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Lia's ex-best friend Cassie is found dead in a motel room, alone. On the night of her death Cassie called Lia thirty-three times. Lia never picked up, and now she's being haunted by Cassie as she slides back into dangerland: her all-consuming struggle to be thin.
First of all, how popular is the name Lia in books right now? She's the main character in this book, Crashed by Robin Wasserman and my current read, Prophecy of the Sisters.
I read several books in my teens about anorexia, all very powerful books whose titles have been lost in the mists of time. But none came close to the lyrical power contained within the pages of Wintergirls. The theme is ripe for revisiting. The internet has brought a new facet to body-image disorders since I was a teenager: pro-ana forums, short for pro-anorexia. Proponents argue that anorexia and bulimia (pro-mia) are lifestyle choices, not psychological disorders. The forums are a place where those with eating disorders can go for "thinspiration", tricks for not getting caught, and support. (There are also several forums of the same name that are actually there to help anorexics recover and heal. Why they call themselves pro-ana is a sweet mystery to me.)
There has always been the concern that YA books about eating disorders "teach" teenagers how to be anorexic or bulimic. The portrayal of these disorders in books is so bleak, so heart-wrenchingly awful, so downright shocking that the idea that anyone would claim that a teenager would get to the end of a book like Wintergirls and decide to jump on the eating disorder band-wagon is ridiculous.
Lia views the world through a prism that makes everything about food; not only what she puts in her mouth, or what other people put in their mouths, but their actions as well.
He regurgitates his chewed story for me, another paying customer feasting on the dead blonde.
She's been institutionalised twice, both times against her will, and fed until she reaches a "safe" weight. She's disgusted by the idea of food in her body, but at the same time she craves it, knows she needs it desperately. As her weight drops she feels stronger, but her hallucinations grow worse. Her character is drawn with such sensitivity that instead of wanting to grab Lia by her bony arms, shake her, and scream "Eat, Lia, EAT!" as her parents do, the reader knows it's not as simple as that--Lia won't get better unless she wants to, and she's so lost that she has no idea even where to begin. So she tries to make herself disappear instead, one pound at a time.
The novel is told in first-person present tense, and if it weren't for Lia's dry and evocative observations, being right there with her as she runs on empty would be too heavy to handle. The telling is brisk and honest. Lia's compulsions to eat, to stuff her face with box after box of cereal, slice after slice of pizza, are stricken from the record--literally--and replaced with affirmations that she hates eating, that she loves not-eating. Her parents are dealt with similarly. She replaces mentions of "mum" and "dad" with Professor Overbrook and Dr Marrigan.
Memories of Cassie are revisited almost reluctantly, with more about their unhealthy friendship revealed as the haunting grows worse. They make a pact as pre-teens to be the thinnest girls in school. Their progression from lively little girls who play with dolls into teens with full-blown eating disorders is somewhat obscure, especially for Cassie, as we aren't inside her head. At one point Lia muses that she's not particularly smart or beautiful or talented, so her way to be special is to be thin. I was gob-smacked when I read this. I could read you a page from my diary when I was sixteen that is almost identical. The only difference is that I've never had an eating disorder. Anderson's portrayal of Lia's struggle is one that any who is or has once been a teenage girl will in some way identify with.
I thought Elijah was vaguely redundant. At first I thought he symbolised what Lia was missing out on: a real life, part of which could include a boyfriend. There's a fantastic scene on page 131 on the way to Cassie's funeral that illustrates a fundamental difference between men and women: our stubborn attitude to clothes and footwear that hurt us. In Wintergirls it goes like this:
"They look good."
"No, they don't," he says. "If they hurt you, they're hideous."
Which is, of course, a metaphor for anorexia: you're killing yourself, you're dying--you think you look good but you don't. Elijah's role petered out so unsatisfactorily that it made me question why he was included at all.
Apart from secondary character issues--that are somewhat due to the close-first narrative--Wintergirls is a complex, thought-provoking read. I'm extremely pleased with my first foray into Laurie Halse Andersons work. It's little wonder she is the "issues" queen.
Last thoughts for those who have read Wintergirls: One question that I felt could have been explored further is "Did Lia kill Cassie?" Not literally, of course. Not picking up the phone the night she died is understandable--the two girls weren't speaking. But Lia revealed how when they were friends, Lia sabotaged Cassie's recovery, telling her how much weight she'd lost, gloating over how little food she was eating. Cassie pulled away, severing their friendship, but is Lia still responsible, at least partly? I'd have to do a reread to really form an opinion, but what do you guys think? How much does Anderson exonerate Lia at the end of the book--completely, or with some reservations?


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The 17-hour flight, operated by a Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner, will touch down in London at 5.05 a.m., having covered a distance of more than 9,000 miles (14,484 km).
It is the world's second-longest flight after a Qatar Airways service between Doha and Auckland that covers 9,028 miles (14,529 km), or just 19 miles (31 km) more than the stretch from Perth to London.
The flight marked a "historic day for aviation", said airline Chief Executive Alan Joyce.
"From today it will be the first link between Australia and Europe that has ever occurred non-stop in aviation," he told reporters at a launch event. "We are so excited."
About 730,000 British tourists visit Australia every year and the new service could boost interest in the state of Western Australia, often overlooked in favour of the country's east coast, said Tourism Minister Steven Ciobo.
"There will be more opportunity than ever before for us to continue to showcase and highlight all the very best parts of Australia, including some of the most magnificent and iconic parts of Western Australia," he said.
The service was a "game-changer", said Mena Rawlings, Britain's high commissioner to Australia.
"To have the opportunity to get on a plane at Heathrow and step out in Perth is just phenomenally exciting and I'm sure we are going to see lots and lots of people taking advantage of that."
Before the new service, the longest flight to Britain was a journey of 7,275 miles (11,708 km) between Heathrow and Jakarta, operated by Garuda Indonesia, the national carrier.
Qantas plans to introduce non-stop flights from Australia's east coast to Britain in the next few years.


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Aussie troops rescue terrified Timorese
Australian troops have braved gunfire for the first time in their East Timor mercy mission, rescuing terrified families and some wounded people from a rampage by rival armed civilian gangs.
A squad of 10 heavily armed soldiers moved on foot into a neighbourhood in central Dili near the United Nations compound after shooting broke out around 500 metres away.
The Australians faced down gang members and shouted out warnings but fired no shots.
However, they were able to shepherd hundreds of panicked local people, many in tears, to safety through alleyways.
Local people said the fighting was between rival ethnic "eastern" Lorosae and "western" Loromonu clans.
The gang members were dressed in civilian clothes and carrying automatic weapons and spears as they unleashed their anger on one another.
The eruption of such fierce communal violence adds to the chaos of this week which had been fuelled by a rivalry among pro and anti-government troops and police.
At least three houses burned and there were sporadic shooting, the Australians moved into a narrow alley filled with flames and black smoke.
Spread out and taking cover where ever they could, the troops conducted a house-to-house search, peering over fences as gunfire echoed through the neighbourhood.
They gathered together a small group of terrified women and children.
One Timorese man was wounded in the hip with a barbed arrow.
"Get back, get back now. I'm telling you to back away," the soldiers screamed at one menacing group of local young men, some of whom were wearing scarves over their faces.
Their weapons were half-raised and the squad commander's arm was held out in warning as explosions thumped and gunfire rattled over an exposed roadway.
The troops, helped by two AAP correspondents who acted as interpreters, then began a fast march back to the UN headquarters.
Two soldiers guarded the group from the rear with light machine guns to ward off followers.
"Stay clear, go away," one soldier shouted at two men who had attempted to join the group.
"I want you to tell these people to close up and keep together," he told AAP.
The wounded man, Horacio Fernandez, wrapped a makeshift shirt over a gaping slash in left hip which was soaked through with blood.
"I must go back, I want them to go back, because my wife and two children are back in there, inside the house," he said repeatedly.
"I don't care if I die. Just save my family."
He said his family had been huddled inside his burning house and when he and his family emerged, he was hit by the spear.
"Shut up. Just tell them all to shut up," a tense soldier replied as he scoured the surrounding laneways with his M-16 assault rifle.
"Tell them to hurry, we need them to keep together," the squad commander, who refused to give his name, ordered, before rushing over to look at the bleed Fernandez.
"Can you ask this man what are his injuries? Does he want them looked at?" he asked AAP during a brief pause.
"He has not been thoroughly searched."
Minutes later the patrol emerged back at the UN building, where anxious mates were on guard and standing near the open gate.
The group was ushered inside and the gate slammed shut.


