text:
The Stigmatized and Neglected: Outsiders/
When I was first asked to write this article, I hesitated. It wasn't because I knew nothing about how congregations of the Lord's Church minister to immigrants and those new to an area (outsiders). I do. I am an immigrant who migrated first from my native Ghana to Canada before moving to the United States. But I realized I have something to share on this topic. So I hope to share my views on how local congregations could reach out to immigrants and engage them in the work of the Lord. I will try to articulate the elements I have found to be part of successful outreach to and integration of "outsiders" into the Lord's work at the local level. And I also hope that this piece will start a discussion on this topic. For I am sure others have things to share too.
Let me start with a bit about myself. I was baptized in 1990 in Ghana, West Africa. I worshipped in various congregations in Ghana as my dad's job, going off to college, and my own early career required moves. I then moved to Canada for graduate studies and worshipped at the Edmonton Church of Christ. I moved to the US two years later and worshipped at the Highway 63 South Church of Christ in Rolla, Missouri. I moved to California after finishing school and worshiped at the Central Church of Christ in Sacramento. A couple of years later, I moved back to Rolla, MO and rejoined the fellowship of brethren there (now the Rolla Church of Christ). I'm currently doing some work in the DC area and I have been worshipping at the Rockville Church of Christ in Rockville, Maryland. I say all this to show I have moved around a bit. And I have been an outsider in many of the Lord's congregations.
I will draw most of my insights from the congregations in Edmonton, Alberta and Rolla, Missouri because I was involved in significant efforts to that ministered to "outsiders" in these congregations. In Edmonton, I coordinated a "Bible Talk" on campus that reached out to many international students. In Rolla, I served as coordinator for the congregation's FriendSpeak ministry, which also reached out to international students (Rolla is a college town) who wanted to improve their English conversational skills.
Obviously, ministering to outsiders is important to God. As Jesus tells us in the parable of the lost sheep (Matt. 18:12-14), He and the Father are not willing to lose even one. We have all heard the stories of Christians who stopped being active once they moved to another location. Living in a college town, I see this all the time with new students who come for a few times and then stop coming until their parents visit. I heard of a Ghanaian who moved somewhere to the South. The shock of local congregations with members predominantly along racial lines was enough to make this guy stop going to church all together! Although these examples have other underlying problems beside the local congregation's awareness of the needs of outsiders and its efforts to reach out, it shows the challenges and opportunities that such work presents.
The challenges a local congregation faces when it is faced with the work of reaching out to an "outsider" include cultural differences, the real issues of daily life that confront those who have moved into a different city, state or country, and language barriers. It is easy to get so focused on the reasons for your move (settling in and accomplishing those goals can take all your energy) that everything else falls to the wayside. Isn't that what Jesus says in the parable of the sower about the cares of this life? So whether these outsiders are immigrants who have moved to a new country, students in a new college town, or families who have moved to a different part of the country, these challenges to their continued spiritual growth and involvement in the work of God can be very real.
On the other hand, the local congregation has many exciting opportunities with "outsiders." Let me discuss three in particular. First, there is an opportunity to share the Word with many who may otherwise be out of our reach. Isn't it amazing, for instance, how much Christians in the West spend annually sending missionaries to China and other parts of Asia? Yet, each year, many thousands of students travel to these same countries for their higher education. They are coming to us! Second, moving to a new environment can provide a need for fellowship in ways that are unimaginable. And when the Christian fellowship is used to fulfill that need, amazing things can happen to a person's faith. My wife and I now live thousands of miles from our families raising our young kids, who were both born here. And yet we know we can count on our Christian family. And that affirms our faith. We speak fondly of the support of many Christians during our difficult pregnancy for our second child. We know we would have loved to have our parents there to help during that period. But our Christian family was amazing. One elderly sister actually took it upon herself to come into our home once a month and clean for us! And we had peace knowing that whatever time my wife went into labor, another couple was willing to take our three year old for us. We just had to call. For us, this period more than anything demonstrates what Christian fellowship is. We have been built up by such experiences. Thirdly, whole new groups of people can be reached when the local congregation reaches out to an "outsider." As coordinator of the FriendSpeak ministry at the Rolla Church of Christ, I hear many edifying stories from the other Christian volunteers constantly. But this story is one of my favorites. One of our elders (who was also volunteering) had been working with this Saudi graduate student. They were reading the Gospel according to Luke to work on his English conversation. So they'll meet once a week and read sections of the gospel and make conversation about it. The primary aim of FriendSpeak (much like our food pantry or clothing ministries) is to meet some need in the community (in this case, the need many immigrants have to improve their English conversation – try buying finding where to buy "pants" in Walmart when you've called them "trousers" all your life). But you can't help to be impressed by the diversity of people learning about the gospel message through programs like these because some local congregation became interested in the outsiders in their area. This elder told me one time his student had graduated and gone back to Saudi. But the amazing thing was, this guy wanted to keep learning about the gospel via Skype! So they started doing their "meetings" via Skype! No missionary support required.
Now that I have presented some of the challenges and opportunities, let me turn my attention to what we can do to minister to the outsider. I will start by saying we all have a role to play in this. Whether you introduce yourself to a visitor in church or take the time to have a play date with the new student in your child's class, you help minister to a stranger (Matt 25:38). However, my comments here will focus on elements of successful congregational efforts to minister to groups of outsiders in our communities. These elements are based on my personal experience and the programs I have been part of. These elements are:
- Our programs must meet the physical and emotional needs of the outsider (James 2:14-17);
- Share the gospel message in a loving manner to engender spiritual growth (including accepting Jesus, if they are not Christians);
- Facilitate peer-to-peer and peer-to-mentor relationships that allow important questions to be asked;
- Train (or retrain) them for the work of the Lord; and
- Put them to work!
It is important to show (not say) that we love the people we minister to. Outsiders have many emotional and physical needs that Christians can help with. They need to learn how things work here, need to learn how to manage their finances in this country, and many such things you take for granted. But they also need friends. This need is particularly strong. For instance, if you live in a college town, I can guarantee you that there are many spouses of international faculty and students who sit at home daily crying because they are in a new land and have no friends. I heard the story of this international student who had shopped half a suitcase full of gifts for all the new American friends she was going to make when she got here. One year into her studies, all her friends were on campus and from the same country as her. She was telling this story to the Christian sister who had become her friend and was the first recipient of one of those gifts!
We can never ignore the sharing of the Word. Without that we will not create spiritual growth. The outsiders who are Christians need the Word as much as those who are not. Spiritual growth comes by hearing and practicing what we are told in scriptures.
Cultural differences mean we are forced to address different issues in our faith. For example, most of my US brethren have never really had to deal with issues surrounding polygamy (e.g. what should a new convert do if she's legally a second wife with legitimate children) the way I had to growing up a Christian in Ghana. Similarly, most of my Ghanaian brethren have not had to deal with atheism as a legitimate world view the way I know Christians in the US have to. When someone moves to a new culture, they have to address the new questions they are confronted with about their faith (this even happens within the US with varying attitudes about tobacco use, for instance). The mentoring relationships and (re)training are important to help outsiders re-affirm their own faith and also become useful to engage the new culture they live in now. I remember the preacher in Edmonton asking me before I started coordinating the Bible Talk on campus whether I had attended the evangelism class they did on Sunday mornings. I had not signed up for that class because I thought I didn't need it. After all, evangelism was not new to me. Boy, was I glad he wisely guided me into the class! I had no idea the questions a college crowd in Canada will raise about faith prior to taking that class. And I was really glad I took that class before I started helping in that ministry.
I will like to end by emphasizing that this is work worth doing. All around us are outsiders that are struggling in their attempts to grow spiritually because we are not effectively ministering to them. And by paying attention to a few things, we can make a huge difference in their walk. And more importantly we will be helping save the soul of one who is important to God. Christ died for them too.
Finally, let me share part of my own story. I did not grow up in the Church of Christ. Most of what I can do now, some man took the time to teach me because my Dad couldn't have taught me (he was not a member of the Church). But this became even truer when I moved outside of Ghana. I had to learn to become an effective Christian in this culture. This included the things you would think of as well as just how to be a good husband and father in this culture. For example, who would teach me how to deal with debt and finances? Where I grew up, personal finance pitfalls and tools are very different. For example, no one had access to a mortgage or car loan while I was growing up. So to learn to be a responsible Christian man, someone had to take the time to introduce me to the principles that work in this environment. Fortunately for me, a Christian couple who had raised two wonderful Christian men, decided it was worth mentoring me and my wife. My children today call them Ameri-Ma and Ameri-Pa (their American grandparents). If I don't walk as I should, it is my fault. Because I cannot say no one took the time to "equip me for works of service" (Eph 4:12). Are you willing to equip someone else?
In Love,
Kwame Awuah-Offei
Kwame Awuah-Offei is a disciple of Christ, a husband and father. He hails from Ghana and was baptized into Christ by his older brother in 1990. He has been privileged to fellowship with Christians in local congregations in Ghana, Canada and the United States. And through it, he has found the meaning and comfort of the fellowship we have in Christ.


