text:
In the real world of negotiation and mediation we just can't introduce something with good intentions without having devastating bad … More
Category: bad faith
…and sowing the seeds: Reply to Blake with draft excerpts from "The Second Moment".
Reply to Terrence Blake's recent post over at Agent Swarm: As usual Terrence you pegged it. It's strange how I … More
A Story.
Dave at Big Story Guide is always wanting me to put my critical ideas in a story form. Well, here's one for … More
Repost:One and Two: Politics, Governance, and Antagonism; and comment.
First the repost: Perhaps it could be said that politics is that which occurs at that precise moment that we … More
Post-modernism's Worth.
When we are too close to an event, we talk about it as from a distance. That is, what we … More
another anti-OOO article from Andrew Cole
Originally posted on Object-Oriented Philosophy:
HERE. Cole wrote one in 2013, I believe, but it was mostly an attack on those…
Repost: The Significant Event, part 1
[it appears that the most recent wordpress update has strung all the paragraph breaks together. So its like one long … More
The Matter At Hand, Part 1: Post-Modernism, Artificial Intelligence, the Conventional Limit, and Object Oriented Ontology.
From reading an essay a few days ago, I was reminded of The Postmodern Generator. You can go read a … More
Harman and the True Object.
The question is no longer that of Being, for Heidegger has destroyed being, like a forensic analysis of material. Being … More
SE Part 9: Some Zizek, with a pinch of Badiou.
We have encountered a description of divergence and how an arm of such motion remains conventional despite itself. On one … More


text:
ASCAP has named Tristan Boutros as Chief Technology Officer for the performing rights organization. Boutros will be based in New York and will report to Executive Vice President & Chief Operating Officer Brian Roberts.
In his new position, Boutros will lead ASCAP's evolving technology strategy and execution to scale the global IT systems and infrastructure in support of ASCAP's business transformation initiatives, encompassing ASCAP's cloud strategy, including elastic computing and API roadmap.
Boutros joins ASCAP from The New York Times, where he served as Chief of Operations. Prior to the Times, Tristan spent three years as Senior Vice President, Technology and Business Process at Warner Music Group. He has also held senior technology roles at BlackBerry and IAC. In addition to his full time position, he also currently teaches as an Adjunct Professor of Computer Science at Columbia University, and is the co-author of several books, including The Basics of Process Improvement with Jennifer Cardella.
"We are thrilled to welcome Tristan to the ASCAP team," said ASCAP CEO Elizabeth Matthews. "He brings a unique combination of the understanding of third party technology solutions available in the market as a complement to his technical expertise in building internal solutions. His experience helping top organizations achieve their technology goals make him the perfect person for this role."
"I am excited to have the chance to create an incredibly robust platform at ASCAP, developing the tools and experiences that further empower our members and licensees; and change the way they work, communicate, and receive payment," said Boutros. "I look forward to working with the whole team at ASCAP to bring this future to our members, and to unlock new capabilities for all of us."
Powered by Facebook Comments
Category: Featured
About the AuthorHollabaugh, a staff writer at MusicRow magazine, has written for publications including American Profile, CMA Close Up, Nashville Arts And Entertainment, The Boot and Country Weekly. She has a Broadcast Journalism and Speech Communication degree from Texas Christian University, (go Horned Frogs), and welcomes your feedback or story ideas at [email protected]
View Author Profile

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Messermeister Knives
Messermeister 13cm Oliva Elite Forged Cheese Knife
Out of stock
Messermeister Oliva Elite 5" Cheese & Tomato Knife - One-piece, fully forged - Hand-polished 15° "Elite" edge - Bolsterless edge - Cambered chef's knife blade - Ergonomic balance - Olive wood handle - 100% Handcrafted in Solingen, Germany Oliva Elité boasts an exquisite natural, Italian olive wood handle in the popular molded, forged Elité knife lines series. The highly figured, beautiful golden b…
Messermeister Maintenance Water Stone 1000/3000 grit
Out of stock
The Maintenance Stone is for regular use to keep your edges sharp factory sharp, and leaves a fine finish to the edge. Messermeister designed this stone for those who are interested in keeping a razor-like edge on their kitchen cutlery. The 1000 grit side is excellent for maintaining a very sharp edge. The 3000 grit side is great for finishing the sharpest edges with a polish. This stone provides…
Messermeister Pull Through Sharpener
Out of stock
Pull-Through Sharpener The Messermeister Pull Through Sharpener has become the honing (alignment) tool of choice for millions of Americans. One of the worst things people can do is pull a knife blade edge through a fixed V or set of cross rods because it is the same as scraping the sides of the edge against any fixed object. Messermeister introduces their Pull Through Sharpener with moving wheels,…
Messermeister Sharpening Angle Guide-Ceramic Rollers
Out of stock
Sharpening Angle Guide - Ceramic Rollers The Messermeister Angle Guide is a great way to train yourself in developing the ability to consistently sharpen a knife at the same angle. It approximately sharpens Chef's knives at a 15 degree angle. The rolling pins assist in pushing the knife blade across the stone. It can be used on a flat water/oil stone or a honing/sharpening steel of any type. After…


text:
Blog Archives
Teeming Links – March 28, 2014
It turns out that right as I was putting together last week's Teeming Brain doom-and-gloom update, a new "official prophecy of doom" had just been issued from a very prominent and mainstream source: "Global warming will cause widespread conflict, displace millions of people and devastate the global economy. Leaked draft report from UN panel seen by The Independent is most comprehensive investigation into impact of climate change ever undertaken — and it's not good news."
Did President Obama really just try to defend the U.S. war in Iraq while delivering a speech criticizing Russia's actions in Crimea and Ukraine? Why, yes. Yes, he did. (Quoth Bill Clinton at the 2012 Democratic Convention: "It takes some brass to attack a guy for doing what you did.")
What used to be paranoid is now considered the essence of responsible parenting. Ours is an age of obsessive parental overprotectiveness.
FALSE: Mental illness is caused by a "chemical imbalance" in the brain. FALSE: The DSM, the psychiatric profession's diagnostic Bible, is scientifically valid and reliable. The whole field of psychiatry is imploding before our eyes. (Also see this.)
And even as mainstream psychiatry is self-destructing, the orthodox gospel of healthy eating continues to crumble — a development now being tracked by mainstream journalism. Almost everything we've been told for the past four decades is wrong. In point of fact, fatty foods like butter and cheese are better for you than trans-fat margarines. There's basically no link between fats and heart disease .
Meanwhile, researchers are giving psychedelics to cancer patients to help alleviate their despair — and it's working:
They almost uniformly experienced a dramatic reduction in existential anxiety and depression, and an increased acceptance of the cancer, and the changes lasted a year or more and in some cases were permanent. . . . [Stephen] Ross [director of the Division of Alcoholism and Drug Abuse at Bellevue Hospital in New York] is part of a new generation of researchers who have re-discovered what scientists knew more than half a century ago: that psychedelics can be good medicine. . . . Scientists still don't completely understand why psychedelics seem to offer a shortcut to spiritual enlightenment, allowing people to experience life-changing insights that they are often unable to achieve after decades of therapy. But researchers are hopeful that will change, and that the success of these new studies will signal a renaissance in research into these powerful mind-altering drugs.
Don't look now, but the future is a social media-fied video game:
In five years' time, all news articles will consist of a single coloured icon you click repeatedly to make info-nuggets fly out, accompanied by musical notes, like a cross between Flappy Bird and Newsnight. . . . Meanwhile, video games and social media will combine to create a world in which you unlock exciting advantages in real life by accruing followers and influence. Every major city will house a glamorous gentrified enclave to which only successful social brand identities (or "people" as they used to be known) with more than 300,000 followers will be permitted entry, and a load of cardboard boxes and dog shit on the outside for everybody else.
Deflating the digital humanists:
[To portray their work] as part of a Copernican turn in the humanities overstates the extent to which it is anything more than a very useful tool for quantifying cultural and intellectual trends. It's a new way of gathering information about culture, rather than a new way of thinking about it or of understanding it — things for which we continue to rely on the analog humanities.
Science and "progress" can't tell us how to live. They can't address the deep meaning of life, the universe, and everything. So where to turn? How about philosophy, which is unendingly relevant:
We are deluged with information; we know how to track down facts in seconds; the scientific method produces new discoveries every day. But what does all that mean for us? . . . The grand forward push of human knowledge requires each of us to begin by trying to think independently, to recognize that knowledge is more than information, to see that we are moral beings who must closely interrogate both ourselves and the world we inhabit — to live, as Socrates recommended, an examined life.
Take this, all of you scoffers at Fortean phenomena (and/or at Sharknado): "When Animals Fall from the Sky: The Surprising Science of Animal Rain"
Finally, here's a neat look at the evolution of popular American cinema in 3 minutes, underlaid by Grieg's "In the Hall of the Mountain King":
Image courtesy of Salvatore Vuono / FreeDigitalPhotos.net
Syria, Russell Brand, and Miley Cyrus: Strange daze indeed
Is it just me, or have we been here before? Say, back in 2003, during the buildup to the U.S.-led invasion of Iraq? And is something amiss when one of the most reliable voices of reason amid the current World War III scenario is Russell Brand? Or when a (possibly former) entertainment icon for early adolescent girls steals the show by doing a faux softcore stage performance on cable television?
After a week-long mounting media storm here in America, and also in Britain, and also in many other countries, here's what we're now faced with:
From CNN this morning:
The United States has concluded Syria carried out chemical weapons attacks against its people, President Barack Obama said Wednesday, a claim that comes amid a looming diplomatic showdown over whether to strike against Bashar al-Assad's military.
From Reuters yesterday:
President Barack Obama vowed on Wednesday that the Syrian government would face "international consequences" for last week's deadly chemical attack, but made clear any military response would be limited to avoid dragging the United States into another war in the Middle East.
From The Washington Post this morning:
As the United States and its allies weigh limited military strikes against Syria, their lawyers have been exploring a range of legal frameworks for any operation, including propositions that members of the international community have the right to use force to protect civilians or to deter a rogue nation from using chemical weapons.
However, the Post also reports that
the Obama administration's efforts to build a legal case are encountering skepticism from U.N. officials and other experts, including former Republican and Democratic State Department lawyers, who argue that the use of force against the Syrian regime, absent a U.N. Security Council resolution, would be illegal.
On the other hand, the Associated Press (via Yahoo! News) reports that
Britain's leaders said Thursday it would be legal under humanitarian doctrine to launch a military strike against Syria even without authorization from the United Nations Security Council.
Meanwhile, Reuters (via Yahoo! News Canada) reports that
Russia is sending two warships to the east Mediterranean, Interfax news agency said on Thursday, but Moscow denied this meant it was beefing up its naval force there as Western powers prepare for military action against Syria. Read the rest of this entry


