text:
The Pianist
Her twisted fingers, like ghosts
long past their dreams, sought keys
to lost skills. Debussy, Chopin,
those Russians, lingered upon the piano
she bought with her savings of forty
years. I heard without care,
wrapped in my own dreams.
Her life instead was duty wrapped
in motherhood, faithful to her war-
scarred mate, longing for never
realized moments: banana boat
cruises to South America, conducting
an orchestra, her paintings on exhibit.
My granddaughter plays her piano.
Her seascape is displayed
on my daughter's wall.
The keys to her life are gone.
Now I hear.
Now I care.
At the Corner
Tire tracks lead to this story:
a cement post crumbled
beside the fallen sign "Forest Edge"
(in spite of this neighborhood's
pavement and small homes
and domesticated pets
like cats and shelter dogs
who compete with stray deer
seeking succulent blooms
in gardens so cultivated
that the forest vanished)
yet not far from us remain the woods
where wild ones live and raise
their young
I would be wild with them and steer
my body to those traveled paths
among trees and fallen leaves
following trails of passing mysteries
where another law still governs all
who inhabit this semi-wildness
the sign is down, against the tree,
the remaining post serves witness
to all that changes, squared off
in denial of nature's gifts
while the tread of tires fades,
a turning of the corner to our lives
once also wild, now tamed beyond our will.


text:
Flora of Australia Online
Cyathea australis (R.Br.) Domin, Pteridophyta 262 (1929)
Alsophila australis R.Br., Prodr. 158 (1810). T: King's Island, Bass Strait, Tas., 1802, R.Brown Iter Austral. 94 ; lecto: BM, fide M.D.Tindale, Amer. Fern J. 41: 99 (1951); isolecto: K.
Alsophila loddigesii Kunze, Linnaea 20: 7 (1847); Cyathea loddigesii (Kunze) Domin, Pteridophyta 262 (1929). T: loc. ign. , G.Kunze ; lecto: K, fide M.D.Tindale, Amer. Fern J. 41: 98 (1951).
Illustrations: B.D.Duncan & G.Isaac, Ferns & Allied Pl. Victoria, Tasmania & S. Australia 92, fig. 9.2, 93, fig. 9.3A, 94, fig. 9.4A (1986); S.B.Andrews, Ferns Queensland 111, fig. 8.1A (1990); T.J.Entwisle in N.G.Walsh & T.J.Entwisle (eds), Fl. Victoria 2: 71, fig. 15 (1994).
Rhizome to c. 12 m tall, 15–40 cm diam., sometimes up to 1.5 m at base. Stipe to 80 cm long; stipe bases with conical spines to 3 mm long, covered with glossy brown scales; scales 2–5 cm long, 1.2–5 mm wide at base, with narrow fragile margins and an apical seta. Lamina to 3.5 m long; largest pinnae c. 50 cm long; a few pairs of lower pinnae progressively reduced, extending sometimes nearly to the base of the stipe (most commonly in Qld); pinnules 10–12 cm long, to 2.5 cm wide, with 1 or more pairs of lobes near base separately attached to costa; lobes ±crenate, some lower ones deeply so; veins mostly forked; larger costal scales flat, elongate, brownish, grading to thin flat ±hyaline scales and to small bullate pale tan scales with setose apices; slender crinkled hairs present on costae and costules. Sori at the forks of veins, exindusiate, with irregularly-shaped small scales around receptacle; paraphyses ±same length as sporangia. Fig. 60A–E, 62D.
Endemic to south-eastern Qld, eastern N.S.W., A.C.T., southern Vic. and Tas.; in northern areas to 1200 m alt. Grows in forest or along forest margins, often very abundant. Map 168.
Qld: Blackdown Tableland, c. 32 km SE of Blackwater, R.J.Henderson 787 et al. (BRI, MEL, NSW); Mt Roberts, McPherson Ra., S.T.Blake 20589 (BRI, NSW). N.S.W.: East Kangaloon, c. 5.6 km NNE of Robertson, R.G.Coveny 870 (BRI, MEL, NSW). A.C.T.: Mt Ainslie, 5km NE of Canberra, H.Streimann 8070 (BRI, CANB). Vic.: Calder Ridge, Otway Ra., R.Melville 3183 (K, MEL, NSW). Tas.: Macquarie Harbour, Philips Is., 20 km SSE of Strahan, J.R.Croft 10394 & M.M.Richardson (CANB, HO, NSW).
Apparently most variable in the northern part of its range where some plants may have slender trunks from which stipe bases may be shed, also ±glaucous undersurface of pinnules and lower pinnae much reduced. Although this is the type species of Alsophila , its spores differ from those of most species accepted in the genus by R.M.Tryon (1970). The name Alsophila loddigesii was based on a small cultivated plant with comparatively broad pinnule lobes.
Since publication of the Flora of Australia the Australian Plant Census treats this taxon as subsp. australis with subsp. norfolkensis noted in Flora of Australia volume 49 as occurring on Norfolk Island.
(Peter D.Bostock (based on an unfinished manuscript by the late R.E.Holttum))
Data derived from Flora of Australia Volume 48 (1998), a product of ABRS, ©Commonwealth of Australia

subset: commoncrawl


text:
great service,company and prices!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I had a fantastic experience today with the good people at MoreVent Heating Cooling and Plumbing. My service call was related to a water leak from my AC unit and while the team at MoreVent came out a few weeks ago to attempt to fix the problem, it surfaced again.....instead of opening a new ticket and starting from scratch, Shawn used his expertise to survey the problem, evaluate the diagnosis given by the previous MoreVent Rep (another great guy), and make recommendations/corrections to get me squared away in a timely manner. And complimentary! It is this dedication to customer service that will keep me going back to MoreVent and to recommend them to anyone looking for quality service and products in the HVAC space. Shawn was fantastic! Thanks again guys.
Great service , fair price
Amana air conditioning tune up
Goodman ac precision tuneup
Tune up on Goodman system
Utica hot water boiler tune and clean
Daikin gas furnace and Goodman air conditioning tune up. Cleaned indoor coil.
Goodman precision tuneup
Amana gas furnace and air conditioning tune up. Humidifier service, installed drain pan treatment and replaced 2 old gas cocks
Found blocked chimney. Cleaned what I could and had chimney guys out who found more. Returned to check operations
Annual heating and cooling precision tune up gold club member
Payne precision tune up
Annual heating and cooling precision tune up gold club member r22


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Being in your final year of university really clips your wings, travelwise. You can do all the money saving tips you can, but deadlines and coursework are always going to get in the way. So I've decided to get to know my own city better.
I currently live in Glasgow, Scotland's largest (but not capital…) city. 2014 is going to be a great time to be in Glasgow. The Commonwealth games, the VMAs, and Radio One's big weekend are all held here this year! So if you're gonna head here at some point make it this summer, especially if you're interested in free ticket festivals.
I have lived here, on and off, for five years now, and I have found myself stuck within my comfort zone. So I made a small questionnaire and circulated it amongst some very kind people (to whom I now owe a beverage) to get some different places to go. This may turn into a mini series, it depends how many replies I get!
The first and very prompt response was my festival friend Kerry, who is a 22 year old working towards a BA Hons in Visual Arts at Glasgow Kelvin College and lives in the West End (a wise choice indeed). I asked her seven questions about Glasgow hot spots to which only a couple of our answers were the same. Great minds and all that. She has a very interesting project coming up which has had a lot of attention on social media sites, I think Gordon Ramsey has even participated. People are asked to send in a post-it with a drawing of their image of Scotland. You can do so too! until opening night in Kelvin College on March 6th 2014, and will remain open until the 14th – you should all check it out!
Best place for a first date?
I've always imagined The Stand on a Red Raw night would be perfect! You've got the intervals and the start to chat and work out if you like the person but then if it's going badly you've got comedy acts performing so you don't need to talk!
My first date with my current boyfriend was to Cafe Anduluz. It went really well, I think the tapas dishes make for conversation and sharing made it intimate but not weird. Plus great atmosphere and West End staff are awesome. We're now regulars!
My answer to this was essentially the same. Tuesday nights or "Red Raw" at the Stand are always a great mix of cringe and entertainment. It's so cheap and fun. I'm also a huge fan of Cafe Andaluz. Check their website as they usually have a deal on!
Best place for a cheap meal?
Cocktail & Burger on Sauchihall Street! £5 lunch deal with bottomless soft drink! Plus 10% for students and if you have the SRC app on your phone. They used to do 2 for 1.. but I have a feeling they've stopped. Really cool atmosphere and they showcase local art students too.
While I'm fundamentally against the SRC app (even though I have one and use it) I can't really turn my nose up at a place that cheap!
Best place to go all out/best night?
I like a cheesy, cheap and cheerful night out… Bamboo!! Love a bit of horrible R 'n' B with some classic cheese thrown in.
Bamboo is definitely cheap and cheerful! Try Disco Badger on Fridays for some truly awful great tunes. Just don't sign up to anything because they text you all the time and make you feel like you have friends.
Best place to go with your significant others parents?
Kelvingrove Art Gallery! If you're struggling with conversation you can just pretend you're really into a piece of art… and it's usually pretty PC so not much to be offended by if you want to make a good impression.
Good advice and a good location, it's a stunning building! Plus it's free 😀
Best place to go with children?
I am stumped……… I took my sister to Scotstoun to see Glasgow Warriors and that was pretty fun! Science Centre still entertains me so that would be good fun!
When I was little I remember that the Science Centre was a big event. An adult can get in for just under a tenner and kids and students are obviously cheaper!
Hidden gems?
The Flying Duck! Just across from the Cineworld. They do life drawing classes on a Tuesday evening and Jazz on a Thursday! Pretty neat huh.
Bajo. A really god awful shooters bar on Bath Street. It's so bad, but so cheap and because not many people know of it or like it you get served so quickly!! Pornstars are my fave. And the staff are really chatty and when you start spending too much money they start to bring your drinks to your table. lawl.
Cafe Anduluz. I'm not sure it's a hidden Gem.. but it's my favourite restaurant, tapas baby.
I only recently discovered the Flying Duck! It's a great wee gem, they have lots of board games as well, which can usually be turned into drinking games. I've never heard of Bajo, but that's the reason I had this idea! I need to get down there…
A place you couldn't pay me to go to.
Southside – my nemesis
Yeahh, the Southside isn't great. Venture over the the Citz theatre though! And Campus… well it's "a frat house" it's cheap and crap, but don't knock it till you try it! (Though you probably will knock it after anyways.
So a big thank you to Kerry! Go and check out her Post it project or send one in yourselves!
If anyone here is from Glasgow or knows it well and thinks that they can also do it justice please let me know in the comments!


