com)
- Peggy Noonan: Slug the Obama Story 'Disconnect' (starting-points.blogspot.com)


text:
Lapdance In Las VegasI took my wife to a ***** club in Las Vegas once and one of the dancers came over and sat on her lap. I was surprised that she went a long with it because she's not very bi, but there was plenty of contact. The ******** noticed took a quick peek under my wife's skirt and remarked at what a 'bad girl' she was for not wearing panties. The flirting was fun to watch.
deleted 26-30 5 Responses 6 Aug 15, 2010
lucky guy
Had a very similiar experience with my wife. Good times!
Took my ex to ***** clubs on a couple of occasions. She never got a lap dance (should have paid for one for her, in hindsight), but she was always very aroused afterward, especially when I told her how I wish it was HER naked and dancing in front of all those strange men.
my wife went to her first ***** club in Vegas also and now whemever we are out of town see want to go for a dance
Nice story!


text:
Project Description
"I like redheads. Their mouths are like a drop of strawberry jam in a glass of milk." – Roger Sterling (about Joan)
I love that quote. I think the writers give Roger all of the best mildly inappropriate one-liners. Like, "when God closes a door, he opens a dress." Oh Roger.
Image from AMCTV.com
You scoundrel, you.
His quote inspired me to make a thumbprint cookie in a heart shape with strawberry jam and a pale cookie base. They have a nice, delicate crispiness to them, but are still chewy. Vanilla bean in the cookie base makes for a powerful flavor boost! With the fun heart shape, these are also perfect for Valentine's Day!
Speaking of…how to make that distinctive heart shape, you ask? I imagine you could use your pinkie finger and wing it, but I'm a bit more exact than that. And, I have a husband who humors me and is always looking for an excuse to use his workbench in the garage. So, he made me this:
Pretty, it is not. He explained his choice of medium, mainly because it was food/water safe. I stop listening when he gets technical, so I don't remember much more than that. He loves me anyway though. Here is what the cookie look like stamped:
If you don't have a handy husband or simply aren't a crazy perfectionist like myself, you can use your finger or anything heart shaped to create the indention. It will spread anyway, so that will help hide any imperfections!
Joan's Heart Thumbprint Cookies
- 1 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 3/4 cup unsalted, softened butter
- 2/3 cup white sugar, plus additional for coating
- 1 egg
- 1/2 of a vanilla bean, seeds scraped from the pod, or 1 teaspoons of vanilla extract
- 1/3 cup seedless strawberry jam
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line cookie sheets with parchment paper. Whisk the flour, baking powder, and salt together in a small bowl. Set aside.
- Beat the butter and sugar together for about 5 minutes. The batter will become very pale. Beat in the egg and vanilla seeds/extract. Slowly add in the dry ingredients, mixing until just combined. At this point, I chilled the batter because I wasn't going to bake the cookies that day. The dough was relatively soft, so you may want to chill it for a bit in the fridge.
- Make 1 inch balls of dough and roll in white sugar and place on cookie sheet. Using a heart-shaped tool or your finger, create the heart shape. Repeat for all of your dough balls.
- Fill each cookie with 1/2 to 3/4 teaspoon of jam. I used a ziploc bag with the corner cut to pipe the jam into the cookies. It worked well for me and I just tried not to fill them too much.
- Chill the cookies in the freezer for about 5-10 minutes. My cookies still spread a bit, but miraculously, I had no jam spillage, which is a common complaint with thumbprint cookies. I can't definitively say it was because of the freezer time, but it couldn't hurt to try it out.
- Bake your cookies for about 15-17 minutes, until edges are golden brown.
Adapted from Food Network Kitchens
Find more Mad Men inspired treats here.


text:
Transfer news: PSG made late bid for Adnan Januzaj as he discussed new deal
Adnan Januzaj's agent claims PSG made a lucrative late bid to sign the youngster as he discussed a new deal at Man Utd.
By Kristof Terreur
Last Updated: 07/05/14 1:19pm
United moved to the negotiating table in October 2013 in an effort to prevent one of their most talented youngsters from leaving the club for a minimal compensation fee at the end of a contract that was due to expire at the end of the current campaign.
Discussions produced a positive outcome, with Januzaj penning a five-year extension.
The 19-year-old forward opted to stay at United despite being offered more money to leave English shores, with Ligue 1 giants PSG prepared to dig deep in order to acquire his potential.
He is now very well paid in Manchester, but his representative believes sticking with United shows that Januzaj is motivated by sporting factors, rather than financial ones.
Dirk De Vriese told Sport/Voetbal Magazine: "I can only say that he's the best paid youngster in the world. He earns more than Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi did when they were 19. That means a lot and I'm proud of it.
"We could have waited a little longer and seen how much United wanted him to stay and how much other teams were interested in him.
"All big clubs were knocking on the door, especially PSG.
"Five minutes before we signed a new deal, an advisor of their Qatari chairman called me with an astonishing offer.
"Because Adnan was going to be a free agent at the end of the season, they were ready to offer him anything he wanted, wages and signing on fee.
"But money has never been a deciding factor in his choices. It wasn't important when he chose to join Manchester United. He could have signed a better deal at Anderlecht."


text:
To train the legs in near isolation using heavy loads while minimizing the risk of injury to the lower back.
"The leg press does allow you to use a great deal of weight while calling upon a lot of muscle mass," says MF training adviser Jason Ferruggia. And, he adds, when used for high reps with a "pumping cadence," in which you don't pause between reps, you can pump a lot of blood into the legs, priming them for growth.
Using very heavy weights while lifting through a full range of motion can put you at risk for injury. The closer your knees come to your chest, the more likely your lower back will round and lose contact with the pad. "As it is, there is a great deal of pressure on the lower back during a heavy leg press," says Ferruggia. He recommends doing nonstop pumping reps through a limited range of motion; that is, bending your knees to only about 90 degrees.
Good. If performed with caution, the leg press machine is a solid method for building solid legs.


text:
Brands and celebrities go together like peanut butter and jelly. My Love Affair, a London-based firm, works to bring the two together in a harmonious and delicious sandwich.
Founded by former Omnicom Media France MD Raphaël Aflalo and Cathy Guetta, wife of music superstar David Guetta, the firm has been around since 2011 and has worked with clients including Chanel, LVMH, and HP. The firm has six employees, a second office in Paris, and business dealings around the world. The company announced in October 2011 that it had hired 5WPR for outreach here in the U.S.
In today's Q&A, Cathy Guetta talks with us about the firm, its latest partnership, and what it really means to be a "celebrity."
PRNewser: Where did you get the idea for My Love Affair? And where did you come up with the name?
Cathy Guetta: The idea came from my encounter with Raphaël. My husband David had already done some interesting campaigns with brands, but we thought that he (and all other artists) needed a fully dedicated structure that would be able to understand both the worlds of music and brands. Also, the music industry has been struggling with handling brand partnerships and, as Raphael explained when we first met, brands are more interested in engaging with consumers in a different and innovative way.
As simple as it may sound, the name My Love Affair came from our will to make brands fall in love with music and create a true and deep love affair between these two worlds that have so many things to share with each other.
PRNewser: We've moved past a time when artists are considered "sell outs" when they partner with companies for endorsement deals. But is there still a line that brands and artists can't cross?
CG: This time has indeed long gone. And, in our opinion, for the best. People still tend to think that artists mainly sign with brands for the money they will get in return. These people forget how much these campaigns can be of amazing promotion and exposure value to artists.
There is no particular line not to cross, but all deals have got to put both the brand and the artist in a win-win situation, where both of their objectives can be achieved. Obviously, the more partners an artist has, the more his artistic message can get lost along the way, but an artist can still have multiple carefully chosen brand partners, that will allow him to provide his fans with unbelievably fresh and unexpected content or events.
PRNewser: My Product Placement, which places products in music videos, just launched in partnership with your hubby David Guetta's record label, EMI Music. Given the quick shots in a music video, how can a brand benefit from this sort of placement? It seems there wouldn't be much exposure.
CG: We believe that product placement in music videos is a very strong and growing market of its own (more than $30M in revenue in 2011). Even if you look at a very short placement of a couple of seconds in a video, the exposure can be enormous for the product and brand, according to amount of views the video gets when broadcasted. On top of that, we tend to think that the value of a placement lies in its creativity: the more creative/organic, the more powerful it will be for the brand owning that product.
Finally, we tend to look at product placement as one aspect of our business and a great one to build an artist/brand relationship from. The exposure can then become even stronger over time and consumers can really associate a product with an artist they connect with.
PRNewser: These days, it seems anyone can be a celebrity. In your opinion, what is the real definition of a "celebrity"?
CG: I guess the meaning of the word "celebrity" hasn't changed: a "celebrity" is someone known by the masses. However, people can now become celebrities after being randomly pictured with a star at an event and as their face appears on the Internet the next day.
A true "celebrity" is someone that not only is known by all, but also connects with his audience one way or another over a long period of time. The great majority of celebrities have been working on their profiles for years, using the help of specialists like PR or digital people, helping them build their media and digital profiles.
In this day and age, companies like My Love Affair are also becoming key in helping very famous artists becoming "celebrities" by linking them up with the right brands who will bring them unbelievable exposure.
[Image: Guetta (right) and her partner Raphaël Aflalo]


