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I think the key to understanding the initial fall from grace of many Soviet composers who came of artistic age during the 1920s is to keep in mind that Stalin represented a social and political counter-revolution. Lenin desired the spread of revolution through the arts, thinking it admirable propaganda for the cause. Whether or not he himself appreciated the results (he frequently didn't), his appointees often did, and encouraged the results. By contrast, Stalin gathered in all power to himself, including artistic decision-making, and his aesthetic views were notoriously immature and parochial. If we keep this in mind, the downfall of composers affiliated with the radical Association for Contemporary Music and the rise of those in the conservatively oriented Russian Association of Proletarian Musicians seem a foregone conclusion. (This still wasn't enough control for Stalin, who ultimately abolished RAPM as well and created his own Union of Composers.)
Shostakovich at least had the buttress of prominent recognition for his talent when the hammer came down. True, this also meant his condemnation and recantation had to be public, but very few members of the political and artistic elite seemed willing or daring enough to consign the composer permanently to musical limbo. Shostakovich kept his head low when it came to debating musical principles in print or in public; a very wise move, as it turned out, when his music could speak for him. Roslavets (1880-1944), by contrast, was loud in his defense of modernism, and used the various prominent posts he occupied during the early and mid 1920s to press his case. His fall at the hands of his foes in RAPM (for "formalism" and "decadence") wasn't cushioned by any consensus over his abilities. When he vanished, few people either knew or cared. Declared an "enemy of the people" in 1929, Roslavets was sent on internal exile to Tashkent, and relegated for the rest of his life to a succession of minor positions on his return, such as training military bandleaders. Simplifying his compositional style was deemed insufficient for full rehabilitation, but then, he was far from the only creative artist to be casually tossed aside during the Stalinist era. At least he lived.
Roslavets's stylistic crime was all the more severe, in the eyes of his contemporaries, in that it took root during the final days of the Russian Empire. The Violin Sonata No.1 dates from 1913, the year after the composer's graduation (with a silver medal) from the Moscow Conservatory. Along with songs he was writing at the time, it uses what the composer called his "synthetic chord" technique: a non-diatonic tonal system whose chords contained all the rhythmic and thematic material he would use. Whatever the theory, the results at the time strongly resembled late Scriabin, with an emphasis on unstable harmonies, irregular rhythms, and soaring melodic lines. Nikolai Miaskovsky praised the work in print, but claimed it would have a hard time finding advocates due to its extreme difficulty.
By 1915, Roslavets had further developed his system to embrace 12-tone equality. This wasn't Schoenberg's system, which Roslavets didn't hear until 1923, but one that permitted the immediate reuse of tones as long as successive motivic statements employed all 12. Naxos's liner notes don't provide a date for the Violin Sonata No.4, and of my two sources, one lists 1920 for its completion, while the other states 1924. Regardless, the work sounds very like a more extreme re-make of the First Sonata. Tonality is negligible, though the piece remains unfailingly consonant. There is more reliance upon repeated intervals as a binding element, often at a very subtle level. The harmonic structure is so dense and varied that the composer employed special pedal markings to clarify it.
The Three Dances date from 1923, though they weren't published until 1925. The fact that one of the dances, "Nocturne," isn't a dance at all doesn't really matter, since the "Waltz" and "Mazurka" are only nominally dances, beginning and referring for the most part abstractly to rhythms associated with each piece. There's more of the ecstatic, soaring line found in the earlier works, and a clear preference for the extremes of emotional anguish and exaltation.
Unlike everything else on this albun, the Violin Sonata No. 6 remained unpublished prior to its 1996 discovery in manuscript. (The Second, Third and Fifth Violin Sonatas were also never published. The latter two have vanished, but the Second Sonata has recently been reconstructed from available source materials.) The liner notes state that the date written on it. 1940, is not in the composer's hand, though the piece clearly is in Roslavets's late, drastically simplified manner. All that remains of his earlier style are chromatic runs, the brief and occasional use of extended tonality (typically as a passing element within clustered figurations), and the violin's broadly arching line that traces an ascending or descending expressive course. Otherwise, we might be listening to a late 19th century violin sonata. Notwithstanding this, it is an inspired work, hardly the kind of mind-numbing compositional exercise that often appeared in those Soviet composers eager to please Stalin's crude tastes without making their dumbing down too obvious.
I have not heard Solomia Soroka's previous recording of Bolcom's chamber music (Naxos 8.559150). She's very good here, though I find her tone occasionally hard and her runs at times a bit labored -- not surprising in music of this kind, which piles difficulty on top of difficulty. Soroka has clearly made an effort to meet the temperamental as well as technical requirements of this pieces, but I would also have preferred more consistently fiery lyricisim than brief explosion of intensity she delivers on demand. Aside from this, she and Greene make a very effective team.
Sound quality is good, with natural balance between the instruments. Despite my reservations, this is a fascinating disc, and not likely to be bettered anytime soon. Recommended for its glimpse of a fascinating musical talent that was sidelined by politics.
The notes tell us Nikolai Roslavets (1880-1944) was "vilified in his day for having aspired to be a 'Russian Schoenberg"', but it's clear to me from listening to his violin music that these accusations were meaningless: the man was no Schoenberg. Whether he writes atonally or tonally, his music sounds pretty much the same. His violin parts often incorporate large linear intervals, requiring the violinist to constantly shift from position to position. This kind of writing does little to flatter the violin, because it fails to bring out any internal harmonic resonance.
Soroka manages this difficult music admirably. Her pitch is right on target, and she maintains a smooth sound through Roslavets's linear obstacle course. Greene also does a fine job of charting his way through the monochromatic waters, bringing out what he can to try to make the music interesting-finding a dash of Scriabin here, perhaps, and a splash of Schumann there.
Nikolai Roslavets ( 18880-1944) was a key figure in the early 20th-century experimental Russian music. He flourished during the immediate post-Revolution years, but fell from grace when Soviet cultural policy shifted dramatically under Stalin.
The Three Dances, published in 1923, embrace a haunting waltz, vivid nocturne and vital mazurka. Here Solomia Soroka seems utterly confident, catching a haunting, languid quality within Roslavets's elusive harmonic idiom. The Nocturne is laced with double trilling and Soroka nicely brings out an element of bravado, both in the Mazurka and in the three forceful sonatas.
Soroka especially shines near the close of sonata movements, where her lyricism pays dividends as Roslavets frequently relaxes the turbulence prevailing elsewhere. There are a few cases of awkward tuning, occasioned by the severe angularity of the composer's leading melody. On occasions her partner, Arthur Greene, seems so soundly versed in this music that the piano invariably prepares and articulates beautifully, while Soroka seems more tentative about what best to emphasise in Roslavets's wayward line.
Still, if the composer's twining, cantilena-like melody sometimes defeats her, Soroka counters with some striking dramatic effects in Sonata no. 6, and she relaxes particularly well into the spirit of the single-movement Fourth Sonata, while the experimental First Sonata, with its energetic cross-currents, yields an exciting culmination from both players. This is not easy or lightweight music, but this decently engineered recording certainly makes a handsome introduction to Roslavets.
The usual critical position is to view Roslavets as a creative compound of Scriabin and Schoenberg, a visionary who worked independent of the latter and was eventually crushed by the Soviet system. Certainly the early atonal experimentation was later to be replaced after his 1929 denunciation with a far more malleable and acceptably simple style. This trajectory is reflected in this recording of the first, fourth and sixth violin sonatas.
Cannily perhaps or just to confound the listener Naxos has programmed the sonatas to reflect the opposite trajectory. We begin with the undated but late Sixth Sonata, a big rather later romantic and decidedly Brahmsian piece. It's also quite loose and discursive with soloist Solomia Soroka employing some period devices to point up the succulence of the writing. The central movement has maybe a touch of Grieg and a reminiscence of French style in the sonata repertoire, the more lyric and effusive wing of the French repertoire rather than the Franco-Belgian hothouse of Franck and Lekeu. The fluttering arabesques of the finale coalesce with the lyrically sensuous central section. Here the piano can sound rather overpowering in the balance.
The Fourth Sonata is undated. Predicated at least structurally on Scriabin's piano sonatas it seems to me to share as much with Szymanowski. The piano writing is emphatic and there is here unlike the Sixth (this is a considerably earlier work) a real sense of billow and passion, a hothouse drama played out with concision and power. Though the notes mention that Roslavets trained as a violinist they don't mention that he studied with Jan Hrímaly, one of the many émigré Czech musicians who taught and played in Russia and were profoundly influential on the emergent Russian School. It was doubtless from the cosmopolitan Hrímaly, who died a couple of years after the premiere of his pupil's shocking First Sonata, that Roslavets learned the wider violin repertoire.
That First Sonata, widely accepted as the first such atonal work produced by a Russian composer, came shortly after his graduation. He always claimed to have worked independent of Schoenbergian procedure and there seems no reason to disbelieve him. The booklet notes quote Miaskovsky in his day job as a critic admiring but puzzling over the sonata's newness. It certainly must have come as a pungent shock. Abstract juxtapositions and terse material are here but so too is a soaring late romantic lyricism; Roslavets moves between the two in bewildering and generous openness. This naturally only adds to the queasy emotive stability of this one movement sonata.
As an envoi we have the Three Dances published in 1923. Once again there is a certain residual influence of Scriabin but in the central dance, a crepuscular Nocturne, an unmistakeable Szymanowski patina.
The recording sometimes rather favours the piano in climactic moments though one wouldn't want to make too much of this. Both Solomia Soroka and Arthur Greene, who wrote the notes, sound inside the terse, coagulant bloodstream of Roslavets's imagination, drawing out some portamenti and colouristic devices to point up his febrile romanticism.
Nikolai Roslavets, Violin Sonatas 1, 4 and 6 and Three Dances performed by violinist Solomia Soroka and pianist Arthur Greene (Naxos). For years, Roslavets (1880-1944) was known as one of the great Soviet "silent composers" along with Mossolov and some others. In other words, he was a vehement modernist - "the Russian Schoenberg" he was erroneously called - who was effectively eliminated from Russian music when Stalin and "socialist realism" wiped out everything but a cagey and tormented Shostakovich and an all-but-bulletproof Prokofiev. But even more than Mossolov, Roslavets was an amazing heir to Scriabin in this music. The kind of ecstatic atonality and chromaticism you find in the best Scriabin - the piano sonatas - is also routine in this very seldom heard violin/piano music. A real find, then.


