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Updated Editor's Note 11/7/2017 – In an effort to further commit to our editorial vision of quality content about nothing but games or the industry, we are leaving this note here to let you know that this article does not meet the standards of that vision as it exists today. This article may be poorly written, or it may be well-written but with charged political content, which we have stepped away from. It's not the ideas we have a problem with, as we do not discourage any viewpoint, we are just moving away from this sort of content. This article no longer represents TechRaptor's editorial vision today and into the future. You can read more about why we are doing this here.
The recent controversies regarding Lionhead's "cleavage tweet" and a joke poem in Obsidian's Pillars of Eternity accused of being transphobic have reinvigorated an important discussion for the gaming industry.
Do consumers have the right to demand creative changes in games?
One side of the discussion says of course. This is simply consumers expressing their preference to a creator. If the creators of said games wish to sell them then they need to take the desires of the public into account, who have the right to not buy, to criticize and to boycott. Removing that supposedly transphobic joke or that barmaid's cleavage opens the game to an audience that would be offended by such content – it means the game will reach a wider audience.
The other side says absolutely not. Games are art, and their creators, artists. If an artist produces a painting, a song or a film that you have an issue with, you can hate it and rail against it all you wish, but you have no right to change it. To demand a change to a game in the same way is an imposition on the artist at best and censorship at worst. If you believe games are art then you must allow them the rights of art: ownership by the artist, free of interference. If the content offends you, don't patronize it, but don't attempt to change it to your preference.
It would seem that for many people the "Are games art?" question has a different answer depending on the situation. When you want something to change, no; they're a consumer product but when something you love is being criticized then art is not to be manipulated. Its an easy logic trap to fall into. We all carry our biases in everything but recognizing them is the key to thinking clearly on these issues.
I myself fall mainly into the second camp, there are games I don't like that I don't play. There are parts of certain games that I don't like but I do my best to move on and not let it ruin the overall experience. There are people who I don't like, so I choose not to support their projects. Am I right about this? Are my views on the issue more correct than others?
Of course not. There's no objective truth in these arguments and this one is made an even more difficult topic due to the nature of games.
Games, unlike almost any other medium, are incredibly adaptive to change. Yes, gaming media is guilty (myself very much included) of comparing games to movies or books or other kinds of artistic media far too often, but in this case it is applicable. If a movie (Kingsman for example) contains a very blue joke it might get mentioned in reviews, some people might write articles about how awful it is, but there aren't any demands for change, because that change is impossible. The studio won't reshoot part of the movie to change that joke – actors are busy. They won't cut the scene, because prints have already been shipped. Even when the film hits Blu-Ray they likely won't remove it, in fact the more raunchy stuff will probably be a bonus feature.
It's the same with music. There's a lot of music people find objectionable, but no one demands that bands rerecord their music. The people who hate Eminem don't push him back into the booth and say "do it again but this time no homophobia!". This is because rerecording music, reshooting scenes of a film or even re-painting (the viewers really would have preferred blue there) are massively time consuming and incredibly expensive. For a time, games were the same. A developer would make a game, a publisher would ship it and that was the game.
But that changed, because of the patch.
Patches meant that games could change in any number of ways. Bugs get fixed, Model 1887 damage and accuracy get reduced (yes I'm still pissed about that); patches mean a bad game can be redeemed, broken games can become functional. Developers won't say "No, that game-breaking glitch is part of the art of the game" because they care about the gamers, they want them to enjoy their games.
I believe however, that this ability to change and adapt has hurt the argument for games as art. It's great that developers and publishers listen to the feedback of the gamers, but I imagine it can be difficult to walk the line between improving the experience for the player and succumbing to pressure. Gameplay features are manipulated for better competitive balance, bad translations are edited for localization – even DLC and expansions add to the perception of games as fluid and changing. When you can tweak and change and fix so many other things in a game, content like a suggestive bar sign or bawdy poem don't feel as sacred. When people complained about weapon balance, they listened, why wouldn't they listen when they complain about this line, or that character?
Does this mean that because games can be changed that they can't be art? Of course not, but the fluid nature of games means that rightly or wrongly, people will look at them and demand change. Change in gameplay balance, change in graphical quality and of late, change in the content of the game itself.
I'm not here to say that everyone who tweeted in the last week is right or wrong one way or the other. I'm just trying to understand the mindset of those who believe they can tweet at a developer "change this" and expect a positive answer. Where does the technical end and the artistic begin? Can you define which parts of a game are untouchable as art, and which are simply software?
Ultimately the most important question regarding this issue is "do you think games are art?" and to me it seems that too many people are answering;
"Yes, but…"


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The first of four RCMP officers involved in the death of Robert Dziekanski, who died after he was stunned with a taser at Vancouver's airport, stands trial beginning Monday on charges of perjury related to a public inquiry into the case.
Constable Bill Bentley was among four officers who confronted the Polish immigrant in October 2007, stunning him multiple times with a taser within seconds of arriving to a call about a man throwing furniture. Mr. Dziekanski died on the airport floor.
The fatal confrontation fuelled a national debate about the safety of tasers, prompting a public inquiry in B.C. that forced Constable Bentley and the other three officers to account for why they used so much force so quickly on a man who, on an amateur video of the incident, appeared calm when police arrived.
Commissioner Thomas Braidwood's final report concluded the officers used too much force and had no justification for using the taser.
The report prompted the province to appoint a special prosecutor to review the case. In May of 2011, the prosecutor approved perjury charges against Constable Bentley, Constable Kwesi Millington, Constable Gerry Rundell and Corporal Benjamin Robinson.
The officers have all pleaded not guilty and none of the allegations have been proven in court. Constable Bentley's lawyer, David Butcher, said at the time the charges were approved that there was "no substance to the allegations at all."
Mr. Butcher did not respond to a request for comment ahead of Constable Bentley's trial. A receptionist at Mr. Butcher's law firm directed calls about the case to his colleague, Peter Wilson, who also did not respond.
Constable Bentley, who started working as an RCMP officer since the spring of 2006, is the first to stand trial. Separate trials are scheduled for the others this coming November and February of next year.
Mr. Dziekanski arrived in Vancouver on Oct. 13, 2007, as he moved to Canada to live with his mother in Kamloops, B.C. He was in the airport for nearly 10 hours, unable to communicate with anyone because he did not speak English.
In the early morning of Oct. 14, Mr. Dziekanski became distraught and began throwing furniture. Several bystanders called 911.
The four officers arrived several minutes later and immediately approached Mr. Dziekanski.
In the video, Constable Bentley can be seen hopping over a railing and walking through a sliding security door as he and the other officers approached Mr. Dziekanski, who stood with his hands by his sides.
Within seconds, the officers surrounded Mr. Dziekanski and one of them fired his taser multiple times, causing Mr. Dziekanski to scream and writhe on the floor.
The video, captured by a traveller at the airport, was played countless times at the inquiry, with Constable Bentley and the other officers narrating the clip with their versions of what happened.
Constable Bentley testified that, based on the 911 call and Mr. Dziekanski's appearance, he approached the man prepared for a possible fight.
He said at first, Mr. Dziekanski was calm, but then he became "unco-operative" when he threw his hands up and walked away.
Constable Bentley testified that Mr. Dziekanski picked up a stapler, turned toward the officers and swung it in their direction, with the stapler coming within a foot of him.
The video does not show Mr. Dziekanski swinging the stapler, but his back is to the camera – a limitation the officers' lawyers focused on during the inquiry.
Constable Bentley was also confronted at the inquiry with his own notes from that night and his subsequent statement to homicide investigators.
He included the following account in his notes: "Subject grabbed stapler and came at members screaming."
At the inquiry, Constable Bentley conceded the note was wrong, but said he was confused about a fast-moving situation. He later insisted the note was "somewhat accurate" because Mr. Dziekanski did start screaming once he was stunned with the taser.
"If we didn't have a video of this matter, would you be here today telling us that the subject grabbed a stapler and came at the members screaming? Would that be your evidence?" asked commission lawyer Patrick McGowan.
"I don't know," replied Constable Bentley.
Several lawyers at the inquiry, including a lawyer for Mr. Dziekanski's mother and a lawyer representing the Polish government, accused Constable Bentley and the other officers of outright lying – an accusation they all denied.
In the end, the commissioner did not believe Constable Bentley's testimony about why Mr. Dziekanski was stunned with a taser.
The facts in the case involving the death of Polish immigrant Robert Dziekanski:
Robert Dziekanski's death: The Polish immigrant was moving to Canada to live with his mother. Mr. Dziekanski, who spoke no English, spent nearly 10 hours in Vancouver's airport, lost and unable to communicate with anyone. He became distraught and started throwing furniture, prompting bystanders to call 911. Four RCMP officers responded, and within seconds of arriving, one of the officers stunned Mr. Dziekanski repeatedly with a taser. He died on the airport floor.
Aftermath: Several weeks after Mr. Dziekanski's death, a video shot by a witness named Paul Pritchard emerged. The video appeared to contradict the official story from the RCMP, showing Mr. Dziekanski calm with his arms at his side as police officers arrived. The video touched off a fierce debate about the RCMP's response and taser use in general, prompting the B.C. government to call a public inquiry.
Public inquiry: The commission was overseen by retired judge Thomas Braidwood and was held in two phases: the first, in 2008, examined taser use; the second, in 2009, investigated the circumstances of Dziekanski's death. Braidwood released his final report from the second phase in June 2010.
The officers' testimony: Constable Bentley, Constable Kwesi Millington, Constable Gerry Rundell and Corporal Benjamin Robinson all testified at the inquiry, each telling the commissioner Mr. Dziekanski was stunned because the officers believed he was about to attack them with a stapler.
Perjury charges: A special prosecutor approved perjury charges against all four officers in May 2011. Bentley is the first to stand trial, in front of a judge. The remaining three are expected to face separate jury trials in November of this year and February 2014. All four have pleaded not guilty.