text:
The Effects of Organizational Context on Quality Management: An Empirical Investigation
Download full text from publisher
CitationsCitations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
Cited by:
- Raju, P.S. & Lonial, Subhash C. & Crum, Michael D., 2011. "Market orientation in the context of SMEs: A conceptual framework," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 64(12), pages 1320-1326.
- Karim, M.A. & Smith, A.J.R. & Halgamuge, S.K. & Islam, M.M., 2008. "A comparative study of manufacturing practices and performance variables," International Journal of Production Economics, Elsevier, vol. 112(2), pages 841-859, April.
- Luis Eduardo SolÃs, 2004. "An empirical investigation of the relationships among supplier-based relationships (...)," Working Papers Economia wp04-26, Instituto de Empresa, Area of Economic Environment.
- Gunday, Gurhan & Ulusoy, Gunduz & Kilic, Kemal & Alpkan, Lutfihak, 2011. "Effects of innovation types on firm performance," International Journal of Production Economics, Elsevier, vol. 133(2), pages 662-676, October.
- Abdullateef Usman, 2013. "Determinants of Electricity Consumers Satisfaction in Selected Electricity Distribution Zones in Nigeria: Implications for Regulatory Activities," Journal of Asian Business Strategy, Asian Economic and Social Society, vol. 3(6), pages 103-124, June.
- Macinati, Manuela S., 2008. "The relationship between quality management systems and organizational performance in the Italian National Health Service," Health Policy, Elsevier, vol. 85(2), pages 228-241, February.
- Aravind Chandrasekaran & Claire Senot & Kenneth K. Boyer, 2012. "Process Management Impact on Clinical and Experiential Quality: Managing Tensions Between Safe and Patient-Centered Healthcare," Manufacturing & Service Operations Management, INFORMS, vol. 14(4), pages 548-566, October.
- Jha, Pradeep K. & Jha, Rakhi & Datt, Rajul & Guha, Sujoy K., 2011. "Entropy in good manufacturing system: Tool for quality assurance," European Journal of Operational Research, Elsevier, vol. 211(3), pages 658-665, June.
- Zhu, Andy Yunlong & von Zedtwitz, Max & Assimakopoulos, Dimitris & Fernandes, Kiran, 2016. "The impact of organizational culture on Concurrent Engineering, Design-for-Safety, and product safety performance," International Journal of Production Economics, Elsevier, vol. 176(C), pages 69-81.
- Su, Hung-Chung & Chen, Yi-Su, 2013. "Unpacking the relationships between learning mechanisms, culture types, and plant performance," International Journal of Production Economics, Elsevier, vol. 146(2), pages 728-737.
More about this item
Keywordsquality management; quality control; empirical research;
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text:
Nesbitt Realty works for landlords in Springfield, VA. We appreciate the opportunity to serve the property owner's needs in Fairfax County.
Nesbitt Realty does not manage the Springfield Estates association. (We are not the association nor are we association management.) Rather, we manage houses that have become rental units. If you need a renter at Springfield Estates, Alan Clerinx can help you find the best possible tenants as quickly as possible.
Feel free to call us at (703)765-0300 for more information. To sell or rent out your property in Springfield contact Alan Clerinx today.
Market Values
Contact us for an accurate assessment of your property values at Springfield Estates. Currently for rent at Springfield Estates
Rentals in Springfield Estates
$2,100 : 6003 Sagebrush Pl, Springfield 22150
4 beds, 2 full baths
Living area: n/a
Lot size: 16,530 sq. ft.
Year built: 1959
Days on Market: 9
See more in Springfield Estates
Recent Sales at Springfield Estates
$422,000 : 6604 Palamino St, Springfield 22150
Sold on 2017-11-07
4 beds, 3 full baths
Living area: 1,549 sq. ft.
Lot size: 9,969 sq. ft.
Year built: 1961
See more Recent Sales at Springfield Estates
Talk to an agent now.
Nesbitt Realty is a family-business and we appreciate the opportunity to service. Call us at (703)765-0300 for a personal consultation. You can also email us at [email protected].


text:
Just a little bit about me — when my boyfriend and I started dating in college he always teased me that I would never be "domestic". Well, to his surprise and my mom's, I've taken a real interest in cooking and baking and find myself always looking for new recipes to try and things to bake!
In order to challenge myself in baking, I decided I wanted to join the Tuesdays with Dorie baking group to explore her beautiful cook book "Baking- from my home to yours". I'm very excited to try all the new recipes and hopefully document all my successes (Let's hope) here! 🙂


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"Message to everybody who was born in June. Please go to the 11th floor at 1pm today."
This was the instant message I saw when I went into work last Friday. It sounds dodgy, right?
Well anyway, I wasn't asked to leave my glasses, shoes and other belongings at the door, so I went in. After getting in and seeing cakes and a horde of people in the room I found out that the company celebrates birthdays en masse. Once a month people come together to celebrate, and I just so happen to have been born in June.
Once we'd all sat down at the large table, Happy Birthday was put on. It was a particularly vile recording with a xylophone and a toddler. Something about young children singing really gives me the creeps. After about 1 verse people were too self conscious to sing along, so for the remaining three verses people sat awkwardly, waiting for the nightmare toddler to finish its ghastly rendition.
Once this was out of the way, a selection of gifts was left on the table for people to pick and choose from, ranging from iPhone cases, to USB fans, through to cuddly toys. Unfortunately I was slow on the uptake and missed out on the cuddly toys. Given the zealous gleam in my 30+ year old teddy clutching female colleague's eyes, I should imagine they went first.
By the time I'd gone to take a gift, all that was left were iPhone cases and picture frames. Since I don't have an iPhone, I took a picture frame. I don't have the lexical capacity to describe how kitsch and sickly it is, so I just took a picture of it!
Still, it was free, so I'll take it! I was thinking about maybe putting a group shot of Slipknot or N.W.A in it. Any thoughts?


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Kerneli Temporary Power is the frontrunner in the temporary power industry for both residential and commercial customers throughout the Indian Rocks Beach, FL area. We have been in the temporary power industry for several decades in the Indian Rocks Beach, FL area and you will find that our company is constantly offering a better experience. We are also working diligently to make sure that we are continuing to provide the best pricing along with the largest inventory in Indian Rocks Beach. Make sure you call us at 800-405-6822 so we can assist you with all of your temporary power needs in Indian Rocks Beach today.
Why Do Clients Enjoy Our Indian Rocks Beach, FL Company?
It will not take you long at all to see why our power pole rental clients continually come back to us. Our temporary power box company offers an extensive selection of power boxes, generators, poles and much more. Another thing our clients have come to appreciate is that we ordinarily have the temporary power box or pole they need available and ready to go.
Temporary Power Rental Process in Indian Rocks Beach, FL
Customers have come to recognize that we are the best temporary power business in the Indian Rocks Beach, FL area but this reputation was earned over many years of service. Whether you are leasing a temporary power pole or power box, we start each temporary power boxprocedure with a free consultation. Our business also pledges to only lease you the devices you need as we do not believe in elevating our earnings by pressuring you to purchase something more powerful than you need. We will also work to make sure that your temporary power box and power poles are on your site and set up before the beginning of your project. Sure, this takes a little extra running around on our account but it is worthwhile when we see the glistening smile on your face along with the repeat and referral business we will obtain. Our company would also be more than satisfied to assist you to contact the power company to make certain they have the power switched on at your site.
Your company in Indian Rocks Beach, FL will quickly discover just how beneficial a temporary power box rental is whenever working at a work site. Having temporary power poles and power boxes will not only speed up the project but it will also provide a far more comfy environment for your hard working staff. When you rely upon your personnel to continue delivering optimal results and want to discover how our equipment can assist, call Kerneli Temporary Power at 800-405-6822.
Why Pick Us in Indian Rocks Beach, FL
With regards to temporary power businesses in the Indian Rocks Beach, FL area, Kerneli Temporary Power is the greatest choice. The reason begins with our stock of electrical equipment, such as power boxes, power poles and much more within the Indian Rocks Beach, FL region. Our company also works to ensure that our prices are as kept as low as possible so you are not needing to run all over Indian Rocks Beach in an attempt to save a few bucks. Additionally, you will notice that we generate a ton of repeat and referral business due to the high level of respect we display towards all clients in Indian Rocks Beach. Find out how we can help with all of your temporary power needs by calling us at 800-405-6822 today.
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We founded our Indian Rocks Beach, FL firm with the main goal of offering the highest level of customer support. For example, we determine your precise requirements based on the responses you provide throughout the preliminary consultation. Our consultation will also help you save a lot of money as it helps to ensure that we are only leasing you the equipment your project will require. You will also discover that we make scheduling the delivery of anything from a temporary power box to power poles as simple as possible because we are here to serve you, not the other way around. We will also show up in a timely manner so your task is not delayed because of us. The team will even ensure that your temporary power equipment is correctly set up on your site, so you are not putting bystanders or your employees in harm's way. We also offer service to temporary power Van Wert among other cities and states around the country.
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We can guarantee you will be impressed with the extensive inventory we supply at our Indian Rocks Beach, FL temporary power rental business. We carry everything from temporary power poles to power boxes and they come in several different power ratings. We also have a variety of lighting, wiring and generators. Our company offers virtually every temporary power product anyone could ever want.
Due to the fact that most individuals are unfamiliar with temporary power rentals, they do not see the importance of researching the best company in Indian Rocks Beach, FL. The problem with choosing just any company is that you may end up waiting for a product to be transferred from another store, which wastes time. To have access to the finest selection of temporary power poles and power boxes, please give the team at Kerneli Temporary Power a call today at 800-405-6822.


