text:
There was a lack of knowledge about the user's acceptance of smart devices as ubiquitous learning (u-learning) tools at higher education institutions in Sweden. As the mobile technology grows, the demand for mobile devices, particularly smart devices increases as well. With the increase in the usage of smart devices, the higher education institutions provide mobile learning platforms to attract more customers in the competitive industry of education. Thus, understanding the key factors from the perspectives of end-users is important for the institutions to survive in the competitive market. This study explores and explains Behavioral and Continuance intentions of students regarding the acceptance and usage of smart devices (Smartphones and Personal Digital Assistants or PDA) as u-learning tools. Key factors related to the users' intentions to accept and continue using smart devices as u-learning tools were identified and hypothesized in the Swedish context. Ten hypotheses were suggested based on TAM, UTAUT, and ECT. To achieve the aim and objective of this study, a quantitative approach was chosen, and a survey strategy based on purposive and convenience sampling techniques were used. A web-based questionnaire on five-points Likert Scale was designed to collect the required data. 115 (96 valid) students answered the questionnaire. The collected data were used to conduct statistical operations in SPSS. Five hypotheses were supported, and the other five were not. The findings suggest that Performance Expectancy, Perceived Mobility value, Confirmation, and Satisfaction positively influence both Behavioral and Continuance Intentions of students to accept and continue using smart devices as u-learning tools. According to the findings, Confirmation and Satisfaction from ECT can be included as separate constructs in UTAUT and UTAUT2. Higher education institutions planning to have (and those that already have) learning platforms, compatible with smart devices, can benefit from the findings. Higher education institutions can also design their u-learning platforms according to the Performance Expectancy, Perceived Mobility value, Confirmation, and Satisfaction of the students.
This paper explores whether financial markets are games, using exchange traded derivatives, those quintessential speculative instruments, as the primary vehicle. The phrase "gaming the system" usually means taking advantage of the system; that is to say, specifically turning some-thing performing a productive social function to one's own enjoyable ends. But "gaming the system" can also mean generally transforming a system with productive purposes into one whose purpose is enjoyment. Some might say that this is just what has occurred in recent years to financial markets with the explosion in derivatives.
In this paper the efforts of transforming 'regular' entrepreneurship to a specific kind of 'entrepreneurial self' in education are linked to the materialization of employability. It will be illustrated that schoolchildren, under the guise of entrepreneurship education, are taught how to work on improving their selves, emphasizing positive thinking, the joy of creating and awareness of the value of their own interests and passions. This ethic reminds us that we can always improve ourselves, since the enterprising self can never fully be acquired. The flipside of this ethic is that, by continuously being encouraged to become our best, it may be difficult to be satisfied with who we are. Highlighted in this paper is that, with all the amusement and excitement present in entrepreneurship education, also comes an expectation of the individual to fight against all odds. Recruiting students to this kind of shadow-boxing with their selves should involve critical reflection on its political dimensions, human limits, alternative ideals and the collective efforts that are part of entrepreneurial endeavours.
Drawing on Freire, this article elaborates on how pictures and artefacts benefit processes of 'prise de conscience' and 'conscientization' among those with powerful voices. Wor(l)d-making was unfolded in the Swedish think-and-do tank, 'the Smithy', emphasizing the intrinsically political nature of promoting 'societal entrepreneurship' (SE). New words for SE were formulated and a more inclusive world was discerned where all had a role, not just as 'helpers', but as equal members of SE practices. Pictures and artefacts enabled hitherto silenced stories to be told and created a common understanding of how SE contrasted with traditional entrepreneurship. When new words were added to entrepreneurship, it was possible to reflect on the actions taken within the Smithy in a deeper sense, not only focusing on actions for the entrepreneurs 'out there', but also initiating self-reflection on the roles all had in the Smithy, or in other settings, to promote SE.
Entrepreneurship and innovation support has grown into large institutions in a society that cherishes an enterprising culture. Individuals are encouraged to be entrepreneurial and innovative in general, and to start up their own companies in particular. To support individuals in their business creation processes, policy stresses the need of providing with measures. Together these measures comprise a support system, directed towards supporting new and established entrepreneurs. It has however been recognized that the entrepreneurship and innovation public support system is highly gendered, favoring men and male businesses, whilst programs targeting women put the onus on individual women to start and grow businesses. As well it has been recognized that the policy support system tends to exclude 'othered' groups rather than including them in enterprising activities. The subtext of entrepreneurship support points to how some people "are" entrepreneurs, whilst others need support in order to become more entrepreneurial. Hence, there is a need to change the support system of entrepreneurship and innovation since it tends to disempower rather than to empower 'othered' groups in society.
"Sisters in Business" make up an organization of wo/men entrepreneurs who have joined forces to address this need. Their vision is that entrepreneurship should reflect the society at large. During the last year they have therefore taken several initiatives to make this happen and is today one of the support organizations in a medium sized Swedish town. In this paper three Sisters are working together with a researcher within this area. Together we have formed a group of "engaged sisters´". In our dialogue the dichotomy between 'practice' and 'theory' have temporarily dissolved in favor of creating narratives, from episodes, experiences and the everyday life of sister´s, to illustrate how the support system works from 'within'. This led us to questioning whether the 'support system' really is a support system, or something else? Furthermore, this insight made it apparent that there exists 'other' support system, tough concealed and silenced. Finally, suggestions are proposed for how 'practitioners' can work together with 'academics' to change the rules of the game.
Innovation and entrepreneurship are no longer two words that only assist in describing societal phenomena of "newness", "change" and "diffusion"; they have also grown into important policy areas for assisting the European Union Member States to estab-lish conditions for creating economic growth, new jobs and social cohesion. Our inter-est lies in understanding the gender dimension of innovation and entrepreneurship policy. Do entrepreneurship and innovation policies consolidate, adapt to, challenge, or even transform the gender system? The gender system is referred to here as a theo-retical concept which recognises how men and women are separated in society, hori-zontally as well as vertically. This chapter provides a discourse analysis of two texts within the framework of the Lisbon Strategy - Innovative Sweden (2004) and the Green Paper of Entrepreneurship (European Commisson, 2003), with the aim of look-ing into how innovation and entrepreneurship policies are gendered.
This article pays interest to the intersection between policy and practice when implementing entrepreneurship in the educational system. Taking a point of departure in Mahieu's (2006) call for knowledge of the interplay between different policy levels and Backström-Widjeskog's (2010) conclusion about tensions occurring when teachers are introduced to the concept, the intention is to develop knowledge about conflicts and tensions at the intersection between policy and practice. From analysing policy documents and narratives from entrepreneurship education implementation projects during a time when entrepreneurship education started to be promoted in Sweden three figures of thought are found (economic/humanistic, biological/social, and individual/collective) which are proposed to be involved in creating tensions and conflicts in the intersection between policy and practice. Theoretically, these figures of thought can be seen as a contribution to understanding processes in which the concept of entrepreneurship education has deliberately been moved, by way of policy, to the educational practice. Reflecting on these thought figures may enhance teachers' translation processes when starting to work with entrepreneurship education in practice.
Entrepreneurship generally is about creative organizing but with social enterprising this is especially so. Most social ventures cross the boundaries between the private, the public and the non-profit/voluntary sectors. This broad involvement of actors and intertwining of sectors makes the label 'societal' entrepreneurship appropriate. Stating the importance of both the local and the broader societal context, the book reports close-up studies from a variety of social ventures. Generic themes include positioning societal entrepreneurship against other images of collective entrepreneurship, critically penetrating its assumptions and practices and proposing ways of promoting societal entrepreneurship more widely. Providing a new conceptual framework and research methodology, this compendium will prove insightful for academic scholars. The basic concepts and illustrative cases/stories will also appeal to students and reflective practitioners.
This paper is based upon a regional development project in a 'vulnerable' Swedish region consisting of three municipalities. At a first glance, this is a region in decline that is lacking in entrepreneurial initiatives. During a crucial time period the project 'Diversity in Entrepreneurship' (DiE) was launched to help the region to become more entrepreneurial and inclusive. An underlying logic was built into the project, which is associated with the critical pedagogy of Paolo Freire. From a Freirean perspective regions lacking in entrepreneurship could be reconsidered emphasizing that the entrepreneurial initiatives are always there – latent – however restrained by certain discourses; in this case a dominant enterprise discourse. Above all the enterprise discourse suppresses the ability for particular groups in society to view themselves as entrepreneurs. The purpose of this paper is to introduce Freire's critical pedagogical perspective to entrepreneurship and regional development. An episode illustrating how the enterprise discourse suppresses an equality discourse, introduced by way of the DiE- project, makes the point of departure for discussing the process of 'conscientization', which refers to a type of learning that is focused on perceiving and exposing contradictions and to take action against the oppressive elements of reality (Freire 1970). Some key Freirean ideas or concepts are explained, first as they were expressed by Freire and then applied to entrepreneurship and regional development. It is then discussed how these concepts found their expressions in the project. The critical pedagogic perspective not only emphasizes an entrepreneurial potential in every individual, but it also gives an idea of what kind of processes could release entrepreneurial initiatives among those who do not view themselves as entrepreneurs.
In this paper our ambition is to provide with theoretical and empirical inspiration for studying contemporary constitutions of entrepreneurship. In specific, we seek to highlight how the transformation from entrepreneurship into forms of entrepreneurships has unfolded on various arenas. This means tracing the interplay between criticism of (traditional) entrepreneurship and the outbreak and dissemination of alternative entrepreneurships. In specific, we focus on the positive connotations that come with the alternative forms, a goodness that lures behind each and every corner, to see what it shapes as well as what shape entrepreneurship takes. Even if entrepreneurship research does pay some interest to the changing conditions for entrepreneurship, it seldom links these to changes in conditions for people, organizations and societies.
The different shapes taken on by social entrepreneurship in contemporary society show that social goals are integrated by commercial enterprises and commercial goals are incorporated by organisations with a social mission. Combining a social mission with commercial goals is often presented as a 'win-win' situation. In this article, we highlight the potential tensions and conflicts created by the conflicting demands and expectations when the institutional non-profit and for-profit logics meet in social entrepreneuring. From this viewpoint, social entrepreneurship is an anomaly, which seems difficult to resolve. Despite this, we often read descriptions of social entrepreneurs as heroes, which show how social entrepreneurship is glorified and part of the marketisation of society. This article sets out to present a more complex and problematic picture of practising social entrepreneurship where the obvious 'win-win' situations more often appear as 'win-lose' and sometimes even as 'lose-lose'. From a three-year ethnographic study of an emerging fair-trade enterprise, the concept of disharmony shows that dilemmas are part of everyday life in social entrepreneuring. Instead of posing insoluble conflicts, dilemmas light the way for the individual social entrepreneur. They are managed through temporary rationalisation; finding a way to integrate conflicting demands into the life of a social entrepreneur. Disharmony includes moments of identity struggle, but is also a learning process in which the social entrepreneur tries to understand the difference between what she does and what she actually achieves.
How can play be used to unravel the discourse of the gendered hero entrepreneur and instead describe mundane entrepreneuring? Further, how can the doing of gendered social orders be problematized when entrepreneuring is equated with play? In this article we answer these questions by engaging with the French social theorist Caillois' (1961) conceptualization of play as being at the heart of all higher culture. Two ethnographic cases act as our vehicle in analysing play as entrepreneuring. From a rich description of these cases we find that it is not a question of playing or not playing, but about how to play. All four forms of play described by Caillois are present, which illustrates the variation of entrepreneuring and the richness of activities conducted in the 'doing of entrepreneurship'. Further, both ways of playing discussed by Caillois are found. Whilst these two ways are interrelated on a continuum in the theory of play, they have been separated in entrepreneurship discourse, where they underpin the tendency to differentiate between the hero entrepreneur and ordinary people. Finally, we engage in a more interpretive and reflective discussion on entrepreneuring as performative acts through which social orders can be not only reproduced but also transformed.
Professor Paul Reynolds said in a speech that entrepreneurs quickly learn how to tell the polished stories about their journeys when they are asked by researchers and journalists about what they have done and achieved. The notion of polished stories is also recognized byWilliam Gartner (2007) in a special issue on narrative, reflecting upon the fact that he can name dozens of entrepreneurs, and he has several logico-scientific descriptions, explanations, categories, concepts and hypotheses about entrepreneurs, but he cannot say much about their stories. Consequently, it has been argued that the field of entrepreneurship studies needs new concepts if it is to take seriously the ambition to understand entrepreneurs, entrepreneurship and entrepreneuring (e.g. Hjorth et al., 2003; Johannisson, 2011; Steyaert, 2007; Gartner, 2007; Huse and Landström, 1997). In this chapter we will show how entrepreneurship and small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) can be researched through the ethnographic method, focusing on understanding the social context of a certain phenomenon or person. Specifically, four ethnographic studies are introduced, which will be discussed as themes: context; the role of the researcher; the research process; and lessons learned.
Purpose - This paper explores critical factors that may obstruct or advance integration efforts initiated by the clinical management following a hospital merger. The aim is to increase our understanding of why clinical integration succeeds or fails.
Design/methodology/approach - We compare two cases of integration efforts following the Karolinska University Hospital merger in Sweden. Each case represents two merged departments of the same specialty from each hospital site. We conducted 53 interviews with individuals representing various staff categories and collected documents to check data consistency.
Findings - The study identifies three critical factors that seem to be instrumental for the process and outcome of integration efforts – clinical management's 1) interpretation of the mandate, 2) design of the management constellation and 3) approach to integration. Obstructive factors are: a sole focus on the formal assignment from the top; individual leadership; and the use of a classic, planned, top-down management approach. Supportive factors are: paying attention to multiple stakeholders; shared leadership; and the use of an emergent, bottom-up management approach within planned boundaries. These findings are basically consistent with the literature's prescriptions for managing professional organisations.
Practical implications - Managers need to understand that public healthcare organisations are based on multiple logics that need to be handled in a balanced way if clinical integration is to be achieved – especially the tension between managerialism and professionalism.
Originality/value - By focusing on the merger consequences for clinical units, this paper addresses an important gap in the healthcare merger literature.
A growing trend within the literature on value creation is the introduction of private-collective knowledge communities, which create opportunities for organizations to leverage knowledge. In these communities, participants privately invest in a project's success by freely revealing and contributing their personal resources such as expertise and time to a public good. Firms then use these public goods as the basis for their own product offering. In this paper, we focus on describing the nature of the relationships that exist within private-collective knowledge communities and subsequently develop a framework for how researchers and practitioners can understand the organization-user dynamics found within these communities. As such, our research questions are as follows: What factors impact the organization-user dynamics in private-collective knowledge communities and how do these factors affect the nature of the relationships within these communities? We conclude with initial results supporting our model and discuss future steps, limitations, and contributions.
Internet has been transformed. The new Internet, Web 2.0, is all about interactivity, communication and conversations. Citizens and stakeholders demand transparency and influence. The individuals that contribute their knowledge and views demand insight into how their contribution is used to develop the organization, or they leave the conversation. At the same time the Swedish parliament requires improved efficiency, availability and access to government services.
Previous research shows there is a trend towards issue arenas where issues and topics, not organizations, are at the center of communication. The emergence of e-government represents a paradigm shift, from emphasizing standardization and cost-efficiency, to an emphasis on coordinated network building, external collaboration, and customer services. This transformation from bureaucracy to networked governance requires new strategies.
To explore these trends and phenomena research interviews have been conducted with representatives for three Swedish government agencies. The empirical findings have then been illuminated with neo-institutional theory and analyzed with governance and communication strategy concepts and theories.
The findings show that the three agencies have taken some small steps toward the virtual issue arenas. Some employees participate in social media, but the participation isn't formalized and knowledge isn't aggregated within the organizations. The general knowledge of social media is low and there seems to be institutionalized myths affecting the decision environment. Management consists of members of similar age. Top management from different agencies in the sector frequently meets, and the agencies await and follow the other agencies examples.
The new e-logic challenges existing power structures, as well as the myth of authority, since external actors gain power over business development. In order to fully participate in the conversation in virtual issue arenas, a change in organizational culture is likely needed, and potentially generational change might be necessary to facilitate the change in culture. Engaging in a few, carefully selected e-projects will enable the agencies to learn and expand the engagement gradually. The accumulated experience may lead to a change in the institutionalized myths, thus enabling the predicted paradigm shift.
Using indigenous knowledge of Chinese culture and philosophy, this article critiques Geert Hofstede's fifth national culture dimension, i.e. 'Confucian dynamism', also referred to as 'long-term orientation'. The basic premise on which the dimension is founded is scrutinized and the way in which this index has been constructed is assessed in detail. It is argued that there is a philosophical flaw inherent in this 'new' dimension. Given this fatal flaw and other methodological weaknesses, the usefulness of Hofstede's fifth dimension is doubted. The article concludes by calling for new visions and perspectives in our cross cultural research.
En introduktion om vad det innebär för svenska företag att göra affärer i Kina och en presentation av det kinesiska samhället, dess politik, ekonomi, och kultur ur ett svensk-kinesiskt perspektiv.