subset: commoncrawl


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Welcome to my world of horses, people, and the bond which brings them both together. It has been my lifelong dream to share my love and understanding of horses with others. I have traveled a long and windy path to reach this new level of relating to both horses and riders. It is a "labor of love in progress".
Come Share the Dream ~Lyn


text: Parfait are a lingerie brand to watch, they have just launched their first curve range and we are super proud to partner with them! They are committed to designing elegant and feminine plus size lingerie to fit and flatter your curves. Their pieces are made from quality fabrics that are comfortable and enhance your body. Parfait will have you feeling confident and looking fabulous. Embrace your curves and shop their gorgeous collection today!


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Posted: 11 years 32 weeks agoThe Bhagavad-gita in Chapter 13 verses 8-12 describe various qualities which constitute the real process of knowledge. This real knowledge is the process of getting out of the material world. Ordinary so-called knowledge may be useful for living in the material world and exploiting its' various resources, yet it has no value for understanding what is beyond matter. Real intelligence from a spiritual perspective is knowing the distinction between matter and spirit and the controller of both, as...1 Comment(s)2,028 Reads
Posted: 11 years 32 weeks agoThis is the name of a clever title to a Buddhist book, turning the old saying, "Don't just sit there, do something", on its' head. The implication of "don't just do something" is don't just run around in worldly pursuits with no idea of who you really are and no connection to God. The next part placed at the end, "sit there", means for us, sit there to chant Hare Krishna, and/or remember and meditate on Krishna. We should be "busy" for Krishna, yet we have to be in the right consciousness,...0 Comment(s)2,402 Reads
Posted: 11 years 32 weeks agoI was told this was a Yiddish saying. It expresses to me, one of the frustrations of the material world, namely that by the time most people figure out how the world works, they are too old to really apply it. Of course they are meaning how the world works for material enjoyment, so even if you had all that knowledge, it would still be imperfect and temporary. In the next life you have to figure it out all over again. Sometimes we hear people say if only I could be young again with my current...0 Comment(s)2,694 Reads
Posted: 11 years 32 weeks agoThe ways of the modern world can make it seem difficult do dedicate some quality time in the morning for some type of spiritual practice, like chanting "japa" or the soft repetition of the Hare Krishna mantra on beads, or other types of meditation. For those of us who lived in a Temple ashram as a single person for a number of years, we developed the habit of rising early for morning worship, devotional singing, japa, engaging in Temple service, and hearing scripture. Never the less, when we...0 Comment(s)2,537 Reads
Posted: 11 years 33 weeks agoOne of my favorite activities is offering the Lord my prayers for perfection, and reciting notable prayers. Offering prayers is one of the nine main classifications of devotional service (these 9 methods of devotional service are also part of a larger number of 64 practices favorable for developing love for Krishna, listed in the Nectar of Devotion, chapter six). The nine main kinds of devotional service are hearing about Krishna, chanting about him, remembering him, serving him, worshiping him...1 Comment(s)3,352 Reads


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Yesterday evening Chris decided to rake the front yard.
He raked all the leaves into this HUGE pile in the center of the yard and Ashlyn followed him around like a shadow. She had a kid sized snow shovel and was helping Chris "clean the grass".
After they got all the leaves in to a pile we told her to jump in the leaves. She was laughing so hard and throwing the leaves into the air. It was really cute. We let Capone (our 5 mth Great Dane) out, and he went crazy in the leaves. He would run straight at the leaves and then leap into the center and he would bury his head under the leaves and then hop thru the entire pile.
The whole time he's doing this, Ashlyn is histerical laughing at him which just makes him more wound up. Even Chris and I were laughing it was so funny. I told him when we do the back yard we have to get a video clip and some pictures of the kids and the puppy playing in the leaves.
Watching them laugh and play in the leaves made me think... How lucky am I to have such a wonderful family? I must be the luckiest mom in the world.
We also got the kids new winter coats. Brandon's has a lighter jacket thats inside that is removable, and its an orange coat.. Hopefully people will be able to see him with such a bright coat.... lol Ashlyn's coat is bright light green and pink. She was so excited to get her new coat and she thinks she is so big wearing it. I'll get some pictures of her in her coat to share.
Kathryn and Chris just want it to hurry up and snow already.
Me??? Im ready for summer!


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The Waterside Hotel3
19 Ness Bank, Inverness, IV2 4SF
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About the hotel
We are a privately owned hotel in Inverness which comprises two properties located on the banks of the beautiful River Ness in the heart of the city. Our main building, The Waterside, comprises 28 delightfully appointed en-suite bedrooms, several of which come with stunning views across the River Ness. Our adjacent townhouse, Felstead, is a beautiful early Victorian villa which has 7 en-suite bedrooms with the majority having picturesque river views.
Having been recently refurbished, our bedrooms enjoy a comfortable, stylish charm with all of the mod cons available to make your stay as enjoyable as possible. For our business customers, we have recently undergone a major upgrade to our wi-fi facility which is now the best in the Highlands with high speed connection available in all bedrooms and public areas within the hotel. This facility is free to all hotel guests. Our conservatory restaurant, "RefleXions", is one of the most spectacularly situated restaurants in Inverness with a view of the River Ness from every table. Enjoy our extensive menu created by our Head Chef which makes the very best of the local Scottish produce available to us in the Highlands and goes into creating a wide range of both Scottish and international dishes. Our restaurant serves food all day until 9. 30pm in the summer evenings (9. 00pm the remainder of the year). In the summer months (weather permitting), you can enjoy al-fresco dining in our garden area overlooking the River Ness. Along with our extensive A La' Carte, high tea, lunch and pre-theatre menu's, we are renowned for catering for special diets such as gluten free. We offer gluten free breakfast, A La' Carte and High tea menus and can adapt almost all of our dishes to suit your specific needs. We are only a short 5 minute walk from the city centre, train station and Eden Court Theatre. 20 minutes drive to Loch Ness and 25 minutes from Inverness airport. Please note: As we are a very popular wedding and events venue, it is strongly advised that you check situation of rooms available prior to booking. We would like to make all guests aware that by providing credit card and personal information you agree to The Waterside Hotel Inverness securely storing these. They will not be given to third parties. In addition to our usual terms and conditions of booking, we require pre-payment in full to confirm any group booking of more than 5 rooms. Any group bookings are subject to a 7 day cancellation policy. Your group reservation is not confirmed until pre-payment is received.
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- Car parking available onsite, Car Parking Available Offsite
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- Wi-Fi Available, Meeting Facilities, In-room Broadband, Wi-Fi Available In Public Areas, Wi-Fi Available In Rooms, Private dining services
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- Restaurant, Lounge Menu, Bar, Breakfast to go
- In Room Entertainment
- TV, Radio
- Accessibility
- Disabled Access Public Areas, Disabled Access Bedrooms, Disabled toilets on ground floor, Wheelchair Access, Wheelchair Access To Reception, Wheelchair Access To Restaurant, Wheelchair Access To Bar, Wheelchair Access To Conference Rooms
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- [Channels] News, [Channels] Sky Sports, [Channels] Music, [Channels] Childrens
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On Thursday, September 14, 2017, twenty-five students took the stage to celebrate graduating from the Worcester YouthBuild Program, operated by Training Resources of America, Inc. The ceremony took place at Mechanics Hall, (Washburn Hall) 321 Main Street, Worcester, MA. Representative James J. O'Day, an ardent supporter of YouthBuild, was the keynote speaker.
Congratulations to the Class of 2017 on this momentous accomplishment! We are very proud of each and every one of you and wish you all the best as you embark on your journey into the future.
Check out the Training Resource of America's take on the day here.


