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Two years ago, BlackBerry Leap was lastly set free of the boring pattern it had established before by releasing the first all-touch screen system, the Z10. Despite being an expensive fail, the organization formerly named RIM was going to discover the touch screen display area with the help of the user-friendly BB10 OS. Today, BlackBerry is no more an unfamiliar element to the human factor: they quickly followed up the Z10 with the Z30, and today, the new BlackBerry Leap.
There is little that distinguishes BlackBerry's three primary touch screen gadgets as far as internals are included, and therein can be found the issue with the Leap. Instead of attempting something different, BlackBerry has been well within its comfort area and forced out another mid-range, touch screen display that is partially divergent from its forerunners. Do not get us wrong: if a Leap is on your table to substitute an old functioning mobile phone, you will no doubt get on with it in a great way. But, if your own dollars are on the table, you are probably going to want to put spend elsewhere.
There are some things to like about the new BlackBerry Leap, such as its longer battery life, amazing digital camera and the efficiency provided by BB10 OS. The device is not without its own problems, though. It can be complicated to use due to its massive size; its 720p display has a rather poor quality and even some of the more well-known applications are not available on the BB10 system directly. And, just unforgivably, the phone comes with its ageing internals, this making it similar on the inside with to its two-year-older relative BlackBerry Z10.
Seriously, it is difficult to suggest the Leap over less expensive devices with excellent requirements and other consumer-friendly technology. As a working phone, the BlackBerry Leap will more than likely be enough, but if you are looking for your personal gadget that is not used only for maintaining up with your e-mails and online surfing, you can probably do better than that.
Let us be honest: BlackBerry is not really known for a modern style. The latest keyboard-toting devices are almost like an admission to all of that, some being a regression for this company, as opposed to the daring gadgets that had a great reputation some years ago. Even the Porsche Design partnerships, the pocket-killer Passport or the unreleased and curved-screen slider are all various styles of an old tired concept. That being said, their new Leap is at least a marked modification from the two previous touch screen BlackBerrys that were released before it. The organization is not exactly going on a new the pattern, though: the Leap requires more than just a few style hints from the older BlackBerry Z3, the lower-end touch screen system that has only been launched in a few creating marketplaces.
Distancing itself from the smooth shapes of the Z models before that, the Leap is a real dull item of a smart phone. It is a dark and grayish piece of technology with a distinct shape, intended for serious companies and we cannot help but discover that it is missing in a strong personality – unless that personality is actually a center administrator at a strategies corporation unfortunately. There are advantages and disadvantages to these options that scream an "all work and no play" style.
On one side, that device looks and seems like you could hit nails with it and it would not break. That is to say that it is hard as a stone, to the point where its body will not bend or twist, even under a significant pressure. The construction of the device is just admirable: all the components fit together very well, though the joints around its glass frontal part are prone to getting dirt and lint. Also, the dimply, rubbery materials that are covering most of the product seem like your built-in shock carcass, providing the visual impact that the device can be dropped enough times without breaking it.
On the other side, however, the BlackBerry Leap being a strong rectangle gadget makes it a tad complicated when you are holding it in your hand. Sure, its dimply back, with its minor curves, as they go along the sides, gives adequate grip and comfort for the user, but, the product is tall, extended, dense and reaching a heavier weight at 170g (or six ounces for those using imperial measurements). The Leap's 5" screen is flanked on every side by solid bezels, and while the thinner fingers have no problem to control the product, the thumbs can go over dead areas to get at the display.
The user can regularly move his hands freely so the thumbs can reach the sides of the screen, mainly because the BlackBerry 10 OS is based around several swiping actions that have to begin off-screen. This goes to strengthen the sensation that the Leap is large for a 5" gadget, the power button's main positioning on the top part next to the earphone slot does not help too much either in this regard.
The volume button, or rather, the couple of volume buttons on both sides of the BlackBerry Assistant key – is more properly placed towards the top of the right part, and its micro-USB slot is exactly where you would anticipate it to be: at the bottom of the device. Because the Leap's back part is set in its place (the battery cannot be removed), the micro-SIM and microSD holes are placed discretely behind a small panel on the rear part. Beyond the regular control buttons and slots, BlackBerry has included some simple accessories here and there.
The backside has a commercial look to it, with the dimply grayish fabric outlined by a rectangle, punched-out speaker grill, discrete silvered BlackBerry business logo and glass components protecting the camera lenses, introducing its specks with an innovative typeface. The front-facing electronic digicam and ear piece are joined with by a big and red notice LED on the front of the product that shouts "Check your smartphone" with another silvery BlackBerry nice logo (this time with its name together with it) rests below the screen.
None of these is an unwanted addition, but they do not merge to make the BlackBerry Leap a lot more than a distinctive gadget. If its handset would not feel so large in your hands, the huge style might combine better with the effective characteristics of the product. But, being a little uncomfortable to use with just one hand, it does not seem like a more stunning look was given up in the desire of improved efficiency.
The Leap has a 5" and 1,280 x 720 (720p) LCD screen, which is nothing unusual for a mid-range gadget at this affordable price. In fact, we would be amazed if the figures were any different). Some experts are not great believers in the fact that a large number of pixels matters in creating a huge distinction to user experience on smaller displays, but many clients appreciate a high top quality gadget. Unfortunately, the Leap's screen might left them seeking for more stuff. Colors are light enough and its white balance installment is right on, although you can modify this in the configurations if you want otherwise.
Darker shades have the intricate details common to LCD screens, but not as black as you see on an AMOLED device. When you are on a particularly dark display, you can choose some places along the border where the light is fading into the display. The evaluation for the device's display is specifically ill fitting in its top left-hand area, although the irregular illumination is hardly recognizable with less heavy colors.
Viewing perspectives are acceptable, but sunlight readability is the part where it rather lets us down. The display is missing the type of energy you need to get through sunrays and there seems to be no distinction between 50 % illumination and full lighting when the sun is going directly over the screen. It is not absolutely unreadable – you are still able to see a map quite nicely, read your Twitter followers or just edit an image through the glare – but it is just not funny having to scrunch and squint and rotate it around in search of the color of your own preference.
The Leap operates on BlackBerry 10. To be more precisely, it works on Build 10.3.1, like the BlackBerry Classic. No matter if you have no previous experience with the BB10, you will discover that all are basically the same, although it is based more heavily on actions than the other mobile OS. You will see a simple home screen when you start the gadget, swipe to left gets out your app list. Gesturing becomes quite important when you are actually working with an application and swiping up from the display's bottom will successfully minimize what you are looking at the moment and pin it to the screen, which acts also as your task manager.
It indicates that you can get rapidly at your most used applications and see what programs are running in the background. In addition, just like the Windows Phone's Live Tiles, a few display snippets with live data – your most recent WhatsApp call, for instance. Swiping right in some applications delivers contextual choices and swiping down anywhere in the OS will give you immediate access to quick-settings dropdowns. In short, it will be relatively user-friendly to anyone who has managed a smart phone before and you get used quite easy to the focus on your actions.
From the display, swiping to the right gets you to BlackBerry Hub feature, one of the key functions of BB10. It is probably best described as your e-mail client/persistent notice bar. By far, the best part about the OS, is the fact that it places all of your details and notices in just one place, from text messages, e-mails, twitter posts and IMs to social networks, like Facebook or LinkedIn, your to-do list, schedule sessions and low-battery pointers. You can narrow, focus on and read notices from personal services or accounts, of course, but it is awesome to have everything at the tip of your finger.
You can disregard a missed phone call, indicate a few WhatsApp messages as read, remove an SMS, archive the e-mails and jump directly into Facebook to see the images where you have been tagged in directly from the BlackBerry Hub. The users who are Google clients almost exclusively probably wish that they could tag and store their e-mails in a simpler way , without having to navigate through a lot of choices, but even they will find the BlackBerry Hub incredibly effective, to say the least.
We think that you could consider your BlackBerry Assistant another primary function of BB10, especially because it has its own dedicated button placed on the case in between the volume keys. To put it simply, it is BlackBerry's version of Google Now, Siri or Cortana. You can advise the voice-controlled assistant to modify configurations, open applications, message to a buddy, discover for you the best supper location, execute contextual queries of material on the product or on the Internet and so on.
We cannot say that there is anything extra-special about this specific version of a virtual assistant, although it can quickly respond to a rather complex search. What it accomplishes, it accomplishes well, even if you have to delay a task for a few moments for it if the procedure is too demanding. As with its colleagues on the other platforms, though, you might not find yourself using the BlackBerry Assistant. We would rather tap on your smart phone than talking to it. And let us be frank: so would you.
A function presented in BB 10.3 that certainly should get a prolonged discussion is the BlackBerry Blend. Set up the Blend client on the PC and Android/iOS device, couple it with the BlackBerry and then you can access that phone from virtually anywhere. Within Blend, you will find the contact list and schedule sessions, as well as a less heavy edition of the BlackBerry Hub, such as e-mails, SMS details and BBMs.
Moreover, to be able to see this info, you can also add schedule sessions and deliver messages from your client app without even touching the phone. For business customers, it indicates that you can sort out a few select e-mails on your desktop computer without signing into a company VPN, or consult your next conference hours and written text to your co-workers to tell them that you will be delayed if you leave your phone somewhere else.
It is not smooth or stylish in the way that Apple's Continuity function performs between iOS and OS X, and you cannot switch out or even see your contact list within Blend. But, it is a simple and truly efficient app. We cannot say to have used it substantially, but being able to get all information on the smart phone from the convenience of a laptop makes transferring the camera taken images a piece of cake. So, even if you are not a company user, there are still projects that Blend can make simpler for you.
Since the BlackBerry Leap is one of a few of the brand's devices without an actual key-board, it is important to note that the writing experience is still amazing, and as great as you will discover on any touch screen display. BlackBerry uses a model of predictive-text options that shows a number of terms you might be using towards above what might be the next letter in that term. You can secure in various predictions by swiping way up on the letters below, but focusing on these only bogs you down. Regardless of it, you can still produce written texts at a fast speed allowing the prediction engine to do its job without your feedback, and for many, it is almost as efficient as SwiftKeythis being the vital program to install on every OS working system on which you get your hands on.
There is a lot to like about the BB10 and yet, it still seems like it is lagging behind the other significant systems. And that is not totally about app accessibility either. The Maps program, for example, just is not as easy or as smooth as Google alternative. In the same way, the inventory web browser does not have a deeper substance and other main options that are not as user-friendly as their opponents are. Saving an alarm alert requires far too much tapping and various choices are needlessly complicated.
The app choice, too, is an issue for many users, and they must acknowledge that they hold onto an extra Android OS while using the Leap as their everyday device. You have accessibility to applications from BlackBerry World, which is said to be the place to go for efficiency resources, and Amazon's Android Appstore, which has a bit of everything. Still, the variety of applications available through some of these mixed options is nothing in comparison to Google Play and Apple's offers.
The preinstalled YouTube application, for example, is a web link to the mobile site, and it is no formal Instagram client in either app online store, let alone all the unknown Android OS applications you use consistently. You can sideload some Android applications if you have the tendency and the know-how, but this is no actual remedy to app lacking – plus you have to personally upgrade any sideloaded applications when new editions are launched. It is the same critique of BB10 (or Windows Phone, for this matter) you see over and over again. Now, if you are offered a Leap as your work phone, you are probably not going to sweat too much about stuffing it with applications. But, if you are looking at one for your own use, a poor app choice might be cause for future issues.
Like a Z10 or Z30, the Leap has a moderate 8MP digi cam, with a 2MP front-facing capture for all your selfies and video-calling necessities. Considering that the Leap is really a business system that was designed toward efficiency, not getting performing images, its main camera is amazingly flexible. The inventory cam interface is awesome and easy, just how you like it, with only a few configurations. From its viewfinder selection, you can modify the display behavior, turn HDR on/off, aspect ratio, set the timer and choose among regular, panorama, burst-captures and time-shift capturing modes (the latter is generally burst capture, but you choose your preferred picture to keep).
There is no playing around the ISO principles, exposure setting or white stability options: all of this is managed instantly. One thing that is lacking and should not be, however, is the choice to turn off an annoying shutter audio.
The stock camera application has one particularly nice that you can pay interest to. It indicates certain configurations and ways based on what it recognizes through the lens, like suggesting HDR values if it finds distinct illumination, or burst capturing if it sees a face in the picture. You should agree to these recommendations more often that you decline them, discovering that you usually get the best results if you adhere to the digital camera app's guidance.
Like all similar cameras, the Leap's main capturing function does the best work in positive illumination circumstances. Effective auto-exposure setting makes for a well-saturated image, and even when artificial lighting is at play, the smart phone has a good assessment of white balancing. Shutter lag is virtually nonexistent, and we are particularly attached to the HDR method, which contributes a lot to the extra details to images when used properly. It is no use when the lighting begins diminishing, however, as the distance between the three images it requires to develop the HDR image is elongated and you end up with an unclear image that looks like the impressionist artworks.
In the evening hours, the camera tries to cope with the appropriate configurations. Pictures either are under- or over-exposed, more often than not, but it gets well when darker hours truly come around and they can display the amazing low-light efficiency. It certainly does not give up when the light is of top quality, nor does it turn up the exposure with the level that images appear smooth and extremely noisy.


