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You will need to employ a number of job search techniques in order to be successful. Networking remains the most effective job search technique and also the most time-consuming. As a result, I recommend that you spend 80 percent of your time contacting friends, family, colleagues, the Department of Labor, alumni, and anyone in your email address book that can provide support, job leads and "connections."
You will need to send out several resume and cover letters on a regular and disciplined basis in order to produce the right number of interviews and then offers. When you think about executing your search, develop a time frame that works for you. If you are serious, you will commit a few hours each week to job hunting. Typically, resumes and cover letters sent out today will not generate any interviews for several weeks. Set a pace that works for you by breaking down large tasks into smaller more manageable weekly assignments.
Start reading online career articles and job search books that can be found at your local bookstore or library. By reading at least 10 pages per night, you will continue to learn about what you need to do to land your next job. The more methods you use, the faster you will get results. Focus on networking, but don't ignore the other techniques listed below in order of effectiveness: Job Search Techniques (ranked in order of effectiveness)
Excerpt from Dr. Thomas J. Denham's Ten Tips for an Effective Job Search
If you are age 40 or better, you should emphasize the positive aspects of your age and experience, including:
Resume Tips:
Interviewing Tips:
Additional Job Search Resources:
Networking - Networking is the process of contacting people who can either give you information about potential job openings or introduce you to others who have this information. The ultimate goal of networking is to meet the person who has the authority to hire you for the job you want.
Social Networking - Networking is also effective through social media sites such as Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn. Stay up to date with the latest social media news from the New York State Department of Labor through the Labor Buzz.
The JobZone Job Search section allows you to do a search by location to find the latest job openings. You can:
SMART uses artificial intelligence software specifically designed to analyze the whole person. The software analyzes a customer's resume for skills, work experience, and talents within context. The software, trained by looking at over a million people's career pathways, compares its data with the selected resume, carefully sorting through hundreds of words and similar themes. At the end, the system asks, "What skills does this person have" and "What career have others with these skills followed?" The system then recommends a number of job matches based on the probability that the individual will follow a similar career path based on work history, experience and skills.
Are you looking to do a resume based job search using SMART?
Be Careful - If you are careful about following instructions on your application, an employer will probably think that you may be as careful as an employee.
Be Neat - Print or write clearly so that your application can be read easily. Use a reliable black or blue ink pen.
Be Certain - Before you begin to fill in the blanks, read everything on the application carefully. After you complete the form, read it again to ensure no information is missing.
Be Prepared - Fill out a sample application form to bring with you. You can obtain one from your Division of Employment and Workforce Solutions. By having all the information about yourself ready ahead of time, you will be complete and accurate.
Be Alert - If you are not sure about the meaning of abbreviations, etc., ask the person who gave you the form to explain.
Be Complete - Answer every question. If a question does not apply to you write "Does not apply." If you wish to discuss in interview write "Will discuss in interview." Remember, however, you do not have to answer illegal questions on applications or interviews.
Be Correct - Watch your spelling, grammar, and punctuation.
Be Thorough - Describe all your skills and abilities. Also, list the kinds of computers, machinery, equipment, and tools you are able to use. Indicate any licenses you may have.
Be Accurate - Make certain all information is correct. Check employment dates, telephone numbers, and addresses for accuracy.
Be Prudent - When listing references, be sure to contact them ahead of time. Have enough references so that you can alternate them every other application. Otherwise, they will be receiving constant phone calls about you.
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Christina Marie Schalk, 31, of Perry, faces three felony counts in connection with the October 2011, death of Karen Sue Caldwell, 47, also of Perry.
Caldwell died unexpectedly at her home on Friday evening, Oct. 28, 2011. She was formerly employed at Perry Machine and Die, and Country Kitchen in Hannibal.
In Ralls County Circuit Court on Tuesday, Rodney J. Rodenbaugh, prosecuting attorney, added a third count to two previously filed counts against Schalk.
Schalk is charged with:
I Delivery of a controlled substance, a Class B felony;
II Involuntary manslaughter in the first degree, a Class C felony; and
III Murder in the second degree, a Class A felony.
In Count III, Rodenbaugh charges that between the 25th day of October 2011, and the 28th day of October, 2011, the defendent delivered heroin, and in the perpetuation of the felony, Karen Caldwell was killed by heroin overdose.
Dressed in an orange jumpsuit belted at the waist, ankles and wrists in chains and with her hair pulled back in a French side braid, Schalk stood before the judge and waived the formal reading of Count III on Tuesday. She is represented by Jeremy James Beaird of St. Louis.
A plea/trail setting for Schalk had been scheduled for Tuesday on separate charges, including burglary in the second degree, a Class C felony, and theft/stealing, a Class C felony.
Schalk was arrested last summer by the Ralls County Sheriff's Department following a month-long investigation into the July 8th burglary of the Junction Convenience store in Perry.
She also faces four theft/stealing charges, and eight forgery charges, dating to the spring of 2013.
The prosecutor and defense attorney agreed to delay trials for the lesser charges until the more serious manslaughter/murder case is resolved.
"The outcome of 254 (the manslaughter/second degree murder case) may mean no trial for the others," the defendant's lawyer told Judge Rachel Bringer Shepherd.
The judge scheduled a two-day jury trial for May 20 and 21, at the Ralls County Courthouse in New London. A pretrial conference has been scheduled for 10 a.m. May 6.
The judge set 10 a.m. June 3, for a disposition/trial setting on the lesser charges.
Schalk is being held in the Marion County jail.
Schalk facing felony murder in the second degree charge
Christina Marie Schalk, 31, of Perry, faces three felony counts in connection with the October 2011, death of Karen Sue Caldwell, 47, also of Perry.

subset: commoncrawl


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Friday, February 19, 2010
Sound. ...anabase* - "Le bonheur flou"
French melancholic pop/rock band, with a female singer named Clara. Their first album is available under a CC license
"People often ask me how many languages I speak, simply because my music collection holds so many international artists who don't sing in English. But to tell the truth, I don't require a song to be sung in a language I understand, in order for me to be able to connect with it.
If you never thought you could get into music in any language other than English, I urge you to give Anabase's Le Bonheur Flou a try.
If you don't already speak French, Le Bonheur Flou is the sort of album that will make you want to learn, or at least have a croissant for breakfast and pretend. The reason these songs penetrate the soul so effectively: the radiant voice of lead singer Clara Scherrer.
There's not a person I share this album with who doesn't develop a crush on her, based solely on her voice (mind you, it doesn't hurt that she looks great on stage, too). When she sings, you stop caring about everything - your personal problems, your job, your rent. There's something sufficiently Cranberries about her that you can easily imagine Clara becoming the Dolores O'Riordan of her country and generation. She has that dreamy-yet-purposeful sound that is as stirring as it is soothing.
As for the music, it's a mix of styles that could be referred to as "alternative," an annoyingly vague term which happens to fit in this case. Piano-based songs open up into raunchy guitars, and then settle back down into quiet acoustic numbers. Although there's nothing particularly pop-like in the collection, the songs are well-written and interesting enough that you'll find yourself humming along, or perhaps looking up the lyrics on Google if you're feeling ambitious. The melodies are catchy without being corny, and the arrangements are smoothly produced without losing their edge or energy.
However, if you absolutely insist that you can't enjoy a song without the lyrics being in English, Anabase still have you covered - "My Castle's Down" is not the best track on the album by a long shot, but it's enough to give you taste of Clara's voice, which in turn will almost certainly be enough to make you want to listen to everything else she has ever recorded. Most of which is in French... but by that point you won't care! You'll be hooked. And if you already speak French and dig indie rock with chick singers, then Le Bonheur Flou is bound to be an instant favourite".(Melissa)
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Monday, May 27, 2013
Strawberry Pickin'
Posted by Leigh Anne at 7:20 PM
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|What better activity to kick off our first day of summer vacation than with sweet friends and strawberry pickin'? We joined the Barkalows for a morning at our local strawberry farm. The weather was perfect and the kids had a lot of fun together picking and eating yummy strawberries. Sweet times and simple things like this are why I love summer!


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A family and review blog about life, love, laughter, family and photography, with a little bit of literary thrown in for flavor!
Tuesday, October 30, 2012
Starting Solids | Serenity's First Food
2 comments:
Awww!!! Yay for good foods and not refined cereals. Her behavior sounds a lot like Deklans. He loved avocados, bananas and sweet potatoes. We did egg yokes for a while but he never really liked them. Now he hates eggs. He might try a bite (though typically he turns his nose up, literally) and if he swallows it (he usually spits it out) he usually gags and shutters as it goes down. It sad and funny at the same time. I don't make him eat them though, only offer if he asks for a bite of mine.ReplyDeleteReplies
Yah, I haven't given her egg yolk since that first meal, she was so unimpressed. Figure we'll revisit it eventually, but no real hurry. She like bananas, but she LOVES sweet potatoes! :)Delete
Thanks for reading my blog post! I can't wait to hear your comments. If you have a general question, or want to contact me about something not related to this post, please use the form found on my Contact page. Thanks! *smiles*