text:
Simply lovely,she looks rather different,but still really good.
Ah, the memories...
i remember watching Sailor Moon when i was small....watched it from the beginning. i don't remember how far along the series i got, but it was good times nonetheless. and i can honestly say that i too was inspired into art from it, even though i have yet to post anything on this site. and i'm a dude, for crap's sake...all in all, she'll always have a place in my heart as a childhood friend, since i lacked actual ones at the time.
and as far as the piece itself, i have to agree with Sebastian down there. subtle, yet beautiful. it doesn't slam you in the face as hard as other pieces. good work.
I like how the beauty of females comes out in your art. It isn't so harsh that it slaps you in the face. It is a gently glide to the eyes. Wonder what would happen, if you tried to draw men.
You may not use this work for any purposes.


text:
THE HEROINE of The To Do List, Brandy Klark (Aubrey Plaza) is a nerdy virgin in Boise, Idaho in 1993, i.e., totally mired in lameness. Realizing that she is awesome at everything except sex, Brandy makes it her mission to get all sorts of freaky before leaving for college. In the pre-internet days, Brandy isn't sure what a pearl necklace is, but she knows she wants one. Lucky for her, she's snagged a summer job at the pool, where everybody is nearly naked, and poorly hidden boners are always just a belly flop away.
As far from prudish as I am, I spent the first half of this movie in extreme discomfort at the excessive bizarro-Porky's raunch. Also, there were too many cheap '90s gags, and all of the actors were distractingly old for their roles. It all felt gimmicky and weird.
But then, something clicked, and I loved it.
I would have metaphorically fellated this movie when I was 16 years old. Hot chicks loving themselves and saying dirty shit?! Yes, please! I am jealous of present-day high school girls who can feel inspired by the sex-loving, self-loving girl power at play here. As Brandy foreplayed her way through the pool staff, nobody said she was gross, she never hated her body, and she never apologized for her experiences. Get it, girl. Go on. Get it alllll.
More special than discovering uncircumcised dicks (could there be such a thing?) are the relationships between the women of this film (played, in addition to Plaza, by Arrested Development's Alia Shawkat, The O.C.'s Rachel Bilson, and Friday Night Lights' Connie Britton). While they're almost always talking about dudes, they aren't talking about pleasing dudes; they talk about their own wants, and pleasing themselves.
In closing, I demand an immediate slumber party with Aubrey, Alia, Rachel, and Conz. Anybody with a good "OMG, THAT'S JIZZ?!?!" story is invited. That is probably all of you.


text:
Hey everyone, I started the Brewmaster dailies a little late...
I have 165 right now. I need to get to 200 for the Brew of the Month.
Since I can only get 10 from the Dark Iron per day, and 15 for advertising the Brews, and a possible 10-15 more through killing Coren Direbrew, that will leave me at around 190-195. Which is 5-10 tokens too short for the Meta achievement.
So, I heard there was a way you can do dailies twice in one day. Is this possible? Do the dailies reset at 3am, and then again later or something like that? Is there a brief period of time I can double dunk, basically.
Thanks for anyone who can help!


text: starting postgres panic's my system every time with this panic: panic: kernel diagnostic assertion "uvm_page_locked_p(pg e " ../../../../arch/x86/x86/pmap.c, line 3214 From the pmap.c that was used to compile the kernel is this extract, with **** being the line that panic's the system. pg = PHYS_TO_VM_PAGE(pmap_pte2pa(opte)); KASSERTMSG(pg != NULL, ("pmap_remove_pte: unmanaged page marked " "PG_PVLIST, va = %#" PRIxVADDR ", pa = %#" PRIxPADDR, va, (paddr_t)pmap_pte2pa(opte))); **** KASSERT(uvm_page_locked_p(pg)); /* Sync R/M bits. */ Seen before? Known? Fixed? ;) And perhaps more importantly, does anyone know when and where this was introduced? What's the last safe version of NetBSD to use postgres with? Darren


text:
Just one question... The little diagram, Leah, Looks like MacSE20's... Please tell me that's not the big upgrade. From one antique Mac to a small collection of antique Macs.
haha! i was thinking the same thing... at least there's another nerd here with me
Hahaha, yes. I had the same thought, too. The antique Macs do win at super-cute, though.
Congrats on the upgrade, Leah! You guys rock!


text:
FORT WAYNE, Ind. (WANE) – Some parents have found a creative way to punish their kids for smoking marijuana.
Two 12-year-old cousins, Nathaniel and Jaida, were spotted along East State Boulevard and Sherborne Boulevard holding two signs explaining why they were in trouble.
According to the step-father of one of the kids, the two were caught smoking marijuana at a neighbor's house last week. It was reported to the kids' school Thursday, and because the incident happened during school hours they were suspended.
Nathaniel and Jaida held signs that said, "I'm 12. Kicked out of school 4 smoking weed," and "Honk. I'm an idoit [sic]. I got caught smoking weed at school."
The two were along State and Sherborne because that is where their bus passes by. They told NewsChannel 15 they had to stay until dark.
The two also said they learned their lesson and promised to not smoke marijuana again.


text:
Emily's favorite repast for her school lunch is a turkey sandwich, barbecue potato chips and an apple.
Repast is the food and drink at a meal.
An example of a repast is the small meal eaten from a lunchbox during a worker's day.
- food and drink for a meal
- a meal
- Archaic
- the eating of food, as at a meal
- mealtime
- Obs. food
Origin of repastMiddle English from Old French from re-, re- + past, food from Classical Latin pastus from past participle of pascere, to feed: see food
Now Rare to eat or feast
A meal or the food eaten or provided at a meal.
verbre·past·ed, re·past·ing, re·pasts
To eat or feast.
verbtransitive Obsolete
To give food to.
Origin of repastMiddle English from Old French from Late Latin repāstus from past participle of repāscere to feed re- re- Latin pāscere to feed ; see pā- in Indo-European roots.
(countable and uncountable, plural repasts)
(third-person singular simple present repasts, present participle repasting, simple past and past participle repasted)
- (obsolete) To supply food to; to feast.
- (obsolete, intransitive) To take food.
Old French repast, from the verb repaistre, from Latin repascere.


text:
Police in Northampton have stopped a man who was walking along the M1.
Officers were called to the motorway at around 4.10pm this afternoon (Wednesday) after reports of a man walking down the hard shoulder from junction 15 for Northampton.
PC Dave Lee, from the Road Policing Unit at Northamptonshire Police, said: "Pedestrian on the motorway has been collected. He's trying to get to Luton and didnt realise he was on the motorway!
"We've taken him to the services and given some very strong words of advice."


