text:
The Cultivation of Wisdom and Well-Being, Installment 1: Mindfulness and Meta-Cognition
Welcome to the first post dedicated to wisdom, one of the intended pillars of this blog. This posting is the first of a series of posts addressing posited pillars of wisdom and well-being, including mindfulness and meta-cognition, process orientation, egolessness and openess. Mindfulness and meta-cognition will be the subject of this first installment, with major sub-units being meditation and Cognitive Behavioural Therapy. Notice to Skeptics: Neither this nor any other of my writings on wisdom or anything else will involve the endorsement of faith.
Wisdom has been considered to involve many facets. Within the web of different dimensions stemming from different intellectual approaches to wisdom lie certain core features. I suspect that most thinkers would consider the core basis of wisdom to be the ability to live a life of joy, love, compassion, serenity and growth, in which such states as envy, hate, and anxiety are minimized in the long run. I argue that mindfulness and meta-cognition, process orientation and openness are key to living this type of life.
Mindfulness is present moment orientation. Rather than being occupied by memories, planning or fantasy, one's attention is right here right now. One is attentive to what is happening around them and in their own mind. Being mindful allows one to be discerning and adaptive in a given situation. Most important for wisdom, as far as I can tell in my still relatively early stages of consideration, is awareness of one's thoughts, beliefs, assumptions, goals and emotions. While many of us would assume that we are pretty in touch with ourselves, many of us are often far less in touch than we think we are. Many of us are compulsively mindless. We are constantly engaged in thought decoupled from the present moment—and the thought is often so pointless and trivial as to merit airtime on a sitcom like Seinfeld which plays on, among other things, the common tendency of people to ruminate over the most mundane and senseless minutia of everyday life. While we engage in extensive thought and consistently experience an emotional tone (or mood), we often fail to engage in meta-cognition, which is directed awareness and examination of our thoughts, beliefs, assumptions, goals and emotions. Our tendency to engage in extensive talkative thought, to hold beliefs, and make countless unconscious assumptions, while at the same time engaging in comparatively little thought about thought is a major source of psychological discord.
Clinical psychologists have found that people suffering from anxiety and depression are constantly having negative thoughts, holding self-defeating beliefs, and making similarly destructive assumptions. What's more, these negative cognitions are very frequently irrational. What's even more is that these negative cognitions are occurring automatically and often unbeknownst to the "thinker" (given the automaticity and frequent obliviousness of the individual, it seems in a sense incorrect to attribute agency in this case). Given the automaticity of these self-defeating thoughts, they have been dubbed "automatic thoughts". Based on the realization that destructive thinking in persons with mood disorders tends to be irrational, automatic, and often of limited salience, the highly successful school of psychotherapy known as Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) was established.
In CBT, the individual begins to pay more attention to their own thinking. When they notice an automatic negative thought, their task is to write it down and to rationally analyze it. They consider the thought, asking what the evidence for and against it is, and play the role of judge in determining the thought's validity. Very frequently they will find that their thought was either an exaggeration or just plain wrong. By engaging in this practice over the course of weeks and months, individuals have been shown to experience substantial improvements to their sense of well-being.
Another component of CBT is a Socratic method in which one attempts to address a regular pattern of their thinking. For instance, a person might feel compulsively nervous about their academic performance. In this case the person would engage in a sort of back-and-forth written conversation with them self, such as:
"I'm so scared that I won't do well in school this year."
"Why would it be bad if I didn't do good in school this year?"
"Because it would lower my GPA and thereby lower my chances of admission to medical school."
"And if you didn't get into medical school why would that be so bad?"
"Because if I don't get into medical school I'll never be happy and all of my hard work and sacrifice will have been a waste."
"And why will you never be happy and why will your hard work have been a waste?"
"Because I need to be high in status to feel good about myself and that's the reason I've been working so hard for so long."
Now look at that. This is what is lying at the bottom of this person's anxiety. How could they not be anxious? As far as their concerned, their entire future and the value of their past is hinging on them performing at a level that 99% of people do not achieve. And what's more, they are holding the belief that their purpose in life and the primary source of their happiness and drive is to be put on a pedestal by others. Are either of these cognitive dispositions healthy? If you knew nothing else about this person but these core beliefs, would you assume that this is a happy person?
Now that these core belief have been identified they can be assessed. Is impressing others a healthy primary life drive? Is it likely to give me a sense of enduring secure fulfillment? Do I have to live this way? What are the pros and cons of doing so? What areas of my life have I been ignoring? Friends, family, hobbies? Is there more to life than being exalted, and if so, what? Might I be better off to branch into a few more fields of fulfillment?
It is not uncommon for people to hold self-destructive goals and concepts of what really matters. What really matters, presumably, is to live a good enjoyable life. How many of us frequently fail to be mindful of this all important biggest-picture ultimate goal? It is also not uncommon for people to make snap self-defeating judgments and self-assessments on a daily basis, such as assuming that a person who didn't say "hi" to them didn't like them, and further assuming that this is something of substantial importance, and that there is value in ruminating over it.
Part of being mindful is about being aware of our thoughts, our goals, our core beliefs, our assumptions and our emotions. The wise individual strives to be aware of these cognitive structures and to assess them in the context of the big picture: is this really worth worrying about? The wise individual strives to leave no premise unquestioned, and does not assume that their current beliefs and values are necessarily the most adaptive one's to hold.
How do we promote mindfulness? We've already discussed CBT, which is a valuable tool for anyone, not just people seeking formal mental health treatment. Mindfulness meditation is another very effective approach to mindfulness, as one would hope given the name. Meditation is a structured approach to cultivating present-moment orientation. I won't go into any of the specifics, but essentially what meditation entails is striving to maintain one's attention on the present moment by anchoring it to something that is happening right now. A common method is to localize one's attention to the lower abdomen, following the breath in and out. In practicing meditation one will quickly notice a few things. Firstly, it is impossible to silence internal monologue for more than a few seconds at first. These thoughts constantly pop up out of nowhere, despite one's efforts at vigilance (Side note: when meditating, do not take the punitive role of the drill sargent, getting upset at yourself for having a wondering mind. Rather, approach meditation as a calm activity of listening. When you notice yourself in distraction just notice is it and go back to the breath. That you noticed it is in itself an act of mindfulness and is a good thing. Relax, stay in the moment and be happy that you're becoming more aware of your thoughts as thoughts). The second lesson stems from the first: we don't will each of our thoughts. Much of our thinking bubbles up out of the unconscious, rather than being deliberately constructed.
By engaging in meditation on a regular basis you will become better and better at staying in the moment and being aware of your thinking, both in meditation and in daily activity. Meditation has been shown to improve psychological well-being, to lower stress, and to also promote improved healing in various somatic (bodily) conditions. It will also be a boon to performance in tasks requiring sustained focus (e.g., sports).
Lastly, as you might have guessed, meditation and CBT make a great combination for promoting wisdom, well-being and alleviating duress. Because meditation promotes enhanced meta-cognition, it facilitates the first step in CBT: identifying automatic thoughts. And CBT, by focusing on automatic negative thoughts, makes these thoughts more easily detected in meditation and in daily living. The synergistic approach is often referred to as Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT).
The science behind MBCT is very supportive. For a quick review, see the Wikipedia entry. CBT is the most studied and trusted approach to psychotherapy used in the West and mindfulness meditation is now employed at hundreds of major Western World medical facilities.
Comments19 Responses to "The Cultivation of Wisdom and Well-Being, Installment 1: Mindfulness and Meta-Cognition"
Thank you for this, Ron! I think as skeptics, we need to be careful not to dismiss everything about religions. For example, tools, such as mindfulness meditation, can be very useful even outside of the context of religion, in the case Buddhism. I think MBCT is an attempt to secularize mindfulness meditation, which I think is a step in the right direction. I have found, however, that it is very difficult to practice meditation outside of the Buddhist context – at least if you want to practice with others, the options seem to be limited to Buddhist groups. And then – at least in my experience – you get the whole Buddhist religion with it. After all, mindfulness meditation was originated as a way to overcome the cycle of rebirth and reach nirvana.
So, as skeptics and meditators, I think we need to put a claim on this tool without the package (as I like to put it "no hungry ghosts required"). Just because we find mindfulness meditation useful does not mean that we have to believe the Buddha really existed or that the Four Noble Truths are really true (I have a post on my blog about the Second Noble Truth, where I attempt to show that it missed a few causes of suffering).
The other task in the wisdom area for us skeptics is, I believe, for us to offer new answers to the meaning question. I argue in one of my posts that religion (and spirituality) are attempts to answer the question of the meaning of life. However, these answers are – as we know – steeped in myths and require faith in fairy tales. I would love it if we could dialog about that a bit… I think that you've started something really important here: we have to get out of the religion bashing and start offering attractive alternatives (me included 😉 – as you allude, it's easier to bash…)
Good job, L. Ron, with your post on wisdom and mindfulness! I just ran across your blog today. I am a psychologist who teaches and uses mindfulness-based interventions in a variety of contexts. I hope you will write more about mindfulness and Buddhist thought on this blog!
And I enthusiastically second your recommendation of Pema Chodron's book, "Places That Scare You"; another wonderful one is "When Things Fall Apart."
Enjoy the post and will read the 2 books recommended. You may also enjoy "Awareness" by A. Demello if you haven't already read it. I did my dissertation on mindfulness do it is a topic near and dear to me.
exellent conspt keep on feeding us
Hi to every body, it's my first go to see of this webpage; this webpage includes amazing and actually excellent information in favor of readers.
Thanks for this post, I am a big fan of this internet site would like to go on updated.
Along with coming from the twelve.
I wish there were more such blogs.
A lot of of the opinions on this particular site dont make sense.
Muchos Gracias for your blog post.Thanks Again.
certainly like your web-site but you need to check the spelling on quite a few of your posts. Many of them are rife with spelling problems and I find it very bothersome to tell the truth nevertheless I will surely come back again.
This content is great, I obtained the concept!
TrackbacksCheck out what others are saying...
[…] recently found a couple of good discussions of mindfulness including a general mindfulness discussion and a skeptic's approach in The Frame Problem blog. Posted by nunya Filed in […]
[…] Brown presents The Cultivation of Wisdom and Well-Being, Installment 1: Mindfulness and Meta-Cognition « The Frame… posted at The Frame […]


text:
Karnataka BJP president quits
Ahead of coming assembly polls due in May, Karnataka BJP chief KS Eshwarappa on Thursday announced that he has resigned from the post.india Updated: Mar 08, 2013 00:39 IST
In a swift political development, Karnataka deputy CM KS Eshwarappa resigned from the state BJP president's post on Thursday.
Eshwarappa's sent his resignation to party president Rajnath Singh within hours of the urban civic body polls. The deputy CM said he wanted to abide by the one-person-one-post concept, which he had not been able to follow because of fluid political developments.
"There was no pressure on me to resign." Senior BJP leader Arun Jaitley, who is expected in Bangalore on Friday, may discuss the leadership issue.