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Wonderful Pam Geller with her high profile of millions of visitors a day at Atlas Shrugs, compared to our mere thousands, seems to have read our site and improved on our article posted June 11th about Obama admitting he is a Moslem.
(AntiMullah permalink for easy reference)
Watching Glenn Beck today (June 17th) I found he was paraphrasing - with improvements and details much what we have been posting for the last week or two.
Encouraging to see we have a meeting of minds with both of them. While they beat the mostly silent Mainstream Media to the punch, we at AntiMullah appear to be on top of the events even before they get to them.
"Satisfactory, my dear Watson" to emulate Sherlock Holmes.
This is a devastating claim, and yet no media outlet is covering it.
Remember, during Obama's campaign, I and others were excoriated for using his middle name. We were accused of implying he was a crypto-Muslim. We could not discuss his background, his Islamic schooling, his ties to Islam. However, I have meticulously documented his Muslim background in my soon-to-be-released book, The Post-American Presidency: The Obama Administration's War on America.
It became all too clear after his election how proud Obama was of his Muslim name, background, and family. He made this plain when he gave his very first interview to Muslim media and boasted of these things. He suddenly became proud of the very things that were verboten to speak of during the campaign. That was the level of deceit and obfuscation.
If Gheit's reported claim is true, then Obama is a baldfaced liar. But why? Why lie if you have nothing to hide?
Of course, if Obama believes himself a Muslim, then his prior behavior constituted "taqiya" -- deception or lies to advance Islam. This he performed brilliantly during his election: He lied with brazen contempt. And now his Islamic Jew-hatred is made painfully clear in his stunning rebuke of Israel. In Israel Today, political analyst Aviel Schneider exposes some of the further implications of Gheit's claim:
That could explain why Obama has instructed that the term "Islamic extremism" no longer be used in official government documents and statements. Furthermore, the US is now accusing Israel of harming American interests in the Middle East. General David Petraeus, the head of US Central Command, said Israel's intransigence on resolving the conflict with the Palestinians is endangering US forces in Iraq and Afghanistan.
Even the US Congress considers Obama's behavior toward Netanyahu humiliating. Three-quarters of the House of Representatives, 337 of 435 members, signed a bipartisan letter to Clinton expressing "deep concern over recent tension" between the two countries, and demanding that it be smoothed over quickly and in private.
"Obama is a real problem for Israel," a senior official told told Yediot. "He is Israel's biggest strategic catastrophe." The newspaper also quoted another official who believes that for the first time Washington has switched sides. "The Obama White House is putting pressure only on Israel but does not expect anything from the Palestinians," he said. "These American demands are unacceptable."
Is it any wonder that Obama's counterterror adviser speaks Arabic, calls Jerusalem "Al-Quds," and calls jihad a "legitimate tenet of Islam"?
We know that Gheit met with Obama in April 2010 in D.C. -- check out White House.gov, which lists Gheit as one of the attendees of a "Nuclear Security Summit" at that time. And they met more than once. Gheit had a private meeting with Obama in May 2009.
Worse yet, Gheit just last month called Israel "the enemy." This after Israel gave them the Sinai (which Israel had won in a defensive war and defended through another one) with all its oil in return for "peace."
How plausible is Gheit's reported claim about Obama? Let's review Obama's track record:
March 2009: Obama declares the "war on terror" is over, despite a dramatic increase in jihad war ops.
March 2009: he floats the idea that he will talk to violent, genocidal Hamas.
March 2009: he demands that more Muslim Americans work in the Obama administration and insists that they be recruited.
April 2009: Obama tells Europe to admit Islamic Turkey into the EU, much to the consternation of the Europeans.
April 2009: Obama demands that non-Muslims respect Islam (despite our differences) in a speech in Turkey.
April 2009: Obama says in a speech from Turkey, "We are not a Christian nation."
April 2009: Dalia Mogahed, the first hijab-clad senior adviser to Obama on Muslim affairs, says in an interview with terrorist- and jihad-supporting Sheik Yusuf Qaradawi's website, "Many have claimed that terrorists have 'hijacked Islam.' I disagree. I think Islam is safe and thriving in the lives of Muslims around the world. What the terrorists have been allowed to take over are Muslim grievances."
April 2009: Obama lays groundwork for a partnership with Hamas.
May 2009: Obama promises to offer his "personal commitment" to Muslims.
May 2009: Obama calls America "one of the largest Muslim countries on the planet."
June 2009: Obama invites the Muslim Brotherhood, a violent global jihadist group whose sole objective is a universal caliphate, to his speech to the ummah (Muslim community) in Cairo.
June 2009: Obama makes a stunning speech to the Muslim world from Al Azhar University in Cairo. It defies explanation.
July 2009: Obama reaches out to the violent jihadists of Hezb'allah (SURROGATES OF ISLAMIC IRAN).
July 2009: Obama creates a new office at the State Department, Outreach to the Worldwide Muslim community, reporting directly to Hillary Clinton. (one of the first results was defunding long standing anti-Islamic regime efforts to bring democracy to Iran.)
July 2009: The State Department Welcomes Hamas mouthpiece Al-Quds TV to D.C. to film Propaganda.
Obama promises to close GITMO. (And grant American rights to the terrorists)
Obama is rebuked when plans are revealed for CIA prosecutions for 911 interrogations: Seven Ex-chiefs of CIA Oppose Case Review: ALL Sign letter to Stop CIA Persecutions.
In July 2009, Obama sanctions the brutal crackdown of those marching for freedom in Iran and sides with the mullahcracy. He stands silent about the Iranian regime's mass executions, mass rape, and murder.
July 2009: Obama plans to slash the U.S. nuclear arsenal.
September 2009: Former U.S. Ambassador to the U.N. John Bolton on Obama at the U.N.: "This is the most radical anti-Israel speech I can recall any president making...I have to say I was very shaken by this speech."
October 2009: Obama offers millions in Muslim technology fund.
November 2009, Fort Hood Jihad Coverup: Obama Urges Congress To Put Off Fort Hood Probe, Warns Against Turning Tragedy Into "Political Theater"
November 2009: Obama offers the Taliban control of the Kandahar, Helmand, Oruzgan, Kunar, and Nuristan provinces, in return for a halt to the Taliban missile attacks on U.S. bases.
November 2009: Obama reaches out to bloodthirsty jihadis in the Philippines.
On Thanksgiving eve, Obama issues a special Hajj message to the world's Muslims.
December 2009: Obama's "Non-Religious" White House Christmas and No Christmas Gifts for his Kids.
February 2010: Obama names a Hafiz to the Organization of the Islamic Conference. "And as a hafiz of the Koran, [Hussain] is a respected member of the American Muslim community," Obama said in his message to the Doha meeting, using the Arabic world for someone who has memorized the Islamic holy book.
February 2010: Obama cuts U.S. space program, orders NASA to work with Muslim countries
February 2010: Covering up for jihadists in the White House.
Obama's counterterrorism adviser, John Brennan, Involved in Obama Passport Breach
March 2010: Obama Obsession with Islam: Calls "entrepreneurship summit" with Muslims.
April 2010: Libyan President Gaddafi Praises Obama: "Barakeh Obama is friend"; "He is of Muslim descent, his policy should be supported..."
May 2010: Obama's Counterterrorism Adviser Calls Jihad "Legitimate Tenet of Islam."
May 2010: White House Pro-Terrorism John Brennan Speechifies in Arabic, Equates Terrorists with Shoplifters, Lawmakers Call for his Firing.
June 2010: Obama equivocates on the jihad warship convoy (affectionately named a "flotilla" by the media): Obama "Expressed a Deep Regret Over Loss of [Jihadist] Life"
June 2010: Obama administration to Support Anti-Israel Resolution at U.N.
And earlier this week, Obama became the first president to host a press conference with the American flag nowhere in sight.
Alan note:
a) Obama's grandmother went on the Moslem "haj" pilgrimage to Mecca after he became President (at the invitation of the Saudi government.
b) He obtained $900,000 from Congress, to relocate HAMAS terror group members to the USA, pay for their travel, lodge and feed them for the rest of their lives and provide them with a monthly moneystipend - all with our taxpayer money.
Ouch. What a disgrace.
Now: will the lapdog media make Obama address Gheit's claim?
The American people deserve answers. But whether or not what Gheit reportedly says is true, Obama's pro-jihad track record is clear.
Pamela Geller is the editor and publisher of the Atlas Shrugs website and former associate publisher of the New York Observer. She is the author of The Post-American Presidency (coming July 27 from Simon & Schuster).
126 Comments on "Report: Obama said 'I Am a Muslim'"


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Well, I seem to have regained my breath back! Taking a break is always restorative, and although I would've loved to have sat around this past week, I was busy carting our handicapped daughter to her doc appointments.
I forgot to share with you my Giveaway win from Barb of Barb's Heartstrokes!
This is wonderful! Barb's work is FANTASTIC and I really love the rustic frame! I've had SO much fun getting to know Barb and have actually talked with her on the phone! I think she thought she was talking to a cast member of Hee Haw!! Yep, I've that country 'twang' down pat!!
The last of my Halloween has been finished. I have a doll I'm working on today but she'll be the last thing I list. I've got Turkeys and Christmas on my mind now!!
This is Boo Boo Kitty and her Pumpkin Patch! She's from a pattern by Kim over at ORP!
This is Bo Bo! He's from a pattern by Stacey Mead of the Goode Wife of Washington County!
I'm stuffing the last of my Pumpkins and some meeces to go with them. Think I might surprise a few family members with a little something!
We're finally feeling a drop in the temps down here in our part of Florida. Nice to be in the low 80's and feel the Fall breezes start to blow in!
My FB Giveaway is still going on and so is our OFG TEAM'S FALL FROLIC!! Links are on my right side bar. I've also got my FALL15 coupon active in my Etsy shop for 15% off everything! Just click on my shop tab on my right side bar!
Stay tuned!
Good things Holiday-ish coming soon!!