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But where can we go from here? What task do we now face?
Obviously we can either go up or down from here, forward or backwards. We want to go up/forward obviously. But the question will be "how?" Well as of right now at least I think the answer is easy (even if in practice it will be hard.) Our movement is made up of smaller local groups that are sometimes based on only one or two political or economic issues. And that is fine, I am not here to critique that at this time. I believe that is what is with-in our means as of right now.
However; the time will come (hopefully soon) when the Maoist movement will have to start organizing on a national level. We cannot spark national revolution or even start national dissent from our local groups. We need some sort of national organization if we are to become relevant. I mean an actual national organization where all Maoist are included regardless of their sub-ideology/beliefs. One where criticism/self-criticism and line struggle are the leading ideas as opposed to ultra-leftism and self sectarianism with-in the Maoist movement.
The task we face? The task we now face is building that national organization. Getting over our petty historical/minor political differences to unite all the Maoist forces into one cohesive organization who's goal is socialist revolution in the US. Once again this is easily stated but will be hard to achieve in practice. I believe if we Maoist living in the US can unite and create said national organization, I think we can honestly be the largest and most relevant communist group in the nation. Many independent Maoist (regardless of their specific sub-ideology) are forced into joining non-Maoist organizations/parties such as PSL, FRSO etc. Specifically because they have no real Maoist group to participate in on a national level.
If you are reading this and asking yourself "what about the Progressive Labor Party or the Revolutionary Communist Party?" While these are both national organizations (respectively) we must consider the following; In regards to the Progressive Labor Party (PLP); They have referred to themselves as Maoist before but they can not be the national group I am speaking of because they look down on and regard the cultural revolution as a bad thing. This is too large of a dividing issue for the PLP to be able to unite the Maoist living in the US into a national movement. In regards to the Revolutionary Communist Party (RCP); Anyone who is familiar with the RCP could probably think of ten or more reasons why the RCP would be unable to unite the Maoist movement. The main reason would be (obviously) the semi-worship of Avakianism over Maoism which is alienating to traditional and most new age Maoist. This is not to say I oppose both of these groups because that would be untrue. Both groups have good and bad things about them. I am just pointing out that while both of these groups call themselves Maoist, neither are capable of uniting the Maoist movement in this country. In reality these two parties are not open enough (ideologically nor politically) to allow the independent/unaffiliated Maoist to flock into their respective parties. This is why we must create a new organization as opposed to joining an existing one.
I hope that soon all of the independent Maoist and the smaller Maoist groups can start a dialog to start the process of a national organization building for a true Maoist party based on people's democracy and revolutionary socialism. I for one would be willing to promote, help organize, donate to, discuss, critique etc. Anything that would be needed of me I would be willing to do to achieve this great dream. We as a group either want socialism or we do not. Their is no middle path here. You either want socialism and are willing to struggle for it or else you are a running dog of capitalist imperialism. It is time to cast aside all petty differences to unite into one national organization with the aim of building a party and eventually taking power from the capitalist classes and placing the power into the hands of the proletarian masses.


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<form id="article-form" name="article-form" method="post" action="/myproject/save">
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Subscribe To Watch: Paul Thomas Anderson-Directed Video For Fiona Apple's 'Hot Knife' Updates
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Paul Thomas Anderson and Fiona Apple dated for what was a relatively short period of time back in the 90s, but their relationship sticks in our imagination because, well, come on! When two people are very young and very talented-- Anderson was 26 when Hard Eight was released in 1996, the same year 19-year-old Apple released her debut album Tidal-- the fact that they're dating can blow your mind. What do they talk about on lazy nights in? How smart will their kids be? Do they naturally drive each other crazy because they're both so damn talented?
Anderson and Apple broke up in the early-00s, but they've apparently remained cordial, enough so that Anderson directed this stunning, mesmerizing video for Apple's song "Hot Knife," off last year's album The Idler Wheel is wiser than the Driver of the Screw and Whipping Cords will serve you more than Ropes will ever do (it's OK if you just want to called it The Idler Wheel). The Anderson fan site Cigarettes and Red Vines picked up on mention of the video a full years ago, with word that Anderson had to drop the project to start work on The Master. That film has come and gone, but now "Hot Knife" has finally arrived, with a handful of similarities to that recent Anderson film that baffled us and then wowed us. The lighting on Apple in the closeups-- particularly when it turns into a triptych around the the 1:12 mark, looks a lot like the staged portraits that Joaquin Phoenix's Freddie Quell took in a department store, as his first job after the war. Look at the promo photo of Philip Seymour Hoffman in character as cult leader Lancaster Dodd to see it for yourself:
Not knowing exactly when this video was filmed we can't promise this is Anderson's follow-up to The Master, but there is definitely one on the way. He's reuniting with The Master star Joaquin Phoenix for Inherent Vice, an adaptation of Thomas Pynchon's novel in which Phoenix will play the private detective caught up in a kidnapping plot. The cast, as you can fairly assume for an Anderson film at this point, includes a ton of other heavyweights, including Benicio del Toro, Owen Wilson, Reese Witherspoon and Josh Brolin. We're hoping to get a look at it sometime next year. In the meantime check out this previous collaboration between Apple and Anderson, back from the days of their relationship, in her video for "Fast As You Can."


text: The Firm handles virtually all aspects of residential, commercial and industrial real estate transactions both large and small. From the purchase and sale of single-family residences to large land and income producing commercial transactions such as the 560-acre Blue Lake Corporate Centre in Boca Raton, the Firm's Real Estate Division has the experience and proficiency you require. We represent numerous developers, builders, lending institutions, title companies and real estate brokers in transactions that include: land use planning; developments of regional impact approvals; impact statement preparation; financing; ad valorem taxation; contracting negotiating; zoning approvals; concurrency issues; due diligence reviews; environmental compliance; leasing; transactional closings and document preparation.


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I still think this is tempting fate, but here is the track listing for New Writings In The Fantastic 2. It's still a little provisional - I'm still waiting to see if one story is still available - but, well, here it is. There's still a bit of copy-editing to do and then I have to proof it, but, ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls, we are pretty much ready to fold up the tents and take this show on the road.
Here is the roll of honour.
Start saving your pennies....
Here is the roll of honour.
Plant Hunter – Pauline E Dungate
Office Job – Tim Lieder
Five Hundred Vinnies – William John Watkins
Perambulations – Mel Sterling
Chain Letter, Inc. – Jean Graham
Dragon Bait – Teri Smith
Indian Summer – Liza Granville
Galactic Exchange – Ralan Conley
The Man Who Pulled Shiny Things Out Of The Air – CL Russo
Mother Russia's Egg – James Targett
Miss – Ren Holton
Fool's Gold – Donna Scott
A Distant Scent of Rain – Justin Stanchfield
Sojourner – Lou Anders and Chris Roberson
The Outsider – Ian Whates
Eaten Cold – Gaie Sebold
Mrs Donovan - Stuart Jaffe
Mrs Donovan - Stuart Jaffe
California Fairy Story – Jean Tschohl Quinn
The Tale Of A More Ancient, Ancient Mariner – Liza Granville.
Sagekites' Land – E Sedia
When Whales Cry – Edwina Harvey
Tricky Penny Pound – Sarah Totton
Mary Nackley – William R Eakin
Yeast Virus – Uncle River
The Beach Of The Drowned – John Grant
Start saving your pennies....


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Industrial home decor is modern, raw and versatile. Although it looks simple, it conveys understated elegance and can be personalised to suit individual design sensibilities.
Whether in a cosy studio apartment, a small flat or traditional home, it is easy to recreate an industrial look that is a reflection of the homeowner. Industrial is all about keeping furniture and accessories in a raw, unfinished state. Bare, straight-lined furniture, metal and exposed wall fixtures, raw wooden furniture and simple mono-tone furnishings are what underline this kind of decor.
Before setting out to design your home with industrial decor, here are a few tips to bear in mind.
The important aspect of defining an industrial look is the material and its color. Metals and furniture in industrial decor, including stainless steel kitchen furniture reflect their raw grain, set against a palette of greys, blacks and neutral tones. Grey palettes in walls help the color of furniture and furnishings stand out. The trick to bringing balance to this kind of decor is contrasting cold colours with bright ones either in furniture or furnishings. Grey walls help wood stained furniture stand out. Orange chairs or pink rugs add a pop of color to this otherwise monotone decor look.
Industrial decor is all about celebrating metals – whether steel, copper, aluminium or bronze. Since this decor is raw, its essence makes it mandatory to showcase functional elements in their most natural states. Pipes, fixtures, vents, taps are all exposed and celebrated instead of being hidden. If your home doesn't have these exposed, do them yourself. Place light fixtures and wires for all to see, use old industrial lamps as centrepieces, fashion buckets into basins and bucket pails into planters, there's so many ways to celebrate this metal and decor.
Since industrial decor is all about being unapologetic, exposed brick walls infuse identity and a factory-like look into the space. Leave walls unpainted, distress paint walls and decor, place metal furniture and manage with bare minimum accessories. Brick interiors look good, are low on maintenance and very easy to pull off.
Storage is an important part of homes. In industrial decor, instead of going all out for a coloured wardrobe or cupboard, metal almirahs or wardrobes that mimic metal in bedrooms, metal racks in kitchens, file cabinets and lockers in the hall work towards enhancing the overall look. Storage therefore remains no more just about putting things together but adding to the look and feel of the home.
Ensuring an industrial look features in the home decor depends to a large extent on the shape and structure of windows and doors. Grilled windows painted in black are reminiscent of factories and warehouses of old. Keeping the look simple, minimal and non-fussy adds much texture to the look and feel of the home.
Industrial decor for homes is wonderful to experiment with. Besides adding a different spin to the decor, it also showcases designs of the previous century, keeps the space chic and minimal and places emphasis on the aesthetics rather than quality and price of the material used.