text:
Camps: Baseball Fundamentals, Hitting, Pitching
All sessions will be 1 hour
Total of 8 sessions
All sessions will be at the Stockade.
Equipment needed: glove, bat, helmet, water bottle
Baseball Fundamentals Camp will focus on throwing, hitting, and fielding during every session providing the young player an opportunity to build the proper foundations which will increase their success. (For Mosquito level players and lower.)
Hitting Camp will focus on specific mechanics and drills to develop a consistent and repeatable swing allowing solid contact, increasing bat speed while creating more power. (For players going into their final year of Mosquito and levels higher.)
Pitching Camp will focus on the proper mechanics of pitching to maximize velocity and control while reducing the chance of future injury. An arm strengthening Jobes program will also be introduced and implemented. (For players going into their final year of Mosquito and levels higher.)
Session breakdown
Hitting Camp: March 16, 18, 24, 26, 30 April 1, 13, 20
Pitching Camp: March 17, 23, 25, 29, 31 April 2, 14, 21
Baseball Fundamentals Camp: March 17, 23, ,25, 29, 31 April 2, 14, 21
*Session times for the most part will run 4:00 – 5:00, 5:15-6:15, 6:30-7:30, 7:45-8:45 and 9:00-10:00. However due to booking conflicts times will be adjusted for some of the days.
All registered players will be contacted no later than March 13th with the time slot and schedule for their session(s).
The intent is to place players in sessions with other players of their same age group/division while keeping the groups at an ideal coach to player ratio.
Younger players will be placed in the earlier time slots
Camp cost is $130 (includes 8 sessions)
If signing up for both Hitting and Pitching Camps $220 (includes 16 sessions)
Additional siblings $90 for one Camp (8 sessions), $140 for Hitting and Pitching Camps (16 sessions)
Please register by March 12th with Joe Carnahan at firstname.lastname@example.com or call/text 750-9070.
Provide Players Name, Age, Division, Email, Phone Number and Session(s)
Upon registration send payment to:
Joe Carnahan
322 Laurier Dr.
Swift Current,SK

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Starting 17,750 USD
The best option for all couples who value the film they want to get! Especially if you have a Cultural and/or Destination Wedding. This package gives you a complete creative true love story movie! You'll get both side of the satisfaction. First the Teaser to show off to the public. It's like having that cake after the feast. And then The final 14-19 Minute Theatrical Feature Film to complete your love in film.
~ Prices are subject to change without notice. You can only solidify with the agreed price at the signed agreement form when requested.
~ Clients are responsible to cover any travels fees outside of Charlotte vicinity (50 mile radius) including:
- $.535/mile On Road Travels
- Flight Tickets
- Documentation/Visa Fees
- Lodging
- Meal on wedding day
~ Booking requires minimum of 50% of the total to solidify date with Andrey Solo Films. Remaining will be due two weeks prior wedding date.
~ Free drone footage is not guaranteed. If weather does not permit or location is restricted fly zone.
Select "View Packaging" to see how your final packaging will look like.
Select "Real Reviews" to view genuine responses from couples that went with Andrey Solo Films.


text:
By Ziva R. Hassenfeld
An anonymous op-ed that appeared recently on the Times of Israel's website has picked up a lot of traction in social media. Friends of mine are posting it, commenting on it, and reposting it. The author explains how he left Jewish institutional life behind, withdrawing his children from day school and leaving his synagogue to attend Chabad instead. He is now able to raise his four children Jewishly for 40k a year. He calls for others to join his "revolution."
There are a lot of questions to ask about this op-ed: Do we really want to start chipping away at separation of church and state for tuition relief? Does the Chabad model really provide the free Jewish life the author claims? Are the financial markets really doing great "thanks to this new president? But one claim in particular upset me deeply. Continue reading


text:
The planetary energy this weekend is relatively chill, especially compared to what we were dealing with at the start of this week with Uranus moving into Taurus and squaring off to Mars… on the day of the New Moon, at that! This weekend feels much more low-key, beginning with a grounding and stabilizing square between Mercury and Saturn, which guides us to make practical use of all of the catalyzing and disruptive energy leftover from these past few days, and certainly helps to put our minds at ease.
Follow this link to book a personalized, one-on-one astrology reading with Heather!
Friday (5/18): Mercury, which is currently in Taurus coming off of its erratic and explosive conjunction to Uranus and square with Mars, will be making an incredibly grounded and re-stabilizing trine to Saturn—a much needed energy after the events of this last week! This is a really great energy for getting back to a more practical way of making decisions and future plans. This influence highlights the hard work that is a necessary precursor to the changes we wish to make in our life, and makes it easier to discern between what's practical and ideas that are just a little bit irrational or over-the-top. Today is a good day for catching up on the little practical details that may have escaped us over these last few days, and for sustained mental work of all kinds. Communications may take on a more serious tone—the end goal being to simply get the job done!
The Moon in its home sign of Cancer makes a sextile to Mercury and an opposition to Saturn early this morning, highlighting the need to get grounded and realistic in order to get ahold of our emotions and bring our plans back on track. The Moon forms a grand trine with Neptune and Jupiter this evening, a dreamy and optimistic influence indeed! This is an excellent Friday night to escape into whatever we can do to help ourselves feel safe, comfortable, and cared for. It's definitely advisable to back and relax tonight if you are able. ;)
Saturday (5/19): Venus shifts from witty and flirtatious Gemini into the nurturing and supportive sign of Cancer today, causing us to crave deeper emotional bonds in our relationships. In Cancer, Venus shows love by caring for others in a nurturing, motherly way. People may feel contented to cook meals for one-another and spend a night in watching Netflix rather than spending an evening on the town under this influence. People may be more apt to share their emotions with others, seeking solace and support from loved ones when burdens feel too heavy to be carried alone. Luckily, Venus in Cancer makes it much easier to find a kind and gentle shoulder to lean on.
Venus in Cancer makes a supportive sextile over to Uranus in Taurus today, bringing unexpected excitement and positive change that comes through our relationships. Today is a great day to try something new with a partner (maybe an exotic cooking class, with the two notorious food-loving signs of Taurus and Cancer involved) or to share exciting, innovative ideas with a close group of friends. Inspiration may come through our connections today, so don't shy away from answering that phone call or accepting that date so long as it feels good to you.
The Moon today will enter it's waxing crescent phase in sextile with the Sun in Taurus before going Void-of-Course in Cancer at 2:14pm MST. The Crescent Moon phase is a time when the seeds planted at the time of the new moon first begin to sprout. This can be an exciting time of exploring new ideas. This is an ideal time to get out into the world to meet new people and test the waters by beginning to take action on your intentions. This is a very optimistic time when we anticipate the potential of the new plans and projects that are about to take form over the coming lunar month. This lunar phase is associated with the Triple Goddess in her maiden form, representing the energy of purity, growth, curiosity and the sprouting of new life.
The Moon moves into the passionate and playful sign of Leo at 4:10pm MST, where it will remain for the next 2.5 days. Self-expression is what the moon in Leo is all about. This is a time when our creative passions take center stage, and we can feel more confident and optimistic about our ambitions. In generous, outgoing Leo, celebrations and socializing are also favored as well as heartfelt connections and romance. This is a beautiful time to indulge in hobbies and play. There is a tendency with the moon in Leo for people to become more emotionally expressive and dramatic. People may be more susceptible to vanity, self-centeredness, and over inflation of the ego at this time.
The Moon makes a square to Uranus in Taurus followed by an opposition to Mars in Aquarius this evening, bringing a bit of unexpected excitement, passion, and emotional disruption or frustration, potentially leading us to make some sort of minor adjustment or change to our plans.
Sunday (5/20): Happy birthday Gemini! The Sun today shifts from the grounded and earthy sign of Taurus into the playful and curious sign of Gemini at 7:15pm MST. The Sun in Gemini causes us to become much more inquisitive, splitting our consciousness between many different ideas and topics that pique our interest. This is an excellent time to learn an new language or skill, as our minds are highlighted over the course of this next month. Gemini loves to socialize, making this a great time for parties and gatherings of all kinds!
The Moon today continues to transit the fiery and romantic sign of Leo, making a square to Mercury early this morning, indicating the potential to allow our minds to get in the way of our intuition—or vise versa. The Moon makes a square to Jupiter before going Void-of-Course at 8:30pm MST, indicating we may realize we've had unrealistic hopes and expectations when it comes to plans initiated over these last couple of days.
Have a beautiful week! Be sure to check back on Sunday for the weekday forecast! :)


text:
Red 10Keys Kalimba Thumb Piano Traditional Musical Instrument Portable Great Gift
This beautiful musical instrument is perfect for you. Make melodious music with this awesome piano.
Size: see descripition
Keyboard Material: Solid Wood
Soundboard Material: Solid Wood
Dimensions: Other
Type: Upright Piano
Number of Tone: see descripition
Weight (kg): see descripition
Number of Demo Song: <11
Model Number: see descripition
Applicable People: Beginner
Shell Material: Other
Number of Keys: Other
Color: Other
Maximum Polyphony: Other