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Wrath-Bearing Tree by James Enge
James Enge's stories of Morlock Ambrosius have pretty much renewed my love of sword and sorcery short fiction and remind me of my first encounters with the works of Moorcock and Leiber. Guile of Dragons, the first novel in this series, recounted a bit of the early life and the origins of Morlock his life among the Dwarves as a foster child and his early encounters with dragons that we almost his undoing. I have been anxiously awaiting this second volume and it will be at the top of my to read pile when I get a copy. You can go here to check out m review of the novel The Wolf Age here, its a novel I feel the need to re read anytime I think about it.
Here is the synopsis for this one
The masked powers of Fate and Chaos are killing gods in the land of Kaen, facing the Wardlands across the Narrow Sea. Vocates Aloê Oaij and Morlock Ambrosius cross into the unguarded lands, seeking to uncover the reasons for the godslaying, and to avert any threat to the lands the Graith of Guardians has sworn to protect. After crash-landing on the hostile coast of Kaen, the two Guardians confront vengeful frightened gods, a calmly murderous dragon, a demon called Andhrakar, and a bitter old necromancer named Merlin Ambrosius. Amid these dangers they find that they can trust no one but themselves—and each other.
The Thinking Woman's Guide to Real Magic by Emily Croy Baker
Here we are again with the here is an author I know nothing about BUT I have interest in reading this; working in an Indybookshop I have two coworkers who read this as an ARC and are both exited that it was finally coming out that it is on my reading list. This is an author who's writing that is compared to Lev Grossman and Deobrah Harkness both of whom I now to be deft writers.... Its on my to read list whence I have a chance. Here is the synopsis...and a link to the publishers page.
Nora Fischer's dissertation is stalled and her boyfriend is about to marry another woman. During a miserable weekend at a friend's wedding, Nora wanders off and walks through a portal into a different world where she's transformed from a drab grad student into a stunning beauty. Before long, she has a set of glamorous new friends and her romance with gorgeous, masterful Raclin is heating up. It's almost too good to be true.
Then the elegant veneer shatters. Nora's new fantasy world turns darker, a fairy tale gone incredibly wrong. Making it here will take skills Nora never learned in graduate school. Her only real ally—and a reluctant one at that—is the magician Aruendiel, a grim, reclusive figure with a biting tongue and a shrouded past. And it will take her becoming Aruendiel's student—and learning magic herself—to survive. When a passage home finally opens, Nora must weigh her "real life" against the dangerous power of love and magic.
Walking in the Midst of Fire by Thomas E. Sniegoski
Why why why on earth would I be posting about an urban fantasy series I have yet to even read six volumes into the story. Well, the books about the angel Remy Chandler have been of the edge of my to read list for far too long; yes I will also say it I love Sancuary and Castiel is my favorite... Yes I'm a fanboy but I have faith in a series that gets so consistently good word of mouth... and its got a respect for the tropes of noir crime fiction too boot.
The synopsis is hard to capture so here is the link to Thomas' website for the series and I'd encourage fans of Sanctuary and noir fiction to check it out... It honestly looks like a good time and I for one like the whole angel goes against the wishes of god thing.... That probably says something about me but I also agree with the angels are gods hitmen that Garth Ennis's posited...
Codex Born by Jim C. Hines
Honestly anyone who exposes the ridiculous in urban fantasy cover poses with his own body for the enjoyment of others has my vote on a writer to give some support to. Jim has written hero tales with Goblins as the main heroes,he has told tales out of school about the other adventures of so called Disney princesses, and with this series he has a setting where things in books can be made real. There are a few American authors that put me in mind of Terry Pratchett and Jim is one of them and this is a series I do much want to spend some time with. Here is some teaser text from Jim and a link to his website...
Isaac Vainio's life was almost perfect. He should have known it couldn't last.
Living and working as a part-time librarian in Michigan's Upper Peninsula, Isaac had finally earned the magical research position he dreamed of with Die Zwelf Portenære, better known as the Porters. He was seeing a smart, fun, gorgeous dryad named Lena Greenwood. He had been cleared by Johannes Gutenberg to do libriomancy once again, to reach into books and create whatever he chose from their pages. Best of all, it had been more than two months since anything tried to kill him.
And then Isaac, Lena, and Porter psychiatrist Nidhi Shah are called to the small mining town of Tamarack, Michigan, where a pair of septuagenarian werewolves have discovered the brutally murdered body of a wendigo.
What begins as a simple monster-slaying leads to deeper mysteries and the discovery of an organization thought to have been wiped out more than five centuries ago by Gutenberg himself. Their magic rips through Isaac's with ease, and their next target is Lena Greenwood.
They know Lena's history, her strengths and her weaknesses. Born decades ago from the pages of a pulp fantasy novel, she was created to be the ultimate fantasy woman, shaped by the needs and desires of her companions. Her powers are unique, and Gutenberg's enemies mean to use her to destroy everything he and the Porters have built. But their plan could unleash a far darker power, an army of entropy and chaos, bent on devouring all it touches.
The Upper Peninsula is about to become ground zero in a magical war like nothing the world has seen in more than five hundred years. But the more Isaac learns about Gutenberg and the Porters, the more he questions whether he's fighting for the right cause.
One way or another, Isaac must find a way to stop a power he doesn't fully understand. And even if he succeeds, the outcome will forever change him, the Porters, and the whole world.
Weight of Souls by Bryony Pearce
Strange Chemistry the YA imprint cousin of personal favorite Angry Robot Books has a great growing stable of writers and I have hopes for the author of The Weight of Souls. Net Galley and SC granted me access to the ARC and I have hopes to get to it before the release date but just in case I have to get some attention focused this way. Here is a link to the Strange Chemistry site and below I'm including the synopsis...
Sixteen year old Taylor Oh is cursed: if she is touched by the ghost of a murder victim then they pass a mark beneath her skin. She has three weeks to find their murderer and pass the mark to them – letting justice take place and sending them into the Darkness. And if she doesn't make it in time? The Darkness will come for her…
She spends her life trying to avoid ghosts, make it through school where she's bullied by popular Justin and his cronies, keep her one remaining friend, and persuade her father that this is real and that she's not going crazy.
But then Justin is murdered and everything gets a whole lot worse. Justin doesn't know who killed him, so there's no obvious person for Taylor to go after. The clues she has lead her to the V Club, a vicious secret society at her school where no one is allowed to leave… and where Justin was dared to do the stunt which led to his death.
Can she find out who was responsible for his murder before the Darkness comes for her? Can she put aside her hatred for her former bully to truly help him?
The Best Horror of the Year Vol 5 edited by Ellen Datlow
I know I have mentioned Ellen before as an anthology editor and I still have nothing but respect for her impeccable choices. I have to admit a love of horror fiction and this is one right up that alley and just Look at that great cover. I am glad that this will be coming out even with the debacle that Night Shade Books went through and I hope that this anthology will continue into the future even without NightShade. Via the Darwolf website here is a link to the tale of contents... You can go there to check it out...


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When John Hall opened Goose Island brewery in 1988, craft beer sales were too small for most organizations to track. Now, craft beer accounts for nearly 8 percent of U.S. sales, or $7.6 billion.
On Monday, Anheuser-Busch, the nation's biggest brewer, said it would buy Chicago's Goose Island for $38.8 million, reflecting the growing demand for craft-style beers as the major brewers have seen some big sales declines.


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Thursday, 02 April 2009
Our ministers, of course!
But The Times' ran a report today that was wildly off mark as it named the leaders of the world as the ten highest paid politicians in the world (see blow). Our cabinet ministers easily surpass any of them. And guess what? We are the worst performing economy in Asia since the crisis started. You know what else? Of those listed below, we're the only ones who cannot change our leaders (except for perhaps Hong Kong).
The Time's Top Ten Political Leaders in the World:
1. Lee Hsien Loong (Singapore)
Salary in dollars - $2.47 million
Salary in local currency - S$3.76 million
2. Donald Tsang Yum-Kuen (Hong Kong)
Salary in dollars - $516,000
Salary in local currency - HK$4 million
3. Barack Obama (United States)
Salary in dollars - $400,000
4. Brian Cowen (Ireland)
Salary in dollars - $341,000
Salary in local currency - €257,000
5. Nicolas Sarkozy (France)
Salary in dollars - $318,000
Salary in local currency - €240,000
6. Angela Merkel (Germany)
Salary in dollars - $303,000
Salary in local currency - €228,000
7. Gordon Brown (UK)
Salary in dollars - $279,000
Salary in local currency - £194,250
8. Stephen Harper (Canada)
Salary in dollars - $246,000
Salary in local currency - C$311,000
9. Taro Aso (Japan)
Salary in dollars - $243,000
Salary in local currency - Y24 million
10. Kevin Rudd (Australia)
Salary in dollars - $229,000
Salary in local currency - A$330,000
If you re-calibrated the salaries according to population size (amount per capita), the result looks even worse. Mr Lee Hsien Loong still comes out on top of course. But what's particularly rankling is the gap between him and the next highest paid leader. Take a look at the differences in per head of population:
1. Lee Hsien Loong - Singapore
Salary: $US2.47 million
Per head of population: 54c
2. Brian Cowen - Ireland
Salary: $US341,000
Per head of population: 9c
3. Donald Tsang Yum-Kuen - Hong Kong
Salary: $US516,000
Per head of population: 7c
4. Kevin Rudd - Australia
Salary: $US229,000
Per head of population: 1c
5. Stephen Harper - Canada
Salary: $US246,000
Per head of population: 0.7c
6. Nicolas Sarkozy - France
Salary: $US318,000
Per head of population: 0.5c
7. Gordon Brown - UK
Salary: $US279,000
Per head of population: 0.5c
8. Angela Merkel - Germany
Salary: $US303,000
Per head of population: 0.4c
9. Taro Aso - Japan
Salary: $US243,000
Per head of population: 0.2c
10. Barack Obama - United States
Salary: $US400,000
Per head of population: 0.1c
Also read Bloated cabinet while economy in tailspin


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It's huge Victorian art collection featuring a mix of paintings, 18th century furniture, bronzes, miniatures, objects d'art and armour displayed in opulent, richly coloured rooms.
We started on the 1st floor landing overlooking the grand staircase with its large Boucher paintings.
John paused as we entered the 1st floor rooms to capture details of the elegant furnishings.
Here he is again recording Gainsborough's glamorous portrait of the 18th century beauty, Mrs. Mary Robinson.
And Joseph Broche's bronze, Sleeping Bacchante c.1740, below her.
In the 19th century Gallery with its walls packed with small paintings,
John and I were both touched and amused by E.J.H. Vernet's The Dog of the Regiment Wounded. Very Victorian.
I liked the placement of Canaletto's "Venice: the Bacino di S. Marco from the Canale della Giudecca", c. 1735-44 above this ornate table in the West Gallery
And John captured a detail of a Guardi in the same gallery.
Houdon's marble portrait of Madame de Serilly, 1782, looks utterly at home in the Dining Room on the ground floor
near Titian's splendid "Perseus and Andromeda", 1554-56.
Detail from Jean-Baptistery Oudry's "The Dead Roe", 1721. Find the full painting on the left in the photo above.
John is inspecting one of the clocks
on the mantelpiece in the Small Drawing Room.
I loved this small 14th Century "Saint Roch" by Carlo Crivelli. This would be a perfect addition to our library back home.
Our tour ended with the Mr. Wallace's extensive collection of armour.
We liked the look of elegant outside Courtyard cafe.


