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300in6 is a strategic centre for safe water scale-up, and a rich hub of knowledge, solutions and opportunities that we wish to share.
Our mission
A massive upscaling of access to safe water by supporting the upscaling of Point Of Use (POU) treatment at the household level in a sustainable way.
We recognize that water will never be safe again for most humans – unless it is treated and purified at the point of use.
Our strategy
To scale up safe water we promote a new paradigm based on different roles of the public sector (to create awareness and a market for POU treatment solutions) and the private sector to deliver them.300in6 therefore supports actions that;
- Stimulate demand and create a market for decentralised water treatment solutions at the Point of Use (household and community) as a fast and cost effective solution.
- Deliver affordable solutions to all and especially so-called Base of the Pyramid customers: the solutions should not be free but affordable for all. Everybody should pay, except those who really cannot pay, or during emergency situations.
- Market water treatment solutions as aspirational products ("must haves") rather than giving them an image of "solutions for the poor". Products that are user friendly, attractive, effective and at the same time also affordable for poor families.
- Ensure a sustainable delivery by creating profitable supply chains rather than giving free products for a certain time and then stop the supply.
- Enhance the awareness about new products and lessons learned on success and failures in upscaling at the level of government, development organisations and private actors.
- Develop innovative payment options for families who cannot afford to pay a treatment option upfront and in one single payment.
- Apply innovative financing options such as carbon finance to fund the before mentioned actions. Carbon finance should preferably be used for social marketing activities and not for subsidizing products to ensure that the supply can continue even if carbon finance is not available anymore.
Create cooperation platforms for scaling-up at national and or regional level where all relevant stakeholders cooperate to reach the goal. An example for such a National Platform is Malawi.
Based on research and experiences we propose the following guidelines:
- Improve existing and /or create new market based supply chains by private actors delivering a variety of water treatment products (a basket of solutions) so people can choose and get access to spares.
- Do not distort markets with donations. No free gifts. Everyone should pay except special cases like emergencies, really poor families, poor pregnant women etc. Subsidies should be given in the form of "smart" subsidies that do not undermine the markets but stimulate them, for example by distributing vouchers to the population which they can redeem with local dealers.
- Invest funds for safe water in social marketing and awareness campaigns, capacity building of users, strengthen supply chains, supporting payment options (micro loans, mobile payment). Such investments will create markets for safe water rather than distorting and suppressing them.
Our history
300in6 was created in 2009, and became operational in 2010. 300in6 adopted its heart's desire as its institutional name. This was to double, to 300 million, the number of people who would gain, and maintain, access to safe water through HWTS in the six-year period to end-2015, the achieve-by date of the UN Millennium Development Goals.
Now 300in6 has matured into a strategic centre for the safe water scale-up, and is a rich hub of knowledge, solutions and opportunities. We now seek leverage amongst several communities. As well as the consumer, safe water also depends on the communicator, entrepreneur, investor, regulator, upscaler as well as the water professional.
As an unregistered hybrid group, we operate under the legal aegis of Aqua for All, a Dutch foundation. Our 'core group' consists of delegates from Antenna Technologies Foundation, Aqua for All, Connect International, the Swiss Agency for Cooperation and Development (SDC) and an individual consultant from Kenya.
Between 2010 to 2013, finance was provided by Aqua for All and SDC. Consultants were hired for specific tasks such as Videos, the publication Upscale, carbon finance study and the HWTS study in Malawi.
Since 2010, 300in6 has had a presence at key events and virtual encounters of the water profession worldwide. In 2012, this outreach was extended to the social venture, investment and (intended) social marketing communities. Preparations were started in 2013 to extend further into social marketing, and to the families of national regulators.
Drawing on their extensive field experiences, members of the core group have co-authored and commissioned reports and papers on upscaling safe water, social behaviour and hygiene, carbon finance and platform building.
The website has soft and hard knowledge on HWTS and on methodologies for upscale. The video project, launched in 2011, is growing into a comprehensive research and report suite, comprising videos, audio files, photos and field reports.


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"Prophetess" Lana Vawser Declares 2016 The Year of the Slipstream/
It's not even Christmas yet and some of the so-called "prophets", like Lana Vawswer, are already claiming to receive prophetic revelations for the the coming year.
In what could only be described as prophetic diarrhea, Lana has published what she mistakenly believes are words from the Lord for 2016. Below is just a sample:
As I have pressed into the heart of the Lord for the next year, 2016, I felt He showed me one of the themes He wanted to focus on this year.
I kept hearing the words over and over "The year of the slipstream".
SLIPSTREAM: "the airstream generating reduced air pressure and forward suction directly behind a rapidly moving vehicle." (www.dictionary.com)
2015 has been a year of intense pressure, intense stretching, intense opposition and contending. I believe in 2016 there is an invitation into a divine 'slipstream'. The wind of the Spirit moving in great acceleration but the Lord calling us to a 'positioning' of greater rest. It seems completely opposite and 'illogical' in the natural, but many things the Lord is going to ask His people to do or not do in 2016 will be a great surprise, but MORE is going to come out of divine rest in whatever form that looks like for you (physical, emotional/mental healing, release of striving, settled heart in His nature and ways etc) in 2016.
I felt the Lord say that 2016 would be a year THE GREATEST demonstration of DIVINE REST of heart, mind, soul and body for many, but also THE GREATEST demonstration of ACCELERATION that they have ever seen.
A place of shaking off the shackles of driving and seeing Him break off and bring deeper healing to any parts of the soul that would cause a 'pushing forward'.
For the rest of Lana's incoherent "prophetic" ramblings for 2016 Click Here
"that you may learn by us not to go beyond what is written" (1 Corinthians 4:6)

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Xin Lu wins 2017 Indiana CTSI Young Investigator Award
Dr. Xin Lu, the John M. and Mary Jo Boler Assistant Professor of Biological Sciences, in the Boler-Parseghian Center for Rare and Neglected Diseases, has been awarded a Young Investigator Award from the Indiana Clinical and Translational Sciences Institute (CTSI).
Students receive Fulbright Awards for 2017-2018
Four students from the Department of Biological Sciences have been awarded grants by the Fulbright U.S. Student Program to study abroad in 2017-18.
Biological Sciences faculty win awards for teaching and advising
David J. Veselik, director of undergraduate studies and associate teaching professor in the department of biological sciences, was one of three recipients of the Dockweiler Awards for the 2016–2017 academic year.
Veselik is the coordinator for the cell biology laboratory, as well as the biology club advisor. He has taught upper level cell biology labs and lectures. With his guidance, students have participated in several initiatives, including networking with the career center, vertical peer mentoring, lab shadowing and alumni mentoring.
Notre Dame Grad Student Chosen to Present Work at 2017 Future Fellow Research Conference
Alyssa Lesko, fourth-year Biology graduate student, was recently selected to present her work at the 2017 Future Fellow Research Conference (FFRC) at St. Jude Children's Research Hospital in Memphis, Tennessee. Lesko will present her work on how the loss of tumor suppressor Adenomatous Polyposis Coli (APC) and subsequently how its normal functions leads to tumorigenesis. Read more.
Scientists Reveal New and Improved Genome Sequence of Daphnia Pulex
By understanding how they respond to toxic elements, scientists can look at how environmental changes caused by agriculture and road runoff or warming temperatures and climate change could impact populations in lakes, rivers and standing bodies of water.
Notre Dame researcher receives grant to study spinal cord injuries
The Indiana State Department of Health and the Indiana Clinical and Translational Sciences Institute (CTSI) has awarded Cody J. Smith, the Elizabeth and Michael Gallagher Assistant Professor of Biological Sciences and affiliated member of the Center for Stem Cells and Regenerative Medicine, a Spinal Cord and Brain Injury Research Fund (SCBIRF) grant.
Funding scientific research fuels job creation
The University of Notre Dame is highlighted in a new report on the importance of scientific research to economic growth.
The study, which was conducted by The Science Coalition, identifies more than 100 companies that exist due to funding received by academic researchers from federal government agencies, including the Department of Agriculture, Department of Energy, National Institutes of Health, National Institute of Standards and Technology, and National Science Foundation.
Biological Sciences Students and Alumni win Prestigious NSF Graduate Research Fellowship Awards
The National Science Foundation (NSF) recently announced the winners of the 2017 Graduate Research Fellowship Program (GRFP), with 15 current Notre Dame students, affiliates and alumni winning the prestigious award and another 18 earning honorable mention. Overall, 11 students in the Department of Biological Sciences were recognized by the NSF.
Kasturi Haldar wins 2017 Ganey Award for community-based research
Professor Kasturi Haldar has received the 2016 Rodney F. Ganey, Ph.D., Community-Based Research Award for a project that has helped improve rare disease recognition and treatment in northern Indiana. The award is a $5,000 prize presented annually to a regular faculty member at the University of Notre Dame who has completed at least one research project that addresses a need within South Bend or the surrounding area. Haldar is a molecular cell biologist and the Rev. Julius Nieuwland Professor of Biological Sciences and Parsons-Quinn director of the Boler-Parseghian Center for Rare and Neglected Diseases at the University of Notre Dame.
Researchers develop predictive model measuring nitrous oxide emissions in streams and rivers
Jennifer Tank, Galla Professor in the Department of Biological Sciences co-authored new research published in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
Notre Dame Professor Siyuan Zhang wins CTSI grant
Siyuan Zhang, Nancy Dee Assistant Professor of Cancer Research, Assistant Professor of Biological Sciences and affiliated member of Harper Cancer Research Institute at the University of Notre Dame, recently won a grant from the Indiana Clinical and Translational Sciences Institute (CTSI). Awarded Pilot Funding for Research Use of Core Facilities, Zhang is planning on using his funding to learn more about brain metastasis in cancer patients. The award was designed to promote the use of technologies and knowledge made available by Indiana CTSI-designed cores available at partner institutions.
Tuberculosis Research Sheds Light on Disease-related Protein
The WHO names Tuberculosis (TB) as one of the top 10 causes of death worldwide and over 95 percent of those deaths occur in low- and middle-income countries. To improve the global health community's understanding of TB and provide information that could help treat it, Notre Dame researchers have developed a new strain of the bacteria along with a new method to better study this deadly disease.
Tuberculosis: The Disease of Antiquity
Jeff Schorey, a world-renowned expert with pioneering work on the role of exosomes in infectious diseases, has been studying mycobacterial disease for almost two decades.
Finalists named in hotly contested Shaheen 3MT® science qualifying round
The College of Science Shaheen 3MT competition began with a big bang on Monday in Jordan Hall of Science. Julia Beck (Biochemistry), Elizabeth Loughran (Integrated Biomedical Sciences), and Stefan Freed (Biological Sciences) took the top three spots, and will go on to compete at the Shaheen 3MT® Final event on March 23.
Notre Dame biologist Cody Smith wins prestigious Sloan Research Fellowship
Cody J. Smith, the Elizabeth and Michael Gallagher Assistant Professor of Neural Development and Regeneration, has been selected as a 2017 recipient of the prestigious Sloan Research Fellowship.
How Wolves are Helping Nature Thrive
New Notre Dame research has shown that wolves living in Michigan's Upper Peninsula are actually helping foxes, hares, and plants survive.
Senior John Huber awarded Gates Cambridge scholarship
This prestigious postgraduate scholarship program, which fully funds postgraduate study and research in any subject at the University of Cambridge, was established through a $210 million donation to the University of Cambridge from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation in 2000; this remains the largest single donation to a U.K. university.
Alex Perkins named Early Career Fellow by the Ecological Society of America
The University of Notre Dame's Alex Perkins, Eck Family Assistant Professor, and member of the Department of Biological Sciences, the Department of Applied and Computational Mathematics and Statistics, the Eck Institute for Global Health, and the Environmental Change Initiative, was named a 2017 Early Career Fellow by the Ecological Society of America (ESA).
Zika: Where are we now?
Professors in Notre Dame's Department of Biological Sciences and members of the Eck Institute reflect on the outbreak, the challenges presented by the virus and the work yet to be done to help health professionals and key decision makers protect their citizens.
Notre Dame scientists study the past to predict climate change
A chance meeting a decade ago in a graduate school hallway led paleoecologist Jason McLachlan to create a Jurassic Park-like wonder in Notre Dame's greenhouse, where rows of salt marsh bulrushes have germinated from 100-year-old seeds.