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Yep, you read that right. Larry Correia is offering to murder you in one of his books (read: Redshirt) for charity donations made so a young man can get a kidney transplant. You can read the details here on his blog. Even though it's not tax-deductible, I'm still donating because I think it's an awesome idea! I'm also pretty stoked to be in one of Larry's novels. I'm going to request it be a Monster Hunter book, though. $50 for a good cause AND I get to be in one of my favorite author's books? Yes please!
Filed under: Uncategorized | Tagged: Books, Charity |


text:
Main Goal: Going beyond zero emissions
Vertical integration of urban infrastructures is extremely helpful to increase their efficiency. Facing challenges holistically allows taking the most from the invested resources. While urban mobility faces challenges such as: the dependency on fossil fuels, a growing car park and unsustainable pollution and noise, the urban energy system need to deal with a growing energy consumption and the difficulty of integrating renewable energy sources. There is a way to improve mobility while solving many of the problems of the energy system. For that, it is necessary to create a mechanism for the development of sustainable energy models through e-mobility solutions as an innovative product for the development of smart cities. Technology is ready but needs to be demonstrated in real environments. Public and private investments need to be triggered and for that, it is essential to build trust relationships. The biggest players in the market need to collaborate with the smallest ones, thus fostering resources and knowledge exchange to jointly achieve the full potential of the solutions to be developed.
The intelligent Mobility vision of the initiatives is a framework to move towards a new e-mobility ecosystem: sustainable, environmentally friendly and concerned about citizen's health.
In line with it, the initiative intends to work holistically around three innovation areas:
- Intelligent Power - towards zero emissions, spearheaded by electric vehicles;
- Intelligent Integration - Towards vertical integration of urban infrastructure through the development of new mobility and energy services;
- Intelligent Driving - towards zero fatalities and connected cars, spearheaded by autonomous drive technology.
Latest News
Status and Forward Plans
|Action Headline
|Launch of Initiative
|EIP-SCC workshop at the 2017 Civitas forum conference
|September 2017
|Breakfast session - General Assembly
|October 2018
|Barcelona Smart City Expo
|November 2017
|Engaging Relevant Stakeholder
|Building core team
|December 2017
|Grow membership
|Defining the concept: Intelligent mobility pilots
|Analysis and disseminate best practices; webinar, presentation, article
|Launching Memorandum of Understandings with cities.
(standard MOU adapted to each city on the deployment of large scale pilots, to be signed by the city and the members of the initiative)
|Defining standard MOU to be adapted
|April 2018
|Launch of the first MOU at a special event
|Reach 10 Mous signed
|Deployment of pilots
Kick off first pilots
|October 2018 (TBD)
|Kick off pilot #10
To know more...
Contact us at: firstname.lastname@example.com


text:
Jouett Elementary Library
Looking for good books to read this summer? Visit our public library to check out books from these suggested reading lists!
Kindergarten - 2nd grade 3rd - 5th grade
Learning = FUN in the Library!
Winter Olympics research!
Check out our latest MakerSpace stations!
Goldie Blox
Knitting with Mrs. Craig
Puppet Making
Snap Circuit construction


text:
Welcome to a place to share thoughts and questions with other SPfreaks. Browse a forum below or start a new thread in a forum
Hum, i think tonight tonight will stay out this time.
Did you know that before seeing them live on 2007 I thought that tonight was a good song but not great, and never understood why so many loved it. Well i cried a couple of tears that night, and now that song is one of my favorites.
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For Bike Riders Everywhere…
January 11, 2010
Systematically and mercilessly disassembling, flushing, greasing, and re-packing the cycling culture. That's the BikeSnobNYC's mantra. If you're serious about riding, you're probably already familiar with the blog. But wait–there's a BikeSnob book coming out in May from Chronicle Books:
"Cycling is exploding in a good way. Urbanites everywhere, from ironic hipsters to earth-conscious commuters, are taking to the bike like aquatic mammals to water. BikeSnobNYC cycling's most prolific, well-known, hilarious, and anonymous blogger brings a fresh and humorous perspective to the most important vehicle to hit personal transportation since the horse. Bike Snob treats readers to a laugh-out-loud rant and rave about the world of bikes and their riders, and offers a unique look at the ins and outs of cycling, from its history and hallmarks to its wide range of bizarre practitioners. Throughout, the author lampoons the missteps, pretensions, and absurdities of bike culture while maintaining a contagious enthusiasm for cycling itself. Bike Snob is an essential volume for anyone who knows, is, or wants to become a cyclist."


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With memorable appearances in magazines (AsIs, Smooth Girl, Straight Stuntin') and videos (50 Cent's "Put Your Hands Up") under her belt, self-proclaimed "alien on the rise" Egypt Salinda is this week's Web Candy of the Week.XXL spoke with the half-Latina, half-Egyptian Pennsylvania native about her accomplishments, her experiences and what she hopes to ultimately achieve in her career. — Bernadette Giacomazzo (@bgiacomazzo)
Banks is the kind of guy that is very non-chalant & very down-to-earth. This was my first professional shoot as an adult -- when I was younger, I had modeled for catalogues, like the JC Penney catalogue, but I hadn't done it as an adult prior to this shoot -- and he was kind enough to give me some pointers & suggestions. Not only that, but he smelled amazing. Even though we didn't keep in touch after the shoot, he was a great guy to work with.
There were so many people at the shoot, and there were so many girls that were just dying to be seen. But what was nice was, 50 Cent knows me -- I was actually formally introduced to him prior to the shoot -- and he personally came out to greet me. So, I had a really good experience.
Right now, I'm focused on building my non-profit organization for kids in Reading, PA. Specifically, I want to focus on the after-school aspect of the program. But beyond that, I want to shift my focus more into acting, tours, & Broadway... I'm not afraid to be "me." I'm not afraid to break out of the typical "urban model" mold -- there's much more to Egypt Selinda than being a model. I'm not "one-track minded" — I have a story that is very universal, and I'm very much someone that wants the same thing that every other woman wants: to love, and to be loved.
That would have to be the shoot that I did with Wilhemina Models -- it was a campaign I did with, and for, Louboutin. They tied me up to look like I was playing "dead" -- it had a very "dominatrix-light" edge to it, which was more in line with my personality. It was nice, too, to step out of the "urban" scene with that shoot.
There are a lot of "frien-emies" in the industry. There are a lot of people that claim to be your friend, but only want what they can get out of you. There are also a lot of people that claim to have connections, when what they really want is to know what they can get out of you to get those connections. For example, there was a guy -- I'm not going to name names -- but he promised to give me a feature in his magazine if I "did him some favors" of a sexual nature. Needless to say, I turned him down -- and a year later, I got an offer to be featured in the magazine, no sexual favors required. So, I would also say that I learned that even though it takes longer to achieve your goals by not compromising your standards, maintaining your dignity is worth it.
Filed Under: 50 Cent, Egypt, Lloyd Banks, Web Candy of the Week
Categories: Eye Candy, XXL Magazine
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text:
- August 9, 1926 - September 12, 2017
- Antigo, Wisconsin
of Ralph's Passing
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Ralph was born on August 9, 1926 and passed away on Tuesday, September 12, 2017.
Ralph was a resident of Antigo, Wisconsin at the time of passing.
He was raised in Antigo and graduated from Antigo High School with the class of 1944.
Mass of Christian Burial will be Friday, September 15 at 2:00 PM at St. John Catholic Church. Visitation will be at the church from 12:00 PM until the service. Interment will be in Queen of Peace Cemetery.