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One of the few people for whom I have ever voted who was actually elected to public office was the late Sen. Everett McKinley Dirksen of Illinois. I liked his common sense approach, his gravelly voice and his grandfatherly appearance. He was the senior senator from my adopted state. He also had a sense of humor.
One of his quotes which I remember was, "A hundred million here – a hundred million there – pretty soon you're talking about real money." I guess it was a Washington mind-set (and truly small change by today's standards).
He and Sen. Hubert H. Humphrey who lost his election bid for president against Richard M. Nixon was one of Sen. Dirksen's adversaries in the upper house. They were opposed on nearly every issue brought before them.
This rivalry extended beyond their political disagreements. It took on a personal nature when Sen. Dirksen was one of the first to get a phone installed in his car. And he couldn't resist making his first call to Sen. Humphrey's office to let him know that.
In an age where everyone has mobile communications at our disposal – this may sound strange. But back in the days when a car phone was a big deal – only the wealthy and powerful could get one.
Humphrey made every effort to catch up with his rival. Apparently the fact that Dirksen had something which he wanted but couldn't get truly bothered him. And then one day he got the word from his staff that the FCC had approved his request. His car phone would be available within a few weeks.
Humphrey counted down the days. He checked with his staff every morning to see if they heard anything about whether today was the day that the phone would arrive in his office. And then one day it was there.
Humphrey wasted no time having his secretary call the installer whom he had contacted to get this modern invention installed in his car. And leaving the office early, he placed his first call. Naturally, this was to Sen. Everett McKinley Dirksen.
As it happened, Dirksen was on his way home in his car when his phone rang. Dirksen picked up the phone and in his distinctive voice said, "Hello."
Humphrey said, "Hello, Ev. This is Hubert. I'm calling you from my car phone."
To which Dirksen replied, "Hang on a moment, Hubert. I'm on the other line."
And that's the epitome of Washingtonian "One-Upsmanship at its finest."

subset: commoncrawl


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anarcho_pirate wrote (edited )
Is punching Nazis impolite? Yes. Do it anyway.
surreal wrote
kick them in the nuts instead
GaldraChevaliere wrote
Complicity with a mass-murdering ideology's pretty impolite too.
GrimWillow wrote (edited )
Exactly! Only calling us impolite is completely dismissing the "impoliteness" from their side, which is definitely a lot further from polite than Anarchists would or could ever reach. The incredible depravity of the "impolite" terrorism that they support and spread leaves a wake of murdered, terrified, raped, and destroyed people; but harassing people out of a restaurant for supporting that is the problem? Punching a terrorist is impolite? Forcing consequences on literal demons for their hate is impolite? Like you said, anyone that says we're being impolite is being impolite for standing up for these assholes.
ziq OP wrote (edited )
The writer concludes that yes, it is. lol.
Punching Nazis Delegitimizes Anti-Fascists
maybe this would be better suited to f/shitliberalssayordo
It's so important that the framers of the Constitution of the United States, where most of the Nazi-punchers seem to live
rot wrote
Amazing every word you wrote is wrong.
Seriously, it works better as satire.


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Can we have a genuine conversation about drug addiction in Uganda? Lately you cannot attend an event or a festival without the presence of dangerous drugs being sold by someone. Sad part? These drugs are actually brought in by people with the means to import, those who manipulate their positions of power for their greed at the expense of the lives of innocent Ugandans.
Drug trafficking in Uganda has grown bigger so access to heroin, molly, ecstasy and cocaine has been made easier that so many young people looking for different a high than what they are used to have a heavy variety. One high and a good time for a night leads to trying it out the next time and the next. Slowly this grows into an addiction.
In most cases parents respond by, cutting off the financial help provided to their children after finally seeing the problem thinking it will stop the addict but sooner or later; the addict resorts to stealing from the family so as to feed their habit.
I am sure every family has that one child, the one who has been the poster child for drug abuse. The one teenagers are warned with "If you spend your life in bars and clubs, you will end up like so and so just stranded at 30 living off of your parents…"
That one child who has refused all the help they have been given by family and friends to fight the addiction. Every family or neighborhood has that one caution tale, someone who spends their days/ nights in the bar and is now considered a nuisance.
There's a drug that I learned about last year, I actually didn't know it existed till a friend burst my bubble and told me about a couple of people we used to be close to who are addicted to it. Low grade heroin or Kachwiiri (I have never caught the spelling) which is a mixture of weed and poorly made heroin is one of the biggest addictions on our Kampala streets. I tried to go to buy it in Bakuli for research purposes but got recognized by former schoolmates who are now heavy addicts and the dealer ran away. It turns out police has been trying hard to crack down on the spread of the drug on the market so they are always on the standby to run.
When I saw a boy who used to be one of the cutest and intelligent boys those days looking like he has not showered in years, wearing a sandal that has seen better days, my heart broke. He still had that air about him of "girls want me" but he seemed older than I am by years. He was so skinny you could see the bones in his hands and his fingers blackened by the constant use of the drug. He was there with many more who ran away when they saw me then asked me for some money to go buy food, I cried. I sat down and cried, I asked him why he keeps running away from rehab and why he won't go home. He cried too, he said he wanted to stop, that he had tried, but it seems nothing is changing. After a while when I decided to leave, he asked me for some money for transport. I told him we could go home together but he came up with so many excuses, I gave him some money but I knew where that was going. I couldn't stop crying.
The boda guy (motorbike rider) I was with said they are always there in Bakuli or Kisenyi and sometimes their rich parents come with police to take them away but they still run away from rehab back to streets for more.
I hope we stop speaking about this and actually implement measures, because we can't keep losing so many brilliant young ones to this scourge.
Stop enabling your friends and their addictions when you are with them, you see them popping mollies and ecstasy every night you are out and just cheer on. Speak against it.
Image from —>> https://ugandaharmreduction.wordpress.com/about-us/news/


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RBI8406T Boeing 737-600, -700, -800 Wiring System Maintenance Kit
12 Week Lead Time
Dimensions in in (LxWxH): 22x14x10
Dimensions in mm (LxWxH): 585x329x192
Weight: 61lbs(27.5kg)
RBI8406T Wiring System Service Kit for the Boeing 737-600commaping -700commaping -800.
The RBI8406T kit contains the tooling to connectorcommaping contact and terminal cross reference information which indicate the particular tool(s) that should be selected to repair a specific connectorcommaping
contactcommaping or terminal. In additioncommaping the kit also contains illustrated
operating instructions for the required tooling.
|Model Number
|Number of Tools


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The nature of a construction project manager's work largely vary from site to site much less company to company. However, what is vastly clear is that a construction PM has a lot of responsibilities compared to most PMs in different industries. This can be attributed to the fact that construction is a demanding and unique industry. Extensive knowledge about the industry can often be the difference between a successful project completion and delays.
The following are a few tips that can be highly useful to a construction PM to ensure project management success.
Effective Communication
Communication is a very important tool for the success of practically every project out there regardless of the industry. Nevertheless, effective communication is one of the most critical elements to the success of a construction projects in particular.
The PM needs to make sure that there is constant and consistent flow of information not only on the ground but also with the stakeholders and supplier; in every single phase of the implementation of the project. With everyone on board, the implementation process will be much smoother and this will make it easier for the PM to solve any problems if or when they arise.
Perhaps a great way of maintaining this flow of communication is by using a good collaborative work management (CWM) tool. It syncs all your comments, calendars, attachments and more, as well as allows you to easily monitor important information that may affect your project such as budgets, news and scheduling changes. Furthermore, it also lets you 'share' these changes in real time with everyone you want to, including other managers and accounting offices.
Get Involved
The PM as the head of the project has to be actively involved in every aspect of the project. He must literally work alongside his workers, leading by example. With the construction industry being so demanding, the PM has to understand his workers as well as familiarize himself with the construction site thoroughly. This would came in handy in case of a human resource issue that needs to be resolved. You have to become an integral part of the implementation process
Continuous Planning
The implementation of a construction project can be surprising at times because things may not go as initially planned. The PM is likely to encounter situations that may force him to make changes on the initial plan. Therefore, he is expected to be as flexible as possible so as to make changes on the fly as aspects of the project unfold.
As a matter of fact, he may need to refine, revise and keep developing new plans through the implementation process to ensure the project is successful; keeping in mind that even the slightest of changes can have a significant impact on the overall outcome of the product.
Pay attention to complaints from stakeholders or colleagues, and other warning signs, like a missed deadline or cost overrun, that there may be a problem. Preventing a crisis will keep your project running smoothly, save you a lot of time, and keep you, your team, and your stakeholders confident in progressing with the project.
Manage your expectations
Too many projects are doomed to fail from the beginning because of unrealistic expectations. Setting impossible deadlines and assigning too much work to your colleagues will surely result in sloppy work and often missed deadlines; which will in turn throw your project off course, necessitating patch-up work, timeline extensions, eroded stakeholder trust, and a frustrated team.
Understanding your workers will help you know their strengths and weaknesses. This can assist you in assigning tasks based on each colleague's skillset. Delegating tasks to the right person is very important because success relies on how well team members can execute their tasks.