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Live: Final day of the Football League: As it happened
* Final day of the Football League: As it happened
* Championship: Brighton snatch the final play-off spot while a late Birmingham equaliser results in relegation for Doncaster
* League One: Tranmere and Carlisle are relegated as Notts County and Crewe survive
* League Two: Bristol Rovers tumble out of Football League while Chesterfield wrap-up the title
5.06pm: Bristol Rovers' relegation from the Footbal League has been met with some ugly scenes at the Memorial Stadium with mounted police stepping in to calm the situation. It's been a disastrous day for Rovers while Wycombe and Northampton are celebrating their late reprieve.
5.01pm: League One full-time scores
Brentford 2-0 Stevenage
Crawley 1-1 Bristol City
Crewe 2-1 Preston
Gillingham 1-1 Shrewsbury
MK Dons 1-3 Leyton Orient…


text: All is OM - Hari Om. Knowledge Base , om , yoga The whole universe is the syllable Om. Everything that was, is, or will be is, in truth Om. All else which transcends time, space, and causation is also Om ~ Mandukya Upanishad Share this Share on Facebook Tweet on Twitter Plus on Google+


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Update on new routes and services with Air Canada
Air Canada is introducing 4 weekly non-stop flights between Toronto and Mont-Tremblant during the peak ski season,from December 18, 2014 until March 30, 2015.
Air Canada Express will operate this route on Monday, Thursday, Friday and Sunday using modern 74-seat Bombardier Q400 aircraft
This fall/winter, Premium Economy service is offered on the following routes:
Vancouver - Tokyo Narita starting Dec 15/14
Vancouver - London
Vancouver - Hong Kong
Toronto - Tel Aviv
Toronto - Paris December 1/14 – March 28/15
Toronto - London AC858/859 to March 28/15
Montreal - Paris
This winter, Air Canada offers many choices when travelling to Japan!
Toronto – Tokyo Haneda – daily service
Calgary – Tokyo Narita – 3 times weekly
Vancouver – Tokyo Narita – daily service
Starting May 1, 2015, Air Canada Rouge™ will introduce Vancouver – Osaka with up to five weekly flights during the summer peak. This service will operate using Boeing 767-300ER aircraft offering a choice of rouge or Premium rouge cabins.
Things we blog about
Places we have blogged about
- Africa, Anywhere
- Alaska, Usa
- Alberta, Canada
- Anchorage, Ak, United States
- Andalusia, Spain
- Argyle, Ns, Canada
- Athens, Esye31, Greece
- Australia
- Bali, Indonesia
- Banff, 01, Canada
- Bangkok, Thailand
- Barcelona, 56, Spain
- Beijing, China
- Belize
- Berlin, Germany
- Boca Grande, Fl, United States
- Bolivia
- Bora Bora, French Polynesia
- Boston, Ma, United States
- Brazil


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Lanark and the rest of rural Clydesdale should have a dedicated testing centre for patients of the old Law Hospital who may have contracted Hepatitis C from an infected surgeon who worked there.
As previously reported, a major health scare was sparked when NHS Lanarkshire belatedly revealed that a surgeon who worked at Law from 1982 before moving on to the new Wishaw General Hospital was diagnosed with Hep C in 2008.
He is thought to have performed around 8,000 operations during his time in Lanarkshire and all his ex-patients have been lettered by the NHS, calling them in for a test to discover if they have been infected.
The Gazette understands that NHS Lanarkshire only revealed the surgeon's condition after two of his former patients showed signs of Hep C infection.
Now an allegation has been made that Lanark and the rest of rural Clydesdale is getting 'second-class' treatment in the health check programme.
At the latest meeting of Lanark Community Council one of its members, Eleanor McLean, revealed that she had been one of the surgeon's patients many years ago.
She had received one of the letters from NHS Lanarkshire, calling her in for a test but said: "There is no testing centre for Lanark and the countryside area that it serves.
"The nearest testing is at Carluke and there are centres in Wishaw, Hamilton, Motherwell, Hamilton, Hairmyres (East Kilbride), Stonehouse, Bellshill and Viewpark, but none in the Lanark area. Why?"
Other members of the council drew comparisons with the recent withdrawal of out-of-hours GP cover for the Clydesdale area with patients now having to travel to Hamilton or Airdrie for such treatment.
Dr John Logan, Consultant in Public Health Medicine, NHS Lanarkshire, said: "We have recommended to each person who has been sent a letter that they arrange to have a test for Hepatitis C.
"If it is difficult for someone to attend one of the clinics available they should let staff on the appointment booking line know and we will put in place arrangements for them to be tested that meet their individual needs.
"Testing clinics are running during mornings and afternoons of week days and also during evenings and the weekend to make it easier for people to attend at a time that suits them.
"People booking an appointment can choose to attend any clinic they wish.
"By the morning of March 2 more than 4,500 patients - over 65 per cent of the Lanarkshire residents we have written to - had booked an appointment at a testing clinic."


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If you are anything like me, you don't need an excuse to eat Mexican food. Tacos on Wednesday taste just as delicious on Tuesday. But having a holiday that basically begs you to eat chips and salsa all day? Yes, please! Cinco de Mayo, you wonderful day. And while it's not really observed IN Mexico (Independence Day is September 16, May 5 was the day the Mexican army defeated French forces at the Battle of Puebla) the fine folks of the United States use this day as a way to celebrate Mexican heritage.
For me, gone are the days of tequila shots and Corona beer; Cinco de Mayo has gone Madre. I plan on spending the day teaching my own little Niño y Niña as much as they can absorb about the beautiful culture and heritage. So before we hit the kitchen, let's have some fun!
Cinco de Mayo activities for kids
There's certainly not a shortage of informative books out there that can teach you and yours all about the fifth of May. Instead of bogging my six and three year old down with too much facts, I have decided to stick to a couple of simple story books. I downloaded "Marco's Cinco de Mayo" for free on my Kindle Paperwhite (thanks, Kindle unlimited!) and plan to hit up our local library as well. My fingers are crossed that "Off We Go to Mexico!" will be there… look at the artwork!
I also stocked up on supplies for these adorable and easy crafts. A couple spoons, a plastic easter egg filled with popcorn kernels, some fun tape and you have yourself a maraca! Check out this site for the full how to.
Ojo de Dios are another perfect craft for little hands. Craft sticks and colorful yarn is all that you need to make these sweet little 'eyes of God' but you can find a complete tutorial (with a video!) over at this site. We are going to use ours to decorate the dinner table!
Next up… the food! I asked the other writers over here at A Parenting Production for a few of their family favorite Mexican dishes. This list has me thinking we should celebrate the entire week of Cinco de Mayo– too much deliciousness to chose from!
First up, we have Catherine sharing a few of her own recipes:
And here are some of Ashley's own recipes:
Kristen shared her favorite salsa recipe as well as an easy way to jazz up your rice.
Kristen's Mexican Rice
Boil your rice in vegetable broth instead of water per directions add one can of Rotel tomatoes, a sprinkle offeta cheese, 3 oz of cream cheese, about a half of a can of sliced green chilies to taste.
Kristen reports that her kids LOVE this rice by itself or wrapped in a burrito with refried beans.
And what will I be cooking? Us Rodenhizers could live off of carnitas. I keep the flavors mild, as my kiddos are still a little picky in the spice department, but this meal has a lot of layers so they can pick and choose what they like!
Bryna's Slow Cooker Carnitas
2-3 lbs pork tenderloin
salt, pepper and garlic powder to taste
olive oil
1 cup chicken broth
Season your pork on all sides with salt, pepper and garlic powder. In a preheated pan, sear your pork for about a minute on each side. Transfer to a crock pot, set on low. Add a cup of chicken broth, cover, and cook for 4-6 hours. About 30 minutes before you are ready to eat, shred the pork with two forks.
We eat our carnitas over rice (I will be making Kristen's recipe this time!) topped with mango salsa. You really can not go wrong with mango salsa; I always have mango, avocado, red bell pepper, green onion, cherry tomatoes, cilantro and lime juice in mine. Just dice and stir until it looks delicious! I always make a 'kid friendly' batch that is only mango and red bell peppers. Like I said, my kids are not big fans of big flavor just yet, and that's totally OK! This way it's easy to accommodate their personal tastes without sacrificing the whole meal.
And there you have it! With books, crafts and tasty food, Cinco de Mayo is going to be a good one. Olé!


