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Archive of "Stick Fly"
By Lydia R. Diamond
E.C. Mabie Theatre
November 2011
|Creative Staff
|Tisch Jones
|Scenic Designer
|Kevin Loeffler
|Costume Designer
|Loyce Arthur
|Lighting Designer
|Bryon Winn
|Sound Designer
|Lindsay Wolf
|Stage Manager
|LeeAnn Yeckley
|Sydné Mahone
|Cast - in order of appearance
|Jen Harris
|Kent (Spoon)
|Barrington Vaxter
|Courtney Alane Eaddy-Richardson
|Greg Geffrard
|Luis A. Sierra
|Kristi Starnes
An Interview with Tisch Jones
By Sydné Mahone, Dramaturg, with additional editing by Jenni Page-White, Assistant Dramaturg
Tisch Jones, director of Stick Fly, marks a milestone as an artist and an educator with this production. An associate professor of Theatre Arts and African American Studies, Tisch will retire from the University of Iowa faculty in December 2011.
SM: What is it about this play, Stick Fly, that speaks to you?
TJ: The first time I read it, what spoke to me was the fact that it was about a Black upper-middle-class family, which made me feel, "Wow, somebody's finally writing something about me." I do a lot of August Wilson plays, I do a lot of plays about slavery, but I don't do enough contemporary plays about people of color who are what we would call, upper-middle class, or the Black Bourgeoisie. The last play I can remember that I did about the Black Bourgeoisie was Rachel by Angelina Grimke. A lot of people would think that's not necessarily about the Black Bourgeoisie since Rachel has trouble finding work, but you have to understand that, in terms of Blacks in the history of the class system, the Black Bourgeoisie used to mean education. Rachel and her brother in that particular play are very educated. The play was written in 1917. Who's writing plays today about people like me?
SM: Can you talk about the experiences in your life that reflect the Black upper-middle-class reality?
TJ: I told my cast when we started [rehearsal], that I was Black, boojie, and proud. And the reason I like to say "Black, boojie and proud" is there was a period of time during the '60s and '70s, during what we called the "Black Is Beautiful" period, if you didn't have your 'fro, if you didn't have a dashiki, you weren't down with the cause. And they would call you "boojie" and consider that you're not a part of the future revolution. I used to always resent being called boojie by my friends. And I found myself getting a 'fro, getting the dashiki, and changing the way I spoke so I could fit in and not be looked down upon as a boojie person. But really, deep down inside, I kept thinking, "What's wrong with being boojie? All that meant is that I come from a family that meant getting an education was very important to be able to take charge, hold prominence, and fight for the American Dream. Yes, I come up from a slave background, but somebody fought hard to get beyond that. Someone fought hard to learn to read. Someone fought hard to make sure the children had property and that the children had education beyond that. I should be proud of the fact.
SM: What were your parents' educational backgrounds?
TJ: My mother had a PhD in piano performance and music lit. And my grandfather, who went to school at Tuskegee and sang at Booker T. Washington's funeral, had not only a B.A. from Tuskegee, but an honorary doctorate from another school. My grandmother went back to Dillard and finished her college degree with four children, which is really hard to believe because, as my uncle would say, "We never went to school dirty." They didn't have washing machines. She washed on her hand, but she finished her college degree with four children. All of their children have gone on to get masters and doctorates. That's the standing tradition on my mother's side of the family.
My father's side of the family is another compilation. I call them more than Black Bourgeoisie; they're Black aristocracy. These are people who actually moved to Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, claimed land, owned a lot of the land, and also built mansions. In fact, one of them had a 28-room mansion with an airfield behind it because they had their own airplane. These people had money, had property and pretty much ran things in Oklahoma City, to the point that when Ralph Ellison, who wrote Invisible Man, and his family came to Oklahoma City, they moved in with my family. They took care of Ralph Ellison, helped them get along. They were more like the aristocracy because of the amount of money they had. But typically, I grew up down south knowing that when we talked about Black Bourgeoisie, it had to do with education, not necessarily money.
SM: Having achieved a certain level of education, what other responsibilities came with that? And what other lifestyle choices were important?
TJ: My family was a religious family, a family full of ministers and teachers. It afforded me a different way of looking at what was great to do in your life. My playtime was time to practice piano. I constantly had piano lessons, dance lessons, and violin lessons--all the way straight through high school. I don't ever remember not playing piano, not playing violin, not singing in a choir, not having dance lessons.
SM: Why were those lessons so important?
TJ: Grandmother always believed that a person was not fully educated unless they could play piano, one string instrument, and type. (laughs) She made a point of doing that. As a result, she ended up with two daughters—one that 's a concert pianist, and one that's an orchestral flutist. My aunt, the orchestral flutist, was over the music program for the National Endowment for the Arts. My family valued arts over anything else. It wasn't about having all the money to buy toys, but it was having the resources, or as in the play, Stick Fly, I had "entre" to a lot of things. I look at pictures of my grandparents and my mom when she grew up. There are pictures of my grandparents standing with Mary McLeod Bethune. There is a picture of my grandfather sitting next to Albert Einstein because he had Einstein come and talk to his church. (laughs) And because teaching was a big issue, people taught on Black college campuses. For example, I remember growing up with Wilma Rudolph, who was the Olympic track runner, staying at my house. There was an actress, Rhoda Jordan,
I was reared from the family on my mother's side. They were anti-Jack and Jill; they were anti-The Links. They were anti- any organization that made a difference in Black people according to color, or according to the haves and the have-nots. They were always, historically, political fighters. My great-great-grandfather was in the House of Representatives in Mississippi. He was such a radical person, he had to leave town. My grandfather started the first Urban League in New Orleans And then go on down, every generation, there was somebody that was radical in terms of fighting for Civil Rights--even myself, [during the Civil Rights movement], being in jail seven times, in Orangeburg, SC … in high school along with a lot of my classmates. Many of those people that did the sit-ins and all those struggles came out of colleges, came out of the middle class. I think it's in the blood on my mother's side.
SM: What are some of the important messages of this play?
TJ: How soon we forget, how soon we can forget. How soon we can put something behind us. When I got to the end of the play, I was knocked off my feet that we could do something so unconscionable. …Considering our history and our legacy, the outcome of this play should not have been—unless, maybe that's the point. Maybe Miss Diamond wants us to talk about this kind of thing.
SM: How do you feel the play speaks to the current generation?
TJ: We've actually gotten to a point where you can have a class of people that don't seem to be careful of how they make choices based on our legacy. This generation —I look at my own children—they seem to have a sense of entitlement that you'll see the young men in this play seem to have, a sense of entitlement that I find we don't have time for. If anything, we can't lose a sense of who we are. We have to always remember where we came from. And unfortunately, we've got a generation of young, I say, Black kids in particular, coming through realizing that they weren't slaves and they don't remember that time, why should they care about it? Whereas they have to understand, if it wasn't on the back of slavery, they wouldn't be at this university; that nothing that is happening for them would have happened if it hadn't been for all these chapters.
We'll have more and more families like the one that this play looks at if we don't consciously make the decision that we're no better than anybody else; that we will not fall into the same traps that were acted out on us. We will not become those in power and abuse those without power, and that we will continue fighting for the right.
SM: How do you describe the kind of theatre that you love to make?
TJ: I like theatre of change, if there's such a theatre. I subscribe to Victor Turner's definition of ritual. Ritual is transformatory and I would like the theatre that I do to be transformatory. If you walk in one way, when you leave, you'll be something else.
I believe theatre is meant to make a difference. I believe art is meant to make a difference. Yes, it's supposed to glorify our world and show the beauty within us, but sometimes there's the ugliness in us that really needs to be put out there. And theatre gives you the opportunity to show us at our worst, and make us have to come up with ideas on how to make ourselves better.
[Seeing Stick Fly, I would hope that] you learn about Black people that are different from any Black people you've probably ever seen. They might have some different ideology and they come from a different background than we do, but really, they're people, and they have their dysfunction—not just because they're Black; they have their dysfunction because they're people. (laughs).
And in this time, when we're talking abut class warfare, in this dialogue with the Republicans and the people on the street, Occupy Wall Street, you learn that there is intra-class warfare sometimes within different segments of the population. Through the ritual of coming in and learning about this new existence, maybe when you leave, you'll become a much more informed human being about the lives of some Black people in this country; and about the reality of what life has been like, no matter how much money and land they have. Maybe you'll start making them a part of your universal eyesight, or your universal language.
SM: What are your thoughts about this final production as a faculty member here at the University of Iowa?
TJ: It's sort of sad, but I will say, once upon a time, when I was 15-years old, when my mother was here in grad school, we used to live in married-student housing, which is where Hancher now stands. And to get there, we would leave the Union, walk by this river, and I used to take a shortcut through the Art Building basement, and then through the E. C. Mabie basement to get warm on my way on that walk. And I'd go in and see E. C. Mabie stage and say, "One day when I grow up, I'm going to act on that stage." Isn't it interesting that not only did I get a chance to act on that stage, but I'm actually retiring from academia having directed on that stage? Most little girls dream about going to Broadway. I was dreaming about being on E. C. Mabie stage. And those seats are still the same color they were when I was 15. They have not changed colors. Hope they never do.