text:
A full-figured woman spots a gorgeous necklace in your store window, walks in, and asks to try it on. You retrieve the necklace from the display and offer to help her. But the necklace is too small. There's embarrassment all around.
One way to handle that situation is to offer to make the necklace longer. But custom work takes time, and shoppers are often in a hurry. A customer may also feel that a piece isn't right for her if it doesn't fit correctly from the start.
A better option is to show her a line that's specially designed for the full-figured woman. The pieces complement her curves and features and promise to make her feel attractive immediately.
JR Dunn Jewelers, with stores in Lighthouse Point and Fort Lauderdale, Fla., recently debuted its Luscious line of plus-size jewelry, available through its Web site (store.jrdunn.com). "We work in a store with millions of dollars of beautiful inventory," says e-commerce director Lind deLuca. "When a full-figured customer would visit, her face would just fall because the showcased pieces were too small for her to try anything on. Of course, it takes extra effort to supply larger sizes, but we find that people are happy and relieved to find a source like ours, a company that is dedicated to working with their needs. It's not as big of a market; however, it is a strong and loyal market. And that's really what matters in the end."
To create the Luscious line, JR Dunn looked at current designers and basic pieces with "a new eye." For example, the store chose to stock pearl necklaces not only in 16- and 18-inch lengths but also 22 inches. Particular pieces from designer lines were custom ordered in sizes that flatter full- figured women.
Cynthia Sliwa, certified image consultant and president of Apprecia Fine Jewelry, a high-end line dedicated to full-figured women, notes that 68 percent of American women are a size 12 and up, and 50 percent of that group are a size 14 and up. "In light of those facts, it is important not to see the plus-size market as an exception to the rule," Sliwa says.
Designer Miché Meizner-Onaclea is the president of Sumiché Jewelry Co., an Internet firm based in Waterville, Ore. She and her partner, Susan Onaclea, also offer a line of jewelry dedicated exclusively to the plus-size market. "Because of the reality of sizes, we come to find that many of us would fit in the category of plus-size," Meizner-Onaclea explains. "Where did the ideal come from that we should stock rings for women in sizes 6 and 7? It's absurd. We, as women, come in every size."
Susan Curley, designer and president of SenSuzy Designs, operates another Internet company, from her home in Newcastle, Wash. "I'm plus-size myself, and part of my getting started was personal frustration in trying to find designs that I thought looked good—pieces that were designed correctly," Curley says. "There are quite a number of women in my circle of friends and family who share the same frustration. I felt that there was a lot of potential for myself as a designer to cater to the market of full- figured women."
Curley says her designs can be worn by any body type. "I start with a standard length and add a 5-inch extender," she explains. "Other designs have a continuous loop. However, to specifically design for plus-size women, I try to use larger stones that create a bolder design, which seems to better flatter a full-figured woman."
Sliwa, also a full-figured woman, says American marketing professionals have neglected plus-size women. "Today's marketers want to take the approach of what is glamorous and sexy," she says. "Way too often the campaigns involve a 20-year-old woman who seems like she doesn't have a care in the world. My mantra is that it's time to get away from this kind of aspirational marketing—women who are trying to look like these impossibly beautiful creatures. As we come into our age, we are coming to say that we are worth it too. I only urge the jewelers to start honoring these women." Sliwa notes that some companies—she cites Dove, Gap, and Revlon—have begun to acknowledge what she calls "real female markets."
Sliwa introduced her Apprecia line in 2003. It received coverage in InStyle magazine, The Bridal Guide, and Good Housekeeping and was introduced on The View by an editor from Glamour magazine.
Sliwa didn't just assume the market was ready—she tested it first. "I had a friend mystery-shop, his alias being that he was looking to purchase a bracelet as a gift for his mother," she explains. "He stipulated, however, that the bracelet must be longer than 7 inches, probably 7½ or 8. Most sales associates looked at him like a deer caught in headlights. One clever salesperson ushered him to the men's section where there were larger sizes, but he still was striking out on his assignment. This is a statement that this market is ready."
Sliwa worked with Couture marketing to assess demographic factors before deciding to launch Apprecia. "We found that in 2003, the plus-size niche included 20 percent of the total apparel industry, which steadily rose by 13 percent in 2004," she says. "In that same year, the plus-size industry generated over $22 billion in annual sales, which is projected to rise by 15 percent annually for the next five years. The market is growing. When I was looking at the statistics for both the jewelry consumers in the over-40 age group as well as the plus-size target group, I determined that there was ample room for plus-size fine-jewelry lines."
The fine-jewelry industry has seen a large growth in the ranks of female self-purchasers. The Jewelry Consumer Opinion Council reported in its "2005 Year in Review: Trends Analysis and Projections Summary Report" that more than 70 percent of consumers it surveyed (over 80 percent of whom are female) have purchased fine jewelry for themselves, and 15 percent plan to buy more in the near future. It also reported that 80 percent of its female panelists are "likely to purchase jewelry for themselves any time they see something they like." Assuming the millions of women who buy jewelry don't all look like runway models—a safe assumption—jewelers could be missing an opportunity.
"The plus-size woman wants to enjoy the shopping experience the same way everyone else does," says Amanda Gizzi, of the Jewelry Information Center. "When they walk into the store, they want the comfort of trying on a piece of jewelry without the humiliation of the piece not fitting. It's like all other markets that are undervalued. When customers find a product that works for them, they will remain customers for life."


text: 9 April Retailer Spotlight: Malgorzata's April 9, 2019 By Jackie Adamany News & Spotlights, Retailer Spotlight malgorzata 3 Malgorzata Deyrup, Gainesville, FL Eclectic gallery and boutique of handmade gifts, accessories, clothing. Finding unique, creative and beautifully crafted objects of art is fun and displaying them in the gallery a real pleasure. We have artwork from over 200 artists and craftstmen in the gallery. Year Founded: 2011 Square Feet of Retail Space: 1300 Why did you decide to open a gallery? I was going through a rough patch in my life related to my health. I stopped doing art shows and that was the perfect start of a new life. How many artists do you represent? Around 200 How do you promote your artists and your gallery? Through local media, Facebook, Website, and most importantly word of mouth brings customers to my gallery What type of merchandise is made in the U.S., Canada, Imported? Most merchandise is made by US and Canadian artists but I also bring unique items from my trips to Europe Italy, Poland, Spain, Denmark and Great Britain What trade shows do you attend? I attended ACRE shows in Orlando, Philadelphia and Las Vegas. I wished that the dates for these last two shows were reversed, winter in Las Vegas and sprin in Philadelphia. What attracts you to new merchandise? The uniqueness of artwork. My observation is that in my town (where the buyers are local, not tourists) the change is important , actually crucial. People want to see new artwork all the time. No matter how well artwork sold it hits the flat line so I need to find someone new. I may go back and buy this artists work again after certain time. Do you consign? No Do you sell online? No, only sometimes the handwoven clothing that I make myself. What is your shopping routine on IndieMe? Just look constantly and finding new work. Who generates the biggest sales for you? Tourists? Locals? Repeat Customers? Collectors? Locals and repeated customers. What retail price point sells best? $50 How is business? Any thoughts for the future of craft galleries? I hope there will be more of them, I think customers are looking for unusual artwork that has acceptable price and is made in US and Canada What advice do you have for new craft galleries? Try small number of items and see where the interest lies. Try variety. My biggest difficulty is with pottery. What advice do you have for new craft artists? I hope there will be more people doing fine crafts, it looks to me that the street shows are less, not too many young artists, and the older ones are doing less work. My advice to all the artists is keep creating new work, it is always worthwhile to expand and grow. We buyers always want to see new work. Showing 3 Comments Liane Fried Hi Malgorzata, How are you? I would love for you to carry my whimsical gift items in your shop. I am IndieMe/ Artist #22254. If you would like, I would be happy to send you a free sample or two. Thank you for your consideration,Liane Fried Liane Fried Studio last year Mersiha Salihbasic Hi Malgorzata Deyrup, We would love to seer if you are interested in selling Leaf Lines products at your gallery. We support over 100 galleries in US, let us know if you want to connect :).Thank you,Mersiha last year Beth Berggren How fun to see your gallery here Malgorzata. I'm so glad you have done well with my luminaries. Your latest order is enroute. Enjoy your time off! Beth at Starrylights 2 years ago Comments are closed.


text:
Three fire appliances from Taunton and Wellington were mobilised last night following a call from the occupant of a property in Heatherton Park, Bradford On Tone saying they had a fire in their bedroom involving candles.
Shortly after arriving crews confirmed smoke was issuing from the property and entered with 2BA, 1 hose reel jet and 1 safety jet to investigate, soon locating the fire in a first floor front bedroom of the 2 storey semi detached property.
As they set to work tackling the fire they also confirmed that a male occupant had sustained smoke inhalation and minor burns.
Crews administered first aid and Oxygen therapy until the arrival of paramedics where he was assessed on scene but did not need to attend hospital.
Fire fighting was also increased to 4BA wearers, 2 hose reel jets, 1 covering jet and 2 thermal imaging cameras.
At 00:10, the attendance was increased by a further fire appliance from Taunton to assist with fire fighting.
At 00:45, crews confirmed that the fire had spread into the roof space and had gained entry to the adjoining property, to carry out further checks to the roof and attic space, in an effort to prevent the fire from spreading.
Shortly after this crews started to remove roof tiles to access the fire spread and damp down hotspots in the roof, whilst other crews extinguished the fire in the bedroom.
The incident was brought under control at 02:35.
Devon & Somerset Fire & Rescue Service said:
"The room of origin (first floor bedroom) was completely destroyed by fire, with other rooms and attic space suffering 25% damage by heat and smoke.
In total crews used 10BA, 3 hose reel jets, 1 safety jet, 1 covering jet, 2 thermal imaging cameras and ladders to extinguish the fire which was confirmed to have started accidentally.
The adjoining property sustained minor fire damage to roof beams, as well as being slightly smoke logged.
Other than the male casualty who suffered burns and smoke inhalation, there were no further casualties.
Both properties have been left in the hands of the owners and the Police, from a welfare point of view, and a fire crew will be attending in day light hours to carry out a re-inspection and to check for hotspots etc."


