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Do you say yes because you want to solve a problem, meet a need or straight up to be liked? Is this an occurring thing? If that is a yes, then I can say that I get it, I get that saying no can be incredibly hard to say and make you feel anxious or guilty.
I can with my hands up say that I'm a people pleaser at heart. Im always drawn to saying yes- to projects at uni, outing with friends to "helping out" in any way possible at work and life in general. Why you say? well I do like to think that it makes me feel useful, important and appreciated ...until the stress level and overwhelming kicks in and all because I said to many yes'es (that's not a word I know)
However, saying all that its not impossible to start saying "no". Over the past couple of weeks Ive realised how saying "no" is an incredible skills to develop and how much it can benefit your career, creative goal and more importantly your general well being. I know its easier said than done but taking it a no at a time will allow you prioritise your needs and set appropriate boundaries.
Below I have listed my 5 reasons of why "no" can lead to a better path than "yes"
1. I'm Not an Unlimited Resource.
There are days where we do feel like superwomen, ticking off your to do list with a flourish, zooming through each meal and assuming all can fit in with no consequences. And that when we crash; I get physically sick and start begrudging my responsibilities, moaning and groaning and just lose my patience.
And its all my fault because I've said yes too much. and despite how much id like to be superwomen (hell, even super girl) I'm not, and thats fine.
You are not an unlimited resource. You have a certain amount of time, energy, money, attention- whatever- and how you choose to spend each is critical. The more you give, the more people expect to give just a constant cycle.
As someone wise once shared this with me; if your insanely busy, feeling distressed, wondering when life is just gong to cal down, I have news for you. You need to start saying no.
2. Saying No Doesn't Make Me a D*ck.
A friend of mine asked me couple of weeks asked me to go to her graduation party, and right away created an endless list off all the reasons why I should say yes; a fun venue, a chance to spend time with other people and I was just super happy that she made me feel included and cool. never mind the fact that I have been working 12 hour shifts at the hospital. Oh, and I felt really tired, missed my cat and not to forget the work deadline I had. My body was screaming "stay at home, silly" and with great difficulty, I said no. God did I feel so guilty!
But this is not new. the cringe I get everythime I say no and the "your a dick" reaction. Wait! I think. I ca do it, ill make it work, I want you to be happy with me, I want you think I'm a good person. sound familiar?
Saying no didn't make me a less of a person and most certainly not a d*ck. . When you say no you'll know whats important and start to make choices with integrity. I can genuinely say that I have respect for people who own their boundaries. Flip the situation for a minute and think about all the times you've asked someone to do something and they've declined(for whatever reason) do you automatically think less of them. Saying no is a sign of maturity (becoming a women) it means you have a plan and vision and for once put your needs first!
Tip: start viewing a "no" as a response to the request itself not the person and the anxiety will start to shift (and if someone is genuinely being pissy about your "no" they're the d*ck)
3. You don't need a reason
Saying no when I have reason- I'm visiting my family this weekend, I have an early start, were saving for a big trip- is one thing. But saying no because you want to stay home, eat, leftover pasta watch two seasons of Big Bang Theory and sleep 8:30pm just feels awkward. So when it comes to choosing between the two, I go above and beyond to explain my reasoning for saying no - I actually ofer justify in the hopes (I guess) of convincing the other person I'm not actually bailing on them.
But the thing is I don't need a reason. I can just say no. And the same goes for you. Being in control of your schedule and choices feels so amazing. Being honest about what you need is on a given day a form of self care and it really does help you avoid the burnout.
4. Your Goal Matters.
One of the man reasons I struggled with saying "no" was because the idea of putting my goals first just seemed beyond difficult. It felt so selfish, weird and oddly black and white of me to say that "so and so" is taking up my energy and time- probably why I always was burnout.
But if you are always offering yourself up as a resource to others then you will never be able to concentrate on your own contribution and growth. This doesn't have to mean you should never help other people or collaborate. It just means that you have a choice between yes and no whilst also considering your priorities, goals and SELF-CARE.
5. "NO" Paves the Way for "YES".
What Im trying to say is, if your answer is less than "HELL YEAH !" then answer should be "NO". Trust the gut feeling and your sense of intuition.
A very helpful rule that reminds me to make intentional choices to free up your time, energy and attention for what is meaningful to you. The biggest benefit to saying no more often is that it frees you up to say yes to what actually matters.
Have you learned to say no?


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Jared Barel is a filmmaker, animator, illustrator, designer, art director and graphic novelist based in Los Angeles. He is the owner and founder, along with his brother, Jordan Barel, of Loaded Barrel Studios, an award winning publisher of comics and graphic novels and the production studio behind Jared's film work. He frequently works in New York and New Jersey and has clients all over the world, so don't be afraid to call him for your project wherever you are.
Jared is an accomplished director, screenwriter, cinematographer, editor, animator, and producer. He has worked on a plethora of major label and independent music videos, features, short films, trailers, documentaries, and industrials. Jared has a number of feature films in various stages of development as Director and Producer.
In May of 2017, Jared wrapped production on his first feature film as Director and Producer, THE INCOHERENTS, a comedic film about a middle-aged guy who gets his 90s rock band back together. The film is a co-production between Loaded Barrel Studios, RonanJean Productions, and Starna Productions. The Incoherents is currently in post production with Jared as editor and is looking at a 2018 release.
As an editor and screenwriter, Jared frequently gets called to help filmmakers hone their stories, whether it's a feature in post-production or a short in the midst of shooting. Recently, Jared was hired to create an animated sequence for the feature film UNCAGED utilizing his signature "live-action" illustration stylings to help pull the narrative together. UNCAGED can be watched on Netflix now. In 2016, Jared was nominated for Best Editor for the short film DYSGENESIS by the International Filmmaker Festival of World Cinema London.
In 2014, Jared's trailer for BRIELLE AND THE HORROR was nominated for a Geekie Award for Best Trailer.
"1:56.. that is how long this trailer lasts, and it's nothing but pure AWESOMENESS!!! Now excuse me while I watch the trailer again.. and again.. and again." - Horror-Movies.ca
Jared is the artist and writer for the award winning graphic novels GREY and BRIELLE AND THE HORROR published by Loaded Barrel Studios.
"Live-Action Graphic Novel" is the phrase that Loaded Barrel Studios uses to describe Jared's unique art stylings in which every panel on every page of his comics are set up and shot like a film on digital stills with live actors, props, costumes, etc. and then converted into the "comic" art that you see in the book through a fusion of traditional and digital illustration, photo manipulation, and computer generated imaging to create a visual experience unlike any other.
Jared was recently hired by Garbo Studios in Switzerland to illustrate Steve McQueen in a graphic novelization of the film "Le Mans" under license from CBS Broadcasting. On the FILM page, you can watch the teaser for the graphic novel that Jared directed, animated and edited.
Jared is a mainstay at many comic cons throughout the United States, particularly in the New York/New Jersey/Philadelphia areas and in and around Los Angeles.
"[Jared Barel] produces a visual experience so different from the norm it makes a lasting impression. Visually I instantly fell in love with Grey and found each turn of the page to be more awe-inspiring than the last... This is a must read graphic novel..." - Comics Forge
Design and Art Direction
On top of being a noted Filmmaker and Illustrator, Jared is also quite the accomplished Graphic Designer and Art Director. He most recently won Designer of the Year from the L.A. Book Festival in 2014. He has served as Art Director for a number of agencies and serves as the Creative Director, among many other positions, for Loaded Barrel Studios. Jared received his B.F.A from Mason Gross School of the Arts at Rutgers University in Graphic Design and his M.F.A. from the School of Visual Arts M.F.A. Design Program - where his thesis design project was a short film… go figure.
A recent notable design project was designing and developing actor and comedian Paul Scheer's (The League, NTSF:SD:SUV, Fresh off the Boat) website.
More recently, Jared was hired by Cognotion to Art Direct and Project Manage their $1.5M healthcare educational tech project ReadyCNA which was comprised of 80 hours of content including 20 hours of motion graphics based on Jared's designs and animation.
NOMINEE • Best Editing • International Filmmaker Festival of World Cinema London (2016)
WINNER • Best Graphic Novel • International Book Awards (2014)
FINALIST • Best Interior Designs • International Book Awards (2014)
Designer of the Year • L.A. Book Festival (2014)
WINNER • Wild Card Category • L.A. Book Festival (2014)
WINNER • Silver Medal for Best Graphic Novel • Independent Publisher Book Awards (2014)
FINALIST • Best Design • Indie Book Awards (2014)
NOMINEE • Best Trailer • The Geekie Awards (2014)
WINNER • Best Graphic Novel • The Sketchy Awards (2013)
WINNER • Silver Medal for Best Graphic Novel • Independent Publisher Book Awards (2012)

subset: commoncrawl


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At Asthma Australia, we know asthma is a lifelong condition that continues to cause too much hurt and heartache. We have made so much progress, but we need to reinvigorate our efforts for a world without asthma.
We know how to help – and you are part of our solution. Together, we can shift the dial on asthma treatment and prevention.
Join us 9 – 10 June 2020, at The Asthma Conference: Shifting the dial on asthma.
Pre-Registration is now open. Program and speaker information will be available soon.


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Carroll Capital makes investments based on time tested, straightforward investment disciplines:
Return on Equity; we measure our returns based on the free cash flow generated on the equity we have invested.
We are value investors that focus on buying high quality assets below what we believe they are really worth.
Diversification is the primary source of long term risk mitigation.
Monitor changes in demographics, consumer demands, and the political environment to help position long term investments.
Always use common sense.
Moderate use of leverage.
We only invest and work with people we like, respect, and trust.
Carroll Capital gives equal consideration to the potential downside of an investment than we do the potential upside. We are fully aware that no one can consistently predict the future, and that changing times (confusion/fear) usually bring disruption to financial markets. By always maintaining this awareness, Carroll Capital is well positioned to react quickly to downturns, which often offer the best long-term investment opportunities.