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Exciting news for all you Amy Butler fans: She's making Gypsy Caravan, her very first fabric collection, available once again. All of the prints will be re-released by Rowan in the original designs and colors starting this spring. Check out Amy's Facebook Page and website for more information.
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South African Tuberculosis Vaccine Initiative (SATVI), located within Infectious Disease and Molecular Medicine (IDM) at the Faculty of Health Sciences invites applications from suitably qualified candidates for a 24-month contract position of Laboratory Technologist based in Worcester. CLOSED
SATVI authors have published research in which they find that the implementation of optimized procedures and a more rigorous QuantiFERON-TB conversion definition, an increase from IFNy<0.2 to >0.7 IU/mL, would allow more definitive detection of recent M.tb infection and potentially improve identification of those more likely to develop disease.
On Thursday 3 August the South African Tuberculosis Vaccine Initiative hosted a delegation from the Cape Winelands Education TB & HIV Program.
SATVI authors Professor Mark Hatherill, Associate Professor Tom Scriba, Drs. Munyaradzi Musvosvi and Virginie Rozoton have co-authored a research paper titled "Differential recognition of Mtb-specific epitopes as a function of tuberculosis disease history" appearing in the American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine.
Welcome to Dr David M. Lewinsohn, visiting Professor of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, who will be focusing on research into whether or not MR1-restricted T cells have the capacity for immunologic memory during his stay with SATVI.
SATVI authors Tom Scriba, Adam Penn-Nicholson and Mwandile Erasmus have co-authored a research paper titled "The Crosspecies Mycobacterial Growth Inhibition Assay (MGIA) Project 2010-2014" appearing in the Clinical and Vaccine Immunology journal.
SATVI authors have published an article titled "Impact of Isoniazid preventive therapy on the evaluation of long-term effectiveness of infant MVA85A vaccination" appearing in the International Journal of Tuberculosis and Lung Disease.
Staff and students of the South African Tuberculosis Vaccine Initiative (SATVI) recently bid farewell to Doctor Hennie Geldenhuys, who will depart from SATVI at the end of June 2017.
Associate Professor Thomas Scriba has co-authored a research paper titled "Identifying specificity groups in the T cell receptor repertoire" appearing in the Nature Journal.
Researchers from the South African Tuberculosis Vaccine Initiative (SATVI), the Center for Infectious Disease Research (CIDR) and Statens Serum Institute (SSI) have published research that provides important insights for determining which components of Mycobacterium tuberculosis should be included in TB vaccines as targets for the immune response.
SATVI authors Professor Mark Hatherill and Associate Professor Tom Scriba have co-authored a research paper titled "Long-lasting pleurisy" appearing in the European Respiratory Journal.
On Thursday 18 May 2017 SATVI participated in the Ukwanda Rural Research Day seminar which was held in Worcester at the University of Stellenbosch campus.Dr Michele Tameris, SATVI Principal Investigator presented an oral paper titled "Building a portfolio of Community Engagement Projects to enhance TB knowledge".


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Wednesday, August 31, 2011
It's been a while
This card was inspired by Jill foster. I admire her work and love her style. I used the Hero Arts stamp "Antique Background" CG120. I stamped the image with Hero Arts Latte chalk ink. Then I colored the buttyerfly and dragonfly with Prisma color pencils and used distress inks around the images (Antique Linen, Brushed Corduroy, and Walnut Stain) The paper that I used is stampin Up paper that has be discontinued (can't remember the name of the colors) The edges were distressed with a distressing tool and distressing inks. When I was happy with the look of my image I mounted it on the base card. For this next card I used Hero Arts Froggy CL323 and Classic Messages CL414. I wanted the sentiment to say "Hoppy Birthday", but I didn't have a stamp that said "Hoppy", so I masked off the "A" on the stamp and replaced it with an "O". I thought that this would be a good card for a child's birthday. The die cut that I used for the sentiment is from Memory Box. The background was made with a few baby wipes and distress reinkers. I folded two baby wipes and then added drops of Broken China, Shabby Shutters, and Scattered Straw ink along the top of the folded wipes and ran the inked wipes horizontally and vertically along glossy cardstock. These two cards will be entered into the Hero Arts Flickr challange for this month. It was fun making these cards and I am looking forward to making more cards on a regular basis. Thanks for dropping by and I appreciate the comments. Have a great day and God bless.
4 comments:
- Brenda said...
Hi Sue! I love these cards today! That butterfly card, OMG, it's so beautiful! I love the distressing on the centre panel and the colouring is simply exquisite! As for the Hoppy Birthday, I adore that stunning background you created, those colours go so well together!
- August 31, 2011 at 9:53 AM
- Anne said...
Love both of your cards today sue- the butterfly one is awesome with all of the distressing and the frog one is just too cute with an amazing background!
- August 31, 2011 at 3:37 PM
- Sue said...
Hello Sue
Your butterfly card has a unique colour combination Sue, we normally see a radiant orange matched up with the cool green, by dulling the hue for the BG it has created a wonderful focal point to your vivid and intense colour of you butterfly, very dramatic and beautifully done.
Your second card is a very cute one.
- August 31, 2011 at 4:03 PM
- Barb said...
Love them both, Sue! The frog card is so cute. . .love the plaid! And your butterfly card is gorgeous! Wonderful distressing and colors!
- August 31, 2011 at 5:38 PM


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CF Michael Saunders is really struggling at the plate, as evidenced by his second-inning strikeout Sunday. Saunders chased a low pitch from Texas RHP Nick Tepesch, then threw his bat in frustration. That extended Saunders's hitless streak to 10 at-bats, and he went on to go 0-for-3 for the afternoon. In the past 12 games, Saunders has gone 5-for-46 (.109) over the past 12 games while getting dropped from the leadoff spot to sixth in the Mariners' batting order.
1B Justin Smoak sat out Sunday's game after suffering a strained oblique muscle the previous night. Manager Eric Wedge said Sunday morning that Smoak is day-to-day, adding that the injury is not as serious as first thought.