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- Home
- Agate Stripping Guides
- 8mm Guides
- 8mm Selected Singles
- 8mm Amber Select Ringlet 2
Product Description
This is a hand-picked one of a kind ringlet. The upper aspect which appears as white is actually clear, translucent.
Note: You are purchasing this hand-selected ringlet for your stripping guide. If the production process damages the stone or it becomes unusable in any way, we will notify you promptly and offer alternatives.
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Will you choose an inviting B & B, full-service hotel, or perhaps a secluded chalet or ultra-chic tree-house? Your accommodations are home base to your travel adventure. Whether you seek a hub for outdoor family adventures, a romantic retreat, or if business meetings lead you to the area, you will find the right fit among our selection of distinctive Waterbury area lodging. All Waterbury area accommodations are close to our celebrated shops, events, and restaurants, which have themselves become destinations.
Waterbury is centrally located at Exit 10 off Interstate 89, the state's major north-south highway that winds along the spine of the Green Mountains. Route 100, one of the most scenic drives in Vermont, threads through our region. The Mad River Byway and the Green Mountain Byway converge on our doorstep. The ski and summer resorts of Stowe, Bolton, Sugarbush and the Mad River Glen are readily accessed, and we are less than 30 minutes from Montpelier, Stowe, and Burlington.
Let your preference and inspiration lead the way to our hosts' warm smiles and their welcoming demeanor. We are ready to help you make your visit truly memorable.


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Boost Concession Sales for your next Event
Concession stands are a tried and true means of generating sales at any event. Concession stands have been around for what seems like an eternity, yet its simple idea and execution of creating additional sales at an event, particularly sporting events is a can't miss opportunity to increase profits from an event. However, its simplicity in nature tends to be its downfall, as many businesses holding events do not consider concession stands as a brilliant means to advertise. Instead, most concession stands are merely thought of the place where people buy a quick hot dog or get their kid cotton candy and a soda. Because concession sales are most times an afterthought as it pertains to advertising designs, organizations using concession stands are not utilizing their full potential. Imagine what could be attained if a business wised up and used some sort of advertising design to boost the attraction of the concession stand. Perhaps, in turn, providing advertising designs will also boost concession sales for a company's next event. The good news is there exists an advertising method that is perfect for concessions – floor graphic designs.
The use of sidewalk decals, floor graphics, ground art, and other types of graphic print materials have grown in popularity over the last couple of years, especially at showcase events involving sports. Many businesses that frequently host outdoor events and social gatherings where concession stands can be found would immediately receive several benefits if using graphic designs and images to promote whatever the concession stand is selling. Floor decals, ground decals, and print graphics offer marketing agencies innovative advertising opportunities to increase recognition of a particular product or image, and these opportunities directly influence concession stands where products are being sold. Graphic ground art has proven to be incredibly effective when utilized, and this means it can boost concession sales for your next event.
Imagine doubling, tripling, possibly even quadrupling revenue from every single concession stand where you decided to use floor graphic art. It is a low risk, low cost, high reward marketing investment that will be worth the relatively inexpensive price to implement and will appeal to the masses at your next event. That is what brilliance in design in the form of graphic art can extract by advertising with ground graphics – the promise of a stampede in foot traffic going straight to your concession stand.
Marketing agencies that have not yet embraced graphic art as a method of brand promotion should contact Asphalt Art and become immersed in all things related to ground graphic advertising, and how it can boost your concession stand's sales. Asphalt Art designs floor graphic decals, and a representative would gladly explain the design process, and provide examples of their work, which can be viewed on their website. With floor graphics, your business has discovered a robust advertising idea to boost concession sales for your next event.


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The Credit Card Fraud Allegation Was A Clear Implication – 2Baba Defends Dammy Krane [Video]
Almost 3 weeks after the arrest of Nigerian singer, Dammy Krane for fraud and Grand Theft in the US, his former label boss and legendary singer, 2face Idibia, has reacted to the saga..
2baba in his reaction defended Dammy Krane in his ongoing credit card fraud scandal.
The Hypertek, who in a chat with HipTV, says the singer was implicated, said;
"You know Dammy is a young blood, very charismatic, very likable, talented, crazy but not that crazy.
I believe it is safe to call it implication. He just got caught up in something that he knows nothing about, because of wrong timing, place and association.
But he is fine now, he is good".
Watch video below;


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Style# 2005987
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Print this tab These classic boat shoes are always a summer favorite. Perfect for those who don't want to sacrifice comfort for style.
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Often Zen students, and even some Zen teachers, are confused about the Japanese terms kensho, "to see the nature" (Japanese けんしょう ; Chinese 見性 jianxing) and satori, "to awaken" or "awakening" (Japanese さとり; Chinese 悟 wu), and assume that the terms describe enlightenment as if there is only one kind of enlightenment. In this way, some students may project onto the teacher the idea that because the teacher has experienced an awakening that is called kensho or satori therefore the teacher is fully enlightened and in some manner omniscient or infallible. This is a grave error on the part of the student, and if the teacher encourages such projections, then the teacher is putting the student into a straight jacket and chains.
In Buddhism (i.e., the Buddha Dharma), the Sanskrit term for the full enlightenment of the historical Buddha is anuttara-samyak-sambodhi (variously translated into Chinese as 阿耨多羅三藐三菩提;, 無上正等正覺, etc.). Leading all beings to realize for ourselves this awakening is the goal or aim of every Buddha manifesting in every world. In discussing the Buddha's awakening, confusion arises when people misunderstand primary aspects of awakening: (1) that awakening is essential and indispensable to the path of the Buddha, (2) that awakening is sudden and immediate in that it transcends temporal-spatial perspectives, (3) that from a temporal-spatial perspective cultivation of the path takes place both before and after awakening, and (4) that there are different degrees of awakening. Here I want to mainly address the fourth point, that there are different degrees of awakening, with some comment about how the fourth point relates to the other three points.
The term anuttara-samyak-sambodhi reveals within itself four basic degrees of enlightenment:
(1) bodhi: enlightenment, awakening, realization, etc.
(2) sambodhi: the "equal" or "altogether" enlightenment.
(3) samyak-sambodhi: "unified" or "aligned" altogether enlightenment.
(4) anuttara-samyak-sambodhi: "unsurpassed" or "unexcelled" aligned altogether enlightenment, also called the unexcelled completely perfect enlightenment.
Because there are these distinguishable degrees of awakening, Zen Master Hakuin related stories of his own multiple great satoris as well as many minor satoris. The traditional depictions of training stages such as the Eight Jhanas, the 10 Bodhisattva Bhumis (Stations) or the 10 Ox Herding Pictures depict variations of the steps of cultivation both before and after awakening.
When we talk about step-by-step cultivation before awakening, we are talking about learning of and opening our mind to the possibility of awakening, developing our faith and confidence in awakening as a real experience, and taking the steps necessary to realizing awakening in our actual life. However, no matter how much we may wish it were so, there is no plain and simple formula for this step-by-step cultivation that is like a step-by-step process for learning to crochet or drive a car. Because awakening is essentially an unraveling of or seeing through our delusions and bifurcated false conceptualizations, and because our delusions and bifurcated conceptualizations have both a social and individual component, the general formulations of the step-by-step cultivation before awakening can only address those socially shared aspects of our ignorance with the final unraveling of our individual delusions and illusions occurring in an unformulated process. That is why Zen teacher Robert Aitken would say enlightenment happens as if by accident, but that our training makes us accident prone.
When we talk about step-by-step cultivation after awakening we are talking about the realization of the different degrees of awakening from initial bodhi to fully matured and complete anuttara-samyak-sambodhi. In Zen, the system known as Dongshan's Five Positions (A.K.A., Tozan's Five Ranks) is one such description of cultivation after initial awakening.
A Zen student should practice with a teacher who has at least an initial awakening kensho, and this is essential. A student may practice with another student who has not "seen the nature" but should not consider that fellow practitioner in the way as their teacher. Students should only look to someone with a modicum of awakening, whether called kensho or satori, at their teacher. However, students should not be deceived (by themselves or another) into thinking that all awakenings are equal and fungible or that training after initial enlightenment is unnecessary. This is why Zen Master Torei said:
Look! Why did the Buddha kindly, clearly, and in detail point out for you the stages of the Way? All of them are means to advance and progress in true training after Satori – the skillful means of no means, the grades of no grade. The same holds true for Tozan's 'Five Ranks', for Rinzai's 'Four Positions of Person and Circumstance', and his 'Four Positions of Guest and Host'. All are stages after Satori. (From Yoko Okuda's translation of The Discourse on The Inexhaustible Lamp of the Zen School by Zen Master Torei Enji.)
The words of the Buddhist scriptures and the Zen ancestors are the superbly skillful means of measuring the degree of our awakening. To read the Sutras is to check our own understanding against the words of the Buddha, and if there is anything that we do not understand or comprehend, then that is the measure of the shallowness or depth of our own degree of awakening. This is why Torei said:
So as to test the Dharma-Gates you have attained to, you have to check them against the Buddha's Sutras and the Treatises (Shastras), and study these again and again in detail and with insight. Always ask yourselves whether what you have attained tallies with what is said in the Sutras and Treatises.