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Van Duzen
Welcome To
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Check out some of our favorites Links
Title Partners in Learning PledgeI Parent Involvement
"I realize that my education is important and that it helps me to develop the skills I need
to become a happy and productive person. I also understand that my parents and teachers
want to help me do my very best in school. I know that I am the one responsible for my
own success, and that I must work hard to achieve it. Therefore..." read more

subset: commoncrawl


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As the form of government closest to the people, counties offer a unique perspective that makes them critical players in decisions affecting their citizens and as state and local governments evolve, counties will continue to play a prominent role. The South Dakota Association of County Commissioners serves as the counties' advocate before the executive, legislative and judicial branches of state government and identifies resources to address the challenges faced by county government.
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Some very useful links are available here to find out more about individual counties, some related national organizations, and the state government. We strive to develop close ties with the people, agencies and organizations that shape this state.
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Kris Jacobsen, Executive Director
211 East Prospect Avenue
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We REALLY want to ask, "Can I possibly NOT do this?". See the evidence: Homeschooling Works!
Hear Homeschooling Moms Share Their Experiences
This was a talk given at a SHBE conference led by Lynette Sawatsky featuring five home educating moms giving us a glimpse of their experiences.
Click the play button in the segments below for HTML5 audio recordings titled "Can I Really Do This?". You may have to wait a few seconds before the controls become visible.HTML5 is a newer format and should work on most newer web browsers. Older browsers may not be able to play this format.
Here is an award winning video, presented at the 2016 convention, showing the success of 12 different home educated graduates, all from Saskatchewan: Won best documentary in 2016 at the Alberta Conservatory for Christian Film Makers Festival.
Here is a presentation from 2020 that outlines Home Based Education in Saskatchewan.


text: Fund Raising GAA National Club Draw January 6, 2016 Douglas Kelly Leave a comment Croke park have launched the 2016 GAA National Club Draw – a great opportunity for clubs to raise funds with fantasic prizes to be won. Contact any club officer to get tickets or tickets available through our website shop. Share:Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)


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Garlic Herb Roast Beef with Horseradish Mustard Sauce
I am finally getting better at cooking beef. Up until the last year or so, I seldom cooked beef at home. Going out for a date night at our favorite steak house was a treat, and I never felt that I could prepare beef at home that lived up to the tender, juicy steaks we had from out, so I avoided it. And let's face it, beef is expensive – as are most meats these days, so feeling like I was wasting money by drying out beef did not make me reach for it often while meal planning.
Since starting Jelly Toast, I have slowly increased my knowledge of cooking beef, here and there. However, it wasn't until last Spring when I was hosted by the generous team at Certified Angus Beef® on a trip to their facilities in Wooster, Ohio that I ultimately shed my fear and intimidation of cooking beef.
It turns out that armed with some knowledge of how to choose the proper cut for the intended preparation as well as how to properly cook economical cuts and have them shine, I finally reset my mentality and began to turn out some incredible beef recipes.
This Fall, Certified Angus Beef® has released a new app (which I have on my iPhone and iPad – yay!) called Roast Perfect. I have played around with the app several times, most recently challenging it to direct me to cook an Eye of Round roast – which is one of the most economical and lean roasts that is available at my grocery store.
The app itself is equipped with full recipes for a variety of popular roast cuts, from celebration rib roasts to more economical cuts like this eye of round. But, being the food blogger and experimenter in the kitchen that I am, my favorite part of the app is the roast timer. This section of the app allows you to choose the roast cut, poundage, and desired doneness. It then gives you specific directions on how to properly cook that roast properly – regardless of how you season it! This is more of a set of cooking guidelines allowing me the freedom of creating the seasons and flavors that I see fit.
In the photo above, you can see the steps that the app laid out for searing (450° for 15 min), roasting (325° for 1 hour and 12 minutes), and then tenting with foil for 10 minutes.
After rubbing my roast with garlic and herbs and allowing the seasonings to sit on it overnight, I followed the roast timer exactly. What resulted was the most incredibly tender medium rare garlic herb roast beef that has ever come out of my oven. I could not stop nibbling at the pieces. My family ended up eating it on sandwiches for dinner with a generous dollop of the simple horseradish mustard sauce.
Is it weird that I feel like a superhero with the Roast Perfect app as my sidekick? That's an odd image, I admit, but knowing that I have this tool that will help me to cook roasts perfectly – particularly getting into prime roasting season – has me flat out joyous.
You may remember that I have mentioned Certified Angus Beef in the past when discussing my Beef Breakfast Sausage and my Slow Cooker Bloody Mary Pot Roast. During my trip to Wooster, Ohio, I learned so much about choosing cuts of beef for different recipes.
Having never been to any formal culinary classes, I really appreciate any chance I can get to learn from experts about food and cooking. We had a long session with Dr. Phil Bass who was beyond knowledgeable. I was able to help break down a beef carcass and see first hand where many beef cuts come from.
What made this experience extremely unique was that there were several chefs, including Chef Peter (below), working nearby to quickly cook some cuts for as shortly after they were broken down. This is a skirt steak that Dr. Phil Bass broke down and below you can see the same steak cooked simply with salt and pepper by Chef Peter.
I am challenged to recall a more delicious piece of beef.
One of the main points of the trip was to share information about the Certified Angus Beef® brand. I had seen beef with their sticker at my local Meijer store many times, but did not fully understand what it meant before this trip. The brand itself owns no cattle, however, they own their branding. They have a set of 10 qualifications (seen below) that will determine whether or not a cattle can be classified as Certified Angus Beef.
So what does this all mean when it comes down to it? Certified Angus Beef has these qualifications because they have found that beef that meets these qualifications is almost gauranteed to provide a great eating experience. The marbling found in CAB cuts is perfection and is the type of marbling that will melt into the beef during cooking, basting it and ensuring a moist and tender outcome.
Since switching entirely to CAB in our home, I have had incredible luck with preparing beef. Starting with a high quality beef, whether it's an expensive cut or a more modestly priced roast, is important to having success in cooking.
Our group had the pleasure of meeting CAB's team of chefs and see their passion for what they do. They had genuine pride and pleasure in working for such a wonderful brand and it was contagious being in their presence I am still no expert when it comes to cooking beef, but I have made serious strides in understanding what it takes to cook beef and cook it well.
If you are interested in learning more, I encourage you to visit the Certified Angus Beef website and find them in Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter. They are also on Periscope, if you are on there, and often have fun live streams. Seriously, the CAB team is so much fun. If you are not sure where you can purchase Certified Angus Beef near you, check out their store locator for help.
If you are considering cooking a beef roast during the upcoming holiday season, do yourself a huge favor and download the Roast Perfect app. It's free, by the way, which is even better 🙂
The garlic herb rub that I used on my Eye of Round roast would be fantastic on any cut of beef that you are looking to cook. Just adjust amounts accordingly if using a larger roast.
Now I am off to eat another leftover roast beef sandwich!
Happy Thursday!
Disclosure: I was invited by Certified Angus Beef® brand to attend a media trip back in the Spring of 2015. I was hosted on that trip to learn about the Certified Angus Beef® brand and about cooking beef in general. I did not receive compensation for this post. All opinions are completely my own.
Garlic Herb Roast Beef with Horseradish Mustard Sauce
Yield: 6-8 servings
Prep Time: 8 hours (inactive)
Cook Time: 1 hour 45 minutes
Total Time: 10 hours
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 5 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tablespoon rosemary, minced
- 1 tablespoon thyme leaves, minced
- 1 tablespoon sage leaves, minced
- 2 teaspoons sea salt
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- 3 lb Certified Angus Beef® Eye of Round roast
Horseradish Mustard Sauce
- 1/3 cup light mayonaise
- 2 tablespoons prepared horsradish
- 1 tablespoon whole grain dijon mustard
Mix together olive oil, garlic, herbs, salt, and pepper in a small bowl. Massage the mixture into the roast, covering the entire outside of the roast. Wrap the roast in plastic wrap and place in a shallow dish. Refrigerate roast over night or at least for 4 hours before roasting.
Unwrap roast and place on a rack in a roasting pan. Preheat oven to 450°F. Cook roast for 15 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 325°F. Cook roast for an additional 1 hour and 10 minutes. Remove roast from the oven and tent with foil for about 10 minutes before carving.
Mix mayonnaise, horseradish, and dijon mustard in a small bowl. Serve with roast beef.
If cooking a different size roast, consult the Certified Angus Beef's Roast Perfect app for cooking times. Just select roast, size and desired doneness in the Roast Perfect Timer section of the app.
Leave a Reply
2 comments on "Garlic Herb Roast Beef with Horseradish Mustard Sauce"
Beautiful photos and we're so happy to hear you love Roast Perfect! Thanks for sharing your experiences. We hope you can visit again some time! Happy Thanksgiving to you and yours.


text: Arkansas State Parks Trip Ideas Filter Park [X] Lake Dardanelle Bull Shoals - White River Cossatot River Davidsonville [X] DeGray Lake Resort [X] Devil's Den Historic Washington State Park Hobbs State Park Conservation Area Mount Nebo Ozark Folk Center Petit Jean Pinnacle Mountain Prairie Grove Battlefield Village Creek Region [X] Central [X] Northwest [X] North Central [X] Southwest Upper Delta Park Activity Mountain Biking Trail Type Mountain Biking Trail Difficulty Author [X] Meg Matthews Monika Rued [X] Sasha Bowles Date Published December 2022 September 2021 [X] March 2021 June 2020 April 2020 July 2017 [X] November 2016 October 2016 [X] August 2016 Trail of Tears Across Arkansas State Parks Mar 2021 ⁄ Sasha Bowles Arkansas has hundreds of miles of the Trail of Tears, and of the nine states traversed by the trail, is the only state that witnessed the removal of all five of the Southeastern tribes as they moved west. Arkansas State Parks has five parks that lie along these removal routes. These parks have been certified as National Park Service Trail of Tears National Historic Trail... Video Blog: Mountain Biking…Squirrel! Nov 2016 ⁄ Meg Matthews The popularity of mountain biking has exploded in Arkansas. With mild fall temperatures and beautiful autumn color, now is the time to get on your bike and ride. Top 10 Ways to Stay Cool at Arkansas State Parks Aug 2016 ⁄ Meg Matthews While we wait for cooler temperatures to come to The Natural State, here are the top 10 ways to stay cool at Arkansas State Parks during the dog days of summer.