text:
Swan Rose (2009)
If you love an image (whether it's yours or someone else's) and want to make sure others get a chance to see it, you can "feature" it by choosing the "Spotlight" button.
When an image is Spotlighted, it receives enhanced visibility in premium spots throughout the site. Spotlighted images are rotated through these higher-visibility positions to ensure the best opportunity for the images to be seen by JPG users.
If you see a great photo that would make a perfect entry for one of our Shoot Out photo contests but it was uploaded by another user, now you can enter that photo in the contest and, if it wins, you get to share in the contest winnings.
Like a photo editor, if you've got an eye for great work, find it and submit it to a contest. If it wins, since you staked the entry fee, you'll take home part of the prize (the rest, of course, goes to the member who shot the image).
Collections are a JPG+ feature. You must be a JPG+ member to create new collections and to add photos to collections.
Sign up for JPG+ to start using collections now!
Photo license: © All rights reserved
A diving swan is rotated to make it look like a rosebud. For more information on this print please follow this link:
Thank you!
1 response
((pigotta08)) said (26 Oct 2009):
original! :)
Please Login or Sign Up
Login or Sign Up
Need contest credits? Get 'em here!
Payments are processed by PayPal and you will be automatically forwarded to PayPal to complete your transaction. It may take a few minutes after you complete your transaction for you contest credits to update. We will send an email to your registered email address once we have received a successful transaction from PayPal and updated you credits.
Select a Shoot Out contest credit package below.