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Blog Archives
top of the flops: a problem with christian art
So I got thinking about this post's content when someone I heard preaching used the recording of a song from a fairly popular Christian artist as an illustration.
The song was terrible.
I thought to myself; why is it that many Christians feel it necessary to listen to such abhorrent music simply because it expressly identifies itself as "Christian" or "worship" or some such thing?
I can't answer from any perspective but my own. When I was a teenage Christian I was convinced that it was best to mainly listen to Christian music because it was somehow spiritually uplifting. These days I find it the exact opposite is more often the case. Keep Reading…


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Ottawa Senators (23-38-5) at New York Islanders (37-21-7)
Tuesday 7 p.m. Nassau Coliseum
RADIO: TSN1200, Unique 94,5 FM
Senators: PP 20.8% (14th) PK 78.5% (24th)
Islanders: PP 16% (25th) PK 80.4% (14th)
Senators: None
Islanders: Matt Martin
Brady Tkachuk – Colin White – JG Pageau
Rudolfs Balcers – Chris Tierney – Bobby Ryan
Anthony Duclair – Brian Gibbons – Mikkel Boedker
Zack Smith – Oscar Lindberg – Magnus Paajarvi
Thomas Chabot – Dylan DeMelo
Ben Harper – Cody Ceci
Christian Wolanin – Christian Jaros
Craig Anderson
Anders Nilsson
Anders Lee – Brock Nelson – Jordan Eberle
Anthony Beauvillier – Mathew Barzel – Josh Bailey
Andrew Ladd – Valtteri Filppula – Leo Komarov
Ross Johnston – Casey Cizikas – Cal Clutterbuck
Nick Leddy – Johnny Boychuk
Adam Pelech – Ryan Pulock
Scott Mayfield – Devon Toews
Robin Lehner
Thomas Greiss
1. The Lehner
It appears former Senator Robin Lehner is reaching his potential at the age of 27 with a Vezina-type season as a first-year Islander. Lehner was pulled after giving up three goals on 13 shots against the Flyers Sunday, but should be given the chance to straighten himself out against the Senators, against whom he has a record of 7-0-3, with a 1.61 goals against average and .949 save percentage.
2. Breathing easier
The Senators finally shed the heavy weight of a losing streak off their shoulders when they stopped theirs at seven games Sunday in Florida with a 3-2 victory. This one should be a little easier for them to play, if only because should have tiny bit of confidence from the W.
3. One that matters
These are playoff games for the Senators, who with back-to-back games can have a say on whether the Islanders make it to post-season tournament. In losing their last two games and five of their last seven, the Islanders can see the Columbus Blue Jackets in their rear view mirror.
4. Milestone for Smith
Zack Smith will become just the ninth player (and sixth forward) to play 600 games for the Senators when they make their first return to Uniondale and Nassau Coliseum in almost four years. Coincidentally, it's also the building where Smith played his first game, a 4-2 Senators loss, on Nov. 29, 2008. Needless to say, he'd like a different result tonight
5. Good old days
The Senators have won only one of the last four games between the teams but they do have a strong past with Islanders. Their overall record against them is 53-24-11-6, while Ottawa has a dominant 27-12-6-3 record when visiting the Islanders.
Mathew Barzal vs Thomas Chabot
Good friends and former roommates at Team Canada's world junior camp, they'll enjoy the challenge of playing against each other. Chabot is struggling of late. In his last seven games he has just one point, an assist, and is minus-13. In three career games versus Islanders, Chabot has a goal and four points.
Barzal, who had two goals and three points in the Islanders 6-3 victory over Ottawa earlier this season, has been quiet of late. In his last seven games the has no goals and two assists.
Twitter: @SunDoniB
Crawford's advice to Wolanin: Be more like your dad
It's but one win, but optimism returns to Ottawa Senators dressing room
Ottawa Fury FC sticks with Haworth as captain


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A new season of XP3 Middle School and XP3 High School curriculum just released! Whether or not you use XP3 curriculum, we invite you to join us for a behind-the-scenes conversation about writing and creating great series for students. This season, we're talking about growing in your faith, forgiveness, Christmas, and trending topics and questions in culture that students are facing. For more about XP3, visit TryXP3Free.com.
- What is XP3?
- What does "XP3" mean?
- The 7 Segments
- Teaching with XP3
- The XP
- The Parent Cue
- Small Groups
- Scope & Cycle
- XP3 MS and HS differences
- What is an Orange Specialist?
- More Resources for Student Pastors
Other XP3 components mentioned in the episode:
We'd love to hear your thoughts on this topic and this episode! To join the conversation, leave us a comment here on our episode page or in our Facebook Group. Not a member of our Facebook Group yet? Click the button below to join!
Brett is an XP3 Orange Specialist with Orange after spending 11 years in full time ministry. He's been married to his amazing wife since 2004. They have three amazing and hilarious kids who constantly keep them busy and laughing. He loves baseball, golf and makes amazing turkey melt sandwiches (if he has the time and ingredients, otherwise they're just average).
Crystal currently leads the XP3 High School initiative at Orange. Before that, she spent 10 years as a high school teacher and student ministry leader, doing everything from leading small groups to speaking to curriculum design. Crystal and her husband, Tom, live in Alpharetta, GA with an ill-tempered chihuahua named Javier.
Ashley Bohinc serves as the Director of Middle School Strategy at Orange, co-host of The Think Orange Podcast, and co-author of The Art of Group Talk. She's worked with students in public education, athletic, and ministry settings since 2005. Ashley is most passionate about resourcing the local church, communicating onstage, developing leaders, working with students, and engaging in world missions. Additionally, she's the USA Director of Carry 117. In her downtime, you'll find her watching Friends, cheering on the Cleveland Cavaliers, traveling, reading, or on one of her Fairytale Friday Adventures.
Charlie is an XP3 Orange Specialist at Orange after spending the past 20 years working with students in educational and ministry settings. Most recently, Charlie spent 12 years as the middle school youth pastor in a thriving Methodist church in the Metro Atlanta area. Charlie grew up in rural Illinois but has been living in metro Atlanta, GA for the past 14 years. She lives with her husband Eric, her sometimes snarky but lovable daughter, and their three pups.
If you enjoyed this episode, we would love for you to rate or review the podcast on iTunes. Your rating and review help us make this podcast better, and help get the podcast in front of other youth leaders and listeners. Thank you for listening!


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I will be in Sfakia from 3-10th April and as well as general hiking I would like to see some of the spring flowers which are out(hopefully) at this time. Does anyone know any particular areas where they are most prolific/interesting.
I am not hiring a car to get around so I am limited to the wider Sfakia area, the coastal strip as far as Ay. Roumeli and the Anoplolis, Aradena , Ay. Ioannis area.
I have never visited Sfakia this early in the season and would like to see the plants that are usually just withered stalks when I usually arrive in late May.
Thank you,