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Organizational Behaviour
Define leadership and briefly explain important leadership theories
Answer the following question.
Q1. Define leadership and briefly explain important leadership theories (10
Q2. Define Conflict. What are the sources of organizational conflict? How do we solve interpersonal conflict? (10 marks)
Q3. What do you understand by OB? How it is related to Management? (10
Q4. Explain with Example Corporate Governance (10 marks)
Q5. Discuss whether there are gender differences regarding emotions (10
Q6. Identify the five primary conflict handling intentions, giving the title of each and the cooperative and assertiveness dimensions of each (10 marks)
Q7. How does line and staff organization structure differ from pure line organization structure? What are the benefits and limitations of lino and staff organization structure? (10 marks)
Q8. Explain the significance of nonverbal communication in organization and explain different types of nonverbal communication (10 marks)
Define leadership and briefly explain important leadership theories
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The Year in Books: January
Joining in with Laura's The Year in Books last year was really one of the highlights of my blogging journey thus far. I have always devoured books with a passion, but when I started my new job a couple of years ago I found that reading quickly fell to the bottom of the pile of priorities that never seemed to get any smaller. Selecting one book to read over the month has pushed me to find time for reading whenever I can: snatched moments before the sun rises; relaxing for longer than perhaps I should with a book in the bath; sprawled on the sofa in front of a roaring fire. As a result, I managed to read slightly more books over the year than the aim of twelve, so this year I'm continuing. Alongside I'll be reading books for a book club I am becoming involved with; sometimes the books will be the same (like this month) but sometimes I'll be trying to get through two.
This month I'm reading The Miniaturist by Jessie Burton. As it has received rave reviews from both critics and friends alike, I'm looking forward to delving into the world of seventeenth century Amsterdam and the curious characters that the book seems to contain. The blurb promises tiny creations, secrets of a new household, and an elusive miniaturist who seems to hold the fate of others in her hands so I have high hopes. Perhaps it might even beat my favourite from last year - Burial Rites - which really did blow every other choice out of the water.
As always, for more recommendations or to take part in The Year in Books, head over to the link-up at Circle of Pine Trees and while you're there, catch up on the other lovely posts written by Laura.


text: Finishing the game. If you stayed up late Sunday night to watch our ASU Red Wolves Football team take on Ball State University, you not only saw an incredible display of athleticism, but you also saw why it's so important to finish the game. With less than 2 minutes left, Ball State scored and it looked like things were over for the Red Wolves. But our team said wait just a minute, we can do this and boy did they. With those last few minutes left, ASU followed their plan, ran their plays and achieved success, scoring with 32 seconds left to play. First, let me congratulate the Red Wolves on another hard fought victory. But also, I want thank the team for reminding us of a very valuable lesson, finish the game. How many times have you wanted to give up, felt that you were beat and there was no way to win in life, work or as a community? As you head into the new year and face challenges, remember this year's Red Wolf team and keep in mind it's always important to finish the game. Finishing the game will make this A Better Region 8.


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Transform your teaching of whole texts with Read in to Writing!
Use this handy guide to find out what's inside the Reading Planet Gold Complete Pack. It's ideal if you need to check your Reading Planet order when it arrives in school or if you just want to learn more about the scheme.


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Wild Violet (The Violet Trilogy of The Gilded Flower Series Book 1)
By Vivian Winslow.
BLURBWild Violet is the first installment of The Violet Trilogy of the Gilded Flower Series. Appearing in The Lily and Dahlia Trilogies of the Gilded Flower Series, Violet Rai, or Vi, is Lily and Dahlia Baron's sharp-witted BFF, who is always up for a party and a hot guy. But, in The Dahlia Trilogy, there are hints that Vi's world is quickly coming apart, and her dark secret is about to be exposed.
In this flashback story, Vi, the strikingly beautiful daughter of an Indian business magnate and English supermodel, is enjoying a privileged lifestyle in New York City while a college student at NYU. Yet, in her senior year, Vi learns that her strict and traditional father intends to force upon her an arranged marriage and a career working for his conglomerate in Dubai. When Vi is paired with sexy Spaniard, Andrés Costas, in her ballet class, not only does she find herself falling for him, but he introduces her to a shockingly different world—one that offers her the prospect of escaping her father's plans, but at a price.
Violet has been a woman of mystery in the previous books in The Gilded Flower Series so its' only fair that she gets her own series. This book is essentially a flashback to give the reader the backstory of how she is where she is at the moment.
We see her as a student living off the very generous handouts from her incredible rich father. The chemistry between Andres, whom she meets at a dance class, and her sizzles off the page, especially the dance scenes. He helps her move from being reliant on her father's wealth to being able to stand on her own two feet – even though the profession she chooses brings a certain amount of risk as well as social disdain. Their relationship does not go smoothly and Violet must move on after feeling betrayed by him.
This book set the scene and was interesting though not gripping.
For me this was 3 Hearts/Stars.
Hidden Violet (The Violet Trilogy of The Gilded Flower Series Book 2)
BLURBWith her hidden past about to be exposed, Vi turns to her longtime friend and confidant, Thomas Squires, for help. Yet, they may just risk exposing their feelings for each other in the process. When Lily's engagement to Alejandro is threatened by ex-lover Gustavo, Vi is forced to come clean with her best friend and possibly destroy the lives of those she loves. Now that her secrets are no longer hidden, Vi faces the most difficult challenge yet—how to build a new life for herself outside of the shadows.
Violets past comes back to threaten her and her friends. She turns to her long-time friend Thomas who, I must say sounded rather Yummy and I was rooting for them to get together.
To sort matters out Violet has to find Andres who introduced her to the profession that threatens to slap her full in the face now. There were some ahhh moments when you see how much he really cares for her but she is not the same person at all, as well as the fact that she realises that she has feelings for another – waiting patiently for her. Finally Violet and Thomas get together and it's great for that moment – but a moment in time is all it will be. In fact Violet does not indulge in frequent sex at all in this book so when it does happen you do wish it all works out for her.
It was good to see her friends Lily and Dahlia feature in this and we get to catch up with what is happening to them too. The three girl's lives are all entwined and to sort out one problem means figuring out what went on with the others. Violet is the one who must not only seek safety but answers too.
An enjoyable read. 4 Stars/Hearts
True Violet (The Violet Trilogy of The Gilded Flower Series Book 3)
BLURBIn this final installment of The Gilded Flower Series, shocking secrets are revealed and the long-buried truth comes out.
Things are heating up for Vi in Dubai, and it's not just the desert climate. Vi is starting to come into her own—having the hottest sex of her life and poised to take over her father's multinational conglomerate. Yet, her suspicions are confirmed when she uncovers a plot to destroy not just her but her best friends' lives. With an unlikely ally, Vi seeks to ruin those behind the plot. Will Vi be able to have it all and find her lasting happiness in the arms of the man she loves?
This is where Violet really does emerge as the successful business woman, but also with a steel back bone. We find her in her father's multimillion pound business facing a foe in the form of her half-brother. She manages to deal with the pressure of being the undesirable sibling and indulges in some hot sex with a stranger.
I enjoyed the developing relationship with her father who has been absent for most of her life. I think they realise they are more alike than they thought.
As all stories go – a night with a stranger can't always stay like that especially as he turns up to be an important member in the company. Circumstances bring them Samir and Violet together and she goes along with things more for the sake of family respect or so she says. Lots of hot sex follows - Deep down she has real feeling for Samir.
Threads from previous books begin to come together and it is up to Violet to finally sort out old enemies – who disrupted not only her life but also her friends Lily and Dahlia's lives - for good.
A surprising turn up was the part Lily and Dahlia's mother Poppy played in having a hand in the mess.
In the end Violet has to decide where her future lies so she has to be brave and take a risk. We leave Samir and Violet planning a future together on the journey to their happy ever after.