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Young Engineers is happy to welcome our new master franchisee in South Africa.
By giving more children the chance to build their tomorrow you're helping us make the world a better place, and for that we want to say thank you! You are a great addition to our family!
For more info about Young Engineers South Africa operations and their franchise opportunities please visit www.youngengineers.co.za
Thank You!


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The team at SmokShop are always being asked to recommend a good e-liquid flavour or brand, and while we only stock the brands and products we love, there are some firm favourites used by our customer base.
If you're wondering where to start with e-liquid, or just fancy trying a new flavour, you won't go far wrong by purchasing one of the bestselling e-liquid products listed below from our online store.
Menthol E-Liquid
Cool and fresh, menthol e-liquid is always a popular flavour at SmokShop, and the undisputed bestseller in this section is the branded Hangsen menthol e-liquid. Unlike other menthol vape juice, this e-liquid contains no tobacco flavour, so it's distinctly different from a menthol cigarette.
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If, like many of our customers, you turned to vaping as a way to kick the cigarette habit, a tobacco e-liquid may be just what you're looking for. Judging by the number of different tobacco flavours we stock (including gold, silver and pale blends), you're by no means alone!
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Some people prefer to shop for their e-liquid by brand. After all, when you find a brand you love, you can trust them to come up with the goods, whichever flavour you try.
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Hangsen E-Liquid Flavours Include:
Simple, basic flavours are often the best, and that's definitely true when it comes to Hangsen's fruit flavoured e-liquids. As ever, Hangsen's apple, blueberry and strawberry flavours are a top choice for many of our shoppers – offering a surprisingly accurate reproduction of a real fruit taste.
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Comments on NASD Rulemaking
Self-Regulatory Organizations; National Association of Securities Dealers, Inc.; Notice of Filing and Order Granting Accelerated Approval of Proposed Rule Change and Amendment Nos. 1 and 2 Thereto Establishing CTCI Station-Based Pricing for Non-Members
(Release No. 34-53535; File No. SR-NASD-2006-027)


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I've started to program in C since 1999. Since this year I've worked on multiple projects like creation of the UMF - network protocol for reliable multicast and many others.
C has been used successfully for every type of programming problem imaginable from operating systems to spreadsheets to expert systems - and efficient compilers are available for machines ranging in power from the Apple Macintosh to the Cray supercomputers. The largest measure of C's success seems to be based on purely practical considerations:
the portability of the compiler
the standard library concept
a powerful and varied repertoire of operators
an elegant syntax
ready access to the hardware when needed
and the ease with which applications can be optimized by hand-coding isolated procedures C is often called a "Middle Level" programming language. This is not a reflection on its lack of programming power but more a reflection on its capability to access the system's low level functions. Most high-level languages (e.g. Fortran) provides everything the programmer might want to do already built into the language. A low level language (e.g. assembler) provides nothing other than access to the machines basic instruction set.


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Current Classics Bicycle Photos:
Here's my Nishiki Prestige.
found the frame about 6 months ago when I was trying to sell an
aluminum Cannondale (ugh!). When a guy came looking at the Cannondale
I told him I was looking for an older steel frame and he mentioned
he had a Nishiki that he'd bought in the late 80s as a spare frame
that he was thinking about selling. It sounded good, so I asked
if I could take a look. The bike was still in it's original box
with bubble wrap on it! I bought it and built it up using some parts
I had lying around and also some new and unused older stuff from
the LBS and Rivendell. It gets ridden all around town, some light
trail riding, and weekend rides around the lake. The Seattle to
Portland ride is coming up, which will be it's first long ride (about
200 miles).
44 cm Nitto Dream
Stem: 9 cm Nitto Technomic Deluxe
Levers: Cane Creek SCR-5
Brakes: Tektro long reach
Front and Rear derailleurs: Shimano 105
Cranks: Dura Ace
Shifters: Shimano 600 downtube clamp on
Headset: Shimano 600
plans: 32 mm tires, triple ring cranks, Brooks B-17, and a good
rack system.
Classics Photo Gallery - Cross Bike
Photo Gallery
Single Speed Garage Photo Gallery
Working Bikes & Practical Hardware
a Current Classic Bicycle Photo


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Last week FSC Germany celebrated its general assembly and 20 years of a (mainly) success story. Dr. Thomas Griese, secretary for the Ministry of Environment, Energy, Food and Forest in Rheinland-Pfalz, described all the different milestones leading to the current situation. He elaborated on sustainability based on all three pillars […]
- Organisation
- Providers
- Users
- Products
- News
- Events


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Fireplace Fenders
HEARTH FENDERS were designed to be placed on the hearth to help keep logs from rolling out onto the floor. Today they're most commonly used to help create a focal point, but they're also handy to help keep children and pets away from the fire.
Fenders were once considered an essential element for a formal fireplace. As fireplaces have been converted to gas, manufacturers of fireplace fenders have dwindled to where we have no current sources for the elegant styles suitable for a formal fireplace. We have now made it our business to find and restore antiques, adding much value to the fenders you'll find here online and in our retail store. Our selection changes often as they come and go, so if you find one you like then it's best to grab it quickly.
GAS LOG FENDERS/FRETS are decorative pieces you can install in front of gas logs to hide the controls and customize your logs. See FRETS here.Save


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Belper Bill Busters: Back To School Bargains
Didn't those six week holidays fly by? It seems like only yesterday the kids came bounding out of school full of beans for their upcoming break, but alas September is here, and with it a new school year. There are lots of things your young ones may need (or really, really want… scented gel pens anyone?) but that doesn't mean your bank balance needs to feel the strain. Here are our top tips for being a back-to-school-bargainer!
Make a list. School uniform? Pens, notebooks, other stationery? PE kit? Whatever needs updating, it's always a good idea to write it all down in advance. That way you're less likely to forget something or be caught out by impulsive cries of 'Can we get one of these? Please!' Don't know where to start? See netmums.com/children/ready-for-school-checklists for a handy checklist.
Raid the charity shops. There are plenty of children who will recently have grown out of their uniforms, shoes and kits, ready for yours to step in to. There's really not much point spending lots of money on something your child will probably grow out of in a few months or a year, so if it's plain shirts, blouses and pairs of trousers you're after, a good deal is probably waiting in your local charity shop.
Ask other mums and dads. If the charity shops let you down, why not ask other parents with older children if they have any clothing in decent condition that no longer fits? If they're looking to get rid of clutter you may well get a freebie! Local selling groups on Facebook are also great for bagging bargains, so get joining!
Be stingy about stationery. It's self-explanatory really – why spend pounds on a notebook when you could spend pennies? Often high street stationery stores can be costly and you end up paying for brands or fancy designs, so don't be drawn in. The Works offers an 80% discount on their online stationery store – pay a visit to theworks.co.uk to see if they have what you need.
Consider packed lunches. If school dinners are proving pricey, the beginning of the school year is a good time to reconsider and start sending your child with a packed lunch instead. However, you may be eligible for free school meals if you're on certain benefits – you can find out and apply at gov.uk/apply-free-school-meals.
Can they bear to car share? Have a chat with other parents who live nearby and see if you can agree on a plan for sharing the school run. Even driving to school every other day will cost less than doing it every day, so it will save you both money, plus you'll get a bit of extra time to yourselves some mornings. Of course car sharing is a friend to the environment and should ease some of the unsafe traffic congestion outside of the school too.
Trying to live on a budget can be difficult and confusing, but help is out there – CAP Life Skills is the way to go if you're looking to get more financially savvy and learn some important money saving techniques. Head to capuk.org to find out more. For help and advice if debt is causing problems in your life, call 0800 328 0006.
By Adriaan van Wyk


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We invite you to the first session of our 2017 Citizens Planning Academy series!
Planning is more than balancing property rights and regulation: Successful Communities Plan for Their Future
Professor Jaap Vos, PhD. will lead a discussion on the purpose and value of planning.
When: Wednesday, February 1st
Where: University of Idaho College of Law in the Idaho Law Learning Center (514 W. Jefferson Street, Room 136). Please use the eastern entrance. Parking is available behind the building on the eastern side in the spots marks "visitor."
For more information and a listing of this year's sessions please click here.