subset: commoncrawl


text:
One of the most notable colonies of New France was Acadia located in present-day Canada and Maine. While it had lasted under French rule for many years, the British eventually gained control. The residents of Acadia resisted British rule, and eventually fled Acadia. Most of them settled in Louisiana.
Tuesday, April 26, 2016
Fact of the Day: Acadia Louisiana
Labels: canada, england, fact of the day, france, Great Britain, Louisiana, maine
5 comments:
Interesting Adam and something I didn't know.ReplyDelete
Never knew that one. Maybe that is what the university is named after here.ReplyDelete
The Acadians didn't "flee." They were physically rounded up and deported by the British. It was a case of what we now call "ethnic cleansing." The British wanted the Maritimes for their own settlers, not the Acadian French who resisted swearing an oath of allegiance to Britain.ReplyDeleteReplies
Yup. That's how it happened.Delete
I knew Canada was settled by the French, but the rest is new to me.ReplyDelete
Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom)


text:
Scrap Kit: Naughty Angels Fairy Meadow.
She does amazing work!
Template 166 by Beth which you can find on her blog HERE. I think I have pretty much snagged most of her templates. I love them !!
Eye Candy 4000 Gradient Glow
Tube of choice. I am using the art of Anna Marine. You can find her work HERE
Open template and delete all layers except :
White glitter frame, black frame, black circle, circle stitches 1, pink circle, circle stitches 2, white circle and oval.
Make your oval layer active - selection - select all - float - defloat - modify - contract 5 - c-n-p paper 10 as new layer - invert - make paper layer active - delete - select none - merge down - effects - edge effects - erode.
Make your top white glitter frame active - c-n-p frame 5 as new layer - delete white glitter circle and scale frame 5 to fit around the black circle as shown - add gradient glow with the following settings :


text:
Today I want to share three of my top productivity tips for home based business owners.
Working from home was something I always knew I wanted to do whilst my son is still young enough to want me around.
I love the freedom of having a home based business, but it also comes with its own set of challenges.
For me personally, the challenges have included getting through to friends and family that just because I'm at home, does not mean I'm free for lunch, going shopping, chatting on the phone, running errands…
Also for the first year or so of my business, I spent a great deal of my time being busy but not productive. There's a huge difference.
So today I want to share 3 of my top productivity tips for home business owners.
PIN and Share – Thanks
Here are my top 3 productivity tips for home-based business owners
If you currently feel that you're not as productive as you would like or need to be, these tips are well worth committing to applying.
FREE for you – SIgn up for my FREE Ideal Business Workbook for clarity and focus in your business.
Set yourself work hours
Okay, if you're just starting out, you're probably in for a bit of a shock. Most successful home-based business owners work way more hours than they did in full-time work, at least to start with.
However, I still encourage you to set work hours and as much as possible, stick to these hours.
I have two reasons for this suggestion. Firstly to try and give yourself some valuable work-life balance and secondly because it can be easy to end up not putting the hours in.
My official working hours are 8.30 – 4pm. This is when I get the bulk of my work done, my most important work. I do work outside of these hours but I try to do things like research, social media work, non-essential emails during this time.
Now I will be completely honest with you. I take time off (when I decide to, not when other people think I should). If I take three hours off in the afternoon, that's my choice, but I know I have to make that time up in the evening and/or at the weekend.
You need to be completely honest about how you're spending your time during business hours.
Worth reading: How are you spending your time?
What I see happening with clients I work with who are in the first years of business and not achieving what they want, is that they do a little work, go out for coffee with friends, then they pop and do a bit of shopping or a bit of housework… This goes on in some form for weeks and then I get a phone call or an email saying "My business isn't working and I don't know what to do, can you help me."
Now this isn't true of all my clients, but it's something I see happening a lot.
So if you can relate to this situation, my advice is to say "NO" to everything that is NOT work and stick to your work hours. The flexibility can come later as your business grows.
Pretend you are on the clock and you only get paid if you work your hours.
Have a conversation with friends and family
People are not mind readers and mostly, they just want to spend time with you, but you need to let people know that you are working and that's that.
You really do need to lead by example. If a friend or family member telephones during your work hours, simply say to them. "I'm working at the moment, can you call back after…" (whatever time is outside of work hours) or "I'll call you this evening." This gives your friend a clear message that they need to let you work in the daytime and if they'd like to chat with you, then they must call in the evening, just like they would if you worked for someone else out of the home.
I've printed out and laminated a sign and put it on the outside of my door in the past saying "Please do not disturb. I work from home and I'm on a call." This worked well for me as I am often on coaching calls with clients.
Let your friends and family know that you have to commit to these hours in order for your business to be successful.
When it's work time, WORK!
I know this sounds obvious but I speak from experience when I say this doesn't always happen. I know in the early days and even now I fall into this trap now and again, I was really busy, but I wasn't always working, at least not on the important things in my business.
Okay so what I want you to do is get clear about the business tasks that move your business forward, I mean really move your business forward. Do these things.
So checking what your friends are doing on social media is not work.
Be really strict with yourself on this point. With no boss watching over you, it's so easy to just do the easy stuff that makes you feel busy but won't move your business forward.
YOU are your boss. Be fair but be strict with yourself. And be fair and strict with other people so that you have the time and space to make your home based business a real success.
You don't need to go this alone
Please do get in touch if you'd like further support. Going it alone in business can be hard and often lonely. There really is no reason to do this alone.
Please note that these tips are not the way that ALL successful business owners operate. However, if you are currently feeling that you are not very productive in your home based business, then it is well worth committing to applying these tips.
Let me know in the comments below what you struggle within your home based business.
Wishing you every success.
Other posts you might find helpful…
Eat frogs for breakfast – Productivity tip
Massively effective goal setting
Clarity exercise for when you don't know what to focus on
Recommended downloads
Law of attraction business planning pack


text:
Gilde has more than 30 years' experience investing in mid-market companies. We take an active role in the organization we invest in, based on our in-depth understanding of everyday business challenges. We partner the incumbent management team, through good times and bad.
Over the past three decades, Gilde has established an extensive industry network, which we will happily mobilize to achieve your strategic objectives.
Sector-based knowledge
Give or take the odd exception, Gilde invests in all sectors. That said, we are particularly experienced in the food sector, the services sector, and manufacturing. Read more about our investments.


text:
|Your cart is empty
Our return policy is applicable only in the mentioned cases :
1) We fail to deliver the item on the requested date.
2) In case the item is broken, damaged during the time of delivery
3)The item does not match the details mentioned on BoonToon.com.
In case you want to refund the item for the above mentioned cases, please notify us within 24hrs of the delivery. Your amount will be refunded once we verify your request.


text:
Lomowalk: Diwali celebrations in Trafalgar Square with the LC-A+ @ Lomography Gallery Store Soho1 Share Tweet
Because we know everyone is scrambling to try out this amazing camera… we decided what better time to take it for a test drive than to the colourful festival of Lights, the Diwali celbrations in Trafalgar square! Nothing will capture low-light conditions like the LCA! Learn all about the camera and join us for this walk too!
Lomowalk: Diwali celebrations in Trafalgar Square with the LC-A+
16th October, Sunday from 1pm
Tickets are £15 and include a presentation, lend-a-camera LC-A+, a roll of film and a complimentary drink plus discounts on film processing.
See what else we have in store for you in Our October workshops, walks and events schedule
Lomography Gallery Store Soho
3 Newburgh Street, London W1F 7RE
Follow us, friend us, check-in and join us!
written by golfpunkgirl on 2011-09-30 #news #event #workshop #soho #lomowalk #lomo #uk #lgs #lndon


text:
Welcome to my world of whimsical and wonderful imaginary characters
Monday, March 7, 2011
Illustration Friday = Warning
9 comments:
My you are fast this week!!! Great illustration and great story to go with it!!ReplyDelete
How creative. I love illustrations with stories behind them.ReplyDelete
He just thinks he won :o) Beware the quiet cocky! Nice one Janet, full of wit and humor and talent.ReplyDelete
I definitely wouldn't mess with him! :-)ReplyDelete
Ahahah, very funny!ReplyDelete
Yikes, I wouldn't mess with him either....it looks like he means business! oh the poor irises! Great take and so clever! have a great day!ReplyDelete
A beautiful bird, but such a dangerous dude to be wreaking havoc in the garden! :o)ReplyDelete
Beautiful pen & ink! Great line work! :)ReplyDelete
Thanks everyone for the great comments and I am sorry for my delay in getting back to you. Its been abusy long weekend for me with our baby's 5th birthday tomorrow I have been busy baking and there have been lots of fun things to do too. She has her family party tomorrow and then a big party ( fairy party) next weekend. Busy but totally enjoyable days. My feet ache tho... will look forward to a sit down tonight.ReplyDelete