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subset: commoncrawl


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Aftershock Shaking Things Up
With the release of the newest MapleStory update, Aftershock, Nexon is reminding players that the newest update will reward players for playing together and sticking with their Cygnus Knight character, as well as major changes to their guild system. Check it out!
The MapleStory Aftershock update that comes in the wake of Big Bang introduces new content and challenges that will reward players for playing together and sticking with their Cygnus Knight character. maplestory mesos. Players with a level 120 Cygnus Knight will have the opportunity to create an Ultimate Explorer character and start playing at level 50. Aftershock will also introduce a ferocious boss monster and a new zone to explore.
Players with a Cygnus Knight character that have reached the maximum level of 120 will have the chance to create a new Ultimate Explorer character and will be able to bypass early training and start at level 50, allowing them to quickly access higher level skills and quests. In addition, Cygnus Knights will be outfitted with the new skills, Empress' Shout and Empress' Prayer, that will allow them to participate in higher level content than ever before.
Aftershock will also bring changes to the guild system, improving it by making it easier to create a guild and track member contribution, as well as offering better benefits. Players can start a guild by themselves, as long as they are at least a level 10 and can cover the lowered starting fee. Guild progress and each member's contribution to the guild can now be used to create internal guild rankings. Guilds can also spend earned guild points on guild skills that will provide great perks to all members of the guild.
Contact Us
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For Game Currency :coolyou8
Buyer Complaints :[email protected] (For any dispute email, we'll reply within 24 hrs)
Kindly Reminder
Possible account termination when using illegal leveling or illegally obtained gold.


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(I will take this down, soon. But it's just so frickin' CUTE! He wants to help mummy in the kitchen already.)
He pulls himself up to standing ALL the time now. A baby on legs. Help me.
Max "just had to play this little bit more," so could not look at the camera for this pic. Here are the four of us ..... Max, Rocco, Me, and my overbite
- so quickly. Left me in his baby dust -
Ahhhhh, the gas bottle. Of COURSE -
Imagine this: you're in your house, the kids are watching t.v. It's a hot day ... super hot. There are bushfires around, but no threat to you. Or so you think. Suddenly, with absolutely no warning, the sky turns black with smoke and ash. You hear the whoosh of the fire approaching .... like a wave, travelling at the same speed as the ferocious winds.
You have no hope, the fire comes and you all die.
Or, you make it to your car, panicked and hysterical. Race through smoke, travelling along the only road leading out of town .... and smash into five other cars that have crashed into each other. You all burn to death in your cars.
Or you're a firefighter, who gets called to help fight the fire that day. Your own house ends up burning down, killing your wife and children.
Two beautiful, blonde-haired sisters perish, trying in vain to save their beloved horses in the burning paddocks.
An elderly woman is found dead in her car, next to carefully packed boxes of her best china and glasswear.
Four children from the same family found dead in the bath.
A firefighting truck races through town, lights and sirens blaring .... and sees people stumbling around the street, dazed, confused and scared. This truck, heartbreakingly, cannot stop. One firefighter spoke of seeing a man and his two small sons, standing bewildered in the middle of the street, barefoot. I often wonder if that man and his kids made it out alive. I hope so.
Imagine running for your life, your grandparents leading the way. Your brother and sister die ... you could have sworn they were right behind you. You are just 13 years old.
My February 7th, 2009, was hot also. In temperature and temperament. Dave and I were arguing, he was sitting in his ute about to leave, but I wanted to get the last word in. He ended up driving over my foot, which swelled up immediately. I knew it wasn't broken, and I knew it was an accident, but my God it went purple.
Dave ended up going to his mums house with Tim, I had the two younger boys with me all weekend. I took Max to soccer registration, round about the time the winds changed in Victoria. We went for a swim at Blackheath pool, and stayed for ages. The baby loved splashing in the water, Max met up with some mates there and spent hours having "funny jump" competitions. I text my sister a pic of my purple toe, laughing. (Me, not my toe.) It was so damn hot, we stayed at the pool until evening ... just as the first of the doomed towns got absolutely annihilated by fire. Hell on earth. One woman said it was literally raining big chunks of fire.
We got home, and I saw on the news that around 20 people had died. It was DREADFUL, I thought, "Oh, no. Those poor people."
And hugged my boys close. Why does it take a tragedy for us to be reminded of how precious life is?
That night and the next morning, the death was climbing, climbing. Max saw my reactions to the TV and wanted to know what happened. I switched it off, and tried to think of something else.
I couldn't.
It was so hot that I couldn't even return the DVDs to the movie store. We stayed inside all day, with the curtains drawn, conserving energy.
A horror show was unfolding before Australia's eyes .... the likes of which we have never seen before. News footage of big tough Aussie men and woman, cracking and crying, in shock. Traumatised beyond words, living in the aftermath of a terrorist attack.
I rang Dave, in tears. All was forgiven. "I love you, hon! Please come home!"
He couldn't come home til the next day, as it was just too hot to drive.
It hasn't even been a month, yet. Weeks ago, The Fires were pushed off the front page. By the looming recession, shark attacks, and other useless things. There has been a low chorus of people ... I have heard it with my own ears .... "Oh, I'm SO sick of watching all this stuff about the bushfires .... ahhh, not the f*cking fires again, isn't there something else on? .... Is this thing STILL going?"
Funny how some people turn their heads. It must just be too much for them.
I have thought about The Fires every single day, since they have happened. There's not much I can do. I can buy this, or donate here.
210 people comfirmed dead so far
1100 homes lost
Tens of thousands of native animals killed
A grandmother received some precious photos of her grandchildren, via email. Due to a computer glitch, she got them four days after the fires had claimed their lives, and the lives of both their parents. Two happy, smiling babies. She said it was like they were telling her from heaven that they were ok. She wept, saying quietly how she replied back. Even though it was a bit silly.
I cried for her, thinking it was not silly at all.
The best thing I can do, is to send my love and positive thoughts towards all of the people left behind. I know this works. I know it's hard to think about what happened that day, but, out of respect, I just don't think we should ever, ever forget.
Truth is always exciting. Speak it, then. Life is dull without it. - Pearl Buck