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It is possible that the Australian Taxation Office could soon have powers to release people's tax information in cases of money laundering, terrorism and large-scale avoidance. The Australian Federal Government intends to introduce legislation to allow the Taxation Office to release tax-related details in case the public interest exceeds personal privacy considerations.
The idea itself could be helpful and useful in many money laundering cases, however there are concerns related to the potential misuse of power and privacy breaches, especially by third parties that may obtain sb's personal information.
Acting Treasurer Peter Dutton said that the changes were designed to help the $300 million Operation Wickenby investigation into tax evasion, as well as to target terrorists and organized crime. Operation Wickenby demonstrated that in case of a serious risk to revenue it is necessary to provide support to the Tax Office and other enforcement agencies in order to fight that threat. Information will also be shared with agencies such as the Australian Securities and Investments Commission.
The changes could apply also in individual cases of tax evasion, which will be looked at on a case-by-case basis.
The Government is expected to standardise tax secrecy and disclosure provisions of 22 acts into a single law. But it would not need some additional protections under the Tax Act and other laws.
The Law Institute of Victoria opposes the changes considering that such information should be revealed only with court approval. It also expresses concerns about the information potentially becoming known to third parties.


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Herbert J. Litfin
Funeral services for Herbert J. Litfin, age 81 of Waconia, were Wednesday, Aug. 25, 1999, at Trinity Lutheran Church, Waconia. Herbert died Sunday, Aug. 22, 1999, at Auburn West, Waconia.
Herbert was born Nov. 12, 1917, at Victoria, Minn., the son of Albert and Mary M. (Segner) Litfin. He was baptized into the Christian faith and confirmed in 1944 at Trinity Lutheran Church parsonage, Waconia, by the Rev. Robert Heyne.
On May 9, 1937, Herb married Elnor B. Manteuffel at Trinity Lutheran Church, Waconia, by the Rev. William Schneider.
Herb was co-owner of Waconia Excavating with Edward Schneider and later, purchased the company. He also did road maintenance in Laketown Township for many years.
Herb also served on the Trinity Cemetery Board.
He is survived by his children and their spouses: DeWayne and Julie Litfin, Mary and Roland Reinke, Roger and Joyce Litfin, Dianne and Mike Kosek, Sharon and LeRoy Borg, Donald and Vickie Litfin, and Debbie and Tom Bechtel, all of Waconia; a son-in-law, Victor Gilster, Waconia; 17 grandchildren; and 26 great-grandchildren.
Herb is further survived by foster grandchildren, Joan and Jessica Carlson; brother-in-law and sisters-in-law, Roy and Vi Manteuffel of Bellingham, Wash.; Marie Manteuffel of Waconia, Betty Manteuffel of Chanhassen, and Harriet Manteuffel of Prior Lake; nieces; nephews; other relatives and friends.
He was preceded in death by his wife Elnor; a daughter, Donna Mae Gilster; grandchildren, Sara, Tara and Timothy Kosek; parents, Albert and Mary Litfin; a sister, Marie Guettler; and a brother, Raymond Litfin.
Funeral services were at 2 p.m. with the Revs. Dean E. Mahlum and Peter Peitsch officiating. Interment was in Trinity Lutheran Cemetery, Waconia.
Casket bearers were his grandchildren: Jodi Reinke, Cynthia Reinke, Cheryl Sutherland, Jeff Borg, Jason Litfin, Steven Litfin, Mark Gilster, Mike Gilster, Mike Litfin, David Litfin, Vicki Stahlke, Jackie Scheewind, Stephanie Genske, Lisa Litfin, Michelle Gilster, Crissy Roeglin, and Jenny Litfin.
Arrangements were by Johnson Funeral Home, Waconia.
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Couples will learn what they will need to furnish their home and also learn how to create a wedding registry using the store's scanner system.
Registered Macy's brides will receive a complimentary subscription to Brides or Modern Brides magazine.
The free event will be held in the store's china department on the fourth floor.
Call 941-2345.
Special demonstrations include: March 28: Elaine Arita, of the Ohara School, 10 a.m.; March 30: Karen Bowman-Kirk, of the Sogetsu School, 10 a.m.
The event is presented by Ikebana International Honolulu Chapter 56 with suppport from the Mayor's Office of Culture and the Arts.


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PGA Catalunya Resort is a design-led golf villa complex with a course that has been voted the best in Spain for 2014. Its ten minutes from Girona and 35 minutes by high-speed train...
01 Feb 2014View More
"Property developments and golf courses go together like gin and martini: either can work by itself, but a combination of the two makes a particularly tasty cocktail. "Golf adds green..."
10 Jan 2014View More
Sales agents at the luxury golf development PGA Catalunya Resort, 45 minutes north of Barcelona, have reported a surge in interest from non-E.U.
10 Oct 2013View More


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Deere's massive product launch ahead of the fall farm shows included a wide range of products. Going beyond the press releases, we wanted to round up several stories - you'll see more in What's New in the next few days - that give you a deeper look into the products launched. For the 9030T we can even offer video showing how the system works.
A key message delivered from the launch was that John Deere engineers are working to make sure you can get more done in a day. That includes making sure implements can move faster through the field. The new Deere 9030T series track machines take that further with a new suspension system for smoother operation and higher speeds.
There are three models in the track lineup for the new 9030 series of machines. The 9430T with 425 engine horsepower, the 9530T with 475 engine hp and the 9630T with a whopping 530 engine hp are aiming to set a new level of performance for this market.
A key feature of the machines is the AirCushion walking I-beam suspension system that offers a smoother ride and a higher transport speed. It's a feature customers have been asking for and with this latest model the company has developed a innovative system to get the job done.
In addition a redesigned undercarriage allows easier track alignment capability and provides increased track tensioning and recoil, wider front idlers and enhanced reliability. The air suspension system has an onboard regulation system with controllers that can control air pressure in the system based on field or transport conditions.
Deere has provided computer images of how the new system works, take a look at the links below to explore the new 9030T track suspension in greater detail. You can learn more about the entire lineup of new equipment by going to www.johndeereag.com.
Take a look at the 9030T suspension system in this John Deere-supplied computer animation that shows all the parts involved - click on JD - Suspension Deconstructed
See the different ways the system works in this John Deere animation - click on JD - Suspension in action - animated
Finally, take a look at the AirCushion suspension with this under-tractor camera view Deere supplied - click on JD - Suspension in action - field


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You may have seen references in previous posts to a phenomenon known as 'area man' which effectively means men who are either gay, bisexual, pass-throughs or homo-curious and who reside in the same geographical zone or very close to another gay/bi man. The closeness is further complex by a class division if one is in an middle class neighbourhood in the same zone and the 'area man' is from a nearby so called ghetto or unplanned aka squatter settlement and usually carry a hyper-masculine disposition or the proverbial 'heaviots' 'homo-thug' or 'trade' wherein some of us have a hankering for. Problem with such diverse polarities in same gender liaisons are that the proximity quotient can become problematic and an entitlement attitude comes to dominate the relationship; persons may feel that sex should be spontaneous seeing whilst keeping the secret or on the downlow access ought to be easier; demands for money or kind are or should be expected as the freeloader mentality comes into play as well.
Lord knows I had my share of those while I was living in Campbell Town then Franklyn Town and Portmore respectively with men who liked my ability to run the effeminacy and masculine spectrum made their positions known while requesting sex, money, companionship otherwise not possibly available in their own homes or living communities. Effeminacy or the lack thereof is a key prerequisite for the attraction by hyper-masculine types, they fear any form of suspicion being involved in gay activities or associated with a 'battyman' so keeping it 'all man' is key and often reiterated verbally every now and again.
A young man in his twenties learnt a lesson recently and shared his story by the blog hotline of an ordeal he had with an 'area man' and also on the strength of a previous post on the issue. He met a thug who he liked and vice versa but the dude lived in a nearby area and was unemployed, masculine acting, nicely endowed but bisexual as well. While the thug liked him he also was clear as to his 'babymother' who is supposedly obligated to service (the first sign of trouble for me). infrequent but short visits soon became more repetitious with more intimacy being added to the mix, with that comes growing demands for financial assistance to buy either food items, weed and it got to a point of clothes and a phone request over time. But the visits started to get sporadic and unannounced with sometimes late hour surprises. With each visit some sexual activity is expected to follow even if the man is not interested at that present time and he had been dating or seeing another man who he tried to curtail his visits so as not to clash with the 'area man' party to avoid any challenges. But the third party's presence or lack thereof was not the straw that broke the camel's back instead more territorialism and entitlement by the 'area man' which became increasingly problematic, so much so that it became nearly violent between the two as the area man felt he was being short changed or would be left out in the cold as the man's attitude had changed in relation tithe warmth he would encounter with visits. The man reported that he tried to stop the visits for a while so as to let tensions cool but the guy kept turning up on his bicycle sometimes unannounced, usually smoking and his decibels in calling very loudly.
It is situations like this that indeed sometimes lead to problems over time including homophobic appearing incidents and murders which h is why it is so important to get to the heart of the issues before pronouncing on a matter despite the ghastly nature of it, what are the causations or triggers?
So long as the 'two Jamaicas' conditions exist I guess we are going to have to contend with the entitlement issues, downlow phenomenon and such will abound but how do we contend or unlearn some of this. Hidden in some of this is this notion that gay men or MSM who are relatively stable somehow have money to throw away that he (the thug type) is entitled to it somehow as he is a real man than others and in a homo-negative environment so good 'gansgtas' are hard to find; so when you do you have to pay for it and like all scarce commodities the price is high. These 'area man' know the ropes and use it to their advantage. The liaison has slowed since the report was made and the 'area man' upon realising his prospects may not produce the results but I suggested he the impacted man consider relocating in the long run; one cannot be sure if the lull period as it were will end and the repeated visits will recommence, and a smoothing over that some of these guys are good at will come into play.
More anon
Peace & tolerance