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Homemade Lemonade
Cool off and pour yourself a big old glass of my homemade lemonade recipe. Three ingredients needed to make the best homemade lemonade around!
It's hot and one thing that I've indulged in all summer is homemade lemonade. I can't get enough of it and usually have at least 1-2 glasses a day. I love my homemade version because I can control the sugar and although there is a lot of sugar in it–it's far less than what you get from the lemonade found in stores. Plus I love the tart/sweet ratio that I just haven't found in any store-bought lemonades.
If you love lemonade from a fair or festival then you'll love my recipe for homemade lemonade. It's spot on taste the same as you get at the outdoor festivals. It's always the first thing my husband and I grab when going to our yearly art festival. We love the freshly squeezed lemonade.
I like to not waste anything. I actually boil the rinds of the squeeze lemon in with my simple syrup. I feel that it gives the lemonade an extra layer of flavor! Then I use a strainer and strain out the lemons and let the lemon simple syrup fall into the glass pitcher. I also take a wooden spoon and push out any excess syrup to make sure I get all the good juices!
I keep the pitcher in my refrigerator with a little plastic wrap and sip on the lemonade throughout a few days. Sometimes this one pitcher only makes it a day in my refrigerator–just depends on how thirsty everyone is in our home. I try to ration it out and I almost always add a little more water to every glass to stretch it a little further! Just a side note, I used a hand-held lemon juicer to squeeze out the juice–so it takes a little bit of time, but totally worth it! If you have an electric one it will take you no time at all! So if your like me, and want to cool down this summer make a big pitcher of my homemade lemonade recipe.
Homemade Lemonade
Yield: 6 glasses
Prep Time: 35 minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes
Total Time: 50 minutes
- 12 lemons, juiced
- 6 cups of water, divided
- 2 cups granulated sugar
- Slice lemons in half, and juice until all juice has been removed from the lemons. Do not discard the lemon rinds, set them to the side.
- In a large saucepan combine 4 cups water and sugar. Mix on high until sugar is dissolved then add all the lemon rinds to the pot. Heat for 10 minutes then turn the burner off and let sit for 20 minutes.
- Strain the lemon simple syrup into a pitcher then add in the fresh lemon juice and 2 cups of cool water. Chill until cold and serve over ice.
Katie Original Recipe
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2 Responses to "Homemade Lemonade"
mmmm perfect fresh lemonade!


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Our diamond in Aegean coast!!!
In streets of Alacati you start by walking on the cobblestone. Cobblestone does not like the high hills but loves the coach because it sings while driving on it. My childhood memories from Princess islands: the unique music of cobblestone. The sunny houses of Alacati reminding me warm hugs from your loved ones , passing out on a hammock , enjoying images on the walls drifting you into a fairytale...
The sun is the reason for the most delicious food you experience here.Alacati market is one of the richest food market you can ever see. The art and antique stores , stylish clothing, gourmet restaurants are the bonus part of it.
Taste the Sardaines in Okan's Beach with a salad beside it.
For a wider fish experience we always end up in Dalyan , a small fishing village by Cesme. The variety of mezes prepared in olive oil makes us full most of the time , leaving no space for delicious fresh fish from Agean sea.
Deniz Borulcesi or Sea Beans are our favourite meze in Turkey. Salicornia Europaea is from the same family of Spinach. It is grown close to sea shore specially in the land affected by the tides.Sweet , salty taste makes a great start for meze and just needs to be steamed and cleaned from its hard strings. Adding garlic, olive oil and lemon makes this healthy plant irresistible. Being rich in iodine and all sea minerals , sea beans are great for thyroid disorders. You can find it in Wholefoods sometimes , expensive tough.
We love eating grilled calamari, different types of wild green leaves grow in the region, stuffed mussels, Saksuka (eggplants paprika cooked and served with yogurt)...
You will read more about those delicatessens in my blog and recipes.
Our favourite fish from Agean sea is grilled wild Sea bream and wild Sea bass.They are a little pricy compared to the farmed ones however the ecological damage and the artificial feeding systems of farms does change our preference. Like many other animal products, farmed fish is exposed to harmful antibiotics and hormones. Most practices in fish farms are not sustainable either.
The concept of Asma Yapragi is about serving the best and most available fresh vegetables of the day.You pick up from the freshly prepared varieties in the kitchen and they serve them to your table in their authentic garden. All the objects you see around are collected from second hand stores with the regions style.
One of the best parts of our vacation every year is Alacati, the sweet town by Izmir. The windy climate makes here a paradise for windsurfers and a great resort to be under the strong summer sun.
Full of colours, full of laughters, full of scents and sounds. A carnival of attractive objects. The breeze that carries the heat away..
It is a good idea to visit Cesme , the town just by Alacati. Marina of Cesme is very colourful with many restaurants and stores. We had great time listening to a jazz orchestra this time. Tuval is an expensive gourmet restaurant which has spots both in Cesme Marina and Alacati. Our favourite place is the bridge with the Unicorn on top and the Wishing Tree!!!
Ilica is another small neighbourhood to visit between Cesme and Alacati. The sandy public beach is a good place to play with the waves, Our favourite beach however is OKAN's beach. It is 20 minutes drive from Alacati . It is the Bahamas in Izmir.
Our favourite restaurant in the little , busy streets of Alacati is Asma Yapragi meaning vine leaves.


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Get ready for some OPINIONS!!
As a college student, I just wanted to say how lucky I am to be able to go to a good college and just LEARN. It is a privilege that I do not take lightly. I realize that a lot of people don't have the opportunity/have other options beside going to college, and that's okay! I just want to put this out there that you don't have to necessarily have to go to college to learn. Our own experiences in life provide us with many opportunities to learn. I love learning and I am a strong believer that we are continuously learning throughout our lives, and even when we are out of school, the learning never stops.
That being said, I wanted to address the idea of learning vs. education. Learning and education are two very different things. To put it simply, I think that the education system in this country is completely wrecked. School should be a place where people want to go, a place that nurtures creativity and individuality, somewhere where people be excited to learn! But it's not. Instead, it is a place that a vast majority of students absolutely dread to go to, along with forced standardized tests. They are rewarding people who do what they are told, at all costs. Because they trick us into believing that if we follow rules, don't question authority, and do well on tests, we will be rewarded with success. This may be true in some instances, but it is not an absolute. I recently read a speech on the internet about this idea that really inspired me to think about all of this. It is by Erica Goldson, a high school valedictorian a couple years back and I think it was really well said. I will link the speech here! (Please take a look!) Once I read this, I realized something...this was me. I was a robot of the education system. Instead of exploring hobbies that I had or utilizing my creativity, I spent all of my time studying, taking notes, doing extra credit that I didn't need!
|I thought this picture summed of perfectly my feelings of the education system.
Not to say that this is necessarily bad, but this level of "robot"-anation (I'm just making up words now haha!) did nothing for me except for teaching me how to study for a test, only to forget what I had learned 2 days later to make room for the next test. Is this what education has become? If it is, I think we are in some serious trouble.
But, how can we fix it? This is a serious question and I'm going to be honest, I haven't the slightest idea. Maybe to start things off, stop putting so much pressure on kids to pass all of those stupid standardized exams! They mean nothing and it only test how well you can take a test. It is not a measure of your intelligence, it does not signify who you are. At all. But that's the way it is set up. Life is more than just being able to pass a test.
Okay. Phewww. I'm glad I got this off my chest. I feel so much better now.
You are all creative, inspiring, caring, wonderfully talented individuals who are going to change the world. I just know it. Everybody better watch out :) & Remember - never stop learning!


text: T.F. Nelson Plumbing has the manpower and necessary equipment for plumbing in new construction. Whether it is a custom home, tract home development, or new commercial building, we have the knowledge and experience to plan, build, and install an efficient plumbing system. Contact us anytime for a bid proposal on your project.Read More