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The Frozen Four, college ice hockey's equivalent of basketball's Final Four, begins Thursday night in Pittsburgh. This year's surviving quartet features none of the traditional college hockey powerhouses: no University of Minnesota, no Boston University, no Boston College.
It does, however, feature college hockey's version of Florida Gulf Coast University — Quinnipiac University. Like FGCU, Quinnipiac has recognized that nothing can raise a school's profile like a successful sports team.
Even if you aren't a college hockey fan, you probably know Quinnipiac for its polls on political races and issues. And if you are a puck-head, you undoubtedly got to know the team this year when it reeled off 21 consecutive victories and rose to No. 1 in the national rankings.
During the streak, the Bobcats looked more like the Charlestown Chiefs than a college-hockey team. Most of the players were sporting mustaches that they refused to shave until they lost. "Muzzy Power," they called it.
The Bobcats have since shaved, but they still don't look much like a college-hockey team — and not just because they skate so fast and hit so hard. The average age of the team is 24. One of their forwards, Kevin Bui of Edmonton, Alberta, will turn 26 this month. Eight of the Bobcats' 13 Canadians came straight from the British Columbia Hockey League, which produces some of the world's best professional players.
Shameless Strategy
Recruiting in Canada, focusing on athletes who are older and more physically developed — these are not exactly novel strategies in college hockey. The Bobcats have just executed them a little more shamelessly than everybody else, which is generally how they do things at Quinnipiac.
"By adopting the mind-set of business executives," wrote University President John Lahey in 2006, "we are blending business into higher education — with remarkable results." Lahey created Quinnipiac's polling institute in large part because it was a good way to get the university's name mentioned in the news media on a regular basis. Since becoming president in 1987, he has radically expanded the school's campus and its enrollment. What was once a suburban Connecticut commuter college is now aspiring to be a major university.
A major university, that is, run by cost-conscious business executives. Quinnipiac relies heavily on part-time teachers, and Lahey even busted the faculty union several years ago — not long before he tried to dissolve the women's volleyball team and replace it with a less expensive alternative: competitive cheerleading. (The volleyball team was reinstated after a lawsuit.)
Where does hockey fit into all of this? In the mid-1990s, Lahey realized that Quinnipiac was missing out on the free publicity customarily lavished on successful Division I sports programs. He wanted one, too. The only question was which sport would provide the greatest return on investment.
Football was too expensive: too many scholarships, among other things. Quinnipiac would take a run at Division I basketball, but in college hoops the competition is fierce.
Hockey was a better bet. Quinnipiac already had a Division II team, albeit one that played its games in a public skating rink and was coached by a high school history teacher. The sport's audience may be regional, but in those regions — mostly the Northeast and the frozen tundra of Minnesota and the Dakotas — it's plenty big. And plenty rabid.
In 1997, the Bobcats moved up to Division I. A decade later, the school opened a $52 million arena — an instant draw for prospective hockey recruits of every age. (The arena includes separate facilities for the school's still struggling basketball program.)
Biggest Coup
From a marketing perspective, though, Quinnipiac's biggest coup was scoring an invitation to join hockey's storied Eastern College Athletic Conference. The move put Quinnipiac (noteworthy alumnus: Murray Lender, inventor of what he called "the Jewish English muffin") in the company of a handful of Ivy League schools.
More to the point, Quinnipiac wanted to create an instant rivalry with another ECAC school, its neighbor several miles down Whitney Avenue. Quinnipiac-Yale hasn't yet achieved the fame of Harvard-Yale, Quinnipiac athletic director Jack McDonald says hopefully, "but it's getting there quickly."
Of course, Yale doesn't quite see it that way. As one Yale alumnus and hockey fan told me, the only thing this traditional rivalry lacks is a feeling of rivalry and a sense of tradition. Considering the matter further, he conceded that it might qualify as a town-gown rivalry.
As it happens, Yale is in the Frozen Four this year, too. If both teams win their semifinal games — Yale plays the University of Massachusetts at Lowell on Thursday afternoon, before Quinnipiac lines up against St. Cloud State of Minnesota — they could meet in the championship game Saturday night. It would be a new twist on a timeless theme: the preppies versus the townies, only this time on ice skates.
To contact the writer of this article: Jonathan Mahler at email@example.com or @jonathanmahler on Twitter.
[Cross-posted at Bloomberg View]


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Besides the obvious economic benefits and competitive advantages of allowing for freer trade and more energy exploration and development, the events of the past few weeks have starkly highlighted the geopolitical inconvenience of a European economy so deeply intertwined with Russia's, most importantly because of their energy dependence on the same. Europe imports about a third of its natural gas supplies from Russia, and that reality makes the possibility of imposing serious economic sanctions on Russia's recent aggression all the more difficult:
Russia, the world's largest oil producer, exported $160 billion worth of crude, fuels and gas-based industrial feedstocks to Europe and the U.S. in 2012. While shutting the spigot on Russian energy exports would starve the Moscow government of essential flows of foreign cash, the price may be too high for European consumers and it may not alter Putin's plans, said Jeff Sahadeo, director of Carleton University's Institute of European, Russian and Eurasian Studies. …
Abstaining from Russian oil and gas would be "off the table" for Europe, said Marc Lanthemann, Eurasia analyst with Stratfor, a geopolitical intelligence company based in Austin, Texas. Europe risks a replay of its failed attempt six years ago to punish the Kremlin for going to war with the Republic of Georgia, when it was unable to impose sanctions after acknowledging its dependence on Russian energy.
"We're not expecting sanctions with many teeth coming through," Lanthemann said.
With the exception of the United Kingdom and Poland recently turning the corner, most European countries have been reluctant to expand and/or explore their own options for natural gas production. Indeed, Germany has simultaneously held off on expanding their own drilling operations while simultaneously powering down their nuclear plants in the hopes of boosting renewable energies with mandates and subsidies — resulting in little more than increased carbon emissions from the coal plants they had to bring online to make up for the subsequent shortcomings as well as continued dependence on Russian natural gas supplies (they get about 40 percent of their gas supplies from Russia).
There's been a lot of chatter lately about the U.S. exporting more of our now flush natural gas supplies, which is definitely a helpful long-term strategy both economically and geopolitically — and besides building the requisite facilities to receive those increased exports, there's even more that Europe can be doing to help diversify their energy supplies. As the editors of Bloomberg point out:
Breaking these links can't be done cheaply, easily or all at once, but a patient strategy to diversify from Russian energy supplies is long overdue. It should have four parts: a stronger negotiating approach over existing supplies; new regional sources for natural gas; new infrastructure to allow delivery and distribution of natural gas in liquefied form; and alternative domestic sources of energy.
EU members currently negotiate gas prices with Russia bilaterally. Bigger countries get lower prices, an advantage they won't wish to surrender — but Russia increases its market power by dividing its customers and discriminating among them. At a meeting last week, Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk told German Chancellor Angela Merkel that the EU should negotiate with Russia as a bloc. It's a good idea.
Next comes new sources of supply. The Caspian Sea region, central Asia and north Africa are capable of providing far more natural gas than they do now. Heavy investment, including in pipelines, will be needed to tap this potential. Europe's economic and geopolitical interests lie in supporting those efforts.
And of course, Europe has its own supplies of shale gas. Geological differences might mean that Europe isn't exactly in for a massive shale boom on the level as the United States' overwhelming success, but there are resources there for the tapping, and Europe needs to get moving on investing in the necessary exploration and infrastructure. Fortunately, Russia's shenanigans apparently has them thinking about it, via Keith Johnson at Foreign Policy:
On Wednesday, the European Parliament passed energy legislation that included tougher environmental rules for oil and gas exploration — but specifically excluded shale gas projects from the new regulations. This week, Poland passed tax breaks meant to juice shale gas exploration there. Big European business lobbies, including steel-makers and the EU employers' association, just called for the continent to embrace shale gas as a way out of its energy straitjacket. …
Europe's growing support for fracking isn't entirely new. Business groups across the continent were calling for more shale gas production even before the Russian invasion of Ukraine triggered fears that Moscow could use energy as a weapon to prevent European powers from intervening. Even in France, home to some of the continent's most ardent environmentalist groups, fracking's high-profile defenders include Industry Minister Arnaud Montebourg. …
Now, though, energy security fears unleashed by Russia's aggressive behavior have joined economic arguments in fracking proponents' arsenal.
If Europe keeps moving to break up Russia's energy dominance in the long term — on which Russia largely depends for the health of its own economy — Putin might eventually come to regret his strong-arming after all.