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Private-army phenomenon exacerbates African conflicts -UN
Private-army phenomenon exacerbates African conflicts, UN says
Source: Deutsche Welle - www.dw-world.de
Author: Nick Amies
Date: Thursday, 18 November 2010
A working group from the United Nations has been visiting South Africa this week to investigate the link between African conflicts and international mercenaries, and discuss ways to enforce legal regulations.
Africa is a continent that seems to be perpetually at war with itself. Nearly half of its 53 countries are home to an active conflict or a recently ended one.
The causes behind most of the dirty wars raging in nations such as Sudan, the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and Niger have been lost in time; the soldiers and rebels involved locked in a spiral of violence where killing is the only aim as ideological targets fade into the past.
But where there is little hope, there is considerable profit. Much of Africa is a fertile recruiting ground for private mercenaries and security contractors who are willing to do the dirty work for various governments, according to Dex Torricke-Barton from the Executive Office of the Secretary-General at the UN in New York.
"Many ex-military personnel from South Africa have offered their services over the last decade and there are also plenty of former European and US troops who are willing to fight," Torricke-Barton told Deutsche Welle.
"The vast majority of these people are contractors, and they perform a wide range of services including providing intelligence, risk assessment, training, and logistics - as well as fighting."
The well-paid private soldiers often operate with impunity, either under the shield of government command or through the shady subterfuge of multinationals who have hired them to protect their interests.
Currently a UN working group - its mouthful of an official name is the UN Working Group on the Use of Mercenaries as a Means of Violating Human Rights and Impeding the Exercise of the Right of Peoples to Self-determination - has been visiting South Africa this week to investigating the link between African conflicts and international mercenaries, and to discuss ways to enforce legal regulations.
The UN has said the growth of unaccountable private armies has exacerbated conflicts in Africa. It has suggested the hired guns are helping to keep the cycle of violence alive in many wars purely to reap financial rewards, while committing atrocities with no fear of prosecution.
Legal gray area
"There are many problems associated with the growing use of private security contractors in conflict zones," Torricke-Barton said. "Governments can rely on these people to avoid taking direct legal responsibility for their conduct, and to commit human-rights abuses which fail to get addressed through the current, weak international legal framework."
Allan Cowley, a former British army officer and military analyst, agreed that private soldiers "absolve the governments from any direct responsibility" in the conflicts they're waging.
"They work in a netherworld, a gray area between legality and criminality, where neither they nor their employers appear accountable for their actions," he told Deutsche Welle.
Earlier this decade, a golden era for private security firms heralded the rise of companies that have gained Western credibility - and sometimes notoriety - through their involvement in government-backed operations in Iraq and Afghanistan.
And the use of mercenaries has only increased in line with the grudging acceptance of their role in modern warfare.
Now the UN wants governments in Africa to enforce both new and existing laws in an attempt to rein in what many experts says is an exponentially expanding industry.
Turning a blind eye
"In the post-Cold War world, there has been a proliferation of new security challenges in Africa," said Torricke-Barton. "Governments and conventional military forces have been ill-equipped to deal with these, so they call in independent talent to solve their problems."
Growing interest in Africa's natural resources and the growing presence private firms there has led to an explosion in international investment, points out military analyst Cowley.
"A blind eye cannot see what's right under its nose," Cowley said. "Just as many of these companies pay little regard to the people and surroundings in which they operate, so they have even less concern about who they employ to protect their businesses, and how these security firms enforce their directives."
A number of African governments signed legislation in 2007 that required private soldiers and security firms to get official authorization to operate in war zones. However, these laws and older statutes have remained unimplemented by many of the signatories.
"There are many national, regional and international legal arrangements which relate to the use of mercenaries. But all of these legal layers have deficiencies of some form of another, and the legal status of contractors remains fuzzy at best in international law," said Torricke-Barton.
"Most of the work of modern private security contractors falls outside the purview of the 1989 UN Convention on Mercenaries ... A lot more work needs to be done by the international community to adapt the regulatory framework to the 21st century," he added.
Private security firms sign up to new Code of Conduct
The UN's efforts to address exactly these problems come just days after a landmark US and British-backed code-of-conduct was implemented by the Swiss government and the Geneva Academy of International Humanitarian Law.
The code will be compulsory for any country using private security operators, and will require companies to meet standards in "recruitment, vetting personnel, training, control mechanisms, compliance with local and international laws and protection of human rights."
The code also imposes limits on the use of force and an assurance that staff cannot invoke contractual obligations or "superior orders" in a conflict zone to justify crimes, killings, torture, kidnappings and detentions. The aim is to prevent abuse and rein in excessive violence in lawless conflict zones.
The US and Britain are among the 35 countries that have backed the Swiss code, and 58 private security companies – including Xe Services, formerly known as Blackwater – have already signed up.
Labels: Blackwater, Mercenaries, UN Working Group on the Use of Mercenaries as a Means of Violating Human Rights and Impeding the Exercise of the Right of Peoples to Self-determination, Xe Services