text:
Best team!!! Katie, Carmen and Kara– you are the bestest!!! xoxoxoxo
Whoa! What a journey this has been! It's been a whirlwind of love and passion ever since I met Luke. Life and our relationship seemed to be moving at a warp speed and got even faster once we got pregnant. Nothing has ever fit so perfectly and felt so incredibly right- yet totally out of my control. I know that sounds crazy… but I am definitely in the hands of a higher power. I've moved across the country, gotten pregnant and restarted my business in a new city- all within the last 6 months. Talk about stress!!! I've never endured so much change!!! Especially in such a short amount of time. I'm constantly learning and am reminded that I need to let go, loosen up, and be patient and see what the universe has in store for me. And let me tell you, once I mastered this mindset, things have been happening… business is booming, my house is beautiful, I'm so much kinder to myself and I'm more open to giving and receiving love- which seems to be abound when there is a new baby on the way! Speaking of babies bringing love, below are some pictures from our baby shower, SO much love! A big, huge thank you to Jena for throwing the most beautiful baby shower. I love you, and it's also no big surprise that the universe has bequeathed to me a beautiful best friend and Godmother to my daughter that is also a wildly talented Event Planner!
Below you'll also find some baby beauty that I found to be very helpful curbing morning sickness and loving my growing baby bump. Enjoy!
Water // Kiehls's Creme de Corps // Belly Balm // Lavender Pillow // Yoga podcast + Mat
The first trimester… a doozie. A couple of things that really helped were to drink an ABSURD amount of water, huff a lavender sachet I kept by my bedside and practice Yoga. I'm not sure exactly how much water I drank, but I think it was twice as much as I was drinking before I was pregnant. That was the trick. I tried ginger, ginger soda, lemon/ lime water, crackers… all the stuff moms recommend… none of that helped me. In fact, it seemed to upset my tummy even more. I realized though… as the morning sickness got worse… that a lot of it was mental. I am constantly reminded of how stong and powerful the mind is. My neighbor told me about some great free yoga podcasts to help get my mind right, relax and reconnect with my body. I practiced this one (Episode 28) every morning and it REALLY helped. I still do the same yoga sesh now, and it's great for my aching back. Also note* if your lower back is hurting you need to workout and massage your butt and backs of your legs- places a masseuse wont get to unless you tell them!!! Another soothing trick- raw lavender. One of my clients, who you might recognize from this instagram picture and yelp review, owns a beautiful lavender field in New York, Lavender by the Bay. After her wedding she sent me an incredibly sweet thank you note and a little lavender pillow- unbeknownst to her I was pregnant and her little gift was so soothing and the perfect for me! Applying unscented lotion was also key in delivering a relaxing and nausea-free connection with my baby and my body, I really like using Kiehls's Creme de Corps. Almost to the day that my second trimester hit, I felt amazing! And so I reintroduced all my other scented lotions. My favorite right now is this super fab Belly Balm by Beaute Nouveau. I also just finished up their french lace milk bath and french lace cleansing milk. Totes an incredible experience in the bath… especially with some candles lit while listening to my rainbow relaxation meditation from my hypno birthing classes! Mmmm!!!! Now for some baby shower pics! Click to see more! Continue reading
Found this on Pinterest (oh what a magical place)! If a little contour and hilight can bring lips to life on a piece of paper… imagine what it could do for your face. In the drawing below the light hits the lips from the right, but on your face imagine you are creating a hilight from a light at a 45 degree angle directly above your head. Pop a little of your under eye concealer directly above the bow of your lips and the center of your chin, blend well with your fingers, then add your lip color.
With Valentine's Day less than two weeks away, I hope you're getting into serious preparation mode! Here's a little timeline to help you stay on track for your Lover's Renzevous… and remember, nothing feels better than planning for outrageous confidence and sexual prowess!
NOW // Book all beauty appointments and make restaurant reservations. Consider where you and your lover would like to dine! If you need help deciding, Yelp is a great resource. If you're going to cook for your lover, consider trying out the recipe ahead of time so you're feeling confident the day of. Also, do you have a cute apron? Hottie in the kitchen!
10 DAYS // Research and shopping phase. At 10 days you've left plenty of time to find that perfect Valentines date night outfit AND lingerie (please don't leave this part out). Consider what the weather will be like, what nail polish color you'll rock, hair style, makeup and everything else that makes you feel super-duper-hot.
ONE WEEK // Facial. One week leaves your face adequate time to heal so that you don't have any peely skin or post-facial breakouts. But not so soon that you'll lose that post facial glowiness. See Elena Rubin for the best facial in NYC.
2 DAYS // Brazilian, Brows… heck, let's keep it real- BODY WAXING. Again, need to leave yourself a couple of days to heal if there is any skin irritation but not so far out that you'll have little in-growns or new growth. See Marta at Haven for the best Brazilian.
1 DAY // Mani/ Pedi. Fresh, fresh, fresh.
V-Day // Hair + Makeup. For hair see the girls at StylesOnB. After your hair is styled to perfection, come see me for makeup right around the corner! And obvi I'll be offering a V-day special…. email me for availability and pricing! firstname.lastname@example.com
Feeling fierce? You should be. Seduction at this point will be a breeze, so enjoy your dinner and basque in your glory as your lover tells you what a magnificent creature you are! And DO allude to what might be waiting for them later…
L xoxo
I was on Style Me Pretty! A team of wedding industry professionals and I all got together to style a winter wedding shoot. Words can't express the amazing talent I worked with! So… I'll let the pictures do the talking for me…
For more beautiful photos, please see the full post on Style Me Pretty. Also, I'm booked for another wedding at this Venue on August 13th, so excited!
Photography: Karen Wise Photography / Venue: A Private Residence in Clinton Hill, Brooklyn, New York (firstname.lastname@example.com) / Event Planning + Event Design: Ang Weddings and Events / Flowers + Event Design: Rountree Flowers / Cinematography: Love in Progress / Catering + Dessert Table:Naturally Delicious / Paper Goods: Regas / Wedding Dress: Angelo Lambrou via Gabriella New York Bridal Salon / Makeup: Lindsey Jones / Shoes: Aruna Seth via Gabriella New York Bridal Salon / Headpiece: Sara Gabriel via Gabriella New York Bridal Salon / Clutch: Moyna New York via Gabriella New York Bridal Salon / Jewelry: Paris via Mark Ingram Atelier / Groom's Suit: Duncan Quinn / Gray Bridesmaid Dress: 57 Grand / Green Bridesmaid Dress: Anthropologie / Rentals: Broadway Party Rentals / Models: Abbi Crutchfield + Luke Thayer


text:
My Favorite Engagement, in Lawrenceville - Pittsburgh
Adriana + Sam
Adriana and Sam are an incredibly smart couple. I'm sure in a few years I will not be shocked to find their names in some fancy magazine or in the New York Times.
Adriana is a multi-talented scientist from Boston, and Sam is a warm and mellow, recently graduated, social worker from Long Island.
They met during their first week in college and have been together ever since [insert my awwwws right here].
When it comes to pre-wedding photo sessions, I am the one who usually picks the location of the session, and I do it by choosing an area that I think it's most representative of the couple's relationship and personality. But for Adriana and Sam, it was different. They decided to take me to their favorite spot instead.
I would have never guessed that this amazing spot was right in Lawrenceville and despite having to cancel on three occasions because of Pittsburgh's unpredictable weather, we finally managed to catch a gorgeous sunset.
This is one of my most favorite sessions. Not only did it take me out of my comfort zone and push me to work past my fear of heights, but it shows Sam and Adriana's playful and adventurous relationship in every one of the pictures :)


text: Arts Loisaida Foundation is a nonprofit arts and cultural organization based in the Lower East Side of Manhattan. It works to expand the venues for local artists from that community and to improve access to local venues. As an advocate for the arts and artists, it promotes visual arts exhibits, multidisciplinary perfomances, art slams and children's art classes.


text:
This blog is to pay homage to the man that has fed us for the last 6 weeks, morning noon and night he has cooked up some unbelievable meals, in some of the most remote locations with the most minimal set up one could ever think to cook his dishes with!
I call him Prince, Prince Charles. He rocks the flat cap!
I have included a few photo's of Charles at work and what he works with, but without a doubt he food is amazing and I can only imagine what he could do in a real kitchen, If Bobby Flay was to come and showdown with Charles he would lose and if Gordon Ramsey tried to get feisty with him not doubt Charles would be the man left standing.
One of the most endearing things about Charles is his passion and professionalism and at times his fatherliness. He allowed us all to enter his kitchen and get involved in cooking, I think everyone has learnt a trick or two and come to appreciate Cookers and Ovens!!
He also taught us about his culture as a Kenyan and a Kikuyu and also about Africa. He has been on the road as a cook for over 20 years and learnt the trade from his father, what ever we needed to know about our trip, the location or just his wisdom! One thing I won't forget Charles is his now infamous cry and when dinner in done and is ready for the 20 hungry mouths….."PLEASE DON"T WAIT!!!"
I have decided to honour Charles with a top 5 of his dishes, unfortunately I did not get photographs of them all, but I have given my top 5 in reverse order with a brief description of how he cooked them!
5. Spaghetti Bolognaise – Yes this is a 'simple' meal but this was a special Spag Bog, He even got first class ratings from the Italians on the trip
4. Sausage Casserole – Now Charles is a sausage specialist he waited to cook this beauty until he got to Zimbabwe, the reason? The quality and the saltiness was not good enough in other countries, he even had me test and taste sausages in Namibia to see if they were suitable for his dish…they were not!
3. Beef Curry – Sat in the middle of the Serengeti in our bush camp, it was the evening after our hot air ballooning, after a fantastic day Charles served up Beef Curry, now it's not the norm to have beef in Indian food, but my word this curry rocked!
2. Beef Stir Fry – Now again think about being in a little campsite, its been raining all day and we are in the foothills of Mount Kilimanjaro, Charles cooking for 20 dishes up a Beef Stir Fry, Simply fantastic, it was not the only time for stir fry as we also had Chicken stir fry at a later date that was equally as worthy of its 2nd place ranking!
1. Lasagna – Now lasagna is one of my favourite dishes, so I consider myself and master on this particular dish, I have even had friends competing over me with there versions of a great Lasagna! This was for me the best dish Charles made. IN addition to put this dish in perspective it was 'baked' on a BBQ!! How you ask!? Well charles places pan on a griddle just above the coals, then places a metal tray across the top of it, then places more hot coals ontop of the pan thus created a BBQ Oven!! Simply amazing!
Now this list took some internal wrangling but was the final but some highlights that were missed were his multiple T-Bone steaks, BBQ Pork Chops, Bacon sandwiches and most important the Back bacon he found for me in Zimbabwe and Namibia, Fried Chicken in the middle of the Serengeti and even a Shepherds Pie.
The Man, The Legend, 'Prince' Charles, He Also had a great sense of humour…..


text:
The best beaches of San Sebastian
All the beaches of San Sebastian are very close to each other, so if you are a beach person you can easily visit them all.
You can never miss going to La Concha, the shell-shaped urban beach of San Sebastian. This beach is almost a mile long and its waters are very calm and shallow, making it ideal for the family and children.
The beach of Ondarreta, with a length of 600 meters goes from the gardens of the Miramar Palace to the Paseo Eduardo Chillida. It is basically an extension of La Concha and ends with the famous Peine del Viento sculptures. It is also a quiet and peaceful beach.
Surf School Recommendation: Zurriola Eskola Surf
Santa Clara
The Santa Clara island is in the bay of La Concha and the beach is visible only at low tide. It is usual for young people to reach the island of Santa Clara by swimming, older people and kids like to take the boat.
Hendaye (30 minutes away in France)
If you are up for traveling a bit, Hendaye is just 30 minutes away and has a wonderful 3 km long beach. It is famous for water sports and because the beach is so huge, you can be with a crowd or alone as you feel like doing.
Zarautz (20 minutes away towards Bilbao)
The beach of Zarautz is another very important holiday destination of the Cantabrian coast. If you are going to Bilbao you can stop by.
French beaches
Finally, the French coast also enjoys numerous beaches, such as the famous beach of Biarritz, the one of San Juan de Luz. I have to say that the French Basque coast has a coastline with more than 70 kilometers of beaches: Capbreton, Hossegor, Mimizan.