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The Experience
Experience VIP entry, suite level seating, HD flat screen TVs, and in-seat catering and bar options. Private Rooms can accommodate parties of 2 to 200 guests.
A true one of a kind experience, Hyde Lounge at Crypto.com Arena provides the perfect environment for enjoying concerts and sporting events like never before. Whether you are celebrating a special occasion, entertaining your best customers, or simply looking to experience a whole new way to watch an event, Hyde Lounge at Crypto.com Arena has something for you.
Experience VIP entry, suite level seating, HD flat screen TVs, and in-seat catering and bar options. Private Rooms can accommodate parties of 2 to 200 guests.
Perfect for hosting clients, employee outings, or a night out with friends.
Professional catering options for every budget provided by Levy Restaurants.
A direct contact for Crypto.com Arena and L.A. LIVE – here to help guide you through the purchase process for events throughout the year.
The Hyde Society Membership is the perfect option for companies and individuals alike. Your deposit acts as a declining balance throughout the year for the events that you choose. Hand select what games and how many tickets per game you would like, with very few restrictions.
Offer Details
Hyde Lounge offers 2 private rooms available per event. Hyde Lounge offers multi-game discounted packages and single event purchases. Starting at a minimum group size of 20, the Hyde Lounge has the ability to customize events up to 200 guests.
Offer Details
Hyde Lounge is now a place where smaller groups of 2-16 can enjoy a game in a VIP environment. The Hyde Lounge provides reserved seating with impeccable views and in-seat service for all guests with a pre-purchase Hyde Lounge ticket.
Offer Details


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California Pollinator Plant ListRecommended native plants that are highly attractive to pollinators such as native bees, honey bees, butterflies, moths, and hummingbirds. Visit Pollinator Conservation Resources – California Region for additional information. This information provided by the Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation.
Printer Friendly: Species List | List with Images | List with QR Tags to Mobile
|scientific name
|common name(s)
|image gallery
|Arctostaphylos densiflora
|Vine Hill Manzanita
|Asclepias fascicularis
|Mexican Whorled Milkweed
Narrowleaf Milkweed
|Cercis orbiculata
|California Redbud
Western Redbud
Arizona Redbud
Pata De Vaca
|Clarkia unguiculata
|Elegant Clarkia
Elegant Fairyfan
Mountain Garland
|Epilobium canum
|Hummingbird Trumpet
California Fuchsia
|Eriogonum fasciculatum
|Eastern Mojave Buckwheat
Eastern Mojave Wild Buckwheat
California Buckwheat
Flattop Buckwheat
Flat-top Buckwheat
|Eschscholzia californica
|California Poppy
California Gold Poppy
|Frangula californica
|California Buckthorn
California Coffeeberry
|Fremontodendron californicum
|California Flannelbush
Northern Flannelbush
Northern Fremontia
California Slippery Elm
|Gilia capitata
|Bluehead Gilia
Blue-head Gily-flower
Globe Gilia
Blue Gilia
|scientific name
|common name(s)
|image gallery


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Stay Inside Your Own Hula Hoop
I love synchronicity. This past week I was treated to a series of synchronistic events. It got my attention.
A week ago, a wise woman I know was sharing a story about a challenge in her life and she remarked, "I need to remember to stay inside my own hula hoop". The image conjured up in me fond memories of myself as a young girl with a bright pink hula hoop with white stripes. I could hula hoop FOR-E-VER. Sometimes, I would hula hoop while watching "The Love Boat" on Saturday evenings in our family room in St. Louis, Missouri – for the entire episode. If I saw a hula hoop at someone else's house, I couldn't help but give it a try. I had not tried using a hula hoop for many years.
Stay inside your own hula hoop….
The image of staying within my hula hoop has been with me since I heard my friend share the idea. I've thought about it in my family. As a Mom, I've been called a "helecopter parent" and even joked that I was a proud one at that. But, as my children have grown older and wiser, I realize that often it is better for me to let their ideas shine through rather than adding my own advice. Staying in my hula hoop as a Mom means, to me, giving my children room to be themselves and to allow their best selves to emerge. I am often struck by their thoughtfulness and the care with which they make decisions. No two people can share a hula hoop – it doesn't work. As a Mom, staying in my own hula hoop also reminds me to take care of myself so that I can be there for them when they need me (and not be a burden on them in the future). As a daughter, I know it is important to respect my parent's space, choices, independence, and lives. My mother has health problems and I am often told by her caregivers, "You need to tell her to do such-and-such (take it easy, don't do something, etc.)" or they will talk to me with her sitting right there. I take great pains to remind them that she is the patient and gets to decide what is best for her. And so it goes. The hula hoop analogy is helpful to think about in my role as mother, daughter, wife, and friend.
At my work, staying in my hula hoop means to me respecting the hierarchy of my workplace. I work in higher education where there are many layers of leadership. Each person in the chain has an important role and needs to feel both informed and also in charge. It is my nature to want to be informed and to want to know what is going on. Most of the time, it either isn't my business or isn't something I need to worry about. Staying in my hula hoop – my lane – my chain of command – my job title – my building – always goes better than letting the hula hoop fall and stepping out of it. There is plenty to do within my own job and role as well. When I step back, people step forward and often better outcomes result.
Earlier this week, I had a particularly challenging day. I felt anxious and uncertain about the future. I had people around me all wanting different things for me, disappointed in me, etc. I felt I'd let important people down. I felt misunderstood. I decided to take a walk with my dog, Beckham, to think and to settle myself down. It was a Thursday, trash day. As I walked through the neighborhood, I began to settle down. My breathing settled. My heart rate lowered. I began to think more constructively about my situation. I reflected on how long some of my neighbors had been in our community. My next door neighbor has lived in the same home since I was in high school. I've watched children being brought home from the hospital, walked in strollers, walking their dog, and walking a graduation stage. I was reminded of taking the long view. Taking one day at a time. Not trying to solve everything at once. Thinking for myself versus thinking through what I perceived as everyone's expectations of me. As we turned down the street to my house, a glint of light caught my eye. As we came closer, I noticed a stack of colorful hula hoops sitting in my neighbor's driveway along with their trash cans. I laughed out loud. OF COURSE the hula hoop message was JUST PERFECT for my situation. If I focused on myself, what I could control, and not try to control others, I could at least pare down what was making me anxious into smaller pieces. I looped about five hula hoops over my arm and decided I would put them to good use.
At work, I brought a pink hula hoop and leaned it against my whiteboard. inside the hoop, I wrote, "Stay inside your own hula hoop". At home, I put a hula hoop in the planter between my garage doors. It is the first thing I see when backing down the driveway in the morning and the last thing I see when I pull into my parking spot at night. In my office at home, I leaned a hula hoop under the wall where I empty my purse at night. In my bedroom, there is a hula hoop peeking out from behind the headboard of my bed. While these may seem strange to those who see them, to me they are a simple reminder of a powerful way of being.
If you hold a hula hoop out in front of you, it creates a frame for whatever you gaze upon. I decided to put the hula hoops in places important to me as a reminder of this perspective. I also saw another "message" in the hula hoop. The letter "C" repeats itself at the left, top, bottom, and right. There are many words that start with the letter "C" that relate to this "stay inside your hula hoop" mantra. The word "CAUSE" is one of them. I could ask myself to remember that I did not cause the situation that is troubling me. Or, if I did, to do what I could to apologize or get out of the way. Another "C" word is "COMPLAIN". If I complain about a situation, it is not likely to get any better and, more likely, it will get worse. Another "C" word is "CONTROL". Remembering that I am not in control, that I shouldn't over-control, and that by trying to control a situation I am likely going to make it worse. A "C" word to avoid is "CAN'T". Most of the time, I can't control a situation, but when I can do something about it, saying "I CAN" is better than "I Can't".
The three (or more) Cs: I can't CONTROL the situation, COMPLAINING doesn't help, I didn't CAUSE the situation (or if I did, do something about it), and avoid CRITICIZING.
This morning, I shared my story about finding the hula hoops with a group of friends. Several asked me if they might have one of the hula hoops I had found. At the end of the gathering, one of the members walked back into the room with a stack of colorful hula hoops on his arm. He explained that he and his wife had gone to Baltimore the previous day and he thought he would take some hula hoops from his garage with him in case he saw children that might like to have them. He never saw any children. But when he heard my story and the fact that several people wanted to have one, he thought, "Synchronicity is often a sign that something special is going on". He went out to his car and brought in the hula hoops to share with our group. The reaction was priceless. Each person got to choose the color and pattern that most appealed to them. It was such an adorable scene: Smiles all around, people asking for particular colors, and people trying their hula hoops. I will long remember the sight of our group walking out to their cars with hula hoops in hand.
The situation that led to my feeling anxious earlier this week is still present, but how I am thinking about it has lightened a bit. While my hula hoops may look like a misplaced piece of plastic and glitter, they are also a portal through which I can see myself and those I love in a fresh way.
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The Mayor's Thames Festival 2014
Since 1997, the Thames Festival Trust has organised events along the river. Beginning with the famous wire walk on the South Bank, festivities now take place along the River from Westminster to St Katharine Docks.
The Lord Mayor will be hosting this spectacular thirty-day free event, which links together London First and the Arts Council of England, so expect some wonderful art, films, performances, music and community festivals along the riverside.
Taking you back in time, Handel's Fireworks Music and Illuminations take place on 14th September in the stunning Privy Garden at Hampton Court Palace. Performed by a thirty-piece orchestra, it is followed by a Georgian historic firework display.
For the more adventurous, an abundance of water activities are planned. There will be archaeology and exploration events as well as the London River Marathon, (as the Great River Race is known) which takes place on 27th September. Over 300 crews from many different countries, usually in fancy dress and performing stunts for charity, will race for the finishing line.
For those with a nautical interest, the Royal Greenwich Tall Ships will be showcasing the largest fleet of Tall Ships to visit London in 25 years with their own historic five-day festival and fireworks display. For more information visit the Totally Thames website
For a more peaceful water-related relaxation, treat yourself to a day at Aquilla health club, which is located only 5-minutes from South Kensington Station. With its heated indoor swimming pool, sauna, whirlpool and steam bath you can really pamper yourself.
Guests at our hotel can use our club for a small fee. So check out our accommodation packages … Or, even better, book one of our spa packages, if you want to combine a trip to London with a relaxing spa experience.
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Do you know someone who is always moaning about trying to dry the wash outside?
Well Clothesline Canopy to the rescue, it dries clothes even in rain.
A recent comment on Facebook from Mary was "Got mine 6 weeks ago and it is fantastic. Wish I had it years ago !"
We now offer flatpack delivered straight to your door or we can install nationwide.
We have Gift Vouchers available and are ideal for as a Christmas gift. All denominations welcome.