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Madeira island news and views.
28 Jul
In the Posh Golf Travel Magazine – Barry Ward featured this eye opening article about Madeira island:
THERE'S something about islands that's good for the soul. I can't think of one I don't recall with affection, and I know many intimately. Island folk, almost without exception, have elevated relaxation to an art form so there's no hurry. The cuisine is usually eclectic, often wildly inventive; there are oodles of recreational activities, not to mention the beach and the sun, and romance is a natural by-product..
All of which means they're grand places to take a holiday, particularly if golf is part of the scenario. Add a touch of exclusivity to the above and you've painted a word picture of Madeira.
The island, a Portuguese protectorate, is in the Atlantic on a latitude with Northern Morocco and four hours' flying time from London. It's a sizeable piece of real estate measuring 50 kilometres by 30, some of it hilly bordering on the mountainous.
Much of it is untouched and will remain so: 70 per cent of the land mass is protected national park, heavily wooded and cascading with flowers. It's a preview of Heaven for artists and walkers, the latter encouraged by a network of trails. The climate is agreeable – in summer the temperatures hover around 25 to 27C; winters are mild and perfect for golf and walking.
This may sound Utopian but there's more. The proud locals consider their home the equivalent of Switzerland – "because everything works," a happy situation that's attributable to the head of government who has been in situ for three decades.
A politician of unimpeachable integrity, his objective is simply to achieve what is best for the island and its people. His life is an open book and he frequently stops to chat while walking the streets of Funchal, the island's capital, where he lives in an ordinary family home. Not long ago he resigned his office in protest at a political edict from Lisbon and went to the public via the polls: he was re-elected unopposed and the edict was rejected. You'll gather he is revered.
Thanks largely to his efforts the island attracts upwards of a million tourists a year and in consequence the population (260,000) enjoys an enviable quality of life.
This is reflected in the ambience and the service enjoyed by those tourists, many of them regular visitors. They are British, in the main, a large percentage of whom are golfers drawn by two outstanding courses (there's now a third, on a nearby island, of which more anon.
Of specific appeal to those not familiar is the fact that the temperate climate makes Madeira an ideal choice for summer holidays generally and golf in particular. It can be hot, but not oppressively so and, being an island, there's usually a cooling sea breeze.
There's also some breathtaking scenery, for golfers and non-golfers alike.Away from the coast and its modern highway narrow roads wriggle into a succession of hair-pin bends as they navigate the wooded hills with views of the ocean in the far distance.
Both golf courses are on elevated sites, one on a plateau overlooking Funchal and its bay, the other in hill country but only 20 minutes or so from the capital.
The first, Palheiro Golf Club, is part of an estate that includes Casa Velha, a former country house that's become a de luxe hotel set in the grounds of a world famous garden. It had been some years since my previous visit but memory's script was unchanged, as were the impeccable standards. The result once again was a joyful experience. If only all holidays were like this…
Nice one Barry!
28 Jul
In a recent article by David Bryce of Golf International Inc. – the perfect island Golf escapes were recommended. Read an excerpt from that article here:
Ever dream of running away to a desert island and escaping from it all? It's one of those classic dreams most of us have at one time or another and although it may seem a wonderful idea at first, it doesn't take too long before our sensible side points out the drawbacks of desert island living. Desert islands may have swaying palm trees, crystal clear waters and pristine beaches, but that's about it.
A desert island sounds good, just as long as it's not deserted and we have all those little comforts that we take for granted at home and if this is a real vacation, we also need to be pampered. Take heart, there are some wonderful islands out there that have all of the island atmosphere you yearn for and yet they are totally civilized and specialize in pampering their visitors in high style.
Forget those over-crowded islands to the south, where you are more than likely to bump into your next-door neighbors from home, as well as umpteen other familiar looking faces. Instead head across the Atlantic to Europe where you will find some especially attractive islands and they have everything you ever hoped for. Their European history and culture, gives them twice the fascination of those other islands and if you choose your island carefully, you can also find golf — even excellent golf.
Portugal, just like Spain, has two island groups. The Azores, an archipelago of nine small islands, with some surprisingly good golf courses, is located practically in the mid-Atlantic, little more than halfway between Boston and the Portuguese capital of Lisbon. The Madeira Islands, also located in the Atlantic, but much closer to mainland Portugal is the better known of the two island groups.
The main island of Madeira has been aptly referred to as the "jewel of the Atlantic". Discovered by the Portuguese explorer, Henry the Navigator, in the 15th century, this dramatic volcanic island thrusts up out of the sea, 600 miles southwest of Lisbon and a few hundred miles off the coast of Morocco. It's only a brief, 1 ½ hour flight from Lisbon, making the possibility of combining stays in Madeira and Lisbon a very practical one week Portugal experience and if you can squeeze in a 10 day trip, add The Algarve and you will be seeing three totally different sides of the country and all of the best golf courses.
Madeira's never-ending, Spring-like climate seldom varies by more than a few degrees, hovering around the low 70's in the depths of "winter" and even during the height of summer, temperatures struggle to reach 80 degrees. Rich volcanic soil and an idyllic climate makes this stunningly beautiful island a literal, floating garden, where the main exports are orchids, sugar cane, papayas, mangoes, avocados, grapes and of course, world renowned Madeira wine.
There are four islands in all, only two of which are inhabited – the main island of Madeira and just 25 miles offshore, charming little Porto Santo, population barely 5,000. The remaining two islands, Desertas and Selvagens are uninhabited and retaining their original, natural state, are valuable nature reserves.
Funchal, the charming historic capital sweeps around a picturesque bay and up into a mountainous backdrop. This is where the best of the luxury hotels are to be found, everything from the most impressive resorts to enchanting intimate manor houses, set on private estates where elegance reigns supreme. A profusion of excellent restaurants, equally good shopping and fascinating sightseeing opportunities abound and golf is never far away.
The Madeira Islands do not overwhelm the visitor with a befuddling selection of golf course choices, instead adopting an approach of quality over quantity. There may only be three courses, but the caliber of each is so consistently good, you have no choice, other than to play them all. Santo da Serra and Palheiro, both on Madeira, are automatic must plays and both are literally a few minutes drive from Funchal. But don't overlook the relatively new and very impressive, Seve Ballesteros layout on tiny Porto Santo Island. Challenging and very handsome, this is what island golf is all about and a very special experience to be savored. Sitting only a short 15-minute flight from Funchal, it's one of those treasures that will live in your memory for many years to come.
Palheiro Golf, Madeira: Enjoying a magnificent location, 2,500 feet high in the mountains overlooking Madeira's capital, any player distracted by the never-ending array of breathtaking views is doomed to failure on a course that demands attention from start to finish. A few blind holes and some other occasional oddities, bring complications to a design that was never intended to be a walk in the park. Fortunately, the thoughtful designer, Cabell Robinson, offers a number of different tee-positions to bring this beauty within reach of most golfers. So play to your ability, don't try to impress and you'll do just fine.
This is a course that leaves nobody indifferent and at the end of the round, it's impossible not to have an opinion, and fond memories of this layout in the clouds are all but guaranteed. Unless you have the stamina and agility of a mountain goat, take a buggie; it'll at least give you some time to enjoy the truly spectacular vistas.
16 Jul
The Marlin fishing remains hot in Madeira and due to the poor dollar exchange rate we have had some cancellations which means we have some days available in end July beginning August.
We have therefore put together a great package for those of you that can get away for a weekend and catch that fish of a lifetime.
We have called it 'The Ollie Package'.
The Ollie package: (example flying out of UK with easyjet)
3 days fishing and 2 nights accommodation.
Total price – €2997. (not including flights).
Example of package:
Day 1
– Fly – arrive 11.00 am and we will pick you from airport and take you straight to fish on Balancal. You should be fishing by 12.00 (if you travel hand luggage only). Fish for a full day (finish fishing 20.00) all food and drink on board in 5 star style!
– Transfer back to Casa Velha hotel.
Day 2
– Transfer to Balancal – fish full day.
– Transfer To hotel.
Day 3
– Transfer To Balancal – fish full day.
– Catch GRANDER and depart to airport.
– (Note there is a flight to London that leaves at 20.25).
This is what one of our guests did recently and his name was Ollie.
Come to Madeira and realise every anglers ultimate dream – The grander.
Special available from 29th July 11th August.
Helpful links :
Flights to Madeira – http://www.madeira-marlin.com/flights-to-madeira.html
Casa Velha hotel – http://www.casa-velha.com/
'Doing an Ollie' definition :
'Sitting in office in England and decide at short notice to fly to Madeira at risk of domestic wrath to fish for 3 days and then catch a grander.'
16 Jul
The Cowes to Madeira Yacht Race is new to the RORC sailing programme but the route is centuries old; Charles II granted traders sailing to Madeira tax exemption on wines in 1665. The 2008 race organised by the Royal Ocean Racing Club is certain to provide some challenging and spectacular ocean sailing for the competitors. On Monday morning, August 11th, the race fleet will line up on the historic Royal Yacht Squadron Line at Cowes and head for Madeira, some 1480 miles away. The race to the sun soaked Atlantic island is sure to be a truly wonderful experience for anyone with a passion for offshore racing.
The Solent is always a challenging place to sail and getting a good start is always important in any yacht race. The competitors will be looking for tidal advantages and changes in wind speed and direction as they make their way west through Hurst Narrows and into the English Channel. Once through Hurst Narrows, the tactics will be to play the many tidal gates before turning South West for Ushant; the southern gateway to the Atlantic Ocean. Ushant is considered one of the most challenging areas to navigate in the world with its many rocks and more than ten knot tide streams. The fleet will then cross or go into the Bay of Biscay depending on the wind speed and direction. By then, the competitors will be getting used to life at sea and would usually be experiencing fast reaching conditions in the Atlantic swell, with extremely comfortable air temperatures, even at night. The fleet will race south down the Spanish and Portuguese coasts and pick up the Canary Current towards the finish line at Madeira which rises 1800 metres out of the ocean. Madeira has its own micro-climate and local conditions may cause a thrilling end to the longest ocean race of a busy RORC season.
RORC Madeira – Cowes Race – Tuesday 26th August 2008
The return race to Cowes could prove to be a very interesting tactical race making the best use of the conditions experienced on the trip down to Madeira. The competitors should be accustomed to offshore sailing from the start and by the finish, they will have experienced roughly 3,000 miles of ocean sailing.
Solo sailing legend Sir Robin Knox-Johnston commented "The RORC Cowes to Madeira race is a fantastic opportunity for sailing enthusiasts and adventurers to do some serious ocean racing, including an encounter with the North-East Trade winds. It's great that the Clipper 68 foot round the world racing yachts will be on the start line. These are big, fast boats that respond to good crewing."
Entries have started to come in from all over Europe from a wide variety of yachts, including the smallest boat to finish the 2007 Rolex Fastnet; Foggy Dew, skippered by Noel Racine from La Havre, France. Clipper Ventures are expected to enter at least two of their yachts; The Clipper 68 is likely to be one of the biggest yachts on what already looks to be a competitive start line. Berths remain available for groups or individuals on the Clipper fleet with a discount offered to members of RORC.
A brand new Archambault RC40, British Soldier, skippered by Nicholas Bate crewed by the British Army Sailing Team will be competing. The RORC race to Madeira and back to Cowes is an essential part of their training programme. The team is composed of soldiers who have all seen active service in recent years and offshore racing is an ideal way to unwind when they return home from duty. Enter online via the RORC website by 31st July 2008.
Solo sailing legend Sir Robin Knox-Johnston commented "The RORC Cowes to Madeira race is a fantastic opportunity for sailing enthusiasts and adventurers to do some serious ocean racing, including an encounter with the North-East Trade winds. It's great that the Clipper 68 foot round the world racing yachts will be on the start line. These are big, fast boats that respond to good crewing."
For the ful RORC racing programme go to:http://www.rorc.org
Submitted by Egidio Gonçalves – Palheiro Estate
9 Jul
Dear Fish Aficionado,
Team Balancal thought you may be interested to hear about the recent exploits in the 4th July Blue Marlin World Cup. Here is what happened……
Fishing was hot and we knew that Madeira would be one of the favourites to win with the average size of fish being large and the number of fish being caught in the proceeding weeks. However one concern was that there were a number of smaller size blue marlin in the area. ( Between 250 – 500 pounds) – this could be great news for the fishery but not if we hooked one on July 4th in the world cup….
We started straight out from Funchal where Captain Anibal was confident we would raise a fish. At 09.55 Nick decided to change the long left and as he was winding it in he noticed a large shadow in the water. When the long left became level with the short left the fish piled on the short left. The angler got tight quickly but then the fish got off. The angler then wound the lure back up (all other rods had been cleared by this time.) The angler then got the rod out of the chair and placed it back in the short left position……at that moment it piled on again! (It may have been a different fish but we will never know..)
This time she did not get off……a tough fish who initially we thought may have been tail wrapped by the way she was behaving, however after 38 minutes the fish was successfully caught. Now for the big decision – to take the fish or not , after all we were the first boat in Madeira to get hooked up and would therefore be leading the world cup but for how long…. When the fish was jumping we estimated her to be around 600 pounds. But now she was close to the boat we were not so sure…
Luckily the decision was made for us when as we were getting the snooter on her she pulled the hooks and swam away…..
Team Balancal then spent some very nervous hours as nothing was caught that was bigger than our estimated 600 pound fish. By lunchtime the bite was on and more of the fleet were getting hooked up with fish estimated up to 750 pounds.
It now seemed as though we had made the right decision and let her go.
Now we had to catch the winning fish .
Irritatingly fortune did not favour the brave…..16.30 came and the tournament was over for us for yet another year. However we decided to keep fishing. At 16.50 a spectacular bite occurred on the long right and we fought a beautiful fish for approximately 19 minutes before getting her to the leader.
Thanks to our partners Legend Lures and Pelagic.
For more latest news from Balancal – please check out the website on:
8 Jul
Ihu Nui in Kona, Hawaii lands 773.5 lb blue marlin
The 24th annual, July 4th, World Cup Blue Marlin Championship (World Cup) will be recorded as "The year of the big marlin". Huge blue marlin were reported in both the Atlantic and Pacific by tournament anglers fishing around the world in this unique, one day, winner take all competition.
There were 133 teams participating in about a dozen countries. Each team fished for eight hours in their time zone looking for qualifying marlin over 500 lb. There was joy and heart break in Madeira and Bermuda in the Atlantic and Kona in the Pacific as the lead changed hands several times.
The first two big marlin were reported to World Cup headquarters in Ft Lauderdale, Florida from the Portuguese island of Madeira. Both were brought to the dock at about the same time. Spanish anglers fishing aboard the LANIS weighed in a 574 lb blue marlin but were bumped out of the lead by Portuguese anglers aboard the LUNA who weighed in a potential winning blue of 665 lb.
Fishing in a later time zone, a fleet of 46 boats in Bermuda set out to take the lead from Madeira. Fishing turned out to be hot for big fish as American anglers on TENACIOUS weighed in a 556 lb marlin, PARADISE ONE brought a 617 lb marlin to the scale which was topped by MEGA BUCKS with their 651 lb blue marlin. However, it was the team aboard the Que Mas who took the lead with their 718 lb blue. Now only Hawaii stood in the way of Bermuda winning the World Cup for the second straight year.
Seven time zones to the west, 42 Kona boats set out for the difficult task of catching a marlin over 718 lb. Hokulie 1 hooked up early in the day and started a long battle. In the meantime, several other Kona boats hooked smaller fish that would not retire the leading fish. Late in the day IHU NUI hooked a very large blue and in the relatively short time of 45 minutes were able to boat the fish and head to the scales. A large crowd was waiting to see if Kona could take the World Cup Championship as they had done 5 times previously, but not since 2002.
The official weight was 773.5 lb for IHU NUI's marlin. The angler was Michael Corbino of Yorktown, Indiana. The captain was McGrew Rice with mates Carlton Arai and Kevin Shikaki. However, before the celebrating could begin, there was still a battle going on aboard the Hokulie 1 with their huge marlin. Their fish had been hooked about 10:30 AM local time and it was now long after the lines out time of 4:30 PM as the fight continued. It was about 9:30 PM that the tired crew of the Hokulie 1 lost their fish and the IHU NUI team could celebrate.
Their 773.5 lb marlin won the 24th annual World Cup Blue Marlin Championship and brought honors back to Kona for the sixth time. Unofficial total winnings are just over $450,000.
International Gamefisherman, Inc.
Press Release: July 6, 2008
Please stay posted at www.bluemarlinworldcup.com for updated information
about the 2009 World Cup
8 Jul
Our summer blue marlin season is now in full swing. This year has been a good year with greater numbers of blue marlin around than in previous seasons. Along with fish of our usual average size, there are currently good numbers of smaller size fish in the 400 and even 300 lb class which is unusual but these smaller fish increase our numbers and have given our anglers, both novice and experienced, some extra excitement in the last few weeks. Aboard the Balancal we have been doing very well and our anglers have had hooked and fought two blue marlin in a single day on a number of occasions, most recently during the 4th July World Cup when a 636 lb blue marlin that was badly injured was boated late in the afternoon and a larger fish lost on the leader earlier in the day.
At press time there is plentiful ocean life on the island grounds with fin and Bryde's whales, pods of spotted and bottlenose dolphin, loggerhead turtles and Corey shearwaters being commonly sighted. Besides blue marlin there have been some other gamefish in the area feeding on the abundant bait including white marlin, spearfish/hatchet marlin and dorado, both the usual schoolies and some bigger fish to 20kgs.
Today (6 July) the first big tuna of the summer season showed up. This is an exciting development and we hope that they will continue to stay in the area. Read more here…
7 Jul
Casa Velha do Palheiro Located in the hills above Funchal and next to the famous Palheiro Gardens and stunning Palheiro Golf Course has launched its new website in four languages. Now it easy for guests to view all the information about Casa Velha and book online in english, german, portuguese and french.
The site was developed by Joomla specialists 'Navega Bem – Web Design'.
3 Jul
1 Jul
Elegant and spacious villas and apartments located within the Palheiro Estate on the sub-tropical island of Madeira are now available to view online with the help of the newly published website at www.palheiro-estate.com
All of the properties exude high-quality finishes, landscaped gardens and excellent views.
The beautiful hillside location of Palheiro Estate makes it ideal for discerning property owners: quiet and peaceful with ocean views, yet within easy reach of Funchal city centre and the international airport. All property owners enjoy special concessions at the various facilities around Palheiro Estate, including the Casa Velha do Palheiro hotel, the 18-hole Cabell Robinson golf course and use of the M.Y. Balancal motor yacht.
The Palheiro Estate Group was recently awarded the coveted 'BEST PROPERTY AGENTS & DEVELOPERS 2008' accolade by Bellevue and More GmbH
The site covers all aspects of acquiring luxury property on Madeira and has large image galleries and links to other valuable sites within the group.
The site was crafted by Joomla CMS development specialists Navega Bem – Web Design and is available in three languages; English, Portuguese and German.