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Sunday, August 31, 2014
Who am I that I should go to Pharaoh?
Exodus 3: 1-15, OT page 50 Moses was keeping the flock of his father-in-law Jethro, the priest of Midian; he led his flock beyond the wilderness, and came to Horeb, the mountain of God. There the angel of the Lord appeared to him in a flame of fire out of a bush; he looked, and the bush was blazing, yet it was not consumed. Then Moses said, "I must turn aside and look at this great sight, and see why the bush is not burned up." When the Lord saw that he had turned aside to see, God called to him out of the bush, "Moses, Moses!" And he said, "Here I am." Then he said, "Come no closer! Remove the sandals from your feet, for the place on which you are standing is holy ground." He said further, "I am the God of your father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob." And Moses hid his face for he was afraid to look at God. Then the Lord said, "I have observed the misery of my people, who are in Egypt; I have heard their cry on account of their taskmasters. Indeed, I know their sufferings, and I have come down to deliver them from the Egyptians, and to bring them up out of that land to a good and broad land, a land flowing with milk and honey, to the country of the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Amorites, the Perizzites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites. The cry of the Israelites has now come to me; I have also seen how the Egyptians oppress them. So come, I will send you to Pharaoh to bring my people, the Israelites out of Egypt." But Moses said to God, "Who am I that I should go to Pharaoh, and bring the Israelites out of Egypt?" He said, "I will be with you; and this shall be the sign for you that it is I who sent you: when you have brought the people out of Egypt, you shall worship God on this mountain." But Moses said to God, "If I come to the Israelites and say to them, 'The God of your ancestors has sent me to you,' and they ask me, 'What is his name?' what shall I say to them?" God said to Moses, "I am who I am." He said further, "Thus you shall say to the Israelites, 'I am has sent me to you.'" Sermon Curiosity can be dangerous. You can tell that much from any number of books where the main character peeked around a corner, pulled a sword from a stone, or climbed into a mysterious wardrobe and so began a life altering adventure, but the same thing happens in real life too. My mother and father-in-law brought a new puppy home and she was curious, poking her nose around rocks and into holes on the ground. Before long a snake bit her right on the nose. I'm not any different. I remember a drive through our old neighborhood, several cars were stopped and a group of people was standing around looking at something in the middle of the street. Naturally I got out of my car to see what all the excitement was about and next thing I knew, I was elected to try and remove an alligator snapping turtle from the middle of the road. The same kind of thing can happen at a church. A curious person sticks her nose in the door of a church and who know what might happen next. Rev. Sarah Hayden, a seminary classmate who now works for our denomination's New Church Development Commission, once told the story of how her family came to join their first Presbyterian Church. A new church building had been under construction near their neighborhood and when the construction was finished and the opening worship service was scheduled, her father suggested that they go and check it out. The family walked in and considering how often one church is just like all the other ones, they approached a man holding a stack of bulletins by the door into the sanctuary, but instead of handing each member of the family one this man handed Sarah's father the whole stack saying, "You must be the one who supposed to hand out the bulletins." "Actually, no I'm not," her father said, "We've never been here before and we just wanted to check it out." "Well," the man said, "you hand out the bulletins." That was years ago – Sarah's now a Presbyterian minister and I think her family is still a member of that very church – and that's how curiosity is – you see something interesting and decide to see what it's all about and next thing you know your life goes in a direction you never could have expected. That's how it was for Moses too. He was as far away from Pharaoh as he could get – not just in the wilderness but our 2nd Scripture lesson says that he was tending the flocks of his father-in-law beyond the wilderness. I think "beyond the wilderness" is out on the other side of Culleoka – and while he's there not thinking about Egypt any more, not thinking about the Israelite family of his birth nor was he thinking about the family who adopted him, Pharaoh's daughter who drew him out of the water in a basket and raised him in the palace until that day he lost his temper and killed the Egyptian who was beating an Israelite. He left all that behind just as he left behind the body of that Egyptian taskmaster, hiding his body in the sand. So there he was, he'd distanced himself as far as he could from his past and started a new life with a wife, children, and flocks to tend – life was just fine, the past was in the past and the future was secure – until he got curious about a bush that blazed without being consumed. Moses said, "I must turn aside and look at this great sight, and see why the bush is not burned up," but this curiosity like all curiosity has the potential to be, led Moses into the presence of God – and once we find ourselves in the presence of God it's best to be prepared for life to move in directions we never could have expected. That how it was with me. We just went to church when I was kid, and my parents would teach Sunday School and in the service we'd stand up and sing when we were supposed to, I'd bow my head and close my eyes when I was supposed to, and I knew the service was almost over…finally… when Dr. Jim Speed stood in front of us with his arms up saying the words of our 1st Scripture Lesson as his benediction. "Let love be genuine; hate what is evil, hold fast to what is good," he'd say – and he'd say it as though we were actually supposed to do it. Go pocking your nose in a hole and you might get bit by a snake. Walk over to a group of people looking at something in the street and end up responsible for a snapping turtle. Get out of bed, get dressed, show up at the church – and it's possible to leave here no different from how you walked in - but if you're open to hearing God's voice you better be careful or you'll wind up going places and saying things that will dredge up the past and re-chart your future. Moses just wanted a closer look, and next thing he knew the God of his ancestors was telling him, "The cry of the Israelites has come to me; I have also seen how the Egyptians oppress them. So come, I will send you to Pharaoh to bring my people, the Israelites, out of Egypt." The Lord had heard their cry, and I am confident that the Lord hears the cry of the oppressed even now. The quite weeping of the sweat shop worker, the mourning wails of the mother whose children are torn away, the father who can't make ends meet, and the child who sits hungry in the classroom in every school in Maury County. We want to know when someone is going to do something about it – when it's going to get better – where are the jobs, the justice, the healthcare, and the wisdom? Where is the one who is going to get us out of this – who can make it better – who can bind up our wounds, get the job done, and finally fix up all that has gone so badly wrong? It's easy to wonder where God is – or if God knows. Where has God been? And I think I know. God's been calling, waiting on you to answer.
Posted by Joe at 12:00 PM No comments:
Sunday, August 24, 2014
Moses was spared
Exodus 1: 8 – 2: 10, OT page 49 Now a new king arose over Egypt, who did not know Joseph. He said to his people, "Look, the Israelite people are more numerous and more powerful than we. Come, let us deal shrewdly with them, or they will increase and, in the event of war, join our enemies and fight against us and escape from the land." Therefore they set taskmasters over them to oppress them with forced labor. They built supply cities, Pithom and Rameses, for Pharaoh. But the more they were oppressed, the more they multiplied and spread, so that the Egyptians came to dread the Israelites. The Egyptians became ruthless in imposing tasks on the Israelites, and made their lives bitter with hard service in mortar and brick and in every kind of field labor. They were ruthless in all the tasks that they imposed on them. The king of Egypt said to the Hebrew midwives, one of whom was named Shiphrah and the other Puah, "When you act as midwives to the Hebrew women, and see them on the birthstool, if it is a boy, kill him; but if it is a girl, she shall live." But the midwives feared God; they did not do as the king of Egypt commanded them, but they let the boys live. So the king of Egypt summoned the midwives and said to them, "Why have you done this, and allowed the boys to live?" The midwives said to Pharaoh, "Because the Hebrew women are not like the Egyptian women; for they are vigorous and give birth before the midwife comes to them." So God dealt well with the midwives; and the people multiplied and became very strong. And because the midwives feared God, he gave them families. Then Pharaoh commanded all his people, "Every boy that is born to the Hebrews you shall throw into the Nile, but you shall let every girl live." Now a man from the house of Levi went and married a Levite woman. The woman conceived and bore a son; and when she saw that he was a fine baby, she hid him three months. When she could hide him no longer she got a papyrus basket for him, and plastered it with bitumen and pitch; she put the child in it and placed it among the reeds on the bank of the river. His sister stood at a distance, to see what would happen to him. The daughter of Pharaoh came down to bathe at the river, while her attendants walked beside the river. She saw the basket among the reeds and sent her maid to bring it. When she opened it, she saw the child. He was crying, and she took pity on him, "This must be one of the Hebrews' children," she said. Then his sister said to Pharaoh's daughter, "Shall I go and get you a nurse from the Hebrew women to nurse the child for you?" Pharaoh's daughter said to her, "Yes." So the girl went and called the child's mother. Pharaoh's daughter said to her, "Take this child and nurse it for me, and I will give you your wages." So the woman took the child and nursed it. When the child grew up, she brought him to Pharaoh's daughter, and she took him as her son. She named him Moses, "because," she said, "I drew him out of the water." Sermon The Israelite people came to live in Egypt; from the time Joseph saved his brothers and their families from the famine in the land Promised to Abraham and his descendants, they lived in Egypt and they died Egypt, many of their children were born there with no memory of any other land besides the fields and river banks nourished by the Nile River. It's in a time and place like that when you can hear grandparents interrupt their grandchildren's conversations concerning the fastest chariots or the best places to swim in the Nile with old stories about a homeland flowing with milk and honey. The grandparents wanted them to remember and prepare themselves to go back one day, but the grandchildren just wanted to fit in because that's what grandchildren want to do. However, if a cat crawls into an oven to deliver her litter – they're still kittens, not muffins. And in the same way just being born in Egypt doesn't make one Egyptian any more than being born at Maury Regional makes you a local. In fact, just as the Israelites lived in Egypt you can live somewhere for years and years never quite belonging, though we all want to belong, whether in the place we were born or in the place we've adopted, so while my father-in-law who moved from Columbia, South America to Knoxville, Tennessee always planning on moving back home eventually, he did try to fit in at the University of Tennessee. He landed in Knoxville to study architecture while still just getting a grasp of the basics of the English language. Not yet grasping all the nuances, a couple nice church ladies asked him on the sidewalk if he'd been saved and he assumed they were asking him about his bank account. Then one of his first times through the cafeteria line at breakfast he asked for a biscuit with groovy instead of a biscuit with gravy. This was the 60's so you can imagine how he'd make the mistake. Fortunately the cafeteria lady on the other side of the serving line laughed and so did he because he's the kind of guy who can laugh at himself, but even still, fitting in is a serious business. Nobody wants to feel like the new guy forever. Sooner or later we all want to be one of the group laughing and talking in the cafeteria instead of the one on the outside sitting alone, just watching the others laughing and talking. From the outside looking in it seems like they've known each other forever, and to be one of them, if you're lonely enough, you'll do just about anything. That's why these midwives are worth remembering. That's why not even Pharaoh is named in our second Scripture lesson – he's just called Pharaoh - but here in Exodus they are referred to not as two midwives but as Shiphrah and Puah. Remember their names because they had this chance to please the king of Egypt but they chose instead to honor their God. And they knew what pleasing him would have meant. They knew what disappointing him would have meant too. Already he had ordered the execution of babies, and just as he was capable of great evil so also in his words they may have heard an invitation to something good. A part of them must have been ready to do what he asked, as there is a part of all of us ready to walk down the easy path and away from who we are and who we should be. There's a man at the County Fair who knows that well enough – so he tells you that a good father will pay three dollars to throw a shoe and knock over some cans to win his daughter a prize. Now you want to be a good father don't you? The grocery store knows it too – so they don't just sell food, it's not just cereal in that box, the commercials say that it's fuel for a school day, a ticket to academic excellence, or even worse – they'll tell you that having this or providing that will make you a good mother. You want to be a good mother don't you? It's not just in High School where the one whose self-worth constantly hangs in the balance of what other people say walks a precarious line – every man and woman who seeks acceptance from the world faces the worst kind of danger day in and day out – it doesn't matter how many hours you work, you could still work more, how many people you please, there will still be expectations unmet. Despite whatever Pharaoh threatened or promised, they chose to remain Shiphrah and Puah – remember their names and be like them, let the God who created you define who you are. They made the choice to save those Hebrew babies – they chose to listen to their heart rather than the voice of a sin sick world – and that same choice is yours today. The standards of our world will tell you how to act and speak – but the ways of this world must not be your ways. "Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your minds, so that you may discern what is the will of God – what is good and acceptable and perfect." Do not be conformed to this world for you don't belong to this world any more than Moses belonged to the Pharaoh's palace. Do not be conformed to this world, but honor the God who created you, the one who will spare you as Moses was spared. Amen.