text:
Short Stories
Leave Comment Message Writer
Hire Writer
Report Article
Leave Comment Message Writer
Hire Writer
Report Article
A Mustard Seed
by Freda Douglas
For Sale
Author requests article critique
For Sale
Author requests article critique
Message Writer
Hire Writer
She was curled up in the big overstuffed lift chair in front of the
television. Tears were running down her cheeks.
"What's the matter, honey? Is something wrong?"
"No, Mom, you know how sentimental I am. I was just watching The Waltons,
and I always get teary when I watch them."
"What was so special about this show?"
"Nothing really, but it was about a friend of John Boy's who was injured in
the war. He lost the use of his legs when he was in the Merchant Marines.
John Boy wrote to his family, and told them he hadn't heard from him in
quite a while. The last he had heard from him he was in the veteran's
hospital in Richmond. He asked them if they would see if they could find
anything about him. Because Mary Ellen was a nurse, and knew some of the
doctors at the vet's hospital she
volunteered to find out what she could about him. She did find him,
and after talking to him for a while she realized he had just given up on
life. The doctor told her he thought if Toby just had a place to go to get
away from the hospital setting and all the other veterans, he might improve.
Physically he was fine, but he was confined to a wheelchair. Mentally he had
given up on himself, feeling sure any gainful life he might have had was
gone now. Mary Ellen was afraid if she called her family Toby might change
his mind about going home with her, even though he had already agreed. She
packed his few belongings, and took Toby, wheelchair and all, home with her.
You know the Walton family. They made him welcome, as usual. With their help
he regained his confidence and even found a job. I don't know why I get so
teary eyed. I guess stories like that make me realize how lucky I really
"Now that you've had your cry, how about helping me put dinner on
the table?"
Evelyn was a pretty girl, with shoulder length, natural curly
brown hair with a red glow to it. Her face was without blemishes. She didn't
wear much make-up because her skin didn't need it. A light skiff of rouge
and some lipstick, and she was ready to face the world. A rather remarkable
thing about her face, and the one thing, above all, that attracted
attention, was her beautiful dark brown, almost black, eyes. They seemed to
sparkle, as if they were dancing to their own tune. She was only a bit of a
thing, not too tall, but shorter since her accident put her in a wheelchair.
Her mother helped her get dressed in the morning, but other than that she
was able to care for herself.
This was an exciting day for her. For the first time since the
accident she was going to face life on its terms today. She had volunteered
at the local veteran's hospital, and this would be her first day. She'd
better hurry. Don't want to be late my first day, she thought as she
maneuvered her power chair down the ramp into the kitchen where the whole
family was gathered for breakfast.
"Good morning, all. What a beautiful day."
"All ready for the big adventure?" her dad jokingly asked her.
"Ready as I'll ever be. I'm so excited. I hardly slept a wink last
night. I sure hope I do everything right."
"You'll do swell. Sis," her younger brother Buzz told her. "I wish
I was going someplace other than school today. Must be nice."
"Your time will come, Short Stuff. Don't wish your life away."
Her mother had been very quiet as Evelyn bantered with the others. "What's
the matter, Mom? Surely you're not worried about me. You know I'm a
"I know you are, Dear. I was just thinking how lonely I'll be today with you
gone. I've had you home for so long since you got out of the hospital."
"I know, Mom, but all birds leave the nest sometime, and I'm ready
to try my wings today."
Breakfast was eaten in peace, each family member deep in their own
thoughts. There was a bird on the tree branch right outside the breakfast
nook window, warbling a merry tune. Under the window was her mother's flower
patch. The flowers appeared to be smiling as the morning dew rested on
their petals.
Evelyn rose, and said goodbye to her brother. "Bye Buzz. Have a
good day at school. Try to stay out of trouble."
"Goodbye, Dear. You sure you know how to handle the controls on
your van?" her dad worried.
"Yes, Daddy, you're a good teacher. Bye, Mom. Don't you be
worrying about me, hear?"
Evelyn rode up to the equipped van, unlocked the rear door, which
automatically unlocked the driver's door at the same time. She reached up
with her right arm, still sitting in her power chair, and hit the switch
that put the ramp down. When the ramp had come to a dead stop, she turned on
her power chair, and cautiously drove onto the ramp. After Evelyn was safe
inside the van the ramp automatically came to a closed position. She then
proceeded up to the driver's side, and transferred into the driver's seat.
Her keys were in her sweater pocket. She retrieved them and put the ignition
key in place, started the motor, and slowly maneuvered the van out of the
driveway. Heaving a sigh of relief, she turned towards her destination.
Looking back through the rear view mirror she noticed her parents watching
her, and gave them a toot on the horn.
The trip to the vet's hospital was uneventful and Evelyn was very
relaxed as she deftly operated the hand controls in her van. She really had
great parents. They had gotten her this specially equipped van even before
she was discharged from the hospital. They were absolutely sure she would
return to having a normal life. They had the faith and that faith never
wavered. Her church family was just as anxious to make her life as normal as
possible, including putting a handicap ramp to make the church accessible.
When she tried to thank them they merely said "We should have done it long
ago. Everybody should find the church accessible, whether they are in a
wheelchair or not."
It wasn't long before Evelyn arrived at her destination. She
parked in the handicap spot, put her handicap sign on the rear view mirror,
and reversed her actions to leave the van. After she locked the van, she
made her way up the sidewalk, and entered the hospital lobby through the
automatic doors. As she entered the doors she couldn't help but realize how
important automatic doors are to a wheelchair bound person. Doors are the
one thing I can't handle very well, she thought as she motored up to the
reception desk.
"May I help you?" the grey haired lady behind the desk asked her.
"Yes, please. My name is Evelyn Stofford, and this is my first day
as a volunteer. Can you please direct me?"
"My name is Mrs. Wilson, but you may call me Elizabeth. I'll do
better than that. I'll take you there myself."
Well, Evelyn thought, if everybody is this friendly I should have
an easy time of it.
Soon they were at a door with the words Director of Volunteers on
it. Mrs. Wilson went before her, opened the door, and Evelyn followed her
in. Sitting behind the desk was a young woman about her own age. Evelyn
introduced herself, thanked Elizabeth, and waited for the young woman behind
the desk to speak.
"Hello Evelyn. My name is Billie Archer. For your starting
assignment we have placed you in the ward with the amputees. Most of them
are adjusting, but you'll find a few bitter ones. Those are the ones we're
hoping you can help."
As she and Miss Archer made their way to the elevator that would take them
to the amputee ward, Evelyn said a quick silent prayer. "Please Lord. Help
me have faith that I can do this and the faith to prove it to these
fellows." Thus undergirded, when she went through the swinging doors, she
had a smile on her face. Miss Archer introduced her to the charge nurse.
"Mrs. Able, this is Miss Stofford. She is your new volunteer."
"Please call me Evelyn."
"I'm truly grateful to have you, Evelyn. I hope you stay longer than the
two or three that were here. Most young people don't know how to cope with
such injuries as these men have."
"That's probably true, Mrs. Able. Even though I didn't lose a limb
in my accident, I could have. I think I know something about how they feel.
As for me staying, I have something to prove to myself. I'll be here for at
least as long as it takes for me to do that."
"Very well then. Let me introduce you to these men. We don't use
last names here. We try to make them feel like they are at home, or at least
among friends. Scotty, this is Evelyn. She is our new volunteer."
"Hi, Evelyn. Glad to know you."
As Evelyn and Mrs. Able went from one bed to another Evelyn tried
to remember something about each patient so she could place them again. Then
they came to a bed where the patient was lying with his face turned away
from them. Mrs. Able spoke quietly to him. "Freddy, I'd like you to meet
Evelyn, our new volunteer."
As he turned toward them Evelyn was shocked by the empty look in
his eyes. "I don't know why a cripple would volunteer in this place."
"Freddy, that wasn't very nice."
"What do I have to be nice about? Just tell me that."
"Please don't give him a hard time, Mrs. Able. I am a cripple but
only in body. One of these days Freddy will come to realize that."
"I wouldn't hold my breath, if I were you," Freddy growled, as he
turned his face away from them again.
Mrs. Able and Evelyn were kept busy for a stretch as Mrs. Able showed
Evelyn the ropes of running the floor, and explained her future
responsibilities in the ward. It seemed like only minutes when it was 4
p.m., and Mrs. Able and Evelyn were off duty.
"Where is your car parked?" Mrs. Able asked Evelyn, as they walked out of
the hospital together.
"Over there in the handicap spot."
"Do you mind if I walk with you?"
"No, I'd like the company."
As they went to their respective cars Mrs. Able said to Evelyn "How did you
like your first day as a volunteer?"
"I liked it real well, but the look in Freddy's eyes was very disturbing. I
can't seem to get him off my mind."
"Don't let it worry you, Evelyn. If you let every little thing get to you
end up being despondent yourself. Then you wouldn't be any good to any of
the boys."
"I won't, Mrs. Able, but I wish there was something I could do for him."
By this time Evelyn had arrived at her van. She said to Mrs. Able
"Goodbye. I'll see you in the morning. Have a nice evening." and put her key
in the rear door of her van, preparing for the return trip home.
The family was waiting for her in the driveway as she drove in.
"Hey, what's this? A welcome home for the prodigal? Where's the fatted
calf?" she joked, laughing.
"We just wanted to see how your day went," rejoined her mother.
"I didn't. I just wanted to see the scratches on the van," Buzz
put in.
"Come on. Let's go in. We can hear all about her day while we eat
supper," her dad added, always eager to eat some of his wife's good cooking.
After eating and enjoying some chit chat, her mother said to
Evelyn "Now tell us about your day."
"Well, first off, I had no trouble with the van, going or coming.
I told you were a good teacher, "Evelyn smiled at her dad. "My supervisor
is going to be Mrs. Able. At least for the time being I'm assigned to the
amputee ward. For the most part the boys seem well adjusted but there's
one - his name is Freddy - he is so bitter. You can see his lack of interest
in his eyes. I hope after a while he and I can at least be friends. He must
not have a Christian background if he has that attitude."
Following dinner Evelyn dried the dishes while her mother washed.
After the lights were out in the kitchen, Evelyn said to her mother "I think
I'll go to my room. By the time I do my devotions it will be time for bed."
"Need any help?"
"No, I can manage. Going to have to do it by myself someday, and
there's no time like the present."
"All right. Good night then, but if you need any help, just
holler. I'll just be in the living room with your dad."
Once in her room, Evelyn picked up her book of Bible promises. She
remembered a friend gave the book to her when she was having a down day in
the hospital after the accident. She had enjoyed reading the book, and often
picked it up when she had a problem, like right now with Freddy.
As she read from the Promises about hope the final prayer gave her
pause. "Lord, you alone gave me hope." All of a sudden out loud she said "I'
ve got it. I'm always getting those things in the email all the time that
are supposed to give you a chuckle. Most of the time they do. I think I'll
read some of those to the men in the amputee ward. Maybe, just maybe, it
might loosen the men up. Maybe gradually I can get Freddy to see there is
hope in life. I know he's bitter. I might have been that way after my
accident if I hadn't had such loving parents and my friends from the church.
There has to be a way for me to make Freddy less despondent."
With those thoughts in her mind she said her prayers and
transferred herself to the bed. Her thoughts just before she fell asleep
were on Freddy. I can help him, with God's help, I know I can. She drifted
off to sleep, a smile on her face.
The next day Evelyn was up earlier than usual, eager to get to her
volunteer duties. When she entered the breakfast area she noticed she had
beaten her dad and brother to the table. That in itself was weird. When it
was time for food Buzz was always first to the table. "Morning, Mom. Where
is everybody?"
"They'll be along. They're not late, you're earlier than usual."
"Mom, there is one of the patients in the amputee section at the
hospital who is bitter - about his amputation and life in general. I have
been trying to think of a way to help him. I know I can't just offer to help
him. He doesn't know me and, at this point, I don't think he wants to know
me. You know all those jokes and stories people send me on the internet? I
normally just delete those I don't want to send on. I am thinking I might
take the better ones and read to the fellows as a group. I'm thinking I
might be able to get Freddy to loosen up a bit. What do you think?"
"Why is this so important to you?"
"I realize my recovery after my accident was due to you and Dad
and my church friends and also my own faith. But what if I hadn't had that
help? What would I feel like if I had actually lost a leg instead of them
being paralyzed? I owe it to God to help someone else if I can. Everybody is
not as fortunate as I have been."
"That's a good way to look at it. Since this is your sole purpose
in helping this person you call Freddy I really think you should try. I wish
you good luck. Don't forget though. It might not be as easy as you think. It
'll take time. Remember Rome wasn't built in a day."
While Evelyn and her mother were talking her dad and brother came
to the table for breakfast, and the conversation turned to plans for the
day. Following breakfast Evelyn put on her sweater and headed for her van.
This time she knew where to go on her own. She nodded to
Elizabeth, that nice grey lady who had helped her yesterday, and went
directly to the amputee ward. "Good morning, Mrs. Able. How are you today?"
"I'm glad to see you decided to come back."
"Why? Did you think I wouldn't?"
"Well, we haven't been having too much luck with volunteers. They
come once or twice, then we never see them again."
"They weren't as interested as they might have been. I have
something to prove to myself." That said, Evelyn turned towards her 'boys'
as they were identified in her mind. "Good morning, all. I trust you had a
good night's rest. I really didn't get time to more than meet all of you
yesterday. Today I'd like to get to know you better. She headed to Scotty's
bedside. "How are you today, Scotty?"
He turned towards her and replied "I'm doing just great, Evelyn. When I go
to therapy this afternoon they are going to start training me to learn to
transfer from my bed to the wheelchair by myself."
"That's great. It won't be easy at first and you might get frustrated but it
will come with time. One of these days doing it will become second nature to
you. You just have to realize you can't let it get you down. If you think
it, you can do it."
She proceeded to the next bed where a red curly head made a contrast to the
white sheets. "Hi there. Your nickname wouldn't by any chance be Red, would
"How'd you guess?"
"When I was in school I had a classmate with red hair like yours. Everybody
called her Pinky. She didn't look like a 'Pinky' to me so I always called
her Doris, her given name. You look like a 'Red' to me. Do you mind if I
call you that?"
"No, I don't mind. Call me anything, just don't call me late for supper," he
laughingly replied.
There were ten beds in all, and Evelyn stopped at each one, getting to know
the patients. As she arrived at Freddy's bed she spoke cheerfully to him.
"And how are you this morning, Freddy?"
His head was buried under the covers as he said a muffled "Morning."
"Come on, Freddy. Poke your head out and let's talk."
"I haven't anything to talk about."
"Sure you do, Freddy. How about telling me about your family?"
With obvious reluctance he pushed the sheet away from his face and sullenly
spoke "There's my mother and two sisters. My dad walked out on us when I was
With those few words Evelyn found out part of the reason for some
of his bitterness. "Does your Mom ever get here to see you?"
"No, she's working all the time and she doesn't want to leave my sisters
alone. They're good girls, but Mom doesn't want to take any chances by
leaving them alone."
"I can certainly understand that. How about a girl friend?"
"I had one but I haven't heard from her since I lost my leg."
"Have you written to her?"
"Oh, I can't do that."
"Why? I thought you lost your leg. I didn't know your arms and
hands were paralyzed."
"You just don't understand."
"Understand what? I don't think you're being fair, not even giving her a
chance to make up her own mind. Well, I guess I'd better get on to the other
boys. I'm going to read everybody a short story. You're welcome to share
with us, if you care to." With that said, Evelyn scooted away.
When she got back to the nurses station Mrs. Able grinned at her."
I see you were talking to Freddy."
"Yes, I was. That fellow has some heavy duty worries. I didn't
stay too long. I want him to learn to trust me before I try to help him. I
think I'm going to read all the boys a short story. If they seem to be
receptive I thought maybe I'd do it on a regular basis. Do you that would be
okeh? Are any of these fellows able to transfer out of their beds into their
"Most of them are. Some of them are, but won't."
Evelyn went to the center of the room, and, looking from one to the other of
the fellows, she said "I want all those who can, to transfer out of their
beds into their chairs and gather round me as best you can. I'm going to
read you a story that hopefully will put a smile on your faces. Those who
can't get out of bed don't worry about hearing me. I've never been known to
need a megaphone."
She waited patiently while the men transferred to their chairs,
and came towards her. She noticed Scotty, Red and Freddy were the only ones
who did not transfer. I must ask Mrs. Able if Freddy can't or won't get out
of bed, she thought, as she watched the others approach.
When everything became relatively quiet Evelyn began to read. "This story I
am going to read is about Maxine, who is going to pass along some of her own
words of wisdom. First off she tells us her rule for driver safety - I can'
t use the cell phone in the car. I have to keep my hands free for making
gestures. Now, I personally don't like housework, but I think her rule for
housework is pretty cool. I do my housework in the nude. It gives me the
incentive to clean the mirrors very quickly. Maxine apparently doesn't like
to take care of the lawn because she recommends a good mower, and that mower
should be muscular and shirtless."
She continued, pleased to see everybody was hanging on her words.
"Maxine has this to say about body piercing. I'd get my tongue pierced but I
still have a bit of brain left in my head, and I don't want the little bit I
have left to escape. Now listen up, fellows, while Maxine tells you what her
idea of a perfect man is. She says all she's looking for is a guy who'll do
what she wants, when she wants, for as long as she wants and then go away.
She compares the perfect guy to a Dust Buster. She wants him charged and
ready to go when she wants him. Maxine's performance at work has improved
drastically. She can now nail a coworker with a paper clip shot from a
rubber band at 20 yards. I think you'll agree that's quite a feat. And
finally Maxine's take on aging - take every birthday with a grain of salt
accompanied by a margarita."
When Evelyn concluded the story she said to the men collectively "Now it's
time for lunch. Those of you in your chairs might as well stay seated until
you finish lunch."
When she went back to the desk Mrs. Able said "My, Evelyn. You just created
a small miracle. They're still staying in their chairs. I've never seen them
eat from their chairs."
"I think if they have something to take their mind off themselves you'll
start to see a big difference. I'll go for lunch after they eat in case they
need any help. Dropping food when you're sitting in a wheelchair is almost a