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Area, 47,716 sq mi (123,584 sq km). Pop. (2000) 2,844,658, a 10.5% increase since the 1990 census. Capital and largest city,Jackson. Motto,Virtute et Armis [By Valor and Arms]. State bird,mockingbird. State flower,magnolia. State tree, magnolia.
Mississippi is traditionally one of the more rural states in the Union; not until 1965 did manufacturing take over as the leading revenue-producing sector of its economy. In 2000, Mississippi ranked third in the nation in the production of cotton, but soil erosion resulting from overcultivation and the destruction caused by the boll weevil have led to the increased agricultural diversification. The other most important crops are rice and soybeans. Today broiler chicken production, aquaculture (chiefly catfish raising), and dairying are increasingly important. The state's most valuable mineral resources, petroleum and natural gas, have been developed only since the 1930s. Industry has grown rapidly with the development of oil resources and has been helped by the Tennessee Valley Authority and by a state program to balance agriculture with industry, under which many communities have subsidized and attracted new industries. Revenue from industrial products, including chemicals, plastics, foods, and wood products, have exceeded those from agriculture in recent years. On the Gulf coast there is a profitable fishing and seafood processing industry, and gambling is now booming on the Gulf Coast, along the Mississippi River in Natchez and Vicksburg, and in long impoversihed Tunica County, in the northwest.
There are military air facilities at Columbus, Biloxi, and Meridian, as well as the Stennis Space Flight Center at Bay St. Louis. The state's per capita income, however, remains the lowest in the nation.
Known as the Magnolia State, Mississippi has a total population of approximately 2,850,000 residents. Mississippi offers a heritage rich in culture and a legacy of world-renowned artists, performers and authors. Our average temperatures: Spring - 65, Fall - 66, Winter - 48, and Summer - 81. Jackson is the State capitol with a metro area population of around 250,000. We have a 7% sales tax rate in Mississippi. Jackson offers many wonderful houses of worship. You are certain to find a home in the church or synagogue of your choice.
Jackson is the only United States site for the International Ballet Competition, held on a rotating basis between four international cities (Varna, Bulgaria; Moscow, Russia; and Helsinki, Finland). Residents from all around serve as volunteers for this premier event.
10 minutes north of Jackson is the city of Madison; 10 minutes west is Clinton. Both of these cities are Designated Retirement Communities and offer special amenities to make the retirement years as active and enjoyable as you wish. Both cities are excellent examples of the communities, cultural events, and activities you will find throughout central Mississippi. Civic involvement, Adult Enrichment courses at area colleges, and a wide variety of community events make these cities gems.
Just minutes from downtown Jackson is the beautiful and historic 444-mile Natchez Trace Parkway. The Trace was the busiest highway in America in the early 1800's. Known for its history and charming drive, the Trace runs the length of Mississippi from the Tennessee State line to its termination in Natchez. Take a lazy Sunday drive along the Trace where the speed limit is 50 miles per hour; the only signs you'll see are the ones alerting you to historical markers, nature trails, scenic spots and campgrounds. Stay alert, though, for the bountiful wildlife that calls this National Park home.
Driving the Natchez Trace Parkway north, you'll skirt the 33,000 acre Ross Barnett Reservoir, a short 15 minutes from downtown Jackson. The Reservoir offers exceptional facilities for all your boating, sailing, and fishing pleasures. There are dozens of state parks around the Reservoir where you can enjoy canoeing, hiking, camping, and other outdoor pursuits.
Mississippi is home to the blues and artists like B.B. King and Muddy Waters. Mississippi is the birth place of Elvis Presley, the King of Rock-n-Roll, and authors William Faulkner, Eudora Welty, Margaret Walker Alexander, John Grisham, Willie Morris, Shelby Foote, and Donna Tarrt just to name a few. Mississippi is also the home of Morgan Freeman, Oprah Winfrey, Gerald McRaney, Faith Hill and LeAnn Rimes. Plan a weekend around the Delta Blues Festival and experience the birth of the blues first-hand. Join our authors at book signings in area bookstores or enjoy the festivals throughout the year that celebrate our heritage.
Take your own personalized tour of our area. If you have questions or want more information, let us know. We'll be happy to help you discover "Mississippi."
The "Mississippi, Believe It!" Campaign
Yes, our roads are paved ... AND we have the best student drivers under the sun.
Yes, we have running water ... right next to the world's finest kitchen appliances.
Y'all May Think We Talk Funny,But The World Takes Our Music Seriously.
A State of Grace.
Yes, we can read. A few of us can even write.
Yes, we wear shoes. A few of us even wear cleats.
Monster Trucks? No. Hog Callin'? No. Tractor Pulls? No. World-Class Entertainers? Yes!
Meet a Few of Our New "Good Ole Boys."
Mississippi.When It Comes to Modern Medicine,We Wrote The Book.
A Mississippi Stereo Type.
Mississippi. The First to Have a Change of Heart ... and Lungs ... and Kidneys ...
No Black. No White. Just The Blues.
The Unmatched Courage of a Soldier. The Ultimate Sacrifice of a Town. The Unparalleled Vision of a Workforce. Mississippi. A Legendary Force for Freedom.
Freedom Unsinkable.
Moscow, Russia. Varna, Bulgaria. Helsinki, Finland. Jackson, Mississippi, USAMississippi? You Better Believe It!
Houston? No. Kennedy Space Center? No.Mississippi? You Better Believe It!
Where Is The World's Largest Auto Plant That Was Built From Scratch? Japan? No. Germany? No. Detroit? No. Mississippi? You Better Believe It!


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11/8/2019 » 11/9/2019
LEAD! Regional Training Event - Savannah
1/28/2020 » 1/31/2020
Owners Executive Series


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Editor's Note: Published by Bill Dimm of Hot Neuron, the paper Confirming Recall Adequacy With Unbiased Multi-Stage Acceptance Testing and a link to a brief overview of the paper describe a new method for requiring much less document review to demonstrate adequate recall achievement in eDiscovery. The paper will be presented by Mr. Dimm as part of the DESI VII Workshop in London, UK.
Confirming Recall Adequacy: A New Approach
Abstract and Complete Paper by Bill Dimm
The adequacy of an e-discovery production has traditionally been established by using random sampling to estimate recall, but that requires review of approximately 400/ρ documents, where ρ is the prevalence, which can be burdensome when prevalence is low. Accept-on-zero testing is sometimes suggested as an option requiring less review at only about 12/ρ, but in practice, it is biased and is likely to fail when recall actually is adequate. This paper proposes a multi-stage acceptance testing procedure that avoids bias and actually works in practice. The amount of document review required with the new method depends on the level of recall actually achieved. It is typically around 200/ρ or 100/ρ, but can be as low as 25/ρ if the actual recall is substantially higher than the minimum required. This dependence on the recall achieved may motivate producing parties to aim for higher recall since the additional document review put into pushing recall higher will be at least partially offset set by a reduction in review effort needed to confirm the adequacy of the result.
The Complete Paper (Bill Dimm/Hot Neuron LLC)WD
Read the complete explanation of the article at Substantial Reduction in Review Effort Required to Demonstrate Adequate Recall
Source: Dimm, William. Confirming Recall Adequacy With Unbiased Multi-Stage Acceptance Testing. London, UK: Bill Dimm, Hot Neuron, LLC, 2017. Web. 6 June 2017. ICAIL 2017 DESI VII Workshop.
Additional Reading
- ICAIL DESI VII Workshop (June 12, 2017, King's College, London, UK)
- Technology-Assisted Review on ComplexDiscovery


text: In voice-over narration, the voice artist is telling your story by narrating the events that are being presented. When it comes to finding the right talent for your next voice over narration project, you need to ensure that the person's voice not only complements any accompanying video, but also effectively represents your brand through narration. Fortunately, CMD offers a great variety of voice talent, and that includes narration. No matter what type of narration you need for your next project, we have the voice you're looking for. Unsure of what type of voice you should use? That's not a problem! We can happily assist you in choosing an appropriate voice talent for your project and brand. If you'd like some assistance, give us a call at 212-213-9420.


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The Online Community for Culver City – The New Scene
Menchie's (www.menchies.com), the fastest-growing frozen yogurt franchise, has officially opened a Culver City location on Main Street and Culver Blvd.
To celebrate, Menchie's, will have a seven-day grand opening celebration starting this Saturday, June 28th where they will be offering free yogurt from 11am-1pm (up to 8oz). In addition, the Saturday celebration will feature a balloon artist, free t-shirts for the first 25 guests and a ribbon cutting ceremony.
Other fun surprises throughout the rest of the grand opening week include:
3851 Main Street
Culver City, CA 90232
Sun-Thurs: 11am-11pm
Fri-Sat: 11am-Midnight
Views: 208


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40 • Central, Hong Kong Island, Hong Kong (China)
Male / Divorced / ID: 1073628
Seeking Female 20 - 38 For: Romance / Dating, Marriage
Last active: 3 months ago
Have children:
Cars / Mechanics, Cooking / Food and Wine, Music (Listening), Movies / Cinema, News / Politics, Photography
American, French, Middle Eastern, Barbecue, Seafood, Cajun / Southern, Greek, Indian, South American, Caribbean/Cuban, Italian, Chinese / Dim Sum, Continental, Thai, Eastern European, Mediterranean, Mexican, Vietnamese
Other, Pop, Reggae, R'n'B / Hip Hop, World
Bodybuilding, Boxing, Diving, Extreme Sports, Fishing, Martial Arts, Scuba Diving / Snorkeling, Swimming
all except horor
several but ''my vision' by sheik of UAE inspired me a lot.
I'm an all rounder. i love food from all over the world. it smy passion to try and cook all dishes.
international, romantic, rnb, soul, reggae, hip hop, dance.
casual, smart, elegant, sporty depending in situation and events
very funny, friendly and always a smile on the face.
Cooking, keeping fit, reading, movies, music, boxing and Mixed martial arts, travelling, sea sports,
Travelled a lot and few places. looking to travel round the world soon..
can be very interesting and as long as there is respect for each other's culture and values.
preparing nice candle light meal for my lady or going to restaurant if I can't be bothered to cook :)) , trip to the countryside or beach, weekend by a lake or even near forest with lots of hanky panky :))))
strong personality with discipline, and sense of huge responsibility, can be emotional given being very kind , considerate and caring. would be friendly at all times. do keep personal integrity and respect for self and others.
sincere, honest, respectfull, educated with brain of course, realistic, caring, romantic, shy, hot and sexy, yessss!! :)) clean and tidy!! hard working for mutual commitments
We promise to keep your information safe and will never post or share anything on your Facebook page.


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Recipe: How To Poach An Egg.
Have you ever stopped to wonder how eggs are poached? For a long time I didn't. Until a few trips to the UK made me wonder how they got eggs perfectly O-shaped ; egg white and yolk especially. Then I found out and also how easy it was to make. Poached eggs is more less cooking eggs in simmering water. Simple. Very fancy name it has though, isn't it?
To make poached eggs, all you need is one large fresh egg (the fresher the better, take my word for it) and pan of water. It's that easy. Remember, it has to be fresh eggs or else the egg white will separate from the yolk. You don't want that to happen.
Here's a video of how I make my poached eggs in a space of 10 minutes. The ten minutes includes simmering time and poaching time.
If you want a lava yolk flowing out then you should shorten poaching time. The longer the egg stays in the water, the firmer the yolk becomes.
You can have poached egg on toast; perched atop sautéed vegetables or even rice. Its definitely much more eye-grabbing than a whole boiled egg. Wouldn't you say? Yes I do agree with you.
Have you tried poached egg before? Loved it or it was ughh.. ?


