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The Silverchair Tapes, Ben Gillies Speaks
By Marcel Anders (Massive)
Daniel Johns, Ben Gillies and Chris Joannou have just taken a couple of
months off to study for the Higher School Certificates. To celebrate
the end of their school days silverchair is undertaking their biggest
Australian tour ever. While the band was recording a video for a track
from Freak Show earlier this year Marcel Anders spent some time with
Ben Gillies in Los Angeles. Among other things he explained there have
been 40-year-olds sneaking into their gigs!
Would you agree that your audience is still pretty young? Is that what you are happy with, screaming teenagers, or are you longing for more adult audiences nowadays?
Ben: Honestly, I think we've got the weirdest crowds in the whole world, because if you come to one of our shows sometimes you can have like 80 percent males, 20 percent females and it's sort of totally nuts. It's like really sick and really violent and sometimes it gets really dangerous as well. But other times you've got 80 percent females and 20 percent guys and it's kind of really weird, and sometimes you have like all these different kinds of people. You have teenage girls, older girls, young guys and older guys and all the people in between. And sometimes you even have 40-year-olds. It's weird.
So it doesn't bother you that your audiences on the frogstomp tour seemed to consist of screaming teenage girls who went into ecstasy song after song? I cannot believe that, I mean you're not a group like Take That, are you?
Ben: We don't care, like, it's good. When you go to a show and there are lots of guys with skinheads, they're real sucker. When you do a show and there are a lot of girls you really don't care because they enjoy the music, and they buy our albums. It doesn't matter at all. I don't care who listens to our music, could be five-year-olds or 85-year-olds. I couldn't care less.
Since 1994 you have released two albums, played countless gigs around the globe, had hit singles and found yourselves on the cover of almost every magazine. Not too bad for a band who's been around for less than five years really. Does such a fast career not scare you -- at least a bit?
Ben: Not really, it's just the way it worked out. Because I think if we didn't get a first hit with Tomorrow, if it didn't hit just like that, like real quick, I think we wouldn't be here. If we didn't win that competition just like that, we wouldn't. We would be playing in a garage or we would be playing little pubs around Newcastle.
So would you have done the typical indie thing instead, like releasing an album first, then touring around and finally getting a mjaor deal?
Ben: I don't know. We were 14 and we got this deal and playing in a band and making money from it. I wasn't thinking about it, it wasn't even a possibility. It was like going to school, trying to get good grades, getting a job like a carpenter or plumber or anything like that. It sort of all happened out of the blue.
How do you actually mamage all this schoolwork in between touring, recording, doing promo work, etc.?
Ben: We can do schoolwork on a plane. Actually when we get home we usually catch up what we can. However, some of the teachers are real bastards. But we got some really cool teachers. They just say, "Yeah, we know what you do after school, so don't worry about it." They know about the band and they are really into it."
Do you ever think about an afterlife to the thing you are doing now? A rock 'n' roll career could be fun but it could all be over any minute.
Ben: We thought about all that stuff and we actually think that when in the year 2000 or some time in the next 10 years that our music will be out of fashion or uncool because that always happens, like the '80s now are uncool. But I wouldn't care. We return to the garage and do what we want. That's what we're doing now -- we just play what we like. We enjoy what we're doing. And we are still having fun when we are doing it in the garage. So we don't care. [laughs]
On Freak Show your Led Zeppelin references are fairly obvious. Have the band been travelling backwards in rock history?
Ben: On the first album when we started writing it was kind of starting to get away from the old stuff and getting into Pearl Jam and Alice in Chains, the big Seattle thing. On this new album we are actually starting to get back into the older stuff. We're listening to Led Zeppelin a lot, Deep Purple, Black Sabbath and all those bands a lot. And we are also getting into a lot of hardcore, hard-edge kind of music like Tool, Helmet, Korn, anything hard. We are just listening to a lot of Sepultura. I think that's why the album sounds like it does.
Most recently you started covering Minor Threat, which is like going back to the roots of hardocre?
Ben: I never really liked Minor Threat. Actually, I kind of thought they sucked. And then Daniel came into practice one day and said, "Oh, let's play a song it's called Minor Threat." And I just thought, "I don't want to play that fucking song!" And then I said, "Yeah, I will do it." And then we were playing it. And it's like grand and I ended loving this song and started listening to more of their stuff. I love them and they are great.
On Freak Show there is at least one real punk tune, Lie To Me, which is in fact the punkiest song you've probably done so far.
Ben: That was actually influenced by Minor Threat. There is nothing really much to say about it. It goes for 1 minute and 20, it's fast and loud and that's it! [laughs] I think all this going back and listening to the older stuff made this album a lot better than the first one.
Are you in search of an original sound?
Ben: Yes, I think we are. I think this album is pretty close. I think the third album will be the real silverchair sound. You will be able to hear one of the songs and go, "Yeah, that's silverchair." On this album you can tell it's Daniel singing. Like on the last one he kind of sounded like Seattle and it wasn't that original but now he's started to get his own sound as well when he is singing, although we thought about playing together to get our own original kind of stuff going.
You develop as a band by playing live. So what led you to use string instruments on this album? Was it just to create a larger spectrum of music?
Ben: Yeah, I think so. It's just because we write our songs on acoustic guitar and you listen to them back and you think we can't have drums on this one 'cause it won't suit it. And we thought, "Well, we'd really want to have something to make it bigger and more interesting," and strings was it. And although this was kind of the same with Petrol & Chlorine with the Indian instruments and all that. That was the same kind of thing. We just thought it needs something else to add to the song. That was actually influenced by Led Zeppelin. We thought it would be cool.
Is Petrol & Chlorine your version of Kashmir?
Ben: Yes, exactly!
How come, at the age of 17, you have already developed such a cynical view on the whole music industry? Why do you compare it to a freak show or a travelling circus?
Ben: We reckon the music industry is kind of like travelling freak shows. 'Cause, you know, travelling around from town to town, unpacking and packing up, and you meet all these freaks along the way. You meet good people as well but you do meet a lot of idiots. I'm not mentioning any names. [laughs]
Daniel's lyrics have been described as not being very positive. Maybe even a little weird?
Ben: I really don't know. His lyrics are pretty out there. Daniel's lyrics are pretty personal. They are mostly personal things and I don't really know what they are all about. All of us are a band and I still don't have a clue what the hell he's on about! But I don't care. I like his lyrics and i think they are really good. I don't think it's the happiest stuff in the world. It's like in some of the songs, it's got dark music as well as the dark lyrics.
Your lyrics actually create the impression that you must live some pretty miserable lives -- three innocent boys caught up in the dangerous music industry. Are you really that depressed?
Ben: Daniel did go through a stage where he was depressed for a while and a lot of his lyrics were written around then. It wasn't the kind of depression where he'd go out and kill himself. He didn't go out. He stayed home all day, didn't do anything. But, that's it, really.
Most of the songs on Freak Show must have been written on tour as there wasn't much time left to record last year.
Ben: Actually, they were all written at home. We don't really write on tour. We concentrate on playing our shows and doing our own thing. When we get home we usually try to write as much as we can.
But is there much time left for friends or socialising at home?
Ben: Yes, definitely! There's heaps of time. Whenever we are at home we hang around with our friends and we go to parties, we've gone surfing or shooting pool. Anything like that.
What's it like for teenagers being on the road in a band?
Ben: It's pretty funny when we go to countries where the drinking age is like 14 and we all go to bars and we order and drink some stuff and our parents go, "Hey!" and we go, "We're legal to drink here!" And it's so good! It's funny!
America is probably the most difficult place for a drink.
Ben: Oh yeah, it sucks! I actually think in France is the best! 'Cause you can drink so young and once people get 18 or 21 they don't care. They don't go out and get pissed. They might go out and have a social drink. Not like Australia or America. When they turn 18 and they go out and go apeshit! Actually in South America, where we toured with the Sex Pistols and Bad Religion, the price of alcohol was amazing! A two-litre bottle of Bacardi rum was 10 bucks! Ten dollars! It was so cheap! And we were just going, "This is amazing!" It was really fun. And there are a lot of nice females in South America!
Going through all the articles published on you over thelast two years, it seems to me that maybe you don't know how to deal with the press -- at least you are not very talkative and open to questions.
Ben: I think when we were younger and we first started we were like 14 or 15, we hadn't ever done interviews and we didn't know what to expect, so we were just going, "Yeah... yeah." We were just sitting there and didn't have a clue. But I think now we are getting a bit better and we start answering the questions. Longer answers. But it all comes through age and experience.
So it will all be long monologues when you become 18?
Ben: If we are still together when we are 25, I reckon the interviewer will have to ask two questions and he will have five-page articles just like that!
It took you nine days to record frogstomp and three weeks to finish Freak Show. For your standards, that's almost an epic!
Ben: Yeah, this is like a fucking epic! This is pretty funny. But I think the reason we recorded the first one in nine days is because we actually did quite a bit of recording in our home town and when you are 12 and 13 years old, you haven't got a big budget so you are going there and say, "We have this much!" You have like six hours to record six songs and that's really fast. So you bang out every song as fast as you could. So when we went in to record frogstomp we were kind of in that mood. We could have taken as long as we wanted but it was more comfortable for us to record it quickly. I also think it made it have a more live sound. It didn't sound really polished. But on Freak Show it wasn't rushed but it was still done pretty quickly. I mean, three weeks, compared to other bands it would take months! But I think we wanted to take a little more time to get things, parts a bit better than they were on the first one. Also it took quite a bit of time for the strings and the Indian instruments to be done as well.
You also cover Black Sabbath's Paranoid. Is it true that you were playing mostly covers in your early days?
Ben: Yes, we used to. What we always used to play was covers. So we've got stacks of stuff we could play.
Did you ever think about doing a pure cover album then?
Ben: Not really, 'cause we'd put covers on like B-sides of the singles and stuff like that. But we'd never put out a cover as a single.
Playing in a rock 'n' roll band, being part of this "freak" business with all that pressure, high expectations, alienation, jealousy and betrayal -- it's a nightmare but it's still enjoyable after all?
Ben: Yeah, it's very enjoyable! Like you have your bad days and you are really pissed off and you are tired and you just don't want to talk to anyone but then, you know, the next day you have a gig. You will be in high spirits and you just don't care! It all pays off. And you get all the travelling and seeing the world and it's not something you usually get to do when you're 17 years old!
[Thanks to Alia Wahid for the transcript!]