text:
Query From Alison Woo firstname.lastname@example.com 22 June 1998
I am doing research work for a media project on the American women's movement (1963-1978). I wanted to get some feedback on what some of the greatest myths of that time were. Myths, that on the surface, seemed to define the era, but if fact were false.
The biggest myth of all was the whole bra-burning legend. Thanks and I will look forward to your responses.
From Barbara Winslow email@example.com 23 June 1998
According to the NY Times reporting on the Miss America contest, Robin Morgan was quoted as to saying that women were going to burn bras.
Whether or not women burned a bra in the freedom trash can, or burned their bras other places has been hotly disputed. I personally know women who were not at Atlantic City in September 1968 who swear they saw women burning bras. It's similar to the myth of anti-war protestors spitting at returning Vietnam vets.
From Debbie Ann Doyle email@example.com 23 June 1998
I recently read the New York Times coverage of the 1968 Miss America protest in connection with my dissertation research, which I think shows the origins of the bra-burning myth, at least in part.
Asked if the Atlantic City government had objected to the protest, Robin Morgan told a reporter the mayor had been worried about fire safety, but "We told him we wouldn't do anything dangerous--just a symbolic bra-burning." This article made clear that no fires were set, but by Sept. 28th the _Times_ refers to "bra-burnings" as if they happened.
This issue has come up on the list frequently lately. I think the interesting question here is why this particular myth seems to have such resonance both to anti-feminists and to the feminists who take such pains to debunk it. Is it because it implies a total rejection of the demands of beauty? Because it implies slovenliness, being "out of control?" Do we want to counteract this myth because it seems to trivialize the goals of the Women's Movement? Does anyone have any thoughts?
From Maria Elena Raymond firstname.lastname@example.com 23 June 1998
I think, for me, the most important reason to debunk the bra-burning myth is that it isn't true. As historians we have a responsibility to keep the record straight.
From Anya Jabour email@example.com 23 June 1998
Debbie Doyle has asked an excellent question. I teach U.S. women's history and I always mention the myth of bra-burning, but I had not previously examined my reasons for doing so. I think that revealing the false basis of this myth serves several purposes. First, and perhaps most importantly, it shows how biased portrayals of feminism have been from the outset. Second, from a pedagogical angle, it catches students' interest and perhaps quells more conservative students' fears. Third, it shows the organizational abilities of the radical feminists, thereby demonstrating some unexpected common ground with liberal feminists. I'll be interested to see others' thoughts on this matter.
From Tom Heaney firstname.lastname@example.com 23 June 1998
I think Debbie Doyle's query about the myth of bra burning raises some interesting issues. I was quite surprised myself when I learned (only recently) that the bra-burning was simply a myth. (Indeed, my first reaction was that the idea this was a myth was myth itself.)
I think one reason why the myth has retained such power among anti-feminists (and post feminists) is that it trivialized the demands of the women's movement. Bras appear utterly mundane, and not overt symbols of patriarchy. To those opposed to the women's movement, the idea that these female rebels felt it was necessary to "burn" their bras just "demonstrated" how out-of-touch or radical they were.
There is also the comparison to the burning of draft cards by Vietnam War protestors. Burning one's draft card was not only an act of defiant protest, it was also against the law; this is what gave that particular act its power. So, the act of "burning" one's bra, something completely legal (depending on local ordinances regarding open fires anyway) seemed ridiculous. It was this farcical quality of the myth that I think resonated so strongly with those who opposed the movement or were at least apathetic to it. The image of the "bra burner" was useful to anti-feminists because it marginalized [the] feminists.
The image of the "bra burner" has mutated into the more generic "radical feminist." Back in the '70s, women who wanted social/political change were concerned about speaking out for fear of being viewed as one of those "crazy bra burners." In a class I co-taught last summer, many of our female students admitted wanting reproductive freedom, the end of gender-based discrimination, equal pay, restructured gender roles, more employer flexibility on family issues, etc, but were more worried about being seen as a "radical feminist" (one older student actually said "bra burning feminist"). When asked, what was it that "radical feminists" wanted that they didn't, they weren't able to articulate it.
Thus, I would argue that the myth of "bra-burning" marginalizes feminism and silences those women who might otherwise voice their support. Debunking the myth by itself isn't very useful; we have to demonstrate how such a myth functions to restrain political or social action that might be considered feminist.
From Gael Graham firstname.lastname@example.com 24 June 1998
I'm doing research on the 'burning images' of the 1960s. When you think about it, all kinds of things were burning in that era. Tom Heaney's comparison to draft-card burning is an apt one, although I would point out that although it WAS illegal to burn a draft card, this was also a symbolic gesture, since it in no way affected one's draft status and very few men were prosecuted for it. I think in part burning bras helped link radical feminism to all of the other radical groups and issues of the sixties, and contributed to the image of the era as an 'inflammatory' one. That served to inflate the 'danger' of radical feminism even as it trivialized their demands, as others have noted.
Here too we might look at the social evolution of the bra from being a sexy French (ooh, the implications of that in American society) gizmo that uplifted and emphasized the breasts, it had become, by the 1950s, part of the confining, conforming 'body armour' that women wore. [A 'foundational garment,' in the revealing language of lingerie.] Rejecting the bra thus could be a rejection of a whole slew of conservative ideas about women's place. Burning an apron would have been similar, but without the shock value of the threat of women's unrestrained breasts (and hence sexuality). I'm still thinking all of this through, and hope to see more discussion.
From Eve Rosenhaft firstname.lastname@example.com 24 June 1998
I am intrigued by the fact that most (all?) of the contributions to this thread have taken it for granted that the 'bra-burning' myth is negatively charged. It's clear that it has found currency as a basis for ridiculing feminism -- but then the ridiculing of feminists has a venerable tradition, even when they're doing entirely unridiculous things like demanding the vote.
For me, as a junior member of the '68 generation (I didn't get to Atlantic City, busy organising the movement to win girls the right to wear pants to my high school), the image of burning bras has strong positive resonances. It is a reminder, first, that the feminist critique of patriarchy has always been conscious of the power of symbols and symbolic representation both in confirming and in subverting the social order; this insistence has often been the subject of ridicule or (as in the 'Political Correctness debate') demonization. I don't think the self-conscious analogy with draft-card burning is forced or trivial; as a symbolic act, both represent refusals to collaborate in other people's appropriations of one's body. Of course having to wear a bra/a corset/a gender/caste uniform in the form of highly sexualised clothing is of a different order from being sent to die on the battlefield. But I wonder whether thirty years on we have forgotten how tyrannical the dress code for girls and women was until the 1970s, what it took to resist - for example - the pressure to put a daughter into a 'training bra' at the age of 11 or so, and how much the everyday experience of women's liberation had to do with wearing what you wanted and feeling comfortable in your clothes. So if what Robin Morgan said was that they *weren't* going to burn their bras, she was nevertheless referring to what was then a real issue in language that feminists would understand. Dress reform -- another venerable tradition in feminist history...
From Tim Hodgdon firstname.lastname@example.com 24 June 1998
In addition to the points Tom Heaney made about trivialization, I would add that for opponents of feminism, promulgation of the myth was a way of trivializing radical feminists' critique of women's oppression as in part an oppression by and through gendered sexual practice. Protest against sexual objectification formed an important dimension of the early movement's activism--though it was not deeply theorized at the time. To opponents, the myth encapsulated feminists' purportedly futile and irrational protest against human sexual "nature," obviating the need for popular engagement with the substance of feminist consciousness-raising. And the myth has lived on in the popular imagination because it continues to confirm the presumption that radical feminists stand "against sex" as part of a supposed hatred of men.
From JoAnn Castagna firstname.lastname@example.com 24 June 1998
There's a style/cultural context to the "bra-burning" discussion in 1968.
Whether or not a woman wore a bra was much discussed at the time [Cosmopolitan ran an article that gave instructions on how to determine whether a woman "could" go braless and still be attractive, for example]and there were clear cultural signals expressed by a decision not to wear a bra. These included an assertive and self-actualizing sexuality, a disdain for middle-class work models [bra-less women were not "dressing for success"], a preference for comfort over constraint, and so on. From the more silent/less aggressive action of discarding a garment to the more active/aggressive action of burning the garment is not that large a step, and the symbolism was simply stronger. Any analysis of this myth would be strengthened, I think, by a comparison with the similar 19th century events, including the adoption of bloomers by some radical feminists, and the more general "dress reform" discussions that were equally threatening to the status quo.
From Ann K. Wentworth email@example.com 24 June 1998
This discussion of the origins of the "bra-burning" myth is very interesting. In addition to the points already made, I think there is another aspect that relates to the public perception of feminists during the late 1960s and early 1970s. As someone who was an undergraduate at the time, I remember that going without a bra was considered to be a defiant act--a rejection of authority (parents) and related to the whole counter-cultural "dress code" that preferred tattered jeans and tie-dyed T-shirts to the dresses we'd been required to wear in high school. The idea that someone might actually burn her bra brought the whole matter of defiance (symbolized by dress and appearance) into the public realm. It is not always visibly apparent if a young woman went without a bra, but if she could be accused of having burned one, she undoubtedly didn't wear one. I imagine this connection between going bra-less and defiance of authority/tradition contributed greatly to the resonance of the bra-burning myth among feminists and non-feminist alike.
The connection between bras and defiance continued into the 1970s. I remember working on a TVA archaeological field project (one of two women in a group of men) in very conservative rural middle Tennessee and the project director (a UT professor) told us at the onset of the field project that women were expected to wear bras at all times. The implication was that going without a bra was defying public mores, might jeopardize the project's success and was grounds for dismissal. I still wonder what would have happened had either of us decided to make an issue of the matter...
The focus on bras as representing confining tradition and authority brings up some very interesting questions about who defines "beauty" and why bras in particular were singled out (other than the fact that men don't wear them).
From Jo Freeman 24 June 1998
I think we, as historians, need to be careful that in our attempts to debunk myths we do not create new blinders on our ability to see the past. I have taught students of this bra-burning myth, only to find that they felt they had evidence to the contrary. In several of the courses I have taught on modern women's history, young women in the class spoke in detail about their mothers' stories of bra-burning, passed down to them as stories of powerful womanhood. Although the students could have been confused or misled about their mothers' actions, it seems quite possible that media stories about alleged bra-burnings led to actual burnings in localized protests (like college campuses). It is very difficult to claim that no one ever burned as bra as a public protest.
From Lisa Krissoff Boehm email@example.com 24 June 1998
All this idle speculation on bra-burning and the Miss America contest prompts me to suggest that some of the original sources be consulted (and I don't mean the New York Times). Check out the following:
Joanna Foley Martin "Confessions of a Non-Bra Burner," _Columbia Journalism Review_ 1971, pp.11-15 [review of the press' titillating coverage and lack of regard for actual facts].
Judith Hole and Ellen Levine _Rebirth of Feminism_(Quadrangle Books, 1971) They interviewed the participants and didn't rely on press coverage.
Judith Duffet "Voice of the Women's Liberation Movement," Oct.1968 Story by actual participant, available on microfilm in the Herstory collection
If my memory is correct ( and I haven't read recently the sources cited above) the whole myth started with an Art Buchwald column BEFORE the protest itself. In response to the publicity promoting it he asked, in his usual humorous vein, he asked if women were going to burn their bras. Clearly he was fantasizing a possible action by emerging feminists from the ongoing draft card burning by anti-war protestors. Why bras, when all sorts of "objects of female oppression" were going to be tossed into a trash can? I think that had more to do with the male breast fetish than anything planned by women. After all, if women were going to burn underwear to protest oppression, we'd picked the girdle not the bra. Those of you who are too young to remember girdles and the requirement that all well-dressed women wear them, may not fully appreciate this.
Did any women burn bras? yes, but not us. In Chicago, where I lived at the time, a local DJ did a publicity stunt with models paid to stand before the cameras and burn bras. Got a lot of local coverage, and the photos occasionally show up in books because uninformed photo researchers think they are the real thing. If you look at how they are dressed, and at all the men lined up there with them, you can tell this was not a women's liberation event. It's another example of how myth becomes history.
From Clare Spark firstname.lastname@example.com 24 June 1998
There was no bra-burning at Atlantic City at the Miss America pageant? I seem to remember picture, but perhaps I hallucinate. Maybe I'm mistaken in my recollection, but I can tell you that many women in the movement were not wearing bras for many years, including myself. Many of us also stopped wearing high-heeled shoes and any other garment that was bad for the body's health and comfort.
I remember as a young girl hating brassieres as they cut into my skin and collected moisture underneath the bands, causing skin irritation but I felt that I must wear them or be stigmatized.
I would guess that the entire issue is bound up with the presentation of the cantilevered breast as eternally sexualized and lactating, hence an appeal to the primitive emotions of men and possibly other women, as well. (Although the visible nipple is probably also a provocation.) If my analysis is accurate with respects to motives of other feminists, I don't see it as a trivial issue at all.
From Joan Gundersen firstname.lastname@example.com 24 June 1998
The problem with this analysis is that it assumes that feminists actually did the bra-burning. As the earlier posts point out, the "burned bra" was a non-event. WEARING ( or rather NOT wearing a bra) did for awhile take on the status of a political statement. However, those we should be analyzing concerning the "bra-burning" is the anti-feminists and popular press who made this a symbol that THEY foisted on feminism. The term certainly helped to confuse the distinction between women's liberation and "liberated" women (i.e. sexually available).
From Page Dougherty Delano email@example.com 25 June 1998
I think Tom Heaney's comments about the trivialization via bra-burning is valid. But one should also keep in mind other images of burning that lurked in women's minds at the time: lynching/burning of black men,burning of women as witches, as well as the self-immolation of Buddhist monks in Saigon, and burning of villages in Vietnam. These were images very much connected, as we say now, "to the body"--and the breast itself...who held it and was in control of it, was certainly a political question erupting at the time. I honestly can't speak to the myth/reality issue of Atlantic City even though I joined Witch shortly after that and the Bride's Fair demonstration (a theatrical challenge of the clothing and commodification of brides, if I recall). I second the suggestion to look at Judith Duffet's oral history. There was not that much political bra interest in the in our group in 1969--many of us lived on the lower east side of New York and some of us wore bras because with larger breasts it was more comfortable and we didn't get hassled from the men in the streets. Although With and others certainly had a sense of play about what images and actions could capture and concentrate aspects of women's degradation--some of which seemed nearly unconscious-the misuses and misconsturings of such political/theatrical moments were out of their control. Indeed, remember this was a time when many women were still wearing white gloves as part of the uniform of gentility and virtue. Perhaps one could have said, as well, if they didn't burn bras at Atlantic City, it would have been cool if they had--and to go a little more on the offensive about such possibilities. To suggest that attacks against feminism are the fault of feminists omits the radical and disruptive nature of what those openings meant in the late 1960s--, or, on the contrary, that our movement was so easily victimized and made fun of, suggests our lack of agency and political tenacity. Additionally, there were many discoveries to make--from our feelings of pleasure and amazement that we could be outrageously active, to trying to make sense of or deconstruct what was coming from the (new) left, and really to invent new political thinking.
Probably about a year later we gathered up shitty diapers (two women in downtown NYC Witch at the time had kids, one of whom was on welfare; Robin Morgan had left by then) for two targets--McSorley's Bar, which would not let women to enter, and Gov. Rockefeller's office, as 2 sites which seemed particularly anti-women. It seems silly so many years later, but we thought it was militant and articulate at the same time. Indeed, McSorley's bar has been somewhat successful as painting themselves as victims in general--why would girls get so upset that they couldn't come into a bar--so that the anger of the women seems quite trivial in general.
Also, on myths, see a recently published book [by Jerry Lembcke, NY Press) about the myths of spitting on veterans (and it was really a myth), with an amazing life of its own...since mostly anti-war GIs and anti-war demonstrators were spit on.