subset: commoncrawl


text:
I'm having trouble with my data displaying in the app. While I'm in edit mode, I can see the data, but when I click on the play mode, it says "no item to display".
Thanks for your help!
Solved! Go to Solution.
Hi @clarab can you review the above replies and update the thread if they were helpful?
Thank you,
What is your items property set to for the form you are trying to display?
Hi @clarab,
Can you please make sure that you have something on your Item.
Select the form on the left side of the screen.
Use the pull down menu near the top left of your screen to select ITEM
In the function box, type in:
Defaults(List Name/ Date Source)
Hi @clarab ,
Please check your form's mode.
The form's mode is edit by default.
In this mode, the form will display the form's item. If you haven't set the form's item, it will show "no item to display".
If you set the form's mode to new.
In this mode, the form will display a new form of empty value. But when you submit the form successfully, the form's mode will change back to edit, then the form will display its item. If you haven't set the form's item, it will show "no item to display".
So I recommend you set the form's DefaultMode: New
You could also use this formula to change the form's mode:
Here's a doc for your reference:
Best regards,
Community Support Team _ Phoebe Liu
Hi @clarab can you review the above replies and update the thread if they were helpful?
Thank you,
Thank you, everyone! I had my item as blank so I just needed to enter the name of the data file and it displayed it!
Watch Microsoft Business Applications Summit sessions on-demand.
The time has come: We are finally able to share more details on the brand-new ranks coming to the Power Apps Community!
Features releasing from April 2020 through September 2020


text:
This year began for Lloyd's with the positive news that the market's ability to accept premiums had risen by £1 billion to £11 billion – the largest year-on-year increase since 1993/4.
Capacity is in many ways a measure of the sentiment of the market's capital providers – although clearly other economic factors affect its movements. But in general terms, the more promising the market's prospects for the year in question, the more attractive the proposition of committing capital to Lloyd's becomes. Clearly 2001, with its improving rates across most sectors, is a year in which capital providers are showing markedly greater confidence than for some time.
Yet while the market's prospects are to a large extent in the hands of global economic and meteorological cycles, the effects of those cycles can be amplified or dampened by a range of factors closer to home. Operating a business at Lloyd's means leveraging the market's global franchise, its trading licences and brand. But it has traditionally also meant meeting a number of costs associated with the Lloyd's market's mutual nature – the central security fund, entry costs, costs resulting from the 1996 Reconstruction & Renewal (R&R) settlement, and the running of the Corporation of Lloyd's.
At the market level, we have been driving forward an agenda for the modernisation and increased competitiveness of Lloyd's. Technologies and processing systems which form the market's underlying infrastructure are being revamped, and the fixed costs for the market businesses are being reduced with the syndicated loan that helped to finance R&R due to be paid off by the end of this year, removing the burden created by the market's problems of the late 1980s and early 1990s.
The aim of this activity is clear to us: to create the best possible environment inside which the Lloyd's businesses can operate and compete with more conventional insurers and reinsurers. We may not be able to control the world's economic fortunes, but we can have a significant influence on the trading potential of Lloyd's businesses by crafting the right regulatory and fiscal framework. Setting and maintaining high standards in every aspect of what we do will be a critical priority in 2001.
During the coming year, there are a number of key projects that will contribute to the transformation of our environment. Probably the most significant of these is the LMP2001 initiative to modernise the entire London insurance market. Last December, the process of market participants being asked to sign up on a voluntary basis to the IUA/Lloyd's Forum's proposals began. These proposals are designed to re-engineer the way in which the market does business. Issues such as policy production, claims handling, slip design and premium payment all fall within its remit. This work will have the effect of bringing the market into line with the best insurers in the world, allowing it to function at the speed of the fastest rather than the present situation where it tends to be dragged back by the slowest. Going hand-in-hand with the modernisation of standards is the proposed joint venture to create a new single, unified service provider for the entire London market. The result will be a more customer-friendly London, retaining its existing business while attracting new clients and brokers from around the globe. Another major innovation at Lloyd's is the work to transform the lloyds.com website from a standard information site into a virtual trading portal for brokers. By registering with the site, intermediaries will be able to receive detailed information on cover available from the Lloyd's market, get quotes and transact business. The site will provide virtually instant access to Lloyd's for accredited brokers around the world, making the market an increasingly attractive option.
The new lloyds.com complements the opening up of broker access to the market announced last year. This means that from the beginning of this year, non-UK brokers have been able to apply for direct access to the market in a manner that has never been open to them before. Applications are already arriving, and the first new accredited brokers are expected to be appointed this spring. The move will make Lloyd's considerably more accessible.
These are examples of the type of activity now taking place at Lloyd's. There is a sense of gathering momentum about the market today as rates harden and the initiatives outlined above are implemented. Market sentiment is clearly on the turn, but we must also move the market itself – move it towards a more competitive, more customer-focused proposition. Our vision is of a market containing strong, well-managed increasingly independent businesses, operating to high standards, harnessing new technology and benefiting from a strong Lloyd's franchise to compete in the global insurance market. This year must – and will – see the Lloyd's market move forward.


text:
Sunday, 18 January 2009
A state-run banking sector...
Now, as other have pointed out, the banking system always ultimately has the state as a back-up. But in today's UK the state is heavily involved in many aspects of what banks would normally be expected to do. This ranges from mortage product design (the idea of allowing people payment holidays), to lending policy, to valuation of toxic assets, to deciding on key senior bank personnel. How much further would outright nationalisation (though with the likes of HSBC and Standard Chartered presumably staying independent) really push things?
People will argue that the state will lack the skills to run banks effectively but a) I don't think HMT is going to avoid drawing on experienced private sector people to make a political point and b) anyway, look at where we got to leaving private sector genius to itself - a system that has almost destroyed itself. So we are in the bizarre situation now where what would have been regarded as a far left fantasy (a socialised banking system) is looking not only a possibility, but also an outcome which many 'reasonable' people would consider a fair one.
As I've argued a bit before, this kind of shift has serious implications in other areas. I'm already busily arguing with various people that if we have this level of radicalism in economic policy, why pussyfoot around in financial reform. For example, in the bit of the world that I inhabit the idea that shareholders are the primary constituency to be considered in corporate governance has been dominant for a very long time. But given the many flaws in an approach based solely on this way of looking at things, surely the current environment will see this reappraised? This is one of those times where you try and drag the boundaries of debate as far as possible in your direction.
6 comments:
- Charlie Marks said...
That last para is spot on.
If there is wholesale nationalisation, the point should not be to eventually return it to the market, business as usual, but to have cooperative, democratic forms of ownership.
If the staff at Northern Rock had any say in the matter, I doubt they'd've bet their jobs on getting invovled in financial jiggery-pokery that the most intelligent folk struggle to explain...
- 19 January 2009 at 02:02
- Tom Powdrill said...
didi you see the Willem Buiter bit on nationalisation recently? he reckoned the whole lot (including Barclays and HSBC) could be nationalised by the end of the year.
- 21 January 2009 at 22:58
- Steven_L said...
A lot of them wouldn't have had their jobs n the first place without the jiggery pokery that fuelled the lending growth.
I bet a lot of them got involved in the joggery pokery in person, by buying into the housing bubble themselves.
It's unreasonable on one hand to blame the lack of foresight on the part of the bankers for everything that has come to pass, then on the other remove the consumer from blame entirely because the bankers should have known better.
If you ask me, the main threat to the world is that the herd mentality becomes nationalistic and protectionist to the extreme, threatening armed conflict over who owes who what.
- 22 January 2009 at 01:03
- Tom Powdrill said...
"A lot of them wouldn't have had their jobs n the first place without the jiggery pokery that fuelled the lending growth."
I'm not sure that's right. A lot of them would have been employed in the mortgage business regardless of whether there was a bubble or not.
And I wonder if the actual jiggery-pokery (if we're talking about things likes the banks deciding to take a punt on the housing market, getting involved in the mortgage-backed securities market etc) actually accounts for that much employment in the banking sector as a whole, compared to all the basic admin stuff.
I agree consumers ought to hold their hands up too.
- 22 January 2009 at 08:11
- Charlie Marks said...
If Northern Rock staff got involved in the housing market, who can blame them? This was after all the way forward offered up by successive governments - "Workers of the world, untie! You have nothing to lose but your investment in your home!"
The unusual Tory historian (unusual Tory, that is: he's Scottish) Niall Ferguson pointed out that mass participation in the housing market, while unsound as a sustainable economic policy (the bubble! could've been a horror movie with Steve McQueen!) it provided what he called "a constituency for capitalism".
I recall one New Labour figure justifying capitulation to the Thatcher (counter-)Revolution from an electoralist perspective. I wonder now if that hasn't completely reversed - note that Cameron is warning his lot to be "progressive" through this recession (http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/7845331.stm) whilst keeping up the attacks on state intervention / pinning the blame on GB as if he was the central planner (in a free market economy!)
- 23 January 2009 at 03:55
- 23 April 2009 at 11:52