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What is the best weight loss supplement to help you lose weight fast?
Need to know what really works in weight loss supplements.
I hear Apidexin is good, but I dont know….Some say Hydroxy Cut,
but others say it isnt…….ANy help with this
13 Responses to "What is the best weight loss supplement to help you lose weight fast?"
March 24th, 2011 at 3:22 am
Try this it really works Ive lost 50 lbs and 20 to go.
The best thing about weight is it does not lie. You eat too much it shows, you eat too little it shows. There are not secrets or magical methods. It is all hard earned and for those who succeed well desired and for those who don't well deserved.
March 24th, 2011 at 3:49 am
Hydration is the most important aspect of weight loss because your body uses a lot of water when burning fat. Supplements are unnecessary with a well balanced diet.
March 24th, 2011 at 3:51 am
Any type of weight loss supplement is dangerous and will only help you for a week or so. After that no more weight will be lost. Try a real program that is not full of misleading information.
March 24th, 2011 at 4:29 am
The whole weight loss supplement industry benefits from their product hardly working – enough to see very small results, but not enough to solve your problems. Why? Because if they solved your problem, you wouldn't keep re-purchasing their product, now would you? These supplements are usually so ineffective that you would have been better off at a cost to time spent ratio to just do a little exercise.
If you are interested in an alternative, I've been hearing some really great things about calorie shifting from the health community! Its a new diet that will shock your metabolism into working for you. You can read up more on it below, I hope this helps and good luck losing that weight whichever path you end up taking!
March 24th, 2011 at 5:27 am
Well… most weight loss supplements work…BUT they make you gain weight as soon as you leave them.
This is why the industry flourishes.
What you need is something that is natural…and works using the most scientifically proven method..that of increasing youe metabolism rate.
I would suggest going with green tea or white tea. Both are effective…however if you want changes to be fast and noticeable..i would suggest you go with white tea and acai… It has more antioxidants than any green tea… and thus it increases your metabolism big time!
There are free packs of it available at many sites such as http://freewhitetea.com Its really worth a try…ive noticed differences in as little as 10 days.
March 24th, 2011 at 6:07 am
weight loss supplement will work, but I heard some friends who do research in pharmacology said that many weight loss supplements have negative effects in a long term, and it's not easy to keep a permanent effect. Here are 7 tips for scientific weight loss
Eat in first hour
Eat something within the first hour of waking to start your metabolism and begin burning more calories all day long. This can be as simple as eating a banana or a few crackers.
Have multiple servings
Eat eight to ten combined servings (approximately ½ cup each) of fruits and vegetables a day. Five servings a day will promote good health, whereas eight to ten will promote almost effortless weight loss.
Drink water
Drink eight to ten cups of water a day. Water is needed to break down body fat and flush the toxins.
Eat every 3-4 hours
Eat something every 3-4 hours. This will help stabilize blood sugars and prevent you from becoming over-hungry at your next meal. Ignoring true hunger will cause your body to increase its lypogenic, or fat storing enzymes. Always carry a snack with you so that you can respond to hunger signals quickly.
Hunger satisfied
Never eat to the point of feeling uncomfortable, instead stop when your hunger has been satisfied. When you feel "full" after a meal you are storing body fat.
Stop three hours before bedtime.
Stop eating three hours before bedtime. Your body is preparing for fasting mode while you sleep. Any extra calories that you take in at this time have a good chance of being stored as body fat.
Move your body for 30 minutes most days of the week. This can be as simple as marching in place while watching the daily news. The more you move your body, the faster you will see results.
March 24th, 2011 at 6:15 am
When you are looking at using a weight loss supplement, your first consideration should always be natural.
Natural weight loss items can be found online or in your local health food store. Make sure if you don't understand what is the best item for you to ask and then ask some more.
You need to follow a proven and effective eating plan where you don't deprive your body of essential nutrients. Your daily eating plan should boost metabolism rate and not deprive it of any nutrients whether its carbs, protein or even fat in reasonable quantities.
March 24th, 2011 at 6:32 am
I would recommend you to read reviews of different weight loss programs and supplements mentioned below…
March 24th, 2011 at 6:36 am
Hey i've a great news for everyone.
I too was suffering from over weight i tried some pills and even some tea but nothing worked-out. But i came to know that Proactol is doing well. One of my friend suggested this and I bought my pack from here http://track.moreniche.com/hit.php?w=140369&s=38
To be frank i am consuming this for the past 2months and I see some weight loss (i was 95kgs now i am 92), its working. You too try this i personally suggest this.
March 24th, 2011 at 6:41 am
Hydroxy Cut works pretty good, but can be very dangerous. I suggest you focus on your diet and exercise rather then taking magical pills. Eat 3-4 meals nutritious healthy meals everyday, and try to get 45-60minutes worth of exercise everyday. You also want to cut down on sweets/fats, and increase your intake of fibers and water. I hope this helped =). For more information you should check out http://loseweight-info.blogspot.com/
March 24th, 2011 at 7:09 am
ACIA is good, but I have found books and other information that works even better. Check it out:
March 24th, 2011 at 7:21 am
Try the Wu-Yi Tea Diet: http://WuYiTeaDiet.info
It's an all natural Chinese tea based diet and has helped me lose 9 lbs. in the past 2 weeks by curbing my cravings.
March 24th, 2011 at 7:23 am
This award winning green tea is what I use and I am very happy with the results. The best thing is that its all natural.
Plus it won 3 awards as best slimming product!


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Season 27 of Survivor began Wednesday with the introduction of Blood vs Water, otherwise known as veterans vs their loved ones. Or, better yet, M. Night Shyamalan's Survivor: Kitchen Sink.
Let's approach these game twists in the order they were presented to us, shall we?
This season is another one with a cast made of returning contestants and relative unknowns. Ooo, see what I did there? They are unknowns in the world of Survivor, but they are also relatives to the returning contestants.
Twist the second: Day 0
The night before the game started proper, each veteran/loved one pair was left to their own devices on their own part of the island. We saw about 90 seconds of this, mostly in the form of "uh, do we sleep here or over there."
Twist the third: Tribal Split
When the ten pairs of players reconvene on Exposition Beach, Probst informs them they will not play as pairs but as adversaries. The veterans will be one team (Galang) and the newbies will be their own tribe (Tadhana).
Twist the fourth: Immediate Vote
With 20 contestants, the show will need to do something to accelerate the whittling of the cast. To that end, each team has to immediately vote someone off. Tadhana decides targeting Rupert's wife Laura is the way to go, despite the fact that Big Brother winner Hayden is standing right there. Over on Galang, that team's Laura (Samoa) also received several votes, but it's Candice (Cook Islands, Heroes v. Villains) who gets the boot.
Twist the fifth: Redemption Island
Back by (what's the opposite of) popular demand. That means Laura and Candice are still in the game as long as they do not lose the feats of strength and daring-do on Redemption Island. HOWEVER…
Twist the sixth: Tag Team
If your loved one is still in the game, s/he can swap with you. Rupert (Pearl Islands, All Stars, Heroes vs Villains) takes the offer without hesitation, which means Laura joins the other Laura on Galang. Candice's husband John would rather play the game, so he stays put. Not exactly chivalrous, particularly since that now means Candice and Rupert will be roomies again.
This is only about 15 minutes into a 90-minute episode. Slow your roll, Probst.
Camp Life
Nothing too exciting happens at Galang. Colton and Monica try to mend fences from their first time playing together during One World. Later, Colton laments life as a gay dude in the deep south and makes everyone uncomfortable with his high-pitched sobs.
Over at Tadhana, Monica's hubby Brad decides to stuff 39 days of game into the first hour on the beach. However, his overplaying does bring the guys on the tribe together, giving them a 5-4 advantage should the tribe find itself at Tribal Council. We also learn that Tadhana loosely translates to "MTV Sob Story Pilot," as Samoa Laura's daughter Ciera reveals she was a teen mom while Vytas one-ups her by telling his story about being locked up for a year for drug use. Vytas is Aras' brother and I'm already sick of their over-competitive story arc.
Immunity Challenge
Water challenges are in this season (it is "vs. Water" after all) and this one is a doozy. Six members of each tribe have to do an aquatic obstacle course and swim out to a boat tied out in the ocean. Once all six reach the boat and unmoor it, they have to paddle back and transfer a treasure chest from the boat to a mat on the beach. The remaining three players have to solve a three-section puzzle to create a ship's steering wheel, which will raise the team's flag once completed. First team to accomplish this wins immunity.
Tadhana takes a commanding lead in the swimming and the paddling. Gervase, who I don't recall being a strong swimmer way back in the first season of the show, struggled throughout the challenge and slowed Galang to a crawl. Galang also had no clue how to paddle a boat, and it's the first time I realized the veterans cast is lacking in the alpha males this time around. Yes, there's Aras (Panama) and arguably Tyson (Tocantins, Heroes vs Villains), but that's about it. They eventually reach the beach as Tadhana works on the puzzle. However, Galang sets up an assembly line in constructing the wheel, allowing them to overtake Tadhana and win immunity. Gervase, who was the weakest link of this challenge, is particularly obnoxious in celebrating.
Scrambling and Tribal Council
The guys are still planning on working together, so one of the women will probably be going home. The targets are Katie, daughter of Outback winner Tina, and Gervase's niece Marissa. Katie may have oversold her abilities in puzzle solving while Marissa is Gervase's loved one. Seriously, that's the reason. There's talk at TC about how voting someone out could emotionally hurt a player on the other tribe, therefore they vote out Marissa unanimously.
So we have one of the most idiotic votes ever in the opener of a season that already has six twists introduced to the game. It should also be noted that Marissa and Gervase are the only people of color playing this season, so there's an undertone to this vote that really bothers me.
Next time on Survivor Kitchen Sink: The first truel of the season.


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Plans to build massive 76-acre solar farm rejected
Ireland: Plans to build a massive 76-acre solar farm in Kildare, Ireland have been rejected by Kildare County Council.
As previously reported by Transformers Magazine, an application was lodged for building the farm that would consist of an area of up to 92,400 m2 of solar panels, and include fenced electricity substation compound, transformer units, underground cable and ducts and boundary security fence with CCTV and all associated site services and works.
Planning permission was sought for a period of ten years at Furryhill and Kilteel Lower, but it was rejected, reports Independent.
Source: Independent


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»» Lat: 32.1392520 | »» Long: -80.768441
Cordillo Cabanas is located in South Forest Beach on Hilton Head, SC. Much like its sister community to the north, South Forest Beach is just a short walk to the ocean and just minutes away from the dining and shopping found along South Forest Beach Road and Pope Avenue. Architecture is a mix of beach style structures and modern newer manor style homes.