Posted by Joe at 9:56 AM No comments:
Sunday, August 17, 2014
It was not you who sent me here
Genesis 45: 1-15, OT page 42 Then Joseph could no longer control himself before all those who stood by him, and he cried out, "Send everyone away from me." So no one stayed with him when Joseph made himself known to his brothers. And he wept so loudly that the Egyptians heard it, and the household of Pharaoh heard it. Joseph said to his brothers, "I am Joseph, is my father still alive?" But his brothers could not answer him, so dismayed were they at his presence. Then Joseph said to his brothers, "Come closer to me." And they came closer. He said, "I am your brother, Joseph, whom you sold into Egypt. And now do not be distressed, or angry with yourselves, because you sold me here; for God sent me before you to preserve life. For the famine has been in the land these two years; and there are five more years in which there will be neither plowing nor harvest. God sent me before you to preserve for you a remnant on earth, and to keep alive many survivors. So it was not you who sent me here, but God; God has made me a father to Pharaoh, and lord of all his house and ruler over all the land of Egypt. Hurry and go up to my father and say to him, 'Thus says your son Joseph, God has made me lord of all Egypt; come down to me, do not delay. You shall settle in the land of Goshen, and you shall be near me, you and your children and your children's children, as well as your flocks, your herds, and all that you have. I will provide for you there – since there are five more years of famine to come – so that you and your household, and all that you have, will not come to poverty.' And now your eyes and the eyes of my brother Benjamin see that it is my own mouth that speaks to you. You must tell my father how greatly I am honored in Egypt, and all that you have seen. Hurry and bring my father down here." Then he fell upon his brother Benjamin's neck and wept, while Benjamin wept upon his neck. And he kissed all his brothers and wept upon them; and after that his brothers talked with him. Sermon There was a young woman, a friend of a friend, just moved to New York City, living in her very first apartment just large enough to sleep in, working her very first job that just paid her enough to survive, so when a co-worker asked her to stay in her apartment and care for her cat while she went on vacation this young woman was excited to oblige. The apartment was wonderful – air conditioned, full kitchen, cable TV, and all she had to do was keep the cat – the only problem was that on the third day the cat died. She felt horrible, as you can imagine, and rehearsed the phone call a few dozen times before finally calling the cat owner and delivering the bad news. Fortunately for the young woman, the cat owner understood completely as the cat was 14 years old, her only request was that she go ahead and deliver the cat's body to the vet's office where they would handle the remains. But unfortunately, the young woman was so relieved that she hung up the phone before realizing that she didn't have a car to drive the cat across town to the vet. How would she transport the cat then? She couldn't walk – it was too far. She didn't have enough money for a taxi, and even if she did, she couldn't just hold a dead cat in her arms – so she looked around the apartment and finally found an old brief case. She put the cat in it and went down to the subway, got on the train and sat down, the brief case on the floor between her feet, and she tried hard not to act like anything at all was the matter. A nice looking young man sat down next to her. After a little while he nudged her and looking down at the brief case asked her if she was on her way to work. "Yes I am as a matter of fact," she replied with a little too much confidence, "just going in to the office with my trusty laptop," she said looking down at the brief case. Then she asked what he was on the way to – he was headed to the Met to enjoy some artwork since it was his day off, or something like that – well she loved the Met too and it turned out that's not the only thing that they had in common, so at some point in the conversation this young woman began to wonder if she was about to be asked out on her first date in New York City with a dead cat between her feet. But before that could happen, train came to a stop, the young man grabbed that brief case and ran out of the train never to be seen again. Now I tell you this because it's not every story that ends so well. The story of the young woman who moves to a new place and is robbed blind has been told and told again – which goes right along with news reports of the Ebola Virus – a disease that shows no mercy nor partiality, or the war in Palestine that has flared up again and has little hope of ever ending, the murder of children in Iraq – a place where hatred is not in short supply, protests in Missouri where mothers and fathers call for revenge, and the suicide of Robyn Williams that shines a bright light on the kind of suffering that will hide behind a smile. You've heard such stories and know them well enough; hear then another kind of story – where suffering was not meaningless, where brothers came face to face and found reconciliation, where everything did turn out happily ever after, where revenge would have been so easy but forgiveness was given instead. The story begins with a little brother who didn't know when to stop talking about himself, so his brothers helped him find his way to a pit with no water in it – and he looked up waiting for the joke to be over and saw his brothers looking down on him in it, glad to have put him in his place. It turns out they weren't just joking, they meant to get rid of him, so there were chains next as they sold him for silver coins, then a long journey to a world he'd never seen surrounded by words he couldn't understand, and he was helpless to do anything about it. He went from the chains of a slave to the cell of a prisoner wrongly accused, though the rats and the guards, neither cared that he was innocent – and each day passed slowly, alone with his memories of the brothers who got him there in the first place. You can imagine that he was ready for the moment when he would finally see them again. Probably he had rehearsed his words and actions through a million times before. Only from his seat of power, having risen through the ranks of the Egyptian hierarchy, he not only sees the faces of his brother looking down on him from the edge of that pit in his minds eye, he sees also the hand of God leading him, sustaining and preserving him, lifting him up for just such a time as this. He said to them after so many years of rehearsing, "I am your brother, Joseph, whom you sold into Egypt. And now do not be distressed, or angry with yourselves, because you sold me here; for God sent me before you to preserve life… God sent me before you to preserve for you a remnant on earth, and to keep alive many survivors. So it was not you who sent me here, but God." Such perspective, such maturity, such faith – all in short supply – so hear this uncommon story and know that it is true. Hold this story close when the devil convinces you that all hope is lost – that you've made the wrong step, that you're too far from the path – hold this story close and remember the God who led Joseph from hardship by an invisible hand. Hold this story close when famine and disease strike fear in the world – and remember that our God still provides a way out of no way. Hold this story close when it is clear that you are the victim – and see your hardship through the lens of faith trusting that "the gifts and calling of God are irrevocable" and nothing will separate you from the love of God. Hold this story close – when death knocks on the door whispering cold words of uncertainty and despair – hold this story close and remember the God who speaks life everlasting. Amen.
Posted by Joe at 11:38 AM No comments:
Sunday, August 10, 2014
They wanted to kill his dream
Genesis 37: 1-5 and 12-28, OT page 34 Jacob settled in the land where his father had lived as an alien, the land of Canaan. This is the story of the family of Jacob. Joseph, being seventeen years old, was shepherding the flock with his brothers; he was a helper to the sons of Bilhah and Zilpah, his father's wives; and Joseph brought a bad report of them to their father. Now Israel loved Joseph more than any other of his children, because he was the son of his old age; and he had made him a long robe with sleeves. But when his brothers saw that their father loved him more than all his brothers, they hated him, and could not speak peaceably to him. Once Joseph had a dream, and when he told it to his brothers they hated him even more. Now his brothers went to pasture their father's flock near Shechem. And Israel said to Joseph, "Are not your brothers pasturing the flock at Shechem? Come, I will send you to them." He answered, "Here I am." So he said to him, "Go now, see if it is well with your brothers and with the flock; and bring word back to me." So he sent him from the valley of Hebron. He came to Shechem, and a man found him wandering in the fields; the man asked him, "What are you seeking?" "I am seeking my brothers," he said; "tell me, please, where they are pasturing the flock." The man said, "They have gone away, for I heard them say, 'Let us go to Dothan.'" So Joseph went after his brothers, and found them at Dothan. They saw him from a distance and before he came near to them, they conspired to kill him. They said to one another, "Here comes this dreamer. Come now, let us kill him and throw him into one of the pits; then we shall say that a wild animal has devoured him, and we shall see what will become of his dreams." But when Reuben heard it, he delivered him out of their hands, saying, "Let us not take his life." Reuben said to them, "Shed no blood; throw him into this pit here in the wilderness, but lay no hand on him" – that he might rescue him out of their hand and restore him to his father. So when Joseph came to his brothers, they stripped him of his robe, the long robe with sleeves that he wore; and they took him and threw him into a pit. The pit was empty; there was no water in it. Then they sat down to eat; and looking up they saw a caravan of Ishmaelites coming from Gilead, with their camels carrying gum, balm, and resin, on their way to carry it down to Egypt. Then Judah said to his brothers, "What profit is it if we kill our brother and conceal his blood? Come, let us sell him to the Ishmaelites, and not lay our hands on him, for he is our brother, our own flesh." And his brothers agreed. When some Midianite traders passed by, they drew Joseph up, lifting him out of the pit, and sold him to the Ishmaelites for twenty pieces of silver. And they took Joseph to Egypt. Sermon There's something wonderful about summer but there's something wonderful about the first week of school too. It even smells a certain way, and it's a time of year full of transitions. The baby who's been staying at home goes to pre-school for the first time, no longer a baby, and it seems like the teacher is there to console her when her Mama leaves the room but I've been consoled by a few teachers myself. Then the preschooler moves on to Kindergarten with a back-pack so big you could stuff the kid wearing it down into it. They walk around so proud, wide eyed and excited, and their parents are excited too but they cry anyway. Middle School comes next and parents drop off a child at the beginning of the day but the kid who gets in the car in the afternoon is a foot taller than the one you dropped off. The new school khakis seem to last about a week. Then they're off to High School – you send them into that great big place, maybe they even drive themselves. Before long it's off to college, and the "goodbye" never goes right because these kinds of goodbyes are too difficult to say. How do you say everything you need to say before leaving him in the dorm room? Don't drink and drive, study hard, don't stay up too late, try to meet some nice friends - I'll miss you more than I can say and the house is going to be so empty without you in it. You can't say all that – so you just try to get him everything he needs – new sheets and a shower caddy. There are so many changes – phases of growing up and saying goodbye to what was so constant just the day before. But that's the way that it is and that's the way that it always has been, and that's the way that it is supposed to be so give thanks if that's how it's progressing at your house. And the kindergartner's new back pack, the new school clothes, the shower caddy for college – it's not so different from that cloak with the nice long sleeves that Jacob, now called Israel, gave to Joseph, the son closest to his heart. Israel sent him off to find his brothers, just as parents have always sent off their children, not knowing exactly what they're sending him off to. So off goes Joseph wearing his new school clothes, off he goes to join his big brothers, however while the dreamer walks towards them they are plotting to kill their little brother's dreams. Now there's something for all parents to fear. She goes off to conquer the world, ready to be a doctor and a nurse and a teacher and a babysitter, but the world will scoff at her dreams because that's what the world does. Go into a 1st grade class and ask those students to raise their hand if they're a musician – every hand will go up, because James takes piano lessons and Susie can play the maraca – but go into a 10th grade class and see how many hands go up. The world will take your dreams. Joseph's brothers don't want to hear any more about how he's the center of the universe. They've heard enough, and now they're ready to silence the dreamer, willing to kill him even if in killing the dreamer they can kill his dreams too. We all walk off into a world where to try means to fail, maybe even most of the time. We walk down the hall and off to the lunch room to be excluded maybe more often that we're embraced. To apply for a job means to risk not being chosen. To put up a campaign sign may well mean having to take it down the day after Election Day not having gained anything beyond a broken heart. To try for American Idol may mean walking out onto a stage to applause only to walk off it in tears. And I know this to be the world that we live in so I walked my daughter to her kindergarten class and there was such a part of me ready to take her home where I can keep her and her dreams intact. I just wanted to keep her home. But a parent can kill a child's dreams too. And the only way Joseph's dreams were going to come to fulfillment was for him to face his brothers, for them to throw him into a pit and sell him into slavery so that he would rise to power in Egypt and save his entire family from famine, no longer the little brother, but the dream fulfilled in him he became the great man God created him to be. The world is a challenging place, but it is the only place where dreams become reality. So go out into the world, and when disappointment and trial comes, know that temporary disappointment is a precursor to greater accomplishments – that today's heartache will give way to tomorrow's joy – for through our God, the dreamer's dream will be fulfilled. Amen.