text:
- "Bohemia in the Tropics"
- "production stills"
- Alan Rusbridger
- archival footage
- archival images
- Big Pine Key
- business
- business press
- Caribbean
- Dan Conover
- digital
- documentary
- Ernest Hemingway
- Escape to Dreamland
- Florida
- Florida Footage
- Florida history
- Florida Straits
- Gore Vidal
- Henry Flagler
- Hipstamatic
- history
- Hollywood
- Hollywood Beach
- Indian River
- iPad
- iPhone
- James Leo Herlihy
- Jay Rosen
- Jeff Jarvis
- Jim Brady
- Jimmy Buffett
- John Patton
- John Temple
- journalism
- Key West
- Key West Literary Seminar
- Knockemdown Productions
- Lewis DVorkin
- Miami
- new media
- newspapers
- New York Times
- Nieman
- on the road
- Overseas Highway
- ProPublica
- Richard Florida
- Russell Banks
- sailing
- Social Media
- St. Augustine
- Stories from the Overseas Highway
- Tennessee Williams
- The Gulfstream
- the keys
- thoughtful structures
- Tim Long
- Tourism
- travel
- U.S. historic highway
- U.S. historic road
- U.S. One
- Vadim Lavrusik
- video
- web journalism
- West Palm Beach
- YouTube
Monthly Archives: December 2009
Pew: The New News Audience
From the folks at the Pew Research Center, here is their: "12 Ways the consumer has changed in the digital age." Among the findings: Americans are losing faith in the print and TV story, they're shifting to the Web to … Continue reading
Posted in 1 Tagged business, digital, journalism, new media Leave a comment
Rosen & Shirky from "Journalism Primary Sources"
Here's the first in a series of fascinating conversations between NYU's Jay Rosen and Clay Shirky, author of "Here Comes Everybody" on the future of journalism in the digital age:
Shafer: Digital Tablets Won't Save Magazines & Newspapers
In Jack Shafer's piece on Slate, he compares today's digital tablets with CD-ROMs of the nineties, and says: "As publishers create tablet formats and iPhone apps, they vow they won't repeat the mistake they made with the Web by giving … Continue reading
Herb Gold. A real gentleman.
During production for our new documentary about Key West, "Bohemia in the Tropics," we flew to San Francisco to interview Herb Gold, author of the book "Bohemia: Where Art, Angst, Love and Strong Coffee Meet." Now in his eighties, Gold … Continue reading
Posted in 1 Tagged "Bohemia in the Tropics", "production stills", documentary 1 Comment
Virgin Islands National Park
Knockemdown photos of Virgin Islands National Park on the island of St. John will be featured in the winter newsletter of the National Parks Conservation Association.
Posted in 1 Tagged adventure, at sea, Caribbean, linkedin, National Parks, sailing, Tourism, travel, Virgin Islands Leave a comment
NY Times & Digital Integration
From Editor Bill Keller's speech at the Nieman Lab in Oct. to the NY Times digital group: See more Nieman Journalism Lab videos here: http://vimeo.com/7166514
Nieman Foundation Reports on Social Media
From the Nieman report, "Digital Media's Key to Success": Value comes from providing people with the ability to interact and in finding ways to spur more and better content in partnership with community members. See a full list of reports … Continue reading
NewBizNews Conference Videos
Click here and scroll down to see presentation videos on hyperlocal news sites: http://newsinnovation.com/
New Biz Models for News
From Jeff Jarvis' blog: http://www.buzzmachine.com/2009/12/07/the-near-future/
Posted in 1 Leave a comment
On The Future of Journalism
From Columbia Journalism Review: The Reconstruction of American Journalism http://www.cjr.org/reconstruction/the_reconstruction_of_american.php NYT R&D guy Nick Bilton on the future of storytelling: http://blog.metaprinter.com/2009/03/nick-bilton-keynote-oreilly-tools-of-change-2009/
Posted in 1 Leave a comment


text:
Are you a teacher and have a group of co-workers that would want to travel together next Spring or Summer? Don't know how to start and need help coordinating the trip?
Let me help. As an experienced teacher I understand that you have two months off in the summer, but that often doesn't mean that you'll get paid for those months that you're off.
Traveling is a good way to relax and unwind, but only if you can stretch and already limited salary.
How about a cruise getaway? Would you like your (berth) bed on board to be free? If we can work together and organize enough people I can help you get the cost of your berth for free and possibly throw in some extra perks for the group.
Inquires are welcome at no obligation. Contact me at firstname.lastname@example.com or http://www.sweettravelgroup.com


text:
Paulo Dybala scored a hat-trick as Juventus beat Swiss side Young Boys in the Champions League to register the club's best ever start to a season.
Dybala struck twice in the first half for Juve, who were without the suspended Cristiano Ronaldo.
The win leaves them with six points in Group H while group stage debutants Young Boys have yet to pick up a point or score a goal after losing both games 3-0 - a stark contrast to their Swiss league record of nine straight wins.
The Argentine striker, 24, completed his treble on 69 minutes to make it nine straight wins in all competitions.
That took the Italian champions past their previous best start of eight wins in 1930-31.
Juve won their first nine games as they won Serie A in 2005-06 but were subsequently stripped of the title for match-fixing.
Having won 2-0 at Valencia in their opening Group H game, they are now two points clear of Manchester United, who they face in their next two group games.
Dybala steps out of Ronaldo's shadow
Juventus have won the Italian league for the past seven seasons, but Champions League success has just eluded them, beaten in the final in 2015 and 2017.
They lured Ronaldo from Real Madrid in the summer hoping to become European champions for the first time since 1996 and they have looked even stronger with the Portuguese forward on board.
But they also look impressive without him, with Dybala showing that Massimiliano Allegri's men will not necessarily have to rely on the Portuguese to lead them to European glory this season.
Their winning start never came under serious threat on Tuesday.
Dybala opened the scoring inside five minutes, scoring with a fine first-time volley after being picked out by Leonardo Bonucci's pinpoint diagonal ball from just inside the Young Boys half.
He then missed a far easier chance from Federico Bernardeschi's square-ball, sidefooting straight at David von Ballmoos, but he made no mistake on 33 minutes, converting the rebound after Blaise Matuidi's 20-yard strike was parried by Von Ballmoos.
The Argentine hit a post from Bernardeschi's lay-off just after half-time before having a strong penalty appeal turned down, but he was not to be denied his hat-trick as he tapped in from close range after Juan Cuadrado turned a cross back across goal.
Young Boys' only effort on target was a shot that was deflected wide on 61 minutes, and they had Mohamed Ali Camara sent off for a second bookable offence, and if Juve look this comfortable without Ronaldo, it bodes well for their bid to land a third European crown.
Courtesy: BBC
VOL. 13 No. 16, April.17, 2020( Baisakh 05, 2077) Publisher: Keshab Prasad Poudel Online Register Number: DOI 584/074-75
VOL. 13 No. 15,April.03-,16 2020( Chaitra 21, 2076) Publisher: Keshab Prasad Poudel Online Register Number: DOI 584/074-75
VOL. 13 No. 14,Mar.13-April.02,2020(Falgun.30, 2076) Publisher: Keshab Prasad Poudel Online Register Number: DOI 584/074-75


text:
The first round is always unpredictable, but this is ridiculous: the top 4 seeds make it through in the East, while the top 4 seeds in the West are eliminated. No one could have drawn up that scenario.
The biggest shock for me was Calgary losing to Anaheim...nothing against the Ducks, but the Flames looked good even after stretching the series to 7 games. With the other top seeds out, the Flames had a golden opportunity and squandered it.
Here's a quick look at each series, complete with predictions from yours truly:
Ottawa vs. Buffalo - This will be far and away the most exciting second round matchup. Both teams can score in bunches and are fun to watch. I really, really want to pick the Sabres in this one, but the Senators are...oh what the hell, I'm picking the Sabres. In six. I must be nuts.
Carolina vs. New Jersey - In previous years, this matchup would have been a snoozer. But both the Canes and Devils have pretty good offenses. I like the Canes a lot, but Jersey is just too hot to go against, especially with Brodeur in net. Carolina can gain the advantage in this series by winning Game 1, just to break the Devils' ridiculous winning streak and to cast a shadow of doubt. If they drop the first two again like they did in Montreal, there won't be another comeback. So either the Canes in six, or the Devils in five. Everything hinges on the first two games.
Edmonton vs. San Jose - I must say, I am impressed with the Oilers. I didn't expect them to even challenge Detroit, who decided to revert to their usual we-absolutely-suck-in-the-playoffs form. I thought that schtick would be over with Babcock behind the bench, but evidently not. Of course I had three Red Wings in my office hockey pool, which pretty much ends my chances already. So I'm both bitter and grudgingly impressed at the same time. All this being said, the Sharks are my favourite team in the Western Conference, and I think they take this series. This team was scary even while they were floundering in 10th and 11th a few months back. I remember looking at the standings and at the team's recent record and thought: How are these guys not in the playoffs yet? What do they have to do? They kept up their torrid pace and finished 5th, to which I thought: That's better. San Jose has three huge performers in Thornton, Cheechoo and Marleau, and Edmonton won't be able to stop all three of them. Sharks in six.
Anaheim vs. Colorado - Two teams I didn't even think would make the playoffs are suddenly facing each other in the second round. Give credit to Anaheim for outdefending the best defensive team in the league in Calgary. The Avs meanwhile laid a whupping on Dallas, who looked listless and uninspired the whole series. I had no feelings for the Stars coming into the postseason, and I'm glad I don't have to waste time creating any. I'm gonna give this series to the Ducks, solely on the fact that they already beat a team vastly superior to Colorado in the first round. Six games oughta do it.
Early Stanley Cup matchup: San Jose vs. Buffalo. I would watch every minute of those finals.
One final playoff thought: take a look at the starting 8 goalies in the second round...there's one big name in the bunch, and that's Marty Brodeur. Theodore is a borderline big name, and then you've got Ray Emery, Ryan Miller, Cam Ward, Dwayne Roloson, Vesa Toskala, and Ilya Brzygalov. Every single one of these guys was an afterthought going into the season, except maybe Miller, who got hurt at the beginning anyway. In my fantasy hockey leagues I seriously devalued all but a handful of goalies, because nobody knew what the scoring was going to be like, or which goalies would adjust to the new rules and equipment. I figured a bunch of no-namers would come to the forefront, and unfortunately it took until the playoffs for that notion to be correct.
Oh well...second round, here we come.
Thursday, May 04, 2006
No comments:
Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom)