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Maroela is a game farm owned and loved by the Basson family, in the Loskop Valley near Groblersdal, Limpopo SA.
Operated by a qualified Nature Conservationist, Michael Basson.
A variety of game grazes Maroela, consisting of Giraffe, Eland, Oryx, Kudu, Nyala, Zebra, Blue Wildebeest, Impala, Hartebeest, Ostrich, Warthog, and our occasional Leopards.
We have added a restaurant, Maroela Pub & Grill to complete our beautiful lodge. We cater for everyone! We are happy to host private functions and conferences such as birthdays, weddings, meetings and other gatherings.
Buffet every Sunday. Book to avoid disappointments but walk-ins are welcome.
Keep an eye open on our Facebook page to see each week's buffet menu!
Bar with the widest variety of drinks.
Boma & Outside seating with our beautiful Maroela tree. Interesting fact, the whole restaurant has been built according to this tree's position as this tree has a special place in our hearts


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Home » Posts tagged 'Mayan history'
Tag Archives: Mayan history
Archeological Legacy of Kan Bahlam II
Kan Bahlam II was a Renaissance Man centuries before that term was invented.
He left an archeological legacy that is unsurpassed among Maya kings. His brilliant mind conceived a new calendar, the 819-day count and invented a secret code language called Zuyua. His command of mathematics and numerology led to a web of interconnections between his family history and cosmological cycles. He was an accomplished astronomer and created complex connections between mythological, historical, and family events. He also may be the earliest "cosmopolitan" Mayan, a sophisticate who traveled widely to the edges of the Maya world. K'inich Kan Bahlam II, eldest son of famous ruler K'inich Janaab Pakal of Palenque, left a vast archeological legacy of this accomplishments. He did all this in the mid-late 7th Century.
Kan Bahlam II had to wait an agonizingly long time to bring his genius to full expression. His father Pakal was one of the longest-lived Maya rulers, who died at age 80. Kan Bahlam assumed the throne of Palenque in 684 CE when he was 48 years old. He quickly went to work on several projects to make his own mark on the already great city. First he completed his father's funerary structure, Temple of the Inscriptions, including the stunning burial chamber and sarcophagus of Pakal, and the three magnificent panels covered by carved hieroglyphs giving this temple its name. In the midst of this project, he contended with hostilities from nearby Tonina, defeating it soundly in 687 CE and capturing its ruler. He extended his influence eastward to dominate two other enemy cities around 690 CE.
Kan Bahlam's archeological apex was constructing the three temples of The Cross Group, called the "three jewels of Maya architecture."
This triad complex still stands as perhaps the most powerful expression of ancient Mayan religion. Each temple of The Cross Group features one of the Triad Gods, widely honored by Mayas but special protectors of the Palenque dynasty. Every facet of these temples expresses symbolism of Maya cosmology and belief systems, from the stairways and platforms to the temple doorways and chambers on top the pyramid structures. Inside the chambers, each temple held a large panel, intricately carved with images and hieroglyphs. These panels contain the only lengthy written narrative of Classic Maya mythology, the legend told in the famous Popol Vuh epic written centuries later by K'iche Mayas. In his telling of this Maya creation myth, Kan Bahlam inserted himself as
the embodiment of each Triad God, portraying his youthful and mature images. In each temple, his image assumed characteristics of its God and he enacted the powers they brought to rulers.
But Kan Bahlam went beyond conflating himself with the Triad Gods. He inserted the fruits of his many years of intellectual endeavor, using cosmology and numerology to make links with his family and personal history. Layer upon layer of meaning was embedded in these images and glyphs. As an example, he took a "mythical" date many thousands of years in the past (related to Creation Mythology), linked it mathematically to the date when he assumed the throne, linked it using various calendars (including the 819-day count) to a cosmological event such as Venus rising as Morningstar, and linked it historically to an important event in the life of an ancestor. Ceremonies were performed at dedication and over many years, following a ritual cycle according to calendar dates, such as the great Katun ending in 692 CE (18.104.22.168.0). The temples symbolized the basic spaces of creation: sky (Upperworld), surface of water (Middleworld), and caves (Underworld).
Using his knowledge of astronomy, Kan Bahlam constructed angles and spacial orientation of the triad temples to display solar and lunar phenomena, such as solstice and equinox sunset or sunrise, and lunar elongations. See blogpost Solstice, Equinox, and the Mayan Calendar.
K'inich Kan Bahlam II, 12th Dynastic ruler of Palenque (B'aakal) is a major character in my historical fiction The Prophetic Mayan Queen: K'inuuw Mat of Palenque. He had no surviving heir; the son of his younger brother assumed the throne. This next ruler, K'inich Ahkal Mo' Nab III, was the son of K'inuuw Mat–and possibly of Kan Bahlam in my story. A short excerpt:
K'innuw Mat's heart burst with joy as she watched her husband (Kan Bahlam) conduct the elaborate rituals, starting at daybreak and continuing until sunset. Tall incense burners with two-tiered deity heads wearing elaborate headdresses…lined either side of the Temple stairway…Nearly fifty incense burners released curls of pungent smoke into the still forming air as the ruler, elite nobles, and priesthood climbed the stairway to perform "creation and activation" rites for the effigy of the God of the temple. The group dedicated the pib nah to the God and placed precious offerings inside the shrine. Musicians and dancers enacted themes related to the Triad Gods in front of crowds filling the plaza. After completing the dedication, Kan Bahlam stood at the top platform and retold that portion of the B'aakal Creation Story to the people.
Kan Bahlam effectively constructed an "astronumerology canoe" that, akin to the Celestial Canoe in which the Paddler Gods convey deceased to the Underworld, would carry forth into rebirth the religious charter of B'aakal.
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The Prophetic Mayan Queen: K'inuuw Mat of Palenque
Mists of Palenque Series, Book 4
The Writing Process: Inspiration for The Mayan Red Queen Story
Exploring The Writing Process With Leonide Martin.
In this new series of posts, I'll be taking a look at The Writing Process. Whenever I've done an author interview, one question always asked is how I navigate the process of writing. Every author follows a personal writing process, so no single formula fits for all. There are common steps we all go through in conceptualizing, developing, planning, researching, writing routine, revising, editing, and publishing. This series will explore each step in the writing process, using my own experiences as examples.
The book I most recently completed is The Mayan Red Queen: Tz'aakb'u Ahau of Palenque. This is the third book in the Mists of Palenque series about four remarkable ancient Mayan women. Released in 2017 as an ebook, it's now in the process of getting into print with publication date March 1, 2018. The Mayan Red Queen is the example through which I'll dissect my journey through The Writing Process.
Inspiration for The Mayan Red Queen Story
My husband and I bought a house in Mérida, Yucatan, Mexico in 2005 and lived there for five years. Our main purpose was for me to become immersed in Mayan culture and history to better write historical fiction about this great civilization. Yucatan was a perfect location, peppered with Maya ruins and infused with a vibrant modern Mayan culture. I had already written my first historical fiction about the Mayas before we moved to Mérida, and now had a new book in mind. The first book, Dreaming the Maya Fifth Sun: A Novel of Maya Wisdom and the 2012 Shift in Consciousness, is a story of two women separated by centuries yet connected by
a web of history, whose destinies intertwine as the end of the Maya Calendar on December 21, 2012 approaches. Of course, the Mayas never predicted the calendar—much less the world—would end in 2012. For them, one great cycle rolled over into the next. This perspective is dramatized in the story.
While visiting Mexico during the years before we moved there, I'd been captivated by the ancient city Palenque located in southern Chiapas. I'd already done considerable research to write the first book, but was spurred to delve more deeply into the archeology and history of Palenque. Several famous archeological things happened there: John L. Stephens and Frederick Catherwood wrote their Incidents of Travel books that became international best-sellers in the mid-1800s and put Palenque on the map. Alberto Ruz Lhuillier excavated the tomb of famous ruler K'inich Janaab Pakal in 1952; it compares in riches to King Tut's of Egypt. The series of Mesa Redondas conducted by Linda Schele and Merle Green Robertson during the 1970s brought together Mayanists from several disciplines; their combined skills deciphered the "king list" of Palenque rulers. Excavations by Arnoldo Gonzalez Cruz and Fanny Lopez Jimenez uncovered the tomb of a royal woman in 1994, her skeleton permeated with red cinnabar; it was the first queen's burial ever found among the ancient Mayas.
Enter The Red Queen
Here is where the inspiration for my next book about the Mayas began. As I stood in the narrow passageway and peered into the chamber holding her empty sarcophagus, I wondered who this woman was. Her bones had been removed to Mexico City in a museum for preservation and study. Her burial adornments were in the Palenque museum; a jadeite mask, jade diadem, jade and stone jewelry, ceramics, tools, symbols of status. The partially restored pyramid housing her tomb (Temple XIII) adjoined the huge burial monument for Pakal (Temple of the Inscriptions); this made researchers think there was a relationship. By pure luck, I was browsing through Dante Books in Mérida and came upon a book about her: La Reina Roja by Adriana Malvido. I'd never have found this book unless I was in Mexico; I'd never been able to read it unless I had continued studying Spanish while there.
La Reina Roja: El secreto de los mayas en Palenque was written in 2006 by a journalist from Mexico City, working in consultation with INAH, Mexico's institute for preserving national culture and history. It read like a novel yet contained extensive factual information about the archeological excavation and historical background. I learned that the woman whose red bones were interred might be Pakal's grandmother, mother, wife, or daughter-in-law. At that time, good techniques for analysis of teeth and bones were not available. It took over ten years for scientists to determine that the Red Queen's skeleton and Pakal's skeleton did not share DNA, and their teeth had different strontium isotope signatures. This eliminated his grandmother and mother; making his wife
most likely to receive such an honored and richly adorned burial.
Reading Malvido's book, I learned about the other candidates for the burial and became fascinated by this lineage of royal women. Pakal's grandmother Yohl Ik'nal was the first Mayan women to rule independently, causing a shift in dynastic succession. His mother assumed the throne after her brother was killed in Palenque's worst defeat. She weathered opposition and chaos to keep the throne until her son Pakal came of age. His wife was from another city, lived many years in Palenque and bore him four sons. His daughter-in-law kept the dynasty going although she married his youngest son; the older sons had no surviving heirs.
The Nucleus of a Story Emerges
It was simply evident that I had to tell the stories of these four great Mayan queens. At first I conceptualized a single book in four parts, did lots more research and made an outline. While in Mérida I began writing about Yohl Ik'nal, but the writing process was difficult. Anyone who has lived the ex-pat life knows how many distractions abound. Eating out at fine restaurants was inexpensive; there was abundant good wine; too many parties and musical performances; endless excursions to interesting sites around Yucatan; discussion groups and teas and local fiestas and carnivals. Serious writing had to wait until we returned to the States and then I discovered there was too much material for one book. The result: The Mists of Palenque series of four books, each dedicated to a queen.
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Precolumbian Art Research Institute. PARI Online Publication. Palenque Round Tables 1-8. (Mesas Redondas). 1973-1993. http://www.mesoweb.com/pari/round_table.html
Precolumbian Art Research Institute. PARI Online Publication. The First Mesa Redonda of Palenque. 1973. http://www.mesoweb.com/pari/publications/RT01/RT01_00.html
Adriana Malvido. La Reina Roja: El secreto de los mayas en Palenque. Conaculta/INAH, Mexico City, Mexico, 2006.
John L. Stephens. Incidents of Travel in Central America, Chiapas and Yucatan. Volume I. With illustrations by Frederick Catherwood. Dover Pub., Inc., New York, 1969. Originally published in 1841 by Harper & Brothers, New York.
David Stuart & George Stuart. Palenque: Eternal City of the Maya. Thames & Hudson Ltd, London, 2008.
Arnoldo Gonzalez Cruz. The Red Queen. Mesoweb Online Publications, 1994 excavations of Temple XIII, Palenque. http://www.mesoweb.com/palenque/features/red_queen/text.html
Arnoldo Gonzalez Cruz. La Reina Roja, una tumba real en Palenque, 2011. (Wikipedia)
Mayan Queens Kept Worlds in Balance
Mayan Queens and Kings were Shaman-Rulers charged to Maintain Balance between the Three Worlds of the Maya Cosmos.
Mayan Queens were powerful leaders in ancient Maya culture. Women rulers are well-documented during the mid to late Classic Period, 300-900 CE. Called K'uhul Ixik, Holy Lady in classic Mayan language, their role included entering shamanic states to access spirit domains and drawn upon the powers of deities and ancestors. The rituals rulers performed, and the sacred architecture of pyramids and temples in which rituals took place, were symbols of creation in the cosmos.
"They are all instruments for accessing spiritual power from the creative act . . . they are signposts on the Maya road to reality stretching across the landscape of history." ̶ Maya Cosmos