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Nothing beats watching a creative person in their natural habitat. Add some serene East London nature and a Danish sense of humour into the mix and you've got yourself a long session of chatting and walking alongside Peter Jensen, a fashion designer that's currently celebrating 15 years since he started his label.
We're in Peter's home, listening to a Velvet Underground record and discussing our proceedings for the day. The plan is to walk his usual morning route from Clapton to his studio in Dalston. "It's a great way to start the day," he says. Before starting our venture, the designer makes some coffee using a French press, which gives me a moment or two to look around the living room. There's a bulky leather sofa, wooden shelves and a table with lots of books around – it's very Danish. In contrast to these clean lines are colorful lamps, large posters, and the miniature dolls made in collaboration with the American artist Laurie Simmons (and mother of Lena Dunham) for his spring/summer 2010 collection. They have a childlike, naive and cheerful appearance which instantly reminds me of Peter's general design aesthetic. When I ask him about the project he smiles, "It was a major thing for me because I really loved her work and it was so great to do it that way. I was so being advised not to do it by the establishment, but I was like this is a once in a lifetime chance for me and she's a major American photographer. You can't just sit there and think well I've got the choice, when really it's the other way round. It was really fun."
Paper dolls made in collaboration with Laurie Simmons
After a dose of caffeine, some chat about Mariah Carey vinyl and the sudden hype around hygge (a Danish word for comfortable living with peace of mind) we're walking, somewhere in the woods between the home and the studio. "It's a shame my dog isn't with me – she's quite friendly," he shares.
Q: What do you think, how has the last 15 years gone? Has it passed slowly or quickly?
A: The last 15 years has felt like a lifetime. As Suzanne Vega says, "you feel every part on your body". Things have changed and moved on for the good or the bad. When I started out there were these little Japanese booklets that they did every fashion week, with reviews and listings of shows for each fashion week. I was looking at them the other day and the first one was for autumn/winter 2001.I think there's only me and one other person from the London book who are working. A lot of people come and go.
Q: Do you think London has changed more than the other fashion capitals?
A: When I started out, London was kind of tiny – it wasn't a big deal. It was where you could design stuff that didn't matter commercially, in terms of big businesses. New York was the money, Paris was the old fashion houses and London was the new little sister that was doing stuff here and there. Now it's much more corporate, with big businesses and big money and everyone getting financed from here, there and everywhere. I really think that the bad thing is that there's just too much clothing out there. If I'm quite honest, now I think fashion is dead. The whole market, all this clothing and I don't understand where it's all going.
The AW14 collection inspired by the fictional character from the Ingmar Bergman film Fanny och Alexander
Q: All of your collections are inspired by peculiar female characters like Helena Rubinstein, Peggy Guggenheim and Paulette Goddard. It feels like they all come from a personal collage that you have at home, like a fanzine. How do you choose these characters?
A: It's true. These women have always been described as being odd, but that's just my interest. I don't think women like these will ever die out. I'm really into [the American author] Carson McCullers at the moment. I really enjoy reading her books. They are so easy to read, with so many pictures and textures and fashion references in the books, they're really brilliant.
Q: Was there one specific moment in the last 15 years you can look back at and see as a breakthrough point?
A: If we're talking about a breakthrough, I have to say that is definitely spring/summer 2005 show, the ice-skating show. The collection was inspired by Tonya Harding and it was shown at the ice rink in Bayswater. It got a lot of attention, people really really loved it and were talking about it. We were skint at that point, with no money at all to do anything. It was literally touch and go between going bankrupt or trying to continue designing. So we continued.
The SS05 collection inspired by Tonya Harding
Q: You started as a menswear designer. What was the turning point when you swapped to womenswear?
A: After showing three menswear collections straight out of college under my own name on the official menswear Paris schedule I did a small womenswear show at London Fashion Week. It was located in an old nightclub in Mayfair – it was quite good fun. Alasdair McLellan had taken the pictures for the show, which was a slide show running in the background. I had some friends dressed up in the outfits and they were walking around this nightclub. I had hired two violinists from the Royal Academy and they were playing like mad in the background. You could even hear me and my friends in the back stage giggling. I was thinking to myself: "I don't really know what this is but whatever – it's a day out." The next day I got a phone call from Barney's New York who soon came to my apartment and bought the collection. I remember holding up a piece and asking a friend "How much do you think this is going to be?" He was then saying "I don't know. £50?" And it was like that.
Q: Apart from being a designer, you're also an educator at institutions like Central Saint Martins in London and the Design School in Cøpenhagen. How are these profession different for you?
A: The older I get the more experience I feel like I have to pass onto my students. Education has changed so much within the last 15 years. When I started teaching it was so free – you didn't have to do any paperwork. Now you have to do all kinds of paperwork, it's like you're a secretary sometimes.. More than anything when teaching I really enjoy seeing what's happening, what are people doing and why they're doing it.
His and hers for pre-fall 2012
Q: If you weren't a fashion designer, what would you be?
A: I would love to produce a theatre play of They Shoot Horses Don't They. Alexander McQueen did that with Michael Clark for his spring/summer 2004 show, but a theatre play would be so good. Maybe it could star Jessica Lange, she should do the part played by Susan York in the film.
Q: Why do you think your clothes have this sense of whimsy about them. There's a specific sense of humour woven throughout your work. Do you think you're funny?
A: Well I do think I'm funny. I think I'm funny in an awkward way. For starters I am Danish. Even though I think that Danish people are warm and caring people, I think that at first they can come across as very cold and closed off. When I meet new people I don't throw myself around their necks and kiss them and hug them. But some other people are very good at that. They can just talk and talk and talk, include everybody and be at the centre of a social circle… That's not me. So, I probably speak through my clothes.
A look from the SS17 collection inspired by Peggy Guggenheim
Q: Do you already have an idea what you'd like to do next?
A: I do have some ideas, but it's like fantasies that you make up. One thing I'd love to do would be to retire, soon. Then I would buy an old farm outside of London with an old barn, and redo it. I would invite young artists to come and work there on residencies.It would be like an artistic place where people are just doing their own stuff, like a modern-day version of Andy Warhol's Factory.
Find more about Peter Jensen and shop his collection at peterjensen.co.uk.
Interview by Dino Bonacic