text:
Brad Jones has found plenty of positives to carry into next week's Castrol Gold Coast 600, despite a gut-wrenching outing at Mount Panorama.
Showing strong pace – as the Brad Jones Racing Commodores often do at the Supercheap Auto Bathurst 1000 – BJR has still been unable to crack its Bathurst duck after all three cars were struck with issues.
The Freightliner entry shared by Tim Slade and Ash Walsh were the front-runners for the squad, qualifying fifth and running second before a pit stop went awry just 54 laps into the 161-lap marathon. Flames shot from the front right tyre during a botched brake pad change, which meant the entry dropped two laps. Safety cars helped the speedy Freightliner Commodore get back on the lead lap and ultimately finish an impressive seventh.
Jones is proud of the result, which he labelled "a fantastic recovery" and believes it has helped the team bond and focus on what is still to come from the BJR outfit.
"I feel we were in a position where we could've fought for a podium at worse, maybe a win and it didn't work out like that," Jones told supercars.com.
"We've been up here plenty of times and had the same sort of result – we had good pace, it just didn't fall our way.
"What it did was, the team bonded well together, we worked really hard, we didn't let it get us down and we got back in the right position and we fought hard.
"If the safety cars had've fallen our way a bit earlier, who's to say we wouldn't have been back in the race proper? So I can take a lot of positives out of the day.
"Unfortunately it's 12 months before we get back here again, but I'm already looking forward to it because I think it was pretty strong out there."
The team has one final crack at an enduro podium with next week's Castrol Gold Coast 600. Jones was encouraged by Walsh's performance – the ex-Erebus racer has been a standout across the Pirtek Enduro Cup so far – with the pair sitting eighth in the points for the championship-within-a-championship.
"We were looking pretty good there for a little while," Jones said post-race.
"Ash did an amazing job, he had plenty of pace so it was a very bitter pill to swallow."
The team's CoolDrive entry finished the race 10th with Tim Blanchard and Jones's son Macauley behind the wheel, while the Team BOC car had a nasty end to Bathurst with Andrew Jones crashing hard into concrete at the top of the mountain.
While Jones initially reported an impact over 25g, Supercars can confirm the hit was actually 52.5g in the biggest hit the 2004 Dunlop Series champ has ever had.
The team is pushing hard to have the Commodore ready to leave for the Gold Coast on Monday.


text:
The City has released a proposed $115.76 million budget for City Councils consideration for 2019. The budget submitted is $774,000 lower than projected in 2018 and focuses on sustainability for our community. City Council will also consider the 2020-2028 capital plan.
"Our focus continues to be on providing quality services and facilities that meet the needs and expectations of our residents," said City Manager Craig Curtis. "This budget addresses the concerns expressed by citizens while recognizing the constraints imposed on our community by the slower than anticipated economic recovery Alberta is experiencing."
Since 2016, Red Deer has seen slower overall growth as well as some economic uncertainty, namely long-term provincial and federal funding which both play a major role in the capital project decisions and planning for future infrastructure. The projects being proposed in the 2019 capital budget will work to ensure our foundational infrastructure is sustained, previously approved projects are accounted for, and reserves are maintained in a positive balance.
"We know other municipalities in Alberta are also facing infrastructure issues, but we are taking a proactive approach to ensure we stay on top of our infrastructure needs and our capital budget reflects this," said Curtis. "We need to position ourselves to ensure we receive our fair share of provincial and federal funding."
On November 19, Council will consider the recommended projects in the 2019 capital budget and multi-year projects with start dates in 2019. Council will also have the opportunity to approve the 2020-2028 capital plan in principle giving administration the ability to plan future projects while providing the flexibility to adjust projects based on community needs and funding sources.
"We continue to balance maintaining existing assets with growth and the needs that citizens have identified," said Dean Krejci, Chief Financial Officer. "The budget and plan maintain the longer term sustainability of our funding sources within the current economic environment."
As part of the 2019 capital budget process, citizens have the opportunity to review the proposed budget and provide feedback to Council before they consider it. Feedback can be provided by email to email@example.com or in writing at City Hall, Collicutt Centre, Recreation Centre, Red Deer Public Library Downtown Branch, Timberlands Branch, and G.H. Dawe Branch. Copies of the budget are available at those locations starting Friday, October 26, and online at www.reddeer.ca/budget starting Wednesday, October 31. The deadline to submit feedback is 4:30 p.m. on Wednesday, November 14.
Capital budget review begins at 9 a.m. on Monday, November 19 in Council Chambers, City Hall.
For more information see the Q&A - 2019 Capital Budget and 2020-2028 Capital Plan (pdf) , 2019 Capital Budget and 2020-2028 Capital Plan (pdf) and .
For more information, please contact:
Craig Curtis
City Manager
The City of Red Deer
Dean Krejci
Chief Financial Officer
The City of Red Deer
Communications & Strategic Planning
The City of Red Deer


text:
Last year we did not manage to get to Toli. This year it was on the to do list.
As we did not hire a car it was a pickup by Symi Tours then a drive down on the back of the Toli Beach pick up.
The beach is stony and not very wide but as it is not very busy that was not a problem. The taverna is good with the best toilets owe found on the island.
At the end of the day it was back in the pick up to meet the bus.
After a rest we and a bit of photography
it was back down the Kalistrata for something to eat, and a bit more photography.
And at the end it was back up the Kalistrata.


text:
Posts Tagged 'nursing assistant'
How to Become a Nursing Assistant
In the coming years, healthcare will be the profession to be in. This will lead to an increase in demand for healthcare professionals. In demand will be professionals at all levels right from the nursing assistant to high end surgeons. Among all of these professions, the certified nursing assistant is the most critical. It is critical because it is a front line function, and one that is directly interacting with the patients. Apart from interacting with the patients. CNA training provides applicants with the basic knowledge about medical care, emergency first aid, knowing how to assist patients with physical disabilities, mental disorders and other healthcare needs.
Although these functions are certified by the designated authority, they do not get the status of a licensed profession. This is because; holders of this certificate are not considered license holders. However, they can easily practice as a nursing assistant. This is done by the certification that they obtain by taking CNA training. Thus CNA training is the only appropriate training for the nursing assistant. A normal certified nursing assistant can easily secure a job either in a private healthcare organization or hospital. In the hospitals.
A certified nursing assistant, works under the supervision of a nurse in a hospital. Although, there are many organizations conducting healthcare training, only a few nursing aide courses are appropriate for practicing as a certified nursing assistant. There are both the online courses and the classroom courses for CNA certification. Applicants generally prefer the classroom course, whereas people who are serving in another job, prefer to take up the online courses. The CNA certification exam is administered by the state. Although a majority of the courses are charging fees for training, there do exist some organizations that are doing social service, by conducting free CNA training.
Attending the CNA test
Recent studies on growth trends in the industry show that certain sectors are likely to grow exponentially in the years to come. The healthcare and the clinical fields is two of them. The results of this study are not surprising. With an improvement in medical science, in terms of better medicines, better equipment for medical treatment, life expectancy has grown, what with people now taking insurance cover until the age of 100 years. This optimism in life expectancy has given rise to other needs for people. One of those needs is better healthcare services. Better staff to man healthcare positions.
In such a scenario, the role that comes to mind as the most critical in any hospital or dispensary is that of a nursing assistant. A certified assistant works under a nurse and performs duties that are lower than that performed by a nurse. This job is the precursor to better positions and growth in the healthcare field. In fact, it can be said that the role of a certified assistant is the first step to a promising healthcare career. This is because it is a patient interfacing job. Thus, this position requires the applicant to be outgoing and temperamentally strong.
All the above attributes can be cultivated by opting for CNA training. This training paves the way for appearing for the cna test. This test is essentially given in order to obtain the CNA certification to apply for jobs in the government and private sectors for nursing assistant jobs. Since this job does not require very high education, the CNA test provides the formal education that is missing in the applicant's education portfolio. When one appears and clears the CNA test, then one can claim to be a certified nursing assistant. A certified nursing assistant can perform the job of a nursing assistant.
The minimum requirement to appear for the CNA test is a high school education. Once a candidate has completed his or her high school education, then they can opt for CNA training and appear for the cna test. This test has two parts: the clinical test or the practical test and the theoretical written test paper. The former includes doing practically what has been taught in cna training. It involves, actually demonstrating practices that is performed by a nurse. This can be done by securing an internship at any healthcare center, on clearing the theory paper. The theory paper is to be written in a classroom under the supervision of a test supervisor.
Studying for the CNA test is not east, but it becomes easier if there is someone else who is studying with you. This helps you by providing you the much needed confidence. When you have read a certain topic, you can teach that topic to your study partner and that will increase your confidence manifold. Your partner can do the same to you. In this way your study partner becomes your springboard of ideas and confidence. At times you can share the study matter, ask him to make notes on a certain topic and you can make notes on a certain topic and then you two can exchange those notes.


text:
Hello, all! Our first Christmas episode is coming up soon, and we need a few characters to finish out Episode 5 and TITANS for the year!
Please note that if you are accepted into this project, there will be updates through both email and Skype, along with bonus episodes that I may call upon you to voice (which include musical episodes, with the option to sing).
Happy Voicing!
After the Teen Titans' victory over the Brotherhood of Evil, Jericho decided to take a break from hero work and travelled to Paris to study art. After becoming somewhat known and able to live off of commissions, he recieved a visit from his father, Deathstroke. The resurgence of his father, mixed with the Justice League's exile from Earth caused Jericho to rejoin his fellow heroes under a new organization. He now leads a team of three other heroes: Wonder Girl, Blue Beetle, and Arrowette.
(I know, I know. "Tyger, Jericho is mute. How can he talk?" Well, due to one of our characters being able to link minds together, Jericho can now communicate telepathically. His voice is gentle, lyrical in it's own way, like it always sounds like a song, but it is just speech.)
"Only you can hear me. For now."
"This is still very strange. Up until I met you, my thoughts were my own. Now I have someone to share my opinion with sans texting."
"You have no idea how hard it is to convey the importance of intricate piano and guitar work of a band to your team in only 140 characters."
As full of bravado as ever, Red X has resurfaced just in time to spread some holiday annoyance for a certain team from T.I.T.A.N.S. Though he was one of the villains that worked with the Teen Titans against the Brotherhood of Evil, he refused the Honorary membership and went back to his criminal ways.
(Red X will appear more in later episodes, but for now, he is his usual taunting self. Highly skilled and almost always confident, please bring energy into your performance.)
(Jokingly) "Ladies and Gentlemen, I welcome you to another failure of T.I.T.A.N.S."
"You're new. Welcome to being pinned against a wall. With the way fishstick talks to ya', get used to it."
"So, were you two on a date or somethin'? Because this nagging thing's really getting old."
After being assumed dead during the time frame between the Titans' victory over the Brotherhood of Evil and the League's exile from Earth, Slade (now going by his title of "Deathstroke the Terminator") has spent his time denying death at the hands of Trigon, who had put a demonic bounty on his head. Fighting off both demonic assassins and those who wish to kill him for the glory, Deathstroke managed to lay low for a while, and decided to get back into the villain game when a certain offer found him.
(Gruff but not crazy deep, Slade has the voice of a man who has seen pretty much everything and has survived it all. It's an older voice, almost always calm, though easily annoyed with foolish antics and bravado.)
(Annoyed) "You deserve my attention, and only in small dosages."
"I respect a woman that people call 'The Wall'. Anyone with a balance of ruthlessness and diplomacy deserves it."
(Determined, but Calm) "Night's over, clown. You're coming with us."