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(click linked text below to jump to related section of the review)
- The Movie Itself
- 4 Stars
- HD Video Quality
- 4 Stars
- HD Audio Quality
- 4.5 Stars
- Supplements
- 1 Stars
- High-Def Extras
- 0 Stars
- Bottom Line
- Highly Recommended
The Lords of Salem
- Street Date:
- September 3rd, 2013
- Reviewed by:
- Bryan Kluger
- Review Date: 1
- September 25th, 2013
- Movie Release Year:
- 2013
- Studio:
- Starz/Anchor Bay
- Length:
- 101 Minutes
- MPAA Rating:
- Unrated
- Release Country
- United States
The Movie Itself: Our Reviewer's Take
If you know me, you know I love horror films. I enjoy all horror varieties from monsters to slashers to psychological horror to ghosts and demons, and even Nazi zombies.Whether a horror movie is amazing or down right terrible, there is always something that catches my eye and makes me crave more. Hell, even Uwe Boll films hold a special place in my heart, despite how bad they are.
Now, I grew up listening to White Zombie and Rob Zombie music, and even loved when he started directing his own music videos. I loved that this guy was all about horror. His songs and music videos were heavy with horror lyrics that discussed monsters and madmen. I couldn't get enough of it. And when I heard that Zombie was finally getting his own feature horror film to direct with 'House of 1000 Corpses', I became an obsessive fan-boy and had to know everything about this film. While we all knew it had problems getting a release, it finally made its theatrical debut a couple of years later and surprised audiences around the world. Even though it seemed like a music video at some points, you have to admit that Zombie really captured a lost era of horror filmmaking and still managed to show some truly terrifying images on screen. After a sequel to that and a couple remakes of 'Halloween', Zombie decided to tell a tale of witchcraft and Satanism.
Unlike Zombie's other horror films, which are blood and guts heavy and move along quickly, his 'Lords of Salem' is a slow burning horror film that could quite possibly give you nightmares for a while. Much like Kubrick's 'The Shining', Zombie builds the suspense slowly and doesn't quick edit the film. Rather, he allows the camera to slowly track and pan through some extremely disturbing images that will not allow us, the audience, to escape. You might say that 'Lords of Salem' is his best shot film, but it's certainly not the most fun.
In true Rob Zombie fashion, he has cast his wife Sherri Moon Zombie in this flick, but this time she is the lead rather than a supporting character. She plays a young woman named Heidi Hawthorne, who is a few years into her sober life from a hardcore drug addiction. She is one of three radio disc-jockeys in Salem who play hard rock and heavy metal music on a daily show. Her other two co-hosts are Whitey Salvador (Jeff Daniel Phillips) and Herman Jackson (Ken Foree). The three have a great rapport and have gained a big cult following on the radio waves.
However, one day a mysterious package arrives at the radio station for Heidi. She opens it up and it appears to be a record for them to play by a band called The Lords. She decides to listen to it at home, which proves to be a slow and eerie basic sound with someone chanting in the background. Heidi seems to fall into a trance in her apartment and has horrible nightmares of a witch coven and demons. However, she wakes up fine and brings the record back to the studio to play on the air. Once she does, many women in Salem fall into an evil hypnotic state. Meanwhile, a local man Francis Matthias (Bruce Davison) is asked to come on the radio show and discuss his new book, which talks about the old Salem Witch Trials.
Once he hears the record that was sent to Heidi, he notices something strange about it and begins to research its origins and what it means. As he does this, Heidi is having more and more intense nightmares that seem to be stemming from a vacant apartment across the hall from her. And when her landlord, Lacy (Judy Geeson) invites her over to have some wine with her friends Sonny (Dee Wallace) and Megan (Patricia Quinn), Heidi feels very uncomfortable and abruptly leaves when she realizes these three older women are not what they seem.
Knowing Rob Zombie, nothing ends well for anyone in this movie as this slow moving and incredibly suspenseful film reaches a scary climax that might leave you with nightmares for weeks. Zombie methodically moves his camera into some tricky angles and along with his music score and songs, deliver quite some good scares. Sherri does a good job as the lead here and shows a good range of emotion. She must've been an emotional wreck after filming this movie. It's great to see some of the old horror actors and actresses show up from time to time as well.
While some of the slow pacing might seem tedious at times, 'Lords of Salem' is not doubt one of Rob Zombie's scariest films. This is a perfect horror addition to any collection and is a must watch come Halloween time.
The Video: Sizing Up the Picture
'Lords of Salem' comes with an impressive 1080p HD transfer presented in 2.40:1 aspect ratio. The movie as a whole is dark and ominous throughout. The only real colors in the film are where we're in the radio station studio. Otherwise, Zombie uses very pale and eerie colors. There are tons of blacks, grays, whites, and muted greens. It's supposed to have a decaying look, and it succeeds in that.
The image has a good filmic look, with a fine layer of well balanced grain, so that nothing looks overly digitized or modern. Zombie wanted to create an atmosphere of old 70s horror films here. That being said, the detail is quit nice with well defined closeups that show wrinkles, blemishes, and scars on the actors. The costumes reveal detailed stitching as well.
Black levels are deep and inky for the most part, with flesh tones seeming natural and smooth. Overall, this dark film seems natural and has a gothic feel, devoid of any real primary colors brightening up the screen. Banding and aliasing are non-existent with no compression issues. This is a solid horror movie video presentation.
The Audio: Rating the Sound
This release comes with a lossless Dolby TrueHD 5.1 audio mix and it sounds great. This is a very creepy soundtrack with noises popping up constantly from the pits of hell. There are growls, screams, demonic noises, and loud crescendos that will send you jumping out of your seat from time to time. The bass will even rattle and rumble your bones and walls, mainly during the beginning and end scenes.
The score is haunting and leaves a lasting presence far after the movie is over. The dialogue is always crystal clear and easy to understand with pops, cracks, or hissing. The dynamic range is wide with the LFE well balanced. This audio mix is well done and will most likely give you a scare.
The Supplements: Digging Into the Good Stuff
- Audio Commentary - Rob Zombie provides the commentary track and discusses almost everything that went into making this movie. He talks about how he came up with the idea for the film, some of the more difficult shots, working with his wife, and other behind the scenes trivia throughout the film. For fans of Zombie and the movie, you're gonna want to listen to this.
HD Bonus Content: Any Exclusive Goodies in There?
Final Thoughts
Rob Zombie's 'Lords of Salem' is one of his best movies to date, and if you're not a fan of his previous gory films, you might take a liking to this one, as it relies on slow building suspense to scare you. The video and audio presentations are top notch, however the lone extra on the disc is a bit of a let down. Makes me wonder if there won't be a future bigger release for this with tons of extras. That being said, you will likely be having nightmares after watching this film. Definitely one you'll want to own this Halloween. Highly recommended.
Technical Specs
- 25GB Blu-ray Disc + DVD + Digital Copy
Video Resolution/Codec
- "1080p"/AVC MPEG-4
Aspect Ratio(s)
- 2.40:1
Audio Formats
- English: Dolby TrueHD 5.1
- English
- Spanish
- Audio Commentary
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3.5 Stars
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3 Stars
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4 Stars
Hellraiser: Judgment
3 Stars