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It seems strange to be writing about my first 40 Day Journey with Julian of Norwich, after leading the Friends of Julian of Norwich Lenten Bookgroup this year, but nevertheless, here I am doing just that. I have been organising with the trustees of The Friends of Julian of Norwich how we intend to continue the journey, since several people who attended the lenten course requested more. The format of Continuing the Journey will be more as I made the journey myself the first time, taking a week to pray with the material for each day of Lisa Dahill's book, just like the 19th Annotation of The Spiritual Exercises. The Zoom meetings for Continuing the Journey will be on the third Wednesday of the month, starting in September, so watch out for more details here and especially on the Friends of Julian of Norwich website and newsletters.
Day 4 of the 40 Day Journey continues the contemplation the hazelnut:
The first is that God made it, the second is that He loves it, and the third is that God preserves it.40 Day Journey with Julian of Norwich edited Lisa E. Dahill
And Julian asks:
But what is that to me?40 Day Journey with Julian of Norwich edited Lisa E. Dahill
For me, the phrases that stood out when I first prayed with this material were:
…God is the lover…there can be no created thing between my God and me…He has made me for this…40 Day Journey with Julian of Norwich edited Lisa E. Dahill
The first phrase connected me immediately to the Song of Songs. This particular book from scripture was the focus for my prayer on retreat in the summer before I started my Spiritual Direction course. It had a profound impact on my life, and my active engagement with the book lasted for a least two years. I'm still not done with it yet, but suffice to say it was the trip switch for a great deal of upheaval in my life. The Song of Songs is a love poem which can be understood as the relationship between God and the Church, or the relationship between God and the individual soul. To pull this phrase from Julian's writings here connected me to God's desire for me and my desire and longing for God. It became more personal and more intimate:
God is my lover.
The "no created thing" became "nothing" and I wanted nothing to get in the way. I wanted to let go of every inordinate desire I had and I started to name them, to recognise the habits and behaviours that dissipated my spiritual energy. As I imagined God pulling me closer to Him, I could feel that His desire for me was irresistible and I asked Him to help me remove or overcome all those things that get in the way. To know deeply that He has made me to love Him and to be loved by Him – this outpouring and knowing was the grace of this prayer for me.
… have not God's rest in their hearts and souls;…and in which there is no rest…40 Day Journey with Julian of Norwich edited Lisa E. Dahill
With the inordinate desires that swam before my eyes like a conveyor belt in "The Generation Game", it resonated with how Julian described the effect of the "wordly business":
It was all about my tendency to overwork, and I have written about that before. It is very interesting to read about this now that I am living with ME/CFS! The drive to work, to have a career and to be successful in it, the drive to perfectionism – in this prayer on Day 4 of the journey I recognised how these things were getting in the way of my being close to God. And yet, at the same time, in response to one of the questions to ponder that Lisa Dahill asks I wrote:
Both wordly investment and allegience to God can be lived simultaneously – and the balance is prayer.
The questions to ask ourselves regarding our work, and our relationships, to my mind are:
Am I doing the work that God wants me to do?
Am I loving well those I am in relationship with?
On pondering the meaning of "substantially united to God", I noted:
To be substantially united to God is a grace given by Him. We might orientate our lives so that we connect with Him as much as possible but He is the one who gathers us up into Himself in that eternal moment.
It reminds me of something that struck me years ago when I read "The Cloud of Unknowing":
For were the soul not strengthened by its good endeavours, it would be unable to stand the pain that the awareness of its own existence brings.The Cloud of Unkowing
The grace of this prayer knocked me to the floor and it was only the first prayer with day 4.
My second day praying with the material started with the last four words of the passage given and then moved onto the psalm fragment (Psalm 46:9-10):
…He is true rest.40 Day Journey with Julian of Norwich edited Lisa E. Dahill
Be still and know…that I am God.Psalm 46:10
St. Ignatius invites use to converse with God "as one friend speaks to another" and the conversation with God at this point in my prayer was intimate and loving.
I am your rest.
You are my rest.
I am the God that heals you.
I am the one to make the wars to cease within you, the one who burns the shields with fire.
You are my love, my treasure. In all of creation I love you more.
When I asked how that could be, His response was:
You are precious to me, you are my treasure.
St. Augustine has said:
God loves each of us as if there were only one of us.St. Augustine
Julian's revelations about the hazelnut made me feel just as St. Augstine describes. I was warm and surrounded by light, and the people I love most in the world were also surrounded by light. We were protected and safe. I visualised myself as Leviathon, God's own creature, another image of myself from another retreat.
I imagined myself flowing easily from fire to water and back to fire again, without any conflict between the two, or restriction in the movement from one to the other. For me, these represent the active and contemplative sides of my personality – how appropriate to be writing this in the 16th week of cycle C in the Lectionary, where the gospel reading is about Martha and Mary! I first sought out a Spiritual Director because these aspects of myself were in conflict. In the earlier stages of my deepening journey, I believed that the purpose was to live with them in balance. This mandala was my realisation that integrity was not about getting the balance, but in being able to flow from one to the other without resistance. I guess it is the living simultaneously worldy investment and allegience to God.
Overwork and the drive to get things sorted "once and for all" is a place where I need to be open to the healing, restorative love of God. The sense of not being able to get it all done (in time) creates a sense of panic in me, and of not being good enough.
How poignant it is for me to read those words now. Even then, the other part was also there:
I experience God as my true rest when I consciously spend time in contemplative prayer -then my head slows down and the war within me ceases.
I share the desire with Julian for there to be nothing between my God and me. The deepest desire of my soul is to have the freedom to be who He would have me be. I find myself reading back through my prayer journal now and being inspired again by the graces I received then.
You can find a guided Lectio Divina prayer with the material for Day 4 of the Journey here or as a Podcast on my channel: Sunflower Seed Spirituality.

subset: commoncrawl


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Extreme triathlons: How to train for a tough and cold swim leg
Top age-grouper Janine Doggett explains how to prepare for tough, cold and choppy swims
While a European lake-based Ironman event might serve-up warm water and zero swell, events with a tough terrain that push triathletes to the max across all three disciplines are becoming increasingly popular. When it comes to the swim section, this can mean colder, longer, choppier. This might be enough to put some athletes off – but hear us out! It's worth it for the views once you get to the mountain run…
Often held in beautiful places from Snowdonia to Scandinavia, extreme triathlons are worth the pay-off for their legendary feel, but training for the tough swim section can be seriously off-putting. However, with the right preparation you can not only do it, you might even enjoy it. Here are our top training tips for getting extreme-swim ready.
1. Book some swim-only warm-up events (like the Swoosh)
Popular extreme events like The Brutal, Helvellyn and the Norseman all feature colder water – around 15°C – so long swim training in the right conditions is a must, and booking events is a great way to create milestones during preparation. The Outdoor Swimming Society's Bantham Swoosh, for example, is a great build-up event for mid- or late-season A-races. Not only is it at the right time of year for pushing the longer miles, it's got the right conditions too. In 2019, water was 15°C, and with over 700 swimmers there was plenty of opportunity to get to grips with swimming in busy water – and while it's a shallow river, it can include a bit of a swell. (We also love the Swoosh for a training swim, because it's got a laid-back atmosphere to help abate nerves.)
2. Start your cold-water training early
Don't rely on your thermal vest or Wim Hof breathing to get you through a 15°C swim. Acclimatisation takes time – months not weeks – so it's good to book your event as far in advance as possible, ideally with a winter swim season between you and the race. While winter training might sound extreme, it's the best way to ensure that your swim will feel positively toasty, giving you maximum energy for the remainder of the event. To acclimatise through winter, find a training buddy and dip weekly. Take your time getting in, decrease your time as temperature drops (one to two minutes might be enough) and warm up properly afterwards.
Master the winter waters in 10 (moderately easy) steps
3. More strength, less fatigue
Picture a lake and you might imagine pan-flat water and the sound of a gong. But the bigger the lake, the more like the sea it can feel – especially with hundreds of swimmers thrashing about in it. Choppy water takes more effort, so you need strength. Use hand paddles to gently build up resistance in pool sessions – if you haven't used them before start small, and gradually increase the size for more resistance. Twin with a pull buoy for arms-only sets. Add time in the gym to your weekly plan – whether that's press-ups at home or trips to the climbing wall. The stronger you are, the more you'll ward off fatigue come the bike section.
4. Train outside your comfort zone, early
It can be tempting to stick to pool swims for training, but getting into open water – as regularly as possible – is a vital part of a holistic training plan, because swimming in open water week-in week-out is the single best way to overcome open-water anxiety. Throughout the winter, the cold is a challenge, but as we've discussed above, dipping throughout the season will stand you in good stead.
Come the spring (and double digit temps) you can move from dipping to swimming laps. Then, once summer arrives, you and your local quarry/sea-pool/lake will be bezzies. Since many triathletes only take to the water from April, being ahead of the game come spring will be a great confidence boost for the start of the racing season, too.