text:
In Search of Angels - Part 3
"In Search of Angels 3" is a rare Scripture adventure for those who are willing to "hear what the Spirit has to say" (compare Revelations 2:17 KJV). A deep penetration of the Word opens long-sealed insights and transports the mind to a higher viewpoint. Presented by Dr. Jerry O. Lee: continuation of a daring and super insight into opening beyond the "glass darkly" (1 Corinthians 13:12 KJV),,,,, a reporting on two levels of revelation: 1. mysteries revealed about actual angels; and 2. angel messages revealed never before opened to the human masses.
This is the count down to a potent of knowledge and Love made visible by the Manifest Word. New information furnished in this session includes Scriptures and additional insights to complement the series. Fifteen minutes of sacred music precedes the message.


text:
Minnesota Nursing Magazine Spring-Summer 2018
Alumna Martha Turner's work on ethics guides nurses
Care coordination helps moms, babies
Creating a family-centered intervention for Karen families
To receive a notice when the current issue is posted on the school's website, send an email to firstname.lastname@example.com.
This publication is available in alternative formats upon request. Direct requests to the managing editor at firstname.lastname@example.com.


text:
Victoria Brides
All About Victoria Brides
It's an international dating site that enables perfect matches to meet and start their life journeys. With the help of experts, beautiful girls' profiles from Europe are verified before publishing. It helps to reduce any chance of online scamming. For the many years, it has been in operation, customer reviews indicate that it brings impressive results. It's easy and safe to use. Check out below how it works and begin the journey to your destined wife.
How Victoria brides dating service works
Victoria brides site is designed specifically for ease of use by the clients. Those who use it can make sure that it gives an improved user experience. The website is practical. Navigating through the site is simple and straightforward. No professional help is needed. Additionally, there is an ever-ready customer support team that works round the clock to assist customers experiencing difficulties. There is an option for the users to give feedback regarding their experience using it. This gives a room for improvement by the site to meet customer tastes.
Registration is a step by step process. Searching for your dream girl is easy. Thanks to the search algorithm that narrows down the numerous girls' profiles to fewer profiles by your description. Messaging tools are interactive.
Victoria brides dating site registration
Based on the findings of this review, the signing up for this site is free. The below personal details are needed for verification. Remember the site has a strong anti-scamming policy and anyone engaging in any fraudulent activity can easily be singled out.
- Your Full Names
- Your Email Address
- Your Password
- Your Description
Upon submitting this information, you will need to fill in a questionnaire that describes the kind of a girl you want. These pretty singles come from different nations.
Registration tips you ought to know
- Ensure that you complete your profile by uploading your best picture
- You should describe yourself and the girl of your dreams to find someone with your preferred tastes and qualities easily!
The search tool
The site uses one of the best search engines in operation in this era. Ever been to a site and spend decades without finding your dream bride? Forget it! Here you will find your better half within the shortest time possible. You only have to feed in the details listed below to help the search engine narrow down to your perfect match.
- The nationality of the bride
- The Age of the bride
- Her Appearance- Describe how beautiful she should look. Brunette or blonde? Black or brown hair? Tall or short? Do you like slim girls with slender figures? They are all available and waiting for you!
The search tool will narrow down to a smaller range of girl's profiles, and their beauty and features will fascinate you! Users even take their brides home after a week of communicating with their selections.Even though the site doesn't guarantee marriage, there is no way you will fail to find a bride as long as you use the messaging tools effectively to approach them.
The communication tool is reliable and confidential. It's only you and the girl you are communicating with who can see the messages. It's perfect two-way communication. You can chat basically about anything that you decide to as long it helps strengthen your relationship. The following are the messaging tools available.
- Video chat – You can talk with your Victoria bride through this tool. It will help you establish that the person you have been sharing messages is real.
- You can send virtual gifts
- skype call – Get to hear the voice of your pretty woman
The site is also a perfect way that can help you exchange contacts and continue communicating in other social media platforms. It's possible after you have paid for the services and you want to proceed to set up a meeting because communication alone is not enough. Communicating with many girls on the site will increase the probability of you impressing one of the ladies and getting her to date you.
Victoria brides girl profiles
It's arguably one of the top sites with the best quality of women profiles. The site organizes photo shoots to pick and post the real pictures of the brides. You cannot scroll on all the women profiles available on a single day. It will probably take you two or three weeks and still have a load because the profiles are updated and reviewed on a daily basis.
The site's developers verify profiles before posting them for access by men seeking wives. You stand absolutely no chances of being scammed by fake women profiles!
Registering for the site's services is free, but there is an option to upgrade to a paid premium for more features. The site charges reasonable prices for you to access advanced features. With $ 9.99 you can buy 20 credits which you can use to communicate and woo several girls for marriage. The charges are not for buying a bride but are charged for the services the site offers.
Is Victoria brides scam?
The site is honest with its users. It doesn't guarantee marriages. However, the efforts you put in searching for a wife won't go unrewarded because all girls here are willing to get married. The site is user-friendly. It's easy to navigate through, and there is no spamming.
Girls profiles are real because they undergo a verification process. You can also confirm that by video chatting with the girl of your dreams. The site has strict regulations to detect and deal with online scammers. It doesn't share users' details with unauthorized personnel. You can report any inconveniences to the ever-present customer support team on their toll-free number or using other messaging platforms like emailing them. They respond fast.
In conclusion, Victoria brides dating site is real. Their customer services are effective. There is a high success rate of relationships with brides here. Divorce rates of marriages emanating from this site are very low. The prices are reasonable, and the quality of the profiles is high. The registration process is simple and practical. Marry a Victoria brid today and discover a marriage full of happiness.


text:
Luanda, capital city of the province with the same name, offers rich cards in its range of cultural and historical attractions.
4 de Fevereiro Avenue
Known simply as Marginal, displays the contrast between the natural beauty of the Bay of Luanda and the modern buildings around it.
Luanda Island
At the entrance to the bay of Luanda, has beautiful white sand beaches and clear waters, adorned by palm trees. On the island there is a great entertainment structure, with many bars and restaurants.
Carnival of the City
It has been increasingly sought by visitors.
Fortress of Muxima
It was built in the sixteenth century for the Portuguese to defend themselves against the Dutch. It is located on a hill behind Nossa Senhora da Muxima church.
Nossa Senhora da Muxima Church
It is a simple colonial architecture dating from the sixteenth century. Each year a big party honors the saint.
Bom Jesus Lighthouse Lime
Former residence of the Head of Tour of Bom Jesus - Old Jesuit Church of Barra do Dande.
Other interesting tourist points in Luanda
Barra do Kwanza
Cabo Ledo
Miradouro da Lua
Quiçama National Park


text:
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) recently released revised guidelines for 2016 participation in the Physician Quality
Reporting System (PQRS) program. PQRS is the first
CMS-crafted national program to link the reporting
of quality data to physician payment. This article
addresses concerns surgeons may have regarding
PQRS, including penalties for nonparticipation and
changes in reporting requirements for 2016 PQRS,
and directs readers to American College of Surgeons
(ACS) resources designed to help surgeons successfully participate in the program.
Eligible professionals (EPs) who do not participate in
PQRS in 2016 may be subject to a – 6 percent payment
adjustment in 2018. This reduction is the total penalty
resulting from payment adjustments for nonparticipation in PQRS and the effects on the value-based
payment modifier (VM), which, in part, hinges on
PQRS participation. Following are the breakdowns
of potential penalties for each program.
PQRS is a pay-for-reporting program. As required
under the Affordable Care Act, individual providers and groups that fall short of meeting the PQRS
requirements in 2016 will be penalized in 2018. The
| 25


text:
Stories By Greg Larnerd
Chicks Dig The Long Ball
Balls leaving MLB parks at record pace in 2017
Feature/ 3 years ago
A Pair of Newcomers Net USMNT Past Ghana
Two new players make an immediate impact for USMNT.
Phillies' Pat Neshek is a valuable trade chip
Veteran reliever has an ERA of 0.82 so far this season.
Basketball/ 3 years ago
On or Off the Court, Oakley Ready to Battle
Charles Oakley spent his NBA career battling bigger and more powerful opponents on the hardwood as an enforcer for the New...
Competition Breeds Success for Two Mets
Comfort and complacency are never a good thing when it comes to sports. Those attributes will make your rise to greatness...
Meet The Mets: Internal Pitching Options
Coming into this season, the New York Mets pitching staff was expected to be one of the best in the business....
Terry Collins Not to Blame for Mets Struggles
It's been six plus years for Terry Collins since he became the manager for the New York Mets. On Saturday (barring any...
The First Annual Yogi Berra Museum Awards in NYC
May 12, 1925 – Lawrence Peter Berra was born. On this same day 92 years later we honor him with an awards...
Basketball/ 3 years ago
Kristaps Porzingis Twitter Gate
To Tweet or not to Tweet? That is the question every athlete should ask themselves before they type out 140 characters...
The Unwritten Rules of Baseball Gone Wrong
In a sense, baseball and the players police themselves, but what are the unwritten rules of baseball and why is it...
Photo of the Month