text:
Morocco's Parliamentary Elections: More of the Same
The Moroccan parliamentary elections, which took place on November 25th, are the latest example that the euphoria of the Arab Spring may have been premature. While the election results and the process itself represent positive signs for Moroccan political reform, the electoral contest should be interpreted as a victory for the crown—not the people. The results themselves are not particularly surprising. The Justice and Development Party (PJD), a moderate Islamist party, won the largest share of seats (107 out of 395) while the center-right party Istiqlal, which previously held the highest number of seats in the Moroccan parliament, came in second (60 out of 395). Istiqlal leader and outgoing Prime Minister Abbas al-Fassi has said that Istiqlal is willing to form a coalition with the PJD, which appears to represent a shift towards a greater role for the former opposition party. However, in reality neither the PJD nor Istiqlal are likely to challenge the regime.
The PJD has said that they will concentrate on economic reforms and fighting corruption instead of undertaking major reforms. Unlike Tunisia and Egypt where previously banned Islamist parties have only been able to openly participate politically in the wake of the Arab Spring, the PJD has held seats in parliament since 2002. In exchange for its participation, the PJD has remained loyal to King Mohammed VI and is therefore unlikely to seriously challenge his tight control over the Moroccan reform process. However, the PJD's gain of sixty one seats reflects the growing success of moderate Islamist parties across the region, first demonstrated by the Islamic Ennahda Party's success in the recent Tunisian elections.
According to the new constitution, the prime minister will come from the PJD since it has the highest percentage of seats in the incoming parliament. Given that the prime minister shapes state policy as head of the Council of Government and has newly granted powers to appoint ambassadors, CEOs of state-owned companies and provincial and regional governors, the position has newfound influence
Morocco should be applauded for carrying out a legitimately free and fair election. Morocco allowed domestic and international election observers, including the National Democratic Institute and the European Council, who have reported minimal irregularities in the voting process. But that should not obscure some of the major problems resulting from this political cycle.
The biggest problem with the Moroccan elections is that voter turnout at 45%, while a slight increase over the historically low turnout of 37% in the last election, is still remarkably low. A turnout of less than half of the country's eligible voters signals that most of the Moroccan population remain unsatisfied with the king's reform program and are unwilling to participate in the new "democratic" process. This could spell future trouble for the Moroccan regime as the protesters are unlikely to ease up after the elections.
Some might blame the low turnout on a boycott of the elections by the February 20 Movement, which has carried out regular protests against the Moroccan government since the beginning of the Arab Spring, but that is only one factor. Large portions of the Moroccan public have been disillusioned for decades with the façade of democratic reform and the inability of the parliament to oppose the monarchy. This disillusionment has resulted in a steady decline in voter turnout over previous election cycles.
A second area of concern is women's rights and political participation. As part of the recent constitutional reform, 90 seats were added to the parliament, with 60 of those seats reserved for women and the remaining 30 reserved for candidates under age 40, a first in the Arab world. Quotas are a good first step to increase the presence of women in parliament, but a quota does little to address the deep social, cultural and practical inequalities between Moroccan men and women. Notably, the constitutional reform included a provision to "guarantee" civic, social and political equality between men and women, but the legal guarantee of equality is unlikely to impact the everyday lives of most Moroccan women.
Throughout the Arab Spring, King Mohammed has been highly skilled at manipulating the political reform process to ensure his continued control over Moroccan politics. Despite the new powers granted to the prime minister, the king still maintains control over national security and has the ability to dismiss the prime minister. Thus, regardless of the results, the ability of the Moroccan parliament to create genuine change is minimal. It appears that King Mohammad has once again successfully survived calls for reform.
Sarah E. Yerkes is a Ph.D. Candidate in the Department of Government at Georgetown University.


text:
Who: Zilla meets DJ Hoola
When: Saturday, March 25, 9 p.m.
Where: Boot Pub
Tickets: $20
Zilla takes the term jam band to a whole new level.
No songs. No song list. A promise of no noodling instrument solos and a sound more likable to DJ dance music set than a band.
No, this isn't a distorted nightmare. Throw the String Cheese Incident drummer into the mix and nightmare turns into a one of a kind show – something Zilla's Jamie Janover calls a new paradigm.
"We don't have any songs: no material whatsoever," Janover said. "Someone might yell out F sharp or give the band a nod and we know what key we are starting in – that doesn't mean we are going to end up in that key. We can go anywhere from there: any tempo, sound, groove, key. Someone starts and the band has to follow along. It's 100 per cent organic electronica."
If having no play list wasn't hard enough, the band functions more as a computer spitting out DJ beats – only instead of taking hours to lay a single track down on the computer, Zilla's weapons of choice are instruments, ranging from keyboard to dulcimer, and tracks are made as the show is happening.
"We are playing live instruments and trying to simulate (the DJing) style by repeating phrases over and over to get that repetitive trance thing. We make the music evolve. We aren't just noodling it," Janover said.
"We are influenced by West Coast break beat dance music and other styles of electronica. We wanted to play this kind of music live rather than rely on DJs. It's an emerging style, but it isn't very easy. Computers usually make this kind of music. Keeping things perfectly in time and in tune is really challenging to do live."
The Colorado-based trio of musicians, Janover, Aaron Holstein and Michael Travis, are extremely successful in their ability to create this new brand of live electronic dance music: their fan base extends all over North America and the band has recorded six live albums. The trio is currently recording Zilla's first studio album on the String Cheese Incident label SCI Fidelity.
Travis, who has spent more than a decade as the driving percussive force behind the String Cheese Incident, isn't the only band member with impressive credits. Janover has recorded eight hammered dulcimer (Indian stringed instrument) albums, won the 2002/03 National Hammered Dulcimer Championship and played with the likes of Phish, New Monsoon, Keller Williams and Garaj Mahal. Holstein is a double, triple and sometimes quadruple threat, spanning bass and guitar, keyboards and sampler, and scatting and beat boxing. He's rumoured to play up to three instruments at a time – oh and he sings, too.
As if improvising and laying down live-instrumental DJ tracks wasn't enough of a challenge, this special performance also adds guest DJ Hoola to the mix – many Shambala Festival fans will be familiar with the Nelson boy's sets of disco, house, funk, rock, breaks, electro and reggae.
Now most bands would have the DJ warm up the crowds, perform in between sets or at the least rehearse set tracks into the set list. But wait; there is no set list.
DJ Hoola is going to take up the improvisational torch and jam with his turntables, sometimes leading the band, other times following, letting the two entities ebb and flow throughout the evening. Like a DJ, there will be no and-now-for-our-next-song breaks, just one long stream of grooving electronica to keep the dance floor going.
"It's pretty cool because it's all going to be a spontaneous, freestyle sort of thing," said DJ Hoola, alias Mike Paine.
"I've never practised with them before. I've never even met them. I've got some of their albums coming to listen to. It's going to be completely improv. It's definitely cutting edge. I don't know anybody who is doing this."
"He's having to be a musician rather than just a DJ playing," Janover said. "He's going to have to interact with us in real time."
The new duo will warm up with Vancouver and Nelson shows before heading to Whistler.
Advanced $20 tickets are available via Ticketmaster or by calling the Boot at 604-932-3338 extension 0.
DJ Hoola, who recently toured Canada with DJ Lorin Bassnectar, also plays a Disco show Sunday, March 26 at the Garibaldi Lift Company.


text:
Designer of The Month: Chloe Bullock of Materialise Interiors in Brighton, UK
Chloe Bullock is an interior designer based in Brighton, Sussex who currently works for clients in South East England. Chloe is a BIID Registered Interior Designer® at the British Institute of Interior Design and a VeganDesign.org Certified designer. After taking the Vegan Design 101 Class, Chloe immediately began to offer vegan & healthy design options to her ethical clients. Go Chloe! We are so inspired by Chloe and her passion to design using ethical, healthy and cruelty-free options.
Chloe's interior designer firm, Materialise Interiors, offers full service interior design, consulting & collaboration opportunities. Take a look at a few of our favorite Materialise Interiors projects:
We love seeing our Vegan Design 101 Class graduates implementing vegan and cruelty-free alternatives within their communities! To learn how you can become a VeganDesign.Org council Member and grow your business, click here! Say hello to Chloe Bullock by dropping a comment below!