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Talk weight : an observational study of communication about patient weight in primary care consultations
MetadataShow full item record
Obesity is a major public health issue and primary care practitioners are well placed to opportunistically raise the issue of overweight or obesity with their patients. This study investigated the prevalence of weight discussion in primary care consultations with overweight and obese patients, in a practice in Fife, Scotland, and described weight-related communication using video analysis. Weight was raised in 25% of consultations with overweight and obese patients. GPs initiated weight discussion more often than patients however these attempts were often blocked by patients. Weight-related outcomes were more common when patients initiated the weight discussion. This study confirms the potential of video analysis for understanding primary care weight discussion. It also suggests that GPs may benefit from a communication based intervention to tackle patient blocking behaviours and contributes to the evidence suggesting that interventions targeted to increase the prevalence of weight related discussions with their patients are needed.
Laidlaw , A H , McHale , C T , Locke , H & Cecil , J E 2015 , ' Talk weight : an observational study of communication about patient weight in primary care consultations ' , Primary Health Care Research & Development , vol. 16 , no. 3 , pp. 309-315 . https://doi.org/10.1017/S1463423614000279
Primary Health Care Research & Development
Peer reviewed
Journal article
© 2015, Publisher / the Author(s). This work is made available online in accordance with the publisher's policies. This is the author created, accepted version manuscript following peer review and may differ slightly from the final published version. The final published version of this work is available at journals.cambridge.org/ https://dx.doi.org/10.1017/S1463423614000279
Items in the St Andrews Research Repository are protected by copyright, with all rights reserved, unless otherwise indicated.


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Breaking News: Anthony Joshua Beats Ruiz To Reclaim Heavyweight World Titles
Nigerian-bornBritish boxer, Anthony Joshua has defeated
defending champion, Andy Ruiz Jr to reclaim his world heavyweight titles which he lost in June.
Joshua won by unanimous decision as the three judges gave him the fight.
The Mexican had knocked out Joshua in seventh round in June 2019 to claim the WBA, IBF and WBO titles, but a determined Joshua fought excellently well in Saudi Arabia to reclaim his titles from Ruiz.
Details later…


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Manic, unpredictable, insane. That's Deadpool in a nutshell. Both the character and his video game revel in abject silliness, and just like the comic book, anything completely random can happen at any given moment in Deadpool: the game. It's for this very reason that you'll either love Deadpool or hate it. But if you're a fan of the comic books, you'll no doubt find a lot to love about High Moon's unhinged and delirious hack 'n' slasher.
First of all, Deadpool ain't DmC. Given The Merc with a Mouth's guns and melee weapon wielding, we figured it might stand to reason that Deadpool would play something like Dante's opus, but alas, it plays a lot differently and not in a good way. Nonetheless, the controls are actually rather tight, and while the gunplay feels like an entirely separate component to the hacking and slashing bits, it still works perfectly well. The problem comes when you're having to retreat into cover when you've been torn to shreds by enemy gunfire, forced to hide while Deadpool's healing factor kicks in.
During these moments, you don't really feel like much of a superhero, and the time it takes for DP's health to regenerate can feel a little too long when you've got bad guys closing in on you from all sides. So while the shooty bits aren't quite all they're cracked up to be, Deadpool's katana, sai and hammer wielding skills have far more to offer, with a range of combos and momentum moves at your disposal for laying in to Mr. Sinister's army of clones.
"Hands off my banana, bub."
Another thing: Deadpool is a pretty damn short game. It's probably just as well that it is, because after about seven or so hours with DP, you've just about had your fill. The game freewheels from one insane idea to the next, as Deadpool breaks the fourth wall – just like he frequently does in the comics – playing through High Moon's game, calling them up and telling them to give him more budget when he's stuck in an 8-bit top-down dungeon crawler, for instance. Zany doesn't even cover it.
There's definitely no shortage of variety in the number of set pieces and weird tangents that the game shoots off on, but it feels like this is all in an effort to break up the relative monotony of carving and shooting your way through endless waves of clones. If the core gameplay were more interesting, this kind of stuff wouldn't be necessary, although we understand that it's part and parcel of Deadpool's character and his story that strange, offbeat stuff happens throughout the game on a regular basis.
Deadpool's story sees him playing through High Moon's video game script, teaming up with X-Men stalwarts, Wolverine, Psylocke, Rogue and Cable along the way. You're helping Cable to prevent some sort of terrible event from occurring in the future by tackling Mr. Sinister and his army of defective clone mutants, which include pale imitations of Gambit and Marrow. You'll also face mini-boss encounters against Sinsister's Marauders, like Arclight, Blockbuster and Vertigo. As a story, it's hardly the most exciting or absorbing you'll experience, but you're swept up in the sheer manic, hyperactive energy of the whole thing that you don't really get a moment to question exactly what's going on or why.
And there's something that feels somewhat dated about Deadpool, with some fairly annoying platforming sections and collectible DP tokens to pick up like coins. It could be a conscious decision to make Deadpool feel more 'gamey' in keeping with the wilfully daft homages to various games and their conventions, or it could be that High Moon wanted collecting tokens and other pick ups in there for reasons we can't quite comprehend. Whatever the case, collecting DP tokens seldom feels like a chore, and at times they do provide a breadcrumb trail to keep you on track.
Shooting your guns backwards: cool but stupid.
Getting lost is not something that's likely to happen in Deadpool however, as the game is incredibly linear, albeit with one or two very rare instances in which you can choose your path. Most hack and slash titles like Deadpool are usually linear, but for some reason, this feels even more linear than its competitors. It might be those DP token trails.
Accumulate enough DP points by collecting these tokens or by stringing together combos, and you can head into the game's upgrade menu at any time to boost Deadpool's abilities, whether it's bolstering the power of his guns or adding more moves to his arsenal. You can also purchase uzis, pulse rifles and a shotgun, as well as sais, hammers and some throwable explosives like mines, frags, flash grenades or bear traps. It's this aspect of Deadpool that adds some much-needed depth, as you decide where to pool your points and spend them wisely. Invest in weapons and moves, and Deadpool gains lethal momentum abilities that can stun enemies or cause area-of-effect damage, once you've built up the accompanying meter.
There's something somewhat satisfying about Deadpool's combat, despite it feeling slightly lacking in comparison to similar games of its ilk. Countering enemies opens them up for juggling moves, while teleporting to evade attacks soon becomes second nature. Mixing up melee moves with Deadpool's 'gunkata' is also a neat touch, adding some gunplay spice to your combos. It's not quite as seamless as Devil May Cry in mixing up the gun and sword action, but it does a decent enough job. Just.
Deadpool isn't a bad game by any means then, and indeed it has a variety of redeeming qualities beyond its relatively bog standard gameplay mechanics and repetitive waves of enemies. Its boundless energy is hard to ignore and there are some genuinely funny moments to enjoy along the way. High Moon has clearly made an effort to keep the whole thing constantly fresh and engaging, and Nolan North's performance as The Merc with the Mouth is gloriously nuts.
"What you lookin' at?
A contender for easiest achievement in our Achievement Awards, Deadpool rewards you with one for just getting DP up off his ass and then another just for the hell of it. The rest of the list offers a nice spread of tasks of varying difficulty, making for a surprisingly strong selection of achievements that help extend the game's slender run time. You'll also find additional longevity in Deadpool's Challenge mode, which presents you with three waves of increasing difficulty to battle through across three tiers – bronze, silver and gold – like Horde. There are only two achievements attached to this part of the game though, so you'll find the most cheevo action in the campaign.
Wearing a pirate hat, beating a high score at the surreal and terrifying carnival, and other such achievement objectives ensure that you'll explore every part of Deadpool, and experiment with each of the funny choices and interactions that you can make throughout the campaign. Do you squeeze Cable's imaginary breasts or do you back away? How long can you slap Wolverine for before you get bored? Do you have the patience to endure a queue to buy a ticket for a fairground ride? Moments like these are not only smirksome, but will also bag you an achievement. It's good stuff.
High Moon has perfectly captured Deadpool's quirky fourth wall shattering essence in Deadpool, and although its gameplay can't really hold a candle to the likes of DmC or Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance, there's still something inherently likeable and entertaining about the game. If you weren't aware of Marvel's Merc with a Mouth before playing Deadpool, you certainly will be once you've experienced his game, that's for sure. "This is what awesome looks like!" screams the front of the box. Awesome is stretching it somewhat, but Deadpool still provides a few hours of uncomplicated enjoyment.
Unremarkable, largely forgettable music, Deadpool's strength lies in Nolan North's exuberant voice over work. You'll likely recognise most of the voice actors from the original X-Men animated series too, which is nice.
Deadpool is visually solid and looks perfectly fine. There's nothing in here that really takes your breath away though, and some of the game's textures are a little on the dull and murky side. Deadpool's costume getting shredded by gunfire is a nice touch.
Enjoyable while it lasts, Deadpool actually becomes increasingly enjoyable the more weapons and abilities you unlock. Our only gripes are the occasionally errant camera and a little too much repetition in the hack and slash action. Some bizarre, unexpected tangents keep you on your toes though.
All those Weapon-X attributes, and Deadpool still can't muster the staying power. You'll tear through the campaign in a couple of evenings, as there's about 6-8 hours of gameplay at the most. Challenge adds to the longevity and fans might consider a second playthrough on a higher difficulty, but overall, Deadpool is incredibly light on content or unlockable bonuses. How about some unlockable skins or something, High Moon?
You might get 30G for simply making Deadpool get up out of his chair at the beginning of the game, but from thereon out, you'll have to work hard for your achievements. There's actually a nice spread here and a good balance, with half easily unlocked in a single campaign playthrough, while the rest require a second visit. A good list that'll make you want to squeeze every last drop out of the game.
Not quite up to the standards of High Moon's Transformers: War For Cybertron, Deadpool is nevertheless a decent use of the Marvel license. That said, there's just something about the whole product that feels a little dated, and the lack of content doesn't help matters either. If Activision commissions a Deadpool sequel, High Moon has a hell of a lot of room for improvement here, which is one way of putting a positive spin on things. Deadpool is less a pineapple surprise then, and more a pineapple disappointment. The Merc with a Mouth is just that: all mouth and no trousers. That said, Deadpool is by no means a stink pickle.