Mayan queens and kings did rituals of sacrifice and sympathetic magic.
Accessing powers of Otherworld Gods and Ancestors was not easily achieved. Mayan queens or kings had to make appropriate offerings and know how to call the deities' names properly. The most common sacrifice was self-bloodletting, because blood was ultimately sacred as itz, sticky fluid that was ch'ulul, the life force energy, life-essence and creative substance. The shaman-ruler let blood from tongue, earlobes or genitals to concentrate and channel this life force from the Otherworld.
"In a sense, the shamans were like modern engineers. But instead of nuclear power plants and electrical grids they used pyramids and Vision Serpent portals. Instead of electron flows they used itz. The spilling of blood, like the throwing of a giant breaker switch, brought life giving energy pouring into the universe from the underlying force fields of the Otherworld." ̶ The Shaman's Secret
Rituals for accessing spiritual powers propelled the shaman-ruler into altered states of consciousness, both by the act of self-bloodletting and use of mind-altering substances. The objective was to receive a tangible vision and an overwhelming experience of the deities; essentially a state of Divine Union or Communion. It is sympathetic magic through conjuring Divine beings, often intentional calling of a certain deity. Since all things mirror each other, in Mayan cosmology, when rituals re-enacted events from Creation Mythology, or conjured a warrior ancestor to guide a king through battle, these supernatural events were reactivated and manifested on earth.
Lady Kab'al Xoc Conjures an Ancestor Warrior
Lady Kab'al Xoc, first wife of Itzamnaaj Bahlam of Yaxchilan, was a famous Mayan queen. She is shown on carved lintels doing a bloodletting ritual, drawing a rope embedded with thorns through her tongue. As her blood fell on bark paper in a censer, it was set on fire and the rising smoke turned into the Vision Serpent. An ancestor warrior emerges from the snake's open jaws, brandishing a shield and spear with Teotihuacan imagery (Tlaloc face mask, mosaic war helmet, double pointed spear). The ancestor brought important messages to guide the king during the upcoming battle.
Equinox Rituals Brought the Worlds Into Balance
An important responsibility of Mayan queens and kings was to perform rituals at key times according to their calendars. The Mayas had numerous calendars and many rituals were needed. Solar calendar events were especially potent: equinoxes, solstices, zenith, and eclipses. Each mid-fall and mid-spring, the sun reaches a point in its ecliptic when day and night come into balance. The concept of balance was critical to the Mayas; rulers were charged to keep the three worlds—Underworld, Middleworld, and Upperworld—in harmonious relationship. Only when the needs of deities of each realm were satisfied, and communion with deities was performed correctly, would humans enjoy lives of peace and abundance on earth.
Mayan solar priests, K'inob, used techniques to track the sun's movement and predict accurately when the day of perfect balance arrived. On the equinoxes, rulers would undertake the prescribed rituals, making offerings to the Gods of the calendar periods and drawing their blessings into the world. Rulers conjured the Vision Serpent and sought prophesy for the coming calendar period.
There were dire consequences if balance was not maintained between the worlds. When balance was lost, the natural world was in danger. If this world, the Middleworld of earth , remained out of balance with the other two worlds long enough, it could bring destruction to a city, a region, or perhaps the entire Maya lands. Many experts believe that losing balance in the natural world is what led to the collapse of Maya civilization. The "Maya Collapse" is a complex phenomenon, not readily explained by any single factor, following different courses and timelines in various parts of the Maya lands. Beyond doubt environmental changes played a major role.
El Mirador Out of Balance
The collapse of El Mirador is reasonably well explained. It was a thriving Pre-Classic city of about 100,000, surrounded by satellite cities in northern Guatemala that flourished between 300 BCE and 150 CE. Perhaps the largest Maya city, its main pyramid sat on plazas covering 45 acres, on a platform 980×2000 feet, rising 230 feet tall. Toward the end of its occupation, extravagant building programs using inordinate amounts of plaster were carried out; some of the thickest plaster coatings ever found. To create lime plaster and cement, the Mayas burned massive amounts of wood, causing deforestation in surrounding areas. The swampy regions that supplied water and rich mud for agriculture were destroyed by clay runoff from damaged forest floors. With no close-by rivers, and perhaps a time of relative drought, the once great city faced declining water, food, and wood for fire. Between 100-200 CE, El Mirador and other cities of Mirador Basin were abandoned. Archeologist Richard Hanson, prime investigator of El Mirador, says the underlying reason for its decline was a loss of balance with the natural environment. The rulers and elite became immersed in "conspicuous consumption" through over-building using excessive resources, trying to sustain an image of wealth and progress. This lack of foresight and judgment—an imbalance between the worlds—led to the collapse of civilization in the region.
Mayan queens and kings were successful at keeping the worlds in balance for over a millennium. Thousands of large cities thrived in a difficult tropical jungle climate. The Mayas learned to adapt agriculture and conserve natural resources, and created the most brilliant, artistically and technologically advanced civilization in the Americas. While they upheld their expansive cosmology and properly honored the Gods and Ancestors, their culture succeeded. They lived an ongoing re-creation of their worlds by mutual Divine-human interaction; in essence, shaman-rulers became "mothers" of the Gods even as the Gods gave birth to humanity and the worlds.
Around 900-1000 CE that creative partnership dissolved. Not only environmental factors, but an internal spiritual dissonance led to abandonment of Maya cities. The Holy Lords and Ladies lost ability to fulfill their mandate, the deities were no longer satisfied, and the common people left for better livelihoods elsewhere. But this is yet another story.
Read about how Mayan queens kept worlds in balance in my book series about Mayan Queens in the ruling lineage of Palenque.
Click Links Below:
The Visionary Mayan Queen: Yohl Ik'nal of Palenque
The Controversial Mayan Queen: Sak K'uk of Palenque
The Mayan Red Queen: Tz'aakb'u Ahau of Palenque
Chip Brown. El Mirador, the Lost City of the Maya. Smithsonian Magazine, May 2011.
John Clark and Richard Hansen. The Architecture of Early Kingship. In Royal Courts of the Ancient Maya, Vol. 2 (Eds. Takeshi Inomata and Stephen Houston. Westview Press, Boulder, CO, 2001.
David Freidel, Linda Schele, and Joy Parker. Maya Cosmos. Three Thousand Years on the Shaman's Path. William Morrow and Co., New York, 1995.
Douglas Gillette. The Shaman's Secret. Bantam Books, New York, 1997.
Solar Eclipse–Potent Time for the Mayas
Solar Eclipse Was a Potent Time for the Mayas.
The ancient Mayas were the most advanced astronomers of their time. They calculated the solar year, lunar cycles, periodicity of the planets, solstices and equinoxes with amazing accuracy. They were able to readily predict lunar eclipses, and had calculated a pattern of dates for solar eclipses, including predicting the solar eclipse of 1991. (Bricker & Bricker)
Solar eclipses were known as chi' ibal kin to ancient Mayas, translated as "to eat the sun."
This phenomenon was depicted in the Dresden Codex as a serpent with huge open jaws about to devour the solar eclipse glyph. Although modern experts believe eclipses were a cause of distress for ancient peoples, terrifying because they did not understand the science behind such phenomena, this was not true for the Mayas. With their sophisticated knowledge of astronomy, the Mayas understood the movements of celestial bodies and how the moon moving between the sun and earth caused a brief blacking out of sunlight. To the Mayas, this held profound symbolic meaning, signaling a major shift of cosmic influences upon earth. Such potent occasions were prime time for ceremonies and invoking celestial powers into human actions.
In the story of K'inich Janaab Pakal, most famous Maya ruler who reigned in Palenque from 615-683 CE, the power of a solar eclipse was used to increase potency of a most important ritual. His prophesied mission was to restore the spiritual charter of his city, and resurrect the Jeweled Sky Tree that formed a portal to communicate with the Gods and ancestors. This version of a World Tree, called Wakah Chan Te by the Mayas, had its roots in the Underworld, its trunk rose through the Middleworld of earth, and its
branches soared into the Upperworld of the cosmos. In Palenque, Pakal built a new temple in which to raise the Jeweled Sky Tree, since the original shrine was destroyed and desecrated in an enemy attack by Kalakmul during his childhood.
Although the history of Palenque's defeat by Kalakmul is well known (Stuart & Stuart), and Pakal's mandate to restore the damaged portal to the Upperworld has been described (Aldana), the actual process of resurrecting the Tree is a mystery. My task as an author of historical fiction was to use informed imagination to envision this process. This I did through the character of Pakal's wife, Tz'aakb'u Ahau (Lalak in my story, called The Red Queen), whose training in sexual alchemy brought the immense power of life creation to join with Pakal in "conceiving and birthing" a new Wakah Chan Te. (Martin) To further enhance the potency of this event, the ceremony was enacted during a solar eclipse.
Historical records show there was a solar eclipse that crossed over Guatemala and southern Chiapas on February 2, 650 CE. Palenque, located in Chiapas, would have experienced at least partial solar eclipse between 1:00-4:00 pm that day, which worked perfectly for the ceremony done by Pakal and Lalak and resulted in the climactic moment of their story.
Read the historical fiction story of Pakal, his wife Lalak–The Red Queen, and the solar eclipse ritual to resurrect the Wakah Chan Te:
The Mayan Red Queen: Tz'aakb'u Ahau of Palenque
How the Mayas predicted solar eclipses.
Predicting lunar and solar eclipses is more complex than determining sunrise, sunset, solstice, and equinox. Movements of the earth, the sun, and the moon all must be taken in to account because this involves correlating the synodic lunations with the solar calendar. Because the orbital plane of the moon is inclined by 5 degrees to the plane of earth's orbit, eclipses do not happen at every full and new moon. Rather, they take place only when the moon enters the ecliptic plane at the same time that it is in correct position between the sun and earth.
Maya astronomer priests were able to determine the nodes when the paths of moon and sun cross, which occurs every 173.31 days. In this time period, eclipses may occur within 18 days of the node. Most would result in lunar eclipses; the Dresden Codex contains eclipse tables made of columns and rows based on the numbers 177 (6 lunations), and 148 (5 lunations). The Codex is a
folding bark-paper book with pages coated in thin stucco, with glyphs painted in red and black and many symbolic figures. There are tables containing predictions of the phases of Venus over a 104-year interval, and predictions of lunar phases for 33 years. The Mayas used these to calculate solar eclipses.
The average interval between solar eclipses is 153.79 days. They had calculated a synodic lunar period as 29.533 days (modern value 29.530 days). Since the Mayas did not use decimals, they varied between 28 and 29 days for lunations. A grid of dates in the Codex linked Venus phenomena with lunar nodes to predict solar eclipses. Using the derived multipliers they were able to determine solar eclipse intervals that varied by +7 and +8 days. Combining an inferior conjunction of Venus with the predicted solar eclipse gave better accuracy.
The Dresden Codex is one of only four Mayan manuscripts that escaped destruction by the Spaniards when they invaded Mexico in the 16th century. The surviving codices are 11-12th century copies of older Mayan books. When researchers recently compared dates of Mayan calendars with our current one, then used modern data on planetary orbits and cycles, they found the Maya's data was surprisingly accurate. The Maya astronomical calendar correctly predicted a solar eclipse to within one day in 1991, centuries after Classic ancient Mayan civilization ended. (Bricker & Bricker)
Had the Classic Mayan civilization continued, undoubtedly they would have predicted our current eclipse occurring on August 21, 2017.
More about Leonide Martin's Mayan Queen books: www.mistsofpalenque.com
Aldana, Gerardo. The Apotheosis of Janaab' Pakal. University of Colorado Press, 2007.
Bricker, Harvey & Bricker, Victoria. Astronomy in the Maya Codices. American Philosophical Society, 2011.
Martin, Leonide. The Mayan Red Queen: Tz'aakb'u Ahau of Palenque. Made for Success Pub., 2015.
Stuart, David & Stuart, George. Palenque: Eternal City of the Maya. Thames & Hudson, 2008.
Poetry of Creation Myth Recited by Yohl Ik'nal
Palenque's Creation Myth Recited by Yohl Ik'nal.
In her transformation to adulthood ceremony, Yohl Ik'nal recited the creation myth of B'aakal, her people and land. She correctly recited from memory, and was acknowledged as "bearer of the sacred royal blood" by the ruler of Lakam Ha. She became the first woman ruler of Palenque, ruling successfully for 22 years.
From The Visionary Mayan Queen: Yohl Ik'nal of Palenque. Book 1, Mists of Palenque Series.
"It was before the Fourth Creation, in times long ago
Ix Muwaan Mat was born.
Of her birth it is said, she entered the sky
On the Day of Lord (Ahau), Month of Conjuring (Tzek),
For she was to bring the new creation.
Seven tuns after her birth came the new Creation,
When all counts of the long calendar returned to zero.
The Gods of the sky, of the earth, of the underworld
Knew what they must do.
They did three stone-bindings in the sky:
The Jaguar Throne Stone at the 5 Sky House;
The Water Lily Throne Stone at the Heart of the Sky;
The Serpent Throne Stone at the 13 Sky Earth-Cave.
These three stones formed the First Hearth Place,
Patterned the stars so homes on earth would have hearthstones.