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Check in with us for substitutes and updates on when we'll restock!
Wild King Salmon
Live Spot Prawns
Best Choice
Fin Fish
- Hand-line Ahi Tuna - PI
- Yellowtail Rock Fish - CA
- Frozen J/Cut Black Cod- AK
- Farmed Ora King Salmon - NZ
- Farmed Akaroa King Salmon- NZ
- Farmed Arctic Char - WA
- Mount Lassen Trout- CA
- Farmed Sturgeon - CA
- Farmed Catfish - LA
- Farmed Stripe Bass- WA
- Frozen Albacore Loins - BC
- Chathum Blue Mussels- MA
- Savory Clams - BC
- Pasta Gem Clam- Florida
- Kumai Oysters- Baja
- Kusshi Oysters- BC
- Kumamoto Gold Oysters - CA
- Shigoku Oysters- WA
- Beau Soleil Oysters - New Brunswick
- Rappahonnack River Oysters - VA
- Walker Creek Oysters - Tomales Bay
- Marin Miyagi Oysters - Tomales Bay
- Painted Lady Oysters - WA
- Live Farmed Red Abalones - Santa Cruz
- Fresh Kauai Shrimp
- Fresh Oregon Bay Shrimp
- Frozen Blue Prawns - NC
- Frozen King Crab Legs - AK
- Frozen Soft Shell Crabs - Maryland
Good Alternative
Fin Fish
- Alaskan Halibut (Limited)
- Alaskan Halibut Cheeks
- Black Cod - CA
- White Bass- CA
- Hand Line California Halibut
- Petrale- CA
- Wild Stripe Bass- Virginia
- Monkfish - MA
- Spearfish- HI
- Farmed Kanpachi- HI
- Tai Snapper - NZ
- Farmed Bronzino - Turkey
- Farmed Sea Bream (Dorade) -Turkey
- Farmed Verlasso Atl. Salmon - Chile
- Royal Sweet Scallops - MA
- Hokkaido Scallops - Japan
- Fresh 16/20 Gulf Shrimp- FL
- Live Maine Lobsters
- Live Dungeness Crabs- CA
- Premium Dungeness Crab meat - CA
- Frozen Tenderized Octopus - Spain
- Fresh Squid- CA
MSC Certified or assessed by RHS for sustainability practices
Fin Fish
- Ono - Fiji
- Yellowtail Jack- MX
- MSC Certified Salt Cod - Norway
- MSC Chilean Sea Bass - Antarctica
- MSC Tombo Tuna- Fiji
- Anchovies in Oil - Turkey
- Farmed Creative King Salmon-BC
- Farmed Hiramasa- Baja
- Frozen Farmed Pacu Ribs - Brazil
- MSC Skull Island Tiger Prawns - AUS
- Frozen Razor Clams - Ireland
- Rock Shrimp - MX
Royal Hawaiian Seafood Market Report
Alaskan Halibut
- The market has gotten really tight. There is little to no fish being offered for this weekend. We do have minimal amount of 10-20#ers (only)coming in Monday morning. Local/CA Halibut and/or California White Sea Bass are great as an alternative, until fishing improves.
Fresh Albacore
- Fish is beginning to trickle in, which is pretty normal in July. Current sightings have been around the Oregon Coast, and there's a possibility we may have fresh Albacore next week. Availability is pretty good for July, and throughout mid August. Will keep everyone updated once there's new news.
Wild King Salmon Watch
- Nothing being made available from Washington or California. We are expecting Wild King Salmon from British Columbia Tuesday morning.
Soft Shell Crabs
- Great news! (Fingers crossed) Tuesday is the day for these critters to be crawling back to our facility...both Hotel and Prime sizes are expected to be in Tuesday morning; pre-orders are requested.
Hand-Line Local Halibut
- The fishermen are really starting to crank up their production. Prices are starting to come down as well and we have fish in the 20-30 lbs. range. The halibut can be used in so many different ways. Although raw preferred, it can also be cooked to perfection. Local, sustainable and delicious.
White Bass
- Great weather results in great fishing all around the California Coast. (Hand Line caught ) White Bass, caught off the California Coast, are currently available, as well off the Mexico waters. With New Zealand Blue Nose being unavailable for the next month or so, the White Bass would be an ideal choice as an alternative.
Skull Island Tiger Prawn
- We are proud to introduce the world's first eco-certified prawn in the world. These Tiger Prawns hail from the north coast of Australia and are MSC Certified. These are some of the largest prawns in the world. We have them in a U6 size head on shell on. They're packed in 6.6# boxes and are frozen IQF. The flavor profile can be closely compared to lobster. They provide a rich, juicy and clean flavor. Undoubtedly, the Skull Island Tiger Prawns will impress anyone who has the pleasure of tasting them. Please contact us for pricing information
Premium Dungeness Crabmeat
- If you only require the freshest and the best Dungeness crabmeat, we have it for you. Cooked and picked in our facility from our live inventory of Dungeness Crabs, you have the pleasure of knowing that your crabmeat came from live crabs just hours ago. Although we are still proud of the crabmeat that we purchase from our partners in Washington, we want to offer a fresher great tasting crabmeat for those who require only the best. Please feel free to contact us for more info.
Frozen U/6 Freshwater Blue Prawns
Currently available are Frozen Freshwater Blue Prawns from North Carolina. These prawns are responsibly produced in inland ponds. The majority of the what we have are the U/6 size. Smaller sizes are available but limited. The prawns are beautiful! The flavor is sweet and the texture is nice and firm. Please contact us for more information regarding this great product.
- Each month, we will be bringing in few different types of oysters, from different regions. Of course, we aren't taking away our current oyster inventory, rather just have more varieties for everyone to choose and try. For this month, Watch Hill oysters from Rhode Island, Pemaquid from Maine, as well as Wiley Point from Maine are available. Let us know if you are interested as we only brought in minimal amounts of each type.
Painted Lady Oysters
- We are proud to offer everyone a cost effective, but flavorful oyster called Painted Lady Oysters, which is harvested in the cold waters of Washington. You can expect the flavor of these oysters to be crisp. clean, and refreshing as the waters they are grown in. They are competitively priced, and have now taken over as our Happy Hour Oyster selection. Please contact us should more information is needed.


text: In 2007, these five women joined the first class of the Oprah Winfrey Leadership Academy for Girls in South Africa. The media titan started the school to help girls like herself—underserved, black, and motivated—succeed in the hopes they would break the cycle of poverty. Ten years on, they tell how that opportunity has filled them with gratitude and fueled a desire to give back to their community.


text:
Hive Vase Sort of Knock Off/
It's time for Pinterest Challenge #3 (Here's #1 and #2 ).
It's no secret that I love West Elm. Just not their prices.
Take this vase for instance….$24….seriously? It's tiny.
I REALLY liked it…but not $24 liked it. So I pinned it and moved on.
And then I got to thinking (scary, yes), didn't I pin something about using puff paint on glass jars and then spray painting them? Why yes, I did!
How hard could it be to do a hive pattern on a $0.50 vase from the Salvation Army? Quite hard actually. About half way through I was about 2 seconds from clicking on "buy me now" on the West Elm site because I was so frustrated with this project. And I went I get frustrated, I buy things. (I should mention that it was also near nap time…my nap time. Note to self. Don't do crafts when sleepy.) But I did eventually finish it.
Eh. The puff paint didn't come out quite as even as I would have liked but at this point I was just glad that I had found a way to get some resemblance of a hive pattern. It looks good from a distance. Ish.
If you have a steadier hand, it may be worth trying. Here's how I did it.
Round up your supplies:
- A jar or vase
- Puff Paint
- Stencil
Step #1: Figure out how to get your stencil onto your vase for easy tracing. Or freehand it if you are super crafty. Just don't tell me about it. I may hurt you. The memory is still a little to fresh on this project. I ended up printing out a bunch of little hives and then taping them to the inside of the glass jar (which I failed to photograph…because I was angry).
Step #2: Trace stencil with puff paint. It helps to have a steady hand. I do not. (Dental school dreams were crushed when I realized that my shaky hand would cause some problems in a person's mouth.) The puff paint didn't come out evenly. I decided I liked it that way. Because I was tired. Don't mess with my Sunday afternoon naps.
Step #3: I spray primed and painted the vase after the puff paint had dried. Easiest step of the whole project.
Step #4: Display it…proudly?…in your master bedroom. You know, the room that a lot of people don't see.
I'm kind of over crafts right now. At least my dresser has a little bit more life.
Have you ever tried to knock off something that you loved? How'd it turn out? What are your thoughts on knock offs? Are they thrifty or theft? (Here's a link to this topic on Apartment Therapy that has me thinking.)