text:
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PlayStation Home, the digital hang out space for Sony's PlayStation 3 that opened to the public in 2008, is getting an extreme makeover later this year. Sony's console social network will be redesigned for the fall, reemerging as an experience that's part theme park, part online game and part social network.
The new PlayStation Home, Sony says, represents the social platform's "evolution from a virtual environment to a world of games, with a focus on rapidly connecting players with game content that pertains to their style and mood." Gone will be much of the architecture of the current Home, replaced by a space called the Hub and a series of districts based on themes, a digital Disney World designed with core gamers in mind.
The Hub of the new Home is a sleek, bright entrance into this redesigned world. The new entrance to Home, the Hub looks like a futuristic airport or mall—clean, populated by virtual shoppers and travelers, and drawing some visual influence from Valve's Portal 2. It has been designed to get Home visitors to destinations and games faster; to pop you into a social space, not an empty apartment; and to immediately have "a huge game staring you in the face as soon as you come in," says Jack Buser, director of PlayStation Home.
"No longer will people come into Home and say 'I couldn't find anything to do,'" Buser promised during a preview of the new Home at this year's Game Developers Conference. The Home team want to "jam fun right in your face" (in the nicest way possible).
Upon entering the Hub, Home visitors will instantly see games to play—a version of Lazy 8 Studios' Cogs has been the example provided in early previews, but Buser says Sony wants "fresh games all the time"—places to shop and activity boards, where players can learn about Home-based events and play mission-based quests.
From the Hub, PS3 owners can also visit Home's new districts, each inspired by the Tomorrowland and Adventureland of Disney World, each loosely themed around video game genres.
Home's Action District is geared toward the Call of Duty, Resistance and Killzone player, with an "urban feel reminiscent of a first-person shooter level" that "provides a direct travel point to action and horror games." Whether we'll actually be able to shoot our fellow Home visitors in the face, or just give them finger guns while dancing with them, remains to be seen.
The Adventure District is more suited for the Tomb Raider and Uncharted fan, an area designed as a "lush island jungle with an air of mystery, hidden treasure and discovery." I got a peek at the Adventure District at this year's E3 and was impressed by its ancient architecture and detailed idols. It's one of the more intriguing areas, as it may be home to the most interesting quests and treasure hunts the new Home has to offer. (It was also previously rolled into the Action District, but Sony split the two after early feedback.)
PlayStation Home director Jack Buser expects that PlayStation 3 owners will meet up, strategize and launch their games from districts like these, or at the very least socialize with like minded gamers. Two more districts are also planned.
Home's Sportswalk is aimed at the virtual sports fan, designed with an "outside-the-stadium feel." Sony promises "major league sports scores, headlines and highlights, ample space for sports-themed games and provides direct travel points to sports-related games." And its Pier Park, a boardwalk populated with carnival games, rides and arcades, promises an "E for Everyone area."
In addition to dividing Home into theme park-like zones, pushing more games on players (like Cogs) and making it simpler to move between the platform's virtual spaces, Sony is layering new MMO-like quests and "persistent, branching story lines" into its revamped virtual world. I had the opportunity to play some of these games at E3 2011, including one that instanced an alien invasion of Home. Seriously!
That objective-based gameplay started with a warning message in Home's new Hub, detailing the invasion and informing me about my tasks. That lead to me playing a mini-game that put my Home avatar in control of a boat in a top-down arcade game. Taking control of a DualShock, I gobbled up barrels of fuel with my boat while avoiding the alien missiles that rained down upon my little watercraft. A related game put me in control of a gun turret, from which I shot down alien space ships and destroyed a city block-sized mothership.
The games were simple but entertaining diversions. It was the promise of quests, daily challenges and ongoing story-driven missions—and the resulting rewards from completing those tasks—that seemed to hold the most promise for ramping up gaming in PlayStation Home. Add to that community-driven quests and the ability to unlock video game content from Home and the appeal of "gamifying" the PS3 social space starts to look much more appealing from a play perspective.
Sony's push for PlayStation Home to be more than a digital space to chat, dance and play with other PS3 owners hits this fall. It says it also plans a "separate core client upgrade" that revamps of the underlying user experience in Home.
"This update will deliver a more streamlined experience upon login with customized tracks for new, returning and regular PlayStation Home users, minimizing the time it takes for players to get into games," says the official announcement.
If you're a fan of the current Home, one of the 23 million users who have creeped its virtual halls, say your goodbyes to the old experience. Buser says spaces like the existing plaza and theater will soon be extinct—"We're going to press the detonate button on that stuff," he said excitedly at GDC.
You can contact Michael McWhertor, the author of this post, at firstname.lastname@example.com. You can also find him on Twitter, Facebook, and lurking around our #tips page.


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BERLIN — A German museum has put on display a copy of Vincent van Gogh's ear that was grown using some of the Dutch artist's genetic material.
The 19-century painter is said to have cut off his own left ear during a psychotic episode in 1888.
The Center for Art and Media in Karlsruhe says the replica ear consists of living cells grown from samples provided by Lieuwe van Gogh, the great-great-grandson of Vincent's brother Theo.
The museum says Lieuwe and Vincent van Gogh share about 1/16th of the same genes, including the Y-chromosome that is passed down the male lineage.
Artist Diemut Strebe told the Associated Press on Tuesday that she wanted to combine art and science.
Strebe plans to display the ear in New York next year.


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The Right Has a New Favorite Artist and Stephen Colbert Loves Him Too
[There was a video here]
On tonight's Colbert Report, Stephen Colbert examined the work of one Jon McNaughton who has quickly become the right's favorite artist. With paintings that feature President Obama burning and stepping on the Constitution, it's clear to see why they love him. The artist's claim that his work is filled with subtlety and deep meaning is a little less clear.


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SAS creates new division to fight fraud globally with AI and advanced analytics
SAS Fraud and Security Intelligence helps customers like Landsbankinn
The Association of Certified Fraud Examiners estimates that the typical organization loses 5 percent of annual revenues to fraud, equating to trillions of dollars in losses worldwide each year. To help organizations better detect and combat the ever-present threat of fraudsters and hackers, SAS has created a new global Fraud and Security Intelligence Division.
The division will further focus and sharpen the SAS fraud and cybersecurity portfolio. More than 400 employees in 25 countries across the Americas, Europe and Asia support this focus area. SAS plans to add another 100 employees to the division over the next three years, accelerating innovation and allowing SAS to connect with customers in new ways. Fifty new positions are anticipated by year's end.
Organizations as diverse as Amica Mutual Insurance Co., the Georgia Department of Public Health, Landsbankinn and Société Générale use SAS® Fraud & Security Intelligence solutions to protect against the rising and evolving tide of fraud and security risks, from which no industry or organization is exempt. According to PwC's 2018 Global Economic Crime and Fraud Survey, 49 percent of companies say they've been victims of fraud and economic crime in the last two years – up from 36 percent the year before.
Leading the new SAS division as Vice President of Fraud and Security Intelligence is Stu Bradley, who brings nearly 20 years of industry experience fighting fraud and abuse, the last nine at SAS. He was most recently SAS' Vice President of Cybersecurity Solutions.
"Over the last 15 years, SAS has built a reputation as the leader in fraud and security intelligence," said Bradley. "The rise of the digital economy has been matched by the rapid spread of fraud and cybersecurity risks, making now an ideal time for SAS to redouble and refocus its leadership in this area. We want to meet customers where they are in their analytics journeys, particularly as they adopt technologies like AI, IoT and cloud. With SAS to help them, they will be even better equipped to break down data silos, adjust to shifting regulations, and safeguard against present and future risks."
Powering anti-money laundering efforts at Landsbankinn
All banks must balance customer service with managing risks. That requires them to have a strategy – and the right technology – to integrate data from their core banking systems and third-party sources to effectively monitor for illicit activity.
For Landsbankinn, the largest bank in Iceland, finding the balance between providing service for its 120,000 customers and screening transactions for suspicious activity is crucial for its compliance staff.
"Landsbankinn seeks to fulfill the strictest requirements regarding money laundering, criminal financing and other illegal activities," says Thordur Orlygsson, Chief Compliance Officer for Landsbankinn. "And to meet those demands, we need to have a sophisticated and robust solution."
The company chose SAS® Anti-Money Laundering to identify patterns in its data. Landsbankinn also uses SAS Visual Analytics to provide data visualization capabilities for analysts across the organization.
Reducing false positives and streamlining investigations
While a vast majority of the transactions Landsbankinn processes won't trigger any alerts, a handful may point to suspicious activity. That's where the company's compliance team comes in.
"It's not possible for us to look manually at all transactions," Orlygsson says. "We need a system like SAS to help us do pattern analysis to identify suspicious transactions to be referred for investigation."
Looking to the future
As enterprising criminals become more organized and technologically sophisticated, the analytic tools used to thwart their schemes must outpace their advances. The formation of SAS' Fraud and Security Intelligence Division will drive greater innovation by bringing together software developers and technology professionals from across the fraud, compliance and security domains.
SAS customers will benefit from hybrid analytic approaches with embedded machine learning, artificial intelligence (AI) and social network analytics. The new fraud division will also align with SAS' risk and IoT divisions to deliver value across the enterprise on a common platform.
Today's announcement was made at SAS Global Forum, the world's largest analytics conference, with more than 30,000 business and IT users of SAS software participating on-site and online.
About SAS
SAS is a global leader in AI and analytics software, including industry-specific solutions. SAS helps organizations transform data into trusted decisions faster by providing knowledge in the moments that matter. SAS gives you THE POWER TO KNOW®.
Stu Bradley, Vice President of Fraud and Security Intelligence.