text:
If you found yourself driving around this morning and using the google maps app you probably noticed the icon on the bottom left to report incidents like a crash.
Consumer Tips: Site Speed GT Metrix & Age Of Subscriptions
If your site is, in fact, slow and you want to test it an perhaps improve its speed and shorten the content delivery time.
How To Connect To CloudFalre With WordPress Site
How to Connect: Cloud Flare to WordPress for a fast content delivery network. If you want a free SSL image mirroring service you found the right place.
Consumer Tips: HostGator Offers Free SSL Certificate For All
Consumer Tips - Free SSL certificates from Host Gator are now available due to Google rank update.
Consumer Tips: Hostgator Disallow Own Free SSL Certificate
This is me trying to install a free SSL certificate and then I encounter another Hostgator error.
Stupid Windows 10 Bluetooth Problems – Is there A Solution?
Since Windows 10 has been updated it's been acting out, especially on Bluetooth.
Everyone Has Potential – The Gift Store (2018)
After all the best way to express gratitude or respect or just the privilege of giving. Often is the best feeling! This holiday, give a little more!


text:
There are a number of cryptocurrency payment gateway plugins which can be used on WordPress blogs to send invoices and receive payments. Notable among them is the recent PayIOTA.me WooCommerce Plugin developed by Dan Darden & Laszlo Molnarfi, a group of GitHub developers. The two broke the news in a WordPress post on January 8, 2018.WooCommerce Plugin to Accept IOTA Cryptocurrency
PayIOTA.me WooCommerce Plugin has been specially designed to process payments with the cryptocurrency, IOTA. After uploading the Zip file into the WordPress platform or using the WordPress plugin installer, a site owner can begin receiving payments.
Based on the plugin's description page, PayIOTA features a QR code as well as an auto-update.
In the same vein, this plugin is compatible with WordFence, a WordPress widget that protects a website from malware and other malicious attacks. This Open source software allows a sent invoice to be retained for about a week after it has been sent.
The plugin's developer says after this time frame, the payment address is no longer scanned in a bid to check if IOTA funds have been sent in order to prevent server overload.The Team of Developers behind the Plugin
According to a Medium blog post on May 13, 2018, revealed the team behind this widget include Laszlo Molnarfi, Isaiah Nwukor, Dan Darden, and Muhammad Junaid.
The publication also stated that the data generated from the use of PayIOTA depicts users' unwillingness to spend this cryptocurrency online. It was also noted that an increase in the price of the digital asset led to more consumption rather than its storage.
Aside from PayIOTA.me, other plugins of this nature which site owners can use to receive payments for goods and services are BitMate Author Donations by BitMate, Cryptocurrency Donation Box by Cool Plugins, and Accept Bitcoin from Coingate.
BitMate Author Donations, in comparison to PayIOTA.me, allows bloggers ...


text:
These project photos show a ceiling remodeled with exposed beams, demonstrating how contrasting light and dark colors can make a large room seem even bigger.
The room remodeled was the home's great room – which, as you can see from the 'before' pictures, was large and expansive with great natural lighting and a towering ceiling.
However, the huge scale of the room also meant that it looked a little 'washed out' – especially with the bright white walls and ceiling, which were important to emphasis the natural light.
Our customer, Phil, researched design inspirations to help tackle this problem; and stumbled across the concept of using contrast to emphasize size, and the idea of 'framing' large spaces with accessories like beams.
This proved to be the perfect idea – and Phil soon plotted out how a network of mounted faux beams could give his room the frame that it needed to truly illustrate its size and scale.
Phil was keen to retain a contemporary style to the home. Fortunately, he quickly found the perfect product within our inventory of faux beams – choosing Custom Driftwood Beams in a sleek and modern Grey Patina.
These beams look achingly contemporary, while still delivering the real-wood look at the contrasting framework Phil was looking for. He ran a large central beam across the apex of the room, and then spread out equally-spaced beams across the span of the ceiling to give the impression of an exposed ceiling structure.
It's clear from the 'after' pictures that Phil carefully researched how real timber beams would have been used to support a structure like this, as the whole project just looks right.
At the same time, the Grey Patina blends perfectly with the grey-tinted hardwood floors and contemporary furniture; creating a very chic living space that manages to achieve the impossible and look bigger than it did when it had lighter flooring and a bare ceiling.
With the addition of other matching furniture, this entire room becomes exactly what it's described as – a 'great room'! We love the way this whole project came together and are thrilled that our products were such an important part of it.
In the email that accompanies these photos, Phil wrote:
"When we purchased this house we loved the large great room, but the whole house needed to be updated including the kitchen and master bath. The great room was a good size and layout, but lacked any real character. We decided to go with faux beams after considering real beams, sun lights, or even just updated trim work. The beams look great and I have to tell folks they're faux because they automatically assume they're real, massive beams!"
Like many of our customers, now Phil has seen how versatile and realistic our faux wood products are, he's already looking for new ways to incorporate them in his home.
"I'm now considering a matching mantel as I take on adding a fireplace."
We hope you send us pictures when you do, Phil!


text:
#1. Go to The Atelje DADO Gallery in Cetinje
The Atelje DADO Gallery is a contemporary art gallery in Cetinje, the historical capital of Montenegro. The gallery mostly presents exhibitions of regional artists working with a wide range of artistic forms, paintings, sculptures, photography and videos. This gallery also promotes contemporary art by organizing workshops, lectures, and conferences. The permanent sections include the work of outstanding artists from abroad, the promotion of young Montenegrin artists and themed exhibitions of work belonging to the National Museum of Montenegro.
#2. Go and watch a new movie in Ciniplexx in Podgorica or Budva
"Cineplexx" is a new cinema with the latest digital equipment that creates extremely high picture quality and sound. Watch the latest movies, even in 3D where available. They also hold fun events and special screenings. It is located in the shopping mall "Delta City" in Podgorica and in the TQ Plaza in Budva. You can use public transport to get there or if you take your own car there is free parking available.
#3. Visit The Maritime Museum of Montenegro, in Kotor
The Maritime Museum of Montenegro in Kotor has a very interesting collection of items dating back to the 16th century. For example, in the central exhibition hall you can see ships from the 16th – 18th century that were used to fight off pirates on the Mediterranean seas. In the drawing room of the Ivelic Family are a variety of paintings by a famous painter of the seas, Vasilije Ivankovic. You can also see the family's collection of weapons including French weapons that were seized by the family from Napoleon's army. Visit the Ethnography section to see Montenegrin Folk costumes, glass showcases, old English ceramics and much more.
#4. Visit Bar Heritage Museum
In the Cultural Centre of Bar is the Bar Heritage Museum with a gallery, exhibitions and also a library. The museum has a historical, archaeological and ethnographic section. Come and see authentically crafted items that came from the castle of King Nikola. There is also an interesting collection of national costumes, jewelry and household items. The library section has a reading room and a lending section.
#5. City Gallery in Old Kotor Town
The City Gallery of Kotor is an exhibition space, which exhibits works of local and foreign contemporary artists. The gallery is a display of fine and applied arts, and exhibitions of new media (video, installations, performance). This is a vibrant environment with trendy and new items on display.
#6. Play Bowling with Friends
The Mall of Montenegro Strike Bowling Club is not only a place for bowling, but a gathering place for friends and family, where you will enjoy entertainment, food and drink at affordable prices. The building is equipped with Brunswick equipment and has 4 pool tables and a coffee bar with a stunning view of the city.
At the Porto Montenegro Sports Club you can also play bowling at any time during the day. Two bowling alleys, a bar, billiards – everything you need to have fun and enjoy the day even if it is raining outside
#7. Yoga for your mind, body and soul
The Yoga studio has several instructors who will be happy to attend to you.
This Yoga studio will provide pads and blankets for you. You won't need shoes – it's barefoot only. You only need to bring yourself and some good vibes. There are several options on offer here: Hatha yoga for physical purification. It controls the body and helps you to become stronger. Raja yoga is for mental preparation; awaken your soul.
#8. Have coffee at Karver – an open space bookshop
Karver is an open space – bookshop – gallery – coffee – internet club in the center of Podgorica close to Hotel Montenegro on the bank of the Ribnica River. Browse a huge selection of books from various publishers across the region of the South Slavic, Albanian and English as well as 50 different magazines in French, Italian, English and German. A selection of images from young Montenegrin painters and graphic artists are also on display.
#9. Montenegrin art gallery "Miodrag Dado Djuric"
The Montenegrin art gallery "Miodrag Dado Djuric" is a truly modern exhibition space. View paintings, sculptures, prints, drawings and installations as well as different forms of extended media: digital art, intermediate studies, conceptual art, performance, events … The gallery organizes individual and group exhibitions with Montenegrin and foreign artists, lectures, presentations, roundtables, concerts, literary evenings etc. On permanent display are masterpieces of contemporary Yugoslav and Montenegrin fine arts.
#10. Eat at one of the best restaurant in the capital Imanja Knjaz
This is a large and opulent restaurant in the capital city of Montenegro. With 180 seats inside the restaurant and a further 400 in the garden, you can enjoy a variety of traditional and international cuisine, prepared by top chefs, in this monumental building, surrounded by greenery and vegetation. Tucked away next to the river, this restaurant is completely isolated from the noise and commotion.
#11. Visit Cats Museum
Cats, cats and more cats! With a huge collection of historical cat images this museum is better than YouTube! Not only paintings, but old postcards, prints, lithographs, exercise books, stamps, coins and medals all dedicated to cats. They also hold events and exhibitions. Come and view, cute, funny, serious and fluffy cat images!
#12. Kotor 3D Museum
Experience Kotor in 3D. Explore the history of the Old Town and fly over the beautiful Boka Bay without leaving your seat. Feel the very pulse of Kotor. Watch an 8-minute-long Kotor exclusive video. This will certainly be a unique and interesting experience. See the beauty of Kotor and Montenegro in full 3D.