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Last year I was introduced to a group of pinhole photographers who were very lively, enthusiastic, and inviting. They have a meet-up group that gets together roughly once a month, they pick a location, meet for brunch, and then explore the area as a group. A sort of "photo crawl". I joined their group last year, however their group meetings were perpetually scheduled on days where I ended up being out of town (either for planned vacations or sudden family emergencies) Today was to be the first time I could actually attend a meet-up, but alas I woke to sloppy snow/rain mix. I'm not usually one to cancel due to weather, but my camera is an antique, and I'm reluctant to bring it out in weather that is this cold and sloppy. My fingers are crossed for next month... perhaps they'll schedule a day for the tulip festival in April? (I'll head up there myself, in any case, but it would be fun to do it as a group)
I've done very little with photography over the last week. I did manage to narrow down my preferred way of converting color to black and white. I realized that I started using digital copies and converting in Lightroom so that I could have a non-destructive conversion, and also so that I wouldn't take up space with more full-size copies of images. The great irony is that once I had that all settled, I received my latest copy of Lightroom Magazine, which has a convenient article about converting to black and white. *sigh* The article has additional tips beyond my own workflow, which is useful, but I feel like I lost a couple hours watching unhelpful videos only to have the answer delivered to my inbox a couple weeks later.
A friend of mine is undergoing surgery this week, so I poked around Pinterest for card ideas and then pulled out my card making supplies. I started out with a stamped image which I left sit on my work table for 2 days to dry. Then I used the embossing gun to speed up the drying. Once I thought it was dry, I began to add color with pencils, but the ink still smudged. That's when I noticed it was labeled "slow drying" - I suppose that ink should only be used for embossing. So I tossed the whole stamped idea, and went for paper punching instead (highlighted with fast-drying ink)
In the end, the art room was covered with supplies spread out all over the place... now I understand why my mom always punched about 50 things whenever she brought her punches out - why mess up the room to this degree to make just one thing?
I had forgotten how much I do enjoy paper punching, and this makes me eager to get my room back to a scrapbooking setup.
I took the first real steps in my new "big" project - the king sized hand embroidered state bird quilt. Last weekend I did the math on the design and cut the squares that I'll need to embroider the birds onto. They will eventually be 8.5 inches (8 after sewing the blocks) but I cut them 9.5 inches to give me some embroidery wiggle room. Once they are embroidered, I'll cut them down to the proper size. I'll be doing my "block by block" method of quilting, which means each square will be surrounded by sashing. The original pattern was for a queen sized quilt with sashing about half the size of the rectangles. I have changed this to be squares framed by 3 inch sashing, which should give it a more balanced look than the pattern's presentation. It also makes it easier for me to construct the quilt once the individual squares are done.
The squares are cut, and I tested the iron on pattern to make sure it would transfer, but I stopped short of ironing the images onto squares. I'm finishing an embroidered towel that my mom had started, and I want to get that done first so that I can use her thread organizer for this project. This is a nice, mobile project that I can work on while I'm out and about and find myself waiting for other people.
I did get my sea turtle quilt hung up as well. I'm very happy with how this one turned out.
While I'm disappointed that my pinhole day has been snowed out, I find myself with a full Sunday of open time in which to apply to projects. If I finish my towel, I can iron the birds onto the squares. Then I can pack up the embroidery into my tote, clear my art room tables of fabric, and lay out my scrapbooking supplies. I have travel plans for August which are sure to include ephemera for scrapbooking, and I'm now extremely anxious to make good progress on my companion albums.
This morning I saw a meme online: The only problem with being a multi-crafter is deciding which craft to spend time on".


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Welcome to Living Above
The Influence in Dane County WI.
What are synthetic Products?
Synthetic products (drugs) are synthetic (human-made) drugs chemically related to cathinone, a stimulant found in the khat plant. Khat is a shrub grown in East Africa and southern Arabia, and people sometimes chew its leaves for their mild stimulant effects. Synthetic variants of cathinone can be much stronger than the natural product and, in some cases, very dangerous.
In Name Only
Synthetic products marketed as "bath salts" should not be confused with products such as Epsom salts that people use during bathing. These bathing products have no mind-altering ingredients.
Synthetic products usually take the form of a white or brown crystal-like powder and are sold in small plastic or foil packages labeled "not for human consumption." Also sometimes labeled as "plant food," "jewelry cleaner," or "phone screen cleaner," people can buy them online and in drug paraphernalia stores under a variety of brand names, which include:
How do people use synthetic products?
People typically swallow, snort, smoke, or inject synthetic products.
How do synthetic products affect the brain?
Much is still unknown about how synthetic products affect the human brain. Researchers do know that synthetic products are chemically similar to amphetamines, cocaine, and MDMA. These drugs can cause a range of effects including lowered inhibition, anxiety, and depression.
People who have taken synthetics have reported energizing and often agitating effects. Synthetics can also raise heart rate and blood pressure. A recent study found that 3,4-methylenedioxypyrovalerone (MDPV), a common synthetic drug, affects the brain in a manner similar to cocaine but is at least 10 times more powerful. MDPV is the most common synthetic drug found in the blood and urine of patients admitted to emergency departments after taking "bath salts".
Synthetic products can produce effects that include:
What are other health effects of synthetic drugs?
Nosebleeds, sweating, and nausea are some other health effects of synthetics. People who experience excited delirium often suffer from dehydration, breakdown of skeletal muscle tissue, and kidney failure.
Intoxication from synthetic products has resulted in death. The worst outcomes are associated with snorting or needle injection.
Synthetic Cathinones and Molly
Molly slang for "molecular," refers to the pure crystal powder form of 3,4-methylenedioxymetamphetamine (MDMA). Usually purchased in capsules, Molly has become more popular in the past few years. Users may be seeking out Molly to avoid the additives commonly found in MDMA pills sold as Ecstasy, such as caffeine, methamphetamine, and other harmful drugs. But those who take what they think is "pure" Molly may be exposing themselves to the same risks. News stories have reported Molly capsules containing harmful substances that include synthetic cathinones. For example, hundreds of Molly capsules tested in two South Florida crime labs in 2012 contained methylone, a dangerous synthetic cathinone.
Are synthetic products addictive?
Yes, synthetic drugs can be addictive. Animal studies show that rats will compulsively self-administer synthetic cathinones. Human users have reported that the drugs trigger intense cravings uncontrollable urges to use the drug again. Taking synthetic cathinones often may cause strong withdrawal symptoms that include:
How can people get treatment for addiction to synthetic drugs?
Behavioral therapy may be used to treat addiction to synthetics. Examples include:
No medications are currently available to treat addiction to synthetic cathinones.
Points to Remember
Learn More
For more information about synthetic cathinones, visit:
For more information about treatment, visit:
Copyright 2016: FAMILY SERVICE MADISON Dane County, Wisconsin. All rights reserved.


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Special equipment: a 12-inch cast iron skillet
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. About 15 minutes before you're ready to bake, place a 12-inch well-seasoned cast iron skillet in the oven to preheat.
Whisk the eggs and sugar together until partially frothy. Stir in the sour cream, buttermilk and honey. Add the flour, cornmeal, salt, baking powder, baking soda, and cayenne and stir together with a wooden spoon. Add the butter and stir until incorporated.
Spray the preheated skillet with nonstick cooking spray. Pour the batter into the skillet and bake until a cake tester stuck into the center comes out clean, 25 to 30 minutes.
This recipe was provided by a chef, restaurant or culinary professional. It has not been tested for home use.
Recipe courtesy of Mark Steuer, Carriage House, Chicago, IL


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Generative Models 101
Although in typical applications of machine learning data is seen as in input to a model, generative models output (or generate) it. These models have been extensively used to test our current capabilities and, in some cases, they help guiding our intuitions towards better architectures. In my talk, I'll give a brief overview of generative models, and give examples on text, images, and beyond.
Oriol Vinyals is a Research Scientist at DeepMind. Previously he was a member of the Google Brain team. He holds a Ph.D. in EECS from University of California, Berkeley, and a Masters degree from University of California, San Diego.


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The makeup artist, wig maker, and costumer Elvis Schmoulianoff exists in a dreamscape where dress-up and science fiction collide. Her works, including a charming stop-motion animation titled Painted, celebrates the transformative power of disguise; operating as a character within a visual narrative, her body paint takes on a life of its own, overtaking and doing delightful mischief to the human form. Schmoulianoff seemingly draws inspiration from anything but the traditional, her work beautifully echoing that of Surrealists like Joan Miró.
Schmoulianoff's visual trickery maintains a childlike sense of experimentation; her abstract, brightly colored shapes are seen in tension with the curvatures of the body, blurring the borders between model and medium. In some images, a Cubist-inspired oversized eye is overlaid on a closed eyelid, and the face is split down the middle, morphing in such a way that contains multiple perspectives: the full face, the profile, and even the layer beneath the skin. The artist's expert shapes often serve to flatten the human subject, who camouflages with painted backgrounds; like a clever game of hide-and-seek, viewers are invited to discover the body within a surreal landscape.
Within Schmoulianoff's work lies an undeniable sensuality; with glossy eye-catching paint, nipples miraculously become eyeballs, and full lips are seen in lush, starkly contrasted tones. In vibrant color and tonal blacks and whites, the body lies at the precipice of magic and wonder, with skeleton figures dancing to the beats of their red fire-engine red hearts. Schmoulianoff is committed to animal rights, and she only uses cruelty-free products for her art; to learn more, visit her website.