text:
The following report of the above event is
the original document. Although, there have been changes
to names and personal information to comply
with the Data Protection Act. The original documents
without alterations are held with BUFORA.
The witness has given permission for the
details of the event to be made public for the purposes of
correlation and further investigation in
conjunction with other reported cases.
Written Account:
I went outside for a cigarette and whilst
looking up at the sky saw the brightest light
have ever seen in the sky. It wasn't a star
as it
moving from West to East, it wasn't a
satellite as
it was flying underneath the cloud cover. It
"may" have been an aircraft however
there were
none of the usual navigation lights and if it
was a
landing light it was the brightest light I
have ever
seen. The object was flying fairly slow, I'd
say at
a similar speed to the training planes they
at RAF Woodvale and as it moved off into the
distance the light faded out. One thing I
strange apart from the intensity of the light
its erratic movements, it was jinking from
left to
right occasionally.
The light was so bright someone else must
Number of objects seen
Brightness of objects (as compared to the
The brightest light I have ever seen in the
Smell of object(s:
Observation data and time:
Time object(s) were observed for in minutes:
Checked time I first saw object and when it
Where were you at the time of the incident?
Were there any other witnesses to the
How did the object(s) disappear from view?
If you had any unusual experiences in your
describe them here:
Seen other objects in the sky in the past but
Were the objects photographed or filmed?
Did you, or the surrounding environment
any physical effects which you consider to be
attributable to the objects seen?
Were you aware of the passage of time around
the time of the observation?
Other than the reported events did anything
else unusual occur around the time of the
The size the of the object I saw was smaller that the moon.
Cloud cover:
Atmosphere temperature:
Wind strength:
Visible astronomical object:
The light described by the witness as flying
'underneath the cloud cover' and was the brightest
light the witness has ever seen, can be
explained (dependent on the angle at which the lights were
viewed would mean whether the light were
viewed separately or as one) as and aircraft (fixed
wing or helicopter) flying in the just inside
the cloud cover with its landing lights switched on and
at the same time, the cloud obscuring the
navigation lighting. The landing light can be so powerful
that it can mask the appearance of the
aircraft above and can be used as far out as 20 miles before
Referring to the aircraft's
landing light, typically these are normally thought
These are also much easier to distinguish
from the lower wattage navigation lighting -FWIW same
general configuration as on boats, red =
left, green = right, white = rear-.
The landing lights, and on bigger aircraft,
the taxi lights as well are used for collision avoidance.
Many times it is virtually impossible to pick
out aircraft from the "light clutter". Before the advent
of strobe lights marking airspace
obstructions and larger radio towers, it was a bit easier to see the
Airlines typically will have their
landing/taxi lighting on very early in the approach to landing
process. Many times traveling 20 plus miles
with them on before landing, and the same for
takeoffs. When traveling at anywhere
from 80 to well over 250 mph indicated airspeed in
two aircraft you can have a VERY RAPID rate
of closure as can be seen by adding the speed of both
So, a 500 mph closure speed = how many
seconds of travel time to travel the total distance of, oh
let's say 25 miles to use a night of good
visibility and expecting our two intrepid captains to see
each other at relatively the same time? Then
there is reaction time to consider.
It may take 7 to 12 seconds of reaction time
to actually determine that you are looking at an
approaching aircraft due to the fact that if
it is really coming at you, it will have very little
apparent motion relative to those inside the
cockpits looking out the window at it.
Basically its the same thing now with the
ever more prevalent use of automotive Daytime Running
Lights or DRL's which automatically turn on
the cars headlights when the engine is started.
Using the following website
www.mantma.co.uk/pp_maps_uk.html it is easy to discern the flight
paths of aircraft over the UK and Southport
is on the route for at least four major airlines coming
into land at Manchester Airport flying east
to west and vice versa and is also used as a flyover for
The speed described by the witness and the
constant direction of the light described by the
witness would also lead me to link this
sighting to terrestrial aircraft, indeed the witness describes
the speed of this sighting as similar to the
training planes they have at RAF Woodvale.
The witness describes erratic movements
'jinking from left to right which is explained in the
following excerpt taken fromhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Human_eye and is a natural function
of the human eye as part of the focusing
Smooth pursuit movement
The eyes can also follow a moving object
around. This tracking is less accurate than the vestibulo-
ocular reflex, as it requires the brain to
process incoming visual information and supply feedback.
Following an object moving at constant speed
is relatively easy, though the eyes will often make
saccadic jerks to keep up. The smooth pursuit
movement can move the eye at up to 100°/s in adult


text:
Up the Citarum, Without a Paddle
This shocking image is of the Citarum River in Indonesia. Five million people live in the rivers basin, but it carries the waste and pollution from nine million, and a plethora of factories that are far more concerned with profit than the environment. It's as neglected online as it is in real life.
Although the river used to support many fishermen, the men pictured aren't after fish. It's now more profitable, partly because of the abundance of waste, and partly because of the scarcity of fish, to forage for rubbish, which they can exhume and trade.
These same men that are working on the lake also live from it. The surrounding area isn't well developed, so the river water is used, untreated, to irrigate paddy fields, and for domestic bathing, cooking and drinking.Some people are even worried that this massive pollution will have an effect further down the line, in France. The Citarum is one of two rivers that feed lake Saguling where the French have built large hydro-electric plants. If the river chokes, then so does a portion of France's electricity supply.
Its downfall started in the late 1980s, but is now worse than it has ever been. Indonesia has been going through an industrial boom, and these images give the impression of what many rivers in London must have looked like during the industrial revolution.
In many ways, the problems that affected many countries then are the same as the ones that face countries like Indonesia now. Except now, instead of polluting our own cities, the West buys products from factories in Indonesia, where they pollute their own country for us. :: Daily Mail


text:
New York, New York — How do we do it! Poetry is so amazing, I'm getting ahead of myself already!
Greetings family, I have someone new to tell you all about, and your absolutely going to LOVE his flow. Keep reading and watch the footage at the end of the post. Street Poets Family, I introduce to you…TOO BLACK.
"TOO BLACK is a rising spoken word artist who is known for his raw and heavy content about race, class, and society. However, TOO BLACK is also recognized for his sarcastic and often nonchalant demeanor. His self-described "Militant Sarcasm" allows the crowd to be entertained while still digesting heavy amounts of information and intricate perspectives. You may think you understand his name but as he says, "If you think there is such a thing as being "Too Black" then you probably do not get it." TOO BLACK has opened for nationally renowned poets including former Indiana poet laureate Tasha Jones and Def Jam HBO poet Tommy Bottoms. He is a graduate of Ball State University in Telecommunications."
Follow @TOO_BLACK_ to check Too Black on Twitter!
For booking contact firstname.lastname@example.com
– The Street Blogger
Click HERE for more footage of TOO BLACK!


text:
So, last night, while watching one of my favorite shows {Modern Family}, i opened up my MacBook and designed this Valentine Subway art. I then sent it to costco and picked it up today.
And i LOVE it! How do you think it looks??
Since the Christmas Art and House Rules Prints were so popular, i couldn't let you go without this print.
Valentine Subway Art by clicking HERE.***
If you would like a digital copy of this print please E-MAIL me {firstname.lastname@example.com}.
Please title the e-mail: Valentine Subway Art.
This is a 16x20 -or- 8x10 print.
{You may order it in a different size, however will need to be cropped when ordering.}
** I get my prints at costco or sam's club {via their online photo centers}.
**DON'T FORGET: When having these printed, please make sure your printing company/store DOES NOT color correct these images.


text:
Book your next Business Class Wheels Transport. Your adventure begins here!
We need the following information to make your booking:
Day, Date and Time you want to commence your charter
Pick Up address
Destination address
A name and the exact number of people in your party (up to 8)
A phone number and email (both preferably) to confirm your request.
We will respond by return email as to our availability, with a quoted price, as soon as possible - certainly within 8 hours
Indicative Pricing
Our prices are based on us providing you a dedicated exclusive charter for your group of family or friends.
Also, our prices are FULLY INCLUSIVE which includes all road and bridge tolls, airport access fees, credit card charges, and GST!!
At the time of final confirmation OR at the beginning of your charter you will be presented with a tax invoice for the amount we agreed at booking. "First time" customers will be asked to pre-pay prior to pick-up. Established customers will pay at the end of your charter. Payments can be made by either EFT, credit card or cash.
Indicative Prices are:
- Half Day (up to 5 hours) $450
- Full Day (up to 9 hours) $750
- Extended Touring – By Quotation
- Up to 6 People and baggage – $450
- 7 People and baggage – $490
- 8 People and baggage – $520


text: The Great American Comic Con Las Vegas was the last stop on my 2015 schedule, and I'm making it my last stop on this year's schedule as well. If you're wondering why, I'll just invite you to revisit my September 28th post, or invite you to visit their website, or invite you to check out their Facebook page, or just check out the poster below. See you there.


text:
PARIS - President Nicolas Sarkozy may top the first round of a presidential election this month but still lose a runoff on May 6 as most fringe voters say they will back Socialist challenger Francois Hollande, opinion polls show.
Sarkozy pulled into the lead for the April 22 first ballot in yet another poll on Tuesday, but surveys for the second round have stabilized with Hollande firmly ahead, as supporters of other candidates prefer him to the conservative incumbent.
Hampered by a widespread dislike of his personal style and anger over economic gloom, Sarkozy has clawed back some ground with a high-impact campaign and his handling of a shooting drama in March - but his chances of escaping defeat look slim.
The second-round momentum has shifted against Sarkozy as hard leftist Jean-Luc Melenchon has surged in recent weeks, stealing protest votes from far-right leader Marine Le Pen, who has seen her support ebb.
Sarkozy is banking on strong second-round support from Le Pen supporters, whom he has wooed with a tough line on immigration, but two polls on Tuesday showed only 46-49 percent of Le Pen voters plan to switch to Sarkozy in round two, with others undecided, abstaining or voting Hollande.
While one voter in five is still undecided for the runoff, a study by the left-leaning Fondation Jean Jaures think-tank shows that of those who have decided, only 1.3 percent expects to change their minds, versus 9 percent who might change their minds for round one.
"Our morale is good but we will devote these final weeks to battling hard," Hollande's campaign manager Pierre Moscovici told a briefing for foreign media, saying the party's chief worry was a low turnout.
A survey by pollster Ifop at the weekend found 32 percent of respondents planned to abstain, higher than the 28.4 percent abstention rate in the 2002 election when low turnout helped then National Front leader Jean-Marie Le Pen knock Socialist Prime Minister Lionel Jospin out to reach the runoff.
Sarkozy is set to unveil his manifesto at a news conference on Thursday, 16 days from the first round of voting and more than two months after Hollande presented his 60-point program.
While Hollande has lost steam, making few headlines since proposing a 75 percent "millionaire's tax" at the end of February, Melenchon has stolen the spotlight with combative oratory that appeals to the urban middle-class as much as to disgruntled blue-collar workers.
An Ifop poll published in the daily Le Monde was the latest survey to show Sarkozy pulling into the lead for round one, scoring 29.5 percent to Hollande's 27.5 percent, with Melenchon overtaking Le Pen to stand in third place.
Le Pen has lost ground partly due to her economic program, which includes taking France out of the euro.
The poll found 81 percent of Melenchon voters and 40 percent of centrist Francois Bayrou's backers would switch to Hollande in round two, giving him 55 percent to Sarkozy's 45 percent.
Some 16 percent of Le Pen backers would vote Hollande in the runoff, the poll found, while Sarkozy would only get 3 percent of Melenchon voters, 32 percent of Bayrou supporters and 49 percent of Le Pen voters.
A BVA poll for Le Parisien daily showed similar results summed it up in a cartoon showing an advisor telling Sarkozy, "First the good news: you'll make it to the second round."
One of the least popular French presidents in recent history, Sarkozy opted to delay his manifesto and unveil proposals one-by-one for maximum impact.
He has vowed to hold policy referendums, to cut immigration, to make the long-term unemployed undergo training to get benefits, to quit the European Union's open-border scheme unless frontiers are reinforced and to push for a Buy European Act.
Hollande is running on a tax-and-spend platform that would raise taxes on the rich and on companies to fund investments in education and state-aided jobs.
A separate survey by pollster Harris gave Sarkozy a three-point lead over Hollande in round one, 29 percent to 26 percent, but found Hollande would still win the runoff by 53 percent to Sarkozy's 47 percent. (Reuters)