Posted by Joe at 1:26 PM No comments:
Sunday, August 3, 2014
Genesis 32: 22-31, OT page 30 The same night he got up and took his two wives, his two maids, and his eleven children, and crossed the Jabbok. He took them and sent them across the stream, and likewise everything that he had. Jacob was left alone; and a man wrestled with him until daybreak. When the man saw that he did not prevail against Jacob, he struck him on the hip socket; and Jacob's hip was put out of joint as he wrestled with him. Then he said, "Let me go, for the day is breaking." But Jacob said, "I will not let you go, unless you bless me." So he said to him, "What is your name?" And he said, "Jacob." Then the man said, "You shall no longer be called Jacob, but Israel, for you have striven with God and with humans, and have prevailed." Then Jacob asked him, "Please tell me your name." But he said, "Why is it that you ask my name?" And there he blessed him. So Jacob called the place Penuel, saying, "For I have seen God face to face, and yet my life is preserved." The sun rose upon him as he passed Penuel, limping because of his hip. Sermon My first job out of college was in lawn maintenance, which is a fancy way of saying that after four years of college I cut grass for a living. It was one of the nice companies in Atlanta, we rode around Buckhead in a nice truck and used expensive equipment, but seven dollars an hour only attracts a certain kind of person so the crew included illegal immigrants, convicted felons, and me, a religion major. The convicted felon's name was Doug, and not only was he the most knowledgeable employee of the company, he was also the kindest. He made every effort to learn Spanish just to make the guys fresh from their border crossing feel more comfortable. He showed up on time and he worked hard, and he was the one who would answer my questions when I didn't know where to hide the grass clippings or how to start the mower. From time to time it would rain in the course of a day, and when it did there I sat in the truck in-between Doug and Shaun, because the new guy always had to sit in the middle, and Shaun wouldn't talk too much, but Doug would talk and to pass the time he'd often tell us stories about prison. We usually ate lunch at a picnic table outside a BP station, but when it rained we'd eat sandwiches in the truck and Doug would look at his sandwich which reminded him of when he was locked up and how sometimes he'd get work detail, and when lunch time finally came the guy with the cleanest shovel would heat his shovel up over the fire and the whole crew would use it as a frying pan for their baloney. Then he'd pause, look at his sandwich again – this one that consisted of French bread and Boar's Head chicken from the sub-station of Publix, and he'd say that sometimes the days went by so slow, but then one day you finally get out of there and all of a sudden you realize how much time has passed, how many Christmases had gone by, how you'd all of a sudden see your son and daughter all grown up because you missed what seems like everything. The world keeps spinning, and on the day you go back home you come face to face with your past. Now Jacob was never in prison, but our second Scripture lesson tells the story of the night before he had to rise and face his brother. So many years had gone by since Jacob tricked Esau into trading him his birthright for a bowl of lentil stew – surely Jacob wondered if his brother would even recognize him after so many years, if he would recognize his brother. And then there'd be wives he'd never met who married his brother at weddings where he never gave a toast. There'd be his brother's children for Jacob to meet for the very first time, only they wouldn't all be children now, and how does an uncle make up for all those birthday presents he never gave? How much time had passed since the day Esau came in from hunting famished to the point of starving, and rather than simply give his brother something to eat, instead Jacob made him trade the stew for his birthright – would enough time have passed for Esau to forgive him? That's the thing that Jacob doesn't know. And for a man who knows how to take control, not knowing is about the worst thing that there is. Even in the birth canal Jacob wasn't one to lie down and just let things happen, just let his brother be the first, so the twins were born, Esau first but Jacob just after holding tight to his brother's ankle. Then years later, knowing that Esau as the oldest would be the one to inherit his father's property and blessing, Jacob fought to make a name for himself and it was Jacob who was blessed by Isaac. The one who makes it in this world will do so fighting tooth and nail – now that's what Jacob learned, and that's a fine lesson to learn for the one who leaves never to return, the one who runs away from what's been done and what's been left undone. The one who wants only to win has no need for mercy. The one who never slips doesn't need to be picked up. And the one who always runs away must struggle to understand forgiveness. That's how I was at 8 or 9. On that day I was ready to run and never go back – anything but face the lifeguard who had to ask my friends and me to leave the neighborhood pool. When I came home early that afternoon and spilt the beans my parents gave me two options: either turn around and apologize to that lifeguard or never go back to the pool again. I assured my parents that I'd be fine staying at home – because I'm like most human beings. When given the choice between facing the person I've hurt and running away there's a part of me that is ready to run every single time. This is the human condition according to Paul, so some are cut off simply because they run from their sin rather than seek forgiveness, run from their demons rather than face them, the story is as old as time for Adam and Eve chose to hide in the Garden rather than face their Creator. So the prisons are said to be filled with the innocent, the churches with the self-righteous, and the sign in Bucky's says that "To err is human, but to blame someone else show's management potential." The powerful set our example by never admitting to much, the closet we'll hear to an apology is a statement that "mistakes were made," and so broken fences are never really mended but the walls between neighbors grow ever higher. Guilt is perpetual and sleep ever allusive as humanity wrestles with the reality of sin while refusing to face our brothers who we've betrayed. That's why you can be sitting right next to someone while still being miles away – sin creating such a wall of division, silence slowing down time; your only hope rests in the words that are the hardest to say – "I was wrong." "I'm sorry." And the longer those words go unsaid the greater the divide grows. You stand at the edge of it looking down – it sure can be deep and it sure can be wide – so you just make a life there on the edge of it and you can live for years – unreconciled, unforgiven, pretending not to notice those friends of yours having such a good time at the pool on the other side because you're not man enough to apologize for what you've done. That makes the devil's work easy, for the self-righteous create their own hell. But my father couldn't take it. Next thing I knew he was driving me to the pool and walking me right up to the life guard stand where I stood in silence for some moments before blurting out, "I'm sorry for not listening to you when you blew your whistle and told us to get out of the pool." I don't know what I thought was going to happen, and it seems foolish to have been so afraid, but thanks be to God for conquering my pride. Jacob wrestled through the night, and it is only when his hip is dislocated that he is victorious. Only in defeat is there salvation. As far as I can tell there is only one unforgiveable sin – refusing to bow before the throne of God saying, "Forgive me Lord for I am a sinner." We all must come face to face with what we have done, and for Jacob that morning came. The sun rose full of grace on Israel, and he limped towards his brother and towards reconciliation because he knew when to admit defeat. Let this day be the day when you do the same. There is no shame is confession – for failure is a part of being alive, and the God who created you is ever more ready to forgive than you are to confess. Give voice to the guilt of your heart this day – for the reality of our Savior Christ is this – there is grace enough to cover all our sin. Thanks be to God. Amen.
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Day 11 Wednesday July 5
Today I woke up for classes. I went to eat, and then went to Chinese class. We continued to add on to vocabulary today, and learned verbs. Now I am officially starting to feel behind and overwhelmed with the language. But I am enjoying learning it, and want to start practicing in my room to keep up the knowledge. I appreciate the way the teacher teaches the class, I just need to put a little more effort outside of class to help me remember the content. I am considering taking Chinese when I get back home, so that I do not lose the progress that I have made while I am here. We three hours of class today, like normal. Then after class ended, we went to Morning House for lunch.
After lunch, we had about 4 or 5 hours to kill before we meet up with Greta to make up for our 4th of July celebrations. Me and Noah decided that we would work on some blogs and do some stuff around the room for an hour or two, then we would go check out the gym for the first time since we got here. So we sat down and got some work done. Then we went up to our beds and tried to do our blogs their. I did not last very long before I fell asleep. I woke up around 6 from my nap, and started to get ready to meet Greta. We went and caught a bus down to meet her at another bus stop. She does not live on campus therefore we met her near her house. We then tried to catch the public bus in time to make it to the park, but we missed that one also. And if we want to wait for that bus, the it would have been a 30 min wait. So Greta called one of her friends to see if we could set fireworks off at their house.
Her friend came and picked all 14 of us up in a mini van, and took us to his temple. He owned a temple, and that was where he was going to let us shoot fireworks from. When we got there, we saw a little temple under construction, and it was kinda similar to all of the other temples that we have seen here. It had the same color scheme, and the alter in the middle and the stone carving out front. But the inside of the temple had very detailed wood carvings. It was a nice little building overall. After we saw the temple, we went over to a field of something I am not sure of what it was, and we walked a little path about 100 ft back. There we stopped, and Greta got out all of the fireworks that she bought. She bought 6 or 7 boxes with about 10 or 15 big fireworks inside of it. She also bought packs of little sparkler type fireworks that shoot about 4 ft in the air for 30 seconds. Last she bough us giant sparklers. She did a very good job finding fireworks, it was a good night.
After we lit off all of the fireworks, the people who owned the temple and the place invited us to go sit at their house for a while. We walked over to their house, and they already had chairs set out when we got there. When we got there, they offered us some Taiwan beer, tea, or some carbonated apple cider. After a while of sitting there drinking with them, they offered us some chicken. We accepted, and continued to hang out. After a while we saw a car pull into the driveway and the wife brought out bought chicken for us along with 3 other types of food. The hospitality here is amazing. While we were eating and drinking with them, we found out that they own their own bed and mattress and sheet and pillow company that manufactures in China. We learned about that, for a while. We were sitting next to their house and garage, and they both were very big. The house had granite floors, and wooden furniture and carvings hung up everywhere, it was really nice. The garage had product for their company, and 3 very expensive cars, a Porsche SUV, an Audi, a mini, and the mini even had a picture of their dog painted on it. Their dog is a small little pug and his name is Chinese for blanket because of their business, he was so cute. We left after about an hour of sitting there talking, but before we left they invited us back to see their temple moving in a couple weeks, so we are going back for that soon.
Day 12 Thursday July 6
Today we had class again, 3 hours of Chinese and the cultural class after that. In Chinese we learned connecting words today, which will help us start to form sentences. So we started trying to form sentences and trying to practice that today. If I have notes in front of me, I am very good at Chinese, but I cannot remember the words without my notes so that is what I need to start practicing. After we had our Chinese class, we had lunch then went into the next class. Today in culture class we talked more about the same stuff that we talked about yesterday in class. At the end of class the teacher started to talk about the paper that we have to do. I did not know that the paper was due at the end of the trip. It makes it hard to enjoy everything here while I have to write a blog and a 10 page paper and go to class all day. I was a little bummed about the paper, but I will do my best with what time I have.
After class, we had nothing on the schedule to do. So Noah and I decided to do some homework and work on our blogs then go out and try and find some new things. Noah in=s into bikes, so he wanted to go to a bike shop here and see what it is like. So we looked it up on google maps and decided to go to it. We were hungry so we decided to try either the KFC or McDonald's next to where the bike shop is supposed to be. We went into the KFC, but the menu looked a little different so we decided to go to McDonalds instead. After we ate at McDonalds, we went to find the bike shop. According to google maps, we had to go down an alley between KFC and McDonalds, so we did. There was a lot of vendors down there, and it was a cool atmosphere. We walked all the way down the alley, and we did not see any like shop. But we did find a restaurant called route 66. So we went to look at it, and the owner came out and talked to us. His name is Ben, and he is from Texas. He told us about how he has been here before and he loves it here. We stood there and talked to him for about 2 hrs. When we final left, we went back to the dorm to go to bed and get ready for the next day.