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TechRadar Verdict
- +
Powerful Core i7 processor
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Respectable battery life
- +
- +
SIM card slot
- -
Battery sticks out
- -
Only two USB 2.0 ports
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Just 4GB RAM
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Only 128GB storage
Why you can trust TechRadar We spend hours testing every product or service we review, so you can be sure you're buying the best. Find out more about how we test.
Although the focus at the consumer end of the laptop world is currently dominated by ultra-portables and Ultrabooks, business laptops such as the Dell Latitude E6220 Advanced ignore this trend, with a focus on solid performance for serious tasks.
It isn't the thinnest or lightest on the market but its powerful Core i7 processor, solid-state drive (SSD) and respectable battery life mean this 12.5-inch laptop won't slow to a halt when running demanding tasks.
Dell has chosen a two-tone design, with the keyboard and bezel in black, and a plastic/ polycarbonate material used on the lid and edge around it.
The screen is non-reflective and looks very sleek and sensible.
The keyboard isn't the isolated style found on nearly every new laptop these days, but reverts to a traditional design with each key touching the next.
While the general aesthetics of the Dell Latitude E6220 Advanced are good, an exception is its battery, with a large section that juts out at the back. This adds a few centimetres to the overall depth, making it less portable.
Although Dell has ignored many rules of ultra-portable design, the firm has adopted one of their worse aspects: a stingy array of ports. There are only two USB 2.0 ports, with a third port that can be used for either eSata or USB. USB 3.0 is nowhere to be seen, which is unacceptable on a modern business machine.
There are also HDMI and analogue VGA video outputs and a headphone jack. Sensibly, Dell remembered a wired Gigabit Ethernet port. There's also the option of a SIM card slot for HSPA+ mobile broadband.
Despite our criticisms, we were still impressed by the Latitude, thanks to its excellent performance. The Core i7-2620M processor runs at a whopping 2.7GHz, enough to make short work of demanding tasks. No ultra-portable even comes into the same league.
Despite relying on Intel's HD 3000 integrated graphics processor, the 3D results aren't bad either.
TechRadar Labs
Battery Eater '05: 240 minutes
Performance: 11,202
Gaming: 5,239
The rest of the specification is more conservative. Dell's inclusion of 4GB of RAM is fine, but 8GB would have sweetened the offering.
Likewise, while an SSD is a great addition, having only 128GB of storage is rather limiting. Once the drive is formatted and Windows installed, there's little space left for a media collection or large apps. Again, we'd expect slightly more from a laptop that costs this much.
Despite our disappointment at certain aspects of the Latitude's specification, its battery life made up for it. Four hours may not sound impressive, but it is considering the processing punch of this PC.
The Dell Latitude E6220 Advanced is a solid laptop, and if its specification matched its price tag, it would easily earn a recommendation. Unfortunately its shortcomings can't be ignored, so our impression is that while it could have been a winner, it must settle for the bronze.
Follow TechRadar Reviews on Twitter: http://twitter.com/techradarreview


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1911 Encyclopædia Britannica/Catherine, Saint
CATHERINE, SAINT. The Roman hagiology contains the record of six saints of this name. 1. St Catherine of Alexandria, Virgin and Martyr, whose day of commemoration recurs on the 25th of November, and in some places on the 5th of March. 2. St Catherine of Sweden, a daughter of St Bridget, who died abbess of Watzen in March 1381, and is commemorated on the 22nd of that month. 3. St Catherine of Siena, 1347–1380, whose festal day is observed on the 30th of April. 4. St Catherine of Bologna, 1413–1463, a visionary, abbess of the convent of the Poor Clares in Bologna, canonized by Pope Benedict XIII., and commemorated throughout the Franciscan order on the 9th of March. 5. St Catherine of Genoa,[1] who belonged to the noble family of Fieschi, was born about 1447, spent her life and her means in succouring and attending on the sick, especially in the time of the plague which ravaged Genoa in 1497 and 1501, died in that city in 1510, was beatified by Clement V. in 1675 and canonized by Clement XII. in 1737; her name was placed in the calendar on the 22nd of July by Benedict XIV. 6. St Catherine de' Ricci, of Florence, daughter of a wealthy merchant prince, was born in 1522, became a nun in the convent of the Dominicans at Prato in 1536, and died in 1589. She was famous during her life-time for the weekly ecstasy of the Passion, during which in a trance she experienced the sufferings of the Holy Virgin contemplating the Passion of her Son. She was canonized in 1746 by Benedict XIV., who fixed her festal day on the 13th of February. In Celtic and English martyrologies (November 25) there is also commemorated St Catherine Audley (c. 1400), a recluse of Ledbury, Hereford, who was reputed for piety and clairvoyance.
Of two of these saints, St Catherine of Alexandria, the St Catherine par excellence, and St Catherine of Siena, something more must be said. Of the former history has little or nothing to tell. The Maronite scholar, Joseph Simon Assemani (1687–1768), first identified her with the royal and wealthy lady of Alexandria (Eusebius,St Catherine, virgin and martyr. Hist. Eccl. viii. 14) who, for refusing the solicitations of the emperor Maximinus, was deprived of her property and banished. But Rufinus (Hist. Eccl. viii. 17) called this lady Dorothea, and the old Catherine legend, as recorded in the Roman martyrology and by Simeon Metaphrastes, has quite other features. According to it Catherine was the daughter of King Konetos, eighteen years old, beautiful and wise. During the persecution under Maximinus she sought an interview with the emperor, upbraided him for his cruelties, and adjured him to give up the worship of false gods. The angry tyrant, unable to refute her arguments himself, sent for pagan scholars to argue with her, but they were discomfited. Catherine was then scourged and cast into prison, and the empress was sent to reason with her; but the dauntless virgin converted not only the empress but the Roman general and his soldiers who had accompanied her. Maximinus now ordered her to be broken on the wheel; but the wheel was shattered by her touch. The headsman's axe proved more fatal, and the martyr's body was borne by angels to Mount Sinai, where Justinian I. built the famous monastery in her honour. Another development of the legend is that in which, having rejected many offers of marriage, she was taken to heaven in vision and betrothed to Christ by the Virgin Mary.
Of all these marvellous incidents very little, by the universal admission of Catholic scholars, has survived the test of modern criticism. That St Catherine actually existed there is, indeed, no evidence to disprove; and it is possible that some of the elements in her legend are due to confusion with the story of Hypatia (q.v.), the neo-platonic philosopher of Alexandria, who was done to death by a Christian mob. To the men of the middle ages, in any case, St Catherine was very real; she was ranked with the fourteen most helpful saints in heaven, and was the constant theme of preachers and of poets. Her festival was celebrated in many places with the utmost splendour, and in certain dioceses in France was a holy day of obligation as late as the beginning of the 17th century. Numberless chapels were dedicated to her, and in nearly all churches her statue was set up, the saint being represented with a wheel, her instrument of torture, and sometimes with a crown and a book. The wheel being her symbol she was the patron saint of wheelwrights and mechanics; as the confounder of heathen sophistry she was invoked by theologians, apologists, preachers and philosophers, and was chosen as the patron saint of the university of Paris; as the most holy and illustrious of Christian virgins she became the tutelary saint of nuns and virgins generally. So late as the 16th century, Bossuet delivered a panegyric upon her, and it was the action of Dom Deforis, the Benedictine editor of his works, in criticizing the accuracy of the data on which this was based, that first discredited the legend. The saint's feast was removed from the Breviary at Paris about this time, and the devotion to St Catherine has since lost its earlier popularity. See Leon Clugnet's article in the Catholic Encyclopaedia, vol. iii. (London, 1908).
St Catherine of Siena was the youngest of the twenty-five children of Giacomo di Benincasa, a dyer, and was born, with a twin-sister who did not survive her birth, on the 25th of March 1347. A highly sensitive and imaginative child, she very early began to practise asceticism St Catherine of Siena.and see visions, and at the age of seven solemnly dedicated her virginity to Christ. She was attracted by what she had heard of the desert anchorites, and in 1363–1364, after much struggle, persuaded her parents to allow her to take the habit of the Dominican tertiaries. For a while she led at home the life of a recluse, speaking only to her confessor, and spending all her time in devotion and spiritual ecstasy. Her innate humanity and sound sense, however, led her gradually to return to her place in the family circle, and she began also to seek out and help the poor and the sick. In 1368 her father died, and she assumed the care of her mother Lapa. During the following years she became known to an increasingly wide circle, especially as a peacemaker, and entered into correspondence with many friends. Her peculiarities excited suspicion, and charges seem to have been brought against her by some of the Dominicans to answer which she went to Florence in 1374, soon returning to Siena to tend the plague-stricken. Here first she met the Dominican friar, Raimondo of Capua, her confessor and biographer.