given. I still do it after all this time. Why don't you go for lunch, Mrs.
Able? I'll stay until you get back."
The rest of the day went smoothly. Evelyn didn't single out Freddy to
talk to. She wanted to give him time to get to know her better. She was
pleased to hear the men converse with each other while they ate. Yesterday
you could have heard a pin drop during lunch hour. Reading to them might be
a key to reach them, she thought. She hoped it would also be the key to
unlock Freddy's mind.
She was anxious to get home that evening to relate her
accomplishments during the day to her folks. After washing the travel dust
from her hands, she joined the family already gathered at the dinner table.
"You should see the red hair on one of the fellows I met in the ward today.
I asked him if I could call him Red. I don't even know his proper first
name. He hasn't been there long. He hasn't even started his transfer
training yet. Scotty, one of the fellows I met yesterday, started his
transfer training this afternoon. Freddy didn't get out of bed either, but I
tend to think that's because he didn't want to. I had all the rest transfer
to their chairs while I told them a short story, then I suggested they stay
up to eat their lunch. It seemed to work out real well.'
Buzz said, rather smugly, "We had basketball try outs today for
the JV team and I got chosen as guard."
Dad nodded his head and agreed guard was a good position for him
since he was so tall. "Remember though, practice is important. It's also
important to be a team member. A team is only strong if the members play
together. So many times I watch sports on TV and one player thinks he's the
big cheese. That shouldn't be."
"Did you play sports in school, Dad?"
"Not until I was in high school and then I went out for football.
I injured my ham string the second game, and sat on the bench the rest of
the season. The next year I didn't try out for football. Instead I took up
drama. I found out that was safer."
"How about you, Mom? Did you play sports?"
"No, I tried out for cheer leader is all, and didn't make the cut. Then I
joined the drama club. As a matter of fact, that's where I met your dad. He
didn't pay any attention to me at first, but, boy, I was crazy over him. It
took him the whole term to even notice me. That was okeh though, I would
have waited till doomsday for him, if that's what it took."
Life by this time had developed a pleasant pattern. She went to the amputee
ward five times a week, rain or shine. As she was driving through the rain
one morning she said to herself I wonder if these rainy days are ever going
to let up. By the time I get in the hospital doors I feel like I've grown
fins. Thank goodness there is a portico at the entrance. At least I get to
shake the rain off my umbrella so I don't drip all over the reception area.
Regardless of the weather she always greeted her boys with a smile.
One day the following week she assembled the boys around her in
their wheelchairs. By this time Red had progressed far enough with his
transfer therapy he was able to join the others.
When they were all gathered she took out that days story called 'Fast Food"
and started to read.
Hey Mom," one of my kids asked the other day, "What was your favorite
fast food when you were growing up?"
"We didn't have fast food when I was growing up," I informed him. "All the
food was slow."
"C'mon, seriously. Where did you eat?"
"It was a place called 'at home," I explained. "Grandma cooked every day
and when Grandpa got home from work, we sat down together at the dining room
table, and if I didn't like what she put on my plate I was allowed to sit
there until I did like it." At this point Evelyn's reading was interrupted
by the loud guffaws coming from some of the group. After it had quieted
down, she continued.
" But here are some other things I would have told him about my childhood if
I figured his system could have handled it:
Some parents NEVER owned their own home, wore Levis, set foot on a golf
course, traveled out of the country or had a credit card. In their later
years they had something called a revolving charge card. The card was good
only at Sears
Roebuck. Or maybe it was Sears AND Roebuck. Either way, there is no
Roebuck anymore. Maybe he died. My parents never drove me to soccer
practice. This was mostly because we never had heard of soccer. I had a
bicycle that weighed probably 50 pounds, and only had one speed, (slow).
We didn't have a television in our house until I was 11, but my grandparents
had one before that. It was, of course, black and white, but they bought a
piece of colored plastic to cover the screen. The top third was blue, like
the sky, and the bottom third was green, like grass. The middle third was
red. It was perfect for programs that had scenes of fire trucks riding
across someone's lawn on a sunny day. Some people had a lens taped to the
front of the TV to make the picture look larger.
I was 13 before I tasted my first pizza. It was called "pizza pie." When I
into it, I burned the roof of my mouth and the cheese slid off, swung down,
plastered itself against my chin and burned that, too. It's still the best
pizza I ever had.
We didn't have a car until I was 15. Before that, the only car in our family
was my grandfather's Ford. He called it a "machine." I never had a
telephone in my room. The only phone in the house was in the living room,
and it was on a party line. Before you could dial, you had to listen and
make sure some people you didn't know weren't already using the line.
Pizzas were not delivered to our home. But milk was. All newspapers were
delivered by boys, and all boys delivered newspapers. I delivered a
newspaper six days a week. It cost 7 cents a paper, of which I got to keep
2 cents. I had to get up at 4 AM every morning. On Saturday, I had to
collect the 42 cents from my customers. My favorite customers were the ones
who gave me 50 cents and told me to keep the change. My least favorite
customers were the ones who seemed to never be home on collection day.
Movie stars kissed with their mouths shut. At least, they did in the
movies. Touching someone else's tongue with yours was called French
kissing, and they didn't do that in movies. I don't know what they did in
French movies. French movies were dirty and we weren't allowed to see them.
If you grew up in a generation before there was fast food, you may want to
share some of these memories with your children or grandchildren. Just don't
blame me if they bust a gut laughing. Growing up isn't what it used to be,
is it?
And I'll close with these tidbits.
Memories from a friend -
My Dad is cleaning out my grandmother's house (she died in December) and he
brought me an old Royal Crown Cola bottle. In the bottle top was a stopper
with a bunch of holes in it. I knew immediately what it was, but Kati had no
idea. She thought they had tried to make it a salt shaker or something. I
knew it as the bottle that sat on the end of the ironing board to "sprinkle"
clothes with because we didn't have steam irons.
Man, I am old.
That story seemed to please the boys. They kept up a steady flow
of conversation until lunch was delivered. By this time she didn't have to
ask them to share their eating space. They just did it and seemed to like it
that way.
Time went on. Evelyn continued to volunteer in the amputee ward, and more
and more she could sense the patients acceptance of her. Then one day, Mrs.
Able mentioned to her there was a possibility that Miss Archer might
transfer her to another ward. "I don't know if that's going to happen, but I
thought it only fair that you be advised it's possible."
Gee I hope that's not going to happen. I haven't even begun to finish what I
wanted to yet. Evelyn was deep in thought, and almost didn't hear when
Scotty spoke her name. "I know you have been concerned about Freddy. I
thought you might like to know he actually got out of bed, transferred to
his chair and came over to talk to me last night."
Evelyn was flabbergasted. "I'm so glad to hear that. Did he have
anything in particular he wanted to talk about?"
"Not really but he did mention he was enjoying your stories."
Evelyn was pleased. "I'm happy to hear that. He is so quiet I
haven't been sure he even heard the stories. Maybe if I give him a little
more time he might even talk to me."
By the time she finished talking to Scotty it was almost time for lunch.
"Gather round, young men, its time for lunch." For the first time all the
came forth, even Freddy. "After you eat and take a rest I have a special
story for you today. It's longer than the rest, but there is no way to
shorten it without losing some of the story. You'll just have to bear with
Following lunch, which was interspersed by the men joking with
each other,
Evelyn asked "Are you all ready for the story, or do you want to take a nap
To a man they wanted the story. "Now I warned you. This one is
longer, so if you want to take a rest, I'll understand. The story I am going
to read is Three Trees. I have no idea who wrote it, but I sure wish I could
write as well."
Once there were three trees on a hill in the woods. They were discussing
their hopes and dreams when the first tree said, "Someday I hope to be a
treasure chest. I could be filled with gold, silver and precious gems. I
could be decorated with intricate carving and everyone would see the
Then the second tree said, "Someday I will be a mighty ship. I
will take kings and queens across the waters and sail to the corners of the
world. Everyone will feel safe in me because of the strength of my hull."
Finally the third tree said, "I want to grow to be the tallest and
straightest tree in the forest. People will see me on top of the hill and
look up to my branches, and think of the heavens and God and how close to
them I am reaching. I will be the greatest tree of all time and people will
always remember me."
After a few years of praying that their dreams would come true, a
group of woodsmen came upon the trees. When one came to the first tree he
said, "This looks like a strong tree, I think I should be able to sell the
wood to a carpenter," and he began cutting it down. The tree was happy,
because he knew that the carpenter would make him into a treasure chest.
At the second tree, the woodsman said, "This looks like a strong
tree, I should be able to sell it to the shipyard." The second tree was
happy because he knew he was on his way to becoming a mighty ship.
When the woodsmen came upon the third tree, the tree was
frightened because he knew that if they cut him down his dreams would not
come true.
One of the woodsmen said, "I don't need anything special from my tree, so
I'll take this one", and he cut it down.
When the first tree arrived at the carpenter's, he was made into a
feed box for animals. He was then placed in a barn and filled with hay.
This was not at all what he had prayed for.
The second tree was cut and made into a small fishing boat. His
dreams of being a mighty ship and carrying kings had come to an end.
The third tree was cut into large pieces and left alone in the
The years went by, and the trees forgot about their dreams. Then
one day, a man and woman came to the barn. She gave birth and they placed
the baby in the hay in the feed box that was made from the first tree. The
man wished that he could have made a crib for the baby, but this manger
would have to do. The tree could feel the importance of this event and knew
that it had held the greatest treasure of all time.
Years later, a group of men got in the fishing boat made from the
second tree. One of them was tired and went to sleep. While they were out
on the water, a great storm arose and the tree didn't think it was strong
enough to keep the men safe. The men woke the sleeping man, and He stood
and said "Peace" and the storm stopped. At this time, the tree knew that it
had carried the King of Kings in its boat.
Finally, someone came and got the third tree. It was carried
through the streets as the people mocked the man who was carrying it. When
they came to a stop, the man was nailed to the tree and raised in the air to
die at the top of a hill. When Sunday came, the tree came to realize that
it was strong enough to stand at the top of the hill and be as close to God
as was possible, because Jesus had been crucified on it.
The moral of this story is that when things don't seem to be going
your way, always know that God has a plan for you. If you place your trust
in God, you will be given great gifts. Each of the trees got what they
wanted, just not in the way they had imagined. We don't always know what
God's plans are for us. We just know that God's ways are not our ways, but
God's ways are always best.
Evelyn looked around as she concluded the story. "Anybody have any
Red spoke up. "If what the story says is true, why did God see fit
for us to lose our legs?"
"I don't really have the answer to that. I'm young, younger than
most of you, and I certainly don't look forward to being in a wheelchair all
my life, but that is part of God's bigger plan. It's not for me to question.
If I have the faith of a grain of mustard seed I will accept it. I'll tell
you one thing though. I have no intention of letting life go on without me.
I have lost the use of my legs, but not my faith, my heart, nor my brains.
If people don't want to see me in a wheelchair, then let them look the other
way. That's what I want to instill in each of you. You have lost a leg, but
you still have the same capacity for love you've always had, and love is the
greatest gift one person can give another. You'll have to forgive me, boys.
when I get a chance to talk about faith I always speak up. My faith helped
me recover from a bad accident, and your faith will get you through your
difficulties too."
Several days later Mrs. Able approached Evelyn as she came in the ward. "I
hate to be the one to tell you, but you have been transferred to the
critical area, effective the first of the month. Word of how you restore
morale has gotten around, and Miss Archer thinks your talents might be of
good service to the patients in critical care. "Well, I hate to go, but I
still have time to talk to some of the patients
individually. I only have one more reading anyways. I'll miss these boys. I
have gotten attached to them. I'm glad I'm just a volunteer. I know that
attitude would be frowned on if I was a professional like you are."
"I'll hate to see you go too, Evelyn. You have been easy to work
with and the good you've done for the men is absolutely incredible."
"Please don't tell the fellows. I'll do that myself."
Evelyn did some paper work for Mrs. Able and soon it was lunch time. She
rose from the desk at the nurses' station and went to the center of the ward
and said "OK fellows. Just about time for the lunch trays. Gather round."
She watched as all of them started to assemble with a lump in her
throat. She was so proud of the improvement in the fellows. When she came
most of them were dejected and bitter. Some other than Freddy showed signs
of despondency. Now they most always had a smile and a friendly hello to the
occasional stranger who entered their midst. Her thoughts turned to Freddy.
I still have to talk to Freddy. He's not out of the woods yet.
When her own lunch was finished she once again stood before her
boys. "Today will be the last day I will be reading to you. I am being
transferred to the critical care unit soon, and I want to close by reading
you a very poignant story.
I know you'll find this different than anything I've read to you before, but
when I'm finished reading it I'm sure you'll realize why I selected this
particular bit of prose. The title is simply 'Footprints'. The composer's
name is not given.
"One night a man had a dream. He dreamed he was walking along the beach with
the Lord. Across the sky flashed scenes from his life. For each scene, he
noticed two sets of footprints in the sand: one belonging to him, and the
other to the Lord. When the last scene of his life flashed before him, he
looked back at the
footprints. In the sand, he noticed many times along the path of his life
there was only one set of footprints. He also noticed it happened at the
very lowest and saddest times in his life. This really bothered him, and he
questioned the Lord about it. Lord, you said that once I decided to follow
You, You'd walk with me all the way. But I have noticed that during the most
troublesome times in my life, there is only one set of footprints. I don't
understand why when I needed you most You would leave me.
The Lord replied "My precious, precious child, I love you and would never
leave you. During your times of trial and suffering, when you saw only one
set of footprints, it was then I carried you."
"You need to know, even though I'll be leaving in a few days I'll
still be here for a few days if you want to talk to me, about anything,
anything at all."
It was with a heavy heart Evelyn prepared herself for the trip
home. She would miss her boys, but she would undoubtedly make more friends
in her new post. She was always one to roll with the punches, and knew God
had different plans for her future.
The day had looked rainy and dismal when she arrived at the
hospital this morning. Now, however, the sky was clear, with just a few
clouds, and the sun was trying to shine behind a cloud in the waning hours
of the afternoon. Everything looked clean and bright following the seasonal
rain. Evelyn couldn't wait to get home to tell her Mom and Dad about the
transfer and the talk she had after reading to the boys.
Shades of yesterday. There's the folks standing in the driveway. Don't they
realize I'm a big girl now? She parked her van and motored out the back
door. "Hi, Mom. Hello, Dad. Were you watching for me? Did you think I had
an accident? You're going to have to stop worrying about me when I'm away
from home. It doesn't do any good to worry. Everything is in God's hands."
By this time they were in the house, where Evelyn saw her brother.
"Hi, Buzz. How'd school go today? Did you have basketball practice after
Yes, we had a hard one. The season opens a week from Friday, and
we have to practice hard to be ready for it."
After everybody sat down for supper Evelyn commented "Mrs. Able
told me today Miss Archer, director of volunteers, has reassigned me to the
critical care unit, starting the first of next month. Miss Archer feels I
can be an encouragement to the patients in critical care. I'll miss my boys
but I guess its time for me to move on."
Evelyn was surprised how tired she felt. It had been an emotional
day, and emotion always made her tired. She read her nightly devotions, and
the bed felt so good when she finally transferred into it.
She started the next day talking with the men on a one to one
basis. She knew talking to Freddy would be her most challenging
conversation. She put a smile of confidence on her face, even though she
didn't feel that confident. "Good morning, Freddy. Sleep well last night?"
"Yes, as a matter of fact I did. Since you have been here I seem
to have regained some of my perspective."
"Freddy, it isn't any of my business but where does your girl
friend live?"
"In Plattsberg, about 30 miles north of here."
"Have you thought any more about writing her?"
"She wouldn't want to hear from me."
"Why don't you give her a chance to make up her own mind? I don't
like people making decisions for me."
"Do you think she might answer if I wrote to her?"
"I can't answer for her, but I bet she will."
"Thanks, Evelyn. I guess I will. Will you mail the letter for me
on your way home?"
Gratefully Evelyn said a silent prayer of thanksgiving. What had
seemed like insurmountable odds six weeks ago had not been so hard after
She leaned over the bed before she moved on and said to Freddy
"God bless you. May God shine his countenance upon you."
Freddy gave her a small smile as she moved away, and to Evelyn it
was the most beautiful sight she had seen in a long time.
Read more articles by Freda Douglas or search for other articles by topic below.
Search for articles on: (e.g. creation; holiness etc.)Read more by clicking on a link:
Free Reprints
Main Site Articles
Most Read Articles
Highly Acclaimed Challenge Articles.
New Release Christian Books for Free for a Simple Review.
NEW - Surprise Me With an Article - Click here for a random URL
God is Not Against You - He Came on an All Out Rescue Mission to Save You
...in Christ God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them... 2 Cor 5:19
Therefore, my friends, I want you to know that through Jesus the forgiveness of sins is proclaimed to you. Acts 13:38
The opinions expressed by authors do not necessarily reflect the opinion of FaithWriters.com.
Member Comments
This was excellent, you should write a Christian book.
Oh, I love the illustration here with the mustard seed. Evelyn is a great character, I wanted to know more about her and what happened when she got up to the Critical care ward. I'm glad that Freddy 'turned around' and was even cheered up enough to smile-that made the perfect ending for this piece! Great job here-my only note is you spelled "okay" as "okeh" was that a typo? Otherwise, everything was great! ^_^
This article has been read 5141 times < Previous | Next >