text:
How to Apply
Clinical Psychology Internship Program
Sports Medicine Fellowship
Vascular Surgery Fellowship
About Pennsylvania's Hospital's Residency Programs:
Click on the program below for more information:
Pennsylvania Hospital and the University of Pennsylvania School
of Medicine have been partners in teaching for over two centuries.
University of Pennsylvania residents enrolled in the programs
listed below rotate through Pennsylvania Hospital as part of
their educational program. For more information, please refer
to the web sites listed below.
To learn more about the cultural, dining and historical features
of Philadelphia, visit www.gophila.com.
About Penn Medicine
Contact Us
Site Map
Privacy Statement
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Penn Medicine, Philadelphia, PA 800-789-PENN ©
2017, The Trustees of the University of Pennsylvania


text:
"Bending Is Our Business"
Curved Products
Curved decks and curved stairs make a design statement in the looks of your deck. Why trust your next curved project to someone who is trying to learn at your expense? You are going to want it right the first time. Call Bugh Inc., the bending professionals.
Each order is CUSTOM. Please allow us at least 3 weeks to complete your order, plus shipment time. Some orders may take longer depending on size and the product you're using. During our busy season we may experience increased lead times on all orders. Please try to plan accordingly.
Curved Deck Stairs & Railings
We are now offering curved laminated exterior wood stair stringers to make "on-the-job" curved stairs. The only supports you need are posts at maximum 8′ on center to support stringers and rails. The pictures below are of a two-pair stringer set that would take less than 8 hours for a two-man crew to be ready for decking and railing. This is a real eye catcher for a person who wants something different. Bugh Inc. furnishes curved laminated stringers, hangers that are installed for risers, and all with detailed drawings and instructions. All other material by others.
Curved Laminated Structural Beams
We are now offering curved laminated structural beams for your curved gazebos, curved pergolas and other custom outdoor projects. The pictures below are a few examples of the beautiful work we do here at Bugh, Inc.
We bend…
Curved ADA Railing
Curved Azek Premier railing
Curved Azek Trademark railing
Curved Azek Trim Boards
Curved Azek Crown Mold
Curved Blackline railing
Curved ChoiceDek railing
Curved Color Guard railing
Curved Everstrong railing
Curved Fairway Vinyl railing
Curved Fiberon Goodlife railing
Curved Fiberon Horizon Mission railing
Curved Homeland Vinyl railing
Curved Kleer Lumber
Curved Kroy railing
Curved Latitudes railing
Curved Medallion railing
Curved Duralife Railing
Curved MoistureShield railing
Curved Rhino railing
Curved Royal Outdoor railing
Curved TimberTech RadianceRail
Curved TimberTech Radiance Express Rail
Curved TimberTech Evolutions Rail
Curved Trex Select railing
Curved Trex Transcend railing
Curved Ultraguard railing
Curved Veka railing
Curved Veranda railing
Curved Westech railing
Curved Decorators CXT Railing
Curved other moldings
Curved Laminated Stair Stringers Instructions
(MOBILE) Calculator To Help You Measure For A Radius Rail
Calculator To Help You Measure For A Radius Rail
Instructions For Making A Template For Curved Rails
Template Example
TimberTech Quote/Order Form
Trex Quote/Order Form
Fiberon Quote/Order Form
Custom Curved Stair Design A Form
Custom Curved Stair Design B Form
Spiral Stair Installation Instructions


text: Reimar D?ffinger wrote: > Sorry, but my desire for pain is fully fulfilled by working with this: > >http://www.ra.informatik.uni-mannheim.de/index.php?page=projects&id=htx >Though at least yours is software-programmable which at least removes >the pain of having to wait almost one hour before you can test on real >hardware... > > lol ! I heard of it some time ago... Have you used it for real ? Chris.


text:
By Lindsay Briscoe
Whether you've never stepped into a cage in your life or you've been working underground for decades, you've likely never seen anything like the Mine Fox.
Gordon Martin, Manager of Tramin Mine Services in Atikokan and former underground mechanic apprentice turned mechanical supervisor, says he thinks there's a niche market for the snazzy, new vehicle in underground mines in Canada.
"At one end of the scale you've got a Kubota and at the other end of the scale you've basically got Toyotas which start at 100 thousand," he says. "We just want a basic personnel-hauler so that guys can throw their tool boxes in the back."
The Mine Fox is a half-tonne capacity, four door crew cab truck with room for four or five people. It has a reinforced frame and body, custom axles designed by a company that specializes in high performance parts for mud boggers and race cars and will likely feature an automatic transmission. Tramin wants the design to be as simplistic and user-friendly as possible.
"You don't need an instrumentation guy with a diagnostic computer to go down and figure out what's wrong with it," he says. "People with basic knowledge should be able to get this thing up and running again quickly…There are circuit breakers all along the dash so that when something blows a fuse you see the fuse pop out and you can trace it back. That way you don't have to cut open a big wiring harness."
But apart from aiming for a strong, practical and cost-effective vehicle (the price will likely fall somewhere between the cost of a Kubota and a larger truck typically used underground, like a Toyota), Martin says it'll look really 'cool' too.
"That was a no-brainer. We wanted it to look like something you'd be proud driving on Main street," he says. "We dressed them up with LED lights and the stuff you'd go to Bumper to Bumper to buy."
His philosophy?
If you make a truck look nice, the driver tends to treat it better.
"When you're driving it around you should feel good about it and take care of it – not ramming it off the walls."
Martin first came across the unaltered Genco Mine Service version of the vehicle at MINExpo in Las Vegas about eight or ten years ago. He liked the concept but thought it needed some work. Over the years he saw the Genco vehicle quality and design improve and at MINExpo a couple years back he said he got to crawling inside one, and from there, the Mine Fox project was born.
Genco purchases the vehicles from China and has been supplying them to coal mining operations in the U.S. Tramin has been working for the last few years altering the vehicle to ensure that it has the proper brake and emissions system, that it meets vehicle regulations for underground mining in Ontario, all the while testing them in an old mine in Atikokan. There are between 400 and 500 of them in the U.S. but currently nothing quite like them on the market in Canada.
Martin says they piqued a lot of interest when he first brought them across the border through International Falls.
"They drew a big crowd," he says. "Hunters especially. They wanted to know where they could buy one."
Martin says that even though the Mine Fox is currently not for sale in Canada, Musselwhite Mine has shown interest in testing it in a pilot project. During that time, Tramin will be able to determine the strengths and weaknesses and get it ready for the commercial underground mining market.


text:
Whatever you need to move... Wherever it is in the world...
Relax, your freight is in good hands
At Assi Transport UK we are committed to providing a 'one stop shop' for all your shipping needs.
We aim to be an integral part of our customers' supply chain by making the movement of goods as simple and stress free as possible.
Please go to our 'Services' page to see the range of services we offer.
If you would like any further information on our Road Freight, Sea Freight, Freight Forwarders and more please contact our friendly and knowledgeable staff who will be happy to help whatever your Freight Forwarding needs.


text:
Branded Merchandise
It's about your brand represented by the best products, fashions, and technology available. And with Grapevine, it's products that are safe and responsibly sourced too.
Want to get the latest, greatest apparel that really shows off your brand's logo? From street-style trends in apparel to sports gear and tech accessories, our team moves into action with the best selection to represent your target market and meet your goals. We produce everything from traditional e-commerce company store platforms for branded merchandise to unique custom logoed items designed specifically for your brand. We're experts at sourcing the world for just the right promotional products to represent your brand. And, if it doesn't exist, we design it and manufacture exactly to your agreed upon specs.
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When it's critical to get your team on the same page, we're experts at developing the perfect medium to do so. We can facilitate materials for everything from a small brand launch to a training workshop for your equipment dealers. The key is to create universal tools that effectively engage, excite, and convey information. Whether these tools are created in English or translated into Spanish or French, with print materials or plug-in downloads, we can recommend the best approach. Equally as important, we help companies optimize their value proposition by creating sales tools to help them slay that proverbial dragon with sales sheets, brochures, training kits, product launch materials, and lead generation tools.