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GraphicRiver Arrow road sigs 100455
Stock Vector \ Decorative \ Decorative Symbols
Vector \ Grunge \ Glowing \ Design \ Seamless \ Backgrounds \ Golden \ Floral
Stock Vector - Arrow road sigs 100455 by Designer_things @ GraphicRiver
Stock Vector \ Decorative \ Decorative Symbols
Arrow road sigs. Glowing vector illlustration.
Vector preloaders
Portfolio item
Ather design element.
Web ribbons
Golden label
Seamless backgrounds and floral frames.
Sets of grunge edges and stamps.
Grungy design elements and color paint grunge banners
Vector set of snowflakes
Blank packing and calendar
Glossy icon sets.
Layered: No; Graphics Files Included: Vector EPS, JPG Image, AI Illustrator; Minimum Adobe CS Version: CS.
Industrial Background with Grunge Splash; Ribbon and Banner Set; Coffee Badges Old Town Stamp Concept; Vector Comic Book Explosion Elements. Cartoon Symbols and Icons; Vintage Badges. Premium labels. Hight Quality Design Elements; Social Network; Calligraphic Vintage Page Decoration Design .
Keywords: 3d, arrow, blank, blue, business, concept, copy-space, glowing, information, isolated, sign, signpost, symbol, three-dimensional, yellow.


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1 bottle Lost Vineyards White Sangria
3 ounces Coconut Rum
1 cup Blueberries
1 cup Strawberries
¾ cup Cantaloupe chunks3-4 Ice Cubes
First, place the fruit in a sealable bag and place in the freezer for a couple of hours. Once the fruit is frozen, place in a blender with the Lost Vineyards White Sangria, coconut rum, and 3 ice cubes. Blend until smooth, adding another ice cube if needed. Best enjoyed after a stressful day at the office. Cheers!


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Research Project
Grant-in-Aid for General Scientific Research (B)
Inductive voltage adder is a new type of pulse-power technology where several pulses are superimposed using ferromagnetic cores. In this study, we have successfully developed "VIVA-I", versatile inductive voltage adder, which has the pulse-power output of voltage - 4 MV and pulse width - 60 ns. It has also been characterized by the extremely high average potential gradient of 2.5 MV/m. It consists of Marx generator, Blumlein pulse-forming line (PFL), and voltage adder. The output pulses of 2-MV, 60-ns from PFL are divided into four lines, which are, being connected by two-parallel and two-series, superimposed by two-stages of voltage adder. The adder section is 1-m in diameter, and the axial length is 80 cm long. Three amorphous metallic cores, dimensions of each core are O. D. = 70 cm, I. D. = 30 cm, thickness = 10 cm, are inserted into one cell. In 1989, design, construction, and basic experiment of operation were carried out. In 1990, we modified the machine to optimize the output p
… More
arameters.In order to operate "VIVA-I" at the specified voltage, three cores should be inserted in each cell so that the voltage applied on each cell is 2 MV. However, the calculated results of the electric field distribution in the cell have shown that, at this voltage, particularly in the region near the top of the core, the electric field exceeds the breakdown value. To solve this problem, we have improved the core by 1) using a field-relaxing ring and 2) changing the material of the flange. As a result, the safety factor has raised from 1 to - 3. Furthermore, optimization is performed for PFL operation which is based on the results of computer simulation and the experimental results.With the above improvement, "VIVA-I" is ready to be operated at the specified voltage. Concerning the improvement of the waveform, we have decided to use a saturable inductor in the charging circuit of PFL. It has been confirmed that the waveform can be significantly improved by experiments with 40 % of the full voltage. At present, the detailed experiments with the specified voltage and are being carried out with several diagnostics of the beam properties. Less
Published : 1989-04-01
Modified : 2016-04-21
User Guide
Terms of Use


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Jessica Simpson Wedding Updo
Jessica Simpson Straight Hair for Square Shaped Faces
Jessica Simpson Sexy, Straight Hairstyle
Jessica Simpson Sophisticated Ponytail
Jessica Simpson Long, Blonde Hairstyle
Jessica Alba Long, Layered Hairstyle with Highlights
Jessica Alba's chic hairstyle looks sassy on otherwise-straight locks. To get the look:
1. The night before you want to wear this, wash, then towel-dry hair.
2. Add a quarter-size amount of curl-enhancing mousse to your hair, from roots to ends.
3. Pull hair into two low buns, then sleep on them in this style.
4. In the morning, remove the buns and finger tousle.
5. Using a curling iron, lightly twist and curl the ends of your hair, paying special attention to the layers that frame your face.
6. Work a bit of flyaway, smoothing lotion into the palms of your hands, then gently tousle the ends.
See More Jessica Alba Hairstyles
Jessica Alba Long, Curly Ponytail
Jessica Alba's gorgeous, twisted, low ponytail is simple, yet chic; great for a party or event. What to do:
1. Flip day-old (meaning, wash the day prior, not day of) hair over and lightly tease.
2. Pull all of your hair back into a low, tight pony.
3. Brush through the hair that's in your pony, then use a curling iron to tightly curl the entire section.
4. Pull hair at the crown upward slightly for a voluminous effect, careful not to create bumps in the style.
See More Jessica Alba Hairstyles
Jessica Alba Long Hairstyle with Bangs
Jessica Alba's straight hairstyle suits girls with bangs -- simple as that. To get your bang on:
1. Wash, then towel-dry hair.
2. Add a quarter-size amount of smoothing, frizz-fighting lotion to your hair.
3. Blow dry all hair to straighten; use a flat iron to further smooth your hair.
See More Jessica Alba Hairstyles


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Wardrobe in art nouveau style, [Circa 1920]
Reference Number: 1/2-001808-G
View of a wooden wardrobe in art nouveau style, with an oval mirror on the door. Photograph taken by William Archer Price.
Key terms:
1 image, related to Decoration and Ornament - Art nouveau and Wardrobes.
Part of:
Price, William Archer, d 1948 :Collection of post card negatives, Reference Number PAColl-3057 (1884 digitised items)
Extent: 1 b&w original negative(s)Dry plate glass negative 4.5 x 6.5 inches. Vertical imageSingle negative
Conditions governing access to original: Partial restriction - Negatives are not available for viewing. Surrogate copies will be provided.
Citation: Any publication must be accompanied by the credit "Price Collection, Alexander Turnbull Library".
Other copies available: File print available in Turnbull Library Pictures645. Furniture. Wardrobe(PFP-030654)
Usage: You can search, browse, print and download items from this website for research and personal study. You are welcome to reproduce the above image(s) on your blog or another website, but please maintain the integrity of the image (i.e. don't crop, recolour or overprint it), reproduce the image's caption information and link back to here (http://mp.natlib.govt.nz/detail/?id=49204). If you would like to use the above image(s) in a different way (e.g. in a print publication), or use the transcription or translation, permission must be obtained. More information about copyright and usage can be found on the Copyright and Usage page of the NLNZ web site.
External Links:
View Full Descriptive Record in TAPUHI
View and/or order a copy of this image from Timeframes
View Archived Image on NDHA