text:
To the editor:
Why would I want to buy $700 billion in bad investments? Isn't that why these companies went under in the first place? Now you want me to take their mistakes off their hands? Why would I do that? Can't I take my money elsewhere and buy, say, good investments? No? OK, how about you use the money you're taking from me to buy, say, good investments? No? Rats.
OK, well, since I don't seem to have much of a choice here I'd like to know a couple other things about the products you're forcing me to buy. 1) Just how much, how many shares that is, am I actually going to get out of the deal? 2) When do I ge: what's that? I'm not getting any shares out of the deal? What? I'm buying the darn things and I don't get any of the shares? Oh, so they'll keep the shares to themselves. I see. Rats.
OK, then that may or may not affect question three, which is: 3) When do I get my first dividend check, and are statements mailed quarterly or ... what's that? I don't get any dividends? Rats.
So let me get this straight. I HAVE to buy billions of dollars in bad investments, don't get to own any of the company I'm buying, and don't get any return if they use my money to turn things around and make a profit?
Can I just buy some Treasury bonds instead? No? Could I convince you I'm too big to fail? No?
Fred R. Whitehead III,
Copyright 2018 The Lawrence Journal-World. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. We strive to uphold our values for every story published.


text:
Gordon's Wine Bar, established in 1890 and thought to be London's oldest, is a popular venue for office workers and tourists wanting to experience a taste of Dickensian London. Owner Simon Gordon noticed that petty theft was becoming a growing problem in the bar's atmospheric, candle-lit cellars.
He saw firsthand the huge upset the loss of house keys, phones, season tickets and personal possessions can cause. At the same time, Simon Gordon realised that if such thefts were repeatedly shared on social media, it would eventually damage the wine bar's reputation and deter visitors. He explains, "I was frustrated that my customers were frequently the victims of petty crime and keen to support the police who found it difficult to solve these types of incidents." The entrepreneur recognised he needed to find a solution and from this very real business need the idea of Facewatch was born.
Facewatch is a secure online crime reporting system that enables businesses of all types, the police and public to share images within groups and submit digital evidence files to the police to help solve low-level crimes. Facewatch's cloud-based software enables businesses to upload CCTV camera footage and witness reports directly to the police from any internetenabled device, and use optional facial recognition software to identify culprits.
As Nick Ross of Crimewatch notes, "Facewatch is hardly rocket science: it's basically a web-based crime report form. Yet it's so clever it represents a big advance in policing, in recruiting public involvement, and in crime deterrence, detection and prevention."
Facewatch faced considerable hurdles in developing its business's relationship with the police, not least of which were technology and security. Although the Facewatch application currently operates at the already high IL2 (or 'Official')/ISO 27001 security level, they will later require operation at the higher IL3 ('Official Sensitive') accreditation as the police wish to add more sensitive data to the system. The other key element for Facewatch is the ability to ensure that their system is fully scaleable to handle increased demand at a moment's notice without any loss of service.
With this level of security and flexibility required, and the aspiration to become a truly global brand, Facewatch needed a partner they could rely on to provide the appropriate support anywhere in the world. Facewatch turned to Sungard Availability Services to become their strategic partner of choice.
Facewatch now works with a number of large police forces to simplify crime reporting, and has also provided a mobile app for the Met Police and others that enables the public to identify images of suspects by postcode. It is dramatically reducing the time taken to solve crimes, with Facewatch customer West Midlands Police estimating the system has cut the time taken to investigate a case from between three days to over two weeks to around ten minutes, as it removes the legwork in gathering evidence and reduces the paperwork involved. Facewatch has met with great acclaim from on high with Sir Bernard Hogan Howe, Commissioner for the Metropolitan Police, describing it as, "Excellent technology for fighting crime, reducing bureaucracy and saving time."
With customers ranging from retailers, restaurants and banks to theme parks and museums, the system is fast gaining critical mass. Simon Gordon says, "As we are using a cloud-based platform from Sungard AS we can scale up our solution across multiple police forces, which allows greater access and sharing of our applications and information across multiple forces, as well as more regular, free updates to the software for the police to use."
Simon and his team with Hampshire Police have now developed and launched an online crime reporting portal, which will be made available to all UK police forces. Other plans include a Facewatch Communicator app to enable Facewatch group members to message each other with text and images as well as send SOS messages.
Not being one to rest on his laurels, Simon Gordon has ambitious plans for the future of Facewatch. "The UK is just a pilot for us. Once we've proved the system here, with Sungard AS's global reach we can transfer what we're doing worldwide."
As for the problem at Gordon's Wine Bar which started it all, thanks to Facewatch its crime rate has plummeted from up to 12 incidents a month to "virtually nothing." Looking back on his journey so far, Simon Gordon comments, "What seemed like quite a daunting task has turned into an exciting business opportunity for us because we have found the right partner and are benefitting from their consultancy and support."