text:
Chapter Twenty-Five: Allison's Final Month
On the last Sunday in January, I was awakened to Allison screaming and yet unresponsive. I tried for a half an hour to bring her around, but could not do so. A call to 911 brought out Chief Rik and his crew. They transported her to Albany Med where Allison would spend the next eleven days. I wish I could say that I was happy with her care there, but I was not. The doctors did not seem to really care about an end stage HD patient. Most of the nurses were nice.
I told my son Rob that he should come up. He came for the weekend and we both knew that this might be his final goodbye. We were told that hospice care was finally approved for Allison upon her return home, by their Medical Director at the insistence of Dr. Costello. I gained more respect for Dr. Costello during this visit. Despite his hectic schedule, he visited Allison several times during her stay. Her neurologist never did visit her despite being based at Albany Med.
Allison came home by cabulance on Thursday February 8th in a blinding blizzard. I cried endlessly as she was being carried into the house on a stretcher. Ann tried to console me. Two hours later a team from hospice arrived: an intake nurse, a social worker, and a man who identified himself as "the director of homecare nursing." The first two folks were mostly silent. The "director" was callous and rude. In front of Allison he asked me "how do you know she is about to die?" He stated that she was NOT approved by Hospice and that he would make the decision. He said that we could not have her wheelchair fixed, a task that was delayed by her hospitalization.
When I had heard enough from him, I decided to go it alone and asked Hospice to leave. Unfortunately Community Hospice was now headed by the same lady who was the president of the VNA, and had told me back in 2013 that we would never again receive services. After I wrote a letter to complain, she called to tell me that this man was not a director and had been sent to sensitivity training because of his conduct that day. The two other folks had corroborated my story. Unfortunately this did not undo what he had done. I know that he had been sent to our house to "get rid of us."
On Friday, a lady who was supposed to act as an additional aide came to the house to meet us. She later called back and said that she did not want the job. I was left alone to fend for myself that weekend, as Ann could not work on weekends. The weekend was quiet and Allison was very peaceful.
The physical therapist came on Tuesday and said that he would return the following week. Ann and I tried to keep Allison engaged and contented. She kept slipping in and out of cognition. On Thursday, she played Virtual Families for what would turn out to be her last time. On Friday, Allison's hairdresser Deb came to cut her hair. Allison barely stayed awake for her haircut. I noticed Deb's tears as she left. I mentioned to Ann that I lamented that I hadn't made plans for Allison's funeral and burial. When Ann left that afternoon I said "see you on Monday."
On Saturday, another lady came to be interviewed as a potential aide. She seemed nice and was experienced in the caregiving field. We agreed to meet again on Monday.
Sunday was a quiet day. Allison watched her DVDs and at 4:00 p.m. I bathed her. She was not breathing well Sunday night as I sat by her side holding her hand and stroking her face. By 3:00 a.m. she was gone. Ann was the first person that I called. She said she'd come right down. I then called 911. Chief Rik and his crew arrived. Rik asked everybody to stay outside. He was crying. Ann arrived and we all cried together. I looked at Ann and said "I told you I would see it through to the end." She looked back at me and said "And you did."


text:
Remnants of Geauga Lake amusement park still exist
Just ask someone about their favorite childhood amusement park and you'll start a conversation that will last for hours. The memories of these parks are vivid, and often invoke emotions that haven't been felt in years.
On the unseasonably warm Saturday of Jan. 12, I set out on a photo mission to explore the remains of the once-great Geauga Lake amusement park in Aurora, Ohio. It ceased operations after the 2007 season.
With my DSLR camera, I sought to capture the state of the place that was such an important part of my childhood. What I saw was sadder than I expected.
As I approached the giant lot housing the former park on Depot Road, I saw multiple wooden roller coasters that were still standing, as if they were waiting for the operator to trigger the cars to go up the hill. The Big Dipper and Raging Wolf Bobs were rides I had ridden dozens of times — and it was so hard to see them basically left for dead.
Piles of rubble were scattered all over the park, and each likely marked the spot where a key operation of the park once existed. Weeds were overgrown and little signified the greatness that used used to be behind the rusted, locked gates.
From the side of the road, it was actually very difficult to figure out what was what at Geauga Lake. After I got home and looked at the photos, I started exploring websites for more information — and found a gem. "Geauga Lake: Today and Forever" actually has park maps dating back to the 1970s, and I used that to match up my memories with my digital images.
Check out some of the photos I took during my visit:
This blog topic came to light due to the enormous response I saw on Twitter and Facebook after posting the photos.
Here are a few comments that stood out on Twitter:
What memories do you have of Geauga Lake? Chime in via the comment box below.


text:
Ontario home owners can get $5000 in rebates back from the Government whereas other Provinces can get much more. Living in Saskatchewan? you can receive up to $10,000 in rebates and grants. Living in British Columbia? You are able to get $12,000 in rebates and grants. Living in Ontario? $5000 is the most you can […]
Posts Tagged 'canadians'
Ontario's Energy Audit Compared To Other Provinces
January 11th, 2012 No Comments
NDP urges Government to Reinstate Eco Energy Program
October 4th, 2010 No Comments
Recently NDP leader Jack Layton urged the federal government to reinstate the Home EcoENERGY program for Canadians. The program gave grants of up to $10000 to help promote energy efficiency within residential homes in Canada. With the new HST tax home heating will be significantly increased and it seems only reasonable that the Government offers […]