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Brighter Skin For Spring
As Shen's resident makeup artist, Jill Freeman knows that come springtime, it's important to slough it all off: "Your best makeup is your skin care," she explains. "Exfoliating creates a smooth surface that is prime for makeup application. Here, her favorites from the Shen lineup:
"I love the Joanna Vargas Exfoliating Mask. It's so lightweight it's almost a liquid, and so gentle it can be used even under the eyes. It contains Volcanic Ash and is great for tightening and brightening as well as healing breakouts. As a mask, wear it for as little as 20 minutes or as long as overnight – which I have done quite a few times."
"I'm insane about Su-man Exfoliating Facial Polish, which is filled with espresso grains and is so great to use first thing in the morning because the scent is wonderful and it really wakes you up. The grains are gentle and can be used by really sensitive types, plus it has a rosehip base so, skin is baby soft afterward."
"Grown Alchemist Polishing Facial Exfoliant with Pink Grapefruit & Glucomannan has really great grit – so it's ideal for re-texturizing, smells sweet and is very spring-like."
"Bogavia's Sugar Scrub is completely organic body scrub with Vanilla, Chamomile, Tangerine, Coconut oil, and as you might have guessed, Sugar, which is a truly excellent all natural exfoliator. This is a staple in my shower. Yum."
"Ren Moroccan Rose Otto Sugar Body Polish also uses sugar granules that disintegrate, making this a really gentle scrub. Olive and Almond Extracts hydrate, and Caffeine energizes. But the best thing by far is the Rose Oil, which gives such a luxe scent that I don't have to use perfume."
"I use the Farmer's Welsh Lavender Scrub a lot on my hands, because by the end of winter they are a rough, dry mess. This one is super satisfying to use and contains peppermint and rosemary notes and lavender oil grown on the brand's private grove, which is charming. Also great for getting your feet ready for spring sandals!"
"Aurelia Refine and Polish Miracle Balm is great because really it's a cleanser AND an exfoliator. The smell is totally invigorating and its a one stop product so I usually grab it and take it in the shower ."
"When I heard that Goldenfaden MD Doctor's Scrub was Gwyneth Paltrow's fave I was intrigued, her glow speaks for itself! I was blown away but the intensity of this face scrub (in a good way) - the results were immediate. New to the Shen shelves, this product will get the dry Winter grit OFF! The texture is totally unique and all the Shen beauties are obsessed!"


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SEBO X4 Upright Vacuum(WHITE)
SEBO X4 Upright Vacuum(WHITE)
The SEBO AUTOMATIC X
DESIGNED FOR CARPETS AND HARD FLOORS – The AUTOMATIC X is the most technically advanced vacuum cleaner in the world! It features an electronic controller that acts as a brain, measuring the resistance of the brush roller against the floor and signaling the power head to adjust up or down to the appropriate brush height, to ensure optimum performance on both carpet and hard-floor surfaces. The controller also regulates a warning system that not only alerts the user to problems such as clogs, a worn brush, a full bag and brush roller obstructions, but it also automatically shuts off the vacuum, when necessary, to protect the motor and belts from damage. In addition, the AUTOMATIC X has a convenient instant-use cleaning wand and suction hose, a lifetime belt warranty, and comes in two power head widths . . . the 12-inch X4 and the 15-inch X5.
Instant-use Wand and Suction Hose – The integrated instantuse wand and suction hose are always ready. Just pull out either tool, or both together, to clean hard-to-reach corners, edges and crevices. The wand and hose together have an eight-foot reach. The suction hose is ideal for cleaning furniture. And an optional nine-foot extension hose is available, which creates a total hose length of 15 feet . . . perfect for cleaning stairs. Choose from a range of optional attachments that can be fitted to the wand or hose!
A Low 5 1⁄2-inch Profile – Lower the handle flat to the floor to clean under beds, or lower it to the intermediate stop position to maneuver over rugs. Depress the foot pedal
Automatic Height Adjustment: From Hard Floors to Carpets – The electronic controller adjusts the power head up or down to the appropriate brush height, providing optimal cleaning of both carpets and hard floors. The "sealing strip," located behind the brush, improves hard floor cleaning performance by channeling the airflow and preventing debris kickback.
Brush Adjustment Indicator Lights – Two green lights, one for "up" and one for "down," illuminate to indicate when the power head is in the process of adjusting brush height to the proper cleaning level. Optimal cleaning effectiveness occurs when both lights are off.
Brush Obstruction Light with Automatic Shut Off – If an obstruction jams the brush roller, the red "check brush" warning light flashes quickly, the brush roller immediately stops spinning, and the vacuum shuts off. This feature prevents the belts from breaking and protects the motor and carpet from damage.


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Elmore Leonard Recovering From Stroke
Crime novelist Elmore Leonard is recovering from a stroke, his longtime researcher Greg Sutter confirmed on Monday. Sutter said Leonard had suffered a stroke last week and is "doing better every day"—and still at work on his latest novel, which will be his 46th. Leonard, 87, is currently hospitalized in Detroit, his longtime home city. Originally writing Westerns, Leonard found his stride with crime fiction as well as screenwriting.


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My colleague Emma has written a post over on the Snowbooks blog on our new Onix Central project. So, if you're interested in making more of your title information for feeding your website; creating catalogues etc etc. then go have a look and we also have a lot of free stuff to help you do a lot of these things for your self.
Filed under: Onix, Onix Central, Publishing, Adobe Indesign, BIC, e4books, XML


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Results from a new study concluded that millions of non-citizens could have voted in the 2008 presidential election, suggesting that President Donald Trump's claim that more than 3 million illegal alien voters cost him the popular vote in November might be accurate.
After reviewing post-election polling data, New Jersey research group Just Facts announced that the number of non-citizens voting illegally is considerably more than previous estimates, the Washington Times reported.
In fact, as many as 5.7 million non-citizens may have voted in the 2008 election that gave Barack Obama his first term in the White House.
Just Facts, a non-profit research and educational institute, estimated that as many as 7.9 million non-citizens illegally registered in 2008 and somewhere between 594,000 to 5.7 million actually voted in that year's presidential election.
So much for Democrats' claim that voter fraud doesn't exist.
Oddly enough, these numbers are in line with Trump's claim about what might have happened in 2016. Trump, who faced merciless ridicule for his claim that millions of illegal-alien voters cost him the nationwide popular vote last November, might have been closer to the truth that even he realized.
If it turns out that Trump was right, then what we have at the heart of this study is the betrayal of every American voter. Because every vote cast illegally can nullify a vote cast by an American citizen, and dilute the entire electoral process.
A system that allows it is betraying American democracy, and every voter should be furious about it.
In May, Trump signed an executive order that established a commission to investigate voter fraud. The Presidential Commission on Election Integrity will review Trump's allegations as well as "systemic issues that have been raised over many years in terms of the integrity of the elections."
There's no telling what the commission will find, but if it reports that our voting system is indeed as broken as these numbers suggest, then we need to know so we can begin the process of fixing it. CONSERVATIVE TRIBUNE


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Christian Action
Officer (Corporate Development)
Christian Action was established in 1985 as a registered charitable organization in Hong Kong. Our mission is to serve those who are poor, disadvantaged, marginalized, displaced or abandoned regardless of their age, gender, nationality and religion.
We are looking for high calibre individual to fill the above vacancy on contract basis.
Ref : DAD-000-008/JP
- Higher Diploma or above with 2 years' working experience;
- Good command of Chinese and English;
- Have passion in charitable work and fundraising.;
- Computer literate and familiar with data management preferred;
- Responsible for back office operations of regular donation programs;
- Ensure regular donors' contributions are in order;
- Responsible for donor communications, servicing, gathering and loyalty programs;
- Undertake telemarketing of donor recruitment, and involve in other fundraising activities and corporate events;
- Contribute ideas for fundraising initiatives.
Interested parties please send resume (including present and expected salary) with applied position and reference code to : Human Resources Division, Christian Action, 4/F New Horizons Building, 2 Kwun Tong Road, Kowloon by email to firstname.lastname@example.com
All personal data provided will be kept confidential and used for recruitment purposes only. Applicants who are not contacted within six weeks may consider their applications unsuccessful. The Organization will retain their applications for a maximum period of six months and may refer suitable applicants to other vacancies within the Organization.


text: Logitech has launched a new protective case with integrated keyboard for the new iPad Air 2. This case protects the tablets from accidental bumps, scratches and spills. The keyboard is Bluetooth enabled and connects to the iPad Air 2 over the same technology. It has also got an automatic no/off feature, where, when the iPad is positioned upright, the keyboard turns on. When close, it turns off. There is also an auto-wake and auto-sleep feature that turns the iPad off when you close the case and wakes it when the case is opened. price at RS.6495.


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Miami Beach Super Plumber is a family owned and operated plumbing service located in Miami Beach, FL and we strive to be a total home repair establishment. We have been in this business since 2004 and it is built upon a foundation of professionalism, hard work, diligence, reliability, fair pricing, and a 100% customer satisfaction guarantee. Our crew has over 40 years of combined experience and we are ready to tackle any job, big or small. We believe in doing the job right the first time and the quality of our work speaks for itself.
Miami Beach Super Plumber specializes in the following:
Miami Beach Super Plumber is fully licensed and insured to work on both residential and commercial properties around the Miami Beach area. We have 24-hour emergency service so that you can get a hold of us anytime should the need arise. Call in and we can get a plumber or handyman to your home or business right away to help you deal with the problem at hand. Our crew is made up of professionals who you can count on and our services are offered at fair and affordable prices.
We're here for you, so to learn more about any of our quality services, please contact us at Miami Beach Super Plumber today.