text:
Philippe Normand
Working at Igalia since September 2009.
Brittany (France)
I am passionate about computers, free software and multimedia, I hold a master degree in computer science. Apart from that I am learning to play guitar, enjoy watching movies of various kinds and the sunny life in the Canary Islands.
HTML overlays with GstWPE, the demo
Once again this year I attended the GStreamer conference and just before that, Embedded Linux conference Europe which took place in Lyon (France). BotContinue reading >
Review of the Igalia Multimedia team Activities (2019/H1)
This blog post takes a look back at the various Multimedia-related tasks the Igalia Multimedia team was involved in during the first half of 2019. GSContinue reading >
Introducing WPEQt, a WPE API for Qt5
WPEQt provides a QML plugin implementing an API very similar to the QWebView API. This blog post explains the rationale behind this new project aimedContinue reading >
Web overlay in GStreamer with WPEWebKit
After a year or two of hiatus I attended the GStreamer conference which happened in beautiful Edinburgh. It was great to meet the friends from the comContinue reading >
GStreamer's playbin3 overview for application developers
Multimedia applications based on GStreamer usually handle playback with the playbin element. I recently added support for playbin3 in WebKit. This posContinue reading >
Web Engines Hackfest 2014
Last week I attended the Web Engines Hackfest. The event was sponsored by Igalia (also hosting the event), Adobe and Collabora. As usual I spent mostContinue reading >
The GNOME-Shell Gajim extension maintenance
Back in January 2011 I wrote a GNOME-Shell extension allowing Gajim users to carry on with their chats using the Empathy infrastructure and UI presentContinue reading >
Moving to Pelican
Time for a change! Almost 10 years ago I was starting to hack on a Blog engine with two friends, it was called Alinea and it powered this website for...Continue reading >
WebKitGTK+ Hackfest 2013 edition
So for the 5th time I attended the WebKitGTK+ hackfest and as usual I spent most of the time working on Multimedia-related tasks, well just one this yContinue reading >


text:
Comedian & Co-Creator of 'Rel' Dies At 32
The world of comedy got a little sadder today when friends and family found out that young comedian and writer Kevin Barnett has died, according to a statement from Twentieth Century Fox Television and Fox Entertainment.
Barnett, at only 32, co-created the TV comedy series "Rel" on Fox — with fellow comedians Lil Rel Howery and Josh Rabinowitz — which premiered a few months ago and stars Howery.
Fox Entertainment released a statement: "Our hearts are broken, as are those of everyone at 'Rel,' at the news of Kevin Barnett's passing. He was an incredibly funny, wildly talented man who had so much more to do and so many more stories to tell. We send our thoughts and prayers to his friends and family during this difficult time."
United Talent Agency also confirmed Barnett's death in a tweet. "We are deeply saddened by the passing of our friend and client Kevin Barnett. He was an incredible talent and a


text:
Spelling and Phonics
Most students with Down syndrome will be able to achieve functional writing through the support of a structured spelling program. They will progress in much the same way as other students through a developmental sequence of stages, but their development may be slower than their peers as many students with Down syndrome have difficulty learning the phonics skills which are necessary to decode words and their meanings. For more information on the development of spelling skills and establishing a whole word spelling program, read Spell to Write by the Down syndrome Society of South Australia.
Handwriting by Diane Brown
Many children with Down syndrome are able to learn to write in time. It is important to be consistent, teach carefully, and establish good habits from the beginning. Equally important is establishing a good attitiude toward handwriting time. Make it a fun time to be together.
Readiness Activities
Any kindy or pre-primary curriculum usually lists these types of activities. Here are a few to get you started. Tracing can be done with the pointer finger until your child can hold a pencil:
- playdough – pinch,squeeze, roll, pound, poke etc
- forming vertical and horizontal lines and circles with fingerpaint, crayons, markers, or shaving cream/pudding on a tray
- using the "pincher grip" (pointer finger and thumb) to pick up small objects such as beans and place them into the opening of a bottle
- draw lines (waves, diagonals, curves) or simple shapes with a hihglighter marker for your child to trace
- use your computer to make thick dotted lines for your child to track going from left to right and from top to bottom. Place a beginning and ending clip art picture to make it interesting.
Hints for Teaching Handwriting
- Before writing letters on paper, use different fun ways to practice: use your finger to trace in the air or on different surfaces; use a tray of shaving cream, finger paints, pudding, sand or cornmeal; use a blunt pencil in a thin amount of spread out clay; try different types of markers, crayons and coloured chalk.
- Remember that the main objective is legible handwriting. Some fonts (such as Victorian Modern Cursive taught in most WA schools) have little curves at the end of the letter. If your child does not do this curve, don't worry.
- Give plenty of praise
- Practice writing for only about 5 minutes at a sitting. As your child gains confidence and is able to do more writing, increase to no more than 10 minutes.
- Teach proper pencil hold and posture from the beginning.
- Make letter models large to begin with, and reduce in size as your child becomes more proficient.
- Always model before your child writes. Talk about what you are doing and say it the same way each time.
- Use different colours to show multi-stroke letters.
- Write letters with a highlighter for tracing. Your child will need to trave many times before he/she is ready to copy.
- Use hand-over-hand assistance to help your child nave success if necessary.
- Move to practising on handwriting lines only when your child has mastered the basic strokes.
- Teach your child about handwriting lines. Pat Oelwein's book gives a good idea that will be fun.
- Use a green marker or small sticker to place beginning dots where your child is to begin each letter.
- Never give your child handwriting to practice and walk away. If he makes a whole row of letters incorrectly he is learning bad habits that once established will be hard to correct.
- It is better to make three letters correctly and end with a child that is still smiling than it is to write a whole page of letters and end with a child that hates writing time.
Handwriting Programs
If you wish to use a handwriting program look for one that has simple pages that are not cluttered, and many letters that can be made with only one stroke.
Teaching Reading to Children with Down Syndrome by Patricia Logan Oelwein also gives ideas for teaching handwriting.
The Sensible Pencil by Linda C. Becht is a program that was developed for children with Down Syndrome
Handwriting Without Tears by Jan Z Olsen is a multi-sensory handwriting program with many one-stroke letters that is also reasonably priced. You can learn more about it by visiting www.hwtears.com/.
Bruni, Maryanne Fine Motor Skills in Children with Down Syndrome: A Guide for Parents and Teachers
Down Syndrome Society of South Australia Spell to Write [kit]
Developing Scissor Cutting Skills in the Child with Down Syndrome
Teaching Pre-writing Skills to the Child with Down Syndrome
Oelwein, Patricia Teaching Reading to Children with Down Syndrome
Olsen, Jan Handwriting Without Tears Teacher's Manual (Kindergarten)
Letters and Numbers for Me Workbook
Bonsangue, Nancy J. and Susanne G Flatley Teddy Bear Express: A Phonological Development Program
Occupational Therapy Practice which runs groups for young children such as Fiddly Fun and Busy Hands, and an Online Shop (They also have a small shop in Leeming) www.skillbuilders.com.au
Handwritng implements and programs are available to purchase from www.therapytoyshop.com
Down Syndrome Society of South Australia Purchasing Catalogue www.downssa.asn.au/resources/catalogue.php
Bird, Gillian and Sue Buckley Number Skills for Individuals with Down Syndrome – An Overview
Number Skills for Individuals with Down Syndrome (5-11 years)
The Clarke Road Money Programs Kit
Horstmeier, DeAnna Teaching Math to People with Down Syndrome and Other Hands-On Learners
Squire, Anne Maths and Money
Articles and Information
Ten Read-Aloud Commandments by Mem Fox – http://www.memfox.com/ten-read-aloud-commandments.html
Reading and Writing for Individuals with Down Syndrome by Sue Buckley – www.down-syndrome.org/information/reading/overview/
Teaching Reading One Step at a Time – www.kootenay.com/~ryckman/DownHomeLearning5.html
Reading and Children with Down Syndrome – http://www.ereadingpro.com/reading-and-down-syndrome.htm
Oelwein, Patricia Teaching Reading to Children with Down Syndrome
Down Syndrome Society of South Australia Reading : Getting Started
Literacy Record
Teaching Reading Part A


text:
Monaco boss Leonardo Jardim eyeing top three spot in Ligue 1
Head coach Leonardo Jardim insists Monaco can force their way into Ligue 1's top three - and hopes to begin their climb up the standings with victory in Friday's home clash against Lyon.
Two consecutive league draws before the international break means Monaco are 10th in the standings - five points behind third-placed Caen - after nine rounds of fixtures.
Victory at the Stade Louis II, however, will see them move to within two points of third place ahead of the rest of the weekend fixtures and Jardim insists that his side will not be satisfied with anything other than all three points.
"We will not play for the draw, our philosophy is to seek victory. Of course the podium is possible!" the Portuguese said in quotes published from the club's official Twitter account.
The principality club go into their first league game since the final round of Euro 2016 qualifiers without the services of suspended defenders Andrea Raggi and Ricardo Carvalho.
Jardim conceded that the absence of his first-choice central defensive partnership has caused him something of a selection headache but he is convinced that his youngsters can step into the breach.
"I still do not know who will be fit to play Friday," he said. "Raggi and Carvalho will be suspended. We have to find solutions in defence.
"We will seek options to face a very strong Lyon team. This will be an important game between two quality teams.
"We are used to adapting to a very dense schedule. We will count also on the youth of the CFA (academy) to overcome the absences and reinforce the group facing Lyon."
Jardim will also be unable to call upon defensive midfielder Adama Traore, who suffered a broken ankle in training on Monday and will undergo surgery.
Sixth-placed Lyon, meanwhile, have also been hit by a long-term absentee as 19-year-old forward Aldo Kalulu was ruled out for two months with a left ankle injury on Wednesday.
A statement on the club's website read: "Olympique Lyonnais can confirm that Aldo Kalulu injured his left ankle after receiving a knock in training on Tuesday.
"The U18 international has undergone a battery of tests which reveal a very serious sprain and damaged internal ligament.
"Aldo Kalulu will have his ankle plastered on Thursday and is expected to be sidelined for approximately two months."
Victory for Hubert Fournier's side would see them move up to second in the standings, temporarily at least, ahead of the rest of the weekend's fixtures.
Use a Facebook account to add a comment, subject to Facebook's Terms of Service and Privacy Policy. Your Facebook name, photo & other personal information you make public on Facebook will appear with your comment, and may be used on ESPN's media platforms. Learn more.