text:
UNESCO/COL Chair in OER Annual Report 2012-2013
[UNESCO/COL Chair in Open Educational Resources]
Athabasca University
[Rory McGreal]
Progress report
Period of activity: April 1, 2012 to March 31, 2013
Title of the UNESCO/COL Chair or Network: UNESCO/COL Chair in OER
Institution/Country Athabasca University, CANADA
Report established by: Rory McGreal
Function / Title: Chairholder & Professor Centre for Distance Education
To be sent by electronic mail to both: firstname.lastname@example.com and email@example.com
or to UNESCO, Division of Higher Education
7, place Fontenoy – 75352 Paris 07 SP
Fax: 33 1 45 68 56 26/27/28
The Chairholder is the lead editor in a new research book on OER and has worked with the editor of an online journal to convert it to a more specific focus on OER as a research topic. Our collaboration with the African Virtual University has resulted in their hiring a Canadian OER researcher who has been working closely with the Chair as the head of their OER initiative in Africa. We have also worked with the OER Foundation to ensure that the next meeting of the OER university initiative participants (20 institutions) will be in Canada, in BC in November. The Chair is maintaining the OER Knowledge Cloud website and the OCW site listing in order to support researchers on OER and users. We have also worked with our Dutch colleagues on re-establishing the UNESCO Graduate network for OER and worked closely with international partners including the OER Foundation on building the OER university initiative, where we participated as founding members. A major international online conference was convened to aid in the mapping of the international OER community.
Specific outcomes already completed institutionally include the operationalisation of a standards-based learning object repository using an open source content management system – AlFresco. This work is continuing to allow for more flexible instructor input and output with a grant this year of c. $900K from the Canadian Foundation for Innovation and the Alberta government.
Nationally, the Chair was an invited participant at workshops with college vice presidents in BC and supported the BCcampus in advising the government on their OER initiative (40 new postsecondary courses as OER). This resulted from the intervention of the BC Minister of Advanced Education at the Council of Ministers of Education Canada meeting in Halifax, where this Chair worked with the Director of BCcampus in support of the BC and Alberta ministers speaking in favour of OER. This is the first time that a discussion on OER has occurred among policy makers at the national level. The Chair is also actively involved in a Europroject (POERUP) to report on OER activity and policies across Canada. The Chair has actively campaigned in the university, provincially and nationally explaining the new copyright Bill C-32 in relation to OER and its significance for universities.
I. Address and Contact
Address of the
Host Institution
Address of the
Postal Code
E-mail address of the Chairholder or its representative
Website of UNESCO/COL Chair or UNITWIN Network
Rory McGreal
Associate VP Research
Athabasca University
Research Centre
Technology Enhanced Knowledge Research Institute
Athabasca University
1 University Drive
Athabasca University
+1 780 9949579
Rory McGreal
UNESCO/COL Chair in OER
Information is the same
II. Available resources
For each type of resource placed at the disposal of the Chair/Network, please specify its source (cf. Annex 1)
1. Human resources
- Status of the Chair in the organizational structure of the Institution (number of posts contributing to the Chair) 10
- Number of academic staff (full time and part time), full professors, researchers, lecturers Profs: 4 Assoc. Profs: 2; Assistant Profs: 2
- Number of visiting staff: 1
- If there are other staff or groups contributing to the Chair or Network, please indicate their number and status (postgraduate students, advisors, consultants, experts, NGOs, etc) Consultants: 2; Postgrad: 1
- Number of administrative staff: 2
2. Other resources
Financial contributions: April 1, 2011 to March 31 2012
Athabasca University contribution
Chair ($100K /yr) portion of salary: $ 100 000
Support staff & costs ($50 K X 2 @ 10% X 1 yr.) $ 10 000
Participating faculty (10% @ $120K X 5 X 1 yr.) $ 60 000
External funding
Open Education Foundation (OEF) in kind contribution of Director $ 5 000
Social Sciences and Humanities Council Insight Grant $ 22 000
New external funding (2012 -2013)
UNESCO grant to create an OER for teaching communications to Arab women $ 30 000
Commonwealth of Learning $ 15 000
MORPH Canadian Fund for Innovation $900 000
Material resources (indicate their nature and use):
Server space for housing OER repository and websites est. $ 2 000
Computers for staff and faculty est. $ 1 000
Space placed at the disposal of the Chair or Network
One office for the Chair and desks for staff and facult est. $ 12 000
To facilitate easy handily of data, for each type of resources listed above, please provide the amount whenever available or an estimate sum in US Dollars or Euros.
III. Activities
(Please, provide short information for each activity)
1. Academic activities
Education (leading to certification)
As part of the Chair priorities, the Chairholder continues to maintain a functional OER Knowledge Cloud that can be used to support the OER research network being led by the Dutch Chair. The Cloud now has more than 500 searchable scholarly articles and reports. As part of the OER Knowledge Cloud initiative, an edited book on OER was commissioned and 16 chapters have been submitted and reviewed. It is now being prepared for publication by the Commonwealth of Learning in May 2013. In addition, a special issue of the refereed journal International Review of Research in Open and Distance Learning (IRRODL) is being published and shall be out this Spring with eight to ten research articles on OER. These will all be added to the OER Knowledge Cloud and released with a Creative Commons attribution licence.
A graduate level course and MOOC was delivered by the UNESCO Chairholder and partner on the topic of Open Education.
· Duration: four months
· Target groups: graduate students; professionals
· Geographical: Worldwide
The UNESCO/COL Chair website and blog are being maintained:
http://unescochair.athabascau.ca as is the open courseware website"
Training (short term)
OCL4Ed Workshop an International online OER training workshop led by the OER Foundation and UNESCO and delivered to more than 30 countries. June, 2012
· Duration: two weeks
· Target groups: instructors; professionals (cf. Annex 2) + 1000 participants
· Geographical coverage for partners and participants: worldwide
Open Access Week Online Seminar: Fun and Fear in Open Spaces. October, 2012
· Duration: one week
· Target groups: instructors; professionals (cf. Annex 2) + 140 participants
· Geographical coverage for partners and participants: worldwide
OCL4Ed2: Open Content Licencing for Educators – an online OER training workshop led by UNESCO and the OER Foundation (more than 90 countries in all the workshops)
· Duration: two weeks
· Target groups: instructors; professionals (cf. Annex 2) +1500 participants
· Geographical coverage for partners and participants: worldwide
See Annex for international statistics on the OCL4Ed courses.
OER Workshop, 3rd Annual E-Learning Summit, Informa, Melbourne, Australia, March, 2013.
Workshop: OER basics and the OER Graduate Network. ODLAA Conference, Manly, NSW, Australia, Feb. 2013
Workshop: Open Education – a Global Challenge. OER Sverige Webinar, Sweden, February, 2013. http://oersverige.se/open-education-a-global-challenge/
OER Workshop, Campus Alberta and Ministry of Advanced Education and Technology, December, 2012
Workshop: Virtual platforms at Athabasca University, Moscow State University of Economics, Statistics and Informatics, October, 2012
Workshop:Транцформация в университет 21ого века (Transformation of a university for the 21st century), Moscow State University of Economics, Statistics and Informatics, October, 2012
Pre-Conference Workshop, OER and Mobile Learning, SMART Futures Conference, Moscow, October, 2012
Panelist, European Foundation for Quality in ELearning (EFQUEL), Granada, Spain. September, 2012
Panel Chair, International Conference on Advanced Learning Technologies (ICALT), Rome, July, 2012
UNESCO/COL International Conference on OER, Paris, June 2012
The Chair holder focused on OER research and the goals of the OER Chair by studying and disseminating information both internally and across Canada on copyright and the new copyright Bill C-32. Other research included collaborative work with the OER Foundation on OER for assessment and credit for students, in which we investigated assessment and accreditation practices, including Prior Learning Assessment and Recognition (PLAR) internationally.
The OER mapping exercise culminated with an international online forum 2012.
· Title: OER mapping; assessment; accreditation; OER; Open access
· Duration: Ongoing
· Target groups: administrators, instructors, professionals, policymakers
· Geographical coverage for partners and participants: worldwide
· Intended use of results: Contribute to global awareness raising and networking
Refereed book chapters
Refereed Journal Articles
Conrad, D., & McGreal, R. (2012, December). Flexible paths to assessment for OER learners: A comparative study. JIME: Journal of Multimedia in Education. Retrieved from http://jime.open.ac.uk/jime/issue/view/2012-Cambridge-OER
Anderson, T., & McGreal, R. (2012). Disruptive pedagogies and technologies in universities. Educational Technology and Society, 15(4), 380-389. Retrieved from http://www.ifets.info/journals/15_4/32.pdf
Kennepohl, D., Ives, C., Stewart, B., & McGreal, R. (2012). Building the e-university: Transforming Athabasca University. Educause Review. Retrieved from http://www.educause.edu/ero/article/building-e-university-transforming-athabasca-university
Refereed Conference Proceedings
McGreal, R., Chen, N.-S., & McNamara, T. (2012). A comparison of an open access university press with traditional presses: Two years later , ELPUB2012. . Social Shaping of Digital Publishing: Exploring the interplay between Culture and Technology, Proceedings of the 16th International Conference on Electronic Publishing. Retrieved from http://elpub.scix.net/cgi-bin/works/Show?101_elpub2012
McGreal, R., Dron, J., & Ellerman, E. (2012). Virtual platforms at Athabasca University: International Development Research Institute: Ottawa.
McGreal, R. et al. Report on the assessment and accreditation of learners using OER. SSHRC project (in progress). Commonwealth of Learning: Vancouver
2. Conferences/ Meetings
Invited Speaker: Conference Presentations & Workshops
Keynote: 3rd Annual E-Learning Summit, Informa Higher Education, Melbourne, Australia, March, 2013.
Keynote: India-Canada International Conference on Open and Flexible Distance Learning, SNDT Women's University, Mumbai, February, 2013.
Keynote:Транцформация в университет 21ого века (Transformation of a university for the 21st century), Moscow State University of Economics, Statistics and Informatics, October, 2012
Keynote European Association of Distance Teaching Universities (EADTU), Paphos, Cyprus, September, 2012
Refereed Presentations
R McKerlich, R., Ives, C., & McGreal, R. (2013). Ready, Set. Go! Researching Institutional Readiness to Adopt Open Educational Resources (OER). Paper presented at the Canadian Network for Innovation in Education, Ottawa. April, 2013.
R OER policies in Canada, OCWC Conference, Bali, Indonesia, May, 2013 (with T. Anderson) (accepted)
R Assessment and accreditation of OER. OCWC Conference, Bali, Indonesia, May, 2013 (accepted)
R Change Management: Using Open content and virtual labs for 21st century education. The Higher Education Technology Agenda. Hobart, Australia, April, 2013 (with D. Kennepohl, C. Ives, B. Stewart).
R Virtual Platforms at Athabasca University. Hawaii International Conference on Education, Honolulu, January, 2013. (authored with J. Dron & E. Ellerman).
R Disaggregating universities. Open Education Conference, Vancouver, Oct. 2012 (with T. Anderson)
R UNESCO Chair in OER Network. Open Education Conference, Vancouver, Oct. 2012 (with F. Mulder)
R Electronic Internationalization for Collaborative Learning, EIC 2012, Crimea, Ukraine, 2012
R AUPress: 2 years later. ElPub 2012 – 16th Int'l Conf. on Electronic Publishing. Guimaraes, Port., June 2012
R Kennepohl, D., McGreal, R., Ives, C., & Stewart, B. The next generation: Transformation to a 21st century university via Core strategic projects. EDEN 2012, Porto, Portugal, June, 2012.
R Why OER? Quantitative and Qualitative Methods for Libraries Conference, Limerick, IRL, May, 2012
International experience
Reviewer for IEEE Transactions on Learning Technologies,
Reviewer for In Education Journal (formerly Policy & Practice in Education)
Reviewer for the International Review of Research in Open and Distance Learning
Advisory Board for the International Journal of Distance Education Technologies
Journal of Technology for Education and Learning, Editorial Board
Editorial board of the International Journal of Mobile Learning and Organisation (IJMLO)
25th International Council for Distance Education Conference Programme Committee
Program Committee, International Conference on Computer Supported Education (CSEDU 2012)
OER4Adults Europroject Advisory Board
New Initiatives Chair, IEEE Technical Committee on Learning Technology
Intl. Review Committee on OER for Practitioners course, Learning Agency Network
Program Committee 5th IET Intl. Conf. on Ubi-Media Computing (U-Media 2012), Xining, China
European Commission Research Evaluator
3. Interuniversity Exchanges/ Partnerships
- UNISA, South Africa
- Open University of the Netherlands
- Open University UK
- OER University initiative (20 institutions on five continents)
- University of Southern Queensland
- University of Leicester
- OER Foundation
- African Virtual University
- Association of African Universities
- Brazilian Association for Distance Education (ABED)
- Commonwealth of Learning (COL)
- DEHub, Australia
- European Association of Distance Teaching Universities (EADTU)
- International Association of Universities
- National Academy of Sciences, Ukraine
- Observatory of Borderless Higher Education
- Open Courseware Consortium (OCWC)
- SPARC (Scholarly Publishing and Academic Resources Coalition)
- UNESCO Canada
- International Council for Open and Distance Education (ICDE)
4. Publication and multimedia materials
(Please estimate costs of publications and expected revenues from their sale)
No revenues: These are OER
Edited book (refereed)
McGreal, R. Kinutha, W. & Marshall, S. (Eds.) (in press). Open Educational Resources. Commonwealth of Learning: Vancouver [May publication date]
See Research section for other publications
Multimedia material
Etextbooks (mobile enabled)
McGreal, R. & Baker, D. Basic English Learning for Information and Computer Technologies. Commonwealth of Learning and Athabasca University. Available: https://ictesl.athabascau.ca/
Dewhurst, D. & Zariski, A. et al. Legislative Drafting. (in progress) Commonwealth of Learning: Vancouver. (use of my COL grant and OER input and experience)
Many modules added as OER on the Open Courseware Organization website: http://ocw.athabascau.ca
IV. Outcomes
Please describe shortly (up to 500 words) the major outcomes of the Chair/Network with special reference to their impact on the human, social, economical and cultural development at local, national, regional or international level. Whenever applicable indicate the impact of activities on promoting gender equality, rural development, attaining the Millennium Development Goals, Education For All and Sustainable development etc. We would like also to receive more detailed information on the activities of the Chair or Network at national level for e.g. implication of the Chair/Network in national Policies.
Specific outcomes already completed institutionally include the operationalisation of a standards-based learning object repository using an open source content management system – AlFresco. This XML repository can house OER in an open format for output to any kind of application or device. It has been populated by more than 700 courses in which an increasing number of OER are housed. This work is continuing to allow for more flexible instructor input and output with a grant from the Canadian Fund for Innovation. Institutionally and for international researchers, the Chair is maintaining the OER Knowledge Cloud website and the OCW site listing OER created/adapted at Athabasca University. Nationally, the Chair holder was an invited participant at workshops with college vice presidents in BC and supported the BCcampus in advising the government on their OER initiative (40 new postsecondary courses as OER). This was a direct result from the intervention of the BC Minister of Advanced Education at the Council of Ministers of Education Canada meeting in Halifax, where this Chair worked with the Director of BCcampus in support of the BC and Alberta ministers speaking about OER. We have also re-established the UNESCO network for OER and worked closely with international partners including the OER Foundation on building the OER university initiative, where we participated as founding members: and we are continuing the process of mapping the international OER community.
Progress towards outcomes
This was an important year for the OER/COL Chair. The Chair has actively campaigned in the university, provincially and nationally explaining the new copyright Bill C-32 in relation to OER and its significance for universities. Internally, we have created a formal committee on copyright and OER and have moved the OER initiative forward at AU and with the provincial Ministry of Advanced Education with the co-operation of Campus Alberta. The Chair with Campus Alberta organized a special meeting of VPs of colleges in Alberta in December to promote OER.
The major impacts of Chair activity are beginning to be realized. At AU, we now have committed ourselves to OER and have removed ourselves from a copyright collective in order to focus on OER and university-licensed materials. In the province, we have been working with the Alberta Rural Development Network, measuring the impact of their certification program and with the Department of Advanced Education and Technology supporting an etext initiative using OER.AU is now in the process of developing OER MOOC-like courses in Open communications, Green computing,
In Canada, we are involved in a Europroject (POERUP) to report on OER activity and policies across Canada. We have published a report on this. See < http://poerup.referata.com/wiki/Canada>. The OER Knowledge Cloud has been a major success with thousands of researchers visiting the site and using the database. Internationally we continuing to be active participants in the OER Foundation –led assessment and accreditation for students, collaborating on initiatives including submitting OER proposals to funding agencies. We also are supporting the new UNESCO OER list.
V. Forthcoming activities
(Please outline the action plan for the current biennium)
The original focus of the UNESCO/COL Chair in OER at Athabasca University remains the general context for the work.
Institutional Capacity Building
· Train AU faculty and staff in the creation, development, adaptation and use of OERs to promote high quality learning at lower cost;
· Undertake collaborative research on OERs and priority issues, such as quality and cultural appropriateness through the Technologically Enhanced Knowledge Research Institute (TEKRI);
· Conduct research on current problems in creating and using OERs in a cost effective and efficient manner;
· Conduct and assemble scholarly research on OERs, disseminate it actively to other Canadian institutions and those in other countries via online lectures and publish research findings online in open access scholarly and popular journals.
· Initiate policies promoting OER in the university and support the initiative to oppose the Access Copyright restrictive licensing.
National Capacity Building
· Raise awareness of OER through appropriate national entities such as the Canadian Virtual University and the Canadian Commission for UNESCO;
· Promote inter-provincial collaboration in OER creation and use.
· Work with provincial educational ministries to inform them of the need for OER and help in the formulation of policies in support of OER.
International Capacity Building
· Contribute to interaction and information exchange in the international OER Community;
· Enable a decentralized international OER Network to promote North-South-South triangular collaboration;
· Contribute to the collaborative mapping exercise of OER initiatives worldwide;
· Conduct research on the use of OER and related issues, such as access;
· Collaboratively develop or use post-secondary programs as OER, with partners in the South and in fields relevant to the concerns of the South;
· Maintain an online presence, enabling collaboration and information sharing.
Specific Goals
Specific goals include:
· Build the international OER Network of institutions and organizations;
· Promote and contribute to a map of the landscape of OER initiatives worldwide;
· Develop and support a network of OER researchers through online seminars and face to face meetings;
· Train at least 100 OER cadres in developing countries in the coming year (using OER), who will become empowered and capable of instructing others online;
· Undertake and disseminate research on OER;
· Provide consultancy and advisory services.
Current Workplan
The current workplan for the UNESCO/COL Chair in OER focuses on maintaining the international OER Community and enabling an international OER Network. The objective is to build the capacity of institutions to create, adapt, modify, localize and reuse OERs, and to conduct research into the benefits and problems associated with introducing and deploying OERs in institutions. Building on the present OER Community, the Chair will continue to complement it, collaborating with the international OER Graduate Network, essentially moving from a Community of Interest to develop a Community of Practice, recognizing the priority areas identified by UNESCO - Africa and youth, as well as the need for gender equity.
Specific activities will include sustaining the international OER Community; building the international OER Graduate Network; being involve the mapping OER initiatives worldwide; maintaining a significant online presence; and converting IRRODL into a journal that includes OER research for information sharing and dissemination.
VI. Development prospects
Action aimed at obtaining a stable permanent status of the Chair/Network in the structure of the Institution
Short and medium term:
Raise the profile of the UNESCO/COL Chair and include relevant institutional partners
Long term:
Secure sustainable funding for the OER Chair as an integral component of the Technology Enhanced Knowledge Institute (TEKRI)..
Expanding activities: Include interdisciplinary institutional partners.
Broadening partnerships: Widen the scope of OER activity to include non-TEKRI researchers in Nursing, Computer Science, the Arts and Sciences.
Mobilization of resources: Include partners in proposals to funding agencies and make effective use of the Canadian Foundation for Innovation equipment that has been awarded.
Annex 1
Learning 4 content registration numbers
# Countries
OCL4Ed 2012.12
OCL4Ed 2012.06
OCL4Ed 2012.01
OCL4Ed 2011.03 (Pilot)
East Asia
Central Asia
North Africa
Middle East
North America
South America
South Asia
Sub-Saharan Africa and Indian Ocean Islands
Oceania and South Pacific