The year 1375 found Catherine entering on a wider stage. At the invitation of Piero Gambacorti, the ruler of the republic of Pisa, she visited that city and there endeavoured to arouse enthusiasm for the proposed crusade, urging princes and presidents, commanders and private citizens alike to join in "the holy passage." To this task was added that of trying to keep Pisa and Lucca from joining the Tuscan League against the pope. It was at Pisa, in the church of Santa Cristina, on the fourth Sunday in Lent (April 1), while rapt in ecstasy after the communion, that Catherine's greatest traditional glory befell her, viz. the stigmata or impression on her hands, feet and heart, of the wounds corresponding with those received by Christ at his crucifixion. The marks, however, were at her prayer not made visible. There is no need to doubt the reality of Catherine's exaltation, but it should be remembered that she and her circle were Dominicans, and that the stigmata of St Francis of Assisi were considered the crowning glory of the saint, and hitherto the exclusive boast of the Franciscans. The tendency observable in many of the austerities and miracles attributed to St Catherine to outstrip those of other saints, particularly Francis, is especially remarkable in this marvel of the stigmata, and so acute became the rivalry between the two orders that Pope Sixtus IV., himself a Franciscan, issued a decree asserting that St Francis had an exclusive monopoly of this particular wonder, and making it a censurable offence to represent St Catherine receiving the stigmata.
In the year 1376, the 29th of Catherine's life, Gregory XI. was living and holding the papal court at Avignon. He was the last of seven French popes in succession who had done so, and had perpetuated for seventy-three years what ecclesiastical writers are fond of terming "the Babylonian captivity of the church." To put an end to this absenteeism, and to bring back the papacy to Italy was the cherished and anxious wish of all good Italians, and especially of all Italian churchmen. Petrarch had urgently pressed Urban V., Gregory's immediate predecessor, to accomplish the desired change; and Dante had at an earlier date laboured to bring about the same object. But these and all the other influences which Italy had striven to bring to bear on the popes had hitherto failed to induce them to return. In these circumstances Catherine determined to try her powers of persuasion and argument, attempting first by correspondence to reconcile Gregory and the Florentines, who had been placed under an interdict, and then going in person as the representative of the latter to Avignon, where she arrived on the 18th of June. Gregory empowered her to treat for peace, but the Florentine ambassadors were first tardy and then faithless. Nothing daunted, Catherine herself besought Gregory, who, indeed, was himself so minded, to return, and he did so, in September (taking the sea route from Marseilles to Genoa), though perhaps intending only to make a temporary stay in Italy. Catherine went home by land and stayed for a month in Genoa with Madonna Orietta Scotti, a noble lady of that city, at whose house Gregory had a long colloquy with her, which encouraged him to push on to Rome. To this year, 1376, belongs the admission to Catherine's circle of disciples of Stefano di Corrado Maconi, a Sienese noble distinguished by a character full of charm and purity, and her healing of the bitter feud between his family and the Tolomei. Another family quarrel, that of the Salimbeni at Rocca D'Orcia, was ended by her intervention in 1377. This year also she turned the castle of Belcaro, which had been given to her, into a monastery.
Meanwhile the returned pope was not having an easy time. Besides perpetuating the strife with his enemies he was alienating his friends, and finding it increasingly difficult to pay his mercenaries. He vented his anger upon Catherine, who reproved him for minding temporal rather than spiritual things, but in the beginning of 1378 sent her on an embassy to Florence and especially to the Guelph party. While she was urging the citizens to make peace with the pope there came the news of his death. During the troubles that ensued in Florence Catherine nearly lost her life in a popular tumult, and sorely regretted not winning her heart's desire, "the red rose of martyrdom." Peace was signed with the new pope, Urban VI., and Catherine, having thus accomplished her second great political task, went home again to Siena. Thence on the outbreak of the schism Urban summoned her to Rome, whither, somewhat reluctantly, she journeyed with her now large spiritual family in November. Once arrived she gave herself heartily to Urban's cause, and wore her slender powers out in restraining his impatient temper, quieting the revolt of the people of Rome, and trying to win for Urban the support of Europe. After prolonged and continual suffering she died on the 29th of April 1380.
Catherine of Siena lived on not only in her writings but in her disciples. During her short course she gathered round her a devoted company of men and women trained to labour for the reformation of the individual, the church and the state. Her death naturally broke up the fellowship, but its members did not cease their activity and kept up what mutual correspondence was possible. Among them were Fra Raimondo, who became master-general of the Dominicans, William Flete, an ascetically-minded Englishman from Cambridge, Stefano Maconi, who joined the Carthusians and ultimately became prior-general, and the two secretaries, Neri di Landoccio and Francesco Malavolti. The last of her band, Tommaso Caffarini, died in 1434, but the work was taken up, though in other shape, by Savonarola, between Francis of Assisi and whom Catherine forms the connecting link.
Catherine's works consist of (1) a treatise occupying a closely-printed quarto volume, which Fra Raimondo describes as "a dialogue between a soul, which asked four questions of the Lord, and the same Lord, who made answer and gave instruction in many most useful truths," (2) letters, and (3) prayers. The dialogue is entitled, The Book of Divine Doctrine, given in person by God the Father, speaking to the mind of the most glorious and holy virgin Catherine of Siena, and written down as she dictated it in the vulgar tongue, she being the while entranced, and actually hearing what God spoke in her. The work is declared to have been dictated by the saint in her father's house in Siena, a little before she went to Rome, and to have been completed on the 13th of October 1378. The book opens with a passage on the essence of mysticism, the union of the soul with God in love, and the bulk of it is a compendium of the spiritual teachings scattered throughout her letters. There is more monologue than dialogue. The book has a significant place in the history of Italian literature. "In a language which is singularly poor in mystical works it stands with the Divina Commedia as one of the two supreme attempts to express the eternal in the symbolism of a day, to paint the union of the soul with the supra-sensible while still imprisoned in the flesh." The prayers (twenty-six in all) are mostly mystical outpourings repeating the aspirations found in her other writings. Of more interest are the letters, nearly four hundred in number, and addressed to kings, popes, cardinals, bishops, conventual bodies, political corporations and private individuals. Their historical importance, their spiritual fragrance and their literary value combine to put their author almost on a level with Petrarch as a 14th century letter-writer. Her language is the purest Tuscan of the golden age of the Italian vernacular, and with spontaneous eloquence she passes to and fro between spiritual counsel, domestic advice and political guidance.
Authorities.—The sources for the personal life of Catherine of Siena are (1) the Vita or Legenda, Fra Raimondo's biography written 1384–1395, first published in Latin at Cologne, 1553, and widely translated; (2) the Processus, a collection of testimonies and letters by those of her followers who survived in 1411, and had to justify the reverence paid to the memory of one yet uncanonized; (3) the Supplementum to Raimondo's Vita, compiled by Tommaso Caffarini in 1414; (4) the Legenda abbreviata, Caffarini's summary of the Vita, translated into beautiful Italian by Stefano Maconi; (5) the Letters, of which the standard edition is that of Girolamo Gigli (2 vols., Siena, 1713, Lucca, 1721). A selection of these has been published in English by V. D. Scudder (London, 1905). A complete bibliography is given in E. G. Gardner's Saint Catherine of Siena (London, 1907), a monumental study dealing with the religion, history and literature of the 14th century in Italy as they centre "in the work and personality of one of the most wonderful women that have ever lived."
- ↑ See the study in Baron Fr. von Hügel's Mystical Element in Religion (1909).