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Short Course on Traveling – What You Should Know
Golf Travel Vacations: What You Need To Know
A lot of people love to play golf and they are looking for the best course out there. What most golf players are looking for these days is a perfect course. If you are looking for a perfect golf course to play golf, it is best if you consider one that has exceptional round golf. If you consider yourself as a true golfer, you know these are important to consider. If these factors are present, it can easily make the game more fun and thrilling, factors that most golfers are looking for. The truth is that a lot of golfers these days would want to visit and travel to other places to check their golf course and then play golf. The problem is that not all golfers like this idea because they think that this gives them a lot of stress but there are some tips that you can consider.
There are actually some golfers out there who don't want to be bothered when traveling that is why they don't travel with clubs. This is because a lot of airline companies these days are very strict with the luggage of passengers these days. The golf clubs are very precious equipment when playing sports that airlines are afraid that will be the one to cause it to be broken or damaged. If not, the airline companies would ask another fee from you if you insist. This is because the golf club can actually add to the weight and the size of your luggage. What if it is your most favorite club among all others and you don't want to leave it at home? The truth is that many golfers these days are having this kind of dilemma. You should know that it is now possible for you to travel with your own precious golf clubs anywhere in the world. In this article, you will know about the important tips that are useful in order to get the kind of golf travel vacation that you are looking for, so read on.
The best tip is to invest on a travel bag. One of the reasons why this is needed is for the protection of your golf clubs. You can actually use this kind of bag for different reasons but most especially for traveling. You should also know that this type of bag is different from other types being sold in the market. Take some time to check on these bags to know what they are as well as what makes them different from others.
The other important thing you need to consider is the rating of the bag to ensure that you are getting the best one. Furthermore, travel bags come in different prices for you to check. Aside from that, it is also important that you know what the features are for this type of bag. Make sure that it can really protect your golf clubs while traveling. It is best if you …


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Silver Stacking Rings £65
Make 3 sterling silver stacking rings!
In this class you will be shown step by step how to make yourself 3 pretty sterling silver stacking rings to take home with you!
Learning lots of jewellery making skills along the way.
As featured in the Guardians "do Something " magazine and our most popular class this class is also great for groups, hens and for birthday parties.
For a list of available dates and to book click the button below


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Private group tours are offered May through October seven days a week between 9:00am and 5:00pm. Please contact us at least 2 weeks ahead of your preferred date. Visit our 2018 Spring/ Summer page for individual tickets to upcoming weekend tours.
There is a maximum of 30 participants for school groups and educational organizations.
Tour routes can be customized to each group's needs.
please check back soon For 2018 Spring/summer Tour dates
The flat discounted rate for school groups and community organizations is $125.00 per group of 30 participants (includes chaperones) Please click below to fill out a tour request form.
Walking tours are typically catered to groups larger than 10 people. If you are interested in reserving a private tour for your group, please fill out this form. You will receive a quote within 48 hours. Thank you. Please click below to fill out a tour request form.


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#IAmSorry Taking the opportunity of Women's day Inbox pictures brings out an important issue of women's suicide with their powerful musical short film #IAmSorry.
Music Video
you hunt me (Experimental music video)
A couple in love surrounded by the hostile environment is leaving for a mission of personal happiness. They fight trough the aggressive traffic – along construction sites, large shopping malls and homeless people struggling to survive – to buy a large plastic tub and flowers. Back home he takes a bath in the tub, the flowers floating on the water , she is watching him, calmly smoking a cigarette. They have found their beauty but the sound of the hostile traffic and the memories are still with them. The film is shot in a unconventional style.


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The admissions world is all atwitter over the news that Harvard College is ending its practice of Early Admission, which many people (even Harvard) agreed favored the wealthy and the admissions-savvy. That news broke soon after Dan Golden's new book "The Price of Admission" hit the shelves. With the subtitle "How America's Ruling Class Buys Its Way Into Elite Colleges -- and Who Gets Left Outside the Gates," Dan wasn't pulling any punches. (I call him Dan not because I'm a Gen Y kid who treats perfect strangers like BFFs, but because we stayed in touch after he interviewed me for an article on affirmative action and was kind enough to provide a blurb for my book.)
Dan does a huge service in shedding light on the more unsavory aspects of admissions at top-flight colleges, practices I also observed at the prep school level (my four years at Andover would make for some prime name-dropping if I were so inclined, which I'm not) and, to a somewhat lesser extent, as an admissions officer at a top law school.
However, with this book he is also fueling (perhaps inadvertently) the collective madness among high school students and their parents about the primacy of getting into an Ivy League school. That tendency is particularly strong in the Northeast, where Dan is based, and where college admissions has become a blood sport. As plenty of successful people who haven't graduated from Harvard or Brown can attest, there is life -- and great success -- to be had outside those gates. There is no shortage of wonderful colleges out there, so I can't join in the handwringing about what a life-altering penalty those goofy admissions practices impose on the hoi polloi who can't buy their way in.