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Little Star
Hunstanton, North Norfolk
Holiday Cottage
Tucked away in the pretty village of Ringstead, just two miles from beautiful Old Hunstanton beach, Little Star is a beautiful romantic cottage for two.
Oozing rustic coastal charm with wooden floorboards and beams plus an abundance of stylish character this beautiful Norfolk flint terraced cottage, refurbished to the highest standard, has character in abundance.
With a spacious sitting room with woodburner, practical yet characterful painted kitchen with modern appliances and separate garden room with dining table and chairs with french doors leading to the garden, it is perfect for a summer or winter getaway.
Upstairs is reached by a steep traditional Norfolk winder staircase, which leads you into the large vaulted and beamed master bedroom with statement four poster bed and pretty views to the front.
The bathroom with its freestanding modern bath tub and large walk-in shower, features a skylight, so you can literally lie in the bath and watch the stars as you soak!
Although the cottage has character, the windows are double glazed and there is central heating too, meaning you will be toasty all year round.
At a glance
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We think you'll love…
A beautiful romantic cottage for two, oozing rustic coastal charm.
Offers laid back living in a popular Norfolk village with popular pub and village shop.
From the cottage you can explore all North Norfolk has to offer, including the beaches at Old Hunstanton, Holme-next-the-Sea, Brancaster, Titchwell and beyond plus squeeze in a visit to trendy Burnham Market where you can shop until you drop for local produce and browse the fabulous boutiques and independent shops. With a very good pub/restaurant in the village.
The village boasts the renowned Gin Trap Inn, a traditional 17th Century Coaching Inn with good food, a great selection of beers, wines and welcoming staff.
A short drive away is HM The Queen's Sandringham Estate where you can explore the house or walk in the parkland and woods with your pampered pooch!
Little Star
More places to stay in Norfolk
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Let me just start this post by apologising for being away for too long. Trust me it's not by choice, been swamped with work. But still I'm sorry, and I accept your forgiveness.
So the organisation I work for picked me to go for a three weeks training course and trust me I was very delighted, chance to leave the office environment, meet sixty-nine more people and my all time favorite free food!!! Count me in! So I started the training, first day of training and I sat close to a cool guy (let's call him Hanks) and Hanks and I clicked immediately and we passed notes and gossiped while lecture was going on.
An hour into the class I noticed this guy (call him Tobi) looking very bored and irritated and feeling like that was the last place he wanted to be and I picked interest in him. Fast forward to today, a few days to the end of the class I was being a trouble maker as usual and I look up and see Tobi looking down at me, you can imagine what's running through my head because for the past eleven days I have been trying to get this guy to say a word other than 'good morning' and 'hi' to me. So I play it cool and we get talking…..
For some reason we delve into the Topic of relationships and Tobi says "I don't believe in love at first sight, matter of fact I don't believe in love" what?! Now my eyes are wide and my mouth is struggling from repeating wow several times. In my head I'm wondering what is wrong with you, why would you say such a thing! This is a world that it's only real hope is love. Love makes a man a better man. When a man loves a woman he can do her no wrong, right? At least that's what Percy Sledge said. So anyways I asked why he felt so, and he simply said he believes in respect and not love, he does right by whoever he is committed to because he respects the lady,not love her, and believes respecting her is doing everything that would make her happy. Wow!
So I guess my long epistle is to talk about the idea of what love should be. Is love separate from respect in a relationship? Can you love someone and eliminate respect completely? Can you respect someone and not love them? It's all confusing because different people have opinions on matters of the heart.
But this is my opinion and this is what I told Tobi, Respect is love. You can't tear away respect from a relationship with someone you love and loves you back. When you love someone, automatically you want to respect the person, you make decisions based on how you want that person to see you, you don't want that person to loose respect for you, so you behave things you would normally do in your single days you ignore or abolish because of that respect you have for that person.
Look at it this way, you see a lady walk into a room and that instant you access her and deep inside you feel your respect for her increase, you want to get closer to her and work up a way to make her yours. So what happened people say is called love at first sight or sparks of love, I call it sparks of respect, now imagine if she had instantly done something you so detest immediately your respect for her reduced and the appetite for you to even gett up to ask for her number seems next to zero. Got that image? Yhup, can you see it all starts with respect?
You can't love a man you don't respect him try as you may, same as when you love your man you want to respect him. If you love your woman cheating on her would be the very least of your itinerary because when it comes to relationship you know you have someone you want to respect and who you want to respect you back, so you won't want to do something as baseless and unnecessary as frolicking with another lady. Same as if you respect your man you wouldn't put him in a funny financial situation knowing fully well he won't be able to afford it.
Love and respect are intertwined and you honestly can't do one without doing the other one. They are not the same but they walk hand in hand.
So guys drop your comments on your take on this topic. Thank you for reading, following and subscribing please share with friends and family.
Thank you!


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RIchard Liu
Richard N. Liu (BA, MA)
Senior Advisor (Asia-Pacific)
Richard N. Liu's family has unique Canada-China ties for three generations. His great-uncle Dr. Liu Shih-shun was China's first Ambassador to Canada in the 1940s, and his father, Dr. Liu Dun-ren, built relations in education, culture and tourism for three decades, including establishing the first Twin Sister City between Victoria and Suzhou (1980). Richard's great-grandfather Dr. Wu Han-chi played an active role in uprisings that shaped the future of modern China, was an elected member of the first parliament in 1913. Dr. Wu's daughter, Dr. Wu Zhimei, served as Guangzhou City Counselor and Dr. Sun Yat-sen's secretary, and visited Vancouver in 1929 and 1932.
Born in Canada and educated at UBC and Peking University, Richard resided in Beijing for over 20 years, started the influential "Canadians in China" network and founded the Canadian Alumni Network connecting thousands of individuals in China who attended Canadian post-secondary institutions. His career has ranged from public relations, diplomacy and events organization to education. He has been a leader in developing volunteer projects in China, such as the Terry Fox Run and the Special Olympics in Beijing. Richard has also volunteered for three Olympic Games and was Team Attaché of the Canadian Paralympic Committee delegation for the Beijing 2008 Paralympic Summer Games. In 2011, Richard was honoured by Mr. Rick Hansen for the "valuable contribution to the Rick Hansen Man in Motion World Tour 25th Anniversary in Beijing." Since returning to Canada in 2014, Richard now sits on various boards; and advises companies and organizations on a variety of sectors in Asia.


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Traffic Safety & Carpool
- The staff parking lot cannot be used for dropping off or picking up children.
- Never walk between the buses.
- No U-turns or J Walking.
- No double-parking or blocking driveways at any time.
- No parking for drop-off or pick-up on school side of Paso Robles.
- Always cross at the corner, never in the middle of the street.
- All children under 17 must wear a bicycle helmet whenever riding a bicycle.
- Take the time to review safety standards with your child.
Carpool Procedures (Stop, Drop & Roll)
- When bringing children to school, please follow safe driving practices. Your good example is the best teacher possible. Take time to come north on Paso Robles Ave., and have your child exit the car on the school side of the street.
- Refrain from J Walking and making U Turns.
- Please do not drop your child off or pick your child up on Labrador Street in front of the school at any time. Only buses are to park there. Meet your child at the gate on Paso Robles in the afternoon.
- Do not cut in the carpool line.
- Please be respectful with traffic aides and volunteers.
- When in line for drop-off and pick-up at the carpool gate on Paso Robles, please keep the intersection of Superior and Paso Robles clear so that the buses have enough space to make a right turn from Superior.
- Cars in the carpool line should not block the crosswalk on Superior Street. Cars may not cut into the carpool late. No left turns from Balboa to Superior or from Superior to Paso Robles when the carpool lane is full! The carpool gate will close at 8:15 a.m. After the gate is closed, students must enter school through the office.
- In order to facilitate a smooth traffic pattern on Paso Robles it is suggested that some parents consider picking up students a few minutes later than 2:38 p.m. to avoid the traffic at dismissal.
- Children who are picked up after school at the carpool gate must be waiting at the gate and not playing on the yard. If you cannot find your child, please drive around the block or park across the street so other parents can move to the front of the line.
- School Police or LAPD will issue you a ticket if you are violating the street signs.


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tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31545676.post659973173488235030..comments2020-05-27T03:54:24.575-04:00Comments on Sabermetric Research: Career run support for starting pitchersPhil Birnbaumhttp://firstname.lastname@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-31545676.post-79130291862851431302017-04-27T14:36:05.836-04:002017-04-27T14:36:05.836-04:00Oops! Thanks, will fix.Oops! Thanks, will fix.Phil Birnbaumhttps://firstname.lastname@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-31545676.post-16552838125394583292017-04-27T14:28:03.542-04:002017-04-27T14:28:03.542-04:00Actually, 3 of the top 6....Actually, 3 of the top 6....firstname.lastname@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-31545676.post-43663542270472732772017-04-27T14:25:34.363-04:002017-04-27T14:25:34.363-04:004 of the top 6 are in the HOF?? Neither Clemens or...4 of the top 6 are in the HOF?? Neither Clemens or Burnett are firstname.lastname@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-31545676.post-22692334291677160142017-03-25T15:50:24.853-04:002017-03-25T15:50:24.853-04:00Doing a quick search, personal catchers seem to be...Doing a quick search, personal catchers seem to be fairly common for knuckleballers, which makes sense.
Bob Uecker and Chris Bando for Phil Niekro.
Doug Mirabelli for Tim Wakefield.
Josh Thole for R.A. Dickey.

B-Ref also mentions that from 1976 to 1979, Tim McCarver started 128 of Steve Carlton's 140 starts.

It probably only accounts for a small amount of your variance, but made a difference for a few outliers.

firstname.lastname@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-31545676.post-81832978701397094532017-03-25T15:16:22.783-04:002017-03-25T15:16:22.783-04:00GuyM, that's a good one. Who are the other wel...GuyM, that's a good one. Who are the other well-known "personal catchers", and do the support numbers also tend to go the expected direction?Phil Birnbaumhttps://firstname.lastname@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-31545676.post-55068253207369638342017-03-25T12:31:45.756-04:002017-03-25T12:31:45.756-04:00I would guess that part of Maddux's low run su...I would guess that part of Maddux's low run support is that he hated pitching to Javy Lopez. Lopez only caught 421 of Maddux's career innings, compared to 1,652 of Glavine's. Lopez was a vastly better hitter than whoever the Braves' backup was in any given year, so that must have cut into Maddux's run support. (And the reverse would be true for Glavine and other ATL starters in these years, to a lesser extent.)

I don't know how common it is for a starter to have a catcher pairing pattern so different from that of the other pitchers on his team, but when it happens the impact could be substantial. Lopez was a 112 OPS+ hitter, while the average backup catcher is probably about 35 points lower. So that could explain maybe .17 runs for each extra game that Maddux did not throw to Lopez. email@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-31545676.post-51330804839270758072017-03-25T02:54:30.465-04:002017-03-25T02:54:30.465-04:00Good point, thanks. GuyM also emailed me that goo...Good point, thanks. GuyM also emailed me that good pitchers stay in the game longer, which means more pitcher PA and therefore fewer runs.