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Can Ethiopia make the leap from a high performing frontier market dependent on commodity exports to a middle income country with a sizeable industrial sector. If successful it would make it one of Africa's biggest economies. The government hopes the answer to this question is positive and lies through adopting agricultural led industrialization as determined by its five year growth and transformation plan (GTP).
For a long time Ethiopia has been a prisoner of its past. Marxist revolutions, the Red Terror and biblical famines are now thankfully fading memories. But at the same time many problems cannot be masked by its current high growth. The country remains poor and many believe substandard governance will hold it back in the longer term.
Countries at a crossroad are a cliché in language of politics and economics, but it is safe to say Ethiopia is certainly at an interesting point in its development. The country has enjoyed exceptionally high Chinese style growth over the past five years, 2010 saw an eye watering 11.4 percent increase in GDP. 2014 was a much more modest 8.5 percent, even taking into account poor statistics gathering these figures have placed Ethiopia in the top 10 growth spots in the world.
This economic performance has been guided by tight monetary policy, which has kept a lid on inflation, but also through the GTP. Taking inspiration from their Socialist roots, but adapted for a free market world the government instituted this five year strategy to encourage growth via promoting high value agri-exports such a flowers and coffee alongside an industrial policy which has seen the emergence of a nascent textile and footwear manufacturing base which is now exporting to Europe.
The government have also been active in building new infrastructure such as roads, rail and dams, creating demand and employment as well as a bedrock for future development. A recent example of this is a new light railway in Addis Ababa which has been a highly visible and traffic relieving example of these efforts. Unsurprisingly to Sino-Africa watchers the rail scheme was financed by the Chinese Export – Import Bank and built by the China Railway Group.
This policy has clearly been a success and the second iteration GTP II will come into effect next year. Like all sequels there is a danger that it will fail to live up to the original. The GTP comes at a price, any plan of this nature comes with heavy investment input and total public debt as a percentage of (a fast rising) GDP has risen from 39.4 % to 54.3% which while not unsustainable, will cause serious concern and become a red flag if it rises much further. Deficits of this nature can rise dramatically and can lead to panic spending cuts as governments realise to late they have overspent or under taxed and should have been "fixing the roof while the sun was shining".
This scenario is not yet the case, but the government now faces a fundamental dilemma, facing falling growth, does it slow public spending to ensure its debt does not become unsustainable, or does it push full steam ahead with GTP II and hope more infrastructure spending and industrial growth stimulates the economy providing more revenue.
GTP II will seek to build on the success of the country's efforts in power generation, while there have been big projects, like the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam the country still only has 3 Giga Watts of power available – compared to South Africa's 45 Giga Watts – a country which still suffers rolling black outs. It is clear Ethiopia has a long way to travel before it can become an industrial power.
Darling of the Aid Community?
Fortuitously the government has also been a the beneficiary of the aid community, which has been generous with the country that many are keen to tout a development success story. Ethiopia also falls into the category of very poor and fragile, two afflictions which currently attract donor funds.
The donors of Western Europe have been chipping in with around 15 percent of Ethiopia's budget over the past few years. If the country continues to develop economically this support could slacken and of course this would represent success as the country weans itself off aid dependency, but if it happens too soon the government will face huge and potentially destabilising pressure to cut its budget.
Ideological Shifts
Behind these changes has been the Ethiopian leadership's long term ideological shift from socialism to market based thinking, the mass privatisation of many firms started in the 1990s and has continued until the present. But the government, like their friends in Beijing, keeps its hands on the tiller of the economy and sensitive areas like finance remain in Ethiopian hands and country remains a difficult place to do business, while foreign investment is officially welcome, the actual experience can be less agreeable.
Doing Business
The country also ranks badly on the ever growing number of indicators produced by think tanks, such competitiveness, governance, human development, while much of this can be explained by fact the country is still fundamentally very poor, many believe it could be making more effort to improve its competitiveness score – it does badly on the "Doing Business Survey" published by the World Bank, although the government would contend (like many others) that the survey does not represent reality.
Industrialisation – Horn of Africa Style?
The country has made a breakthrough – industrialisation is a successful strategy for development, albeit a dirty unpleasant one. Ethiopia latched on early to the China offshoring trend and has now developed a credible textile export market to Europe. The success of the landmark Huajian factory was rightly lauded but one textile plant does not equal an industrial revolution. But now Ethiopia is seeing this successs being replicated across the country.
In the longer term this should mean aggressively trying to wrest market share of textile manufacturing from Asia while ensuring the institutional framework for industry is there, this means access to finance, a labour force willing to do the work and ensuring decent infrastructure, cheap energy and transportation are in place to allow factories to flourish. This is not an easy process by any means, plus the costs in terms of environmental and social costs can be enormous.
A New Tourist Destination?
The country has massive potential to develop its tourist industry, beautiful landscapes, stunning scenery and for many a fascinating history and culture, all should make it a big draw. Instead people go to Kenya and Egypt. This could change of course, travellers are always looking for new destinations. Addis Ababa is already a major air hub thanks to the success of Ethiopian airlines, which has been partly privatised and rapid growth over the past five years has seen it become the biggest airline in Africa by fleet size and it could overtake South African airlines in terms of passengers carried in the next year or so.
Permanent Revolution
Ethiopian politics remain firmly authoritarian, elections are a formality, serious opponents are imprisoned or exiled, while many of the remaining opposition parties are puppets, orchestrated by the government to create an illusion of democracy. For now the ruling party – the Ethiopian People's Revolutionary Democratic Front (another revolutionary party who have not updated their name), remain firmly in control.
If the country does develop and a significant middle class emerges the party has a dilemma – does it loosen its grip and allow greater democratic freedom or risk unrest if the economy turns south. It is pretty clear that they will opt to keep a tight grip on the country, even at the risk of alienating their donors from the West. Of course Beijing is a much more attractive example to those in charge in Addis Abba – their model of Red Capitalism with no move towards democracy is a beacon. For more on the close relationship between China and Ethiopia click here.
Some have likened Ethiopia to Vietnam twenty years ago – a apt analogy given their similar relative population size (90 million give or take), backgrounds as socialist states and subsequent move towards the free market and industrialisation make for an interesting parallel, of course Vietnam is a lot further down the road than Ethiopia and an indication of what can be achieved.


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I had the privilege of interacting with Kr. Rameshwar Singh Jamwal at a closed-door dinner organised by TiE Mumbai yesterday. Jamwal is the Executive Director of Tata Industries Ltd who had the opportunity of working with JRD Tata, Ratan Tata and now Cyrus Mistry. He was kind enough to brainstorm and dissect GetEvangelized's business model, as I attempted at applying some of these learnings to our cause. It's refreshing to hear and interact with visionary leaders from the the non-startup-fraternity, because it gets you the 'conglomerate perspective' that one can yo-yo with the frugality and agility from the early stage startup ecosystem- where I come from.
I've listed below my three key takeaways along with some of my own notes relating it with our journey of building GetEvangelized, hoping It'd be good to share and learn back through this blog
Think and plan in 10 year cycles
- Most early stage companies and startups have been known to adopt and pivot on to the next hot wave. VCs also follow the same approach very often. Perhaps we are motivated with short term goals- valuation, flips. This room had only one entrepreneur who had IPO-ed, a rare case in current times with startups. Economic cycles, business themes and several businesses have seen their rise and fall in 8-10 year cycles. So it's ok to lose a race in the next 2 years as long as one is geared up for the long haul.
I applied this to our industry of social networks- we've seen Hi Five, Friendster, My Space, Orkut, Facebook and Twitter experience the rise and fall within 8-10 year life cycles. Facebook exists and continues because it has been constantly attempting to reinvent itself to be relevant in the next decade. 13-20 year olds that I meet, consider the original Facebook as an old boy's club, where their parents hangout. They use Twitter to consume updates from live sporting events when they're not in front on a video streaming device. Some of them breakup and resign over text. They use Snapchat to update their friends. This is the next gen of creators and consumers who will posses that quintessential disposable wallet. Are we thinking and planning for them?
It's important to understand the constraints applicable to the business model and how they scale 10 years ahead. With a two sided marketplace model such as that of GetEvangelized's, the constraints become open ended and Co-dependent. There is merit in scaling the constraints and the business with patience without using rocket fuel too early.
Be Cognizant of human behavioral patterns
- Humans first develop the ability to detect, then comes the ability to observe/understand and then emerges the ability to manipulate. The products and services that experience manipulation also achueve mass adoption. The same happened with the discovery/ detection of of electromagnetic waves, said Jamwal, look at where we are with the myriad applications of electro magnetic waves. Blockchain has been detected, we are currently understanding it, so attempts at manipulating it are likely á¹o fail as it's premature. Same applies to AI and chatbots. However, if we think and plan 10 years ahead aligned with the human behavior, it all falls in place and we may get less anxious with the short term speculation.
Applying this to social networks again, it's interesting to look at the evolution of networks and their revenue models in the last 2 decades. From the days of AOL/ chat rooms (remember the phrase "ASL please?") to modern day networks such as Facebook and tinder that give you the age, sex, location, relationship status and work profile upfront without asking. Users were "detecting" this phenomena of connecting with friends and strangers. They started "understanding" it better as a communication channel that gets enriched (in data, intelligence and revenue) as they use it more- a platform that gives them reach. Now some users are manipulating it – creators understand that the network get enriched because she creates and publishes content- so the user aka creator is now demanding monetisation for enriching the network.
Start with early adopters
- At some point in the evening the conversations started tilting towards agriculture,turns out there were a few farmers in the room who are also CXOs of leading companies. It seems every agricultural locality, they are divided into blocks, have 2-3 farmers who proactively adopt and experiment with newer methods. The adoption of newer progressive techniques in agriculture has been a result of these early adopters implementing them in a certain block, which then goá¹ perceived as a must have success strategy across the district and then moved on to different parts of the ecosystem.
It was refreshing to observe Geoffrey Moore's theory from Crossing the Chasm being applied (in retrospection) to non-tech cases.
At GetEvangelized, we have worked with early adopters in the form of large consumer brands such as Cadbury, Fastrack, Flipkart who seem to have use the creator engagement model successfully and repeatedly helping us build success caselets that now attract several progressive mid sized companies. It was important to keep the community gated (invite only) to build and prove the methods with the correct set of early adopters who co-created the best practices for a new method to work and eventually produced case studies to inspire other relevant brands. It was important to politely refuse a lot of business that did not fit the 'early adopter' bill for their best interest and ours. You can now request an invite to GetEvangelized.
I'd love to hear your thoughts on these themes, as á¹hes ideas are always in beta mode while I'm detecting and observing 😉