text:
Making tissue paper flower bouquets is a really fun activity for kids to do and you will probably have everything you need already laying around your house somewhere! When they are finished, you will have a beautiful centerpiece for dinner! Save money on real flowers... these are way cuter and made from the heart!
These Tissue Paper Flower Bouquets also make great Back-to-School gifts for teachers (save the apple for your kids' lunch box and give the teacher a fun flower bouquet), mother's day gifts, and party favors decorations! They can really be customized to fit any occasion by changing the colors, adding ribbon or beads to the jar, or even adding lettering to the outside of the jar!
To get started, you will only need 3 things! (Well, 4 if you include a pair of scissors)
You will need:
- Tissue paper - We always save tissue paper from gifts. Even if it is crinkled or torn... it comes in handy for things like this!
- Container - We used an old Marie's salad dressing jar that I had saved. You can use anything you have laying around -- jars, plastic cups, vases, etc.
- Twigs - Send the kids outside to gather these!
To make tissue paper flower bouquet:
1. Cut tissue paper into strips (from 1 to 2 inches wide and 3 to 5 inches long).
2. Wrap the tissue paper strip around the branch and carefully twist until secure.
3. Once the "flower" is formed, you can do as many or as little flowers on each branch as you like.
4. Stick the finished branches into your container and arrange.
5. Ta-da! (Feel free to add ribbon, beads, letters, and as much bling as you want!)


text:
Green Party Deputy Leader, Adrian Ramsay, will speak in Beverley and Hull on 1st and 2nd December.
In a momentous week, where Wednesday may see the biggest strike since 1926, Hull Green Party will hear Deputy Leader Adrian Ramsay on how cuts to jobs and attacks on pensions are the wrong way to go.
"Government has responded to the recession by making sweeping cuts to public services. The Green Party has said from the outset that this is the wrong approach," says Adrian Ramsay.
"The cuts are punishing the most vulnerable in our society while failing to address the reckless behaviour of parts of the banking industry that caused the recession in the first place."
Adrian Ramsay will speak about the Green vision for the economy as the way out of inequality and debt.
"Cutting jobs and public services is a false economy as it leads to more people claiming benefits and greater burdens on the NHS, police and social services, "Adrian Ramsay comments.
Recently, the difference between Tory and Labour spending policies was shown as $5bn (0.3% of GDP) (Newsnight, 25 Nov). Osborne is just more zealously pursuing many cuts which Labour also planned.
Adrian counters, "The best way to build a stable economy is to create jobs in areas where they are most needed. Producing more of the foods and manufactured goods we need in the UK would boost jobs and cut carbon emissions. Investing in home insulation schemes, rail and bus services and renewable energy could create a million new jobs while cutting people's bills."
Adrian Ramsay will be available for interviews.
Adrian will speak at:
Beverley, Norwood Methodist Church on Thursday 1st Dec at 7.30
Hull University Larkin Building on Friday 2nd at 2-4pm,
and at Relax Café, Newland Ave, 5pm.
Adrian Ramsay was Norwich City councillor for many years. He received the second biggest Green vote in the country in the General Election. Adrian built up Norwich Green Party over 10 years to second on the Council (14 councillors to Labour's 16).


text:
Darlaston South Demographics (Walsall, England)
Darlaston South is a ward in Walsall of West Midlands, England and includes areas of Darlaston, Moxley, Darlaston Green, Shepwell Green, Rough Hay, James Bridge, Butcroft, Woods Bank, King's Hill, Lower Bradley, Fallings Heath, Fiery Holes and The Lunt.
In the 2011 census the population of Darlaston South was 14,342 and is made up of approximately 51% females and 49% males.
The average age of people in Darlaston South is 36, while the median age is lower at 34.
91.3% of people living in Darlaston South were born in England. Other top answers for country of birth were 2.9% India, 0.6% Pakistan, 0.5% Jamaica, 0.4% Bangladesh, 0.4% Scotland, 0.4% Zimbabwe, 0.3% Wales, 0.2% Ireland, 0.2% Hong Kong .
94.0% of people living in Darlaston South speak English. The other top languages spoken are 2.4% Panjabi, 0.7% Polish, 0.5% Bengali, 0.4% Gujarati, 0.4% Urdu, 0.2% Akan, 0.1% Cantonese Chinese, 0.1% Slovak, 0.1% Arabic.
The religious make up of Darlaston South is 60.1% Christian, 23.7% No religion, 3.8% Sikh, 3.6% Muslim, 1.8% Hindu, 0.1% Buddhist. 785 people did not state a religion. 21 people identified as a Jedi Knight.
39.2% of people are married, 14.4% cohabit with a member of the opposite sex, 0.8% live with a partner of the same sex, 28.0% are single and have never married or been in a registered same sex partnership, 8.9% are separated or divorced. There are 682 widowed people living in Darlaston South.
The top occupations listed by people in Darlaston South are Elementary 17.7%, Skilled trades 15.6%, Elementary administration and service 14.4%, Process, plant and machine operatives 14.0%, Caring, leisure and other service 11.6%, Administrative and secretarial 10.0%, Sales and customer service 9.8%, Caring personal service 9.7%, Sales 8.3%, Skilled metal, electrical and electronic trades 8.1%.
- Bentley and Darlaston North, Bilston East, Bilston North, Darlaston South, Friar Park, Pleck, Princes End, Wednesbury North, Wednesbury South, Willenhall South
- Qpzm LocalStats UK England Suburb of the Day: St Anne's -> North East -> England


text:
Today has been an unusual day. It snowed overnight, about 4 inches on ungritted roads,  and consequently the journey into work was an absolute nightmare. It took 40 minutes to go the mile from my house to the A1 road into Edinburgh, and traffic was nose to tail all the way in to town. The actual journey into work took 1 hour 45 minutes. It usually takes about 35 minutes. And when I got to work there was no heating or hot water. Oh joy. We soldiered on for the morning, hoping that the problem would be fixed, but it wasn't, and we were freezing, so we went home at lunch time. Hopefully the heating will be all fixed tomorrow, but I'll wear lots of layers just in case, Brrrr.
No time for crafty stuff today so here's a picture of an 'assemblage' I made as a Xmas present for a friend. I love doing these. I tried to make each square meaningful for my friend, such as the initials of her 4 children in scrabble letters, and the pink basket she uses for her jewellery business. I get a lot of bits and I pieces from car boot sales and charity shops.
Half the fun is searching for the items. Sometimes you find an item that just makes you go 'Huh? WTF is THAT?' But you have to buy it all the same. If anyone can throw any light on this please let me know!