More significantly, Guy pointed out that good pitchers lead to more wins, which means they lead to more home wins, which means less bottom-of-the-ninths in those games. That's a big one.

Phil Birnbaumhttps://firstname.lastname@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-31545676.post-64966092779912148102017-03-24T23:40:37.480-04:002017-03-24T23:40:37.480-04:00A bad hitting pitcher is worth around -.05 runs pe...A bad hitting pitcher is worth around -.05 runs per PA relative to other pitchers, and a good hitting one is +.05 runs per PA. Give them 3 PA, and that's a range of +/- .15 runs per game. You should check into email@example.com


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Dragons win again to sweep four-game series from Loons
Recommended Video:
DAYTON, Ohio — The host Dayton Dragons finished off a dominant weekend by beating the Great Lakes Loons 7-1 Sunday afternoon to sweep their four-game series in Midwest League baseball.
The Dragons, who shut out Great Lakes twice in a doubleheader on Saturday, are now 15-9 while the Loons are 9-15.
Sunday's game was close until Dayton, leading 2-1, scored three runs in the bottom of the seventh and two in the eighth.
John Sansone hit a two-run single and Luis Gonzalez hit a two-run homer to highlight the Dragons' offense.
Devin Smeltzer (1-1) took the loss, giving up two runs on five hits in five innings and striking out eight without a walk. His 17-inning scoreless streak ended with Sansone's big hit in the third.
Loons' relievers Austin French and Patrick Duester combined to give up five runs on three hits and four walks in three innings.
Great Lakes, held to three hits by four Dayton pitchers, scored its only run in the fifth when Mitchell Hansen came home from third on a wild pitch.
The Dragons outscored the Loons 30-2 in the series and hit four home runs.
The Loons are back home for an off day on Monday, then host the Burlington Bees in a three-game series starting Tuesday at 7:05 p.m. Burlington is affiliated with the Los Angeles Angels.


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Chances are that many of us are familiar only with the section of Ecclesiastes that begins "To everything there is a season," only because we've heard it at a funeral or – thanks to the late Pete Seeger – at a hootenanny. But The Book of Ecclesiastes, known in Hebrew by the name of its presumptive author, Kohelet, is one of the Bible's five m'gillot read on Festival holidays. Assigned to Shabbat Chol HaMo-eid Sukkot, the Book of Kohelet, also seems the most theologically problematic.
The passionately erotic poetry of Song of Songs is reimagined for Passover as the love between God and Israel. The Book of Ruth, read on Shavuot, ties together the covenant at Sinai with that of the so-called "first convert to Judaism." Many Jews read the mournful Book of Lamentations on Tishah B'Av. And the Book of Esther is, of course, read on Purim, in all its whimsy.
But Kohelet comes from the genre of wisdom literature rather than narrative; it springs from the realm of philosophy rather than history. The author may suggest that we eat, drink, and be merry, but his tone is somber and his view of life is one of ultimate futility. So, if, as the author writes, "God will doom both righteous and wicked (Ecclesiastes 3:17), what's the point?
When the High Holidays end with the closing of the gates at N'ilah on Yom Kippur, we American Jews tend to put away our sense of uncertainty about the future. Yet the same is not true in Israel, as the hot summer turns into what must be a rainy autumn. We may change our seasonal prayer for dew to a prayer for rain in the G'vurot section of the Amidah, but most of us are far removed from the repercussions of natural forces on human life in Israel and in much of the world.
Ecclesiastes allows us to connect with Israel on Sukkot in a visceral way. The emotional uncertainly remains, reinforced now by the uncontrollable physical power of nature. It puts us in our cosmic place, lest we be too complacent about the relative comfort and safety that we enjoy. "A lover of money never has his fill of money, nor a lover of wealth his fill of income. That too is futile," teaches the author. "A worker's sleep is sweet, whether he has much or little to eat; but the rich man's abundance doesn't let him sleep" (Ecclesiates 5:9, 11).
Ecclesiastes, with its theological challenges, thus seems a perfect fit for Sukkot and its mitzvot of physical challenges. Do we sleep sweetly in a sukkah or is it too hard to be away from the soft comfort of our own beds? Do we eat thankfully in a sukkah or are we put off by a little chill or a brief shower? Do we teach our children in the natural space of a sukkah or do we long for the regimentation of the classroom?
But when we try to move beyond creature comforts and make life more meaningful, the author finds, nothing seems to turn out as we plan. After all, we're just concluding our Torah reading cycle with Deuteronomy and its theology that God rewards the righteous and punishes the wicked. Kohelet doesn't see it. "A life with a strict correspondence between deed and consequence, virtue and reward, vice and punishment, would make sense," writes Michael V. Fox in the introduction to the JPS Bible Commentary: Ecclesiastes. "But Koheleth sees that this does not happen, and he is weighed down by the collapse of meaning, as revealed by the contradictions that pervade life."1 Thus does Kohelet see the world ultimately as hevel, pointless, futile, absurd.
Indeed, in the beginning, Kolelet asks: Mah yitron la-adam b'chol amalo, "What real value is there for a man in all the gains he makes?" (Ecclesiastes 1:3). The Soncino commentary to Ecclesiastes points out that the word yitron refers to "profit" – as in a surplus in a ledger – and appears nowhere else in Tanach. It suggests that Kohelet starts out with the wrong "criterion by which he tests the value of objects and experiences," 2 and that somehow he expects to be able to show a benefit to life like a profit on a balance sheet. But it seems to me that his is a rhetorical question for which he will build a response that is imperfect but acceptable.
As Fox notes, Kohelet finds no answer for life's absurdity; the best he can do is recommend accommodations to it: "Just as you do not know how the lifebreath passes into the limbs within the womb of the pregnant woman, so you cannot foresee the actions of God, who causes all things to happen. Sow your seed in the morning, and don't hold back your hand in the evening, since you don't know which is going to succeed" (Ecclesiastes 11:5-6).
Midrash Ecclesiastes Rabbah takes this to mean that we should make the most of every day, right to the end. The Rabbis give the examples of pursuing work, marriage, family, and the study of Torah, late in life as well as in youth – but we can apply the same principle to any pursuit. Live life to the fullest, they say, as though today might be your last and "sun and light and moon and stars grow dark" (Ecclesiastes 12:2).
Rather than a message of futility, this reads as a message of hope: Even if we cannot make sense of life in some grand cosmic sense, we can find purpose and satisfaction in the tasks of daily life. We can create, and we can share; we can heal, and we can love. Maybe it's not all that we would like, for as long as we would like. But God provides us with "a time for every experience under heaven" (Ecclesiastes 3:1).
Michael V. Fox, The JPS Bible Commentary: Ecclesiastes (Philadelphia: The Jewish Publication Society, 2004), p. 25
Rev. Dr. A. Cohen, ed., The Five Megilloth with Hebrew Text & English Translation (London: The Soncino Press, Ltd. 1996), p. 109
Rabbi Audrey R. Korotkin is the spiritual leader of Temple Beth Israel in Altoona, Pennsylvania, and a Ph.D. candidate in rabbinics at Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion, from which she was ordained in 1999.


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According to the Official ArenaNet GW2 Twitter Account, the first beta weekend open to the public (mainly to those who already pre-ordered) will be from April 27th to the 29th.
Pre-Orders for Guild Wars 2 started April 10th, and those who pre-order will have access to ALL beta weekends leading up to release, as well as a three day "head start" when retail launches. If you haven't already, go pre-order so you can check out the beta.
ArenaNet has a large number of "official retailers" who you can pre-order from to be eligible for the bonuses, as well as simply buying a digital version.
I think this is great to allow regular players to get hands on experience with the game they have been seeing for so long only through videos. Regular player impressions matter more to me than press impressions in terms of gauging how good the game will be. To be honest, a lot of the press beta weekend videos were hard to watch, as almost all of them appeared to be inexperienced at gaming in general, with slow reactions and the dreaded "skill clicking".
I won't be too hard on them however, as they serve a useful purpose in showing and explaining the game to those of us without access yet. Also, most of the "casters" get access because they are popular, and they are popular because they are fun/interesting/informative to listen to for the average gamer, rather than for their excellence in gaming.


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The Catalina 34 is the largest in Chris Craft's Catalina series and features a classic design combined with the latest technology. It's interesting to note that this Chris Craft was designed after taking into consideration feedback from our customers and dealers. The Catalina series was initially designed for the fishing boat market, but with the Catalina 34, Chris Craft turned it up a notch. The Catalina 34 is instead designed as a luxury center console that oozes glamour and sophistication.
With a fuel capacity of over 300 gallons, speeds in the lower 60 mph range, available as twin or triple engine combination, the Chris Craft Catalina 34 makes long-range excursions a breeze. The fiberglass transom door and the straight walk through from the swim platform, lends access to the cockpit, without moving seats and cushions. Dive access is provided through a door on the side of the hull that comes with a drop down boarding ladder. Ample seating is provided in the bow area and if family or friends are aboard, the sun pad can be converted into a lounge space replete, with arm rests and drink holders. Full of practical design features, the Catalina 34 has a self-draining cockpit. The classic deep-V hull and distinctive bow flair is synonymous with the Chris Craft brand.
The Catalina 34 is sure to make waves with a family that's looking forward to having a fun day on the water. The open cockpit features seating on both sides with extra foldout seating. The helm area on the Chris Craft Catalina 34, with its triple helm seats, is ergonomically designed to give you a heightened sense of control. The sport top, with a molded roof and pullout sunshade, ensures that you stay out of the sun. The live bait well, fish boxes and rod holders are only going to add convenience to your fishing trips. For an overnight weekend cruise, make use of the comfortable air-conditioned cabin and head. A hot and cold transom shower is also part of the standard equipment. Apart from luxury features, the Catalina 34 makes use of the best technology. The quality of fit and finish is evident in every detail on the Catalina 34.
The Chris Craft Catalina 34 provides a wonderful platform for entertainment and can accommodate up to 14 people. If entertainment for business or pleasure is your priority, then instead of the bait well, opt for a summer kitchen that includes a grill, microwave, 2 burner stove, refrigerator, icemaker and sink (in addition to storage shelves). The plush seating, aft teak table and fiberglass table in the bow, enhance the fine dining experience.
Crafted with perfection and designed for boating's pleasures, the Catalina 34 is a fishing boat, a sports boat and a family boat all rolled into one!
Visit the North East's # 1 Chris Craft Dealer's facility to take a closer look at the Catalina 34.