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Student outreach is one of our priorities.
We provide challenging and nurturing experiences to a diverse high school and university student population. The theatre we produce offers a uniquely powerful and engaging approach to exploring socio-political, global and community issues, and is an excellent springboard to classroom discussion.
To start a dialogue:
- Student groups can join cast members for a post-show talkback after regular weekday matinees and upon request
- We offer pre-show chats, led by a member of Studio 180's artistic or education staff, to delve into the play's background and historical context (one half hour before curtain)
- We provide comprehensive Study Guides, complete with background information on each play and its subject matter along with thoughtful questions and activities for pre- and post-show discussions.
We are also available for innovative workshops for high school students of all disciplines, and invite you to learn more about our Studio 180 IN CLASS program.
One of the greatest barriers to youth access is cost. We offer affordable reduced rates for our weekday matinees and workshops and are committed to accessibility for all students.
Please contact us to learn more about our education initiatives. Learn more about Studio 180's team of artist educators and our Education Advisory Committee here.


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Since we've finally settled on Salt chairs. I am moving on to rugs.
These rugs are the top few we will look at over and over again over the course of months and months and then finally decide one day which one we want. Man, I used to be such an impulsive shopper, now its like the longest process ever.
Pricey but super awesome by Anni Albers.
I like this one too from Ikea.
I've invited people over for dinner in 7-10 business days. At which point we will have chairs. Im excited.


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About :: Some facts :: Results :: Get Recognizers
AVATech – Advancing Video Audio Technology in Humanities Research
This joint effort of Fraunhofer and Max Planck Institutes was to investigate and develop technology for semi-automatic annotation of audio and video recordings used in humanities research.
Recognizers that are the outcome of this project are available via interactive annotation tools and via batch processing execution environment.
Project history:
- Motivation and requirements
The motivation for this project has two major aspects:
- The amount of AV recordings in typical humanities research institutes that can be manually annotated and used for theory building does not scale up with the amount of recordings created, increasing amounts of data are not being used.
- The currently available AV recognition technologies cannot cope with the material that is typically created in real world observations as they are used for modern linguistic theory building.
Currently even the simplest annotations of for example recorded dialogs take too much time and effort. One conclusion from this problem is that new ways need to be explored to overcome the current barriers hampering progress. By making the annotation process more efficient by using automatic detectors, we expect that more data can be annotated more efficiently, allowing new possibilities for search and corpus analysis and better theory building.
- Research and Implementation phase
Our research has focus on the creation of recognizers which, given media recordings, generate lists of segments and annotations. Such recognizers can be invoked from within annotation tools such as the widely used and proven ELAN software and from a batch processing framework, to process a number of recordings in one effort.
In this project two Max Planck Institutes cooperated with two Fraunhofer Institutes to investigate, develop and apply advanced technology for semi-automatic annotation of collected audio-visual material that is the basis for humanities research. The Max Planck Institutes act as experts for the research driven questions resulting from an analysis of the AV material and for user friendly interaction tools. The Fraunhofer Institutes act as experts for digital sound and video processing methods.


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World Bulletin / News Desk
The U.S. will move its embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem on May 14th -- the day the state of Israel was established and officially recognized by Washington in 1948.
"We are planning to open the new U.S. Embassy to Israel in Jerusalem in May. The Embassy opening will coincide with Israel's 70th anniversary," State Department spokesperson Heather Nauert said Friday in a written statement.
She said the embassy will initially be located in Jerusalem's Arnona neighborhood, adding the existing U.S. consular facility there for issuing visas and for other diplomatic matters will be temporarily turned into an embassy.
The U.S. move, which will dispatch its ambassador to Israel and staff to Jerusalem, came after Secretary of State Rex Tillerson approved the final security plan for the relocation late Thursday, even though Vice President Mike Pence said earlier it would occur by the end of 2019.
The current embassy complex in Tel Aviv will still be in service as the U.S. consulate and will become a branch of the U.S. embassy in Jerusalem.
"In parallel, we have started the search for a site for our permanent Embassy to Israel, the planning and construction of which will be a longer-term undertaking," Nauert said.
"We are excited about taking this historic step and look forward with anticipation to the May opening."
The relocation plan was the United States' first priority after President Donald Trump announced his decision to recognize Jerusalem as Israel's capital in December last year, which drew a storm of condemnation and protests across the Arab and Muslim world.
According to U.S. media reports, the U.S. ambassador to Israel has received many offers from Jewish donors who say they are willing to fund the new building for the project.
Trump has also considered accepting donations from well-known casino owner and business magnate Sheldon Adelson, who comes from a Jewish family, to help fund the project.
Additionally, according to the reports, the reason behind the donations for the embassy is to make it more difficult to reverse Trump's decision to move the embassy in the future.
According to Palestine's official WAFA news agency, Nabil Abu Rudeineh, spokesman for Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, decried the decision.
"This is an unacceptable step. Unilateral steps will not give legitimacy to anyone and will hinder efforts to provide peace in the region."
Saib Ureykat, Secretary General of the Palestine Liberation Organization, said President Trump and his team were no longer part of the Israel-Palestine solution and had become part of the problem.
Palestinian resistance group Hamas' spokesman Abdel Latif al-Qanoua also criticized the decision, saying it would not legitimize the actions of occupier Israel and change the historical status and identity of Jerusalem.
Jerusalem remains at the heart of the Israel-Palestine conflict, with Palestinians hoping that East Jerusalem -- now occupied by Israel -- might eventually serve as the capital of a Palestinian state.Last Mod: 24 Şubat 2018, 10:06


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An original rendering of 2401 Third Avenue via Hill West Architects
Somerset Partners and Chetrit Group have sold their massive South Bronx waterfront site to Brookfield Properties for $165 million, the priciest transaction for a development in the Bronx on record. As the New York Post reported, the project includes two sites on either side of the Third Avenue Bridge. At 2401 Third Avenue, original plans called for a 25-story standalone tower and a 25-story and 16-story building rising from an eight-story base. Developers also planned to bring three 24-story buildings and a 22-story building on top of a six – and seven-story base at the second site at 101 Lincoln Avenue.


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How to Dress Like Kate Middleton
{By Brittany Sadler}
Besides being a princess (I know that's not technically true, but seriously, how much more princess-ly do you have to be?) Kate Middleton is also my favorite modern fashion icon. Her effortless elegance, and ladylike modesty have been setting trends ever since she stepped on the royal stage. The bad news: there's only one British prince left, so fewer chances for the rest of us. The good news: her styles are not only gorgeous, they're very flattering on lots of body types.
So here's how to dress like a princess:
1. Go monochrome
Pulling off head to toe color may seem intimidating. But the one-color look is remarkably easy to put together. Make sure the colors match and think about adding a few tasteful accessories but keep your shoes simple so they fade into the background. Choose a deep or brilliant color for a stunning and lengthening look.
2. Cover up to stand out
Skin doesn't have to be showing to look drop dead gorgeous! Kate has mastered wearing a simple silhouette in a bold design or color for a dramatic and alluring style. The key is that the dress has to fit you perfectly in order for the look to be sleek and striking rather than boring.
3. Be pretty
Embrace feminity. Don't be afraid of pastels and delicate fabrics. Kate manages to wear pretty clothes and yet never come across as fussy or overdone. This is due to her excellent sense of proportion and her killer accessorizing. Try belts for some polish over your prettiness.
4. V-necklines
An open v-neckline looks good on pretty much everyone. Personal taste and body type can determine how open you choose to go, but v-necklines in general lengthen your torso and draw attention to your neck and face. Kate obviously knows this, since even her beautiful wedding dress had a v-neckline.
5. Flatter your figure
Every figure can be flattered. And although Kate doesn't really seem to have a lot of worries in that area, we can all learn from how she chooses her clothes. Dresses made of material that drapes and is ruched at the waistline with a gently flowing knee length skirt are almost universally flattering. Know what your best features are and accentuate them.
6. Be British
Of course it always helps to actually be British, but for us Americans, we can definitely take a page from the British book of fashion. Tweed, plaids, riding boots! All so classy and look good on everyone.
7. Keep it classy (and easy!)
A blazer and jeans is a great go-to outfit. It can be dressed up with a white blouse and a belt, or dressed down with a striped shirt and espadrilles. Perfect for a day out about town.
8. Play with contrast
Contrasting colors like black and white or navy and white always look classy. It's hard to go wrong. Kate takes it in a military direction, or layers a black blazer over a white dress, both pretty and sharp.
9. Top it off beautifully
That one extra little touch can make the biggest difference! Never forget that your coat is part of your outfit, and in the winter, it's sometimes the most visible part. Whether you favor a preppy peacoat, elegant car coat, gorgeous trench or sweet swing coat, make sure you invest in a great coat to keep you warm and looking great. Another great accessory that is much more popular in England than the US is of course, the hat. A longtime staple of a woman's wardrobe, it has gone out of fashion in the past couple decades. However, if you really want to make a statement, top off your fit for a princess attire with a royal hat!
Don't know where to look for perfectly polished pieces that don't break the bank? Shop outlets and online sales at Ann Taylor (great for dresses) Ann Taylor Loft (nice blazers and skirts) , Banana Republic (coats, suits) , White House Black Market. Don't have time to find outlets or sales? Target can have good basics, Kohls sometimes has a few nice things as do Forever 21 and H&M occasionally (beware though.. often you get what you pay for, so try to find pieces that are well-made and won't fall apart in one wash!)