text:
If I continue to go in rotation on my subjects, it's the day to discuss my most recent marketing efforts. To be honest, though, I'm a bit stalled, so there isn't a huge amount to report. But for what it's worth, here's what I'm doing at the moment:
1) I started to create a print on demand version of two of my books at Amazon, since postal rates were killing any profit in this area. I uploaded the pdf I have, but the gutter was too small, and so the pdf has to be redone. This was enough to curtail my efforts in this regard, but it's time to get back on the horse.
2) They say only about 20% of what I put out on Twitter and Facebook should be actually related to my own business, so in keeping with that, I have been retweeting other people's posts that I'm following and think would be interesting to other people, plus I'm doing this blog, which I hope people might find helpful or amusing. Today was the first day I actually tweeted for people to consider buying my latest book, so we'll see what kind of effect it has.
3) Speaking of social media, I have been trying to spend about 10 minutes per day mining my Twitter feed and my Pinterest feed, for ideas about trends and possible marketing links. Since I don't have a huge amount of free time, this seems to be the extent of what I'm doing with social media, though. I think I need to start putting the rubber to the road and actually start developing what I'm reading about, and using the trends to my benefit.
One side project that has occurred because of the Pinterest perusal, though, is an interest in fashion collaging. Since I was in the 8th grade, I've had a fascination with drawing fashion pictures. They used to be kind of cartoon-like, with a girl who had the same face every time, wearing costumes from the week's variety shows and magazines. I later used to do more serious protraits of women's faces. During a recent artist date, I happened upon a book about fashion collage, and now I'm kind of hooked. I've pulled out my old scrapbooking supplies, and I've begun to try my hand at these techniques. The results so far are pretty fantastic, at least to my eyes. If nothing else, they're great artist dates in and of themselves, and currently, they still haven't resulted in a huge outlay of cash. Who knows? Maybe some day people will pay a pretty penny for artwork done by this famous author.
It worked for Tony Curtis and Tony Bennett...


text:
Why Northbound Treatment Services
Addiction recovery is a challenging and long-term process. It can be frustrating and even overwhelming at times, but it is absolutely worth it. Recovery and all of the life-enhancing promises it brings are possible and within reach! The knowledge and dedication of our staff sets us apart as one of the best rehab treatment centers in Orange County. The team at Northbound Treatment Services works with clients each step of the way, from detox through aftercare, supporting, empowering, and guiding them as they heal from the pain of addiction and build a flourishing lifestyle of recovery. Our mission is to assist clients in celebrating one year of continuous sobriety – we are here to cheer you on all along the way to this significant milestone and beyond!
Northbound Treatment Services recognizes the complexities that come along with treating addiction and mental health disorders and offers fully integrated treatment that is flexible and adaptable to each of our client's individual needs.
Evidence-Based Practices for Treating Dual Disorders
Oftentimes substance use disorders are accompanied by one or more mental health disorders. These two (or more) conditions can become highly intertwined and have a significant impact on a client's wellbeing and recovery efforts. At Northbound, we integrate evidence-based practices for treating dual disorders to provide clients with the most effective care possible. Every client undergoes a psychiatric evaluation as well as biopsychosocial assessment. This allows staff to gain a better understanding of how addiction and mental health have affected our clients' lives, and to work collaboratively with the client on establishing an optimal plan of care.
Treatment modalities at Northbound include:
- Psychology
- Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy (CBT)
- Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT)
- Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR)
- Experiential Techniques
- 12-Step Model
- Peer Support
- Accountability Enhancing Drug Testing
- Motivational Interviewing (MI)
- Individual and Group Therapies
- Off-Site Recreational Therapy
- Collegebound Program
- Careerbound® Program
- Music Program
- Trauma Program
Through evidence-based practices and involvement in a full continuum of care, clients learn healthier coping strategies and build positive routines. They learn to work through challenges as they arise and develop a deeper understanding for their personal triggers. We provide support for our clients every step of the way as they progress through treatment and recovery and celebrate as they continue to gain more independence and confidence in themselves. By addressing dual disorders simultaneously, clients proactively reduce their risk for relapse and enhance their quality of life.
Start Your Journey to Recovery with Northbound
(866) 311-0003
Therapies & Modalities at Northbound
Northbound incorporates a wide range of therapies and modalities to address the diverse needs of our clients. Everyone responds in his or her own way to different approaches and clients can find what resonates best with them. They can glean insight from the different therapies and modalities used and are exposed to an array of evidence-based and well-researched practices.
The therapies and modalities used at Northbound are evidence-based and gender-specific and range from individual therapy and process group to mindfulness, expressive arts, and experiential therapy. These approaches are used in both residential treatment and outpatient programs to provide comprehensive care that meets our clients where they are at in their recovery. Clients are able to delve more deeply into underlying issues that affect their addiction and mental health to promote healing.
Real Recovery in Real Life: The In Vivo® Model
One aspect of treatment that makes Northbound unique is our innovative In Vivo® Model. In Vivo® (or "in life") care means that clients are afforded continual opportunities to practice the healthy coping skills they are learning in real life settings, and to engage in the real life activities, pursuits, challenges, joys, accomplishments, and setbacks, that will be present for them beyond their time in active treatment. By gradually and safely exposing clients to enhanced "In Vivo®" experiences, they gain more independence, increase their community engagement, develop the priceless virtue of self-efficacy, strengthen their resolve and skills necessary for sustained recovery, and develop a thriving and comprehensive lifestyle free from drugs or alcohol. As challenges arise, they learn how to deal with them in real time with support, guidance, and accountability from Northbound staff. As appropriate, clients shop for their own groceries, attend concerts and community events, go to school or work, and learn to live their life in the least restrictive environment. This eases the transition back into society and promotes the best possible chances for long-term recovery.
Unmatched Service from a Caring Staff
The staff at Northbound are passionate about empowering our clients to make positive changes in their lives and overcome addiction. Many staff are in recovery themselves or have loved ones in recovery, which helps them contribute to one of the best rehab centers in California. While this firsthand knowledge and understanding of what clients and their families are going through provides valuable insights to the experiences of those new to recovery, all staff at Northbound are carefully selected for their passion for helping this population and their commitment to doing so.
Communication is a key part of treatment at Northbound and encompasses staff, clients, families, and other providers so that everyone is on the same page and working toward the same goals. The unmatched service from caring staff sets Northbound apart as one of the best addiction treatment centers and creates a welcoming and supportive environment conducive to recovery.
Our Family Program Helps Everyone Involved
Our clients are not the only ones affected by substance use disorders and mental health disorders. Family members are also affected. They often struggle with the consequences and emotions that accompany addiction and can benefit from compassionate and knowledgeable support. Each month, Northbound offers a four-day intensive family program that educates family members on the disease model and cycle of addiction, how to set boundaries, developing effective communication skills, and supporting their loved one's and their own recovery. Northbound also collaborates with BIS, a program geared toward children ages 6-13 who have experienced addiction in their family system. This program helps young family members process their feelings, learn coping skills, and mitigates the propensity for future struggles in these innocent youth.
Families receive regular communication and weekly updates on their loved one's progress as well as compassionate, well-informed direction on how they can best support the process. Effective recovery involves the whole family – Northbound makes sure all are supported and involved.
See What Our Alumni Say About Their Experience at Northbound
The journey of addiction recovery does not end once a treatment program is completed. It is an ongoing process. Northbound has a very strong alumni community that is living proof that recovery and change are possible. Each week there are alumni meetings as well as assorted alumni activities throughout the year to promote long-term success.
Call Admissions for More Information and See How Northbound Could Be the Right Fit for You
Whether you or a loved one is struggling with addiction, it can be a confusing time. You want to find a program that can help you work through the challenges you are facing and create a sustainable and thriving lifestyle in recovery. Call admissions today for more information about the programs Northbound offers.


text:
Skin Diamond (born Raylin Christensen) is an adult model and actress. As of this posting, she has appeared in over 200 films. She has appeared in a variety of magazines, as well, including Bizarre.
Skin Diamond is a mix of German, Danish, Czech, Yugoslavian and Ethiopian descent. Her father is American actor Rodd Christensen. When she was four, she moved with her family to Scotland and lived in Dunfermline for nearly 20 years. Her parents, apparently, are missionaries.
Her first job was as a children's daycare worker, though was also a mainstream model and posed by American Apparel and Louis Vuitton, among others.
Skin Diamond got involved in the adult business as a fetish model. Around 2009, she began performing in hardcore. She explained her jump into porn: "I always modeled in an erotic way – even when I modeled for Louis Vuitton I was nude in the shoot. I've always been a sexual person so I kinda felt it was the next step. I was just drawn to the world of sex!"
Related: The Best Free Porn Sites.
As for her look, Skin Diamond said, "It's pretty important to be as unique as possible, because there's so many girls in the industry who are all trying to make a name for themselves. But to be honest, I never tried to stand out – I've just kinda been a weirdo my whole life! Growing up in Scotland, I had pink hair and I was the only girl of color in my entire school" (craveonline.com).
Skin Diamond said she is open to doing anything on camera, except cream-pies, double anal and double vag. "I do really enjoy scenes that are more on the rough side." As for dating, she said, "I like dorky guys, especially if they have tattoos and are into bikes and extreme stuff…having a giant c*ck helps, too." She added, "I guess I have a face that looks pissed off all the time. I've always been hard to approach, and it sucks because I'm so shy when it comes to approaching people."
Skin Diamond has several tattoos, one of which is a Phoenix on her back. She got the phoenix to cover up an accidental burn.
In 2012, she was nominated for Best Three-Way Sex Scene. That same year, she posed for comic book artists David Mack who portrayed her as Echo in the miniseries Daredevil: End of Days. In 2013, she posed for photographer Terry Richardson.
Related: 40 Adult Film Stars Without Makeup.
She stays in shape with Pilates. When not working, she enjoys painting and pole dancing. Skin Diamond is single and resides in Hollywood, California.