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You gotta love Apple (no, seriously, you gotta love Apple to get a job here at Cult of Mac – Leander tests our faith every day during Morning iService) – it might keep quiet and take its time to fix things, but fix them it does. Well, for high-profile problems at least.
Today's fix is a new iPad charger, a beefed up 12-watt model which should juice the iPads 3 and 4 faster than the old model.
The new 12W adapter ups the power output from 10W, itself a big jump over the 5W adapter for previous iDevices. Why not more? Who knows, but my guess is that this is the maximum that can be pumped into an iPad without making it too hot (especially as many iPads are charged while in thick cases) or causing the battery to blow up.
This is a very practical fix. Clearly the Retina screen in the latest iPads still requires a giant battery (otherwise the iPad 4 would be thinner than the fat iPad 3). Until battery tech improves, or these screens need more power then the battery will take longer to charge. And a juicier power supply seems like a smart way to help out for now.
Interestingly, the adapter is the only thing in the box: you need to bring your own cable. It'll also be interesting to see if this adapter replaces the one that ships inside the international adapter pack.


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Long Fox Fur Vest With Hoodie
Long Fox Fur Vest With Hoodie
Super stylish and perfect for Fall / Winter is what our luxurious Hooded Long Fox Fur Vest. The panels are crafted from the softest leather. Features edge to edge visible front gold zipper closure. Lined in full for a smooth fit and comfort. Comes in various colors.
Made from Natural Fox Fur
Gentle Dry Clean Only
Gentle Dry Clean Only
Size Guide (2.54cm=1inch) Approximate measurements
XS: Bust 80cm, Waist 62cm, Hip 86cm
S: Bust 84cm, Waist 66cm, Hip 92cm
M: Bust 88cm, Waist 70cm, Hip 96cm
L: Bust 92cm, Waist 74cm, Hip 100cm
XL: Bust 96cm, Waist 78cm, Hip 104cm
XXL: Bust 100cm, Waist 82cm, Hip 108cm
Shop more Fur Vests here.
Color may vary due to lighting on images.
Please note, we may custom make any color you desire.
This product ships from Turkey.


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This site has affiliate links and sponsored content. Read my Disclosure Policy.
Many of you know by now that I have always owned rats and this time I got two males, Meeko and Jax. They were siblings and they've been getting along great. I've always read that having more than one is great because they have a constant companion to bond with. I also read that sometimes they can fight and need permanently separated. Well, that happened with Meeko and Jax.


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When it comes to fashion, there are a lot of things to keep in mind, starting with a great looking outfit which is in style and perfect for the event. So for an occasion like Ganesha Chaturthi, what better an outfit than a traditional silk saree just to add a dollop of aesthetic beauty along with the dash of sass to complete your look. And with our exclusive flat 20% off with the code GANESHA20 it's like having all the more reasons to shop the look.
Now, to glam up the saree, one needs to accessorise accordingly, and we women are passionate about our accessories as it's a means to express our style and persona, and has always made us feel beautiful and confident.
Everywhere in the world, women are wearing an ample variety of accessories. Whether it is about necklaces, bracelets or earrings, accessories are hugely popular.
So here are some quite amazing accessories under 499 available at Kraftly that go well with your saree and can make heads turn everywhere.
1. Afghani Earrings @ INR 239
Forget statement neckpieces, statement earrings is the new way to do it. And honestly, Afghani jewelry trend has taken a huge place in our hearts and why not? The floral design with multicolour stones in silver tone is simply too good to resist. And it goes amazingly well with ethnic dresses.
Check out our latest Afghani Earrings collection
2. Tassel Bracelets @ INR 350
Ladies, it's time to tassel your hassle away. This multicoloured tassel bracelet is just perfect to go with any of your Indian dresses while make you look all the way more attractive. And at this price, it's a miracle it's still in stock. So hurry up before it's gone.
Check out our bracelets collection here
3. Neckpiece @ INR 320
We are the modernized generation, we live with our technology up-to-date and should do the same with our accessories. Chokers are originally a 90s theme and they've rightfully made their way back into trend for they do look amazing with everything. This multilayer golden choker is the best way to revamp tradition with loads of style.
Check out our necklace and chains collection here
4. Nail Rings Pair @ INR 349
Gone are the days with only rings for fingers, these nail rings are a new feather in accessories hat and with the amount of style they offer, they very well ought to be in. It's time to let your nails do the talking with this nail ring duo available at Kraftly.
5. Rings @ INR 399
Rings just for one finger doesn't exactly seems fair. That's why this trendy two fingers stone rings is for you. This piece of jewellery doesn't only looks elegant with any ethnic dress but also with any dress you wanna glam up and is perfect for the festive season.
Check out our rings collection here
6. Jewelry Set @ INR 180
If you're the kinda girl who loves to get all in then this is the choice for you. This jewelry set paired up with a saree will do wonders to your quota of style and make you the most fashionable one among your peers.
Check out our jewellery sets collection here
7. Pendant @ INR 249
Nothing wins heart like a simple piece of jewelry. And this pendant coupled with a saree is the chic way to go this festival. Not only with a saree, but this pendant will look great with anything you wear and is perfect to bring out your inner diva.
Check out our pendants collection here
8. Maang Tika @ INR 239
It's time to style like celebrities this festive season. Pair this stylish maang tika with your saree and be a trendsetter full of charm.
Check out our hair Jewelry collection here
9. Anklets @ INR 220
This Ganesha Chaturthi up your style stake and step out like a diva. So put your best foot forward with anklets that are full of grace and delicacy.
Check out our Anklets Collection here
10. Nose Pins @ INR 170
Nose pins and rings have been in our tradition since time immemorial and the good news now is that there are many options to choose from for a look that radiates feminity.
Check out our nose pins collection here
11. Wrist Watch @ INR 449
Ladies, it's time to chase your dreams with this Dreamcatcher Pink wrist watch which looks irresistibly cute and chic. This timepiece is going to make you look as young as you're at heart.
Check out our wrist watch collection here
12. Handbag @ INR 399
Potli bag is small and efficient. You can either hang it from your wrist or tuck it in your belly. The best part about these little bags is that they are present in traditional colors and prints like paiselys with gold work or mirror work on them.
Check out our Handbags and clutches collection here
13. Sunglasses @ INR 479
Sunglasses are a combination of style and comfort and are sure to make people around you go green with envy. Style these Sunglasses with your saree to give an extra touch of glam and class to your outfit of the day.
Check out our whole sunglasses collection here
Accessories have the ability to highlight a woman's personality and bring out the best features when wearing the right pieces for the right occasion. It has a great importance in a woman's life because it can make them feel unique, stylish and beautiful.
And that's why Kraftly introduces an extra flat 20% off on the ongoing sale all over the site with the code GANESHA20.
Also if you feel like you can rock cotton sarees better than a silk saree then please follow our blog on 10 types of cotton sarees suitable for every occasion.
So this Ganesha Chaturthi shop and save big and don't forget to like and comment. We'll love to hear from you.!


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WOOD DALE, Ill.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Oct. 5, 1998--Open Business
Systems, a subsidiary of Osage Systems Group (OSGE) announced today
the OBS Java Practice's Chicago Center Grand Opening on Wednesday,
October 21, 1998. This event will give businesses the opportunity to
learn more about the specific solutions provided by the OBS Java
Practice, a Sun Microsystems Authorized Java Center. Java Kiosks will
be displaying OBS custom Java applications. Examples of Java business
solutions, such as Net Transact, an on-line bill presentment and
payment systems built for Northern Trust, as well as an application
built for Global Atmospherics that collects and displays lightning
data on a web site will be shown. Attendees will also have the chance
to attend seminars conducted by Sun Microsystems on topics that
include ``Java's Hand in Electronic Commerce'' and ``Java's Place in
Today's Business.'' In addition, speakers from Netscape Communications
will be giving details on their visions for the new `Net Economy'.
E. Mike Durbin, founder and President of OBS notes, ``The
opportunity to actually show businesses exactly how Java computing can
work for them is very exciting. Business executives will be able to
explore, in a open and entertaining atmosphere, all that OBS has to
offer in the Java arena.''
According to Jack Leadbeater, Chairman and CEO of Osage Systems
Group, ``This is a great opportunity for everyone in the business
community to see how OBS and Java can help their business grow. As the
nation's first reseller to be named an Authorized Java Center, OBS is
a leader in the Java computing field. The Grand Opening will allow
people to talk one-on-one with OBS representatives while also seeing
actual demonstrations of Java based applications.''
OBS is dedicated to assisting businesses grow and adapt to the
rapid advances in technology. OBS, a Sun Microsystems Elite Reseller,
specializes in cutting edge web based solutions and training using
``write once-run anywhere'' Java(TM) applications for everything from
web site engineering to e-commerce. OBS also provides the information
technology backbone, supplying advanced IT security, high speed
networking, as well as large-scale systems deployment.
Osage Systems Group is a nation-wide provider of comprehensive IT
products, services, and solutions. Osage specializes in total systems
management including Enterprise Resource Planning, JAVA Applications
Development, E-Solutions, and Data Warehousing. Established
partnerships with Sun Microsystems, Netscape Communications, Oracle,
Lawson Software, Cisco Systems, Check Point Software Technologies, and
other top suppliers give Osage the ability to address critical IT
issues that affect day-to-day business performance.
For additional details on this event please visit, www.obs.net
Open Business Systems
E. Mike Durbin, 630/227-0023
Newsbit furnished by:
A: NetShift Software Ltd.
A: Hughenden Yard, Marlborough, Wilts,SN8 1LT, UK
E: [email protected]
E: [email protected]
W: www.netshift.com
Thanks Tim and Anna!
Thanks Kinetic!
© 1998 Kiosks.Org.
All Rights Reserved.