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Announce somTHE ONLY ENGRAVED RELIGIOUS CHRIST IN CLAY PENDANTS "JESUS IS MY POTTER, I AM HIS CLAY" (cf. Isaiah 64:8) Each of Christ in Clay pendant is made of an original piece of clay pottery made of the soil of the Holy Land
Our pendants are made of an old piece of clay pottery, from the soil of different parts of the Holy Land, where Christ made his journeys, helping and healing his followers.
Hight 25 mm / 1"
Width 16 mm / 0.62"
Thick 3mm to 5mm / Inches 1/8"
Weight 6 grams /. 0.20 ounces


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St. Hildegard
Born at Böckelheim on the Nahe, 1098; died on the Rupertsberg near Bingen, 1179; feast 17 September. The family name is unknown of this great seeress and prophetess, called the Sibyl of the Rhine. The early biographers give the first names of her parents as Hildebert and Mechtildis (or Mathilda), speak of their nobility and riches, but give no particulars of their lives. Later writers call the saint Hildegard of Böckelheim, of Rupertsberg, or of Bingen. Legends would make her a Countess of Spanheim. J. May (Katholik. XXXVII, 143) shows from letters and other documents that she probably belonged to the illustrious family of Stein, whose descendants are the present Princes of Salm. Her father was a soldier in the service of Meginhard, Count of Spanheim. Hildegard was a weak and sickly child, and in consequence received but little education at home. Her parents, though much engaged in worldly pursuits, had a religious disposition and had promised the child to the service of God. At the age of eight she was placed under the care of Jutta, sister of Count Meginhard, who lived as a recluse on the Disenberg (or Disibodenberg, Mount of St. Disibod) in the Diocese of Speyer. Here also Hildegard was given but little instruction since she was much afflicted with sickness, being frequently scarcely able to walk and often deprived even of the use of her eyes. She was taught to read and sing the Latin psalms, sufficient for the chanting of the Divine Office, but never learned to write. Eventually she was invested with the habit of St. Benedict and made her religious profession. Jutta died in 1136, and Hildegard was appointed superior. Numbers of aspirants flocked to the community and she decided to go to another locality, impelled also, as she says, by a Divine command. She chose Rupertsberg near Bingen on the left bank of the Rhine, about fifteen miles from Disenberg. After overcoming many difficulties and obtaining the permission of the lord of the place, Count Bernard of Hildesheim, she settled in her new home with eighteen sisters in 1147 or 1148 (1149 or 1150 according to Delehaye). Probably in 1165 she founded another convent at Eibingen on the right side of the Rhine, where a community had already been established in 1148, which, however, had no success.
The life of Hildegard as child, religious, and superioress was an extraordinary one. Left much to herself on account of her ill health, she led an interior life, trying to make use of everything for her own sanctification. From her earliest years she was favoured with visions. She says of herself:
Up to my fifteenth year I saw much, and related some of the things seen to others, who would inquire with astonishment, whence such things might come. I also wondered and during my sickness I asked one of my nurses whether she also saw similar things. When she answered no, a great fear befell me. Frequently, in my conversation, I would relate future things, which I saw as if present, but, noting the amazement of my listeners, I became more reticent.
This condition continued to the end of her life. Jutta had noticed her gifts and made them known to a monk of the neighbouring abbey, but, it seems, nothing was done at the time. When about forty years of age Hildegard received a command to publish to the world what she saw and heard. She hesitated, dreading what people might think or say, though she herself was fully convinced of the Divine character of the revelations. But, continually urged, rebuked, and threatened by the inner voice, she manifested all to her spiritual director, and through him to the abbot under whose jurisdiction her community was placed. Then a monk was ordered to put in writing whatever she related; some of her nuns also frequently assisted her. The writings were submitted to the bishop (Henry, 1145-53) and clergy of Mainz, who pronounced them as coming from God. The matter was also brought to the notice of Eugene II (1145-53) who was at Trier in 1147. Albero of Chiny, Bishop of Verdun, was commissioned to investigate and made a favourable report. Hildegard continued her writings. Crowds of people flocked to her from the neighbourhood and from all parts of Germany and Gaul, to hear words of wisdom from her lips, and to receive advice and help in corporal and spiritual ailments. These were not only from the common people, but men and women of note in Church and State were drawn by tbe report of her wisdom and sanctity. Thus we read that Archbishop Heinrich of Mainz, Archbishop Eberhard of Salzburg and Abbot Ludwig of St. Eucharius at Trier, paid her visits. St. Elizabeth of Schönau was an intimate friend and frequent visitor. Trithemius in his "Chronicle" speaks of a visit of St. Bernard of Clairvaux, but this probably was not correct. Not only at home did she give counsel, but also abroad. Many persons of all stations of life wrote to her and received answers, so that her correspondence is quite extensive. Her great love for the Church and its interests caused her to make many journeys; she visited at intervals the houses of Disenberg and Eibingen; on invitation she came to Ingelheim to see Emperor Frederick; she travelled to Würzburg, Bamberg, and the vicinity of Ulm, Cologne, Werden, Trier, and Metz. It is not true, however, that she saw Paris or the grave of St. Martin at Tours. In the last year of her life Hildegard had to undergo a very severe trial. In the cemetery adjoining her convent a young man was buried who had once been under excommunication. The ecclesiastical authorities of Mainz demanded that she have the body removed. She did not consider herself bound to obey since the young man had received the last sacraments and was therefore supposed to have been reconciled to the Church. Sentence of interdict was placed on her convent by the chapter of Mainz, and the sentence was confirmed by the bishop, Christian (V) Buch, then in Italy. After much worry and correspondence she succeeded in having the interdict removed. She died a holy death and was buried in the church of Rupertsberg.
Hildegard was greatly venerated in life and after death. Her biographer, Theodoric, calls her saint, and many miracles are said to have been wrought through her intercession. Gregory IX (1227-41) and Innocent IV (1243-54) ordered a process of information which was repeated by Clement V (1305-14) and John XXII (1316-34). No formal canonization has ever taken place, but her name is in the Roman Martyrology and her feast is celebrated in the Dioceses of Speyer, Mainz, Trier, and Limburg, also in the Abbey of Solesmes, where a proper office is said (Brev. Monast. Tornac., 18 Sept.). When the convent on the Rupertsberg was destroyed in 1632 the relics of the saint were brought to Cologne and then to Eibingen. At the secularization of this convent they were placed in the parish church of the place. In 1857 an official recognition was made by the Bishop of Limburg and the relics were placed on an altar specially built. At this occasion the town of Eibingen chose her as patron. On 2 July, 1900, the cornerstone was here laid for a new convent of St. Hildegard. The work was begun and completed through the munificence of Prince Karl of Löwenstein and Benedictine nuns from St. Gabriel's at Prague entered the new home (17 Sept., 1904).
All the manuscripts found in the convent at Eibingen were in 1814 transferred to the state library at Wiesbaden. Of this collection the first and greatest work of St. Hildegard is called "Scivias" (Scire or vias Domini, or vias lucis), parts of which had been shown to the Archbishop of Mainz. She began it in 1141 and worked at it for ten years. It is an extraordinary production and hard to understand, prophetic throughout and admonitory after the manner of Ezechiel and the Apocalypse. In the introduction she speaks of herself and describes the nature of her visions. Then follow three books, the first containing six visions, the second giving seven visions, and about double the size of the first; the third, equal in size to both the others, has thirteen visions. The "Scivias" represents God on His Holy Mountain with mankind at its base; tells of the original condition of man, his fall and redemption, the human soul and its struggles, the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass, the times to come, the son of perdition and the end of the world. The visions are interspersed with salutary admonitions to live in the fear of the Lord. Manuscripts of the "Scivias" are also at Cues and Oxford. It was printed for the first time at Paris (1513) in a book which contains also the writings of several other persons. It was again printed at Cologne in 1628, and reproduced in Migne, PL 197.
The "Liber vitae meritorum" written between 1158 and 1163, is a picturesque description of a Christian's life of virtue and its opposite. It was printed for the first time in Pitra, "Analecta Sacra", VIII (Monte Cassino, 1882). The "Liber divinorum operum" (1163-70) is a contemplation of all nature in the light of faith. Sun, moon, and stars, the planets, the winds, animals, and man, are in her visions expressive of something supernatural and spiritual, and as they come from God should lead back to Him (Migne, loc. cit.). Mansi, in "Baluzii Missell." (Lucca, 1761), II, 337, gives it from a manuscript lost since then. Her "Letter to the Prelates of Mainz" in regard to the interdict placed upon her convent is placed here among her works by the Wiesbaden manuscript; in others it is bound among her letters. To it the Wiesbaden manuscript annexes nine small essays: on the Creation and fall of man; God's treatment of the renegade; on the priesthood and the Holy Eucharist; on the covenant between Christ and the Church; on the Creation and Redemption; on the duties of secular judges; on the praises of God with intermingled prayers. "Liber Epistolarum et Orationum"; the Wiesbaden manuscript contains letters to and from Eugene III, Anastasius IV, Adrian IV, and Alexander III, King Conrad III, Emperor Frederick, St. Bernard, ten archbishops, nine bishops, forty-nine abbots and provosts of monasteries or chapters, twenty-three abbesses, many priests, teachers, monks, nuns, and religious communities (P. L., loc. cit.). Pitra has many additions; L. Clarus edited them in a German translation (Ratisbon, 1854). "Vita S. Disibodi" and "Vita S. Ruperti"; these "Vitae", which Hildegard claims also to be revelations, were probably made up from local traditions and, especially for St. Rupert, the sources being very meagre, have only legendary value. "Expositio Evangeliorum" fifty homilies in allegory (Pitra, loc. cit.). "Lingua Ignota"; the manuscript, in eleven folios ves a list of nine hundred words of an unknown language, mostly nouns and only a few adjectives, a Latin, and in a few cases a German, explanation, together with an unknown alphabet of twenty-three letters printed in Pitra.
"O frondens virga"
O verdant maiden, standing in thy nobility like the dawning light of day, now rejoice and be glad, and think us feeble ones worthy of freeing from our evil ways; and even stretch forth thy hand to lift us up.
A collection of seventy hymns and their melodies. A manuscript of this is also at Afflighem, printed in Roth (Wiesbaden, 1880) and in Pitra. Not only in this work, but elsewhere Hildegard exhibits high poetical gifts, transfigured by her intimate persuasion of a Divine mission. "Liber Simplicis Medicinae" and "Liber Compositae Medicinae"; the first was edited in 1533 by Schott at Strasburg as "Physica S Hildegardis", Dr. Jessen (1858) found a manuscript of it in the library of Wolfenbuttel. It consists of nine books treating of plants, elements, trees, stones, fishes, birds, quadrupeds, reptiles, metals, printed in Migne as "Subtilitatum Diversarum Naturarum Libri Novem". In I859, Jessen succeeded in obtaining from Copenhagen a manuscript entitled "Hildegardis Curae et Causae", and on examination felt satisfied that it was the second medical work of the saint. It is in five books and treats of the general divisions of created things, of the human body and its ailments, of the causes, symptoms, and treatment of diseases. "38 Solutiones Quaestionum" are answers to questions proposed by the monks of Villars through Gilbert of Gembloux on several texts of Scripture (P. L., loc. cit.). "Explanatio Regulae S. Benedicti", also called a revelation, exhibits the rule as understood and applied in those days by an intelligent and mild superior. "Explanatio Symboli S. Athanasii", an exhortation addressed to her sisters in religion. The "Revelatio Hildegardis de Fratribus Quatuor Ordinum Mendicantium", and the other prophecies against the Mendicants, etc., are forgeries. The "Speculum futurorum temporum" is a free adaptation of texts culled from her writings by Gebeno, prior of Eberbach (Pentachronicon, 1220). Some would impugn the genuineness of her writings, among others Preger in his "Gesch. der deutchen Mystik", 1874, but without sufficient reason. (See Hauck in "Kirchengesch. Deutschl.", IV,398 sqq.). Her correspondence is to be read with caution; three letters from popes have been proved spurious by Von Winterfeld in "Neue Archiv", XXVII, 297.
The first biography of St. Hildegard was written by the contemporary monks Gottfried and Theodoric. Guibert of Gembloux commenced another.
FRANCIS MERSHMAN (Catholic Encyclopedia)