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First of all, my apologies to everyone who may have wanted to know what I've been up to for the last month and a half. I appreciate the concern from both of you. Ahem.
In late June, I went back to AZ for my high school reunion. It was very nice, reconnecting with folks who are a lot nicer nowadays than they were back then. The following weekend was the 4th of July, so I expected to see a parade and watch fireworks with the small town enthusiasm. Well, the fireworks were okay (I've seen too many Disney shows to get impressed), but I never got to the parade. Instead, I was drawing caricatures at my first Art Fair! A last second cancellation opened up a space for me, but I spent the day scrambling to gather supplies and figuring out how to actually pull it off. Believe it or not, I was able to make a small profit after all the costs were factored in.
I do have some photos of my set up, but I'll post them next week. Finally, I will have high speed internet at the house and I'll be a more consistent presence from now on.


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Rhino Handmade releases The Stooges' "Live At Ungano's"
Damn. They got me...again. I'd just finished ordering the remastered Kill City when Phil Overeem posted this on Facebook. Out on 11.16. Cha-ching!
Rants of an unreconstructed music geek
I'm writing an autobiography in record reviews. I blog at stashdauber.blogspot.com. I've written about music for publications (hard copy and online) including the New York Observer, Dallas Observer, Fort Worth Weekly, I-94 Bar, First Church of Holy Rock and Roll, Polish Jazz (Poland), Shindig (UK), Funhouse (Italy), and The Big Takeover.


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Tag: employee retention and happiness
5 Reasons to Start a Book Club at Work
We know a lot about our co-workers: what they like to eat and drink, what music they're into, and what they like to read. In fact, these interests often become the basis of our workplace conversations. Maker of trendy eyewear Warby Parker noted a shared passion for reading amongst employees and decided to make book clubs an official component of the company's culture. It's been a win for everyone involved. Here's why.
Happy Workers Love Their Mothers
Did you know your mother follows you to work? Well, she may not actually be following you to your desk, but her influence does. A recent study found that mothers play a unique role in what kind of worker you become. It turns out that a strong relationship with your mom may cause you to be less focused on money, and more focused on finding meaning and purpose in what you do.


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Throttle by Joe Hill and Stephen King
Recalled by F. Paul Wilson
I Am Legend, Too by Mick Garris
Two Shots from Fly's Photo Gallery by John Shirley
The Diary of Louise Carey by Thomas F. Monteleone
She Screech Like Me by Michael A. Arnzen
Everything of Beauty Taken from You in This Life Remains Forever by Gary A. Braunbeck
The Case of Peggy Ann Lister by John Maclay
Zachry Revisited by William F. Nolan
Comeback by Ed Gorman
An Island Unto Himself by Barry Hoffman
Venturi by Richard Christian Matheson
Quarry by Joe R. Lansdale
Return to Hell House by Nancy A. Collins
Cloud Rider by Whitley Strieber
Award-winning, enjoyable anthology celebrating the late, great Richard Matheson, whose horror and suspense work in print, in movies, and on TV helped define horror and suspense for two generations of readers and viewers. Duel; The Shrinking Man; Hell House; I Am Legend; What Dreams May Come; Stir of Echoes; Somewhere in Time; episodes of The Twilight Zone, including the William Shatner-on-a-plane "Nightmare at 20,000 Feet" remade with John Lithgow in The Twilight Zone movie; adaptations of Poe for Roger Corman's film studio: these are just some of Matheson's contributions to pop culture.
The stories include homages, sequels, revisionist takes, and riffs on Mathesonian ideas. "Cloud Rider" by Whitley Strieber is the wildest riff in the anthology, inspired as it is by Matheson's entire Collected Stories. The other stories are a bit more specific.
Standouts include Nancy Collins' novella-length prequel to Hell House, that inspired haunted-house story of the 1960's. Collins shows us the events that preceded those in Matheson's novel, to good effect. Mick Garris also offers a prequel in "I Am Legend, Too," and it also offers a revisionist take on the original Matheson novel's vampire-fighting protagonist from the POV of his vampiric next-door neighbour. "She Screech Like Me" by Michael A. Arnzen effectively extends Matheson's stunning debut story, "Born of Man and Woman," while "The Diary of Louise Carey" by Thomas F. Monteleone retells The Shrinking Man from the viewpoint of his increasingly beleaguered, non-shrinking wife.
The venerable William F. Nolan offers a short, brutal sequel to another Matheson horror story, while Joe Lansdale presents a sequel/sidequel to Matheson's "Prey" -- a.k.a. the Matheson story adapted for the TV movie Trilogy of Terror, in which Karen Black does battle with a tiny, violent, highly animated African fetish doll in her own apartment. And Stephen King and son Joe Hill (King) collaborate on a story for the first time, a riff on "Duel" that involves a motorcycle gang and a transport truck instead of the original's station-wagon-driving salesman and a monster of a truck.
Overall, this is a fittingly strong anthology to honour such a major figure in the modern history of fantasy. As Ramsey Campbell notes in his introduction, Matheson helped move horror out of Gothic castles and into suburban bedrooms and America's endless blacktop highways. And because Matheson worked in television and movies so much after 1960, his works reached much larger audiences than those generally afforded writers of prose. Recommended.


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Here's News-7's Feedback, with assignment editor Joe McKean.
[IN Q=Animation Open]
[SUPER=03-Lynchburg/Last Week; :05]
[OUT Q=Animation Close]
((A Lynchburg police officer was taking the dog out of its kennel for some exercise last Tuesday morning, when the animal turned on him, biting him twice. The dog was put down, prompting a viewer from Giles County (Diane Ballard) to call us to task for even mentioning the incident.
"Do you know how many of those dogs save the lives of our citizens of Virginia and of their handler? The dog may have had his side of the story, too, as he was not being handled by his regular handler...By publicizing this incident the way you did makes people leery of dogs in police work. Doesn't law enforcement have enough problems with today's world without having to deal with people who do not know that these dogs are intelligent, well-trained officers of the law that would gladly lay down their lives to protect their handler and the citizens who are in danger?"
The night Robin Reed mentioned that the space shuttle and international space station would streak across the sky prompted dozens of notes, much like this one from Gretna (Larry Clark).
"At 6:31 the space station appeared next to what I assume was a planet to the southwest. I called my wife and 5-year-old to watch. It tracked across the sky with no chaser...Thanks for the cues. I've seen other high flying objects while night fishing and assumed they were in orbit. Now I know what I was looking at."
Here's how to write to us at News-7.
Our fax number...e-mail address...and for an online forum, just go to our website.
Joe McKean, News-7.))
It's an age-old question - How do you mend a broken heart? Now it's the subject of an academic study. The story straight ahead. And...
part of South America's underwater tonight... as floods ravage Santiago, Chile. The story, coming up.
The Eagles come back this time Reed decides to pull up and hit the duece keeping Bridgewater in the game.
Roanoke opened it up in the first half on this play Jason Graffam passes to Jaimar Mansel who hits the three and the Maroons win it 89 to 77.
[GRAHIC=Hold Logo]
Roanoke will play Hampden-Sydney in the championship the Tigers beat Randolph-Macon 69 to 66.