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Bryce E. Rich holds a PhD in Theology from the University of Chicago. His specializations include historical theology of the patristic and medieval periods, queer theory and theology, and modern religious thought.
Bryce's dissertation project, Beyond Male and Female: Gender Essentialism and Orthodoxy, offers an immanent critique of gender essentialism in the stream of the contemporary Orthodox Church influenced by the "Paris School" of Russian émigré theologians and their heirs. It uses an interdisciplinary approach to bring into conversation patristic reflections on gender, personalist theological anthropology, insights from gender and queer theory, and modern biological understandings of human sexual differentiation. Though seemingly unrelated discourses, the project reveals unexpected points of convergence as each line of thought eschews the gender binary in favor of a more open-ended spectrum of possibilities. The study concludes by drawing out some theological implications of the preceding findings as they relate to the ordination of women to the priesthood, same-sex unions and sacramental understandings of marriage, definitions of family, and pastoral care for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and intersex (LGBTI) parishioners.
Bryce's research interests include theological anthropology, twentieth-century theologians of the Russian diaspora, and sacramentology. As a theologian, his desire is to see work in each of these areas enrich the life of the Church. As a scholar in the the Chicago tradition, he writes for multiple publics in hopes of fostering understanding and building bridges across society's many divides. As a teacher, he helps his students to explore a variety of theological viewpoints, challenging them to push the limits of their thinking and to find their own theological voices.
Bryce is living in Portland, Oregon (USA).


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Be Grateful for Rainby Vicki Norris on December 2, 2014 at 10:26 am
For 15 years, I've been in the trenches of disordered homes and offices across America. Every cluttered environment has one thing in common: what we focus on changes us.
The more we live in chaos – intentionally or through neglect – the more we reap that dividend. Those who choose to take back their lives and their environments make an investment in peace and fulfillment.
How we view obstacles determines the quality of our life. Loss, frustrations, and conflicts present themselves to us all, and our mindset will determine our outcomes.
I've taken on the belief that setbacks in life are not only temporary but that they are stepping stones. I practiced that belief, until it took root inside me. I have chosen to claim victory over the hardships and to be thankful for them –because I now know that this little bit of rain is actually watering the soil of my life!
You, too, can be grateful for the "rain" when you take on the understanding that obstacles are just veiled opportunities and that your soil is being enriched by them. A thankful attitude is an investment in a peaceful, fulfilled life. It can help you live like a flower – nimbly and gracefully in all kinds of weather and refreshed by the rain. Read More


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I applied through a recruiter. The process took 2 days. I interviewed at Paychex (Santa Ana, CA) in June 2011.
A lot of topgrading questions and discussion of previous jobs and schooling.
Interview Questions
I applied online. The process took 2 days. I interviewed at Paychex (Nashville, TN) in February 2010.
Recrutier called and prescreened, she as very nice to deal with. She called back about 10 mins later to set up another phone interview with DM. Phone interview with DM was BRUTAL. She was rude and basically trying to weed me out from the get go.
Interview Questions
The process took 1 day. I interviewed at Paychex (Louisville, KY) in March 2011.
Human resources was helpful and fair in the screening process, however failed to follow up with an email in regards to the status of the interview process. Very unclear with the hiring manager as to the outcome of the interview although was indicated in the interview that he/she would follow up with me within a weeks time. I don't expect to hear back from the company based upon the attitude of the interviewing manager. I wouldn't recommend interviewing with this firm unless you have one half of a day to waste, although the company is very large and sustained it seems to be very corporate and mis managed.
Interview Questions
Helpful (3)
The process took 4+ weeks. I interviewed at Paychex.
Started with a normal recruiter, then had a phone interview with district sales manager, then a face to face interview with him, then another phone interview with a 2nd district sales manager, then a ride along with a current outside sales rep, then an interview with the head of state manager. The whole process took about a month.
Interview Questions
No negotiation.
Helpful (3)
Initial I was contacted by a recruiter via email. He asked what day and time we could speak. I emailed back and didn't hear from him. I emailed again 3 weeks later. He followed up a few days later requesting a phone interview. After our phone interview he asked me to take an online assessment to determine if I move forward. I had 48 hours to do it. He responded the next day that I scored well and the hiring manager wanted to meet me the next day. I met with her and was well prepared. I told her how I had gone through 4 rounds of intervies 8 years ago but didn't get the position. She seemed put off by that and the fact that I could not remember the names of a couple of the people that I had met with. She told me that despite what the recruiter told me they did not have any openings. I sent thank you emails later that day and the recruiter called me the following day to tell me they are not interested in me going forward.
I applied through a recruiter. The process took 2 weeks. I interviewed at Paychex in April 2012.
An individual from human resources called me stating that they had found my resume on a job search website via email. I sent the person an email expressing my interest and she promptly called me a very quickly set up a phone interview for later the next week. The actual phone interview was all of 15 minutes and then I was told that I would be getting an application via email. The application took the better part of the afternoon to complete and I was told to have it returned ASAP. After sending the application I received what I am assuming was a canned email string they were "looking very much forward to speaking with me soon". I full week went by and today I got a "canned" rejection letter via email. No follow-up was done at all between then. Interestingly enough, I emailed the human resource rep over the weekend, and then got that email today....
Interview Questions
I applied online. The process took 4+ weeks. I interviewed at Paychex in September 2011.
no outcome yet still going thru process. Not sure what the outcome will be. Haven't received a yes or no to my application
Interview Questions
I applied through a recruiter. The process took 4+ weeks. I interviewed at Paychex in January 2010.
I got the feeling they micro-manage your every move, which is not the kind of environment I do well in. My last interview was with a Manager from another region. He asked me about my work experience (I've been in outsides sales for 15 years) and then decided he should focus his questions on my college years. He asked me why I only had a 3.2 GPA when I graduated from college (this was 23 years ago). This was the point that I knew this was probably the wrong job for me.
Interview Questions
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If you try to be everything to everybody, you will be nothing to nobody.
People can't help you if they don't know what helping is. When you ask for referrrals, for instance, if you don't specify who you are looking for, don't be upset you didn't get leads. If you don't know your ideal client, how can your referral source know?
So who is the ideal client?
I will tell you who it is not. It is not "everybody." It is not "anybody who is open-minded to improving their business." Of course, you may sell to others outside your ideal target. However, the idea here is that when you proactively "referral" prospect - as I call it- versus have leads come to you and ask for your services, you must know who you ideally can help and who you may not.
In addition, if you don't know who you can help, then that person who you want to help will certainly have no idea you can help them.
Figuring out your ideal client can be challenging. To help you, ask yourself the following questions about who could benefit the most from your solutions:
(Note: Unless you are a one-person, brand-new company, your current company has a history of clients. Find out who the top clients at your company are and then apply these questions).
-What are the company's annual revenues?
-What industry is the company in?
-What is its annual revenue?
-Is it publicly or privately traded?
-How many locations does the company have?
-Tangible or intangible service? (Product such as office equipment or services such as customized sales training
-How old is the company?
-Where is it located? City? State? Zip code?
-Where is its headquarters?
-Is the company growing?
-Is the company planning on moving to new offices?
-Did the company just move to a new office?
-If your sale involves a company switching to your product, who did the company typically use prior to the switch?
-Who is the decision-maker? VP of Sales? CEO? CFO? Controller? Owner?
-What is the personality of the decision-maker?
-Is the decision-maker on LinkedIn?
The ideal client has those characteristics you can find through means other than asking people. In other words, if you wanted to find your ideal client, you could create a list merely by scouring the Internet or going to the local library.
So who is TBN Sales Solutions ideal client?
-Telemarketing department that cold calls inside
-$1 million - $100 million in annual revenues
-Base salary of $40,000 + $100,000 with commissions
-Base salary of $50,000 + $85,000 with bonuses
-Monthly, quarterly quotas or annual targets
-Multiple locations with headquarters in a major city
-Company is at least ten years old
-DM is VP of sales or owner
-Technology company
-Printers/web designers/graphics company
-Realtors (100 percent commissions)
Mortgage brokers (100 percent commission)
-Financial planners (100 percent commission)
-Insurance agents (100 percent commission)
-Sales conferences
EXERCISE - Who Is Your Ideal Client?
Examine the last five customers you or your company sold.
Write down the top twenty characteristics of each customer.
Compare your results of all five customers
Take out a sheet of paper and label it "Who is my ideal client?"
Write the ten most common measurable characteristics
Happy selling!