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Sorry everybody I had something come up this week that prevented me from being able to record. We plan on being back next week. There are two podcast episodes, however, that I want to direct you to if you are interested. They are both commentaries on last night's GOP debate.
Here is Ron Paul and Daniel McAdams.


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MEMPHIS, Tenn. — Family members and investigators are struggling to keep hope alive in a murder case that's threatening to go cold.
Not a day goes by that Sheryl Lott doesn't wonder who killed her brother.
Memphis Police say 47-year-old Roger "Jack" Mays' body was dumped last May at the corner of Dyson and Person.
Investigators say May had been robbed, shot and left to die.
"They could have asked him for anything, and he would have given it to them. They did not have to take his life," Lott said.
Police say someone riding in the area spotted Mays' body and called police. When officers arrived, it was already too late.
Investigators say the killer took everything - his wallet, cellphone and even the shoes he was wearing. The only thing that was left at the scene was the stub of a paycheck.
That's how investigators were able to identify him.
"My brother was never confrontational with anyone," Lott said.
Lott says her brother never hung out in South Memphis. That's why she believes he was set up to be robbed and murdered.
"We do believe that there's a friend out there or someone he knows."
Lott says she will continue to hold on to faith that her brother's killer will soon be brought to justice.
"They need to pay for the crime that they did."
If you know who killed 47-year-old Roger "Jack" Mays, call Memphis Police at (901)-528-CASH.
All calls are confidential.


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Apple debuts its latest version of AirPods with better performance, Hey Siri and a wireless charging case option
It's been a big week of hardware product releases for Apple, as the company announced today that it was releasing the latest version of AirPods. Earlier this week, Apple introduced the 10.5-inch iPad Air and 5th generation iPad mini on Monday and then updated its iMac and iMac Pro models on Tuesday. Apple also slashed prices for high end SSD upgrades for the Mac mini, MacBook Air and MacBook Pro.
The new AirPods, as we expected, offers greater performance and Hey Siri options. The second generation AirPods comes with a new powerful H1 chip designed for headphones to improve performance, speed, 50 percent more talk time and a hands-free "Hey Siri" option. The new AirPods come with a standard charging case or a new Wireless Charging Case option. Both cases offer 24 hours of total listening time. The Wireless Charging Case has an LED light indicator on the front of the case to show the charge status. The Hey Siri options enables you to change songs, adjust the volume, make calls or get directions by just using the "Hey Siri" prompt.
AirPods are available for purchase on Apple's website at $159 for the standard charging case option or $199 for the wireless option. The standalone Wireless Charging Case can be purchased for $79. Apple now offers free engraving for AirPods.


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Early Years Workshop. 15 mins Childminder 1 We visit accredited childminder Julie Thomas in Birmingham who looks after a pair of three-year-olds.
Having noticed the children's excitement about buses, Julie builds a bus journey into her plans. No Subtitles 15 mins Childminder 2 Sheila Sage, a primary adviser with responsibility for early years in Worcestershire is joined by a panel of experts to dicuss childminding techniques as seen in the previous programme: Childminder 1. The cognitive benefits of play: Effects on the learning brain.
© 2008 - 2014, Gwen Dewar, Ph.D., all rights reserved Science supports many of our intuitions about the benefits of play.
Playful behavior appears to have positive effects on the brain and on a child's ability to learn. In fact, play may function as an important, if not crucial, mode for learning. Want specifics? Here are some examples. Brains At Play.
Brincar faz parte de uma estrutura bem antiga do nosso cérebro, como comer e fazer sexo. É algo que garantiu nossa sobrevivência e nos tornou mais aptos a viver em sociedade. Brincar desenvolver habilidades socioemocionais e a capacidade de viver em comunidade. – nairags
Symbolic play and language development. Open Access Highlights Longitudinal indication for the link between simple symbolic action and symbolic development.
Belonging being and becoming the early years learning framework for australia. Importance of play for babies & children. Play is more than just fun for babies and children.
It's how they learn best, and how they work out who they are, how the world works and where they fit into it. You can read this article in a selection of languages other than English. The importance of play. Different types play. How young children learn English through play. As we release Learning Time with Timmy – our first app for early-years learners of English – Danitza Villarroel, a teacher on our Learning Time with Shaun and Timmy course in Chile, explains the importance of learning through play, and offers a few tips for teachers new to this age group.
Teaching English to pre-school children can be daunting for teachers new to this age group. Young children have shorter attention spans than older children and adults, and they're still learning their mother tongue. ZERO TO THREE.
As crianças são cientistas enquanto estão brincando, pois testam modelos, refazem hipóteses, testam limites. É importante que os pais brinquem com as crianças, pois assim elas desenvolvem melhores habilidades socioemocionais, de linguagem e matemática, do que se brincassem sozinhas. – nairags


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Seim Effects Tool Guide - INstalling Presets, Installing Actions, Effect Types. Above: Video explaining how to install Lightroom Presets and Photoshop Actions.
Seim Effects Preset Guide: Whatever Seim Effects you use, this is the guide. Photoshop Tutorials. Learn Photo Editing .net. Professional Photography Tips. How to Color, Brighten and Sharpen Eyes in Photoshop! Eye Sharpening - Photoshop Tutorial - 416 Studios. With this tutorial you can create amazing, bright eyes within minutes.
First retouch, adjust levels and do all necessary colour corrections on your image. With a Lasso Tool (L) select the eyes (hold Shift key to add to selection). Hit Ctrl+J to copy selection to a new layer. You can copy the whole layer instead of selecting eyes but applying the filter to the large area like this may take a while on slower computers. Use Smart Sharpen filter on the eyes, the choice of right settings will depend on the size of your file. Add a layer mask to the sharpened layer, then using a white soft brush on 50% bring back paint only iris' and pupils to expose the sharpened eyes. Using levels brighten the whole picture and then copy mask from previous layer to select only eyes by holding Alt while dragging the sharpened mask ("layer 1" in the pic) onto the "levels 2" layer.
Reduce opacity of the colour layer to make the eyes look more natural. How To Photoshop Black Dog on Black Background. Parallax Effect in Photography [Photoshop tutorials] The Parallax Effect is also known as the Ken Burns effect, which is named after the filmmaker who made this effect his signature visual style in his documentary films.
This technique is a panning and zooming effect that is used to create something like a video from still images. The zooming and panning across photographs gives the feeling of motion, which keeps the viewer visually engaged. Here is an example of the parallax effect in action to illustrate what I'm trying to describe. And here is another good example: The effect can also be called the 2.5D parallax effect. 2.5D refers to the visual depth perception in an otherwise 2-dimensional image or view. Light Painting Tutorials, Tips, and Techniques. 1950's Pin Up in Photoshop. Post Processing (Photoshop and Lightroom) Archives - Joshua Cripps Photography.
The Perfect Picture - By Bryan F. Peterson. #nikrecipebook - Google+ Master Lighting Guide. How to Master Photo Shoots with Models. SE-Exposure1w.GIF (GIF Image, 759 × 949 pixels) Russell Smith Photography : wedding and portrait photographer for Edinburgh, Glasgow, Falkirk, Stirling, and all of central Scotland. EOS magazine article: Canon Remote Control RC-6. The RC-6 is a wireless transmitter (infrared rather than radio waves).
To work, it needs a receiver. Unlike wireless controllers, the receiver for the RC-6 is already built into a range of EOS models (see right). One reason the RC-6 is relatively inexpensive is that you are only buying half the system. Night and Low Light Photography Tips, Webinars, Field Events and Workshops. Getting it Right in the Digital Camera : Photographing Falling Snow. And Getting Rid of the Blotches It is a wonderful, but also occasionally painful fact that landscape photography is often at its best when the weather is at its worse.
This is certainly true when it comes to shooting the winter storms. Whether gently settling or blown by ferocious winter gales, falling snow drops a lovely veil on any winter scene, but capturing the storm imposes a whole new set of opportunities and challenges. These include both the practical difficulties of managing the cold and wet, and also dealing with the fact that snow can appear completely differently depending on setting that are chosen in camera.
Practical Problems The physical problems include keeping the camera, warm and dry and avoiding or removing the snow flakes that are inevitably attracted to the lens. ✂ Dog Sports Clothing (Pt. 1/2): How To Make Simple Dog Hat In 10 Min ♡
LED Flashlight photography: How to make an Ice Light. LED technology is currently developing at a rapid rate and in this article we look at how you can utilize the latest LED technology to light your images until the photographic lighting industry catches up.
See how for under £20 you can make a portable, rechargeable light that can produce results like this in a totally dark room: Ron Bury's Wildlife: Ltl Acorn 5210 and 6210 Trail Camera Problem Solving. Latest Page Update: 09.01.2014 Troubleshooting Guide at bottom of page.Like all cameras of this type, the Ltl Acorn models do have their issues and I answer a large number of emails requesting help.
Some problems are just mistakes with menu settings, others are issues with memory cards and some are camera faults. I've been collecting a list over the last six months or so and this post is an attempt to collate and illustrate potential problems which, in most cases, can be corrected by users if they have the right information. Some issues may require some analysis by the user, but most often a simple procedure or a firmware update will correct the problem. I hope this post will help you keep your camera running without costly returns and time spent trying to explain problems.
Real or Fake (cloned) Ltl Acorn (Firmware upgrade issues): Before I go into specific issues, one thing which is very important is to determine that you have a genuine camera manufactured by Ltl Acorn.
Correcting Tone And Color With Levels In Photoshop. Written by Steve Patterson.
When it comes to editing images in Photoshop, the first thing we always want to do is fix any overall tonal and/or color problems in the image (commonly referred to as "global" problems) before moving on to more specific problem areas ("local" problems), and the tool of choice for the task is the same today as it's been for years – Photoshop's Levels command, which not only handles the job like a pro, it makes overall tonal and color correction incredibly simple and easy. In this Photoshop tutorial on photo editing, we're going to see just how easy it is. Arthakker HDR Photography and Processing. So what Photography Equipment do you need to shoot HDR Photographs?
Auto exposure bracketing camera screenshot You normally find that setting under "AEB", which stands for Auto Exposure Bracketing (on a Canon camera that is) this setting will take the set amount of bracketed exposures of any 1 shot. Most DSLR cameras now let you take up to 7 exposures in succession, although to be honest in a lot of situations 3 exposures will do, ranging from -2EV to + 2EV, with a correct EV exposure in the middle, so dont worry if your camera only allows 3 brackets.
You may want to start taking more than 3 exposures when you are more accomplished as there are certain situations that require 5 or 7, i will explain that here in more detail. How to Photograph Shiny Reflective Objects: Silver Chrome Metal. Watch this photography tutorial video to learn how to photograph shiny reflective objects - specifically, silver chrome metal.
In this video tutorial we take the pain off shooting highly reflective objects. YouTube.