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Oh and Nige's Bird
Oh and Nige's Bird
some cracking work there bry, great quality ....steve
So talented thanks for sharing
'kin 'ell Bry! So you ARE more than just a pretty face
Thanks for the kind comments Guys and Gals, and even Lee ! This has just left us, you will be seeing more of this later in the year (this shot is unfinished)
That's some quality work you've done there best not park my Chevy with it's home paint job next to anything you've done, will be the slightest bit embarrassing. Would love a top paint job on one of my builds one day but I know how much work and time it takes and time is money...
Keep the pic's coming as I really like the prep shots and the final job shown.
Superb work Bry, Thanks for posting them up.
Anther one I forgot.....
And this old pal of mine for 16 years moved on to pastures new....
Well for a first post on this forum couldn't pick a better thread!!!! Philip
A better pic of Martins Panel Van
The finished latest version of 'Bigjob'
And the old paintjob brilliantly recorded for posterity by super talented 'Tootall'
Painted a while ago now but an interesting pic, of Jim mcGee towing Wayne's Vette at the European finals
Last edited by bigjob; 24-07-13 at 05:21 PM.


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For the third year in a row (I might add), we went back to the tulip picking activity. Every time I go, it feels like I'm seeing it all for the first time, and I know I showed some tulip fields some weeks ago (this is the last, promise), but I couldn't not show you again. Since it only happens once a year, why not?
Wishing you a very colorful weekend,
and just a friendly reminder that there is a GIVEAWAY going on, and that I completely forgot I had a trip so the deadline has been moved!


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Why supplement?
A common question we are asked by clients is, "why should I take supplements and how will they help with my goals?" There are a few factors that figure into answering that question:
How is your diet?
How often do you exercise?
How hard do you exercise?
I will be honest, supplements are not miracle products that will fix all of your issues. If you have 45lbs to lose, eat like crap and don't exercise, a fat burner will NOT make you lose weight. Now, on the flip side, if you're struggling to drop that final 7-12 lbs, you eat really well and you're exercising hard several times a week, a fat burner MAY help you get over that final hump.
Can some supplements help bridge a nutritional gap in your diet?
Of course! If you're working out hard and feel you aren't getting enough protein in your diet, then the addition of a protein shake can definitely fill that void! More often than not we would still prefer to eat clean, whole foods but sometimes that just isn't convenient for everyone. Stuck on a conference call and can't hang up to go eat lunch? Mix up a shake! On the road for work and don't want to ruin your gains (or losses) by eating fast food? Mix a shake or eat a protein bar or low fat jerky!
The main thing to remember about deciding if supplements are for you is that they are SUPPLEMENTS, meaning they are created to add to your existing nutrition and exercise regimen, not replace it. There are thousands of products out there and it can become overwhelming if you aren't sure what you are looking for. My advice is to talk to a trainer, let them help evaluate where you're at and be honest with you about which products may help push your body and health to the next level! Don't waste time or money taking stuff that won't propel you FORWARD!
If you're looking to get started, a couple items you really can't go wrong with are a quality multi-vitamin and a solid protein supplement. I always suggest following the directions on the bottles, but also ask your trainer if they'd recommend any other ways to use it, and ALWAYS make sure your Doctor knows and approves of any supplementation prior to you taking it.
Good luck, work hard, eat well and see you at the gym!
Paul Girardi
VP MFM and NPTI CPT


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Customers Save by Watching Short Informational Videos on Select Products, Then Print Coupons
Video Values Program Will Feature Changing Library of Videos with New Information and Coupons
Video Values Program Will Feature Changing Library of Videos with New Information and Coupons
Rite Aid has announced a new online savings program at http://www.blogger.com/www.riteaid.com where customers can save with coupons they can print just by watching short informational videos on select products.
The Video Values program was created by AdPerk, a leading provider of strategic video marketing solutions for retailers. Customers can click on the Video Values image on www.riteaid.com and watch videos for select products. This gives them access to exclusive coupons and savings.
Videos can be viewed by brand, category or manufacturer. Customers can watch videos about select products available at Rite Aid and print related in-store coupons totaling up to $130 in savings. They also receive a $5 Rite Aid Bonus Coupon when they earn 20 video credits. Some videos are worth multiple credits.
New videos and coupons will be offered and updated on an ongoing basis. Customers choose which brands and products interest them. The more videos they watch, the more they save.
Early participation includes Rite Aid vendors Procter & Gamble, Kimberly-Clark, L'Oreal, Johnson and Johnson and Wyeth, as well as major brands including Olayâ, HUGGIESâ, AVEENOâ and Alavert®.
"Whether it's in stores or the path our customers take to get to stores, we're dedicated to creating an exceptional shopping experience," said John Learish, Rite Aid Senior Vice President, Marketing. "This launch of Rite Aid Video Values reinforces our commitment to customers and brands. It's both a fresh offering for consumers and an accountable sales tool that allows brands to understand the direct impact their video has on sales."
AdPerk is the leading provider of strategic video marketing solutions for retailers. Focused on helping brands deeply engage consumers in a measurable way, AdPerk facilitates environments where brands can index their video and connect it with interested consumers researching purchase decisions online. AdPerk video solutions deploy video, information and value to millions of opt-in consumers to help them make informed choices. Headquartered in San Francisco, AdPerk is committed to raising the bar of traditional advertising methods. For more information about AdPerk, visit: http://www.blogger.com/www.adperk.com.
Rite Aid Corporation (NYSE: RAD) is one of the nation's leading drugstore chains with more than 4,800 stores in 31 states and the District of Columbia with fiscal 2009 annual sales of more than $26.3 billion. Information about Rite Aid, including corporate background and press releases, is available through the company's Web site at http://www.blogger.com/www.riteaid.com.