text:
2011 Baja 500 pre-run on the new "Summit"
I have been down following the guys around as they get ready to race the SCORE Baja 500 this weekend. In the pic you can see the new summit section that has been causing so much commotion over the past week. I went out to investigate it myself yesterday and had the opportunity to watch a number of people come down it. It is a little scary because the base is so soft that you pretty much just slide all the way down. But none of the bikes or trucks I saw had any real issue with it.
Anyway the word today is that the organizers have decided to reroute the section to cut out the new part. So everyone has had to rush back out this morning to learn the revised route before race day.
All the JCR Honda crew is looking good. Kendall Norman and David Kamo will be riding the summit. They will be testing the race bikes later today. Ivan Ramirez will be testing his KTM 450sxf today also. He has just returned from a Mexican National Enduro in Toluca Mx. He has had a busy week and will just get his first outing on the bike with the KTM "special" motor today.
I have been out riding with the 400x crew of Jeff Kaplan, Ronnie Wilson and Brian Campbell. They look strong for the class 40 win. There are two very strong teams in class 30 also. I don't have it all figured out who is on what team, I think one is Franciso Septian, Scott Meyers, Jason Trueby and Jim Oneal.
The weather has been awesome, not to hot, just comfortable for riding, even down in the low desert. I have a bunch of video but need a better internet connection to get it loaded, maybe Thursday.
Almost forgot; in the pic with David Fry, one of the guys in the background broke his ankle in a sandwash coming off the summit. He spent the night out in the dez and has just made his way to the Baja Pit with some help of another group of riders. He is a little worse for wear, but did ride out with some assistance. David Kamo was the first guy to him yesterday morning, and was sure he had encountered a dead guy, but he was just really dehydrated. I am not quite sure of the whole story, because the rider was not alone, he had some friends with him, but apparently they had ridden out in the morning and not returned yet.
. So stay tuned for more as the week progresses.
May 23, 2020
May 5, 2020


text:
Dark Flame (ダークフレイム, Dāku Fureimu?) is a recurring ability in the series. It is an ability used exclusively by Dark Knight Cecil Harvey.
Dissidia Final FantasyEdit
Dark Flame is a ground HP attack for Cecil, learned at level 22. It requires 40 CP to equip (20 when mastered), 360 AP to master, has Ranged High priority, and can induce Wall Rush. Cecil stabs the ground to summon bursts of black fire, which can track the opponent in the air and through walls.
Dissidia 012 Final FantasyEdit
Dark Flame is a HP attack for Cecil, learned at level 11. It requires 30 CP to equip (15 when mastered) and 130 AP to master. It is otherwise identical to its previous incarnation.
Bartz uses his version of Dark Flame as a ground HP attack, learned at level 9. It requires 30 CP to equip (15 when mastered), 130 AP to master, has Ranged High priority, and can induce Wall Rush. It is identical to Cecil's version, but also grants minor Ground Evasion Boost.
Dissidia Final Fantasy NTEdit
Pictlogica Final FantasyEdit
Pictlogica Final Fantasy ≒Edit
Final Fantasy Airborne BrigadeEdit
Final Fantasy Record KeeperEdit
Final Fantasy Brave ExviusEdit
Dark damage to all enemiesDescription
Dark Flame is an active special ability exclusively learned by Dark Knight Cecil. Dark Flame deals dark magic damage (2.5x) to all enemies at the cost of 35 MP. Cecil who learns this ability at Level 93 (6★).


text:
daniel thorson
intro'd to Daniel in his convo w Vinay here:
Ben Schulz (@bnschlz) tweeted at 4:39 AM – 9 Apr 2019 :
The Monster Factory. Love of "us" at the expense of "them" is destroying the world.
Nice work @leashless and @thorson.
Part I https://t.co/kljYA74tcX
Part II https://t.co/9ZAG0kWMx9 (http://twitter.com/bnschlz/status/1115564858978623489?s=17)
twitter handle above not right for Daniel Thorson.. it's @dthorson – he is/was in boulder/vermont – https://www.monasticacademy.com/
Daniel has joined the Monastic Academy in order to become a person who can serve the world in a time of crisis and contribute to building an educational institution that can train many more such people.
In previous incarnations, Daniel has organized with Occupy Wall Street (in NYC); worked at a company called Buddhist Geeks (it's what it sounds like); helped start Boulder Flood Relief in the aftermath of the September 2013 Boulder, CO floods (which went on to become an award-winning non-profit); founded a mindfulness education company; launched a new American political party; and spent over 10,000 (awful, wonderful) hours in formal meditation practice. Daniel is the host of the Emerge podcast, which explores the relationship between inner and outer transformation.
part 1
12 min – i'm really only about preventing extinction.. if we can do that.. possibly expand into space.. past that i have zero hope for everything else.. fairness/goodness/well-being.. we have blown everything there is to blow on all of those levels.. my advice is .. abandon all lesser causes.. none of it's real.. none of it matters if we go extinct.. not because of global warming.. but because of political changes which will come because of a result of radically increased resource scarcity brought about by global warming.. ie: nuclear/bio weapons.. the more chaotic/violent the world gets.. the more dark the more crazy the solutions
25 min – huge ineq happening.. not because they (few at the top/wealthy) hate you .. but because they love their kids and are blinding selves to all others.. not being done by hate but by love.. that's why it's so hard to stop
27 min – love is not enough.. it's by no means the highest virtue.. rather.. truth.. above love is truth
what is truth? who decides..?
has to be love vinay.. those people 'acting out of love for kids' .. that's not love.. that's fear.. (security for kids.. security is based on fear not love)
thurman interconnectedness law
29 min – everyone feeling they are doing the best they can.. but not enough.. so why do it
it's less about doing so much and more about sync.. to me.. the biggest/deepest problem is getting us back into sync..everyone in sync.. which can't happen unless it's everyone.. we can't fix things.. we can just bring us all back together..
the ai humanity needs..
augmenting interconnectedness
30 min – in reality.. nothing we can do in amount of time we have.. so we are looking for hacks to buy us some time to do something about resource scarcity.. if people have enough .. so they don't feel they need to butcher their neighbor for resources.. to some degree we could get them to chill out about
doing enough about material scarcity that we could get people to chill out a little is about all i think is realistic at this point in history..t
you look at things like bi.. even a 3rd rate implementation of bi is likely to stop people starving in the streets.. even a lousy implementation of bi is likely to do a good job of stopping that (people falling off cliff).. worst part of anybody is..instability.. not knowing where money is coming from.. seems you could pull an enormous amount of anxiety out of society w bi.. not happier.. but less aggressively vicious and maybe less violent
33 min – i'm not talking massive save the world.. but maybe if people less scared..
34 min – now.. unable to prioritize.. we're not noticing that we're shooting people with one hand and handing out bandages with the other
rest of this and part 2 – mostly about awakening ness..
part 2
35 min – d: this helps me realize why we create monastic environs where you can contemplate these things w/o losing everything
imagine that space.. everyday.. for everyone.. ie: 2 convers as infra
listen & connect to undo our hierarchical listening
@dthorson: I predict we will soon see the rise of emergent self-governing collectives organized around shared problems or purpose. To participate in these collectives will require a high degree of sovereignty.
maybe just curiosity ie: cure ios city
am thinking that would save a ton of energy.. by creating diff collectives..
'in undisturbed ecosystems ..the average individual, species, or population, left to its own devices, behaves in ways that serve and stabilize the whole..' –Dana Meadows
1:04 – so much energy has been poured into this massive awakening dream (like eradicating racism – not gonna happen).. that could be poured into doing practical stuff in the world..
what we need most: the energy of 7bn alive people
begs tech as it could be..
Vinay Gupta (@leashless) tweeted at 6:37 PM on Tue, Apr 09, 2019:
I'm fascinated by how hard-hitting people found these two podcasts @dthorson and I did recently. We didn't talk about extinction, or pandemic flu, or genocide, or any of that stuff. https://t.co/3BRmMfUJTY
https://t.co/qCzE2nwwdi We talked about *money* and homelessness and lies.
Vinay Gupta (@leashless) tweeted at 6:38 PM on Tue, Apr 09, 2019:
What really amazes me is the difference in reactions between part one and part two: part one, lots of fanfare. Part two, flat silence. Mostly we talk about the struggle of knowing how to help in a world gone things wrong. https://t.co/3BRmMfUJTY
https://t.co/qCzE2nwwdi basically
Vinay Gupta (@leashless) tweeted at 6:42 PM on Tue, Apr 09, 2019:
I know we all want a two car garage (to put our fab lab in, if not a car) and free health care. These are our rights, right? But we share a planet with a million people who will starve to death this year. Socialism failed. Now what? https://t.co/3BRmMfUJTY
advancing human sovereignty – by Daniel Schmachtenberger – via @dthorson when i asked him what he meant by sovereignty here:
@dthorson: I predict we will soon see the rise of emergent self-governing collectives organized around shared problems or purpose. To participate in these collectives will require a high degree of sovereignty.
ie: cure ios city
Sovereignty relates to the capacity for and demonstration of good (omni-positive) choice-making.
We can define sovereignty more formally as the product of sentience (one's ability to sense the world), intelligence (one's ability to make sense of the world), and agency (one's ability to act on and in the world).
then @dthorson rt'd this tweet on individual sovereignty
@dthorson #RiffingDefinitionsForSharedSensemakingV1
To have individual sovereignty is to have a clear sense of your self, values, purpose, and your place in universe; To feel "anchored"in your psyche deeply; to be in the world but not of; to be engaged in messy world with boundaries.
Original Tweet: https://twitter.com/drtime_/status/1115647345608118272
so.. what if with that/those definition\s.. curiosity is what creates/sustains sovereignty.. what if that's why we're missing it.. by not trusting/facilitating individual daily curiosity..
@dthorson: Ah! I think I'm getting you now. Yes, I think curiosity is a big part of what leads to sovereignty. I personally prefer 'eros' as a term for what I imagine you're pointing to.
In that sense sovereignty is an emergent property of our deep love affair with life.
sovereignty ness
@dthorson: Meditation amplifies curiosity. First we practice cultivating curiosity towards 'uninteresting' things (like the breath). Eventually we become naturally curious towards all experience. Everything becomes interesting. Then the whole world unfolds like a flower
like a healthy 5 yr old.. back to vinay's – give people a means to chill: 1 yr to be 5 ness
@csageland Yes. The major bottleneck to their emergence is not infrastructure (which companies like @daostack and @joincolony are building) but the lack of human sovereignty in our world. I think that's why folks like Daniel Schmacthenberger and @jgreenhall emphasize the quality so much.
Original Tweet: https://twitter.com/dthorson/status/1115954555068526592
i think the infra needs a detox embed .. get people back/to that love of life (cure ios city).. ie: 2 convers as infra..
major bottleneck is that we can't seem to let go enough (gupta roadblock law) of all the things.. and just trust (unconditional trust – oxymoron) that that love/curiosity/sovereignty is already there.. the infra has to assume/model that trust
6 min video
5 min – the purpose (of meditation) for a lot of people is to wake up.. and if you achieve that thru tech means.. then the purpose is achieved.. if the goal is enlightenment.. whatever gets you there fastest.. go for it.. it takes a long time now.. so just do it faster
from Richard
Richard D. Bartlett (@RichDecibels) tweeted at 9:29 AM on Wed, Sep 25, 2019:
.@dthorson I have a wish: with yr podcast yr gaining wisdom and knowledge and integrating perspectives and helping the field advance. I want you to stop every 6 mo and interview yourself, get on a soapbox and encapsulate what's shifted for you in the past period.
find/follow Daniel:
Thoughts are not me and not mine ⦿ Host of the Emerge podcast ⦿ Monastic at the Monastic Academy (http://www.monasticacademy.com)
Emerge is here to help make sense of what's next.
a podcast based inquiry into the emerging paradigms shaping the next phase of the human experiment.
Themes, Topics & Tags
- Decentralization & Distributed Ledger Technology
- Pragmatic Idealism
- Responsive Organizations
- Automation
- Basic Income
- Adult Development
- Contemplative Technology
- Collective Intelligence
- Omni-Win Solutions
- Personal Knowledge Management
- Future of Computing
- Zero Marginal Cost and Zero Waste Production
- Human Sovereignty
- Metamodernism & The Listening Society