text:
Out of the Woods: FBI director's 'hard truths' need to be heard
Published 6:10 am, Thursday, June 18, 2015
News of the appointment of the outspoken, 6-foot, 8-inch tall, 52-year-old James B. Comey, of Westport, as the nation's seventh director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, has added considerable status to our already star-studded cast of national celebrities from all walks of life.
Comey — whose previous jobs include deputy attorney general (where he was the main prosecutor in the "obstruction of justice" case against fellow Westporter Martha Stewart in 1984), U.S. attorney, and general counsel at Bridgewater Associates — is the father of graduating Greens Farms Academy senior (and student council chair) Claire Comey, and Abbey Comey, recipient of the ninth grade citizenship award. Two of his other children also attended the academy. At the commencement ceremony recently, Comey discusssed what he consider are the four keys to success: 1) high emotional intelligence; 2) effective communication; 3) the confidence to be humble and ask questions, and, 4) value one's reputation.
Comey's tendency toward truth telling showed up earlier this year when he delivered a speech on race that drew praise from a student audience at a graduation at Georgetown University in Washington, D.C. For a man who lives in one of the most elite parts of the nation (Westport's Greens Farms), he addressed race relations with unusual insight and rare perspective. He is seen by many political observers as a new kind of 21st-Century Republican who — if he continues to make friends on both sides of the aisle — could have a very promising future on the national political stage. God knows, as the pundits have been stressing, his party is desperately in need of long-term leadership at the top.
Comey moved to Westport in 2010, when he took a job with Bridgewater Associates, an institutional money manager. He became a hero to Democratic opponents of President George W. Bush's warrantless wiretapping program when he refused for a time to reauthorize it.
Comey is registered as a Republican voter in Westport.
The Washington Post described Comey as a "Teller of Hard Truths." Excerpts from his outstanding, timely Georgetown speech follow:
"… in places like Ferguson and New York City, and in some communities across this nation, there is a disconnect between police agencies and many citizens—predominantly in communities of color.
"Serious debates are taking place about how law enforcement personnel relate to the communities they serve, about the appropriate use of force, and about real and perceived biases, both within and outside of law enforcement. These are important debates. Every American should feel free to express an informed opinion — to protest peacefully, to convey frustration and even anger in a constructive way. That's what makes our democracy great. Those conversations — as bumpy and uncomfortable as they can be — help us understand different perspectives, and better serve our communities ...
"Let me start by sharing some of my own hard truths: First, all of us in law enforcement must be honest enough to acknowledge that much of our history is not pretty.
"There is a reason that I require all new agents and analysts to study the FBI's interaction with Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., and to visit his memorial in Washington as part of their training. And there is a reason I keep on my desk a copy of Attorney General Robert Kennedy's approval of J. Edgar Hoover's request to wiretap Dr. King ...
"A second hard truth: Much research points to the widespread existence of unconscious bias. Many people in our white-majority culture have unconscious racial biases and react differently to a white face than a black face. In fact, we all, white and black, carry various biases around with us.
"Racial bias isn't epidemic in law enforcement any more than it is epidemic in academia or the arts. In fact, I believe law enforcement overwhelmingly attracts people who want to do good for a living — people who risk their lives because they want to help other people ...
"But that leads me to my third hard truth: something happens to people in law enforcement. Many of us develop different flavors of cynicism that we work hard to resist because they can be lazy mental shortcuts.
"Two white men on the other side of the street — even in the same clothes — do not. The officer does not make the same association about the two white guys, whether that officer is white or black. And that drives different behavior. The officer turns toward one side of the street and not the other. We need to come to grips with the fact that this behavior complicates the relationship between police and the communities they serve.
"So why has that officer — like his colleagues — locked up so many young men of color? Why does he have that life-shaping experience? Is it because he is a racist? Why are so many black men in jail? Is it because cops, prosecutors, judges and juries are racist? Because they are turning a blind eye to white robbers and drug dealers?
"The answer is a fourth hard truth: I don't think so. A tragedy of American life — one that most citizens are able to drive around because it doesn't touch them — is that young people in "those neighborhoods" too often inherit a legacy of crime and prison. And with that inheritance, they become part of a police officer's life, and shape the way that officer — whether white or black — sees the world ...
"We simply must see the people we serve."
Woody Klein is a Westport writer. His column, "Out of the Woods," appears every other Friday the Westport News. He can be reached at email@example.com.