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The Federal Bureau of Investigation officially released a public statement Wednesday opposing the declassification of the controversial FISA memo, and Rep. Devin Nunes (R-Calif.), who authored the memo, responded.
Here's the statement from the FBI about the FISA memo:
"The FBI takes seriously its obligations to the FISA Court and its compliance with procedures overseen by career professionals in the Department of Justice and the FBI," the statement read. "We are committed to working with the appropriate oversight entities to ensure the continuing integrity of the FISA process."
"With regard to the House Intelligence Committee's memorandum," it continued, "the FBI was provided a limited opportunity to review this memo the day before the committee voted to release it."
"As expressed during our initial review, we have grave concerns about material omissions of fact that fundamentally impact the memo's accuracy," it concluded.
The memo reportedly contains a four-page summary of the Inspector General's investigation into alleged improprieties at the FBI and the Department of Justice in regards to FISA warrants on Trump campaign officials during the 2016 election.
Here's how Devin Nunes responded
Devin Nunes, the chairman of the House Intelligence Committee and the author of the memo, responded to the statement by the FBI soon after it was released.
"Having stonewalled Congress' demands for information for nearly a year," his statement read, "it's no surprise to see the FBI and DOJ issue spurious objections to allowing the American people to see information related to surveillance abuses at these agencies.
"The FBI is intimately familiar with 'material omissions' with respect to their presentations to both Congress and the courts," he added, "and they are welcome to make public, to the greatest extent possible, all the information they have on these abuses."
"Regardless, it's clear that top officials used unverified information in a court document to fuel a counter-intelligence investigation during an American political campaign," he concluded. "Once the truth gets out, we can begin taking steps to ensure our intelligence agencies and courts are never misused like this again."
Why is this important?
Nunes makes explicit the accusation that many have made based on the memo and other evidence that the Department of Justice used faulty information in order to seek approval of surveillance on the Trump campaign for political purposes.
Others have said that if the accusations are true, it would completely undermine the authority under which special counsel Robert Mueller began his investigation into Russian election interference and alleged collusion with the Trump campaign.


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Cliff Kincaid: Who Protected the Pervert Congressman?
Excerpted from Who Protected the Pervert Congressman?, by Cliff Kincaid, published Oct 1, 2006, by Accuracy in Media:
It's one of the worst congressional scandals ever. A top House Republican who denounced sex predators as "animals" stands accused of acting like one. Mark Foley had served as a Deputy Majority Whip in the House and co-chair of the House Caucus on Missing and Exploited Children. His forced resignation, after being exposed as a homosexual pervert who talked dirty to young boys, has done more damage to the GOP than George Soros could ever think of doing. But it remains to be seen whether the liberal media and the Democrats can successfully exploit this scandal.
Brian Ross of ABC News broke the story and publicized the "sexually explicit" messages Foley sent to former congressional pages. Curiously, Ross never once used the word "homosexual" in referring to Foley's conduct. But if Foley acted out his Internet fantasies in real life, he will be exposed as not only a homosexual pedophile but a predator. The messages indicate Foley is extremely sick and demented.
The failure to use the word "homosexual" in describing Foley's dirty talk is likely due to fear over being labeled "homophobic" or biased by the Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD), which exists to make sure that only positive portrayals of homosexuality are permitted in the media. Plus, the National Lesbian & Gay Journalists Association previously warned the media, in connection with sexual abuse by Catholic Priests, to avoid linking homosexuality to pedophilia.
The questionable line we already see emerging in the media is that Foley is guilty of inappropriate behavior toward young people but that it has nothing to do with his "sexual orientation."
In fact, the entire scandal might have been avoided if Foley's homosexuality had been exposed and confronted, rather than protected, over the last several years. Top Republicans and the media were part of this cover-up.
Peter LaBarbera, who began his writing career at Accuracy in Media, raised questions about Foley's secret life back in 2003, after alternative newspapers and columnists began running stories about Foley's homosexuality, even reporting that he had a "boyfriend." LaBarbera gave credit to Bob Norman of the Broward-Palm Beach New Times newspaper for exposing Foley. However, LaBarbera found that most non-homosexual newspapers did not pursue the matter and that homosexual Republican groups were protecting him. For example, LaBarbera quoted Patrick Guerriero, executive director of the Log Cabin Republicans, a homosexual activist group, as saying, "I could care less about [Foley's] sexual orientation." Guerriero insisted that the congressman had no obligation to discuss it.
At the time, as Foley was said to be considering running for the Republican nomination to the U.S. Senate, LaBarbera noted that "Many homosexual activists assert matter-of-factly that Rep. Foley is 'gay' and resent that he is not running for Senate as an open homosexual. Many social conservatives, on the other hand, argue that Florida's voters have a right to know what lies behind his pro-homosexual voting record in Congress."
This article was posted on Monday, October 2nd, 2006 at 1:31 am and is filed under AFT In the News, Candidates & Elected Officials, Homosexual Pedophilia & Pederasty. You can follow any updates to this article through the RSS 2.0 feed.
|Copyright © 2006-2021 Americans for Truth. All Rights Reserved.


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This is the deck list for my blue mill deck that I built around the time that M13 came out. This deck has some components that will go out of the Standard format on October 5th, but for the most part, everything is in the Innistrad Block and M13.
So without further ado, here is the deck (and the video is below it):
3x Jace's Phantasm
2x Fog Bank
2x Jace, Memory Adept
Basic Land
24 x Island
1x Sands of Delirium
Other Spells
4x Dream Twist
4x Thought Scour
4x Vapor Snag
4x Jace's Erasure
4x Mana Leak
4x Mind Sculpt
4x Dreadwaters
2x Chronomaton
2x Cellar Door
4x Essence Scatter
2x Encrust
3x Curse of the Bloody Tome
2x Rotcrown Ghoul