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PIQUA — "Salvation is Free; What will our walk cost us?"
With a mixture of memoir and reflection, author and lifelong Piqua resident Marsha Ball's first book, "Our Costs," is a reflective Bible study that draws from situations in her and her family's lives.
"I'm hoping that it will show people that you can show Jesus in normal everyday situations," Ball said. "It's nothing profound that you have to do. A lot of people think that they cannot minister other people unless they're on a pulpit."
According to Ball, Christians can live out their faith in their day-to-day interactions and experiences.
"You minister to other people in a negative or a positive way every day, you can show who Christ is in every situation," Ball said. "You don't have to be on a pulpilt, you don't have to be in a class … to affect people."
Ball has also spent over 16 years doing prison ministry through Freda Johnson Restorations Ministries.
"I started writing this book about five years (ago)," Ball said, explaining that different teachings she was doing in the prison ministry came together as a Bible study.
"Our Costs," released on Dec. 11, is broken up into three parts, including:
• Part I: Living up to the positions we possess
• Part II: Exemplifying four characteristics that portray Jesus Christ
• Part III: Allowing God's fruits to manifest in our lives
Before publishing the book, Ball had different focus groups read it, including both men and women with varying Christian denominations, ages, and occupations.
"It's not taught like by one denomination or one doctrine, it's just scripture," Ball said. "It's a non-denominational book."
According to Ball, people from 13 to 85 years old have read the book.
"I wanted to make sure that all of them could understand it and that it touched all of them," Ball said.
According to Ball, some of the responses in the focus groups have included calling her book "something that is needed, something that is helpful."
"Some people have already bought it to teach in their churches," Ball said.
For the first three months of Ball's sales, 100 percent of the proceeds will go toward medical bills for her mother.
"I want to use my book to help other people," Ball said.
Ball explained that she has a list of people that she wants to help using the proceeds of her book before she will use the profits on herself. "It's about getting the teaching out there and helping people," Ball said.
Ball explained that the experience of publishing her first book is both "exciting and scary" and that she is "anticipating … a lot of people being encouraged by it."
Ball has been writing since she attended Edison Community College, where she received a certificate after studying computer and business systems. Ball is currently working on her second book, which will also be a teaching book.
"Our Costs" can be bought on Amazon in both paperback and Kindle form, at CreateSpace's e-store, and by ordering it from Grace Christian. People also can buy "Our Costs" directly from Ball by emailing her at email@example.com.


text: The Redheads And The Brunettes. Protected: BREAKING NEWS TODAY:The Natural Red Haireds And The Natural Brunettes Are Back! This content is password protected. To view it please enter your password below: Password: 36.186967 -76.468871 Share this:TwitterFacebook Related Published by LaShandaFelton Van Heflin Is My Favorite Actor. View all posts by LaShandaFelton


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"A great dream with a bad team is nothing more than a nightmare." ( John C. Maxwell) I wake up early from a night of bombardment from this quote. I had a grand dream of the football field bountifully built with solid gold and I was the best ever goalkeeper but in the wrong team! At six o'clock sharp a guard escorts me to a virtual football training room. The colossal ex-cannibal footballers are there. My nerd-friend their football captain Romano is there though not allowed to play. A giant with a mouthful of gleaming teeth sticks his face close to mine and growls, "You will be our goal keeper!" So the nightmare comes true -I am in the wrong team!
The rule is that for each missed goal I will lose 25% of my share of gold if the Dronesville's team wins. If the ex-cannibal team wins, they will keep their field of gold, retain Romano and take me as a reserve for a new season. The king will play as goalkeeper for the Dronesville's team.
Whilst coaching this team of surprisingly very dexterous players in the virtual football game, my lightning-fast multitasking mind works on possible options. There is no option but to make this team lose for the sake of Romano's and my freedom. But I need to make sure that the ex-cannibals lose not more than one goal to cut my share of gold loss to the minimum 25%.
The English educated young nerd king about my age, well-versed with the latest technology is having a hilarious time online with the Dronesville's virtual football team, all former teachers retirees (ages between 65-85). They seem to love him (impressed by his perfect English) as their new goalie. Their former goalie my boss the English lord is unavailable in a mysterious undisclosed somewhere.
My Indy dad gives me good tips through the foldable plasma robot stuck to my chest. "Look boy, stop looking gloomy. It will be great fun, I promise you! Don't worry about your head."
"What's wrong with my head?" I ask. But my dad is offline. SiZu, my AI voice assistant answers, "Roasted heads were the ex-cannibals' favorite delicacy dish in olden days."
"I still can't understand. Why doesn't the king stop them occupying the gold field and holding a hostage?" I regret this question immediately as SiZu faithfully uploads the whole historical political and military situation of the country. Apparently the ex-cannibals are longstanding powerful allies of the king's family and he allows them autonomy in some matters.
When the clock strikes six at the great gold hall we are all ready to take our virtual position. The Dronesville's team members are online. My dad has installed the latest technology for them in Dronesville too. When the teams start playing it's truly fun for us the millennials. The holographic effect presents a virtual life show of the teams playing as if they are in the filed. The players are all dressed in their football gears. Dronesville in bright jade green and the ex-cannibals in bright orange.
The Dronesville's retirees have shrunk in sizes and are like children compared to their opponents. But they come out with a fabulous high school cheerleaders entourage duly dance and sing the Dronesville's song. The ex-cannibals too have their own cheer squad all wrapped in Tuareg coverings. Judging from their size, stomping dance and blood curdling chant they've got to be guys.
By now my nerd chat cronies are sniggering uncontrollably. One guy has the audacity to laugh aloud with his phone mike on! Yes, my dad links them up with interactive video live stream through the Dronesville's satellite as supporters.
Who I wonder will be the referees? Hahaha, who else but the two German-French high stakeholders in our prospected gold investment dressed in Tuareg? I don't know how they manage to persuade the king to agree. It's got to be my dad behind the deal. The Gen.Z kid dresses as a mascot for the ex-cannibals. The Dronesville's mascot dog Gracie does a cameo appearance holographically.
A crony who is overseas and misses the match asks me later and here is our conversation. How is the match? You are dying to know? Honestly I cannot put words to what happens that day. I have no recall of it after that disastrous event. You are not going to persuade me to remember. Why? Because I am subjective about it I cannot give you a fair description. The score? Zero for both sides. Look, why don't you listen to Gracie's report? She is a faithful unbiased observer. So, for those who miss the event here is The Dronesville's dog, Gracie's report.
(To be continued: by Gracie's report)


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Yesterday afternoon, I had the pleasure of hearing Maestro Herbert Blomstedt conduct symphonies by Beethoven and by Sibelius at the Walt Disney Concert Hall. The music was inspiring, soulful, and remarkable in that the conductor, who celebrated his 90th birthday in July 2017, is scheduled to conduct over 90 concerts this year. While Blomstedt initially struggled to step onto the conductor's deck, once there he soared for the next two hours as he passionately conducted while standing, with nary a score in sight. After the privilege of listening to Blomstedt's beautiful music, I was drawn to learn more about his ability to throw himself into life in such a grand manner. Whereas Blomstedt's physical longevity can be attributed to genetics or lifestyle, what interested me was his ability to continue leading a life full of meaning and passion. As I searched to learn more about this extraordinary man, I found two elements in his life that coincide with my previous research findings on how to integrate and maintain a sense of fulfillment and joy in later life: spirituality and human relationships.
Those who maintain meaningful lives in later life often draw sustenance from a spiritual connection, whether it be from organized religion or through activities that are infused with spirituality. For Blomstedt, this spiritual connection seems to be expressed through his religious practices. In a July 2017 interview with Spectrum Magazine, the interviewer depicts the real oasis in Blomstedt's life as the Sabbath. "Then the scores are set aside, and all his orchestra colleagues know that he wants to be in peace. He will be looking forward to visiting the nearest Adventist church wherever he is conducting, and where he is often given the privilege of preaching."1 For Blomstedt, "the Sabbath flows like a vibrant rhythm of life through his career."1
While Blomstedt's spiritual path runs through his faith, it is important for others to know that many roads lead to Rome. Spirituality can be found through all activities that are infused with a quality that takes people out of their mundane day-to-day existence and allows for something bigger to develop that reaches beyond themselves. For some, this might be nature or creative endeavors; for others, yoga or meditation. The paths are endless but the need is great.
Human Relationships
Human relationships are a fundamental building block in the pursuit of meaning-making in later life. Although Blomstedt's wife is no longer living and he has outlived many of his friends, he still makes time to connect with people on an intimate level. When speaking about his musical friends, he says, "When I stand before these amazing orchestras, it's like coming home to my family, my musical family. I work with them every year and they are wonderful musicians who give their very best."1 In addition to his musical family, Blomstedt speaks lovingly of his beloved family in Bergslagen. The family farm there is beautifully situated by a lake in the forest. "Blomstedt's youngest daughter, Kristina, and her family live in the house, so he is well taken care of when he gets there. He is able to spend three or four weeks there each summer, enjoying picking berries and mushrooms in the woods."[1]
Blomstedt hits all the right notes in finding meaning in later life. His life, ensconced in spirituality and human connection, allows him to thrive and share his art with us all. His path sheds a light on how to engage with life, even in our twilight years.