text:
Day 1 of Do Something Wild every day in June finds me at Selside helping people from Manchester University carry out research..
1st June - wearing ski jacket, heavy waterproof jacket and leggings under thick trousers
Look at the angle of the grass stems.
http://www.mylocalweather.org.uk/ribblehead/ showed that that night the next morning the apparent temperature was less than 0 degrees due to the wind chill factor.
One of the functions of the experiment is to investigate the effect of drought on vegetation and soils.


text:
Diwali (or Deepavali) is festival widely celebrated in India. There is a reason and story behind every festival, like wise there is one for this too. Instead of me writing about it, I'll point you to one of the blog that I follow for you to know more about it. (Click here for the story). This festival is a celebration of triumph of good over evil.
Traveling back in time to one of my most beautiful memory lane, as part of the preparations for this festival.. we would have to prepare the list of fire crackers and hand over it to my dad. He would then take us to store near by and get us all we want, that would be sufficient for 3 days. And at home, there will be intensive house cleaning activities go on, painting the home, cleaning, washing, re-organizing and throwing away unwanted items..and so on so forth.
On the day of Diwali, the corridor's are decorated with Mango leaves
Prayer to Goddess Lakshmi (the goddess of wealth) is performed at home and at respective business locations
Sweets are distributed amongst neighbors, friends and families. This is the most fun part, by the end of the day you would have so many sweet boxes lying around and a difficult time for parents to stop their kids from eating all the unhealthy food in the world. Yes, just like candy's that kids collect during Halloween festival.
Then shopping for fire-crackers
as the day begins to get darker, you'll get to see all the lights in the sky, loud sounds, people decorating their surroundings with candle lights (called as Diya's) , the diya's that we use are usually made out of mud, the oil is poured into those small-little containers and a cotton made like a thickest thread is inserted into it, then they are lighted with match stick.
These are now placed around the home
These Diya's are used to fire the crackers. Fun starts from the morning! This produces so much of noise pollution and it is hard to get away with it unless you have sound-proof homes. Unfortunately, if one is not very careful about these things, this is the time where one could burn themselves and burn places as well.
and then in the evening, people gather at one place and start playing with fire crackers until late in the mid-night. It is such a wonderful experience to participate in the event without being worried about harm that it could cause you.
and other not-so-dangerous fire crackers (I really enjoy all these things and here I am in different country missing the fun)
There have been instances where my hands, sometimes legs were burnt because of being careless about it. It would take many days to recover from those injuries and yet, we look forward for this festival with the same levelof enthusiasm.
and these go on until mid night or at times almost until morning, this not only creates noise pollution but also air pollution. Here is the mess that you see on every street and home, the more you burn the more trash it accumulates.
A great festival, that used to be my day on Diwali and now, it's different – all we do is host or attend a Diwali event, at the max we would burn the "pool chadi" the one you hold in your hands and burn. If you truly want to enjoy Diwali, you have got to make a trip to India. There could never be any better place than India to celebrate this festival.
This is a picture of India from NASA on a Diwali Day. This how big it is celebrated.
With this the celebration comes to end!
To all my dear readers of this blog: Wishing you a fabulous Diwali. Wish this festival bring you happiness, wealth and success your way.
P.S: My memories still fresh from my childhood. Hope to celebrate this day again in the future with the same excitement and enthusiasm.


text:
|口语 > 口语训练
Chris Pratt and Katherine Schwarzenegger hold hands during a romantic date
自打"星爵"克里斯•帕拉特和施瓦辛格的女儿凯瑟琳订婚以后,吃瓜群众们也是十分关心小两口的这碗"狗粮"。 最近两人就被发现手拉手一起去下馆子吃海鲜了,而且外套颜色也相当搭调。眼尖的人还看到了凯瑟琳bling bling的订婚大钻戒啊喂~
Just weeks after getting engaged, Chris Pratt, 39, and Katherine Schwarzenegger, 29, were spotted out on a romantic dinner date at Scott's seafood restaurant in London on Monday night. The couple held hands and bundled up for the cold weather in color-coordinated outfits. At one point, Katherine even gave us a closer look at her stunning engagement ring.
Chris and Katherine first got together back in June 2018 following the actor's divorce from Anna Faris. The two have been going strong since then, and Katherine also seems to be close with Chris's 6-year-old son, Jack. Following the engagement announcement, Chris spoke to ET and revealed he wants "lots of kids" with the lifestyle blogger. "I always want to be that guy that works to live, not lives to work. I think [I want to spend] a lot of time at the farm and a lot of time catching a lot of fish and seeing lots of sunsets," he added. So, does this mean Chris and Katherine will be walking down the aisle soon? Only time will tell.
马上学:Aisle意思是"(教堂的)走廊",西方人在教堂举行婚礼时,新娘穿着白礼服,随着结婚进行曲从教堂入口一直走到主持婚礼的牧师面前。因此,to walk down the aisle就是指"(结婚)走红毯"。
Justin Bieber and Hailey Baldwin are planning the 'perfect' destination wedding
Justin Bieber and Hailey Baldwin want to make sure their wedding ceremony is one for the history books!
The couple, who secretly exchanged vows at a civil courthouse ceremony in September, are still finalizing the details for a religious ceremony and reception — and they currently have their sights set on a destination wedding!
"Justin and Hailey both love tropical destinations. They are currently looking into options for a tropical wedding," a Bieber source tells PEOPLE.
Although it initially looked like the couple were eyeing a winter bash, "it seems it will happen in April, or May instead," the source shares.
"Although they are already married, they both want their wedding to be perfect," the insider adds. "Hailey is working closely with their planner and figuring everything out. She is very excited to plan her wedding."
马上学:Wedding前面加上destination(目的地),destination wedding指的就是"旅行婚礼"。
Céline Dion on criticism she's too thin
(图源:Fox News)
Céline Dion doesn't much care if you think she's lost too much weight.
Photos of the singer looking more svelte than she has before and rocking haute couture have been causing buzz that she's gotten too thin.
In a recent interview with The Sun's Dan Wootton, Dion brushed off the criticism. "If I like it, I don't want to talk about it," she said. "Don't bother. Don't take a picture."
Dion is now 50 years old and said she's playing with style to find looks that help her "feel attractive."
"I'm doing this for me," the singer said. "I want to feel strong, beautiful, feminine and sexy."
But she's clear about her new look.
"If you like it, I'll be there," Dion said. "If you don't, leave me alone."
综合来源:Popsugar, People, CNN
主办单位:中国日报社 Copyright by 21st Century English Education Media All Rights Reserved 版权所有 复制必究


text:
This set truly offers a modern lifestyle which incorporates the very latest in design and materials, Sophisticated Refined Lines, Curved Handles, all combine to produce a sleek and chic look with a both modern and contemporary appeal- Quality Construction- Slotted Backs for superior rigidity- Fully Assembled- Concealed adjustable Door Hinges- Fitted Castors for Easy Movement- Metal Runners as Standard, made to customers satisfaction.
This set is especially good for student houses/HMO's/flats/to let properties/childrens box rooms. if you purchase more than 2 sets a discount will be applied to total order.
Full Set Includes:2 Door Ladies Wardrobe (incl mirror) H: 184cm x W: 76cm x D: 56cm
2 Door Ladies Wardrobe (mirror optional) H: 184cm x W: 76cm x D: 56cm
3 Draw Bedside H: 67.5cm x W: 40cm x D: 45cm
4 Drawer Chest H: 86.5cm x W: 77cm x D: 45cm
(the parma bedroom collection will be delivered fully assembled)
Tags: landlord furniture


text:
The Crosby report
Basically says, in government-speak (233Kb PDF) that the Government's ID scheme is crap, if want we want is a 'consumer'-oriented scheme.
I have no remit to comment on the desirability or otherwise of this plan. However, in my opinion, the Strategic Action Plan (2006) will not be the catalyst for the emergence of the consumer-driven universal ID assurance system envisaged by this report.
Computer Weekly has produced a side-by-side comparison of the scheme with Crosby's principles, which follow [with my comments]:
For that to be the case, I believe the design of any ID card scheme would need to be based on the following
ten broad principles:
1. The purpose of any scheme should be restricted to that of enabling citizens to assert their identity with ease and confidence. [that is what the Government claims is the main purpose] The scheme should set targets for the quality of assurance achieved at enrolment and verification, which should generally exceed those achieved elsewhere, and it should regularly report its performance against those targets.
2. The scheme's governance should be designed to inspire the highest level of trust among citizens. It should be operated independently of Government (say, accountable directly to Parliament) [the Government is unlikely to go for this] and in principle its processes and security arrangements should be subject to the approval of the Information Commissioner, who should have the power periodically to review delivery.
3. As a matter of principle, the amount of data stored should be minimised. [well, the Identity Cards Act hints that isn't the plan] Full biometric images (other than photographs) should not be kept. Only non-unique digital representations of biometric images should be stored. Additional data accessed during enrolment and records of verification enquiries should not be retained. All data and systems should be protected by "state of the art" encryption technology.
4. Citizens should "own" their entry on any register in the sense that it should not be possible, other than for the purposes of national security, for any such data (to include digital representations of biometrics) to leave the register without their informed consent. Verification of identity should be performed without the release of data.
5. Enrolment processes should be different for individuals with different circumstances, and change over time so as to minimise costs and give citizens the simplest and most hassle-free experience consistent with the achievement of the published assurance targets.
6. In order to respond to consumer demand and achieve early realisation of economic and social benefits, the scheme should be capable of being rolled out at pace.
7. Citizens who lose cards or whose identity is compromised should be able to rely on their cards being replaced or their identity being repaired quickly and efficiently and in accordance with published service standards.
8. Technically the scheme's systems should be closely aligned to those of the banks (both initially and in the future) so as to utilise their investment, de-risk the scheme's development, and assist convergence to common standards across the ID assurance systems and processes deployed internationally by banks and other national ID card schemes.
9. To engage consumers' hearts and minds on the scale required, enrolment and any tokens should be provided free of charge.
10. The market should play a role in delivering a universal ID assurance scheme. This will improve the ease with which consumers can use the scheme and minimise costs. I regard each aspect of these principles to be critical to the goal of creating the conditions for a consumer-driven universal ID assurance scheme to emerge and flourish.
I must say I don't like the idea of citizens being called 'consumers'.
But Crosby's principles seem reasonable if what you want is a consumer- rather than Government-oriented scheme.
That is why his report was published yesterday so that it could be buried under the fuss over the European referendum.