text:
Three years ago, we made the best decision in
deciding to adopt another ESS. Zoey then came to us and is the BEST dog
ever. She is not only beautiful but so well behaved and is loved by
everyone. We can't thank MAESSR and Debbie enough for giving us Zoey. Judy Minnick, NJ
We never sell, share or rent your personal information to any third parties under any circumstances. We may share information with governmental agencies or other companies assisting us in fraud prevention or investigation. We may do so when: (1) permitted or required by law; or, (2) trying to protect against or prevent actual or potential fraud or unauthorized transactions; or, (3) investigating fraud which has already taken place. The information is not provided to these organizations for marketing purposes.
Unfortunately Derby has come back to MAESSR once again. The resident female springer in her adopting home and Derby just could not see eye to eye at times. Their skirmishes became too frequent and her family felt it was in everyone's best interest to let Derby find another home.
Derby returned to a different foster home this time. Upon arrival, one of the first things her foster mom noticed was that Derby's anxiety levels were very high. After spending some time talking to her previous family, they agreed that anxiety was a concern. After a consultation with the vet, Derby was started on an inexpensive medication to lower her anxiety levels. It has really helped Derby, as she now is much more calm and content.
In Derby's foster home, she lives with multiple other dogs and has done well with all of them. In fact, Derby is just a delightful dog to have around. She has perfect house manners and loves to be with her people.
This sweet girl just needs a forever family that will love her and allow her to continue to explore life without so much anxiety. Can you be that calming influence in Derby's life?
Update 01/16/2012: "Derby returned to her former foster home after five months with her adoptive mother, who found Derby too strong to easily handle, especially on walks."
Derby returned to her former foster home after five months with her adoptive mother, who found Derby too strong to easily handle, especially on walks. Derby's foster mom found her to be a delightful visitor the first time around and gladly welcomed her back. Her foster mom thinks Derby looks adorable with her hair growing in wavy all over. This natural look needed just a bit of tidying up and, since Derby continues to be sensitive about her ears, she was muzzled while her foster mom groomed that area. Derby thoroughly enjoyed being brushed everywhere else. Her foster mom had worked on desensitizing Derby's ears before; this work will likely need to continue, as well as similar work with having her feet handled and toenails clipped.
This mature lady is let out on a regular schedule but also will go to the door when she feels the need. She quickly takes care of personal matters outside and has had no accidents. Derby does not bother any of her foster mom's possessions, get in the trash, counter-surf, or get up on the furniture without an invitation. What a good girl!
Derby and her three canine companions have limited run of the house while her foster mom is away. She watches out the window as her foster mom leaves for and returns from work. Since she is trustworthy, she has not been crated. Showing no signs of separation anxiety, Derby accepts her foster mom's departures but wishes she could go, too! Derby sleeps on a dog pillow through the night.
With a moderate energy level, Derby moves well on a Gentle Leader for her foster mom, who loves to watch Derby trot alongside her. Without a Gentle Leader, Derby pulls like a team of horses in front of a plow! She has shown very little reaction to barking dogs in yards along her walking routes. Derby loves both walks and car rides and is a good passenger. She will chew on a bone and play with a rope on rare occasions.
Miss Derby isn't nearly as needy of attention as the two male Springers in her home, one a resident and the other a foster. She will often seek out a dog pillow to "chill" by herself. Her previous owner found Derby to be reactive toward other dogs at times and felt Derby was being protective of her. Back in foster care, Derby has acclimated well into the pack, co-existing peacefully overall with everyone. She has basically ignored the two male Springers and has not reacted at all to the foster Springer's occasional invasive sniffing. She was reactive to the resident Beardie mix for the first few hours after her return but quickly renewed her friendship with her too. In her former home Derby learned to respect the dog-savvy cat and left it alone, earning her another "good girl!"
With confronted with new experiences Derby can be a little shy. For example, she had to be coaxed into the basement where her foster mom grooms in cold weather. Derby can also be quite playful at times, which her foster mom finds adorable. She had a great time rolling in the snow that recently came through the area! Derby gives sweet kisses and cuddles; she will sometimes playfully mouth her foster mom's hand while they are bonding. With patience, love, and consistent shaping of positive behaviors, Derby will be a great companion for a lucky owner.
Original: "This sweet, calm, and loving girl has been a wonderful houseguest and has acclimated well to her foster home."
Derby has become a MAESSR girl due to her New Jersey owner's lifestyle changes and increased work travel commitments, leaving Derby home alone more. She was relinquished as her owner felt Derby deserved better.
This sweet, calm, and loving girl has been a wonderful houseguest and has acclimated well to her foster home. She gets along with the resident male Springer even though they compete for foster mom's attention by seeing who can give her the most and best kisses! Don't think the days of play are past for middle-aged Springers because Derby engages in horseplay with the resident female beardie mix. Springers of all ages love fun!
Totally housetrained, Derby stands at the back door when she wants to go out and she has had no accidents since she arrived. When her foster mom goes to work, Derby displays no separation anxiety and has limited free reign of the house, as do the resident dogs. When she was younger, Derby was crate trained, but has not been for many years now. She will reluctantly go in the crate, but foster mom hasn't left Derby in it for any length of time since she is a responsible girl.
This little lady has good house manners and hasn't touched any of her foster mom's belongings, bothered the trash, or jumped on people since her arrival. There was one incident of counter-surfing when foster mom emptied her pocket onto the bathroom vanity; Derby quickly scarfed up a doggie delicacy, a tissue, and was not willing to drop her prize. Her foster mom will see if Derby can learn the trade game. Derby has stayed off the furniture but jumps up on foster mom's bed when invited up to cuddle. At bedtime, she sleeps on a bed or on the floor of her foster mom's bedroom and doesn't make a peep.
Derby is a moderate barker, woofing at people walking up the street. They surely can hear her with her loud bark, so her foster mom is working on the command "quiet." This eight year old knows commands such as "sit," "shake/paw," and "lie down" and Derby comes when called. She will sit with prompting to get her treats and gently accepts them. A subtle beggar, Derby stares at her foster mom when she is eating and may whimper a little in an attempt to get foster mom to share. When she is given a special table treat, Derby has a tendency to be a little grabby, so her foster mom is working on getting her to accept people food gently. Initially when she came into foster care, Derby would guard her food and grumble if the resident dogs came close to her at mealtime; this behavior has subsided.
According to her former owner, Derby loves the beach and walking. A Gentle Leader is being used on her daily walks as her foster mom does not like being dragged down the street. With the Gentle Leader, Derby walks like the fine lady that she is. At the end of a two-mile walk, she is trotting just as easily as when she began. Loving human attention, Derby likes to be petted and have her belly rubbed, and she playfully gnaws on foster mom's hand. Her former owner reported that Derby doesn't like strangers quickly approaching her face. To date, foster mom has only found Derby to be somewhat sensitive about having her ears/face touched when being brushed and is working on desensitizing her. An outdoor lover, Derby likes being in the yard and had an invisible fence at her former home. At her foster home, she has a four foot fence and has made no attempts to escape or climb it. In the car, she is a good traveler, enjoying the ride both in the front seat and back.
Miss Derby is forty-five pounds of sweetness waiting to shower lots of love and kisses on her new forever family. Make her your own!


text:
Goddess Christina – Day 1 ChristinaMAS: Twelve Days of Christina
Are you ready for Twelve Days of Christina? It's officially ChristinaMAS and you need your fix! I'll take you on a journey you'll never forget. I expect all my slaves to follow along. 2019 will be the year you live by the motto – Worship, Pay, OBEY Goddess Christina – and it starts now! One […]


text:
Materials list not listing deck planks
DeckQuestions, in General Q & A
Recommended Posts
Member Statistics27850
Total Members6254
Most OnlineNewest Member
Similar Content
By CHROMATICGA17
Need to set default pricing for product/materials to use as default template. This way generating my materials list will be quicker. I do not want to enter vendor specific pricing. I want to enter labor pricing for specific materials. I want this to default to my setting per item/sf/etc. each time i choose that template to start a plan.
I hope this question makes sense. Please help.
By DeckQuestions
I just need the number of planks that have been collapsed in a row, not the total square feet. I feel like there's probably an easy way to do this, but I don't know what it is.
By Slamnation
Is it possible to change the Wall Board (Drywall) size from the default size of 4x8 to 4x12 when CA calculates the materials list?
By CARMELHILL
I am looking for a video I watched a while back that explained how ther Master List worked and what the reason was for the Default column and it's check boxes. Anyone know where this is? Chief streamlined their videos and got rid of MANY of the older videos. Now they are all organized by 28 topics here:
but a few years ago a simple "Materials List" search would have yielded 50 videos. Now they only have 4, these:model home demonstrations
None of these videos explain what the Default checkbox option inside the Master List is for. I remember it gave you the option of different master list prices for the same item.
It might have been a materials and budget demonstration that was part of one of their model home demonstrations, or a marketing video. So I might be screwed and out of luck.
By nitesmare
Materials list question. I'm using CA9. How do I make a materials list that shows what to actually buy? I've tried editing the structural member reporting to either the cut or the buy list but then when I populate the material list it only says for an interior wall that is 84 1/2 high that I need a count of 14. 14 what? I need a list that says something like I need 14 2x4's. How do I create that?