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Value Quest—The Golden Card
Screen printing on PVC (ISO 7810, 7811), laser engraving on Plexiglas
|click to online platform
- Photo doc
- Card winners
- + more
- Fragments
of the poem
Bird Parliament
Art and Value
A monetary symbolic form
Keywords / Tags
- Value,
- Code,
- Money,
- Status symbol,
- Plastic,
- Gold,
- Fetishism
- 2010
- "Value Quest—Art of Fortune and Economy of Risk," solo exhibition, Salon of Museum of Contemporary Art in Belgrade. Curator: Zoran Erić
Poses the question what social, ethical, ideological, or aesthetic values we are striving for?
Nowadays people know the price of everything and value of nothing,
wrote Oscar Wilde in The Picture of Dorian Gray, 1890.
Urtica's statement:
Through the allegorical use of gold, the mythic metal, juxtaposed with plastic, the cheap synthetic material, we play with a notion of "commodity fetishism" and the relation between item's commodity value and its symbolic value. In the past gold was among the most desirable and sought-after goods with particularly ambivalent symbolic. Economist J.M.Kynes stated: "when there is a gold, there is a civilization," but historian P.Vilar added: "when there is no gold, there is progress because the gold is sought-after."
The symbol of The Golden Card is a bird. An inspiration to use the bird as a symbol of Value Quest came from an ancient poem The Bird Parliament (1177) describing an arduous quest of birds for a new king.
We were asked frequently is there a money on The Golden Card? No, there is not. A golden card is a status symbol, and our intention was to imply the notion of value. In this case we did not refer on a monetary value but the artistic one. The Golden Card is deposit of artistic value. Each card number contains coded answer to the question what is value, e.g.
VQ The Golden Card is produced as a miniature graphic, screen-printing on PVC, print run 250.
Background: Money, as an expression of value, is a symbol that tells us about relations between individual and society, and socio-economic circumstances. It is used as an instrument of government's policy, it serves as a measure of value, and a deposit of value, and as a medium of exchange it connects people and cultures. The money appeared as a result of trade and it had different forms during the history. Shells, stones, domestic animals, cereals, cocoa beans, were used as units of value within ancient civilizations and early societies. Precious metals appeared later and came into use primarily as international currency. But the problem with gold, or silver, was that they were withdrawn from circulation because people were inclined to treasure them. In the course of time cheap paper money replaced precious metals, and nowadays payments are made in a virtual world through electronic banking and plastic cards.
PLASTICS… It's a great future in plastics think about it. Will you think about it?
Film The Graduate, 1967


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Thursday, May 19, 2011
Featured in Brides Magazine
11 comments:
That's awesome. I always love the idea of food as gifts too!ReplyDelete
What a fun rehearsal dinner take away! The packages are so cute too.ReplyDelete
Aw how fun! Congrats on the feature!ReplyDelete
Your wedding pictures are beautiful!!! And what a great idea for gifts!ReplyDelete
You're not overly biased, your wedding photos are some of the most gorgeous wedding pics I have ever seen. Beautiful location, super cute ideas, and extremely talented photographer = rock'n photos!ReplyDelete
That is SO cool! I love the idea and the photos are spectacular, too! How fun :)ReplyDelete
These are gorgeous photos! Your wedding definitely looks like it should be featured in a magazine ;) So creative too!ReplyDelete
OH MY GOODNESS..how cool that an image from YOUR wedding has made it into Brides Magazine!?! Congrats!ReplyDelete
Love it! I was in Brides too, which I still find completely bizarre. This rub looks amazing, though ... a recipe, perhaps? (Also: major points on the perfect packaging.)ReplyDelete
Wow, GREAT idea, no wonder it was a featured photo! The label looks so professional and - wow - those aprons! You really treated your rehearsal dinner guests to a sweet surprise.ReplyDelete
You're famous. ;)ReplyDelete


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5th Annual Hammock Ride
Wednesday, June 22, 2016 at 6:15pm. Meet 6:15, leave at 6:30
By: KeltieBike riding and hammocking go together like beer and chips!
Meet At:
Grandview Park
Notes: Look for the hammocks (SE corner of the park)
Contact Info:
BYO-Hammock and come with us as we explore some of the best hanging spots in Vancouver.
Snacks to share are welcome.
Ride distance less than 10 km, easy pace. To be honest, this ride is heavy on the hammock, light on the riding :)


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Slim Bomb has become one of the best selling pills in the UK, is manufactured by Dplan, a UK company that runs an online store with similar diet products and personal care items.
Slim Bomb or "the little blue pill" advertises itself as the innovative well-researched slimming product that is the result of a long scientific study in the field of weight loss products.
For several years now, Slim Bomb has been sold online through several websites, has become popular with UK dieters, and now its new formula is advertised as the most effective Slim Bomb ever.
What Are Slim Bombs?
Slim Bomb is a product that can fall into several categories. According to its official website, the pill is a fat burner which promises extreme weight loss in a rather short time, and an appetite suppressant which will fight your hunger and cravings for "forbidden" foods.
Its target group is mainly women but according to manufacturers it works well for men too.
How Slim Bomb Works
A completely natural product, Slim Bomb doesn't have anything to do with the chemicals the word "bomb' may bring to mind. The pill is an appetite suppressant, a fat burner and an energy booster.
Fat burning is achieved through the many stimulants the product contains. Stimulants cause thermogenesis which increases the metabolic rate of the body. However, none of the ingredients the pill contains seems to be an effective appetite suppressant.
What Does Slim Bomb Contain?
According to the official Slim Bomb website, it took years of research to provide dieters with a product containing the best ingredients to support effective weight loss. Here the ingredients are listed in alphabetical order:
- Bioperine (black pepper extract)
- Biotin
- Cayenne Pepper (Capsicum Annum)
- Green Tea Leaf Extract (36% catechins & polyphenls)
- Guarana seed
- Pantothenic Acid (as D-calcium pantothenate)
- Phaseolamin (northern white kidney bean)
- Riboflavin
- Spirulina
- Thiamin (as thiamine mononitrate)
- Vitamin B3 Niacin
- Vitamin C (as ascorbic acid)
Side Effects
There are no known serious side effects as Slim Bomb contains only natural ingredients. However, in some cases dieters may experience a sense of anxiety or restlessness and if the pill is taken in the evening, it may cause symptoms of insomnia.
Another "side effect" could be the disappointment you may feel when you don't lose as much weight as you had expected to.
How Effective Is Slim Bomb?
Although the product seems to be one of the most popular and best-selling diet pills, there are no clinical results to support its effectiveness.
Where To Buy Slim Bombs
Can be purchased online via a multitude of vendors. Also in the high street at some independent high street retailers.
Alternative Slimming Pills
There are several slimming pills that can be given preference over and above the Slim Bomb including Capsiplex, Garcinia Cambogia and Raspberry Ketone.
Capsiplex in particular contains a fraction of the ingredients that is present in the Slim Bomb with offering much potency by focusing on the ingredients that are the main providers of the mechanic of action – or fat burning to be more concise.


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Classic Diamond Solitaire Engagement Ring With Diamond Twist Band
Item Number : S3248
Please call for in-store availability.
Earn toward a future purchase
$250 with a purchase of $5,000 - $10,000
$500 with a purchase over $10,000
Defined by a twisted diamond-accented shank, which contrasts all over beaded edges with smooth, polished metal, this elegant solitaire style is further enhanced by the delicate chevron-shaped "hidden" pavé halo encircling the diamond's girdle. Available in platinum, 18KT & 14KT gold. Customize this design with an Authorized Fana Retailer. Offer the ring that will make this special moment even more magical. Select a diamond through Michaels Jewelers that says "I do" with this ring. Center Stone Sold Separately