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ESC 2013: My opinion about the Final (Part II)
The second part of my opinion regarding the Final of the Eurovision Song Contest 2013 is now here to shine. On my previous post, I started talking about the begining of the show + started to review the songs and its performances during the final one by one. After talking about the first 13 entries, here's my opinion of the last 13 entries:
14: Romania – Cezar – It's my life
A crossover opera-dance pop entry is up next to dazzle us (eventhough it's perhaps one of the most hated entries this year by ESC fans… in general). There's no denial that he flawlessly sings it all out (by the way, his vocals were better in the final than in his semi). Visually, though, it's quite excessive in certain aspects that even made my eyes roll and to questionably say: "Huh?"
15: United Kingdom – Bonnie Tyler – Believe in me
A pop-rock ballad with some country influences sung by one of the most iconic singers of the 70's and 80's is coming out. She may not be in her best years anymore, but her voice still lingers on and she proved it with a very competent performance (maybe some little flaws here and then, but it's nothing to worry about). The simplicty of the visual performance was a good key for this kind of song. Nice use of the platform as well
16: Sweden – Robin Stjernberg – You
The host country has brought the alternative pop scene to this ESC's edition. Visually, it was well choreographed and the backing singers did a very good job. A pity, though, that Robin's vocals were just okay: quite nervous several times and he even flubbed a line of the chorus during its first instance (If that was intentional or not, it's something I don't know. But it's quite a fault)
17: Hungary – ByeAlex – Kedvesem
A different kind of alternative music is on the roll with the next entry to be performed. Like the song, the performance was somewhat soothing and relaxing (it even was much better than in his semi), altough there was a few missing notes (they're not really bothersome, though). Loved the background that reminds me of the song's video, as well as the female backing singer
18: Denmark – Emmelie de Forest – Only teardrops
Big favourite to win the competition is this power pop-folk entry. Might not be the best ESC entry of all times for me, but this without a doubt does have "winning performance" as its label: great vocal performance, sublime visual performance (liked the interaction between the singer and the flautist in the middle of the song, just after the chorus is first sung), clever camera interactions, visual effects and also use of confettis as the song comes to an end
19: Iceland – Eyþór Ingi Gunnlaugsson – Ég á líf
After some non-ballad songs, we are back to the ballads section. There's some kind of mystical nordic feel in the performance that doesn't only flow, but also interacts well with the entry and its hearfelt lyrics. A superb vocal and visual performance by the singer, as well as a nice moment when the chorists appeared in the climax of the song (reminding of Spain 2012, when the backing vocalists also appeared during the climax of the song)
20: Azerbaijan – Fərid Məmmədov – Hold me
More ballads are coming our way, this one being a midtempo one and a favourite to win as well. Vocally, it was good, but not really perfect. Visually, though, it's really impressive: the "glass box" gimmick with the dancer doing the backward moves and the luxurious female dancer using the long red dress were really spot on. By the way, Fərid reminds me of someone famous, but I don't remember who
21: Greece – Koza Mostra & Agathonas Iakovidis – Alcohol is free
A ska entry with the traditional greek music sounds (mostly "rebetiko") is going to make us party for more. And what a party: this is highly entertaining, fun and tasteful to watch (the cameras were quite busy in this song, but they really captured the crazyness of the song) and to hear (there's not much to complain, vocally wise. They worked it out like professionals that they really are). All in all, it makes you smile of happiness
22: Ukraine – Zlata Ognevich – Gravity
Also a favourite to win is this midtempo (that almost crosses the uptempo border) ballad entry. In a way, ferocious and classy vocal and visual performance by Zlata, elevating the entry to higher grounds. Much was commented (and made fun of) during the rehearsals due to the appearance of Igor Vovkovinskiy (tallest living ukrainian person), but it was actually a tender touch for the begining of the song
23: Italy – Marco Mengoni – L'essenziale
A romantic pop-rock ballad in italian is what comes out next. One of the charms of the song is this pure emotion the entry brings and Marco only confirmed that inner emotion with his soulful vocal performance in a simple but effective visual performance (the only minor flaw was singing the wrong final second verse (out of 4) in the climax of the entry: compare the official CD version with the live and you'll see what I mean)
24: Norway – Margaret Berger – I feed you my love
Dark electro-pop sounds are lurking into the stage like a bang. Everything in its performance is as highly interesting as the song: from the mystic vocal performance to the mesmerizing lighting + background and from the fiercy visual performance to the supremacy of the backing singers. All in all, a performance to not miss in every detail. Only one more thing: this was a much better performance than in her semi where she seemed quite nervous
25: Georgia – Nodi Tatishvili & Sopho Gelovani – Waterfall
The last ballad of the evening and… a favourite to win, according to the betting odds. The visual performance seems like a rehash of a few previous recent ESC songs, including Azerbaijan 2011 (the "waterfall" gimmick at the climax, for example), but it still is quite effective anyway. However, if I had to say who won the battle of voices in this duo, I'd have to say Sopho: her voice gave an ethereal feeling to the song, something Nodi couldn't achieve
26: Ireland – Ryan Dolan – Only love survives
And here comes the last uptempo (dance pop) entry of the evening and the last song to be performed overall. The visual performance is colorful and vibrant, but the vocal performance was a bit disapointing (well, they were stable and I know it's a very demanding entry vocally, but… there were times he wasn't at his really best). At least there was a lot of energy going on, greatly captured by the cameras
After the songs have been performed, several interval acts were done between the time when the televoting lines were open and the time before going to the results presentation: the 1st act being Loreen, performing a medley of three songs (her latest single, "We got the power", her MF 2011 entry, "My heart is refusing me" (in a different mix) and the winning entry of ESC 2013), "Euphoria")
The televoting lines were closed and Petra Mede gave her satricial act about Sweden and its sterotypes called "Swedish smörgåsbord". Then, just before the results presentation, Sarah Dawn Finer (who had performed, during the interludes, her alter-ego Lynda Woodruff) gave her sweet and strong rendition of ABBA's classic 1980 hit, "The winner takes it all"
P.S.: Sadly, I couldn't see much of Petra's satirical act as I was following it via RTP 1 HD and they usually make a commercial break when a interval act is being performed, so I can't say much of it
There's always suprises and none during the results and this year's ESC is no exception. High favourite to win, Denmark won (without much suprise) with 281 points. Azerbaijan made a personal trivia by reaching all the places from the top-5 in five consecutive years (out of 6 participations), while Malta, The Netherlands and Hungary gave the suprises of the night by reaching the places between 8th and 10th. On the other hand, Moldova repated their second best placing ever in ESC, Georgia and Germany, favourites to win, became the flops of the year and Ireland got their 2nd last placer in the history of ESC (they are also the second country to do the unthinkable: last to perform, last in the final results. In 1990, Finland was the first country to do the unprecedent with the catchy song "Fri?" sung by Beat, eventhough it was a shared last with Norway)
But the strangest surpise of all was announcing the winner before the results: yes, it was impossible for some country to get past Denmark with just 4 set of votes remaining. But I don't know if this was the right thing to do… except for the fact that the greenroom was far from the stage and they had to give enough time for Emmelie to come onto the stage (that should be the only reason why there was such an unprecedent announcement: until then, the winner was only announced after the results presentation was over). All in all, the end of the show ended up as a bit confusing (the transmission of the show ended without the end of the reprise performance)
Anyway, next year, we'll go to ??? (destination still unknown, eventhough the country has hosted the contest in the same city: Copenhagen (1964 and 2001). Then again, we never know what's going to happen). Until then, I hope next year's ESC will be as wonderful as this one was. And hoping Portugal will return to ESC next year (and maybe to the final, if we have a great song) after their withdrawal this year due to economic crisis
A last treat – the reprise performance of the ESC 2013 winner (it's quite incomplete at the end due to transmission issues):
Thank you,
LAboy 456
(Rui Craveiro)
Posted on 25 de May de 2013, in Eurovision Song Contest. Bookmark the permalink. Leave a comment.