text:
Configuring Nginx with SSL
How to configure Nginx to use SSL
Work on my final year project recently I've had to configure SSL with Nginx, as the application will only be available on HTTPS. This is the first time I've had to carry out this task, and after finding the RadidSSL instructions for Nginx to be somewhat out-of-date I decided to publish this as a note to myself in the future of the correct configuration.
I bought the certificate from ServerTastic, as recommended by multiple people on Twitter. Once going through the process of buying and registering my RapidSSL certificate I ended up on a page with the options to download my PEM and Private Key files. At the same time they emailed my a Web Server Certificate and a Intermediate CA.
With Nginx I only needed the
.key file, and the two keys in the email. I found the
.pem file to be different to the one that I was required to make by Nginx. In this email there was a link to a set of instructions for configuring Nginx with SSL. The terminology in these simply does not line up with the keys provided, and the instructions for building the
.pem file didn't seem quite right.
Installing the Keys
Firstly, it's quickest to start with the private key file you downloaded from the website. Copy this to
/etc/ssl, where I chose to rename it to match my domain name. Secondly we need to build the
.pem file. This is easily done, simply create a new text file and copy in the Web Server Certificate followed by the Intermediate CA. Make sure there is no additional white space, aisde form one line break between the two keys. They should look similar to below.
Once this is done, save the file with the
.pem extension and copy it to
/etc/ssl on your server. Once this is done it's a simple case of configuring Nginx. A basic installation could look as follows.
``` server { listen 443 default_server ssl;
ssl_certificate /etc/ssl/your_pem_file.pem;
ssl_certificate_key /etc/ssl/your_key_file.key;
ssl_prefer_server_ciphers On;
ssl_protocols SSLv3 TLSv1 TLSv1.1 TLSv1.2;
ssl_ciphers ECDH+AESGCM:DH+AESGCM:ECDH+AES256:DH+AES256:ECDH+AES128:DH+AES:ECDH+3DES:DH+3DES:RSA+AES:RSA+3DES:!aNULL:!MD5:!DSS;
server_name your_domain; } ```
On top of this you would need to configure your actual site such as where to find the PHP server, if that's your thing. I also replaced my port 80 settings with the following snippet, which redirects all traffic to HTTPS.
server {
listen 80;
server_name your_domain;
rewrite ^ https://$server_name$request_uri? permanent;
Testing the Certificate
Testing is very easily done. I used [SSL Labs](https://www.ssllabs.com/ssltest/ "") certificate tester, which is best described by the SSL Labs team.
This free online service performs a deep analysis of the configuration of any SSL web server on the public Internet.
It's very easy to use. Simply type your domain name into the input and hit enter. Their service will begin to analyse your SSL security, it can take a few minutes to complete but keeps you informed of the progress as it checks various encryption types and configuration settings. Once completed it will rate your certificate so that you can assess how good the protection is, and then make adjustments as required.
As demonstrated by this post, configuring SSL with Nginx is pretty easy. Before finishing off I should make it clear that I am by no means a security expert and so cannot be held liable for anything that goes wrong as a result of following these instructions. I've only really published them for my own reference.
Naturally, feel free to post any questions you have and I'll endeavour to do my best to answer them.


text:
Share the News
Hogan's Purple Line trims would eliminate some station elevators, art – Washington Post
Gov. Hogan says he's feeling 'pretty good' after chemo – Baltimore Sun
Comptroller urges July 4 visits to Baltimore, spends holiday in county – Baltimore Sun
Orioles send four players to All-Star Game – Baltimore Sun
Md. gets better at child support collection, but still need improvement, auditors find – Maryland Reporter
Latest posts by Robert OBrien (see all)
- Baltimore Woman Accused of Stealing from Local Business to Stock Her Own - December 8, 2017
- Manny Machado Is No Longer the Best; That's Good News for O's Fans - December 8, 2017
- Baltimore Ravens 2017: A Tragedy - October 23, 2017
Share the News


text:
Elandsrivier Lifestyle Farm Location The farm sits on the south western side of the foothills of Cockscomb Peak which forms part of the Groot Winterhoek mountain range i.e. west of Uitenhage. The property is easily accessed via the Elandsrivier gravel road and then also the Grootrivier Pass gravel road which requires a vehicle with good ground clearance (bakkie etc). Size Made up of 1 title, the property is approximately 639 hectares in extent. Description This property falls in an area which is perhaps one of the last few stretches of pristine Eastern Cape wilderness outside of the Baviaanskloof. Despite its relative close proximity to the urban centres of Uitenhage and Port Elizabeth, it remains secluded due to the towering Groot Winterhoek Mountains and surrounding foothills. This farm shares a common boundary with the Baviaanskloof Mega Reserve. The surrounding topography is as dramatic as it comes, with a series of deep drainage lines with streams and cliff faces interspersed with elevated ridges and flat well grassed plateaus. This farm has lots of surface water for the game animals to drink from as is evident in the high number of Mountain Reedbuck that are regularly seen on the farm and it is a commonly known fact that Mt Reedbuck thrive on an abundance of water. Veld types This farm is ecologically diverse consisting mainly of the grassy fynbos biome associated with the sour, elevated soils on the ridges, and then small pockets of subtropical thicket biome in the lower lying valleys, and lastly the grassland biome occurs on the foothills and valley floors. Grass species found are predominately those associated with the sour fynbos biome and are dominated by the aristida species, a healthy covering of Themeda, intermittent stands of hetrapogon and merxmuella. Plant species found include: Fynbos biome - various proteas (e.g. Broad-leaf sugarbush and pincushions), ericas and restioids. Indigenous cycads (mainly Encephalartos longifolius) - survivors from an ancient era. This in itself is testament to the very remoteness of this property. Rainfall A transition summer/winter rainfall area with an annual average of - 600mm. Improvements There is fair access as one only travels a relatively short distance off the main gravel road to reach the bulk of the farm. Note: the Grootrivier Pass road passes through a small portion of the 639ha farm and while very seldom travelled it is open to the public and is used mostly by folk on adventure bikes or 4X4 enthusiasts. The farm is more than large enough to still afford lots of privacy and the area is very safe and secure. The stock fencing is mostly in a fair condition. Wildlife species Includes: Kudu (transient), Bushbuck, Mt. Reedbuck, Klipspringer, Grysbok, Bush Pig, Cape Mountain Leopard as well as other smaller mammals. Bird species of special interest include Cape rock-jumper, Orange-breasted Sunbird, as well as Black and Martial Eagle and various other birds of prey. Conclusion True wilderness in Africa is becoming an increasingly rare commodity and here we have a wilderness area within a 100km distance of Port Elizabeth. The property offers absolute solitude, unparalleled privacy and all of this at an affordable price. Price Price - R 1 600 000 (not negotiable). Elands River Lifestyle farm 639 lifestyle game close to PE Afforadable price game close to Baviaans
Purchase PriceR 1 600 000
Type of PropertyFarm
Land Size6390000 m2
Last Updated31 Oct 2016
Add Email Alert
To receive emails for similar properties in Uitenhage!


text:
Oh my gosh!!! I can't believe how long it's been since I posted. In fact with the weather, work load, Christmas, I haven't even kept up with my e-mail. I log on download my mail and log off. I am requesting that everyone stop posting until I have caught up. No, really, I will let you know when I'm ready. No seriously.
As some of you may know, I am a sentimentalist. I save everything I think is important to family history, favorite toy, gift from a loved one, an item that might come in handy some day. It's a curse really. I have had to adopt a strict policy of "if I haven't used it in 5 years, get rid of it." My grandson learned to ride the same bike his Mom learned on.
So, how about giving me a title for this thermomater that doesn't work. See the snow? It's about 25 degres outside. But it's been hanging there since, lets see, 1991? In fact the frame it's mounted on is original to the house when we moved in (1980).
I have a hard time letting go...
What do you think is the best title for this photo?
Monday, December 29, 2008
5 comments:
- East<3West said...
I would say; cuarenta el verde!! 40 in the green! I say green meaning in a positive and not negative number--not too sure on how to say negative in spanish. Actually, I'm not to sure I even said that right...Norris's, can you help?!?!?
- December 29, 2008 at 7:33 PM
- DotBlogger said...
You know, Captain Jack Sparrow kept a compass that didn't point North.
I would title this photo:
40 Degrees North
- December 29, 2008 at 10:01 PM
- Yule {b}Log said...
CoolGirl: It's Cuarenta en el verde!
Well, I like to look at that thermometer holding steady at 40 and think that it might be wishing that it were someplace warmer. You know, like "It's 5 o'clock somewhere". So my title for this photo is "It's 40 degrees somewhere"
- December 30, 2008 at 8:09 PM
- Yule {b}Log said...
I like Dotbloggers idea.
- December 30, 2008 at 8:09 PM
Well this is easy..... 40 degress = beer thirty
- December 31, 2008 at 2:11 PM
Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom)


text:
Seattle Area Meeting & Event Venues
From our intimate Snoqualmie Boardroom to our spacious Bear Creek Conference Room, the Redmond Inn offers 1,300 square feet of meeting venues for Seattle area corporate events and social gatherings. In fact, we bring an exceptional level of personal attention to each event we host from start to finish, ensuring a function that exceeds your expectations without overextending your budget.
When it comes to onsite events, the Redmond Inn has you covered with the latest amenities at the most affordable rates. And if you have an offsite meeting, our complimentary shuttle will get you where you need to go.
Bear Creek Conference Room
This space measures 945 square feet and can accommodate up to 50 people theatre-style, 30 people classroom-style and 40 people banquet-style.
Snoqualmie Boardroom
Our boardroom is the perfect place for an intimate meeting. It offers 300 square feet of space and provides a comfortable boardroom seating for up to eight people. Amenities include complimentary wireless Internet access, a conference telephone, a whiteboard and a 42-inch LCD television.
Meetings at a Glance
- Bear Creek Conference Room (945 square feet)
- Snoqualmie Boardroom (300 square feet)
- LCD projector
- Flip charts and projector screens
- Professional podium
- A variety of seating configuration options
- Business center
- Complimentary parking
- Group rates for event guests staying at the hotel
- Complimentary Wi-Fi
- Free shuttle within a five-mile radius


text: Yoink 869 Posted December 25, 2018 I can not get more than 10 FPS in any battles over 15 people. Settings are all on low. Specs below. Others are reporting just fine performance with similar hardware. Any help or potential upgrade recommendations? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites


text:
City of Long Beach
Public Information Office
411 W. Ocean Blvd,
Long Beach, CA 90802
All Long Beach Public Libraries will be closed Saturday, September 2, 2017 for the observance of Labor Day. Bay Shore, Burnett, El Dorado and Michelle Obama Neighborhood Libraries will be closed on Sunday, September 3. All Libraries are closed on Mondays, per their normal schedule and will reopen on Tuesday, September 5.
(The library catalog, downloads, and databases are available 24/7.)
Street Sweeping
There will be no scheduled Street Sweeping or enforcement of street sweeping violations on Monday, September 4. Street sweeping will resume its regular schedule on Tuesday, September 5.