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Imprisoned rapist to be charged with 1998 killing of 13-year-old girl
A cold-case unit reexamined evidence and discovered a DNA match between Charles Holifield and evidence in the case
Associated Press
MONTEREY, Calif. — An imprisoned rapist will be charged with killing a 13-year-old California girl who vanished while walking her dog nearly two decades ago, a prosecutor announced Thursday.
Charles Holifield will be charged on April 14 with murder and kidnapping for purposes of sexual assault, Monterey County District Attorney Dean Flippo announced.
The murder charge will include special circumstances of kidnapping and committing lewd acts on a child, which could make him eligible for the death penalty if convicted.
Holifield, 56, is serving a life sentence for attempted kidnapping at Valley State Prison in Chowchilla. It may take several weeks to extradite him to face charges in Monterey County, Flippo said at a news conference.
Holifield is suspected of killing Christina Marie Williams, who vanished while walking her dog on June 12, 1998 in her Seaside neighborhood on what was the former Fort Ord Army base.
The dog, Greg, was found near home within the hour, his leash dragging.
A sweeping search for the 13-year-old began. Singer Mariah Carey and baseball legend Reggie Jackson make public pleas for anyone with information about the girl to come forward.
Seven months after she vanished, an ecological surveyor found Christina's scattered skeletal remains on a small University of California nature preserve three miles from the Williams home.
"I've been praying to God to bring back Christina," her mother, Alice Williams, said at the time. "Now I'm praying to God that whoever took our daughter will get caught. You know who you are."
No arrests were made, despite involvement by various law enforcement agencies and volunteers and a $100,000 reward offer by the FBI for information leading to a conviction.
Christina's death "really touched a raw nerve in this community," Flippo said.
Holifield, who had lived on the Monterey Peninsula, was considered a suspect almost from the beginning of the investigation but prosecutors lacked evidence to bring a case to trial, authorities said.
However, a cold-case unit reexamined evidence from 19 years of investigation and prosecutors now have a DNA match between Holifield and evidence in the case, Flippo said.
"There's strong DNA evidence," he said but declined to be specific.
"We feel that we are in a position now, ethically, to forward" with a prosecution, Flippo said
Holifield has two previous convictions for raping two teenage girls and is serving a "three strikes" life sentence for the attempted kidnapping of a woman in Marina.
That attempt took place in September 1998, three months after Christina disappeared.


text:
Van Morrison nixed a report that he fathered a kid, saying hackers got onto his web site and made the whole thing up.
The 64-year-old legendary singer said he has ordered his handlers to conduct an "immediate investigation" into the rport that he had a boy with his manager, Gigii Lee. The bogus statment said the kid's name was George Ivan Morrison III and that he was "the spitting image of his daddy."
Morrison said he is happily married to wife Michelle. He does have a daughter, 39-year-old singer-songwriter Shana Morrison, from his first marriage.


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I don't know what these rough shelled clams are called in English, they're praires in French.
Once when I went to the fishmonger on a Friday, as I did this afternoon, there was a girl there, a beautiful tomboy in a dark sweater and yellow oilskin dungarees, who had a silver pendant which must have been cast from a real mussel, it was so finely detailed. She wasn't there today though.
Looking in briefly now, will answer comments on the last post anon.


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Writing a College Essay
Table of Contents
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Sr Anne Derwin's leadership and faith remembered
Catholic leaders have paid tribute to Sr Anne Derwin RSJ, the former congregational leader of the Sisters of Saint Joseph and president of Catholic Religious Australia, who died earlier this week.
Sr Anne died peacefully at the Mater Hospital in North Sydney on June 23. She was 69. Sr Monica Cavanagh RSJ, the current congregational leader of the Josephites, said: "Sr Anne's contribution to the congregation she treasured, and to religious women and men across Australia through her presidency of Catholic Religious Australia, impacted in significant ways on the lives of many religious congregations and individuals."
Br Peter Carroll FMS, the current president of CRA, said: "It is noteworthy that in the year of the canonisation of the first Australian saint, Mary of the Cross MacKillop, Anne Derwin, as leader of Mary MacKillop's congregation, also took up the important leadership role as president of CRA.
"Sr Anne was a significant leader in the Church in so many ways – a woman of compassion, gifted in her capacity to bring people together, dedicated to the mission of God.
"Anne's remarkable contribution, both to the religious women and men of Australia, as well as to the Church and the wider community, will remain an inspiration to the rest of us who follow in her footsteps."
Sr Anne grew up in Beverly Hills, New South Wales before she joined the Sisters of St Joseph 50 years ago and trained as a teacher of mathematics, science and religious education.
She taught at St Joseph's East Gosford, Mount St Joseph's Milperra and Saint Joseph's Kogarah before becoming principal of the Milperra school. Subsequently, she was appointed to the New South Wales province leadership team.
She spent six years as provincial of the New South Wales province of the Sisters of Saint Joseph and, at the end of her time in that role, moved on to the directorship of St Joseph's Spirituality and Education Centre, Kincumber South. She then undertook the management of Mary MacKillop Place, North Sydney.
In 2007, Sr Anne was elected congregational leader of the Sisters of Saint Joseph. While in that role, she and the sisters celebrated the canonisation of St Mary MacKillop and four congregations of the Australian/New Zealand Federation of Sisters of Saint Joseph moved towards "fusion" with the Sisters of Saint Joseph of the Sacred Heart.
Sr Monica said in the time since Sr Anne's term of office at CRA expired six years ago, she used her leadership skills and expertise as chair and member of several boards and acted as the facilitator for religious congregations.
"As her health declined and she became physically weaker, she maintained her passion and interest in public and current affairs," Sr Monica said.
"Even up to her last days, she continued her commentary and reflections on local and world events and, as her illness progressed, her family, friends and religious sisters gathered around her to give her support and share in her wisdom.
"We continue to live in gratitude for her personal and leadership gifts, her organisational skills and her sense of prayer and the presence of her God in her life."
Archbishop Mark Coleridge, president of the Australian Catholic Bishops Conference, said the bishops – currently in Rome for their Ad Limina Apostolorum visit – were saddened to hear of Sr Anne's death.
"Sr Anne's contribution to her congregation, to Catholic Religious Australia and to the Church in Australia was immense," Archbishop Coleridge said.
"With her dignity, strength and calm, she was a key figure in bringing the canonisation of St Mary MacKillop to completion. In so many ways, Sr Anne was a true daughter of the saint, one of the great Josephites. May she rest in peace and rise in glory."
Sr Anne was remembered especially when the bishops celebrated Mass at St Paul Outside the Walls on June 26. It was at that basilica that many Australians gathered for Mass the day after St Mary MacKillop's canonisation.
The Mass of Christian Burial for Sr Anne will be held at St Mary's Church, North Sydney, on June 29. Sr Monica said St Mary MacKillop's funeral Mass was celebrated at St Mary's almost exactly 110 years ago.
Source: ACBC Media Blog


text: |Aimee and Sharmila each received travel grants valued at €245 (CAD $370) from the Society for Education and Music Psychology Research (SEMPRE). This grant will go towards their travel and accommodation at the 15th International Conference on Music Perception and Cognition (ICMPC) in Montreal. The conference will take place this July and both students will be presenting their research findings. Congratulations, Aimee and Sharmila!


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Obama, as the darling of a biased and dishonest media and the product of a corrupt Democratic primary and convention, was elected President as the beneficiary of Republican incompetence over the last 8 years. But he still comes to office as the most underqualified person to ever be elected President.
But with the naming of his cabinet appointees, (with the exception of Gates at Defense and Schapiro to head the SEC), his choices have been good ones and a huge improvement over the farce that was the Bush Administration. His choices also reflect that he is listening to his advisors in making these choices, most notably Biden. But even more than that, Obama's choices seems to reflect that, in the words of Dirty Harry, he knows his limitations.
Anyone with even a casual look at his background can see that his primary interest has always been his own ambitions. And he comes out of the morass of corrupt Chicago and Illinois politics, the same morass that produced Blagojevich. And like Nixon before him, the swamp of Illinois politics that produced him may eventually catch up with him.
But for now his cabinet appointees reflect his knowledge that this isn't going to be a four year book signing tour. His choices for his cabinet are highly opinionated and accomplished people who are capable of not only implementing policy but in formulating it. And that is probably what is going to happen.
The Obama Administration seems to be shaping up as a multiheaded Executive Branch with Obama playing the part he plays best -- the front man, making speeches and playing the part of President while the real work is done behind the scenes by people who actually know what they're doing. The public will get to see Obama taking the credit ( unless the Democrats screw up royally which is not beyond the realm of possibility) and listen to him make the same nonsensical speeches that sent a thrill up Chris Matthews leg.
In the last few days we have heard Obama tell us that "we are going to take a 21st century approach to agriculture" and that "we are going to take a 21st century approach to the economic crisis". Given that we are actually living in the 21st century that doesn't exactly sound like the product of a lot of brain power. Its exactly the kind of nonsense that made the news media act like a bunch of 13 year olds at a Hannah Montana concert.
It still remains to be seen what the Democrats will do once Obama is sworn in. Unfortunately,its been the Republicans so far, Shelby and Corker to be specific, who sound like they make the most sense when it comes to a bailout of Detroit.
But Obama has a lot of expertise close at hand. With Hillary Clinton Secretary of State can Bill as an off the record advisor be far behind?
Obama has always given every indication that he is not so interested in governing as he is in being President. His cabinet picks shows he knows and understands this and his limitations.That doesn't mean Democratic policies are going to work. The $700 billion bailout Pelosi rammed through the House and agreed to by the Senate has so far failed. It was supposed to stop the bleeding and restore confidence in the US economy. So far it hasn't worked. The Dow is down more than 1,000 points since the TARP was created and half of it has already been spent. So far its done nothing but outrage taxpayers.
But with Obama choosing people who have their own agendas, whether its Gates at Defense, Clinton at State or Daschle overseeing health care reform, Obama is essentially stepping aside and letting others run the show behind the scenes. And as long as he continues to do that there is the likelihood of success since Obama has a cabinet that can make his day.
More than Enough - More of my impressions of Cassidy Hutchinson's book.
15 hours ago