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We'll be at the Grand Haven Chow Hound on Beacon Blvd from 11a.m.- 1 p.m with a few of our furry companions from the Muskegon Humane Society! Stop out, learn more about our shelter, shop Chow Hound and show our animals some love.
Back to All Events
Earlier Event: October 3Adoption Event
Later Event: October 17Adoption Event


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by Thomas Nash
Mention the name Stan Collymore to anyone who watches football, and the first memory called to mind is almost invariably his well taken winner against Newcastle for Liverpool in the 1995/6 season which took the wind out of Newcastle's title charge. After staring misty-eyed into the middle distance and nodding sagely, the next reaction will normally be a rueful shake of the head and an utterance of "He was fucking mad though" or words to that effect.
Collymore's first professional club was Crystal Palace, but he made his name at Nottingham Forest in two seasons where he racked up over 40 goals in two seasons.
Nottingham Forest had just been relegated. Their legendary manager Brian Clough had lost his battle with alcoholism, and had resigned just before relegation had been confirmed the season before. Forest needed a new hero, and up stepped Stan the Man. His goals fired them to a promotion straight back to the Premiership, and in the first season after promotion he bagged 22 to help a resurgent Forest finish third, and into Europe. After apparently being courted by Alex Ferguson, Collymore signed for Liverpool in a then record £8.5 million pound deal. (Ferguson plumped for Newcastle's Andy "Call me Andrew" Cole – and he didn't do too badly.) Surely superstardom and a bag full of medals would follow?
So up to this point, the neutral fan might have little reason to dislike Mr Collymore. Derby and Everton fans mightn't buy him a drink but that's football. It was off the pitch that Stan would start making enemies. As part of the cultural tragedy that was the "Spice Boys" of Liverpool FC, Stan put many a nose out of joint. The tale of Collymore's decadent arrogance in a Nottingham nightclub is part of footballers-being-idiots-with-too-much-money folklore. Apparently, Collymore was approached by someone who reckoned that anything Collymore could do, he could do too. So, he produced a cigar, and lit it with a £50 note telling the chap "Do that then". Stan Collymore wasn't making ironic social comment on the absurdity of modern footballers' wage;, he was being an arsehole. But at the time, I thought it was cool, and I longed for the day that I could do that. Today, looking back, I still think it's cool, and still long for the day. I can't even spare a fiver these days.
Liverpool and Collymore should've lasted longer than two years. He was an instant hit on the Kop, his partnership with Robbie Fowler was one of the most prolific in the league. Grand expectation isn't a rare thing on Merseyside, but with those two up front, there was a feeling that great things would happen. It was not to be. There was a rumoured fall out in the Liverpool camp, with the split roughly Collymore on one side, everyone else on the other. He'd said in a magazine interview that he'd expected better service from the other players when he joined, and was disappointed by the calibre of his team mates. Not exactly a way to make friends, but certainly a way to influence people — he was shipped out to Villa not long afterwards. He would turn up late for training, sometimes not at all, and refused to move to the area. Despite his apparent best efforts to distance himself from the "Spice Boys", Collymore would later reveal all sorts of debauchery in interviews and a tell-all book. One such revelation was that he had bedded Roy Evan's daughter in the hotel room next to the manager's one at an away game — and let's be honest, you've gotta love that, haven't you?
Front page headlines outnumber his back page heroics: the dogging scandal, the assault on then girlfriend Ulrika Johnson, the mental melt down. He retired from football 5 weeks after signing for Oviedo, and tabloid across Britain were denied numerous permutations of "Stan and Oli" puns.
Only truly bitter people can resent a naturally gifted footballer. Paul Gascoigne, for all of his faults, is loved by football fans across Britain (except maybe the East End of Glasgow) because, despite his addictions, despite his self-destructive behaviour, Gazza always gave his all on the pitch. He never grew up. We could see in him the 8 year old boy, chasing lost causes on the pitch, crying when it went wrong. The yellow card in the World Cup semi-final remains our most cherished moment of him. It was petulant — he lost control of the ball and lunged out. Compare the reaction with the uproar which followed David Beckham's petulance against Argentina in 1998: Gascoigne's boyish charm made us forgive his short-comings.
So if Gazza was the school boy of British football, Collymore was its sulky teenager. He's accused of not caring enough about his football. He had the skills and the power to dominate English football in the mid-to-late nineties, but he didn't choose to. We don't forgive. But there's something about him that resonates with me though. Not the gambling and the drinking, not the sex addiction (chance would be a fine thing) but the lack of effort. Humans are inherently lazy creatures, and inherently fearful of failure. What Collymore embodies for me is the can't be bothered spirit of Generation X. Lack of effort can be an excuse for failure to achieve. I believe that I'm probably a natural at snowboarding, and golf — and if I can't be bothered to try, I can always keep that belief. I'd be a great snowboarder if I could be bothered.
Collymore is a hero, because he threw it away. He was lazy, arrogant, indisciplined and erratic. I think if I had any talent at playing football, through gritted teeth, I admit I'd probably have done just the same.
Tom is also known as the Frustrated Footballer, and can be bothered on Twitter here: @ffootballer.


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Mary Christianson has practiced Taoist Internal Arts for 35+ years.
• First person certified to teach the Wu Style Tai Chi Long Form by Lineage Master Bruce Frantzis who learned from Taoist Sage Liu Hung Chieh in Beijing
• Teaching assistant of Master Frantzis, 1989-94, has studied Tai Chi, Qigong, Bagua Zhang, and Meditation with him since the mid-1980's
• Studied with Master B.P. Chan in NYC for 10 years
• Taught Tai Chi, Qigong, and meditation in New York City, Berkeley, at the Center for International Medicine and the Aikido Institute both in Oakland, California, and at Brookline Tai Chi in Brookline, Massachusetts
• Teaches people of all ages and abilities from beginning to advanced
• Developed meditation and Qigong programs for young people on the Autism Spectrum and those with ADHD and other neurological differences
Other education
• B.A. in visual arts from Bennington College
• Teaching certification from Dominican College, San Rafael, California
• Studied Chinese language at Hunter College, NYC and Taiwan National Normal University


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By Joseph McAleer
"No one has greater love than this, to lay down one's life for one's friends" (Jn 15:13). That's the overarching theme of Faith of Our Fathers (Pure Flix), a well-intentioned but awkwardly uneven account of Christianity's impact on two generations of families.
Director Carey Scott can't seem to decide whether his film is a serious drama or a slapstick comedy. Still, a faith-promoting message of an evangelical stripe pervades the proceedings – no bad thing these days, especially for adolescents who are more usually bombarded with secular narcissism.
In 1997 California, John Paul George (Kevin Downes) – whose Beatles-evoking name the script treats as a running joke – is a humble, God-fearing postman who's preparing to marry his fiancée, Cynthia (Candace Cameron Bure).
While cleaning out the garage, John Paul discovers a box of military items that had belonged to his late father Steven (Sean McGowan). In circumstances that remain unclear to John Paul, Steven was killed in Vietnam just after his son's birth.
Intrigued by a letter about Steven's platoon mate Eddie (Scott Whyte), John Paul sets out to find his dad's erstwhile comrade, and learn the truth about his death.
The search brings him to Mississippi, where he encounters Eddie's hillbilly son, Wayne (David AR White: also a co-writer along with Downes and Harold Uhl). Like Steven, Eddie, it turns out, perished in combat.
As for Eddie's ornery offspring, the shotgun Wayne brandishes makes it obvious that he's none too happy to see this uninvited stranger. "You're not a Jesus freak, are ya?" Wayne loudly demands.
Needless to say, the boy has issues and zero interest in resurrecting the past. But John Paul is insistent, and an improbable bargain is struck. In exchange for access to Eddie's letters, John Paul agrees to accompany Wayne on a trip to Washington to visit the Vietnam Veterans Memorial and seek "closure".
Faith of Our Fathers morphs into a spiritual version of Thelma and Louise as this odd couple gets into all sorts of trouble on the road while debating big-ticket topics like forgiveness and destiny.
As they bond, flashbacks recall the friendship shared by their fathers, forged in harm's way. The earlier duo, it seems, were also oil and water: Steven, pious and Bible-reading; Eddie, a master of ridicule.
Slowly, we're shown, Steven's sincerity won Eddie over – and the whole platoon with him. Even the sceptical Sgt Mansfield (Stephen Baldwin) came around, later telling John Paul, "Your father taught me that men don't have to die when they die".
Despite sentimental dialogue and contrived situations, Faith of Our Fathers deserves some credit for its godly and patriotic outlook.
The film contains brief scenes of mostly bloodless combat. The Catholic News Service classification is A-II – adults and adolescents. The Motion Picture Association of America rating is PG-13 – parents strongly cautioned. Some material may be inappropriate for children under 13. – CNS


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Auto Enrolment Changes
There is a forthcoming change to the way new employers staging dates occur.
Employing staff for the first time after 1 October 2017, legal duties for automatic enrolment begin on the day the first member of staff starts work.
Please see the below links for further details on how the staging dates work from now up to October 17, and please feel free to contact us if you have any further queries;
www.thepensionsregulator.gov.uk/en/employers/employing-someone-between-2-april-2017-and-30-september-2017.aspxRead More


text: Last week we completed a 28 hole diamond drilling program at the 007 Zone. Assays should start to roll in from the lab later this week or early next. Additionally, we've gone back to do a few exploratory holes in the area while the weather is nice. The red line in the picture below indicates the location of a proposed channel sample.