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After passing through tight security and walking into the downtown office of Los Angeles County Supervisor Zev Yaroslavsky, the first thing that welcomes a visitor is agreeable art, paintings on loan from the Los Angeles County Museum of Art.
A tall plant blithely blocks a good portion of an abstract still life. I mention this to a Yaroslavsky staffer, who laughs and nonchalantly pulls the plant somewhat, but not completely, out of the way.
The five-term supervisor, who will leave office at the end of year because of term limits, has been singularly fearless among U.S. politicians as an arts advocate.
For Yaroslavsky, art is not something to be fussed over but simply a vital part of everyday life, be it civic or domestic. A fine painting and a nice houseplant need not fight for attention; there is room for both.
Even so, while most politicians continue to operate on the principle that the arts are something to be avoided, Yaroslavsky — whose 3rd District includes the Westside, Hollywood, Beverly Hills, Malibu and the San Fernando Valley — describes himself as having been, during his two decades as supervisor, on the opposite mission.
"I guarantee you I'm the only politician in California that starts a stump speech before community groups with three things I want to talk about," Yaroslavsky proudly notes during a recent conversation, "and one of them is arts and culture." The others are "fiscal integrity of the public sector, especially in the county where I serve, and transportation."
In saying this, Yaroslavsky may also be the only politician who actually underestimates himself. It would be hard to find another major politician anywhere in the entire country with Yaroslavsky's record for outright arts support and achievement.
He played a crucial role in getting Walt Disney Concert Hall built. His office put more than $70 million of county money into upgrading the Hollywood Bowl with a new shell, high-tech audio and video equipment and upgraded infrastructure. He has championed past and current expansion projects at LACMA and the recent renovation of the Natural History Museum and invested $2 million of county money into the Valley Performing Arts Center in Northridge, even though that was a California State University project. The Los Angeles Philharmonic and Los Angeles Opera broadcasts on KUSC are paid for out of Yaroslavsky's discretionary budget.
In gratitude for his arts advocacy, the L.A. Phil this summer named the Hollywood Bowl main gate after Yaroslavsky. It has been informally dubbed the Great Gate of Zev, in an allusion to "The Great Gate of Kiev," the magisterial finale of Mussorgsky's "Pictures at an Exhibition," and to Yaroslavsky's Ukrainian heritage.
"I believe that the arts are a very important part of this town," Yaroslavsky says he preaches everywhere he goes. "Just recognize that there's a big green dollar sign associated with the arts, which employ more people in Southern California than the defense industry does.
"And if you look ahead 50 years," he asks, "what is going to drive our economy? Manufacturing in Southern California is history. Big corporate headquarters are history in this town. So what's the future? The arts are explosive, proliferating like bunny rabbits all over Southern California. People who want to be on the cutting edge in whatever medium of art they're involved in come here."
The logical conclusion to all this growth in the arts is every politician's manna: more jobs.
So why isn't this a common economic mantra? Why do politicians so frequently flee involvement with the arts?
Yaroslavsky suggests that this is a crisis in leadership and not even very good politics. "I believe in my heart of hearts that if the president would make this an issue through his pronouncements and through his example, he would not have to spend any serious political capital on it. Just by elevating the issue, people would say, 'Yeah, that makes sense.'"
In his own case as supervisor, Yaroslavsky says that supporting the arts is all upside.
"You build a bus way," he explains, "and you've got half of the people in the Valley angry with you thinking you're going to ruin their neighborhood — which is not true! You build a subway, you get people making all kinds of allegations. When you're dealing with criminal justice, you can alienate the United States Justice Department. But when you fund the opera, when you fund the Hollywood Bowl, everybody's happy."
It's not, of course, quite that simple. The economic benefit of the arts was a mantra of Rocco Landesman, the personable chairman for the National Endowment of the Arts for President Obama's first term. He continually pointed out that every tax dollar spent on the arts was returned many fold. Yet that barely resonated in our national consciousness, and certainly not in Congress, where support for the arts seems like it is at an all-time low.
Yaroslavsky's success as straight-talking arts leader who has been able to work with the contentious group of powerful supervisors (sometimes called the five little kings) has been not merely to rely on that kind of financial reasoning. An economic spiel is that of a politician speaking, and economics are always cause for dispute, despite the statistics.
But when the 65-year-old supervisor gives his arts spiel, he is the man speaking. He's seen what the arts gave him and what the arts can do for society.
Having grown up in a Los Angeles household where the arts were important, and having played oboe (badly, he admits) in high school, Yaroslavsky was all but destined to take on the mantle of his 3rd District predecessor, Edmund D. Edelman, a genial amateur cellist, who was much admired for his championing of the arts.
But having first served for 20 years on the Los Angeles City Council, Yaroslavsky had little experience with the arts as public policy. It is the county historically, not city government, that is responsible for most of the major public arts resources in the region. The county owns and operates the Music Center, the Hollywood Bowl, LACMA, the John Anson Ford Theatres and the Natural History Museum.
Yaroslavsky's first test came quickly and was a trial by fire. At the time he took office in 1995, the decade-long fundraising for Walt Disney Concert Hall had stalled. Meanwhile, the county had spent $100 million to build the parking garage underneath it with the understanding that the private sector would find the money for the hall. With a garage but no hall, the county was paying off its debt at the rate of around $9 million a year but getting no income.
"The county administrative officer came into my office," Yaroslavsky recalls, "and announced she was ready to kill the project.
"I said, 'We can't walk from this,'" he says. "It would have been like hoisting the white flag of surrender to the riots, the recession, the floods and the fires. Everything had gone wrong from 1992 to 1995. It was just a mess, and the city was in a funk. It had lost its self-confidence."
So at Yaroslavsky's insistence, the county continued to push for the hall to be built, giving fundraisers enough time to mount a new and finally successful campaign.
"When you have a kid who can't blow an A," Yaroslavsky quipped during the unveiling ceremony of his "Great Gate," recalling his days in his school orchestra, "he might nevertheless one day be sitting in a chair where he doesn't pull the plug."
Returning to those days at Fairfax High School, Yaroslavsky also says that our greatest arts crisis is education. A math and science major, he admits he can't remember a single trigonometry equation, whereas he's never forgotten Mozart's "A Little Night Music."
"We're one of the few so-called advanced societies that haven't made arts and culture a national priority," he says, pointing to countries with a fraction of our GDP, such as Venezuela, with its $100-million El Sistema music education program.
"Aside from educating kids to the various art forms, which is self-evident as an objective, it builds self-esteem. If you become an oboe player or a violinist, if you're painting, if you're dancing, that focuses you in a direction constructive not only for the present but for your future."
In the end, Yaroslavsky suggests that all it would really take for government to support the arts is for us to change our minds.
"The conventional wisdom has been that the arts are frivolous, that they're tangential to what's important in society," he says. "But I'm leaving office convinced that most of us in politics don't give our constituents enough credit for how smart they are — and, by the way, I don't think the press gives them enough credit either. Good policy is good politics, and the support of the arts is good policy.
"It's never been a political liability to be an advocate of the arts. People appreciate the arts, and even people who don't appreciate a certain kind of art still recognize that the arts are an asset for the community."
This was, Yaroslavsky says, why he never hesitated in urging the county to guarantee a $30-million loan to L.A. Opera during the recession. "We could have lost the opera, and every sophisticated city has an opera," he says. "Plus, it didn't cost the county a penny."
The county's vote of confidence in L.A. Opera, in fact, helped the company's ability to raise the funds to pay off the loan in full and on time. "I think if you treat the public as adults," Yaroslavsky asserts, "it will reciprocate."
The main obstacle to achieving a broader appreciation of the arts' role in society, as Yaroslavsky sees it, though, is that to build a constituency you need to have a discussion, and having a public discussion has gotten hard, if not altogether impossible.
"When I first got into politics 40 years ago," Yaroslavsky, elected to the Los Angeles City Council while in his 20s, recalls, "I was called the master of the 30-second sound bite. A few years ago, I timed the average sound bite on KNX radio, and it was seven seconds.
"If you don't say something in seven seconds, you don't get on the radio. And if you limit yourself to seven seconds, what is the point of being on the radio, because you can't say anything in seven seconds?"
With everything in life is being condensed, Yaroslavsky points to art as an antidote. "There is no Reader's Digest version of life or Beethoven's Fifth," he jokes. "You've got to go through a museum at your own pace.
"It may be a challenge in the Twitter era to sit through a five-hour opera. But there is something to be said for it."


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Bells jingle back
Bells jingle back
Behind the watery crying glass
The air breathes most and onions
Reminiscent to the heart of days gone by.
Not so far away is, of the summer,
The long claimed boiling,
Evaporated into the mists of dawn
Numbing thick thoughts .
Twinkle lights and silver ribbons
In the haunting shop-windows
Of more and more desert stores
Echoes of better harvest and vanity.
Parading the new Magi in stations
Do not bring gifts, they do not tend hands
Has now passed all shame
And resentment rises walls and divide.
Empty cots are still in cribs
Arid hearts of hope get angrier
sometimes violence screams in the streets .
Ring the bells, it's Christmas.


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Enter keywords or a search phrase below:
Here's what I did. I went to show a model on here and it directs me to a box that says source, pixels ETC. I have the pics in MY PICTURES but can't access my pictures on here. Thank You. Hope I'm not talking in circles
Creativity, from a physical standpoint, is the totality of laws according to which rigid bodies mutually at rest can be placed with respect to each other. Albert Einstein
You can not upload pictures directly from your computer to SA. Rather, you need an external image host, like Photobucket or Fotki. Once your photo(s) is uplpoaded to such a service, you need to copy the "IMG" code for each picture in to your post. I'd suggest you read this.
introducing a leaner, fresher smellyfatdude
Next builds:
Smelly is right download pics to photobucket then upload them after upload go to library click on pic to enlarge then to your right click on direct to copy go back to your post click on insert/edit image then paste and your pic will be on your post
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Take a small stand for the environment (or in this case a seat, a coat stand or art easle). Ecotots is a full-line of environmentally friendly, real wood modern furniture and furnishings which assemble and disassemble quickly and easily without any tools or hardware. Made from 100% renewable FSC Certified Smart Wood®, all products are available in a variety of eco-friendly, UV finishes.
Located in Indianapolis, Ecotots is a brand of The Simple Furniture Company, a privately held company and member of 1% For The Planet. Ecotots Furniture is just perfect for any playroom, family room or kids bedroom.