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I have begun another in the Old (Dead) Masters series. This is based on Henri Matisse's The Dance, which is another classic work that I love.
I think what I like best about this painting is the dancing, of course. I also love how their arms make a heart shape. I love the colors, red against cool blue and green. I love that they're naked. It's interesting that once I make them into skeletons, there won't be any way to tell what sex they are.
I did another version of this back when I was in college, but this is the first time I'm tackling it with skeletons. It's also the largest pastel I've ever done. Matisse's work was around a hundred inches tall by a hundred fifty inches wide. Mine will be 20 x 30″, only a fifth of the size of his. I think about how much canvas he covered and it makes me want to paint really big, too. I swear, before the end of the year, I will find a way to make something enormous-sized. I want to use my whole body to draw.
I'm going for the same primitive feel for my skellies as Matisse used in his painting, so trying to limit the detail. It's a lot of fun, as usual. Can skeletons ever not be fun?
Here's some progress shots. More to come, so stay tuned!
Want to see more? Sign up for Bone Appetit! and get the best of my blog every week, plus a printable card, just for joining my list!


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Colleges, universities, trade unions and the Scottish Government have agreed a united approach to protect Scotland from the worst effects of Brexit.
The joint statement sets out how they will press the UK government to reintroduce a Post Study Work Visa in Scotland,
Universities Scotland estimate that Scottish universities generate £11 billion gross value every year. The move by the further and higher education sectors aims to ensure that they can continue to contribute effectively. The sectors will pull together to safeguard Scotland's global reputation in the arenas of research, science and education, recognising the disproportionate impact Brexit will have on EU staff and students north of the border.
The statement – signed by Universities Scotland, Colleges Scotland, the UCU, Unison, the EIS, NUS Scotland, The Royal Society of Edinburgh and the Scottish Government – coincided with a Brexit summit at the University of Glasgow, organised by Further and Higher Education Minister, Richard Lochhead.
Mr Lochhead will join representatives from the sectors in Brussels and London in the coming weeks to press their case. He said: "Brexit is the single biggest risk to our colleges and universities, threatening the ability to attract and retain EU staff and students and continue vital research.
"I welcome this joint statement which, amid the current chaos, sends a clear, powerful message that colleges and universities will use their collective influence to press for much needed answers from the UK Government.
"We will also work to retain our historic links with our European partners and ensure they are in no doubt that Scotland continues to welcome EU citizens to study or work here."
Professor Andrea Nolan, Convener, Universities Scotland, said: "People have been top of our Brexit priorities since the referendum result came through. That's still the case, whether the UK Government gets a deal or not. More than 4,500 EU national staff in our universities have already had to endure two years of instability with their lives and careers put to the back of the queue.
"As Brexit reaches the final stages it is really important we continue to emphasise how much our staff and students matter to us and repeat the message that we'll keep working to secure the earliest guarantees of their rights.
"Europe is such an important partner for Scottish higher education and we want to secure the best possible ongoing relationship, whatever the outcome from Brexit. These relationships are central to the excellence of our higher education, bringing mutual and wider benefit to Scotland's society and economy."
Ken Milroy, Chair of Colleges Scotland, said: "We welcome the united approach from Scotland's tertiary education sector as the UK's withdrawal from the EU approaches. Collectively, we all share the same concerns and it is important that we continue to work closely together to mitigate the effects that Brexit will have on Scottish institutions, staff, students and the wider economy.
"The college sector is eager to ensure that whilst leaving the EU, we contribute to economic and individual prosperity by continuing to deliver high-quality and effective education and training to grow and maintain the skilled workforce required to increase Scotland's productivity."
The joint statement commits the organisations to work together to:
- Safeguard and strengthen Scotland's relationship with the rest of Europe
- Support Scotland as a destination of choice for international staff and students
- Call for clarity from the UK Government on future participation in the Erasmus+ programme
- Call on the UK Government to introduce a post study work route in Scotland to enable universities and colleges to continue to attract and retain talent
- Support Scottish universities in building on relationships and collaborate with European partners
- Call on the UK Government to make clear how, in the event of 'no deal', research will be supported and how the UK will fully participate in Horizon Europe
- Support the sustainability and competitiveness of Scotland's tertiary system
- Use their influence in Europe and beyond to ensure it is widely understood that Scotland remain open and welcoming to EU staff and students
- Do their utmost to continue to collaborate with our European partners
Scotland has proportionally more EU staff and students than the rest of the UK:
- Around nine per cent of all university students are EU domiciled, and 27 per cent of full time research staff are EU nationals.
- EU nationals accounted for more than 75,000 college enrolments between 2012 and 2017
On average, around 10 per cent of Scottish universities' research income comes from the EU. Scotland has benefited from 558 million euros from the Horizon 2020 programme, 64 million euros from the Erasmus programme, and an estimated £57 million of funding to our colleges from the European Social Fund.
The Scottish Government has already confirmed that eligible EU students currently studying in Scotland or starting a degree this year or next will continue to be eligible for free tuition.
* Read the joint statement on Leaving the European Union here [1]
* Scottish Government https://www.gov.scot/ [2]


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One of the many services GSG Protective Services provides is loss prevention for retail businesses. We go incognito in plain clothes and help identify shoplifters and other criminal activity within stores. Shoplifting is a major problem for retailers across the country, and it doesn't just affect their bottom lines; it overburdens the police, costs consumers more for the same goods, and costs communities dollars in lost tax sales. Here are some of the shocking statistics behind shoplifting and loss prevention.
The Profile of a Shoplifter
You might think that juveniles would be the most likely culprits to pilfer items from stores. According to the National Association for Shoplifting Prevention (or NASP), it's true that 55 percent of adult shoplifters started in their teens. But only 25 percent of shoplifters are kids, leaving 75 percent adults. On any given year, there are 27 million shoplifters in the United States (about 1 in 11 people), with more than ten million of these shoplifters being caught in the last five years. It gets worse unfortunately: shoplifters are caught an average of only once in every 48 times they steal, and only half of those caught are turned over to police. That makes for a lot of repeat offenders, especially when 57 percent of adults and 33 percent of juveniles who get caught say it's hard for them to quit even after they've been caught. Drug addicts who become addicted to shoplifting say its just as addictive as the drugs.
Consequences of Theft
According to the National Retail Federation, in total, inventory shrink cost the US retail industry $48.9 billion in 2017, with 36.5 percent of shrink coming from external sources (i.e. shoplifting). The cost average for a shoplifting incident in 2015 was $377 and has only increased since then.
At the same time, however, in the same survey by the NRF, it was shown that grocery stores allocate only 0.36 percent to reducing shrinkage. If you're truly looking to reduce shrinkage in your retail space from sources both in and out, consider using the services of GSG Protective Services. As an outside source, we can give your business a fresh set of eyes when it comes to protecting your inventory and assets. It's worth every penny; contact us today.


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Taylor Swift's Eight-Second White Noise Song Shoots to No. 1by Michelle McGahan | PopCrush
Undeniable proof that Swifties go hard: An eight-second track from Taylor Swift's upcoming '1989' that contains nothing but static was accidentally released on iTunes yesterday — and it quickly hit No. 1 on Canadian iTunes.
Here's how it went down: Last night (Oct. 21), as soon as Swifties realized that 'Track 3′ was available for purchase, they immediately began freaking out and downloading the track — regardless of the fact that it was just eight seconds of white noise and the release was apparently the result of an iTunes glitch.
According to CBC News, the track quickly rose to the top of the charts on Canadian iTunes, though it is no longer available for purchase. Of course, only Taylor Swift could release an eight-second track of nothing and have hit shoot straight to No. 1.
Fear not, Swifties: In just five days, we'll know the real 'Track 3′ — and until then, we'll just sit here jamming to 'Shake It Off,' 'Out of the Woods' and 'Welcome to New York.'
See Taylor Swift + More Stars' Dramatic Haircuts


text: 11 May 2015 June Marion KARANGIS by Funeral | posted in: News | 0 KARANGIS, June Marion Passed away peacefully May 9 2015, Aged 93 years. Much Loved Mother and Mother-in-Law of Ramon and Julie, and treasured Grandmother of Stephanie and Domenic. "Sadly Missed" A funeral service to celebrate June's life will be held at Integrity Chapel, 18 Tonga Place, Parkwood, on Thursday 14 May commencing at 11.00am


text: Josh Loebner Voice Network Badge Voice Network contributor, an ongoing writer for our guest opinion column. Opinion Contributor Josh Loebner serves as director of strategy at Designsensory, a Knoxville, T.N.-based advertising agency, and authors the blog advertisinganddisability.com. He is earning his Ph.D. from Clemson University in rhetorics, communication and information design, focusing on advertising and disability, and serves on the City of Knoxville Mayor's Council on Disability Issues. Josh is the recipient of the American Advertising Federation's Silver Medal for efforts toward greater inclusion of people with disabilities in advertising. He is partially blind and visually impaired, but he always clearly sees the best in everyone. Voice 5 Ways to Make Job Interviews Less Awkward and More Accessible Look beyond diversity and inclusion quotas. Voice Agencies Need to Implement Accessibility Measures When Designing Websites Going beyond just meeting ADA compliance. Voice Agencies Need to Better Connect Disability With Diversity and Inclusion Efforts Rather than only thinking about it during the Paralympics.