text:
Your Perfect Partner for Your New View on Life
Dave Cargo
How to Choose a Home
Here are some tips to help determine which house is best for you.
Once you've settled on a couple of preferred neighborhoods for your home search, it's time to pick out a few homes to view. Having a house features "wish list" keeps you focused on which features are most important to you.
When narrowing down your home search, consider the following:
know what types of home you want to buy
determine what age and condition of the house you want to buy
consider resale potential
use a features wish list to keep focused
use a home search comparison chart to keep organized
act decisively when you find the right home
Determine What Type of Home You Want to Buy
There are several forms of home ownership: single-family homes, multiple-family homes, condominiums and co-ops.
Single-family homes: One home per lot.
Multiple-family homes: Some buyers, particularly first-timers, start with multiple-family dwellings, so they'll have rental income to help with their costs. Many mortgage plans, including VA and FHA loans, can be used for buildings with up to four units, if the buyer intends to occupy one of them.
Condominiums: With a condo, you own "from the plaster in." You also own a certain percentage of the "common elements" - staircases, sidewalks, roofs, etc. Monthly charges pay your share of taxes and insurance on those elements, as well as repairs and maintenance. A homeowner's association administers the development.
Co-ops: In some cities, cooperative apartments are common. With co-ops, you purchase shares in a corporation that owns the whole building, and you receive a lease to your own unit. A board of directors, comprised of owners and elected by owners, supervises the building management. Monthly charges include your share of an overall mortgage on the building.
Decide What Age and Condition of Home You Want to Purchase
Weigh your needs, budget and personal tastes in deciding whether you want to buy a newly constructed home, an older home or a "fixer-upper" that requires some work.
Consider Resale Potential
As you look at homes, you may want to keep in mind these resale considerations.
One-bedroom condos are more difficult to resell than two-bedroom condos.
Two-bedroom/one-bath single houses generally have less appeal than houses with three or more bedrooms, and therefore have less appreciation potential.
Homes with "curb appeal," i.e., well-maintained, attractive and with a charming appearance from the street, are the easiest to resell.
The most expensive houses on the street, or ones with anything unusual or unique are not suited for resale. The best investment potential is traditionally found in a less expensive, more moderately sized home.
Use a Features Wish List to Keep Your Search Focused
Make a features wish list to clarify which features are most and least important to you when looking for a home. Using this features wish list will keep your house hunt focused and effective.
Use a Home Comparison Chart to Keep Your Observations Organized
While house hunting, it's a good idea to make notes about what you see because viewing several houses at a time can be confusing. Use a home comparison chart to help you keep track of your search, organize your thoughts and record your impressions.


text:
If you're new to contracting then you may not know what a take home pay calculator is, how it works and why it's essential to planning out your financial year. It's an excellent tool that, when used correctly, can provide you with valuable information for you to plan your finances. Without it, you'll find it quite difficult to fully predict and estimate your weekly or monthly income after factoring in your tax commitments.
Take Home Pay Calculator
The contractor calculator itself is a great tool that provides you with an easily digestible estimate of your monthly or weekly earnings so you can plan what you can expect to be taking home on contracts you might be interested in taking. Our specialist contractor accountants are always on hand to help provide you with a detailed overview of your current situation, giving you everything you'll need to start your contract off in the right way, or assist you as you make the change into working via a Limited Company.
How it Calculates
You may be wondering, "How the calculator will estimate how much you'll be making each week, each month just by entering your hourly or day rate".
After entering your hourly or daily earnings it calculates by following a set base of criteria. It assumes that you're working 40 hours per week over 52 weeks, claiming £265 in expenses per week, travelling 200 business miles per week and there's no more income from additional sources. Using these assumptions and applying tax legislation specific to working through an Umbrella solution and Limited company, it shows you what you could be earning per week or per month.
Alternative to Contractor Calculators
The alternative to using a take home pay calculator are few and far between, especially to new contractors who don't have the experiences to base their income on. Getting that initial estimate on your income can be quite difficult unless you have experience in Limited Company tax legislation, such as IR35, that has the potential to affect you massively if ignored.
Ensure that you're fully prepared for a career in contracting and look at our take home pay calculator today! Book a FREE consultation to speak to one of our experienced specialist contractor accountants and get a hold on your future earnings.
Find out the benefits of using a take home pay calculator and why it is an essential tool to contracting.


text:
Flew from Manchester airport early Sunday morning arriving JFK early afternoon. Took the subway which was a fraction of the fare paid by the rest of the party by taxi. Advise: if taking a taxi from the airport get the price first. Found the ride great. Along the way started my trip list with Laughing Gull, Starling, Osprey, Mute Swan and Rock Dove.
After settling into our hotel "91 Chinatown" took a walk into 'The Financial District".
Statue in Chinatown.
Dog statue-DOGNY-tribute to search and rescue dogs used in the aftermaths of 9/11.
First view of Empire State building.
Tribute to 9/11 firefighters
Firefighters "who made the supreme sacrifice on 9/11".
Memorial to firefighters who died on 9/11 [half the New Yorks force].
Another memorial to 9/11 firefighters.
National September 11 memorial pool
The other National September 11 memorial pool.
The Wall Street Bull
New Yorks Stock Exchange
George Washington Confucius
'The canyons of Manhattan"
Managed my 1st American Robin walking back to the hotel. A US but not Life tick having seen 2 in Britain.
The entrance to Little Italy


text:
I supported the ACA. I suppose I still do, in an abstract sense. In a personal sense, this isn't working out so well for me.
I figure I can scrape by with the part time job I enjoy, the only job I currently have, at least for the next year and a half. My mind always circles back to the unfortunate state of my medical insurance, in spite of the ACA. It's share of cost Medi-Cal for us. Share of cost Medi-Cal asks us to pay the first $900+/month from our own pockets. In what way is this affordable? In what is this even medical insurance?
I earn too little to use the exchanges. I can't even if I want to. If I earned even less I would be eligible for straight Medicaid which is fully subsidized. Why is a teacher in this position?
If I quit working (I don't want to, really don't need to, and would then be flat out in poverty) I would qualify for straight Medicaid. My kids over 18 have to apply for their own Medicaid share of cost, unless they are already insured, which of course they aren't given circumstances of the past two years. Here we have most of a family who is insured in name "Medicaid share of cost," but uninsured in reality. I seriously hope that when January 1st rolls around, some of this weirdness will begin to be less weird.
And, yes, I surely do need medical care. Single-payer is the way to go. What we've got right now would encourage me to work less, when I'd really like to work more. That's another can of worms. Landing a job in academia at my age that pays more than adjunct work and that gives me more responsibility than adjunct work would be awesome. It's not happening right now.


text: The All Pro A/C team were very ethical and professional as they provided me with information in determining the correct A/C for my home type and within my budget. They do not put any pressure on you to buy a more expensive unit. The installers arrived on time and prepared the area with drop cloths and cleaned up all areas when finished. They also took the time to go over the new features on my thermostat and addressed any other questions I had. A superb job well done. I will be highly recommending this company to others.


text:
Checking status...
No Account? Sign Up Here.
Print Subscriber? Activate your FREE Digital Subscription Here.
View and update your account information here
Need to get in touch with us? Contact circulation at circulation_[at]_record-journal.com
This summer, Durham-Middlefield Girl Scout Troop 62092 hosted a Summer Robotics Club for Brownies and Juniors from troops 62092 and 62050.
Our first badge was Programming Robots. Scouts learned how to write instructions for a code. They set up a course, wrote a program and tested it. The first robot build was a brush-bot, using electric toothbrushes and nail brushes.
Our next badge was Designing Robots. Scouts learned about biomimicry, artificial Intelligence and robot design. They designed prototypes to help the environment and to help solve problems in the community like natural disasters, fire safety, or bots to help with chores. Scouts learned how to use wire strippers to attach motors to matchbox cars and turn them into electric vehicles.
Finally, troop members earned Showcasing Robots by learning about robotics competitions and teams, taking virtual tours of robotics labs and sharing our designs in the Durham library display case in August.
The last robot design was walking robots. These were made with motors, Popsicle stick feet and straws and toothpick legs and skates.