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TEHRAN, Iran — It seemed a clockwork killing: Motorcycle riders flashed by and attached a magnetic bomb onto a car carrying a nuclear scientist working at Iran's main uranium enrichment facility. By the time the blast tore apart the silver Peugeot, the bike was blocks away, weaving through Tehran traffic after what Iran calls the latest strike in an escalating covert war.
The attack — which instantly killed the scientist and fatally wounded his driver on Wednesday — was at least the fourth targeted hit against a member of Iran's nuclear brain trust in two years. Tehran quickly blamed Israeli-linked agents backed by the U.S. and Britain.
Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton denied any U.S. role in the slaying, and the Obama administration condemned the attack. However, provocative hints from Jerusalem reinforced the perception of an organized and clandestine campaign to set back Iran's nuclear ambitions.
The day before the attack, Israeli military chief Lt. Gen. Benny Gantz was quoted as telling a parliamentary panel that 2012 would be a "critical year" for Iran — in part because of "things that happen to it unnaturally."
The blast killed Mostafa Ahmadi Roshan, a chemistry expert and a director of the Natanz uranium enrichment facility, the centerpiece of Iran's expanding program to make nuclear fuel. Roshan, 32, had planned to attend a memorial later Wednesday for another nuclear researcher who was killed in a similar pinpoint blast two years ago, Iranian media said.
"A heinous act," said Iran's Atomic Energy Organization of Wednesday's bombing.
It added a tone of defiance. "We will continue our (nuclear) path without any doubt. ... Our path is irreversible," said the statement carried on state television.
The state news agency IRNA said Roshan had "organizational links" to Iran's nuclear agency, which suggests a direct role in key aspects of the program. Another news agency, the semiofficial Mehr, said Roshan had been interviewed by inspectors from the U.N. nuclear watchdog agency — which Iran has accused of placing its scientists in peril by including their names in public reports.
Natanz, in central Iran, is the country's main enrichment site. Officials said this week they were expanding some operations to an underground site south of Tehran with more advanced equipment.
The U.S. and its allies are pressuring Iran to halt uranium enrichment, a key element of the nuclear program that the West suspects is aimed at producing atomic weapons. Uranium enriched to low levels can be used as nuclear fuel, but at higher levels it can be used as material for a nuclear warhead.
Iran denies it is trying to make nuclear weapons, saying its program is for peaceful purposes only and is geared toward generating electricity and producing medical radioisotopes to treat cancer patients.
The years of virtual stalemate between Iran and the West appear to be shifting into a new period of heightened pressures and tensions.
Russia strongly warned the West on Wednesday against any attack on Iran, saying it would upset global security.
Military action would be a "grave mistake, a flagrant error" with far-reaching consequences for regional and global stability, Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov told the ITAR-Tass news agency. "It could shake the foundations of the international system."
Tehran has accused Israel's Mossad, the CIA and Britain's spy agency of engaging in an underground "terrorism" campaign against nuclear-related targets, including at least three other slayings since early 2010 and the release of a malicious computer virus known at Stuxnet in 2010 that disrupted controls of some centrifuges — a component in nuclear fuel production. All three countries have denied the Iranian accusations.
Speaking in Washington, Clinton strongly denied any U.S. role in the latest attack.
"I want to categorically deny any United States involvement in any kind of act of violence inside Iran," she said. "We believe there has to be an understanding between Iran, its neighbors and the international community that finds a way forward for it to end its provocative behavior, end its search for nuclear weapons and rejoin the international community and be a productive member of it."
Israeli officials, however, hinted at covert campaigns against Iran without directly admitting involvement.
"Many bad things have been happening to Iran in the recent period," said Mickey Segal, a former director of the Israeli military's Iranian intelligence department. "Iran is in a situation where pressure on it is mounting, and the latest assassination joins the pressure that the Iranian regime is facing."


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|You are in: Health
Monday, 16 December, 2002, 14:08 GMT
Scan picks up heart defects
A high-tech scanning system could help doctors get a 3D view of complex heart defects in children.
It could help make operations to correct faults simpler and safer.
The system, which merges magnetic resonance scans (MRI) with x-rays, allows doctors to see exactly what is happening inside the heart.
It has been developed by scientists at King's College London, and has been tested on 12 children at Guy's and St Thomas' Hospital.
Approximately eight out of 1,000 babies born in the UK has some form of heart defect, be it a "hole in the heart", faulty valve, or a severe heart structure problem which threatens their life.
But in order for doctors to fully assess the nature of the defect, doctors pass a catheter tube up through a vein in the leg all the way to the organ.
Here, pressures and flows through and from the various chambers of the heart can be measured.
Accurate placement of the tube is important, and, at the moment, x-ray shots are used periodically through the "catheterisation" procedure to check its location.
Doctors are keen to avoid such intensive use of x-rays, as there are fears that it could increase the risk of cancer in later life.
It creates a three-dimensional image of the heart, and allows doctors to see the shape of the surface of the organ, as well as visualise blood passing through it.
Treatment tube
Dr Derek Hill, a reader in medical imaging, at Guy's, King's and St Thomas' Medical School, said: "It's like being able to see the model of a house rather than a floor plan.
Dr Edward Baker, a senior lecturer at the school, added: "This will reduce or eliminate the risks from x-rays and greatly improve the quality of information available to the doctors treating these sick children.
Although many heart defects need open heart surgery to correct, some - such as some holes - can be fixed using another catheter, and the scanning system can help surgeons carry out these procedures.
In a study of 12 children, aged from nine months to five years old, eight underwent catherisation for diagnostic purposes, while the other four had either a heart defect or abnormally fast heartbeat repaired.
Many surgeons prefer to repair certain major heart defects as soon as possible after birth.
However, Dr Baker told BBC News Online that he expected the technique to be of use in newborn babies as well as older children.
See also:
17 Jul 01 | Health
23 Jun 00 | G-I
23 Jul 02 | Health
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This is sweet – the Bands in the Backyard crew got to sit in on a Light Heat rehearsal in preparation for some dates the band has coming up in New York (January 12 at The Cake Shop) Philly (February 23rd at Johnny Brenda's). Joining them are guest players Peter Bauer of The Walkmen on keys and Skye Skjelset of Fleet Foxes on guitar, and they're rocking out to an as-yet unreleased jam from the pen of Light Heat mastermind Quentin Stoltzfus. Check it out below, find out more about the Johnny Brenda's date at WXPN's Concert Calendar.
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text: Princess Dance Camp Registration April 3, 2017 divinedance Princess Academy July 23th – 27th Event Details By selecting the Register button your acknowledging that you have read and agree with the following statement. I acknowledge that dance or tumbling, like any physical activity, can result in injury and therefore, I will not hold Bethany Church ,Divine Dance Academy, associated staff and/ or members liable for injuries incurred on the premises, during class or any event involving Bethany Church or Divine Dance Academy. Time: 9:00 AM - 12:00 PM Type Price Quantity Includes camp t-shirt, snacks,crafts, photo ops and tiara. One Child per form please.(No refunds) $100.00 1 Please select a quantity. Princess Academy July 23th - 27th $0.00 Registration Total $0.00 Balance Due $0.00 Update Total Select a payment method Payment instructions will be emailed within 24 hours.*


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I once visited an old friend who I hadn't seen for a number of years. Since our last meeting he had retired and moved to a rural property with a huge plot of land at the back.
As I wandered around the old Victorian pad, he revealed that gardening had become his obsession and he now spent every available hour tending his vegetable plot and making sure borders and flower beds were weed free and a riot of colour.
It wasn't rocket science, he explained. The secret of a happy, healthy garden was simply devoting time, effort and enthusiasm to the job. Forget your garden, he once told me, and your garden will forget you.
All this reminded me that business clients are like plants. You have to keep watering them if you want to see them grow. Good relationships are based on strong communication, regular contact and having a mutual understanding of each other's needs. In short, keeping in touch.
Ignore this simple strategy and most clients will feel neglected, assume you are no longer interested in them and take their business elsewhere.
But how do you maintain open lines of communication without bombarding them and becoming a pest? After all, in the minds of some people, there is a very fine line between a genuine enquiry and a nuisance call.
Actually, it's really not that difficult. So here are a few tips to help you enjoy a healthy business to business relationship without the need to hassle the very people you rely on for your growth.
Create a Database
Create a spreadsheet detailing all of your existing clients. Include all relevant information, including any personal stuff you may be aware of, like marital status, hobbies etc. This will help build empathy when you decide to get in touch.
The Two-Week Rule
As a rule of thumb, most marketers maintain that contacting a
customer once every two weeks is about right. This will help
ensure that your clients never get the chance to forget who you are, or slip away unnoticed.
Arrange Regular Meetings
Nothing beats face-to-face communication, so arrange regular meetings with clients to build on the relationships you have forged.
Create a Blog
This is a great way to stay in touch with your clients. Blog regularly and then share your articles via newsletters, emails or social networking.
Launch a Newsletter
Printed or electronic newsletters show you're serious about your business and the type of people you do business with. You can share news, campaigns, offers – and even fun stuff – using this format with existing clients and, of course, new prospects.
Social Networking
All businesses now understand the benefits of using Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn to build their brand and increase customer loyalty. Try to post at least once a day with news, updates, announcements, testimonials and anything else you think may be of interest. Encourage clients to 'like' your page and assign at least one of your employees the responsibility of monitoring your social networking pages and responding promptly to any messages that may be sent to you.
Staying in contact with business customers is a vital part of your sales strategy. With preparation and planning it should become as natural as keeping in touch with family and friends – or even tending your garden!
Admittedly, not everyone can enjoy a beautifully manicured plot, like my friend's. But we can all sow the seeds of our success by developing a more direct and personal contact with clients.
Without it, the fruits of your labours will soon simply wither on the vine.


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Babies Online Footprint
A recent poll conducted in ten countries, show that by the time a baby is two months old, they already have an online footprint. This is due to parents posting their sonogram pictures, newborn pictures, etc online to share with their family and friends. Many people create websites for their unborn children to share their experience or to keep loved ones informed of the