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Before the Lions played the Packers, Green Bay offensive lineman Josh Sitton made headlines by calling Detroit's defensive linemen "scumbags" and "dirtbags" who were coached by a "dick" who encouraged his players to play dirty. As the Ravens prepare to play the Lions, Baltimore's offensive linemen are taking a different approach.
Ravens offensive linemen A.Q. Shipley and Gino Gradkowski both told the team's website that they respect the way the Lions' defensive linemen approach the game. In Shipley's opinion, Lions defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh, labeled as dirty by many, is actually exactly the kind of tough, physical player a lineman should be.
"I love the way he plays," Shipley said of Suh. "He plays hard and he plays passionate. You can't fault a guy for doing that. He goes hard every play, and if he gets called for a penalty, I don't think he's worried about it. You've got to respect that about him."
Gradkowski said that from his tape study, he expects to have his hands full on Monday night in Detroit, not because the Lions are dirty but because they go hard on every play.
"I think they just play hard," Gradkowski said. "Sometimes it can be misconstrued as dirty. But it's hard to say because I don't know him personally and I haven't faced him yet."
In a week when Ravens coach John Harbaugh admonished safety Matt Elam for referring to Lions receiver Calvin Johnson as old, Harbaugh will surely be pleased that his offensive linemen aren't giving the Lions any more bulletin board material.