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This Day in History, June 26
On June 26th, 1819, the bicycle was patented.
Notable Birthdays for June 26
Those born on this date include:
- baseball pioneer Abner Doubleday in 1819
- British physicist and inventor William Kelvin in 1824
- Novelist Pearl Buck in 1892
- German aircraft designer Willi Messerschmitt in 1898
- William Lear, developer of the Lear jet, in 1902
- Actor Peter Lorre in 1904
- "Colonel" Tom Parker, Elvis Presley's manager, in 1910
- Athlete Mildred "Babe" Didrikson Zaharias in 1914
- Actor/musician Chris Isaak in 1956 (age 50)
- Cyclist Greg LeMond in 1961 (age 45)
- And actors Chris O'Donnell and Sean P. Hayes ("Will & Grace"), both in 1970 (age 36).
Other Notable Events, June 26
In 1900, Dr. Walter Reed and his medical team began a successful campaign to wipe out yellow fever in the Panama Canal Zone.
In 1917, the first troops of the American Expeditionary Force reached France in World War I.
In 1939, film censors approved "Gone With The Wind" but fined Producer David O. Selznick $5,000 for objectionable language in Rhett Butler's famous line to Scarlett O'Hara: "Frankly, my dear, I don't give a damn."
In 1945, the FCC began development of commercial television by allocating airwaves for 13 TV stations.
Also in 1945, the U.N. Charter was signed by representatives of 50 nations.
In 1959, U.S. President Dwight Eisenhower and Queen Elizabeth II formally opened the St. Lawrence Seaway in Canada.
In 1974, the bar code, allowing for the electronic scanning of prices, was used for the first time on a pack of gum at a supermarket in Troy, Ohio.
In 1976, the CN Tower, the world's tallest freestanding structure (1,815 feet, 5 inches), opened in Toronto.
In 1977, 42 people died in a county jail fire in Columbia, Tenn.
In 1986, a nationwide 26-day strike by 155,000 AT&T telecommunication workers, the first since the Bell System breakup in January 1984, ended with a new contract agreement.
Also in 1986, the Nicaraguan government closed the nation's last opposition newspaper, La Prensa.
In 1990, U.S. President George H.W. Bush discarded his "no new taxes" campaign pledge, saying "it is clear to me" taxes are needed as part of deficit-reduction package.
In 1991, 120 people drowned after an Indonesian trawler and an unidentified ship collided in the Straits of Malacca.
In 1992, U.S. Navy Secretary H. Lawrence Garrett resigned, accepting responsibility for the "Tailhook" incident involving the harassment of Navy women by naval aviators.
Also in 1992, Los Angeles Police Chief Daryl Gates, the target of public wrath for the Rodney King beating, resigned.
In 1993, in response to an Iraqi plot to assassinate former U.S. President George H.W. Bush during a visit to Kuwait, two U.S. ships in the Persian Gulf fired missiles at Iraq's intelligence complex. The main headquarters building was badly damaged.
In 1995, an attempted assassination of Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak failed during his visit to Ethiopia.
In 2000, two rival groups of scientists announced they had deciphered the genetic code, the human genome.
In 2002, the U.S. Court of Appeals in San Francisco ruled that the Pledge of Allegiance recited in schools was unconstitutional because of the phrase "under God." The ruling was stayed pending appeal.
In 2003, the U.S. Supreme Court gave a major boost to gay rights advocates by striking down a Texas law forbidding sexual activity between same-sex partners.
In 2004, a group that beheaded two hostages in Iraq said it had captured three Turkish workers and would kill them unless Turkish companies quit Iraq.
In 2005, six months after the Indian Ocean tsunami, the death toll stood at 178,000 in 11 countries with another 50,000 people missing and presumed dead.
Copyright 2006 by United Press International
Thursday, June 26, 2008
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To get around that problem you can use these steps:
1. Scrunch the tissue and then flatten it out onto a plastic surface but leave some interesting hills and valleys for the paint to run into/out of.
2. Mist with water lightly to help the paint to spread on the tissue.
3. I pre-blended two acrylic colors in squirt bottles - golden fluids indian yellow and quinacridone burnt sienna. I dropped this paint onto the damp paper and misted to increase the paint spread here and there (see photo). Do not move the paint around with a brush or you'll be ripping the paper. It's fragile.
4. Keep some white areas if that's what you need for your collage - don't wet the tissue quite as much and keep some higher scrunch peaks.
5. Leave it alone until completely dry. The back of the paper will be shiny in places as more medium will settle and dry against the plastic.
6. To attach to collage cut the piece to size, apply the medium/glue to the support and lightly, gently press the tissue onto the surface and smooth gently. Once dry I coated it lightly with medium so that it didn't dissolve when I over painted on it.


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Why is this?
One reason is addressed by Paul in Philippians 3:12-14. In the New American Standard, it reads:
Not that I have already obtained it or have already become perfect, but I press on so that I may lay hold of that for which also I was laid hold of by Christ Jesus.Paul is saying that he intends to keep moving forward in his Christian walk to fully embrace the heavenward call of God. It's his ultimate goal. To reach this goal he must "press on" – keep going, stay in the game, don't quit. He uses the words "forward" and "toward" to describe his destination – it's still ahead of him here, as it is with all living Christians today.
Brethren, I do not regard myself as having laid hold of it yet; but one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and reaching forward to what lies ahead,
I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.
Like a runner in a race, we can get tired along life's journey and want to stop and rest. And that's ok. Jesus told us we have to rest sometimes. But if we quit, we're out of the race and will never reach our goal.
The "race" itself is tiring, but there is something in our lives that can make reaching our goals even more tiring, if not impossible.
Imagine this: You're running your race. You can see the finish line and excitement wells up in you, urging you on toward the end of your run. But you're so tired you can hardly run another step and, in fact, don't seem to be getting any closer. You're not sure why because you've trained hard for this race and you should be able to do this, but it seems so difficult now.
You look behind you and are surprised to see that your leg is tethered by a bungee cord to that of a huge elephant. No wonder you're tired! No matter how fast you run, the cord only gives enough to let you get close to the finish line, but not all the way. It is then that you realize you've been running in place, getting nowhere.
This is what our past can do to us. Paul knew this very well. It was Paul (then Saul) who held the coats of those who stoned Stephen to death. What a shameful thing for him to have to live with! How could Paul now serve Christ effectively in ministry when he had taken part in the killing of those who believed in Christ before he did?
By "forgetting what lies behind and reaching forward to what lies ahead." (v. 13)
Paul knew that if he dwelt on his past, he would be forever stuck where he was and not move forward to where God wanted him to be.
He chose to trust in the forgiveness of Jesus Christ for what he had done and move on. We also know that Paul had to trust Jesus for things that others had done to him in the past (read his ministry accounts). Paul had to forgive them and leave the situations in Jesus' hands, allowing Jesus to provide healing for him while he continued forward in his Christian growth and ministry.
Paul not only chose to go forward rather than dwell in his past, he also chose to not try and do both!
A note in my Bible for this verse reads, "We have all done things for which we are ashamed, and we live in the tension of what we have been and what we want to be."
Tension is the act of stretching or straining. When I read this, the following image came into my mind.
Like a big old elephant, our past weighs heavily on us, holding us back. But our goals and dreams want to lift us higher, soaring like an eagle. Living in the middle causes tension. We are attached by cords between the two, unable to follow the pull of our future due to the tug of our past.
Now, there are three things you can do.
You can keep living with the tension of holding on to your past while trying to hold onto your future and see how far you get.
Or you can experience a little physics.
An interesting thing about tension is that when an object is connected between two bungee cords and the force from one bungee cord is released, the tension is gone, and whatever is attached to the other cord will be launched in the direction of that cord's source.
So, choice two is that you can let go of your dreams and passions and be launched back into your past, spending your life wallowing in self-pity over things you've done and things that were done to you, never reaching your goal.
Or, you can do as Paul did. Forget your past – let it go – and be launched headlong into your future.
If you opt for the third choice, the momentum of letting go will get you moving in the right direction, but you'll still have to keep reaching forward.
Paul's description isn't one of an easy journey, just a rewarding one. There will be new things coming at you plus the temptation to grab hold of that cord to the past, but if you resist and keep pressing on, you'll reach your goal… no matter what it is.


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Farmingdale, N.Y. - The Farmingdale State men's basketball team will head to Division I Stony Brook University for an exhibition game tonight tipping off at 7:00 p.m.
In 2015-16, the Rams posted a 14-13 record (14-6 Skyline) and earned the #3 seed for the playoffs where they fell to St. Joseph's-Brooklyn, 78-75, in the First Round.
The Seawolves were 26-7 last season and won the America East Tournament with an 80-74 victory over Vermont. Stony Brook earned a 13-seed for the NCAA Tournament and lost to fourth-seeded Kentucky in the First Round.
FSC returns seven players from last years team including Skyline Conference Rookie of the Year George Riefenstahl (Bayport, N.Y.), Second Team All-Conference selection Trey Kinard (Deer Park, N.Y.) and senior captain Weldon Irvine (Queens, N.Y.). Joining the Rams this season are sophomore guards Ali Mableton (Brentwood, N.Y.), who played one year at Dowling College and Ryan Kennedy (Maspeth, N.Y.) who played at Pace University in 2015-16.
Farmingdale State's roster also features six freshmen and Eriq Williams (Valley Stream, N.Y.), who played in 2014-15 for the Rams.
The FSC men's basketball team will open the regular season against Rowan at the Widener Tip-Off Tournament on Friday, November 18th at 6:00 p.m.
Follow the action tonight with live stats! For live stats of Farmingdale State vs. Stony Brook, click HERE.


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The goats in the morning, they are nudging each other, being friendly I hope.
They are near their block of salt and near the gate. The dogs are out of view as they are nearer to me!
We will move the goats next week to another paddock where the grass is longer. That will be fun - Val has sent us full instructions how to do it ie:- let the dogs go through first - easier said than done I reckon but I am sure we will be able to do it with a few rude words thrown at each other - ha ha!
This grass here looks very dry but further up this paddock, where they spend most of the day, it is fine but going gradually as they chomp their way through.


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Monday, August 8, 2011
On Art and Memory - Rilke and Joan Mitchell
I am reading the new biography of Joan Mitchell, a painter I worship for many reasons. I love her work. It just speaks to me over and over again. Then there is the Chicago connection and the fact that she was the first wife of my cousin, the legendary Barney Rosset. But mainly I love the work. I love the way she strips everything down. The way she recalls the yellow satin curtains of her childhood and the lake (Lake Michigan, of course) and the steel blue sky and trees and a piano and it all becomes in its own way part of everything Joan does. With color. As she said to someone once, "It all comes out of the tube."
Today I've decided I'm going to paint. I'm going to take this image of the bowl of fruit from Gloria's house in Umbria and try and break it down. Not do what is expected. Which is to make a beautiful watercolor of this beautiful bowl. A bowl I can't quite get out of my head because it represents summer and Italy and a kind of balance with the world.
But I am also going to try and take what Joan took from poets such as Rilke who was one of her favorites, I am learning, and one of mine. We both love the same quote and I will quote it here on memories:
"You must be able to forget them when they are many, and you must have the immense patience to wait until they return. For the memoires themselves are not important. Only when they have changed into our very blood, into glance and gesture, and are nameless, no longer to be distinguished from ourselves that in some very rare hour the first word of a poem arises in their midst and goes forth from them."
This is how a great lake become a splotch of blue. How a childhood loss becomes a ringing bell. We must experience, grieve, forget, and then remember, but in this way memory like fossil fuels is experience transformed.
Somehow this thought brings me to perhaps one of the most beautiful things I've ever seen. At the Savage Beauty show at the MET which alas closed yesterday. The tiny hologram of Kate Moss in white - a ghost image that rises and falls and disappears, so tiny you can hold it on your hand. What was Alexander McQueen, that mad genius, thinking of when he created this tiny whiteness of a woman. His own mother whose death seems to have precipitated his own?
This image could only have emerged from some very deep place which is perhaps that place where all art begins.
So I am going to try and paint this bowl of fruit. But I am not going to try and paint it as a bowl of fruit.
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