text:
there is a common myth in the mini community that the wheels fitted to the RSP cooper are unique to the model and some how special. well the letter mentioned above puts a very different view on the story so lets have a look at the facts....
this is the life and times of the rover Minilite style Alloy.
OK, here's the letter (cut and paste for clarity).....
it clearly states in the letter that the stud holes were moved from the "in-line with the spokes" position to the "between the spokes" position due to them failing the UK oblique impact tests which caused slight cracking around the bolt holes.
the later design was also a little larger around the hub area and carried a JWL logo on the rim.
here are the two wheels types together. the early style is on the left and the later style on the right....
and this is the JWL logo on the rim..
I'm finding it very hard to believe that only 500 wheels were made to the original design as these were standard fitment on the Mini 30 (3000 cars), the second generation racing/flame models (2500 cars), and the RSP cooper (1650 cars).
this gives a total of 7150 cars. each with four wheels which makes at least 28.600 wheels of the original design. 35,750 if these models had an alloy spare !!!!
so already we can see that the early style wheels is not unique to the RSP, is not particulally rare and due to the fact that it has a possibility of cracking, certainly not worth any more than the later style !!!
Edited by THE ANORAK, 29 March 2008 - 01:04 PM.


text:
2572 Scranton Rd
Cleveland, OH 44113
(216) 298-4451
by Beau Cadiyo
Bite: Exceptional burgers at a great price.
How much does it cost to park a jet at Burke Lakefront Airport (BLA)? Quick - get a number in your head. Think of what it actually takes to own a jet - the money, the power, the fame that a member of the jet set would have. Quite a bit, no? Think of whether someone willing to splash out a few million on a jet would think twice about a fee of $1,000 a day, or $5,000 a day. Would such numbers even bother then? Do these numbers change your estimate?
Whatever your number is, cut it in half.
Then cut it in half again.
Then again.
Where are you now? $5,000? $500? $50?
It costs $5 per day to park a jet for 24 hours at BLA. That is not a typo. Five dollars.
How much for a car, then? Guess quickly, because the answer is $6. Yes - it costs $1 more per day to park a car at BLA than a jet, and then we wonder why BLA is losing $1 MILLION per year. It's because we feel bad for all of those jet owners who have spent all of their millions on private planes and can't afford parking fees, so we're stuck with their bills. Perhaps in the future we should be asking them to pay for us to park for free in their lots at their Cavs or Tribe or Browns games, or at their casinos.
This came up over dinner at the Tremont Tap House, on a beautiful early summer night on their porch. The midges were floating through the air around the tables and dogs, brought to support an APL fundraiser, were straining against short leashes tied to owners' chairs, tails and tongues wagging. A pretty blonde had a small dog on her lap and was feeding it from her plate, matching it bite-for-bite. The dog licked her fingers greedily as she laughed with a brunette. I thought: I would never date somebody who sat with a dog on her lap at a table. If she fed the dog like that on a date, I would probably give her a withering look and not talk to her for the remainder of the evening, and maybe even sneak inside, pay for my half of the meal, then slip out the back. Dogs, you see, are animals, not people, no matter what SWPLs might think.
I would certainly never feed them a burger from the Tap House. Oh, no. These burgers used to be not so good - or maybe it was that the only time I had ever had one, it was during a Cavs loss a year or so ago. Events, of course, change perceptions. On Wednesday, June 15, 2011, we were still exuberant over the Mavs' victory, and that may have changed my taste buds, but I don't think so.
The Tap House burger served that night was nearly perfect. The bun - soft, lightly toasted, and tasting buttered and fresh - sandwiched a patty ordered medium and served well-done; however, this ended up not detracting from its juiciness and vigor, and I ended up appreciating the charred taste even more. The lettuce and tomato rested atop bacon and a slice of aged cheddar, the latter of which overwhelmed the other ingredients out of proportion to its volume. This, of course, is not a bad thing. Most cheese chosen for burgers tend to be weaker than cheese chosen to eat on its own, letting the meat completely dominate everything else. Here, a better, stronger cheese could not have been had; I can still feel the way it pushed against the roof of my mouth and then dissolved into fragments, jostling against the meat and bread to get to my taste buds. The single slice of sweet pickle, which Scarlet disdained, was my only other complaint; I would have put two or three on top. Reasonably good fries and a dog-themed beer rounded out an exceptional happy hour meal.
And, at happy hour prices, you can get it all for just two times what it would cost to park a Lear and a Maybach at BLA.
Monday, June 20, 2011
Tremont Tap House
Posted by AS at 10:11 AM
4 comments:
- Bite Buff said...
I love their burgers. Some of the best around, in my opinion.
- June 20, 2011 at 1:53 PM
- David Pearl said...
The food is often very good, but I feel like I got broken up with by three or more women at that place. Really though it was all just LeBron-related sucker punches.
- June 20, 2011 at 4:55 PM
- David Pearl said...
The food is often very good, but I feel like I got broken up with by three or more women at that place. Really though it was all just LeBron-related sucker punches.
- June 20, 2011 at 4:55 PM
- David Pearl said...
The food is often very good, but I feel like I got broken up with by three or more women at that place. Really though it was all just LeBron-related sucker punches.
- June 20, 2011 at 4:56 PM
Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom)


text:
Orly Armchair: International Style for You and the Children
Chair grows up and still smiles. Designed by Patrick Norguet and discovered in Metropolis Mag, The Orly armchair and couch are bright, colorful, and interchangeable (the backrest, that is). While I cannot be sure about comfort, it looks totally cushy, and the only drawback is that it may just be too fashion forward and airport-like for your Victorian armoire. But go ahead, try something new. I would. Prices at www.bernhardtdesign.com. MGR
Published: Apr 13, 2004


text:
How To Monetize Multiple YouTube Channels With One Adsense Account
June 6, 2013 in Tutorials, YouTube
I have had the opportunity to monetize my YouTube channels for quite some time now. Up until recently, I haven't really looked into how to do it. I figured it would be easy to do but the challenge I found was how to monetize all my YouTube channels with only one Adsense account? Monetizing YouTube channels requires an Adsense account from Google before you can start earning. When I created my YouTube channels years ago, I didn't even have an Adsense account. And when I did create my Adsense account, it was completely a completely new account that wasn't associated to any YouTube channel.
Here's how I monetized 3 of my YouTube channels with a single Adsense account. (I'm assuming you've already gotten approval from YouTube to monetize your channel and have gone through the steps to activate monetization)
Step 1
Sign into your YouTube account. When logged in, click on your user icon on the top right of the window. You'll see a list of options drop down. Read the rest of this entry →


text:
Epstein Department of Industrial andSystems Engineering,
University of Southern California,
Los Angeles, CA 90089
Department of Industrial andSystems Engineering,
University at Buffalo,
Amherst, NY 14260
Epstein Department of Industrial andSystems Engineering,
University of Southern California,
Los Angeles, CA 90089e-mail: email@example.com
Department of Mechanical Engineering,
Aalto University,
Espoo, Aalto FI-00076, Finland
1Corresponding author.
Contributed by the Manufacturing Engineering Division of ASME for publication in the JOURNAL OF MANUFACTURING SCIENCE AND ENGINEERING. Manuscript received March 29, 2013; final manuscript received February 17, 2014; published online March 26, 2014. Assoc. Editor: Jack Zhou.
In engineering systems, features such as textures or patterns on curved surfaces are common. In addition, such features, in many cases, are required to have shapes that are conformal to the underlying surfaces. To address the fabrication challenge in building such conformal features on curved surfaces, a newly developed additive manufacturing (AM) process named computer numerically controlled (CNC) accumulation is investigated by integrating multiple tools and multiple axis motions. Based on a fiber optical cable and a light source, a CNC accumulation tool can have multi-axis motion, which is beneficial in building conformal features on curved surfaces. To address high resolution requirement, the use of multiple accumulation tools with different curing sizes, powers, and shapes is explored. The tool path planning methods for given cylindrical and spherical surfaces are discussed. Multiple test cases have been performed based on a developed prototype system. The experimental results illustrate the capability of the newly developed AM process and its potential use in fabricating conformal features on given curved surfaces.
A schematic illustration of the multitool and multi-axis CNC accumulation process
The hardware setup of a multitool and multi-axis CNC accumulation system
A test example of building-around-inserts using the CNC accumulation process
A comparison of the fabrication processes for a curved surface and related features. (a) The uniform-layer-based AM process and (b) the CNC accumulation process based on adaptive tool paths.
An illustration of multitool stations of a CNC machine and a CNC accumulation system
The relation between curing depth and exposure time for the accumulation tools
Half-normal plots of the curing experiment for the point curing case
Half-normal plots of the curing experiment for the line curing case
The relation between curing width and motion speed for the accumulation tools
Comparison between different tools for a 2D dragon pattern. (a) Planned tool paths; (b) curing results using the large tool; (c) curing results using the small tool with a gap distance of 0.762 mm (B = −1); and (d) curing results using the small tool with a gap distance of 1.27 mm (B = +1).
Comparison between different tools for given characters. (a) Curing results of the characters using the large tool and (b) curing results of the characters using the small tool.
A schematic illustration of the 5-axis motion configuration for curved surfaces. (a) 5-axis motion configuration; (b) a surface with curvatures R1 and R2 in the X and Y axes; (c) feature fabrication on a flat surface with the X, Y, and Z translations; (d) feature fabrication on a cylindrical surface with the Y, Z, A, and C motions; (e) feature fabrication on a cylindrical surface with the X, Y, Z, and A motions; and (f) feature fabrication on a spherical surface with the Y, Z, A, and C motions.
An illustration of the relationship between tool size and surface curvatures: (a) Tool size dt constrained by curvature rs and (b) tool size dt constrained by curvature rs and rotation angle θ
An example of building features on a spherical surface
A spiral curve pattern built by the small tool. (a) Planned tool paths and (b) built object.
Test of an angled tool on repairing a feature on a vertical wall. (a) Tool head with coating; (b) physical model before repair; (c) planned tool path; and (d) physical model after repair.
Adding textures on a vertical plane using tools with different mask patterns. (a) A curing tool and a test part; (b) tool head applied with a heart-shape mask; (c) planned tool paths and related mask patterns; and (d) a built object with desired textures added on a vertical surface.
The building of an inverse conical cup. (a) CAD model; (b) planned tool paths based on the large tool; (c) An illustration of the cured layers of the cup wall during the building process; and (d) the built physical model.
A tilted rod fabricated by the CNC accumulation and SLA Processes. (a) A CAD model of a tilted rod; (b) microscopic image of the rod fabricated by the CNC accumulation process; (c) microscopic image of the rod fabricated by the SLA process using a translucent resin (the same as the one used in b); and (d) microscopic image of a rod fabricated by the SLA process using an opaque resin.
Fluid channels on a cylindrical surface. (a) CAD model; (b) planned tool paths; (c) An illustration of cured layers using two accumulation tools; and (d) built physical object.
Rods on a spherical surface. (a) Planned tool path and (b) built physical object.
Surface roughness measurements of built surfaces by the SLA and CNC accumulation processes. (a) Measurement results and (b) microscopic images of the measured up-facing surfaces.
Some tools below are only available to our subscribers or users with an online account.
Download citation file:
Customize your page view by dragging and repositioning the boxes below.
The American Society of Mechanical Engineers
Sorry! You do not have access to this content. For assistance or
to subscribe, please contact us:
Sign in or create your free personal ASME account. This will give you the ability to save search results, receive TOC alerts, RSS feeds, and more.
Sign into or create your free personal account