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Saturday, January 28, 2006
There is a verse that's been popping into my mind a lot lately. I was thinking that it may be my "verse of the week" but it's feeling more like the "verse of my life" right now. Paul wrote it to the Galations, in the context of reaping and sowing. He told them that "he who sows to the Spirit will of the Spirit reap everlasting life". He then gave this exhortation: "And let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart." Lately I've needed to be reminded of this pretty often.
I guess I've been feeling pretty weary. It seems that I can tell Peregrine the same thing four hundred times and he still doesn't get it. I make a meal, only to get the dishes done and find that somebody wants a snack and it's time to start on the next meal. I sweep the floor and immediately it's strewn with pine needles and crumbs. It seems that the dirty laundry baskets are full before the clean clothes are even put away. I finally get both kids down for a rest and the doorbell rings and wakes up Alethea. I wash faces, change diapers, clean toilets, and they all get dirty again.
Life is relentless. Waves crash against the shore day after day; sometimes they are gentle and other times they are wild. The tides go in and out but still the waves come. That is kind of what life is like, anyone's life I suppose, but especially the life of a Mom. It's easy to grow weary, to wish that the waves would stop for a bit and that just for a moment there could be complete stillness and rest.
I need to hear the words of Saint Paul often, and especially in the context in which he wrote them. Serving my family is an opportunity each day for me to sow to the Spirit. When I serve my husband and children with joy and love and selflessness then I know that I will someday reap the rewards of that. Paul wrote in the next verse "Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all, especially to those who are of the household of faith." As we have opportunity. As Moms, there is no lack of opportunity for us to do good. We have in our homes several people to whom we can do good. Maybe my boy only needs to hear me say something in a patient and loving way one more time before he "gets" it. Maybe he'll never get it. I don't know. But I do know that the promises of God are sure, and in that I can find rest.
Posted by Rebeca at 4:27 PM 2 comments: Links to this post
Friday, January 20, 2006
Sometimes I get little reminders of just how fragile life is. It stirs up so many conflicting emotions: at polar ends of the spectrum are fear and gratitude. Fear for all the what-ifs that swirl through my mind like a blizzard, and a deep sense of thankfulness for the precious lives we've been given. It is my children that I feel this most often with. It begun when I was only about 9 weeks pregnant with Peregrine. I was having some spotting and spoke with a midwife about it. I left her office in tears, certain that my child, not yet known but already loved, was going to pass into the arms of Jesus and skip mine altogether. I realized at that point that each day I had with him was a gift from God. Though he was given to me to carry all those months and now to love and teach and nurture, in a sense he is really no more mine than the birds of the air. At that point God gave me peace, and I realized that life is a gift from Him and it is in His hands.
As Peregrine has grown, he has had a few injuries. None of them have been "major", but to a Mama, any hurt that my boy experiences is painful. Just last night he came running out from his room, screaming. I picked him up and was horrified to see blood coming out of his mouth. After a minute we figured out that he had had a metal tube in his mouth and had run into the wall, causing the end of the tube to gouge the roof of his mouth. All at once I felt immense relief and thankfulness that he was okay, while at the same time all of those thoughts tumbled in to my mind, like "What if that had been his eye?
I have experienced this with Erik too. After having cancer three years ago, we are both a little more nervous about things that don't seem "quite right". A few times he has gone in to his specialist, but not before several days of me tossing wildly between peace and all of the other thoughts that go through my mind- like thinking he's going to die, and wondering how I will manage to raise my children on my own. Getting a good report from the doctor is always such a huge relief, realizing again that life is given to us by the moment and that the ones we love are only on loan from our Father. I am always so thankful for my husband, but going through these times makes me realize all the more just how wonderful it is to get to share my life with him.
Alethea seems to bring up different thoughts and feelings, along the same lines, but somehow more intense because she's so tiny, so vulnerable, so feminine. She is completely unable to do anything for herself. We thank the Lord that she has never been injured and has hardly even been sick. But how quickly my mind whirls off into the land of "what-ifs" and I need to be brought back to the reality of today and the grace that we are given moment by moment.
And that's really the part that I need to remember, that yes, life is a gift from God: every moment of every day with the ones we love is a precious gift from His hand. There is no guarantee of how long we will have them in this life, but He has promised to always be with us, to be a very present help in time of need, and to dispense His grace upon us moment by moment, in keeping with our need. His faithfulness is great and His mercies are new every morning. I need to take my fears to Jesus and exchange them for His peace, turn my worries into prayers, and let Him fill my heart with gratitude and grace.
Posted by Rebeca at 3:33 PM 2 comments: Links to this post
Thursday, January 12, 2006
Four years ago today Erik and I committed to spend the rest of our lives loving one another. Although it feels like we're just getting started, a lot has happened in this time: We've moved twice, had two children, Erik has undergone surgery and radiation treatment for cancer, we've travelled to Canada and to Europe, and Erik has changed jobs. I think that a few of those qualify for some of the most stressful things that people can go through. There have been moments of stress, but the years have been marked with peace and joy and the blessing of the Lord. I can't imagine not sharing my life with Erik; he challenges and encourages me, he makes me laugh and he completes me. God certainly knew what He was doing when He brought us together. (Duh!) What a joy and blessing to be "heirs together of the grace of life".
Posted by Rebeca at 12:54 PM 4 comments: Links to this post
Monday, January 09, 2006
Several months ago I met someone who has inspired me, perhaps more than anyone else, to be the kind of woman that God wants me to be. Spending time with her has made me examine who I am in the light of who I want to be. I fall terribly short, but I am encouraged to grow in grace and in the kind of beauty that the women of old clothed themselves with. (That is, a gentle and quiet spirit.) I want to put on love and cultivate the fruit of the Spirit in my life. I want to be a better wife, treating my husband with honor and respect, greeting him with joy and laughter. I want to be a better Mama; patient, wise, and kind. Being with her makes me want to be more feminine, in my manner of speech, my actions, and the way I dress.
The one who has brought such lofty aspirations to the forefront of my mind doesn't inspire me by her example, but by her potential. She is my own little daughter, Alethea Poppy Joy, only nine months along in her life. She is full of curiosity, energy, and smiles. When I look at her and think about the kind of woman I want to raise her to be, I realize that I need to embody the qualities I hope to teach her. Elizabeth Prentice said "My children, my darling precious children. What I want them to become, I must become myself." While I know this to be true with my son as well, I feel it in a different way with Alethea. She will learn more from my example than from my words.
Everywhere I look I see women. The ones that get the attention tend to be the high powered, go-get-'em, independent, attractive ones. They are not admired for their character; in many of them I think you'd be hard pressed to find anything admirable there. The world would shape my daughter, starting at a very young age, into the very opposite thing than what I desire for her. Little girls soon become enamored of the "Disney Princess" and are force-fed the dream of being pretty, getting their way, getting their Prince, and living happily ever after. They sport it on shirts that say things like "Spoiled Rotten" and "It's all about me" and a few years down the road the slogans change to things like "Go ahead, ask me out" and "Your boyfriend wants me." Since when is self-absorption a trait that needs to be encouraged?
If I'm going to counter the messages that the world is sending my daughter, I need to be aware of what they are and be very intentional about setting in front of her a higher goal. I need to show her what it means to be a woman of character, a woman of God. As followers of Christ we are citizens of a different Kingdom, and we are called out from this world. Our goals, our actions, our dress, should be dictated by our love for Christ.
I want to raise a daughter who will become a strong woman; strong enough to withstand the pressure of society, confident in her identity as a daughter of the King. I hope that she will have a gentle and quiet manner, that she will be full of joy and love, and that she will extend her hand to the poor and needy. Words like prudence, chastity, and meekness are mocked as old-fashioned and unliberated, but let them be said of her. I pray that she will seek first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness and that her standard will be none other than Christ Himself. May she be clothed in humility and grace, her life spent not on vain temporal pursuits, but in service of God and others. May her beauty radiate from the life of Christ within her.
These are lofty goals. I write them in prayer; both for Alethea and for myself. I am not the woman I have described above, not the woman I hope that she will be someday. But what I want her to become I must become myself. As the Apostle Paul wrote "Not that I have already attained, or that I am already perfected, but I press on, that I may lay hold of that for which Christ Jesus has laid hold of me." This is the hope of my life, that I may become the woman God has made me to be, the wife, the mother, the friend. That I may be transformed into the image of Christ, and as I love those around me, as He loves through me, that they may be transformed as well. Alethea is my inspiration, but Jesus is my only hope.
Posted by Rebeca at 8:13 PM 2 comments: Links to this post
Friday, January 06, 2006
Feed the Birds
Of all the gifts that any of us got this Christmas, I think our favorite is one that was given to Peregrine by his Nana and Papa. There's a lot that I could say about it- it's simple, inexpensive, doesn't require batteries, and is great for all ages. It's educational and he can enjoy it alone or with others. There's no possible way for him to be possessive about it and Alethea can't choke on it. (Big bonus there!) It's a gift that changes all the time, has elements of suspense and drama, and will be still be good a long time from now.
Have you guessed yet? It's s bird feeder! Just a simple wire basket with a block of suet that fits inside. We hung it up outside the dining room window and have been having so much fun watching our feathered friends come and go. It took them a few days to find it but since then we've had a steady stream of visitors flocking around to get their treats. Peregrine exclaimed with great excitement a few mornings ago "Mama! Some birds have discovered our feeder!" We talk about the different colors and sizes and are trying to learn the names of some of them. I'm pretty ignorant about birds so am happily learning right along with him. There was a beautiful pair of larger birds a few days ago; we took pictures and when Erik got home he identified them for us as Flicker Woodpeckers. Now Peregrine talks about "the Flickers" like they're his long lost friends. I told him how glad the birds were to get some food in this cold weather and he yelled "You're welcome" in their general direction.
And I think that's one of my favorite things about this gift: it's not just for Peregrine. It may be a small thing, but he's seeing that there is joy in giving to others and in considering the needs of someone other than himself. He's delighted to see the birds visiting his feeder and takes pleasure in watching the flurry of wings surrounding it. He's pleased that they are happy to find their food. I pray that this will grow in him, and in me, and that we will truly learn that it is more blessed to give than to receive.
Posted by Rebeca at 8:45 PM No comments: Links to this post
Wednesday, January 04, 2006
To Fit In or Not to Fit In
Our plans to homeschool our kids have leaked and Erik is already getting flak about it at work. We're still a few years away from "school" but there's no question of sending our kids off to be educated by other people. One of the biggest "concerns" that people seem to have is that our poor children won't be socialized or that they will end up as misfits, sticking out in society like sore thumbs. I see this as slightly humorous, since that's actually part of the reason we want to teach them at home. Somehow I don't think that putting my kids in a room with twenty or thirty other immature selfish children and one or two adults is the sort of social environment that will do them any good. And as far as them being misfits? I don't really see that as a bad thing. As I sat at a red light today I watched a group of high school students walk across the street. The girls seem to be wearing less clothing all the time, even though it's January, and of course the boys can't keep their hands off them. That is, the boys who don't have headphones on. Great social skills. If the lack of customer service and general unfriendliness at stores is any indication of how kids learn to relate to people, then I think my kids stand a decent chance of faring as well at home. Maybe even better.
If not fitting in to society means that my girls will dress modestly and learn to conduct themselves accordingly, then so be it. If my boys never become doctors or lawyers, but only God-loving, hard working family men, then we will have succeeded. Along with the three R's I hope and pray that my children will learn respect, responsibility, and charity. I will teach them to sew and cook and garden and keep a home. Erik will teach them to build and fix. If they never quite feel like they belong in this world, then thanks be to God. So I'm prepared to take some flak for our decision to teach our kids at home: we need more sore thumbs around here.
Posted by Rebeca at 9:59 PM 3 comments: Links to this post
Tuesday, January 03, 2006
Growing Up
"Old" is such a matter of perspective. When I was little I thought that my grandparents seemed really old, but not my parents. Now that my parents are the age that my grandparents were then, my perception of old is quite different. And as I keep getting older, I have begun to think that old is more a state of mind than an age. Some older people seem young because they are still living life to whatever extent they can; others seem like they've resigned themselves to death.
I turned 30 this last year, and I keep wondering when I'm supposed to feel "grown up". I'm not sure what I thought it was supposed to feel like, but I haven't quite gotten there yet. Sure, I'm married and a Mama to two children, but some days I feel like I'm just playing house. I still make meals, but now they're real; the babies I dress and feed are real live wiggling, laughing, playing children. Maybe I feel young because I play toddler games and read stories all the time, because my constant companions are only three and nine months old. Then again, Three is old enough to say things like "Mom, I need to pull all the white hairs out of your head!" Umm, no, that would take way too long and it would hurt Mama. Are all my grey hairs really that noticeable? Three also said to Erik the other day "Daddy, you have so many lines on your forehead." That's my boy, always the one to notice if something isn't quite the way he thinks it should be.
Hopefully, along with the white hairs, I'm gaining some wisdom as the years go by. My Dad loves to quote that verse about a grey head being a crown of wisdom, and I think I'll hold on to that one too. Some day I'll have long white braids to wrap up around my head like a crown, and I'll weave daisies into them. And that grown up feeling? I hope it never comes.
Posted by Rebeca at 3:32 PM No comments: Links to this post
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text: > [Peter Funk(me)] > > On <http://www.insecure.org/sploits/gcc.tmpfiles.html> you can find a > > working example which exploits this vulnerability in older versions > > of GCC. > > > > The basic idea is indeed very simple: Since the /tmp directory is > > writable for any user, the bad guy can create a symbolic link in /tmp > > pointing to some arbitrary file (e.g. to /etc/passwd). The attacked > > program will than overwrite this arbitrary file (where the programmer > > really wanted to write something to his tempfile instead). Since this > > will happen with the access permissions of the process running this > > program, this opens a bunch of vulnerabilities in many programs > > writing something into temporary files with predictable file names. [Tim Peters]: > I can understand all that, but does it have anything to do with Python's > tempfile module? gcc wasn't fixed by changing glibc, right? Okay. But people seem to have the opponion, that "application programmers" are dumb and "system programmers" are clever and smart. ;-) So they seem to think, that the library should solve possible security issues. I don't share this oppinion, but if a some problem can be solved once and for all in a library, this is better than having to solve this over and over again in each application. Concerning 'tempfile' this would either involve changing (or extending) the interface (IMO a better approach to this class of problems) or if the goal is to solve this for existing applications already using 'tempfile', to play games with the filenames returned from 'mktemp()'. This would require to make them to be truely random... which AFAIK can't be achieved with traditional coding techniques and would require access to a secure white noise generator. But may be I'm wrong. > Playing games > with the file *names* doesn't appear to me to solve anything; the few posts > I bumped into where that was somehow viewed as a Good Thing were about > Solaris systems, where Sun kept the source for generating the "new, > improved, messy" names secret. In Python, any attacker can read the code > for anything we do, which it makes it much clearer that a name-game approach > is half-assed. I agree. But I think we should at least extend the documentation of 'tempfile' (Fred?) to guide people not to write Pythoncode like mytemp = open(tempfile.mktemp(), "w") in programs that are intended to be used on Unix systems by arbitrary users (possibly 'root'). Even better: Someone with enough spare time should add a new function 'mktempfile()', which creates a temporary file and takes care of the security issue and than returns the file handle. This implementation must take care of race conditions using 'os.open' with the following flags: O_CREAT If the file does not exist it will be created. O_EXCL When used with O_CREAT, if the file already exist it is an error and the open will fail. > and-people-whine-about-worming-around-bad-decisions-in- > windows<wink>-ly y'rs - tim I don't whine. But currently I've more problems with my GUI app using Tkinter&Pmw on the Mac <wink>. Regards, Peter -- Peter Funk, Oldenburger Str.86, 27777 Ganderkesee, Tel: 04222 9502 70, Fax: -60 Wer sich zu wichtig für kleine Arbeiten hält, ist meist zu klein für wichtige Arbeiten. -- Jacques Tati