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My story, "Forensics & You," just went live at HOBART today! If you have a few minutes today, please give it a read. I hope you enjoy!
My story, "Forensics & You," just went live at HOBART today! If you have a few minutes today, please give it a read. I hope you enjoy!
As a writing instructor, I often wondered how my students had made it through high school with their limited writing skills. To me, their writing was an indication of the condition of their minds. In this digital age, many are losing the ability to communicate, and not just through writing. In a recent conversation with the principal at my daughter's high school, she said some of her students can't even talk face-to-face anymore. When she asked one to apologize to another, that student asked if she could text the apology instead.
Pulitzer Prize-winning author and Presidential Medal of Freedom recipient, David McCullough said, "Writing is thinking. To write well is to think clearly. That's why it's so hard." His assertion is supported by modern psychology. If you're interested in this, here's an article by Keith Oatley and Maja Djikic from Psychology Today: "Writing is Thinking."
When I came back to writing at the age of 28, I wanted so badly to be published. Now, I've never actually stopped writing. I churned out essays as an English major, but when I say I came back to writing, I mean stories and poetry. I grew up absent from my own childhood, preferring to create alternate worlds instead. I also read. A lot. I preferred the written word to the harsh reality of life in an unstable and abusive home. Probably what saved me was the ability to safely escape through books, and writing provided a way for me to order my thoughts and deal with things in a productive–rather than destructive–way.
Because writing came so naturally to me, I thought I would be published instantly. I was mistaken. I had to learn how to edit. I had to learn the meaning of revision. Re-vision: taking another look. Looking deeper. Reading as if you're someone else. The words we find so pretty and perfect often fall short of our intentions. In my post about balance, I discussed how "most of the editing and revision process happens inside my head, before I even begin to write." It hasn't always been that way. I had to learn that writing is a process.
This week, I proofed my story, "Fear of Sudden Things," for EMBER: A Journal of Luminous Things. [I should mention that I also read through most of the issue after I finished proofing mine. It is a beautiful publication–for younger readers, as well as adults–filled with magical illustrations, stories, and poems by talented artists and writers. It is worth a subscription, for sure. But, in the words of LeVar Burton, "you don't have to take my word for it." Check it out for yourself! You'll be glad you did!]
As I read through my story, witnessing it in the digital form before it goes to the printer, my vision blurred from tears of sheer amazement. I wrote it close to 2 years ago. When I submitted, they accidentally rejected it. Then, a few months later, an editor contacted me and stated that Brian Lewis was asking about my story. They then realized their error. Laughing, I told them in my reply that things like this happen to only me.
I mention this because the story was rejected, then accepted back in March, and I am just now proofing it for publication. The entire process has taken 2 years. On Sunday, I received an acceptance from HOBART for my story, "Forensics and You." I sent an immediate letter of gratitude and received an instant reply to proof the story, which will appear in the web edition on November 24th. I wrote this story last June.
Long story short: the entire process requires patience, faith, and an unbeatable confidence in your own ability. I cycle through loving, hating, doubting, and back again–even after publication. I worry that it's never good enough. But this says more about the state of my mind than my writing. It's determination to keep going that leads me to success. When Yoda said, "Do, or do not. There is no try," it's obvious he wasn't a writer. He was a Jedi Master. Sometimes trying is all we mere mortals can do. The rest is up to the editors, readers, agents, publishers, and whatever other employees handle our writing. I imagine the editors at PLOUGHSHARES sitting plumbers and cleaning ladies down at computers to filter through submissions. It's probably a good practice. I mean, If plumbers and cleaning ladies actually want to read it, who wouldn't?
Thursday was Author Appreciation Day in the Twitter-sphere. In his Writer's Digest newsletter, editor Brian A. Klems said:
As writers, we all know how difficult this industry can be to breakthrough and find success. Some days it can be exhilarating while other days it can be so frustrating. Today's the day we want you to show your support of other writers by finding a book you enjoyed (especially by an author trying to find success) and leave that writer a nice review on Amazon or B&N or Goodreads. When you have a book published, you'll realize how valuable and uplifting those reviews can be (especially when you're having a tough day).
Thursday was the perfect day for this because I had just finished reading Amy Lukavics' Daughters Unto Devils in the wee hours of the morning. So, taking Mr. Klems' advice, I logged on to Goodreads and left my first ever review:
"Daughters Unto Devils left me breathless. I mostly binge-read it, and found myself clutching my chair at certain points along the ride. I'm also a YA writer and often deal with paranormal themes in my writing, so I know the difficulty involved in achieving this level of reader interaction/emotional response. Amy Lukavics successfully balances the paranormal elements with the human factors (i.e. characters' relationships, desires, fears, etc.) in this book. Aside from the sheer terror I experienced numerous times, there were tender moments between Amanda and Hannah, which showed a change of heart for the protagonist–a very difficult thing to capture this well in writing. Though I understand some readers' frustrations from the parents' choices, even this was a realistic depiction of the stubbornness common with pioneer mentality. Overall, it read like a realized folk-ghost-tale, as the author intended. A+"
5 STARS to Amy Lukavics, with her debut YA novel, Daughters Unto Devils.
Have you written a review? If so, please leave a link below. If not, consider writing one for a book you loved, especially for a new author. Who knows–when the time comes, maybe he or she will write a review for you!
Today is November 1st–day one of NaNoWriMo. The goal: write an entire novel in 30 days. This is the first year I will be participating in the madness. If you want to join the fun, you can just do it or go to the National Novel Writing Month website and sign up. At this site, you can track your progress, get support, and meet other writers. Either way, come back here and let me know how it's going. We can encourage each other along the way!
Let the games begin! And may the odds be ever in your favor!
If this is your first attempt at writing a novel, here are a few resources to help you get started:
10 Simple Habits to Help You Write Your First Book (Life Hacks): Simple tasks to put your writing potential in action.
How to Write Your First Book (BuzzFeed): 21 successful writers share their stories about overcoming writer's block, completing, and selling their first books.
How to Start Writing a Book, 1st Chapter (Writer's Digest): A sampling of advice, tips, and guidelines to inspire your "first steps from blank page to finished piece."
Though the words may differ, the advice is always the same: If you are a writer, you must also read–widely and often. Among my stacks of lit magazines, poetry collections, young adult novels, encyclopedias of paranormal/supernatural phenomenon, and geography/history resources are quite a few books on writing. I pulled these 4 to show you:
Writing from the Heart: Tapping the Power of Your Inner Voice by Nancy Slonim Aronie (top left)
Bird by Bird: Some Instructions on Writing and Life by Anne Lamott (top right)
Negotiating with the Dead: A Writer on Writing by Margaret Atwood (bottom left)
Writing Down the Bones: Freeing the Writer Within by Natalie Goldberg (bottom right)
There are others–such as Stephen King's On Writing and most of Janet Burroway's guides on narrative craft–that I return to often. But these are the books I've heavily marked with scribbled notes in the margins and little fluorescent tabs sticking out the sides.
In Ms. Aronie's Writing from the Heart, I like the practical exercises she prescribes.
Write about a lie you told. Do not soften the circumstances. Be tough but gentle. Be tough in writing the truth, but be gentle on yourself. You were just being human. Do you think you're the only person who lied to get what you wanted?
Write about a lie that was told to you. (p. 72)
From Bird by Bird, Ms. Lamott tells us
One of the gifts of being a writer is that it gives you an excuse to do things, to go places and explore. Another is that writing motivates you to look closely at life, at life as it lurches by and tramps around. (p. xii)
There is a door we all want to walk through, and writing can help you find it and open it. Writing can give you what having a baby can give you: it can get you to start paying attention, can help you soften, can wake you up. But publishing won't do any of those things; you'll never get in that way. (p. 13)
In Negotiating with the Dead, Ms. Atwood lets us know that "it is artists who possess the secret identities, the secret powers, and — if posterity goes their way — the last laugh… As for artists who are also writers, they are doubles twice times over, for the mere act of writing splits the self into two." (p. 32)
As you can see from the picture to the right, my copy of Writing Down the Bones is dense with tabs. I read Ms. Goldberg's book while riding the bus to David Zimmerman's novel writing class one summer in grad school at Iowa State University. In addition to the assigned and workshop readings, I chose to dive into this book that was recommended to me by a professor while I was still an undergrad at Simpson College. I believe it was one of those situations where it meant more when I finally got around to reading it, more than if I had read it back then. As if the right time would present itself, like a chance encounter with a person who'd been placed in your life precisely when you needed them the most. Such is a good book.
In Writing Down the Bones, Ms. Goldberg discusses the way we have to distance ourselves from the place (be it a physical or an emotional state) we need to write about. She gives the following metaphor:
Our senses by themselves are dumb. They take in experience, but they need the richness of sifting for a while through our consciousness and through our whole bodies. I call this "composting." Our bodies are garbage heaps: we collect experience, and from the decomposition of the thrown-out eggshells, spinach leaves, coffee grinds, and old steak bones of our minds come nitrogen, heat, and very fertile soil. Out of this fertile soil bloom our poems and stories. But this does not come all at once. It takes time. Continue to turn over and over the organic details of your life until some of them fall through the garbage of discursive thoughts to the solid ground of black soil. (p. 14)
While writing, I return to these works often, and I may mention them again here.
How about you? What are you reading? What gives you inspiration? Whose advice do you find yourself returning to, time and again?
Even the Greats receive countless rejections before they're recognized as "great." Stephen King, Sylvia Plath, Kurt Vonnegut and Gertrude Stein all used their rejections to drive them to keep working, and work harder. They didn't let these stop them, and the world is better for it!
10 Painful Rejection Letters to Famous People Proving You Should NEVER Give Up Your Dreams (Distractify)
Last week's Prairie Schooner e-newsletter featured an interview with Adam Zagajewski titled, "The Border Between Sadness & Joy," where Zagajewski discusses success:
I think success is the enemy of the poet. Poetry arises out of inner life; out of some contemplation, sometimes out of lament, and success creates an artificial reality. It's not you− if you happen to be acclaimed. I haven't reached this degree of success, luckily, but I can imagine there is a degree of success that cuts you away from real life, from real people.
Last time, I mentioned contacting fellow writers. In her response, Lisa Fay Coutley said, "It's exciting, those earlier days of meandering and working your ass off. If that's where you are, in a lot of ways, I think that's the best part. It's like new love. Enjoy it!"
For me, this adventure is like being a new mother. No one can possibly articulate how difficult it will be. On the same hand, no one can possibly describe how rewarding it can be.
As K.M. Weiland describes, "The magic ingredient in fiction is that special something that socks readers right in the gut and leaves them breathless with joy or sorrow (or maybe wabi-sabi, the Japanese term for that impossibly beautiful combination of the two)." (Outlining Your Novel, 66)
This July I will deliver my fifth baby. Because they arrive without specific care instructions each child is a beautiful mystery. Like Adam Zagajewski, I haven't reached the degree of success that removes a writer from reality. I only know the magic of discovery involved with each new creation of poetry or fiction, and the overwhelming feeling of wabi-sabi that inevitably comes each time. And I will take Lisa Fay Coutley's advice and enjoy it while it lasts.
~ Jennifer


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A circular Yeibichai pattern Navajo rug was stolen from a Scottsdale, AZ Gallery on April 25, 2012
The image is a stolen Yeibichai pattern circular Navajo rug by Mary H Yazzie, 24" in diameter.
If you have any info about the stolen piece, please email Mark Hernandez at the Scottsdale Police Dept. with any information. Case number 12-09575. His email address email@example.com, phone 480-312-5832.
You may also contact the gallery by email at email@example.com