text:
Juseleeno Nobulega DaRoose Hoax and Rising Gas Prices
Juseleeno Nobulega DaRoose predicted an earthquake on July 18, 2008 and here I am, sitting comfortably in my bed typing this post.
I can still remember when I first received that forwarded email. When I searched in Google for this Juseleeno Nobulega DaRoose, almost everyone was searching and blogging about him. Skeptics and believers were searching for any information that would lead to him. Also, bloggers were competing against each other for the rankings in search engines. It was a really a big hit that even the Philippine media would sometimes include this in their reports to pacify the people that this is just a hoax.
Indeed it was. Nothing happened, not that I want something to happen but I personally didn't believe the prediction at all when I read it. I just blogged about it because (see the reason above why bloggers are blogging about it). In any case, I'm still thankful that nothing happened.
On another note, gasoline prices increased again yesterday. Diesel users will be the one who will be shocked and will suffer the most as the price increase was Php3.00 per liter. For gasoline, it was about Php1.00. Sometimes, I wonder, when will this price increase end. When I first bought my car last February 2008, prices were around PHP42.00 – PHP44.00 per liter in unleaded gasoline. Now, after five months, the prices now range at PHP60.00 to PHP62.00, approximately 50% increase in prices!
Who is telling the truth? Oil firms keep on telling us that the world prices for oil keeps on increasing and they have to increase their prices because they are losing money. However, a recent study or research was done and it claim that oil prices were overpriced by at least PHP12.00. As a consumer, I'd rather believe the later claim but it still leads to the question that who is telling the truth? Regardless of this, the oil firms still win because they keep on increasing their prices and we can't do anything about it.
So as consumers, in order to battle the rising oil prices, we just have to save up. I personally use my car on weekends (because I have work on weekdays) and most of the time, I just commute. Actually, if you commute, you can save a lot of money because if you drive a car, not only will you pay for gasoline, you will also have to pay for parking where some charges you per hour! Oh well, having a car makes your travel more comfortable at a much expensive prices. Your choice!
Well, I just wanted to share my thoughts on these two issues. As of now, I'm still doing some checks on my blog statistics and I'm seeing something good. I will be posting about it in another post. Have a nice day!