text:
Isabelle Porter has been dancing ever since she could walk! She received her training in ballet and jazz from Janet Gray Studios in Salt Lake City. She has also received training in voice and acting, and has performed in musical theater productions throughout Salt Lake Valley for the past 10 years.
Isabelle loves teaching and being around children. She is currently attending Utah Valley University studying Elementary Education. Earlier this year she spent four months living in China as a volunteer teaching English to 5 and 6 year olds.
Isabelle has been teaching Ballet and Jazz at Tanya's Dance and Fitness studio for the past three years and is excited to continue teaching at Just Dance Arts Academy.


text:
|Hayden, Irwin F.
|Memorial Panel #:
|Police Officer
|District / Unit:
|Traffic Enforcement Section
|End of Watch:
|10 August 1971
|Incident Details:
|Police Officer Irwin Hayden, 52, was a 23-year veteran of the Chicago Police Department, assigned to the Traffic Division. On August 10, 1971, Officer Hayden and pilot, David Demarest were flying in WGN-radio's traffic helicopter when it crashed. Due to weather conditions, the helicopter struck a utility pole and high-voltage power lines before falling into a baseball field in Bellwood. Officer Hayden had replaced Officer Leonard Baldy after he died in 1960. Officer Hayden's funeral mass was held at St. Gertrude's Catholic Church. He is survived by his wife, Margaret; a son, Thomas, and daughters, Patty and Peggy.


text:
Wedding Inspiration // "Perfect Pairings" from Asheville, North Carolina/
"Humulus and Theobroma" inspired our perfect pairing styled shoot. Humulus is the Latin word for hops. Theobroma is the Latin word for cacao or cocoa. Asheville excels in both! The Perfect Pairing: Chocolate + Beer.
This shoot was located in a brand new wedding venue, Highland Brewery, and features a phenomenal dessert bar by French Broad Chocolates, two favorite local establishments. Asheville is all about lifting our local community up, and all the vendors for this shoot are local to Asheville! The shoot has an industrial setting at the brewery but brings in the romance through styling.
Photos by Chelsea Lane Photography
Photographer | Chelsea Lane Photography | @_chelsealane_
Hair | ananda hair studio | @anandahair
Makeup | Joanna Ferree of Powder Me Pretty | @powdermepretty
Models: Jacqueline Claudette | @jfranquez, Trebor Clavette, Jaze Uries @jaze_uries, Brooke Jagger @thatradginger
Dessert bar | French Broad Chocolate Lounge | @frenchbroadchocolates
Venue/beer supplier | Highland Brewing Co | @highlandbrewing
Florist | Flora | @floraasheville
Print goods, chalkboard and dessert bar signage | 7 Ton Co | @7tonco
Stylist | Eric Campbell of Cotton + Denim
Tablescape | Eastwest vintage rentals | @eastwestvintagerentals
Bridesmaid Dress | Misha Gil of Swoon | @mishagil
Jewelry and cake stands/serving pieces | Amber Hatchett of Amber Hatchett Designs
Bride's dress | Wildflower Bridal | @wildflowerbridal
Groom and Groomsman clothes | Union His & Her Boutique | @unionasheville
Chelsea Lane Photography is located in Asheville, North Carolina and focuses on small weddings & elopements with an emphasis on all things local!


text:
Later that afternoon, I was allowed to see Josh and rushed as fast as the guard permitted to his sealed quarters.
Unlike last time, he was in his room and when I threw myself at him he bowled over backwards onto the bed. He laughed as we hugged tightly and I found myself pecking his neck over and over again with my lips.
"Whoa!" he laughed, pulling me away. "Take it easy. You're killing me!"
"I'm sorry," I gushed. "I was just so relieved when you won. I was terrified!"
"It wasn't easy," he said.
"Did you see the fight afterwards?" I asked lowering my voice. He shook his head. "It was that other guy, the alpha one here."
I nodded hard and told him what happened. The look of distain on Josh's face needed no words.
A shadow fell on us and I turned to see a tall, muscular man in the doorway. With a light coat of body hair and large pink lips, his dark, chiselled torso was a sight beautiful enough to have been Photoshopped. I didn't think stomach muscles like that could be real but his abs could serve as a washwoman's scrubbing board. The sight of him sent an unexpected flutter through my own stomach.
"Sorry," the man said. "I'll come back."
"It's okay," Josh said. "Miguel, this is Harry, the one I was telling you about."
"Oh, hi," he said, shaking my hand.
"Miguel just arrived. His first fight is next week. Come in, Miguel. Sit."
Miguel sat sheepishly at the end of the bed and Josh squeezed in between him and I.
"I'm helping Miguel settle in," Josh said. "The first few days are pretty scary."
"Few days?!" Miguel scoffed. "You're tougher than I am. Try every day, for the rest of my life, however long that is now."
Josh patted him on the back and offered him a few words of comfort that had little effect. The man looked almost as terrified as I did when I'd first arrived despite the idea of it being completely incongruous to his size and physique.
"How often to they bring new people in?" I asked.
"Only when the numbers are down, apparently. Miguel's replaced Rona…" Josh cut himself off too late.
"Ronan? The Asian guy?!" I asked.
Josh nodded solemnly. "He lost one too many times."
It took a moment for his words to sink in.
"Oh, Jesus!" I gasped, turning white. Josh wrapped his arm around me and pulled me into him. It seemed that every time I managed to forget the horror of our situation, something happened to remind me all over again. I started shaking. Josh held me tighter then, to my surprise, Miguel came around to my other side and embraced me too.
"Between me and this man," he said, "nothing's gonna touch you, ya hear?"
His faux bravery was enough for me to pull myself together. If he could do it, so could I. I nodded and sat up, taking a deep breath.
"I'm fine," I said. "Nothing's changed. We can all do this."
"That's right," Josh smiled and patted me on the back encouragingly.
A moment later, I was whisked away by the guard and taken to a part of the complex I'd never been. The wide room was a smaller, cleaner version of the main hall. Two dozen chairs lined the edge of the room, filled with an assortment of naked middle aged men. At the far side, Jacob waited for me in all his naked glory too.
All eyes in the room followed me as I was led around the wrestling area, which this time comprised a slightly raised circular dais covered in thick blue plastic. Despite my skimpy tight shorts, I suddenly felt overdressed.
"Come!" Jacob grinned, motioning me to his side. We've been waiting for you. You're going to enjoy this."
"What is it?" I said, taking my seat beside him.
"A select few of our clients enjoy something a bit more…exclusive than the main ring," he smiled. "I cater to everyone."
"Exclusive?" My head wasn't taking it in until a side door opened, and the fighters called Colby and pretty boy Saxon walked into the room, oiled up and naked. They were a sight to behold and the murmurs of approval around the room made me spot a number of erections already.
Smiling and unhurried, they climbed onto the slippery plastic dais and took a moment to get their balance. Then slowly, they glided to each other and stopped when their chests touched. As their lips locked in a playful kiss, their hands clasped down by their sides. Their backs tensed and their smiling lips separated. The fight was on, only this time, the stakes appeared to be higher.