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Naturally, breath testing holds a lot of weight with the general public and with juries. In fact, there are many attorneys who still believe the myth that a case involving a breathalyzer test cannot be beat. However, this misconception draws from a general misunderstanding of how the machines work and how they can fail. Even breath machine results can be attacked by a skilled and knowledgeable attorney. Consider the following information about breath machines to learn more about how this can impact your case.
Where the Breath Machine Comes From
The most widely used breath machine in the state is the first generation Datamaster, developed by the National Patent Analytic Systems of Mansfield, Ohio. These still use the same technology that was developed in the 1970's, which is far less reliable that more advanced technologies. It makes little sense that police continue to use these machines, just as it wouldn't make sense to use a typewriter for your business instead of today's advanced computers. Older models of such technology are not as fast or as reliable as newer versions, yet when it comes to breath machines, the oldest technology is used. These machines have been used since the 1980's without any updates, and are still presented as factual evidence in courtrooms. Yet, there are many potential issues that can impact the reliability of these tests. Read on to learn about how these breath machines work and how they are vulnerable to attack.
How Breath Machines Function
In the United States, there are two primary forms of technology used in these breath testing machines. These include infrared spectrometry and fuel cell technology. Generally, the fuel cell breath testing machines are found in field handheld devices, and are also known as PBTs (portable breath testers). These are well known for being unreliable, and the BAC displayed by a PBT is not even admissible as evidence in court. In many cases, they are not allowed as evidence at all in criminal cases. Because of this fact, the infrared spectrometry devices warrant more focus and explanation, as these tabletop devices are more likely to factor into your case.
A tabletop Datamaster infrared spectrometry breath test has a mouth tube, a sample chamber, an infrared light source, filters, and a detector. You blow into the mouth tube, and the breath sample passes through the long and cylindrical sample chamber. The filters are designed to discriminate between substances like ethyl alcohol. Then, the detector converts this output into the BAC. While the particles in your breath are pushed through the sample chamber, the infrared light is shot through as well, and the filters detect certain wavelengths of the light. The BAC is revealed as the difference in the quantity of the infrared light first shot into the tube and the quantity of the same light from the sample chamber. However, there are many limitations to this form of breath testing.
Breath Machine Testing Limitations
All devices that are used for measuring can have errors and limitations, including breath testing machines. Consider the following.
What Does Alcohol Look Like To A Breath Testing Machine?
One thing that attorneys know about that you might not be aware of is the specificity defense. This defense is based on the fact that the breath machine is unable to determine with certainty the difference between alcohol and similar substances.
All substances, including ethyl alcohol, have an infrared fingerprint, meaning that they operate on certain frequencies of the infrared spectrum, used to identify alcohol in the breath test. Thus, if one knows the fingerprint of ethyl alcohol, then one can identify its presence based on its absorption of infrared light.
We all know that a person's fingerprints are unique from the fingerprints of other people. It requires a trained and knowledgeable examiner to identify the differences between fingerprints by viewing several points on the print and determining the probability of similar points being present on another person. It may take dozens of points on that print to come to a conclusion. Compare this with the infrared fingerprint of alcohol, which is an absorption of infrared light at 3.00, 3.39, 7.25, 9.18, 9.50, and 11.50 microns, exclusively. That is six different points that must all match up to be certain that the substance is alcohol. Yet, only two of these points are checked with breath testing machines.
Do Other Substances Absorb At The Same Two Frequencies?
There are, in fact, other substances that absorb infrared light at the same two frequencies that are checked. Some examples include a certain degree of natural substances in the body, some substances in paint thinners and paints, and some substances that are produced by diseases like diabetes. These are substances that can impact the detection of alcohol by a breath test. Any substances that operate on the same two wavelengths that are check for alcohol can impact the ability of the machine to detect alcohol on your breath, and they will affect the ultimate BAC reading.
Why Don't Breath Testing Machines Check The Other Wavelengths?
The reason that only two of the six important wavelengths are tested by breath testing machines is because it would cost more to do so. The primary goal of the government is to obtain a conviction, whether that conviction is proven without a doubt or not.
How Is Your Breath Sample Converted To Blood Alcohol Content?
One common question about breath testing machines is how they are able to take your sample of breath and determine a particular number for your blood alcohol content, or BAC. After you blow into the breath machine, the detectors that we mentioned previously will determine the amount of breath particles that resemble alcohol. This number is then multiplied by 2,100. The result is then determined to be your blood alcohol content, also known as the partition ration. The conversion comes from the scientific principal known as Henry's Law, which states that the concentration of volatile substances like ethanol in the air of a fluid is proportional to the concentration of the volatile substance in that fluid, at a given temperature. There are many assumptions made by Henry's Law that can be challenged.
One of the assumptions made by Henry's Law is that the air temperature is constant and known, which is assumed within the programming of the Datamaster machine to be 34 degrees C. However, there have been studies revealing that the temperature of your breath is actually over 35 degrees C, and in some cases, even higher. While many may think that one degree wouldn't make much of a difference, the reality is that one degree of difference can exaggerate your BAC by about 7%. Thus, a recorded BAC of .085 would actually be .079. For someone with a breath temperature of 36 degrees (which has also been seen in recent studies), the exaggeration could be more than 14% difference. Naturally, this can significantly impact the outcome of your DWI case. To account for all assumptions, these studies reveal that breath samples should actually be multiplied by a number that falls anywhere between 1,100 and 3,000, which is a dramatic range to consider. View the following example to better understand how and why this could have such an important impact on your case.
EXAMPLE: You have been subjected to a Datamaster breath machine test and end up with a BAC reading of .120. Following are the partition rations and potential true BAC outcomes.
Partition Ratio True BAC
1,100 .063
2,100 .120
3,000 .172
In this example, your true BAC can be identified as being anywhere from .063 and .172.
The Rising Level Of Alcohol In Your System
If your BAC is greater than .08 while driving, you can be found guilty of a DWI, get your license suspended, and face other criminal consequences. Your BAC rises as you consume alcohol and as your body absorbs it through your stomach and small intestine. Your BAC rises by about .020 (on average) for each drink, though it takes about 50 minutes for your body to reach that rise in BAC, because your body takes time to completely absorb the alcohol into your bloodstream. Once the alcohol has been absorbed into your bloodstream, your liver and kidneys will start to process and eliminate the alcohol, dropping your BAC by about .015 in an hour. This is known as the blood alcohol curve, because the rise and fall of your BAC looks like a bell curve when placed on a graph.
Keep in mind that to be guilty of driving while intoxicated, you must have a BAC greater than .08 while driving. Now, consider the fact that there is typically a significant amount of time, in some cases more than an hour, between getting pulled over and being asked to take the breath test. Thus, only your BAC at the time of the test, not at the time of driving, can be measured. This means that your BAC may have been much lower on the BAC curve when you were actually driving. Consider the following example to see how this could aid in your defense.
EXAMPLE: You ingest 10 shots of alcohol, one after the other, right before getting into your vehicle. Because you took these shots in quick succession, they have not had time to enter your bloodstream before you began driving, and your BAC is still at 0.00. You find yourself being pulled over by the police five minutes after getting into your vehicle, and your BAC is still far beneath the legal limit for a DWI conviction. However, by the time you arrive at the police station and are given the breath test, the alcohol has had plenty of time to get into your bloodstream, and your BAC reads at .25. Still, if your BAC was 0.00 when you were driving, you are not actually guilty of a DWI. While this example is exaggerated for simplicity, it is an excellent way to demonstrate one of the many flaws of the breath test.


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After moving on from a potential effort to buy the Marlins, Mitt Romney and his family are eyeing the purchase of a share of the Yankees, according to Jon Heyman of Fan Rag. In this case, though, the high-profile politician and businessman would only be looking at obtaining a small portion of the franchise's highly valuable ownership stake.
Here's more from the American League:
- There's ongoing concern in the Indians organization regarding the health of outfielder Michael Brantley, Heyman futher reports. Though Cleveland is expressing at least some degree of optimism publicly, the most important steps remain to be taken. Hopes that Brantley could be ready to take the field on Opening Day "have waned just a tad," says Heyman, though clearly the most important issue isn't so much when he's ready as it is ensuring that there isn't another major setback when he does return to action.
- It seems that Josh Hamilton will be able to resume his quest to crack the Rangers roster, as he T.R. Sullivan was among those to tweet that a knee exam yesterday revealed no new structural damage. For the time being, it seems, the discomfort will slow him down somewhat, though presumably he'll be back in action as soon as the oft-injured joint allows.
- The Orioles continue to receive positive signs on two key pitchers who are dealing with some early-spring health questions, as Roch Kubatko of MASNsports.com reports (Twitter links). Though Zach Britton still has "a little discomfort in [his] left side," he says it's getting better. And starter Chris Tillman says that his right shoulder "feels great" as he continues to throw long toss. It's not yet clear when the two hurlers will get back on the mound.
- White Sox third baseman Todd Frazier, meanwhile, is dealing with what he describes as a minor oblique issue, as Dan Hayes of CSN Chicago reports. Frazier, who is considered day-to-day for the time being, says he'll likely just sit for a few days while the tightness hopefully subsides. "It's something I've dealt with before," says Frazier, who remains a potential trade chip in his final year of team control. "But at the same time, from what I've heard they're not anything to mess with. So let's take a couple days and see how it is after a couple days and go from there."
- As the Red Sox have moved to cash in prospect assets for talented major leaguers since the arrival of president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski, the remaining young players have seemingly taken on added importance to the club's future. As Rob Bradford of WEEI.com writes, the Sox refused to part with third baseman Rafael Devers in the deal that ultimately netted Chris Sale. He and first baseman Sam Travis — who missed a significant chunk of 2016 due to knee surgery — aren't expected to head north with the club out of camp, but could play a major role not long from now. As Dombrowski observes: "The best clubs are constantly breaking in young players on a consistent basis, year in, year out. And you also need it from a cost basis perspective."