text:
• Complete 2012 season preview
ASTROphysicists are talking about two distinct concepts when they utilize the terms "distance traveled" and "displacement," respectively how long the journey has been and how far removed from where we started we end up.
The baseball franchise named to honor those far away bodies, has traveled great distances in its first 50 years in orbit, but entering the second half-century, it is fair to ask, how far away are we from where this franchise began its ride in 1962 with little more than a pistol to its name.
They've taken us on a ride to some unforgettable highs. Billy Hatcher's celestial swat, the meteoric paths from 15-30 to the World Series, to the precipice of greatness nine times only to fall short of the biggest prize.
Along the way, there have been some depths of unfathomable fathoms. Don Wilson, Jim Umbricht, no more than names necessary. There was the sad saga of J.R. Richard and those who we said our real goodbye to all-too-soon after we parted baseball company with Ken Caminiti and Darryl Kile.
Sometimes it feels like the orbit takes us from apogee to perigee or vice versa in a matter of days, from smirking helmet-flipping Jeff Kent to a sullen city watching St. Louis celebrate in 2004. And the next year from Albert Pujols' demoralizing to Game 6 with evidence still standing in the form of a pennant at Minute Maid Park and a bulldozer somewhere on the soil of Mississippi.
But through all that, through the 3,944 wins and 4,027 losses, how far have the Astros really come as a franchise, purely measured from where they were April 10, 1962 to where they are now? It can be argued not all that far.
What we have here is the closest thing any adult franchise can come to an expansion team.
Full of second chances and those like original Colt .45 Bob Aspromonte, who couldn't catch on with the contending Los Angeles Dodgers and had to come to Houston to blossom. Think Jed Lowrie or Kyle Weiland wouldn't mind that kind of path?
But it's really more about the sense of a fresh start than true comparisons to what was actually an older team in the early 1960s.
There is a new owner with local ties, though neither born here, as Jim Crane follows the legacy of Roy Hofheinz in putting Houston baseball in Houstonian hands.
And with a new braintrust comes a new opportunity to leave an imprint. Like general manager Paul Richards and a young Tal Smith at his side, Jeff Luhnow and his staff have the chance to build from nothingness. That's really what they've been left. Perhaps just one more year until there are no payroll commitments and the team can be molded however they'd like, just as if they were drafting anew.
Meanwhile, the suits beyond the baseball operations will spend their year cooking up what almost feels like an expansion team in the product's novelty. New league, perhaps new ballpark design, new uniforms that can combine that spirit of rebirth with a tip of the cap to the past.
It's a new day in Astro-world, yet one that to those of a certain age could feel somewhat familiar. It's a scary time as well with unknowns lurking in the American League and in unfamiliar people running the community's cherished good.
But with Crane's seemingly stable ownership group anchoring a stable organization, Astros fans really can say the same thing they were 50 years ago when they could look down 24 games in the standings:
"At least we're not the Mets."
Yes, the Astros' twin brothers from the expansion class of 1962 are another example of how cyclical the baseball world can be. Yet Queens has its two titles, and Houston does not.
Two full generations pass and leave behind plenty of memories and a baseball team that will look somewhat appropriate in its 1962 Colt .45s throwbacks on Tuesday. They'll represent the new-ballclub smell that a stale franchise has desperately needed the last five years under the old regime.
Also just how far we've come and how close we are to right where we started.