text:
Defence Secretary John Hutton has signalled there will be a "fundamental change" in Britain's role in Iraq early next year as he made his first visit to Baghdad.
He held talks with Iraqi prime minister Nouri Maliki before meeting the small number of UK forces stationed in the Iraqi capital.
Afterwards, he said "significant progress" had been made in Iraq in recent months and security was improving across the country.
"We want, in the first months of next year, to see a fundamental change in our military mission in Iraq, moving towards an increased focus on military training and education as part of a broad-based bilateral partnership," he said.
"We agreed to work together intensively to put in place, by the end of this year, a formal agreement in relation to the status of UK forces in Iraq which will underpin this change."
After talks with Mr Maliki, the Defence Secretary spoke to members of the 2nd Battalion The Royal Anglian Regiment and other UK service personnel based in the Baghdad Support Unit.
Most of Britain's 4,000-strong deployment to the country is in Basra, in the south of the country, where Mr Hutton is heading on Monday.
He said: "I wanted to take the opportunity to see what our people – civilian and military – are achieving out here and to get a clear sense of the UK's engagement with Iraq, both current and future. Throughout the country security and prospects are improving and I am extremely proud of what our forces have achieved – they continue to do a tremendous job."
On the Prime Minister's most recent visit to Iraq, in July, he told troops they were bringing the UK's work in the country to its conclusion.
While refusing to set a timetable for troop withdrawals, he told those at Basra Air Station: "You are now working with the Iraqi forces to train them up so that they can take over their responsibilities, so that we can complete our work here to bring Basra to


text:
CrossFit is constantly varied functional movements executed at a high intensity. This fun, affordable program for people of all experience levels will provide results that you will not get through any other fitness program. CrossFit workouts incorporate Olympic weightlifting, gymnastic (body weight) movements and cardiovascular endurance to promote elite fitness. You will be guided by professional coaches who will motivate and inspire you to reach possibilities that you never imagined. The atmosphere in this gym, or as we call it, box will allow you to feed your natural competitive side while sharing camaraderie with our community of fitness fanatics. From beginners to elite athletes, all ages and sizes can benefit from CrossFit.
Training Times
Click Here To See Our Class Schedule
No contracts!
Individual $125.00 a month
Couples $215.00 a month
Bootcamp Only $65.00 a month
Cancellation Policy
If you would like to cancel your membership, CrossFit Heights will need a written notification by the 15th of the month or you will be charged for the following month.
A One Time Free Saturday Trial Class @ 9:30 am (no experience required, please email to reserve a spot)
Daily Drop in Rate of $15.00, Must Have CrossFit Experience
There is a 7.5% sales tax added to the above amounts
(Firemen, Police, Military)
10% Discount: for all monthly fee selections(10%discount does not apply for a drop in)
The Facility
-Kids Area
-Drink and Snack Sales
4225 Gibson Drive
Tipp City, OH 45371


text:
Saturday, February 06, 2010
Twitter has gone a little nuts - it is indicating that I have over 19,000 tweets. Now, I'm fairly prolific - somewhere around 7,500...still
Watching "9" on Blu-ray - strange little film.
http://tinyurl.com/yzh2vu6 My kiddo had her 1st Honor Choir concert this morning-here are the videos if you like listening to kids singing.
ct-honor-choir My kiddo gave her first Honor Choir Concert today-here is video!
ct-honor-choir My kiddo gave her first Honor Choir Concert today-here is video!
Some shots of Denver that I took recently -- http://tinyurl.com/yj4p5sn
http://tinyurl.com/ylltcky Mugshot 77
We just got home from our kiddo's first Honor Choir concert --video coming soon. #singasong
Friday, February 05, 2010
http://tinyurl.com/yle37m5 Mugshot 76
Thursday, February 04, 2010
http://tinyurl.com/ya4f623 Just uploaded my 75th Mugshot - came out kinda blurry. I'm at one of my favourite cafes, #commongrounds, in LODO.
Wednesday, February 03, 2010
http://tinyurl.com/yjckb73 Mugshot 74
Tuesday, February 02, 2010
http://tinyurl.com/yestzwn Mugshot 73 in a full year of daily self portraits.
Monday, February 01, 2010
http://tinyurl.com/yz86v3e Mugshot 72 #mugshotmeme
OH: "There are only so many hours in the day that I can birth nine women."
Sunday, January 31, 2010
http://tinyurl.com/y8pujp5 Mugshot 71 - at the hockey arena before the fire broke out.
Fire Department is here. #pepsicenter
At the Avs game in Denver at the Pepsi Center with a good pal. Avs vs Rangers.
Late...I think it is time to sleep.


text:
Ginger Cultivation
I need information on bed preparation, plant spacing, disease control, and spraying main-sec-micro nutrient.
Certified GKH Gardening Expert
This article will help you:https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/edible/herbs/ginger/growing-ginger.htm
Spacing should be at least 8 inches apart for newly planted rhizomes, but realize that they will spread, so you can give them more room to spread by planting them further apart.
I recommend neem oil. This will help control both pests and fungus on the plants.
Ginger will benefit from something a bit higher in phosphorous, as this will help with rhizome development.
You must be logged into your account to answer a question.
If you don't have an account sign up for an account now.


text:
Share your stories.
Manage A Reservation
Need to make changes to your reservation? You've come to the right place!
Already an IHG® Rewards Club Member? Sign in to view reservations.
24 Hour Fitness Studio featuring treadmill, elipitical, stationary bicycle , and free weights.
On-Site Fitness Center Available
Elements at Water Street is an organic contemporary events and wedding venue nestled on the 2nd floor of our hotel. The design feature of the space include rustic urban décor pieces, hard surfaces, and connection to downtown Naperville history.


text:
Adrienne D. Mishkin, MD, MPH; Markus Y. Mapara, MD, PhD; Ran Reshef, MD, MSc
Acknowledgment: The authors thank Lauren Flicker, JD, MBE, Assistant Director of the Montefiore Einstein Center for Bioethics, and Peter Shapiro, MD, Director, Consultation-Liaison Psychiatry Service at Columbia University Medical Center, for their insights.
Disclosures: Disclosures can be viewed at www.acponline.org/authors/icmje/ConflictOfInterestForms.do?msNum=M18-0185.
Corresponding Author: Adrienne D. Mishkin, MD, MPH, Department of Psychiatry, Division of Psychosomatic Medicine, Columbia University Medical Center, 622 West 168th Street, PH16-37, New York, NY 10032; e-mail, email@example.com.
Current Author Addresses: Dr. Mishkin: Department of Psychiatry, Division of Psychosomatic Medicine, Columbia University Medical Center, 622 West 168th Street, PH16-37, New York, NY 10032.
Dr. Mapara: Columbia University Medical Center, 180 Fort Washington Avenue, Harkness Pavilion Room 1133, New York, NY 10032.
Dr. Reshef: Blood and Marrow Transplantation Program, Division of Hematology & Oncology, Columbia University Medical Center, 630 West 168th Street, Mailbox 127, New York, NY 10032.
Author Contributions: Conception and design: A.D. Mishkin, M.Y. Mapara, R. Reshef.
Analysis and interpretation of the data: M.Y. Mapara.
Drafting of the article: A.D. Mishkin, R. Reshef.
Critical revision of the article for important intellectual content: M.Y. Mapara, R. Reshef.
Final approval of the article: A.D. Mishkin, M.Y. Mapara, R. Reshef.
Provision of study materials or patients: M.Y. Mapara.
Mishkin AD, Mapara MY, Reshef R. Iatrogenic Infertility After Curative Stem Cell Transplantation in Patients With Sickle Cell Disease. Ann Intern Med. 2018;168:881–882. [Epub ahead of print 1 May 2018]. doi: 10.7326/M18-0185
Download citation file:
© 2019
Published: Ann Intern Med. 2018;168(12):881-882.
Published at www.annals.org on 1 May 2018
Hematology/Oncology, Red Cell Disorders.
Results provided by:
Copyright © 2019 American College of Physicians. All Rights Reserved.
Print ISSN: 0003-4819 | Online ISSN: 1539-3704
Privacy Policy
Conditions of Use


text:
Digital Mist
The project is a series of photographs ranging from portraits, to landscapes, as well as more candid shots. For each photograph, an algorithm I wrote parses through it and would randomly relocate a chosen pixel.
I wanted to implement photography in my programming work. I was inspired by glitch art; however, glitch art is created by having the artist purposefully break the original photo by editing the photo's text file. I wanted to steer away from that style and think about how computers could independently create art. Here, the computer is not breaking the original photo but rather rearranging it. I have no control over where the pixels go. Running the algorithm on the same photo will almost never give the same output. Ultimately, questions of authorship, originality, and individuality were key to this project