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The left is trying to boycot Facebook Save for later Reblog
The left is at the at the moment trying to boycot facebook. Advertisers are like rats dancing to Pied Pipers flute. ( As was expected of course ).
Why are they boycotting facebook? Well, because instead of twitter, facebook actually lets 'racists' post. And as we all know, the left is 'very fond' of free speech, because when information and opinions are shared freely the left loses. They know the right has the arguments.
They know they have lost the argument, so they have thrown over the table and have resorted to child-like tactics like shadow-banning and erasing. Even to the point of absurdity. All in the name of 'tolerance'.
What to do? Well there are some things we can do. We can publicly support Facebook by massively making accounts and click on ads, you can also play some facebook games, which are fun and make massive use of ads. Usually to play such a game right, you have to spend alot of time on facebook, making friends and supporting them.
I myself play some of the criminal case games. They are alot of fun, and are useful, you learn alot from them and they are hidden-object games, so they help improve your eye-vision.
If by some miracle people listen to me and get inspired, and the right really does massively support facebook and facebook will instead of loss, improve her earnings because of this, a new trend will emerge. And other companies will know that supporting the right is good for making a profit.
The left is always talking about 'waking up', and waking like 'the beast out of the sea' (Revelation 13)
No Katy, you were wrong, another beast is rising today, and it is not the one you expected.
Our beast will not rise out of itself, we must make it. All us young, middle aged (or older) men and women must work and fight hard to make it happen. The other outcome is too dark to even contemplate.
Let us stop this madness while we still can. We must indeed begin with small steps, getting big companies on our side would be a great start!


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Off-campus Michigan Tech users: To download campus access theses or dissertations, please use the following button to log in with your Michigan Tech ID and password: log in to proxy server
Non-Michigan Tech users: Please talk to your librarian about requesting this thesis or dissertation through interlibrary loan.
How do we teach usability? An Investigation of Usability Instruction in Technical Communication
Date of Award
Document Type
Degree Name
Doctor of Philosophy in Rhetoric and Technical Communication (PhD)
College, School or Department Name
Department of Humanities
First Advisor
Karla Kitalong
This dissertation investigates the curricular implementation of usability instruction in technical communication. Though there are a plethora of publications and studies on usability in technical communication, little discussion focuses on usability instruction in the classroom or its implementation in the curriculum. Thus, this exploratory qualitative research seeks to contribute to a better understanding about technical communication students' and instructors' knowledge of and experiences with usability practices in the classroom, the challenges that impacted their usability efforts, and their recommendations on how their efforts could be improved. The study results demonstrate the need for more productive discussion on this issue and for developing more effective strategies for implementing usability in the classroom.
Recommended Citation
Chong, Felicia E., "How do we teach usability? An Investigation of Usability Instruction in Technical Communication", Dissertation, Michigan Technological University, 2013.


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Alvin Gaela was one of about 3000 people who showed up on the Facebook Group asking if anyone had a spare ticket, despite their express rule forbidding that. This was no problem for Alvin:
I'm just wondering if I can get some advice. I tried at every sale and had no luck so now I've flown in from Australia because I'm determined to finally make it this year. I've been treating this ticket hunt thing like a full-time job for the past week and I was wondering what my options would be, going forward.
I don't have some sad story to shill. I'm just some dude who met a group of traveling burners 2 years ago and they changed how I looked at life. I owe part of my current state of happiness to them and I promised them that I'd see them there some day. They've planned their camp for me to be there and have frantically been searching for a ticket for me but now they've left to set up.
So I've decided that it isn't a question of if I'm going, but when. Assuming I don't find a ticket in time, how likely is it that some will pop up after it starts? I want to go, but can't afford a $1000 ticket to show up late. Or should I just head to reno, and just actively search for tickets there?
I'm so close and it would be a shame if this just wasn't the year, so I'm not ready to accept that until it's actually too late.
Either way, have a wicked burn and thanks for any input.
On August 23rd, when he posted this, Burning Man had been sold out all year, and was just about to open. There were thousands of disappointed Burners, who had been waiting patiently in the STEP queue. Thousands more were disappointed when the OMG lottery was over in a few minutes, despite thousands more tickets mysteriously being added. Stubhub had stopped selling tickets, perhaps because their system wouldn't accept sales so close to the event's start time. The last ones I saw go were $1700 each. They went, being replaced with $1900 pair. And then even they weren't available.
Alvin's post raised some skeptical eyebrows.
Me: "There's a sold out event and I want to go. What can I do?"
a) don't go.
b) buy a ticket (you might have to pay more because it is sold out).
c) sneak in.
"but I don't like those options! Isn't there a way someone can just gift me a ticket because I am a total random from an alien country? Maybe I will go and beg on the street with a cardboard sign, and someone who paid for a ticket will think it's better to give it to me than sell it for $1000"
If you were dumb enough to get a flight from Australia to Burning Man without a ticket, just pay the $600 stupid tax and buy one.
AG: Yeah, that's a terrible read of the situation. I'm willing to pay if I have to and I'm not out there begging for someone to gift me a ticket. I came here to see my friends but I also know how happy it would make them to see them in their element.
Me: There are major sound camp DJs and people who have been working on art cars for months looking for tickets right now. They are willing to pay too. This group has seen underage girls ready and willing to do naked photo shoots. So what makes you so special? Do you have any tricks that you can perform? What gifts do you have ready for the Playa?
AG: You're making it sound like I'm saying I'm entitled to one… Which isn't the case at all. My friend's ticket got lost in the mail and I was going to gift her mine if I found one.
If you really want to know, though: I was planning to teach attraction psychology. A lot of people have such wonderful things to offer the world, but it often gets overlooked by unconsciously doing the wrong things before they get the chance to share it.
Anyway, I'd much rather not let this turn into a back-and-forth because that wasn't the point of this thread. I get what you're saying, I disagree with how you're reading the situation (in your defence, I haven't typed out my life story for you) but if you don't have any better suggestions, I'm gonna continue looking for a ticket.
DG: don't engage this dude, you're just going to encourage him. He didn't even bother to read the group header that says
AG: I asked for advice in the first post for a worst case scenario. The leads were just a bonus.
Me: the Law of Attraction should manifest a ticket for you any minute now
BK: I'm not supposed to tell you this cos it's a Secret™, but have you tried visualizing what it is that you desire?
AG: The law of attraction that you're referring to actually has nothing to do with the attraction psychology that I mentioned earlier. You might wanna try and add some more snark in your snark next time. Thanks again for everyone that had something useful to say. See you when I get there.
Me: We're all watching with bated breath to see how your mastery of attraction psychology works out for you in this ticket quest. Personally, I think you'd have better luck using The Secret.
I can see why Alvin might have thought I was just being snarky. In fact, I'm all for magick. It happens, and it especially happens at Burning Man. It's like they create a giant magickal field. I have noticed, though, that many Burners are against this idea. "Science doesn't allow for magick", they cry…obviously unaware that the word "scientist" has only been around since 1834, while the concept of powers and realms beyond the five senses exists in every single culture of humanity across time. What is time, anyway? Are space and time the same? Can Burning Man alter one's perception of spacetime? But I digress…back to the story at hand.
By August 26, things were looking bleak. Alvin's determination didn't waver, even in the face of snark and discouraging facts.
CptSmashy: If you try to loiter in Gerlach without any kind of transportation, you run a good chance of getting arrested when the sheriff's department tells you to hit the road.
You could feel his determination starting to falter a little bit, as information trickled in from the naysayers.
I've been reading up and it was only last year that it started selling out completely. And this year, I know that there's more of a demand…so it makes me wonder if tickets will really be dropping last-minute from people realizing they can't make it/things pop up.
I know that my chances are worse this year…but I still want to try. I just want to make sure I'm being realistic that there's even a decent chance that I'll find one.
By this time, I was starting to root for the guy. He sure was determined.
Well, I'm pleased to say the magick worked. On September 5, Alvin reported back:
Well, guys…I waited at will call and eventually found a ticket. Here's my album in case anyone's interested:https://www.facebook.com/media/set/…
Thanks for all the encouragement & have a great life.
At least two of us were happy for him:
BK: Well done. Glad to hear you got in, even if flying all the way from oz without a ticket was a fucking stupid idea. Sometimes we gotta do the stupid-looking thing.
Me: It's not stupid…if you're a Master. Well done, proof the model works.
Hat's off to Alvin, for demonstrating the power of The Secret. Or Attraction Psychology, whatever you want to call it. Where there's a will, there's a way. Cultivate good karma and fierce determination, and never, never, never give up. Dreams can come true, and your actions and attitude and intentions can help them to.
As Calvin Coolidge said in my all-time favorite quote:
I contacted Alvin and asked him if he'd share his story. I offered to publicly apologize for suggesting he pay the stupid tax, but he wouldn't hear of it. Looking back on our dialog, I'm not so sure that I ever completely doubted him. I gave him some options, tried to give him some of the background on the current situation so he could make an informed decision, and told him we were all interested in the outcome. He chose to follow his heart over his head, and it worked out for him. Usually, such things do, and it helps to be clear about them. Set your heart on something, and the Universe will immediately present you with obstacles. With persistence and determination, you can get past any obstacle. Once the obstacle is passed, you get confronted with another obstacle. Sooner or later, the Universe runs out of obstacles to put in your way, and hey presto! Your dream comes true.
Thanks Alvin, great story, good effort, and I hope Burners can learn a lesson from your persistence, attitude, gratitude, and most of all…humility. These are the type of once-were-Virgins we want to add to the population of our Veterans club.
By Alvin Gaela:
2 years passed and after countless countries, I ended up living in Australia for a little bit. A bunch of things happened and after 7 months of living there, I decided it was time to move on again. It was about that time, so I messaged one of the girls that I became closest with. I told her that I finally want to try and make it this year, but it wouldn't make sense to head to the other side of the world if I couldn't work there. She lined it up and I bought a plane ticket there. Before even getting here, I tried for every single sale, but with no luck.


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