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So about two years ago I started to write this story named Hybrid that spammed 13 pages. But now I wish that story would be more shyntesized so I decided to reboot the whole thing.
I don't think anyone would bother since I am doing this for myself anyway.
Let's see if I can manage to end this faster.
Prologue part 1.
It was a twilight sky above the land. Dusk had just started and another day was ending. In a forest in the mountains filled with pine trees, a young boy around 12 years old with a short brown hair with a forelock is laying on the grass looking at the sky as the first star appears.
"Oh boy, it's getting late."
He stands up and looks around.
"Dad is coming home soon so I better find something for him."
After looking around in the mountain he finds a big blue frog with horns next to a pond.
"Blue Bull Frog? Nah. Mom said it that you shouldn't harm them. They probably don't taste great."
He hears the sound of something moving around the bushes and it was a boar.
"Oh. Hellooooo dinner."
But a white lioness emmiting sparks through it's body appears and kills it, fast like a lightning bolt.
"Hey! Hey! That's mine! I saw it first!"
The animal looks at him without caring for what or who he was and leaves.
"Yeah, that's right! Next time I will catch all the river trouts so you can have nothing of them!"
After a while he manages to find another boar, but that one was smaller. He killed it by stabbing with a branch of a tree like if it was a spear and wrapped in a rope.
"Stupid Thunderlions, always getting the fatter ones…."
While he walked home grumbling about Thunderlions he looks at the horizon and see the sea and the port town of Mians as the sun is almost set. The blue light of the night and the yellow night of the day were in perfect harmony as the stars were decorating the sky with their blight.
"What perfection. It almost like a painting...Well, that's enough for a day so let's-"
Then he is ambushed from behing by someone. It was a child about his age that leaped on his back and bit his neck. He was tackled and knocked down to the ground but his reaction was calm but confused.
"...Did someone just bit my neck?" He thought to himself as that situation was sudden and confusing.
"....Oh man. I did it again!" The figure spoken with a feminine voice.
"What did you do again?" He responded with curiosity.
"Well you see....Huh?!" Surprised by the boy's response, the figure is astonished. The boy them looked behind and he saw a girl with a long fluffy hair with a frivalous black dress. Her hair was dark purple like a twilight sky. Her eyes were crimsom red and she had two visible fangs.
"W-Why aren't you dead?!" She responded in fear.
"I don't know. Why should I be dead?"
"Because I sucked all your blood. That's why!" She responded with anger.
"I guess you didn't sucked all of it."
"But that only means....Eeeek!"
The girl started to curl in a ball and covers his eyes.
"Please don't kill me...I didn't knew you were a Werewolf! Corvus! Wagner! Help!"
"....No I'm not."
The boy extended his hand to the girl.
"Can you extend. I wouldn't harm you."
"You won't?"
"Sure. After all I don't think I can do much against a vampire."
Without a second thought the girl picked his hand and he helped her. She then averted her eyes and blushed.
"What's the matter?"
"It just...It's the first time someone offered to help me by extending a hand. It's kinda embarassing."
"Well, usually no one would offer a hand to a vampire, but I am not usual."
"I can see that. You aren't human are you?"
"...Not quite."
He then showed her his right eye. It was red just like her's.
"Your eye....Are you by any chance...A Hybrid?!" She responded with awe.
"Yeah. My mother was a vampire like you."
"I-I don't believe it. It's my first time seeing one."
"...You don't hate me, do you?"
"W-Well...I just met you and all that so...I still need to judge properly."
"Good. I was afraid you would try to kill me at the first time you confirmed it."
"I think some would do that. Yes."
"By the way, I'm Johnnathan. Johnnathan Highlander."
"...Evelyne Lecardre."
"Okay then. Bye."
Johnnathan resumed his way home.
Evelyne grabbed his arm.
"Huh? What now?"
"Will you just leave like this? Aren't you worried that I might tell someone about you?"
"That's a good point. But I don't think there is much I can do about it."
"...So how about this. You don't tell anyone about me and I don't tell anyone about you. How does that sound?"
" Sure. Why not? I mean, we are just one Hybrid and a Vampire anyway."
"Great. I am more comfortable that way....Well....Bye!"
She transformed into a bat and flied away.
"And there she goes.....She was very cute."
Johnnathan then walks away with the boar.
"....Oh shit. Should had fished a trout."


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Going Back to Italy, Australian Research, Prison Becoming a Professional Genealogist
Rhonda's Tips, April 18, 2002
Going Back to Italy
Q: I know my grandmother came over from Italy to Ellis Island. I know she changed her name to Irene. But, I am unable to find when she arrived exactly. My father is deceased and my aunt and uncles are in their eighties and do not seem to remember any information. I have tried the Ellis Island web sight and searched under Russo (her maiden name) and Paolino (married name). I was able to find out that her sister, Liva, and niece, Maria Giuseppa Paolino, brother-in-law, Andrea Paolino, and her mother, Maria Lucia DiPalma, all came over December 23, 1919 on the Patria. (My grandfather's brother, Andrea, married my grandmother's sister, Liva. He made several crossing that I found). I do know that my grandfather preceded her to America. He arrived on the America Sept. 27, 1913 at 18 years old. I know that: she was born December 5, 1894 in Atella (Potenza) Italy. Her parents were Joseph Russo and Maria Lucia DiPalma. I have tried the National Archive's ship passenger arrival records but they have no record of her. I'm just looking for some help with direction. For example: If I use the letter from Genealogy.com in Italian and want to request her birth records, who do I send the request to? -- N
A: It is always possible that your grandmother did not come through Ellis Island when she arrived in the United States. Many of us us forget that there were other ports into which immigrants were streaming while Ellis Island was in operation. It is possible that your grandmother came through Baltimore or Philadelphia. If you haven't checked these ports, you should.
When using Genealogy.com's form letter to request genealogical information from an institution, you will need to supply some information. Some of that information comes from what you shared here, basically the name of the individual, and the date and place of the event. There are some other pieces of information, namely the record type and the relationship, that you should provide in Italian that are not supplied in the form letter.
Generally, you can state the relationship as "my ancestor." In Italian, this would be either mio antenato for a male ancestor or mia antenati for a female ancestor. The major record types you would be requesting are a birth record (l'atto di nascita), marriage record (l'atto DI matrimonia) or a death record (l'atto DI morte).
When writing to the commune of Atella, you would need to address the envelope with the following address:
Egregio Sindaco
Commune DI Atella
85020 Atella Potenza
While I supplied you with the zip code here, you may find the site I Codici DI Avviamento Postale Italiani (Italian Zip Codes) helpful for looking up other zip codes as your research takes you further into Italian records. To use this site, you must first select the correct region, which in the case of Atella is Basilicata. Then, select the link under the province and you will find a list of the communes with the appropriate zip code.
Australian Research
Q: My family has been in Australia since the mid 1800's. I have found many sites and a lot of information on U.S. web sites but nothing on Australian web sites about Australian people. Do you know of any web sites that may be of a help for me? -- Toni
A: While it is true that there seems to be more information available to those researching their roots in the United States, there are in fact a number of sites devoted to Australian research. If you haven't done so already, you will want to visit Cyndi's List - Australia and New Zealand . This section of Cyndi's List includes links to general genealogy sites devoted to Australia and New Zealand, and then also includes sections on Libraries, Archives, Military Records, and different record types. If you haven't visited this site, you will want to check it out.
Another avenue to turn in searching for information on Australian research would be the WorldGenWeb Project . Divided into regions, one of which covers Australia, this volunteer effort has been making information available for researchers all over the world. You will find the Australian section at AustraliaGenWeb .
If you have been looking for records on Australian ancestry here at Genealogy.com, this could explain why you feel there isn't much available. While you'll find a lot of useful information about researching in Australia, little has been published online through any of the American commercial services when it comes to Australian records. Most of what you will find will be available through volunteer avenues or through groups specific to Australia.
Prison Becoming a Professional Genealogist
Q: I am interested in a possible career in genealogy. Would you have any advice on how to get started? I would love to take some courses and have a degree, etc., but I don't know where to begin. Any suggestions would be appreciated. -- Alison
A: While anyone can "hang out their shingle" and call themselves a professional genealogist, those who succeed in the profession are those who take a pride in their work and in their own education. They do this by attending conferences and by taking various online, independent study, and other course offerings.
To begin, you'll want to look into joining the Association of Professional Genealogists . They have an impressive roster of professionals and their publication is always full of useful information on all aspects of running a genealogical business, not just on things to consider when doing the research for clients.
Ideally before becoming a professional, you should have a good number of years of experience doing your own genealogy. Personal experience combined with professional education (for example, classes and learning institutes) will make you a better researcher and a greater asset to your clients.
Finally, it is a good idea to undertake the certification process made available through the Board for Certification of Genealogists . By reading their roster, you may find that you are familiar with others who have completed, and passed, the certification process.
Rhonda R. McClure is a professional genealogist specializing in celebrity trees and computerized genealogy. She has been involved in online genealogy for fifteen years. She is an award-winning author of several genealogy how-to books, including The Complete Idiot's Guide to Online Genealogy, The Genealogist's Computer Companion, and Finding Your Famous and Infamous Ancestors. She may be contacted at [email protected].
See more advice from Rhonda in her columns Expert Tips, Tigs and Trees, and Overheard in the Message Boards.


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Welcome to the Banana Splits Resource Center!
Banana Splits is a school-based children's group program for students who have experienced parental divorce or death. Established in 1978 by social worker Liz McGonagle, Banana Splits now supports children, parents, and teachers in schools across the country and around the world.The purposes are:
- to provide a safe place to express feelings
- to normalize feelings through sharing
- to train children in problem solving and coping skills
- to increase self esteem through mutual help
- to support parents and school staff in working with Splits kids
- to increase communication among children, parents, and school
Activities teach children of divorced or deceased parents how to help themselves and each other. By creating a supportive community, Banana Splits aims to counteract the day to day impact of divorce and death on teenagers and young children.
This Resource Center is maintained by Dr. Valerie Raymond to help you establish and run Banana Splits groups in your school. Here you'll find literature and activities to use with children's groups as well as books for professionals and parents and special considerations for running adolescent groups. Face to face training is also available on site. An annual training is available through the NY State Assn. of Independent Schools (NYSAIS.)
The next training will be held Thursday October 12 from 8:30 AM to 12:00 noon. Register at NYSAIS.org.
Order the Banana Splits Manual through The Center for Learning.