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Kiira N. Poux and Mary D. Fry
The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between studentathletes' perceptions of the motivational climate on their sport teams and their own career exploration and engagement and athletic identity. Student-athletes (N = 101) from various National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I institutions were administered online surveys. Canonical correlation analysis was used to examine the relationship between the climate variables (i.e., caring, task, and ego) and athletic identity, career self-efficacy, and career exploration/engagement. One significant function emerged: Perceptions of a high task-involving climate and moderate caring climate were positively associated with athletes' reporting higher athletic identity, career self-efficacy, and career exploration/engagement. Results suggest that Division I athletes may benefit from having coaches who foster a caring and task-involving team climate with regard to the athletes' development as holistic individuals who spend their college years performing at a high level of sport and also preparing for their lives after college and sports.
Jeffrey J. Martin, Brigid Byrd, Michele Lewis Watts, and Maana Dent
The purpose of the current study was to predict both general and sport-specific quality of life using measures of grit, hardiness, and resilience. Seventy-five adults (74 men, 1 woman) who are wheelchair basketball athletes participated in the current study. Twenty-six percent of the variance in life satisfaction was accounted for. Both hardiness and resilience accounted for meaningful variance, as indicated by their significant beta weights. Twenty-two percent of the variance in sport engagement was predicted; resilience and grit accounted for meaningful variance, as indicated by their significant beta weight. The regression results indicate that athletes reporting the highest levels of grit and resilience tended to also be the most engaged in their sport, and athletes with high levels of hardiness and resilience reported the highest quality of life. The descriptive results support an affirmation model of disability for the current sample of wheelchair athletes in that they reported moderate to strong levels of resiliency, grit, hardiness, sport engagement, and a high quality of life.
Dana K. Voelker and Justine J. Reel
In this study, the authors examined female competitive figure skaters' experiences of weight pressure in sport. Perceptions of the ideal skating body; sources of weight pressure; ways that body image, weight-management behaviors, and athletic performance have been affected; and recommendations for improving body image were explored. Aligning with a social constructivist view (Creswell, 2014), data were analyzed using an inductive thematic approach (Braun & Clarke, 2006). Skaters described the ideal skating body in an inflexible fashion with little room for deviation and acceptance of body diversity. Skaters cited their first weightpressure experience between 7 and 14 years of age, which most notably involved coaches, parents, skating partners, and other aspects of the skating culture. These experiences were characterized as promoting body-image concerns, unhealthy weight-management strategies, and interference with the psychological aspects of on-ice performance. Results from this study demonstrate the need to construct and maintain body-positive skating environments.
Gary Robinson and Mark Freeston
A growing body of research has provided evidence for intolerance of uncertainty (IU)—a dispositional characteristic resulting from negative beliefs about uncertainty and its implications—as a possible transdiagnostic maintaining factor across a range of anxiety disorders. No studies have yet examined IU in performance anxiety in sport. The purpose of the present investigation, therefore, was to investigate the relationship between IU and performance anxiety in sport. Participants included 160 university athletes (51% female) who completed measures of IU, performance anxiety, and robustness of sport confidence. Regression analyses revealed that the inhibitory dimension of IU and robustness of sport confidence were significant predictors of performance anxiety. A simple mediation model was also tested and suggested indirect and direct effects of inhibitory IU on performance anxiety symptoms through robustness of sport confidence. Implications of these findings for researchers and practitioners and directions for future research are discussed.
William V. Massey, Stacy L. Gnacinski, and Barbara B. Meyer
Research has demonstrated the efficacy of psychological skills training (PST), yet many athletes do not appear ready to do whatever it takes to improve the mental aspects of performance. Although the transtheoretical model of behavior change (TTM), generally, and readiness to change, specifically, have received considerable attention in a range of allied health fields, few studies have been conducted to examine this construct in applied sport psychology. The purpose of the current study was to examine National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division I athletes' readiness for PST as it relates to their stage of change, decisional balance, self-efficacy, and use of processes of change. The data trends observed in the current study were consistent with the theoretical underpinnings of the TTM as well as previous research on NCAA Division I athletes. The results of the current study highlight the need to consider readiness to change when designing and implementing PST interventions.
Ashley Coker-Cranney and Justine J. Reel
When athletes "uncritically accept" the coaching expectations associated with their sport, negative health consequences (e.g., disordered eating behaviors, clinical eating disorders) may result. The coach's influence on disordered eating behaviors may be a product of factors related to overconformity to the sport ethic, issues with coach communication regarding recommendations for weight management, and the strength of the coach-athlete relationship. The present study investigated perceived weight-related coach pressure, the coach-athlete relationship, and disordered eating behaviors by surveying 248 female varsity athletes and dancers from four universities. Mediational analysis revealed that the coach-athlete relationship was a partial mediating variable between perceived coach pressures and disordered eating behaviors. Subsequently, strong relationships between coaches and their athletes may reduce the negative impact of perceived weight-related coach pressure on the development or exacerbation of disordered eating behaviors in female collegiate athletes.
Leonardo de Sousa Fortes, Santiago Tavares Paes, Clara Mockede Neves, Juliana Fernandes Filgueiras Meireles, and Maria Elisa Caputo Ferreira
The aim of this study was to compare the media-ideal and athletic internalization of gymnasts to track and field sprinters. Eighty-three female track and field sprinters and 50 female gymnasts participated. The subscales of the Sociocultural Attitudes Toward Appearance Questionnaire-3 were used to evaluate the influence of the media on body image. The Body Shape Questionnaire was used to assess body dissatisfaction. The results showed no difference between the groups in media-ideal internalization (p > .05); however, the results indicated differences in athletic internalization (p < .05) and body dissatisfaction (p < .05). We concluded that although media-ideal internalization was similar, gymnasts showed greater athletic internalization.
Judy L. Van Raalte, Allen E. Cornelius, Staci Andrews, Nancy S. Diehl, and Britton W. Brewer
Physically and mentally healthy student-athletes are in a good position to thrive academically, socially, and athletically. Unfortunately, many student-athletes fail to get the mental health help they need due to factors such as lack of knowledge and mental health stigma. The purpose of this research was to create and evaluate a multimedia, interactive website (www.SupportForSport.org) to enable student-athletes to gain the necessary knowledge and confidence to make effective mental health referrals. Study 1 was conducted to determine if the website functioned as intended. In Study 2, 27 intercollegiate athletic directors and coaches evaluated the website. Their favorable evaluations led to Study 3, a controlled field trial with a national sample of 153 student-athletes. Results indicated that viewing the www.SupportForSport.org site resulted in enhanced mental health referral knowledge and efficacy relative to a control group. These results suggest that tailored online programming can affect outcomes for student-athletes across geographic regions and resource availability levels.
Henrik Gustafsson, Therése Skoog, Paul Davis, Göran Kenttä, and Peter Haberl
The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between dispositional mindfulness and burnout and whether this relationship is mediated by perceived stress, negative affect, and positive affect in elite junior athletes. Participants were 233 (123 males and 107 females) adolescent athletes, ranging in age from 15–19 years (M = 17.50; SD = 1.08). Bivariate correlations revealed that mindfulness had a significant negative relationship with both perceived stress and burnout. To investigate mediation, we employed nonparametric bootstrapping analyses. These analyses indicated that positive affect fully mediated links between mindfulness and sport devaluation. Further, positive affect and negative affect partially mediated the relationships between mindfulness and physical/emotional exhaustion, as well as between mindfulness and reduced sense of accomplishment. The results point toward mindfulness being negatively related to burnout in athletes and highlight the role of positive affect. Future research should investigate the longitudinal effect of dispositional mindfulness on stress and burnout.


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15 October 2015 By Northern Lights
I have helped charities for most of my life – it's how I got into PR! It is always a challenge to deliver all the things you want with limited resources; usually people and money. But in this last month I have spotted a number of opportunities that charities are missing entirely.
First the issues, and then my tips as to what charities could be doing. And it isn't expensive.
I have recently been supporting several friends and relatives who've been diagnosed with health problems or had complications. They have been going online and finding little in the UK to help them. Typically they are finding American sites with some of the information, but never find the UK charities who have been set up to support them. One said she had searched for two weeks online and never once heard of the national charity set up for her illness with 50,000 members.
There are two reasons for this
What Google loves is 'rich content' – tips, insights, videos, sharing views and experiences. These are what people want to find when they search and Google ranks this sort of content highly.
I said it is not expensive to deliver this, so how do you do it?!
WordPress is still the best platform for blogs – and it is free. Don't worry too much about designs and faffing – it's the video or word content that Google will search on – and the insight and information that your members will appreciate.
Every time a client asks me something that they don't understand, I write it down in my notebook as an idea for a blog. And then write the content to help them. If my clients are asking those questions, you can bet there are thousands of other people also looking for these online. And the same for charities.
Type in these questions to Google and who comes up top or nearly top? (Can you spot Northern Lights?!)
We have never paid for any traditional SEO (search engine optimisation) yet we can get top or nearly top of Google searches – across the world (we asked people in the States, China, the UAE to test these out). We are a purposely small agency and do all this ourselves. In these examples we are ahead of organisations such as LinkedIn, Marketing Week, HR Magazine, The Telegraph – they will have traffic we can never compete with. But we beat them with great content. If we can, you can get the same results.
These are very niche questions. But that's the point. Your members will also be asking very specific questions – and those are the ones that you can help them on and will help your Google rankings.
You don't have to do all the writing yourself. One of the people I was helping has kidney problems and was trying to understand what a low oxalate diet is. So here are people who could write guest blogs for you (and would certainly be delighted)
Google loves videos. You don't have to get a production company in. Taking the above example, ask if you can interview a urologist at your local hospital. He or she will probably have posters on the wall or might have 3D models of the body to explain something medical. Take your smart phone, ask three questions that your patients or members want answered and press 'record'. Then upload it to YouTube. Simple? You only want 30 second or 3 minute clips.
You could have sub-headings in your blog, with three or four other questions that people ask on a topic. All these will help your Google search rankings.
You could get a pop-up box on the blog (see examples of pop-up boxes here) saying 'Was this information helpful? Join us here so we can help you more'
This is called re-purposing. Take a piece of writing and start using it in lots of ways. Your existing pdfs can probably provide material for dozens of blogs. Get a patient who can write, to top and tail them.
An example could be a Q&A blog starting in a chatty tone by the patient on these lines… "One of the worst things about being newly diagnosed is that you want to know what is this, what is my outlook and what can I do to help myself. Here are the answers to your initial questions, kindly provided by Dr Smith who wrote our information leaflet on this…" then just use the questions and answers from your existing leaflet.
So there you are. Quick and easy. Our seven tips for charities to get more members.
All of the above is really engaging, your members will like this information in short digestible chunks, specifically written for them. And if you are worried about things like 'how do I cope with all the comments' or 'what if people start saying awful things' – you are worrying too much. It is really hard to get comments. You can put a filter on the blog so you have to approve comments and filter out spam and so on. Respect people who make negative comments – you can defuse these. And if you start getting loads of good quality comments – fantastic. You are engaging with your members.
Here are two more things that will help you. I wrote a book for the NHS with Victoria Betton on using social media for mental health practitioners. There are lots of examples of how charities, bloggers, doctors are using blogs and other social media – there are some really inspiring stories and examples of how to share your blogs and get patients involved. This is free to download.
And I wrote an Amazon bestselling ebook on how to write a top-ranked blog – I put everything I knew in it at the time and I still get great feedback. This isn't free – but it is only£2.50!
Please – just do this! Honestly, I promise you it will work and the benefits will go way beyond being found on Google. Your members will love you and you will increase membership.
Good luck! And do share your stories with us @nlightspr if this helps you or you have examples of how a blog has helped a charity.