text:
Expert articles, beautiful galleries, videos, competitions and quizzes
A Rough Guide to: the best islands in the PhilippinesJanuary 11th, 2018 •insert_drive_file Article • 6 min read
Isolated bone-white beaches, reefs teeming with marine life, cascading rice terraces – it's no wonder that the Philippines is often associated with tropical paradise. And there's even more than meets the eye, from the world's smallest primate to the unique hanging coffins of Sagada. Yet, with well over 7000 islands – in fact the precise number... Read more »Read more chevron_right
Off the tourist trail in Southeast Asia: 5 underrated citiesNovember 21st, 2017 •insert_drive_file Article • 7 min read
Modern Bangkok, historical Hanoi and tourism-boom town Siem Reap — home to the world-famous Angkor Wat temples — are some of Southeast Asia's best drawcards, and see thousands of visitors every year. But the region still has plenty of places that stay well off the tourist radar. These five underrated Southeast Asian towns and cities... Read more »Read more chevron_right
A postcard from the Philippines: saving the tarsiers in BoholNovember 3rd, 2017 •insert_drive_file Article • 4 min read
Tarsiers are the world's smallest primate – and 20 years ago they were dangerously close to extinction. But numbers are rising in Bohol, in the Philippines. Mike MacEacheran went to meet these curious creatures and the man dedicated to saving them. The rainforest is so serene, the only sound is the crinkle of leaves underfoot. Over my head, dusky... Read more »Read more chevron_right
Is Camiguin the most beautiful island you've never heard of?October 2nd, 2017 •insert_drive_file Article • 6 min read
The Philippines has hit the headlines for all the wrong reasons in the last few years. From Typhoon Yolanda, the superstorm which left a band of destruction from Leyte to Palawan in November 2013, to controversial President Rodrigo Roa Duterte, a leader so unpredictable and unapologetic he's become known as "Duterte Harry", the archipelago is... Read more »Read more chevron_right
Puerto Princesa Underground River: the Philippines' 8km-long subterranean wonderJanuary 10th, 2017 •insert_drive_file Article • 5 min read
Deep underground on the island of Palawan in the Philippines lies the Puerto Princesa River. Both a UNESCO World Heritage Site and one of the 'New 7 Wonders of Nature', it's the world's longest navigable underground river and makes for an exciting experience in one of the Philippines' most popular islands. Here's everything you need... Read more »Read more chevron_right
The stunning Philippines in picturesDecember 18th, 2015 •insert_drive_file Article
Rough Guides writer Kiki Deere shares some of her best photographs of the Philippines from her latest trip to Southeast Asia. Comprising 7107 islands, the Philippines boasts some of the world's most incredibly diverse landscapes – nowhere more so than Luzon, the country's largest island. Northern Luzon is home to the country's remotest wildernesses, a... Read more »Read more chevron_right
Gorgeous video explores the Philippines from aboveJuly 29th, 2015 •videocam Video
The Philippines is beautiful from the ground, but from above it's even better. This video soars hundreds of metres into the air to give you a bird's-eye view – and it's awesome. From White Beach on Boracay to the little town of El Nido, Frédéric Bussière's drone camera captures the stunning scenery of this southeast-Asian archipelago. As... Read more »Read more chevron_right
Batanes: off the radar on The Philippines' remotest islandsMay 25th, 2015 •insert_drive_file Article • 5 min read
Kiki Deere, co-author of the Rough Guide to the Philippines, heads off the tourist trail to Batanes. This cluster of islands, located almost 150km off the northernmost tip of Luzon in the Philippines, sees just thirty or so foreign visitors a year. "Batanes? Batanes? Up there?" was the reaction of most Filipinos when I told... Read more »Read more chevron_right
20 seriously weird places around the worldMarch 12th, 2015 •camera_alt GalleryRead more chevron_right
Ten great literary journeysJuly 22nd, 2014 •insert_drive_file Article • 4 min read
From India to Italy to the USA, whether it's fiction or non-fiction, we've all travelled the world at some point in time through the captivating words of our favourite novels. Some will take you into the depths of the African jungles, and others plonk you right in the middle of the wide, empty ocean. It's... Read more »Read more chevron_right
The world's best views as chosen by youJune 19th, 2014 •camera_alt GalleryRead more chevron_right
Our favourite islands in the PhilippinesJune 2nd, 2014 •insert_drive_file Article • 8 min read
Graced by dazzling beaches, year-round sun and numerous opportunities for diving, island-hopping and surfing, the Philippines has long attracted a steady stream of foreign visitors. Yet there's far more to these islands than sand and snorkelling. These are a few of our favourite islands in the Philippines. Olango Island Five kilometres east of Mactan Island,... Read more »Read more chevron_right
Book through Rough Guides' trusted travel partners


text:
New DVD and Blu-Ray Releases to Crave: Visit the World of Tron, Narnia and Take the Little Fockers
By Chris Kavan - 04/05/11 at 09:37 AM CT
Sometimes you just need to escape, and this week the offerings will grant you your wish.
1) No surprise here, Jeff Bridges will abide once again in the cyberscape with Tron: Legacy. Also along for the ride are Garrett Hedlund and new it girl Olivia Wilde. I wanted to see this in theaters, but never go around to it. Now it's about time to catch up with what I missed.
2) From one fantasy world to another: I have a feeling this third voyage to Narnia could well be the last, so enjoy The Chronicles of Narnia: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader while you can. This is my favorite book in the series, but I have a feeling the film is going to be a letdown. That won't stop me from watching it, eventually.
3) If you feel like keeping up with the Fockers, then good things are coming your way when Robert De Niro and Ben Stiller face off once again in Little Fockers. This is one I have no qualms about skipping, as I really didn't think the original was all that great and didn't even bother with the sequel.
4) Another comedy that had a rough go of things - being pushed back repeatedly was the Jim Carrey / Ewan McGregor prison comedy / love story I Love You Phillip Morris. I have a feeling this is a lot like The Cable Guy - it probably gets less attention than it deserves and isn't near as bad as it is made out to be.
Some more big guns are being offered on the Blu-Ray front. Leading the was is De Niro in the role that made him famous - Travis Bickle in Taxi Driver. Vigilante justice and alienation have never been better. If bleak urban living isn't your style you have other choices: maybe you prefer a musical. Then you have Fiddler on the Roof, one of the few musicals I will admit liking. You can also visit a robotronic future with A.I.: Artificial Intelligence. Even though I think the ending almost ruins it, the rest of the film is strong enough to overcome it. Finally, in the rush to cash in on the remake, you can have the original Arthur / Arthur 2: On the Rocks double collection.
Something this week is sure to impress, but if you don't like what you see here, visit the FilmCrave New DVD Releases and FilmCrave New Blu-Ray Releases pages for all the films being released this week.


text:
My Favorite Flirts is a feature that lets you reach your favorite Flirts easily from My Account or on 1-800-TO-FLIRT.Manage My Favorites
(0 Reviews)
Feeling suicidal? Life getting you down? That's understandable, if I was as much of a loser as you are I would probably feel the same....although that's not a realistic thought is it? It's a damn outrage to mention Myself and a wimp like you in the same sentence. Call this line, pour out your little heart....and listen to My own personal brand of advice. BE AWARE I WILL NOT DISCUSS ANYTHING THAT IS AGAINST NITEFLIRT POLICY


text:
The Center for Irrigation Technology (CIT) at California State University, Fresno is holding a seminar to help farmers learn how advances in center-pivot irrigation may be a technology California farmers want to consider.
The free seminar will be held Nov. 20, from 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., beginning at the West Side Research & Extension Center, 17353 Oakland Ave., Five Points.
The seminar will conclude with a field trip to John Diener's Red Rock Ranch in Five Points where Diener has had much success with center-pivot systems. A number of irrigation experts will also be on hand to answer questions.
"Advances in center-pivot technology including low pressure, energy efficient designs and better management capabilities make it a viable alternative for California growers irrigating large tracts of land," said David Zoldoske, CIT director. "It is an irrigation method that is much more flexible and reliable and growing in popularity."
Those interested in this free event can register online at www.californiawater.org/IrrigationTech or by calling (800) 845-6038. Attendance is limited.
Working for over 25 years to improve irrigation efficiency, the Center for Irrigation Technology at Fresno State is internationally recognized as an independent testing laboratory, applied research facility, and educational resource for water and irrigation technology.
The Irrigation Tech Seminar Series is funded by the California Department of Water Resources.