text:
Depends on why it's been posted. If there's no other photo it might help identify the building, and if it's part of a historic continuum it's good to see how things have changed.
But if it adds...
Type: Posts; User: ETA; Excluded Forums: That Doesn't Go There!, Blog Tracker
Depends on why it's been posted. If there's no other photo it might help identify the building, and if it's part of a historic continuum it's good to see how things have changed.
But if it adds...
Count me in!
Sorry for the duplicate thread - but not being a dwarf (I'm not Happy!) I couldn't post on the original;.
I'm not sure who the landlord is, but I've come across several examples of...
No, but my wife has taken the opportunity to bring me up to date on 26 years' worth of things I've done wrong.
I remember watching it at school as well. All the more horrific at the time as I knew Rochester and Chatham well and recognised many of the places where it was filmed.
On reflection, though,...
Luckily for me my wife doesn't drink, so I get to use her credits as well as my own.
I've watched more TV in the last 7 weeks than ever before. Though I have to say that either the quality has improved or my brain has rotted through lack of intellectually stimulating conversation in...
The Rusty Axe is the nearest pub to my house, but I prefer to drink here: The Wyndham Arms
Better beer, warmer welcome.
I don't see why pub gardens can't open this Summer. Small groups on tables or sitting on lawns would be good, ban children (running around dragging viruses in their wake and coughing over people),...
The bugger (no pun intended) has copied the idea from us....
Off licences and bottle shops - including brewery shops - are ok according to the Government's own website JFDI.
I still feel rather sad about the HSB name being used by Fullers for a beer which tastes nothing like Gales HSB. The beer is lost, the name is stolen, I mean recycled.
The Burrow Hill Cider Mill has reopened its shop, so as on one of my dog walking (or 'dogging' as it's know in these parts) routes, looks like I'll be drinking more cider for the foreseeable. Ah,...
It's the local nickname for a well-known beer from that same brewery.
I quote enjoy your rants, Lady Grey.
Just don't get me started on 2m squares in supermarkets.
You could identify as a disabled muslim transvestite and wear a hijab or burkha while using a wheelchair to get out and about. No one would dare complain.
Tonight's offerings were both from Faversham's finest - Nun's Delight to start, followed by a couple of Whitstable Bay and washed down with Double Stout. I feel a bit tired now.
David Attenborough has to be tops.
Helen Czerski is good, I quite like Bettany Hughes.
Can't stand Ross Kemp though.
Had a shed load of King Goblin yesterday. I don't really know why.
Until last year I was using the 'See more nearby pubs' function to plan visits, which was a really good facility we do't have on here - well, not as slick. What I like is the fact that it gives you...
Even if they do re-launch, it's still not somewhere I fancy going back to. This place is much more interesting and more civilised.
Anything with Jason Statham
Most zombie apocalypse films
All the chick-flicks my wife is currently choosing on Netflix
Anything Disney has produce din the last 30 years.
That's it.
Oh, alright...
Tales of the Unexpected.
Hill Street Blues
Last of the Summer Wine
Star Trek
And Desert Crusader
St Austell Proper Job, a staple around here. Half a case should do it for tonight.


text:
Punisher: War Zone Review – Low Plot, Now With an Extra Serving of Gore
This past month, writer Garth Ennis brought his acclaimed comic book run of The Punisher MAX to a high caliber conclusion (that's MAX as in "grody to the max" not "Maximilian"). For five years and 60 issues Ennis used Marvel Comics' monosyllabic vigilante to turn out the best series on the stands. In an interview, Ennis explained the Punisher's appeal: "He sees the world in very black and white terms," he said. "You can always rely on him to act a certain way. It's interesting to move a character like that through the complex situations life throws up." Now, in a misjudged nod at Ennis' run, director Lexi Alexander ( Green Street Hooligans ) brings Punisher: War Zone to theaters. Does her movie give us the complex situations that made the Punisher shine in Ennis' hands?
Hardly. Punisher: War Zone is the kind of bad movie that goes down best with a six pack and some crack. Stitching together a mawkish "tough guy meets cute kid" flick with a lowbrow, mid-90's action picture and a goopy hardcore gore movie, this Frankenfilm lurches across the screen like a reanimated corpse: No grace, No style, No point. However, watching this monster twitch, jerk and gush gallons of blood is pretty entertaining if you don't care too much about what you put in your eyes. Any movie featuring a scene where a man nonchalantly sets his broken nose by casually shoving a pencil five inches up one of his nostrils is a twisted piece of work I can get behind — if I'm drunk enough.
Bereft of story, this flick chronicles what seems to be a pretty ordinary day in the life of the Punisher, aka Frank Castle. First up, he kills a mob boss, which seems like a pointless decision because it allows another mob boss to take over. Mob boss #2 is played by Dominic West (McNulty on The Wire, eagerly slumming) who seems to think he's in Warren Beatty's Dick Tracy . The Dick Tracy reference becomes literal after his face is fed through a glass recycler and gets stitched back together into an unconvincing rubber mask, causing him to speak in a ridiculous 1920's gangster accent. Apparently, West just watched a couple of Saw movies, too, because he renames himself Jigsaw before he goes looking for a missing $200,000.
Turns out that one of his minions was appointed Treasury Secretary of his gang, but this guy was actually an undercover FBI agent and before the Punisher accidentally shot him (cue the Punisher looking sad) he hid Jigsaw's cash. Fortunately (or not) said agent has a wife (Julie Benz) and a little nine-year-old girl who the Punisher falls in love with and vows to protect. Then a lot of people die.
Ray Stevenson (Rome's Titus Pullo) plays the Punisher as a middle-aged schlub, trudging through his body counts like a clock puncher at Goldman Sachs or the "Before" guy in a Zoloft commercial. Montreal joylessly stands in for New York City and turns in much the same performance: A grimly depressing background for excessive foreground violence. The only thing that anyone seems to get excited about in this film is the gore, and as such this movie features more insane bloodshed than any American movie of the last ten years.
Knives go through skulls, heads are chopped off, heads explode, heads are shredded, kidneys are pulled out and eaten, legs are shot off at the knee and fly through the air. It's as if the only thing the filmmakers care about is carnage, which is okay by me. But they sprint so hard at the beginning that by the time you get to the big showdown, all the creative energy is exhausted. Instead of upping the gore, the finale features a truly boring stand-off at gunpoint, the death of a character no one cares about (not even the actor playing him) and zero surprises. But earlier, perhaps when the Punisher is looking deeply into a little girl's eyes while pushing a chair leg through someone's skull, this one almost reached the heights of a true, blood-soaked bad movie classic.Read More


text:
Brandi Carlile To Play The Peace Center Sept. 25
Last updated 5/30/2018 at 3:35pm
Grammy nominated singer-songwriter Brandi Carlile will play the Peace Center on Tuesday, Sept. 25, at 7:30 p.m.
Carlile's current tour celebrates her acclaimed new album, "By The Way, I Forgive You," which recently debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard Top Current Albums chart, Rock Albums chart and Americana/Folk Albums chart and No. 5 on the Billboard 200 chart – a career high for the acclaimed singer, songwriter and performer.
Released on Low Country Sound/Elektra Records, the album was produced by Grammy Award winning producer Dave Cobb and acclaimed musician Shooter Jennings, and featur...
For access to this article please sign in or subscribe.


text:
City of Santa CruzHome Menu
City Calendar
Firecracker Run - 10K/5K/Kids' 1K
Sponsored by the Santa Cruz Rotary Club
- Date: 07/04/2019 7:00 AM - 12:00 PM
- Location: Harvey West Park
326 Evergreen Street
Santa Cruz, California 95060
Join in on the fun! The Firecracker Run is celebrating its 34th year!
ACE DAY SCHEDULE: Pre-registered runners check-in, and race day registration from 6:30 - 7:45 AM (for 1K), 6:30 - 8:00 AM (5K/10K) at Harvey West Park, 326 Evergreen Street, Santa Cruz, CA 95060. Race day registration runners pick up Bib Numbers at Registration on July 4th. Kids' 1K run at 8:00 AM, 10K starts at 8:30 AM and 5K starts at 8:40 AM. 10K/5K/1K awards commencing at 9:45 AM - 10:00 AM.
PARKING: Free parking available at Costco (via the Sylvania Avenue entrance) and along Sylvania Avenue. Enter Harvey West Park via Encinal @ Hwy 9 and then turn left on Sylvania and park on Sylvania or in the Costco parking lot via the Sylvania Avenue entrance. Costco is closed on July 4th, so there is plenty of parking at Costco. But arrive early to avoid the race-day rush and leave time for the short walk/jog to the registration tables near the Harvey West pool.
PANCAKE BREAKFAST: Brought to you by Santa Cruz Pop Warner at the Harvey West Clubhouse, 7:00 AM - 11:00 AM. Fuel up for the Firecracker 5K & 10K or just join the fun at this traditional Pancake Breakfast, included with your race entry! Breakfast features flapjacks along with eggs, sausage, coffee, and juice!
AWARDS & PRIZES: Awards to top 3 in each 5-year age group. Merchandise prizes and name engraved on Champions Cup for overall male and female open winners and age-graded winners of 5K and 10K. Aptos Fleet Feet shoe certificates to top male and female age-graded winner + 13-18 age group winner. Blue ribbons to all 1K finishers and medals to top 3 male and female kids 10 and under in Kids' 1K.
Please visit www.santacruzfirecracker10k.org for further information.


text:
It's time for pants, or as they call it: Fall. I'm mostly excited about TV, so my plan for pants-wearing is not as strong as it should be.
My big ideas are to wear my now very successful uniform of a big black t-shirt and black skinny jeans with my new New Balances:
And to buy these:
That's all I've got people.


text:
What is an AuthorStroll you may be asking? Well it a cool way to get to know all the authors below on a personal level. We've chosen four questions for them to answer. Visit each Author's page (clicking on their name) and read over what they have written and leave a comment under their AuthorStroll photo. At the end of the four days we will choose winners for FREE e-books from each of the Author stops.
Java Davis
Don't forget the KINDLE giveaway is still in full swing, so click HERE to visit the Rafflecopter and enter today.
Also, for additional links to some of the authors above, visit our "Featured Author" page.


text:
How Students Prepare For The SAT and ACT
The SAT and ACT are internationally known tests that many high school students take as part of their college admissions. Despite the minor differences, each individual student has to figure out which tests best highlights their strengths.
At some schools, students are able to take the PSAT or PACT to see if they remembered everything that they learned from school. It also sees what each individual student needs to work on before going off to college.
In the past, Independence High School offered a course called SAT Prep. This course ran by English teacher Wesley Dennis and other math teachers, gave students helpful resources to prepare for both the SAT and ACT. Unfortunately, the course has been removed but the resources haven't. The school decided that students can still receive help by going to Mr. Dennis' classroom, B118, during activity period.
"I think that's a benefit of us having it during activity period. We're not taking up another class period," Dennis said.
Students can do practice tests, study vocabulary, write essays and understand how to work on multiple choice answers to their advantage, all while getting help online.
"We have changed it to an online format, to where it's more student-driven and students just walk through the program. And we connected it with Khan Academy which has created a guide to where the students can walk on their own and we are here for just support now," Dennis said.
When there's no time during the week to get help for these tests during activity period, students have found other ways to prepare themselves. Some have bought the physical prep books and use it to study during their own free time.
"I open my 700 paged SAT book I got from College Board. I open it every night 'cause there's a bunch of practice tests and I take it every night and my mom and dad help me," junior Cameron Rogers said.
Students and teachers recommend starting to prepare as soon as possible before going to take one of the tests.
"I would probably say at least a couple months before they actually take the test. Start looking into it and start working and like I said the more time you put into it…the easier it's going to be on the test day," Dennis said.