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TagsAdventure Batman Boston Blackie Comedy Dimension X dragnet Drama Fawlty Towers Flash Gordon gunsmoke Jack Benny Jimmy Clitheroe journey into space Literature Moby Dick Mr. and Mrs. North Mystery Orson Wells Richard Diamond Sam Spade Science Fiction Space space patrol Star Trek Super Heroes Superman Suspense The Avengers The Lone Ranger The Shadow War of the Worlds Western X-1
Recent Posts
Tag Archives: Space
Flash Gordon – On The Planet Mongo
The very first Flash Gordon! Find out where it all began. How he met Dr. Zarkoff and how he ended up on the planet Mongo. Originally aired: April 27, 1935 (The audio is a little rough on this one, sorry) … Continue reading
Posted in Radio Yesterday Podcast Tagged Adventure, Flash Gordon, Science Fiction, Space Leave a comment
X Minus One – Protection
November is X Minus One month. We start out with an episode originally aired March 27, 1957 titled "Protection". http://www.chuckchat.com/media/radioyesterday/RY-X-Minus-One-Protection.mp3Podcast: Play in new window | Download
Posted in Radio Yesterday Podcast Tagged Science Fiction, Space, X-1 1 Comment


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Rendezvous ski trails at West Yellowstone open and groomed
In time for the Yellowstone Ski Festival, Nov. 22-26, the Rendezvous Ski Trail system, located on the Gallatin National Forest near West Yellowstone, Montana, is now being groomed thanks to early snow and a compacted base.
During the month of November, a Yellowstone Ski Festival pass is required for all skiers. Pass prices (per skier) are $10 for one day and $50 for the entire month of November. Passes are available for sale in West Yellowstone at the Chamber of Commerce, FreeHeel and Wheel, Holiday Inn, and at the Rendezvous Trailhead.
From Dec. 1 to March 31, skiers will need a permit to use the trail system as per the Federal Lands Recreation Enhancement Act. Permit prices are $8 per day per skier, $40 for an individual season permit, and $75 for a family season permit. Permits will be available in West Yellowstone at Alpen Guides, Bud Lilly's, Freeheel and Wheel, Chamber of Commerce, and the Hebgen Lake Ranger Station. Only day-use permits will be available at the Rendezvous Trailhead.
The fees collected from the Rendezvous Ski Trail permits are used to improve and maintain the Rendezvous Ski Trail system and to provide the high quality grooming the public has enjoyed for years. Come see the new expanded trails and cutoffs, the new junction signs and maps, and the improved Biathlon Range.


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Issue with admissibility of evidence led to difficulty for prosecution
JONESBORO, Ark. – Dustin Lee Williams, 37, of Egypt, smelled like booze when he crashed killed Megan Holt, 26, of Cash on November 16, 2016. He will only spend five years in prison for what he did that night.
It happened about 8 PM that night. Williams was driving a 1997 Lexus on Arkansas Highway 91 when he lost control. With bottles of Henry's Hard Soda clanking around the floorboard, he drove out of his lane and onto the right shoulder before yanking the wheel, over-correcting, and ending up in the westbound traffic lane. Holt's 2004 Chevolet Malibu was headed in the opposite direction. She was pronounced dead at the scene at 9.09 PM.
Williams was in critical condition. He reportedly told a responding officer he was intoxicated and needed helped out of his car before authorities arrived. He was transported to Regional One Medical Center in Memphis and treated for his injuries. An Arkansas State trooper who responded to the accident reported the alcohol bottles in the floor of Williams' vehicle. He also noted he smelled of alcohol. His blood alcohol content was 0.067, the Arkansas State Crime Lab test results stated. However, an issue with the evidence that would have affected the admissibility of the blood test presented itself during pre-trial investigations.
On Monday, Williams pleaded guilty to negligent homicide, Second Judicial District Prosecutor Scott Ellington told NEA Report. He was sentenced to five years in prison with a five-year suspended sentence (probation) upon release. He also had to pay $540 in court and jail fees and fines.
If he violates his suspended sentence terms, which include that he can no longer drink or be in an area where there is alcohol, he faces as much as 35 years in prison and a fine up to $15,000.
The Victim
Holt left behind a son and a daughter, according to her Facebook profile. Many left grieving posts on her profile even as recently as this year.
"Happy Mother's Day to my sweet sister in Heaven! I miss you so much and wished more then anything I could have spent my first Mother's Day with you too!" one comment said.
On February 19, which would have been Holt's 26th birthday this year, her family and loved ones wished her happy birthday in heaven.


text: We've seen a rash of spider mite infestation on Burning Bushes over the last 7-10 days. Be on the look out for discoloring of your burning bushes. If you notice the foliage starting to turn red or an off green color, you may need to take a closer look. The best way to test for mites is the white paper test. Hold a white peice of paper under the foliage and give it a shake. Inspect the paper for small mites that are about the size of ground pepper. It is recommended to use an miticide that controls both the eggs and adults. Call us if you have any questions.


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The paper, letter stickers and brads are from American Crafts. The flowers came in a cute little jar with no tag on it, so I 'm not sure who they are by.
Thanks for looking and have a great Mother's Day!
p.s. TO LEXI IN COLORADO--if you still read my blog . . . I just saw your comment from when you posted back in March on a February post. I responded there, but I couldn't figure out from your profile how to email you. I don't want you to think I'm ignoring you! I'd love to chat regarding your question, so feel free to email me at brjohnston1 at juno dot com.


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Search Engine Optimization
Frustrated with your lack of leads from your website?
Do you get annoyed when searches on google return your competitors web sites?
Totally confused when you don't even rank for your business name in google?
A search engine has one job, to provide relevant search results based on the keywords you provide to them. For example, if you do a search for 'new york clothing stores' then the search engine provides a listing of the most relevant web pages according to their algorithm. If your web site doesn't show up in the first position, it means that the search engine considers other web sites more relevant for your search. Google, has indicated that it uses over 200 ranking factors in their algorithm, or ranking formula, including page content, meta tags, external links, and much more. Because search engines give more weight to certain factors of your web site than others, it is important that your web site is built to be search-engine friendly.
In order for your web site to rank well with search engines, you need to build your web site so search-engines can properly read and understand what your web site is about, this process is called "Search Engine Optimization." At the very least, your web site should already be ranking at the top of the page for your business name, if not, your web site needs to be optimized.
We utilize a number of on-site and off-site strategies and tactics to optimize your web site for specific keywords as indicated in our keyword research reports. This includes optimizing content, meta & title tags, internal link structure, among other strategies to ensure your web site is search engine-friendly, and your site achieves the rankings we desire.
Technical Aspects of Search Engine Optimization
Search engine optimization isn't, however, as simple as just throwing your keywords all over your web site. Search engine optimization has a technical side as well – if not built properly, your web site could be blocking search engines from accessing all the content on your web site. If search engines don't even know about the content on your site, there is no reason for them to show your site in search engine results pages.
Link Building
Building links is arguably the most important factor affecting search rankings. A site that links to your site is like a "vote of relevance" for your site, therefore when ranking web sites in the search engine results pages, search engines will take a look at which site has the most "quality" and "relevant" links when ranking web sites.
Net Shift Media can devise a custom link building plan for your web site by searching for industry-specific directories, and link partners to not only drive traffic to your site, but also develop your web site's "link profile" to cause search engines to consider your web site as an authority in your online marketplace.
Directory Submissions
With a brand new web site, it's sometimes hard to get a lot of relevant links to your web site. One strategy that works well is to seek out and submit your web site to online web directories. Some paid, some free, and some definitely worth more than others – being listed in some web directories will not provide any benefit at all while others can be a great asset.
Our expertise lies not only in seeking out and finding relevant web directories that provide substantial benefits in being listed but also in submitting your site to the correct category, and ensuring that the listing follows our overall online business strategy to provide the best return.
Kickstarting your link building and Internet marketing campaign with directory submissions is one of the most basic and necessary strategies in order to give your web site some sort of credibility online.
General, Local, Regional, & Niche Web Directories
There are a number of highly-authoritative web directories on the Internet, that are very trusted by Google. Two of those being the Yahoo directory and the Open Directory. We maintain a list of relevant general directories that nearly any web site is applicable to. Our service is in the submission and monitoring of these links to ensure that you are properly listed on the web site, but more important in the best category for your benefit, and ensuring that the submission details follow our online marketing strategy.
We will also seek out regional directories related to your web site and submit your site to help the search engines find your site.
Submitting your web site to a number of authority sites that are trusted by search engines will give your web site a strong link foundation to start driving traffic to your web site. This includes the Yahoo! and Open Directories, as well as a large number of other trusted directories to build your web sites link profile.
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