Parking Enforcement
Read your parking meter: Parking meters will be enforced on Monday, September 4 unless the meter states "Exempt on Holidays." The days and hours of enforcement are displayed inside the meters.
Trash and Recycling will be collected as scheduled on Monday, September 4.
Towing and Lien Sales
The Towing Operations & Vehicle Storage Facility that is located at 3111 E. Willow Street between Temple Avenue and Redondo Avenue will be open for business as usual on Monday, September 4. More information can be found online.
City Offices and Services
City of Long Beach offices and services will adhere to the following schedule on Monday, September 4. City Hall re-opens on Tuesday, September 5.
Closed on Monday, September 4:
About the City of Long Beach
Home to approximately 470,000 people, the multiple award-winning and innovative City of Long Beach offers all the world-class amenities of a large metropolitan city while maintaining a strong sense of individual and diverse neighborhoods nestled together along the California coast. Long Beach is home to the Queen Mary, Aquarium of the Pacific, several museums and theaters, a highly rated school district, Long Beach Airport, the Port of Long Beach, as well as many award-winning City departments such as Health, Parks, Recreation and Marine, Development Services and more. The City also has a highly respected university and city college, two historic ranchos, five hospitals, five golf courses, 170 parks, miles of beaches, marinas, bike paths, and a Bike Share program.
For more information about the City of Long Beach, visit http://longbeach.gov/. Follow us on social to keep up with the latest news: Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube.


text:
define('DISALLOW_FILE_EDIT', false);
Hue bold cable sweater tights feature a incredibly soft traditional chunky cable knit texture that shapes these cozy tights with a comfort-stretch feel.Sweater tights
buy now
There are no reviews yet.
Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *
Your review *
Name *
Email *
Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment.


text:
Bowker Motor Group Dealerships
With locations in Preston, Blackburn and Osbaldeston serving Lancashire, our Bowker Motor Group dealerships are easily accessible. In addition to new and used car sales, our sate of the art Aftersales Centres can help to ensure that your car or motorcycle continues to deliver the performance you expect.
All staff pride themselves on responding to enquiries as quickly as possible, and are contactable through email, telephone or the enquiry forms available on this website. The sales departments in our dealerships are open seven days a week, and our servicing and parts departments are open on Saturdays as well as Monday to Friday.
Bowker subscribe to the Service and Repair Code of Practice and have certified personnel at all sites. For further information, please visit www.motorcodes.co.uk.
Bowker Preston BMW
Bowker Blackburn BMW
Bowker Preston MINI
Bowker Blackburn MINI
Bowker Ribble Valley
Bowker Harley-Davidson®
Bowker Motorrad
Bowker Motorrad – BMW Motorcycle Dealers in Lancashire, Serving Merseyside and Cumbria As an Authorised BMW Motorrad Dealer, we offer the highest levels of service and expertise whether you are looking to buy a new bike or maintain your current bike. Our dealership showcases the latest new models, plus a wide choice of BMW Approved Used Bikes. With highly trained…


text:
Letter from the editor: Why The Spectrum reported on a student's suicide attempt
The Spectrum published a front page news article on April 20 about a UB student who attempted suicide from the seventh floor of Goodyear Hall.
Several students wrote to us, criticizing the article as "unethical," "insensitive" and a breach of privacy. One student accused us of publishing the article for "shock value."
As student journalists we work every day to bring the UB campus information our community needs. We take our jobs seriously and work to fill our pages with stories about students and faculty and the messiness of living and learning together while we try to figure out our futures. We work diligently to cover stories we think students care about, are talking about and will help them understand the world.
Last week, one of our peers jumped from the window of a dorm complex that houses close to 1,000 students. He did it at 11:10 a.m., a prime time for student activity and classes. We feel for and with this student and his family. That's why we didn't print his name in the paper. We also did not print much of the information we learned about him from students in his dorm. Obviously, he and his family are suffering and deserve privacy, which we gave them.
However, his cry for help occurred in a highly public manner and left dozens of students traumatized. Students were talking about it across campus and rumors had begun.
We see it as our role to help sort fact from fiction and provide students with accurate information, even about tragic events. Our story told students what had happened and included information about counseling available at UB. It also helped direct students to services UB offers.
Suicide is the second leading cause of death among people our age. Nearly 1,100 college students are projected to kill themselves this year, according to a University of Toledo study. One in twelve of us has a suicide plan.
This student is not the only one suffering. Students need to know that their lives matter and that help is available.
Yes. Talking about it is hard. Reporting about it was tough for our reporters, who are students, too. But if we don't talk about it, we can never operate as a community.
Hannah Stein is the editor in chief and can be reached at firstname.lastname@example.com


text:
Prime Minister Narendra Modi is well known for his combative mood and reposes great faith in his devastating wit.
Last week he seemed to be using this same wit to silence an 'unruly' member of the Lok Sabha, Renuka Choudhury, but it came out as an incensed man showing a 'delinquent woman' her place. The operative subtext of the PM's oblique reference to her laughter, as a reminder of Shurpanakha's laughter from the "Ramayan serial twenty years ago", came out loud and clear in the boisterous laughter and thumping of the Treasury benches. Minister of state for home affairs Kiren Rijiju's subsequent video clip on Shurpnakha's scary laughter from the same Ramayana serial eliminated any remaining trace of ambiguity from the PM's commentary.
The remarks came across as an angry man teaching a laughing woman a lesson. After all, other Opposition members were also heckling him, and he let the Speaker of the House deal with them; but the PM was insistent on himself silencing the woman.
The misogynist fear of a laughing – in other words, a confident – woman has been ingrained in all religious and cultural traditions. Misogyny is a natural corollary of the patriarchal mindset, which is not confined to men only. This fact was once again underlined by the fact that women BJP MPs happily joined in the mirth, with the honourable exception of minister of Defence Nirmala Sitharaman, incidentally from my own former university, JNU.
Mythology being a continuous repository of condensed cultural memories significantly impacts the contours of social attitudes and practices. It is in this sense that mythologies and legends are more than real. They constitute the most important battlefield for struggle against misogyny entrenched in the social psyche. They need to be understood with all their nuances, carefully interpreted and sensitively critiqued.
Shurpanakha is situated in this sphere of "more than real." For many people she is a constant reminder of a woman transgressing her limits. The assault on her person is a metaphor for the punishment that is deserved for a wayward woman. Remember the Karni Sena threatened to cut off the nose of the woman playing Padmavati, not of the director, hero or even the actor playing Alauddin Khalji.
If you keep this mental landscape in mind, the Shurpanakha reference, however oblique, on the floor of House was dismaying, to say the least.
On the other hand, some commentators present Shurpanakha as one epitomising a rebel, who is unembarrassed about her sexual desire and confident enough to make the first move. But for any one who knows the Ramayana, far from being rebellious Shurpanakha was acting perfectly in accordance with the mores of the time in which the story takes place.
The prevalent code of conduct expected Rama and Lakshman to clearly turn down her proposal. Instead, they chose to have some uncalled-for fun at her expense. But let us not miss the crucial detail that she was assaulted only after she had rushed to kill Sita. Those reading Shurpanakha's character as the archetype of a woman defying patriarchy must ask themselves: Are they also approving her murderous intent against another woman?
Here is a lesson. There is no need to valorise every character seen in negative light by mythology, even if she happens to be a woman.
Even more curious are references to 'Draupadi's laughter in some comments. The question is, did Draupadi really laugh at Duryodhana and taunted him for being a blind man's son? If so, she represents not a 'confident' woman, but a most heartless one.
Well, if you care to know the incident as reported by Vyasa in his Mahabharata, truth is Draupadi never laughed at Duryodhana, never taunted him for being a blind man's son. Vyasa's report of the incident covers two chapters in the 'sabha parva'.
It so happened that Yudhisthira invited Duryodhana to the 'palace of illusions'—an architectural wonder created by the architect of the gods. Here, Duryodhana, unused to walking around in illusions, banged his head into a wall, thinking he was about to pass through a door; slipped on water thinking it was the floor of a room. The poet here mentions by name those who laughed at him. It is Bhima, Arjuna, Nakul and Sahdev; even their servants. Both Yudhisthira and Draupadi are conspicuous by absence in this list.
But, when Duryodhana reports the incident to his father, Dhritarashtra, it is an entirely different story, and emanates from his 'consultations' with Shakuni. Now, the old, blind king is told, "They all laughed at me, Bhima, Arjuna, Nakul, Sahdev. Krishna also joined them, even Draupadi along with other women laughed at me, and Bhima addressed me as 'son of Dhritarashtra."
Note, even Duryodhana in his cooked up version is not accusing Draupadi of calling him 'a blind man's son'; she only laughs at him. It is Bhima who delivers the insensitive taunt, that too in an indirect way.
'Draupadi's laughter', therefore, is nothing but a false report deliberately spread by a crooked man, Shakuni, at least as far as Vyasa is concerned.
The Mahabharata shows remarkable insight into the male psyche here, transcending its times. Duryodhana is conscious of the fact that the laughter or even a taunt by a man will probably not anger the king sufficiently. That an 'audacious' woman, laughing at his beloved son, is a must to so enrage Dhritarashtra that he approves of the carefully planned revenge on the Pandavas.
Was this ancient poetic insight not confirmed once more when a 'proud' man could take the heckling from men in his stride, but not the laughter from a woman?
The Mahabharata's Draupadi is a woman of substance, not of pettiness. She is full of moral courage and intellectual competence. She is certainly capable of nurturing her anger for years, but not crass enough to laugh at somebody who has slipped, that too referring to his father's blindness. In fact, when all the grandees are witnessing her unspeakable humiliation in the royal assembly, Draupadi has the nerve and wisdom to remind them of something of eternal significance.
She says, "An assembly without elders is not worth its name/ The elders who hesitate to speak for dharma are not worth their salt/ The dharma that is not rooted in truth is no dharma/ And the truth pierced by deceit is no truth at all." Draupadi's anguished words continue to echo through the ages right up to the present moment, with added meaning and poignance.—"the truth pierced by deceit is no truth at all."
📣 The Indian Express is now on Telegram. Click here to join our channel (@indianexpress) and stay updated with the latest headlines
For all the latest Opinion News, download Indian Express App.