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Developing the Value Proposition Statement
One CMO I recently talked with hit the issue on the head: "I know we're different, I just don't know how to say it."
Adding to his woes, the company had something like 35 different products that could be purchased individually or as an integrated solution. The company sold these products into multiple vertical industries – each of which had different situations, language and issues. And there were multiple different kinds of customers who came together to form the buying committee – and each of these people had different roles and therefore different axes to grind. Without spending a fortune, how does this CMO possibly get a handle on his company messaging strategy? How does he resolve the cost of message validation against the value of the message?
Most large B2B companies like the one I work for … but you can name scads of others from 3M, to Cisco and HP to Toshiba Electronics … most are very complex organisms that are hard for customers to understand. So we engage in message development and validation research to boil our complexity down to a simple, understandable, relevant and valued message that can be stated so that it differentiates your business into one unlike any other.
Getting this message right is critical to long-term business success. Said wrong and prospective customers will not include you in the set of companies that they consider relevant to their needs. We tend to make this hard on customers. They have to wade through piles of vendor literature and websites, all making the same claims.
I look at Value Messaging as arriving at a paragraph that provides four essential statements.
Defines the business the company is in
Describes the value delivered to customers
Delivers proof that you actually deliver this value
Provides differentiation … unlike any other
This should not be confused with writing a company tagline, or an advertising campaign strategy. A Messaging Strategy precedes all that creative executional stuff that in the end will serve to make the message memorable. The 4-point message strategy likely will be a matrix of statements that descend from the company message to the divisional message to the product message. Everything should hold together, like a giant jigsaw puzzle.
The error most companies make is developing messages that are corporate-centric. They make the few people at the top feel good. They tend to ignore what it is that customers seek. Such messages tend to be descriptions of the products or services the company sells or an embellishment of product features. Booooring! Irelevaaaaant!. Meaaaaaningless!
Value Messaging requires input from key opinion leaders within the company – especially those that have customer-facing contact. If these people do not feel they had input in the message strategy, they can well stand back and subvert it later. There usually are lots of opinions, many of which conflict with each other. And there is usually very little in the way of facts to back up any of the opinions. And each opinion carries with it a potential for political bias. But the information gathered will play an important role in the final message strategy.
Getting there demands conversation with prospective and current customers. The customer's voice can come only from the customer. It calls for qualitative research, analysis, interpretation and word crafting and visualization. The work involved is time-consuming and costly. It is demanding, often dealing with subtle nuances and fractional points of difference.
The customer will tell you the obvious. I want a bigger return on investment. I want speed to market. I want to increase shareholder value. I want to cut costs. Listening skills are essential … remember Peter Drucker: "The most important thing about communications is hearing what isn't said."
After all the research is completed. After all the customer comments are tabulated and scored and ranked. Then this process requires the skilled marketer to interpret the meaning and to write up what I would call the "message hypothesis." With this in arm, we head back to the internal team and the customer to get validation and buy-in. This re-testing of the hypothesis hopefully proves out the message; if not, it is necessary to determine where the concepts went wrong and edit to get them right.
Or you can do as so many others who have come before us – screw the investment of time and money and pull out your pencil and use your experience to craft the message. So many others have done this. So many failures. So much wasted opportunity.


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Besides gospel artist Bahati who carried out his traditional wedding over the weekend, socialite and Nairobi Diaries cast member Risper Faith's ruracio took place on Sunday 22nd.
An excited Risper took to her social media where she broke the good news.
''22.10.2017 #ruracio.'' She posted.
Now a businesswoman, Risper looked stunning in a blue and African print gown that got her fans on social media drooling over it.
She first hinted of their traditional wedding late last month by posting a photo of her done nails with the caption, 'done ready for my ruracio.'
Together with her fiancé Brian Muiruri, the couple are said to be planning for their white wedding to take place at a later date.

subset: commoncrawl


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Keep me in your Heart
NorCal CarciNET Community has been blessed with members and leaders who have contirubed to the our Community and beyond who are no longer with us.
"Keep Me In Your Heart"
Warren Zevon - 2002
Keep me in your heart for awhile
When you get up in the morning and you see that crazy sun
Keep me in your heart for awhile
Hold me in your thoughts, take me to your dreams
Touch me as I fall into view
When the winter comes keep the fires lit
And I will be right next to you
Engine driver's headed north to Pleasant Stream
Keep me in your heart for awhile
Terry grew up in Southern California with his sister and brother, attended college near home, in South Carolina, and then in Berkeley where we first saw one another in 1968. That fall, we both started at UC and noticed one another across the room in a modern dance class. He may not have been a great modern dancer, but I was struck by Terry's comfort in his body; it was intoxicating. We actually met for the first time two years later when our Drama Department shut down due to campus activities against the war in Southeast Asia, and drama students started Theater for Peace. We wrote and produced anti-war plays, taking them to community venues like churches, schools, and home gatherings to stimulate dialog and action.
Chris Hayes
January 9, 1959 - October 20, 2017
After 2 years of telling his doctor something was wrong inside him Chris finally underwent exploratory surgery where a large tumor was removed from his intestines. It was carcinoid/NET. It had spread to several lymph nodes and his liver. In the recovery room Chris's mom asked the doctor how long would he have to live with this type of cancer. The doctor told him maybe 5 years.
Chris soon figured out that with a rare cancer, as he had, he needed to become very knowledgeable about this disease. Chris learned about a National conference for NET's in San Francisco which he attended shortly after that It included 3 doctors and about 40 patients. Chris started attending every National conference there was. At each conference Chris learned about treatments and medications that his own doctor had never heard of. Chris would tell his doctor what medication, at what amount and how often he should have it. His doctor was happy to concur.
At the time of his passing Chris lived with this disease over 30 years.
NorCal CarciNET Community would like to celebrate the life of Edda Gomez-Panzani who passed on June 30, 2015. Edda was instrumental in gaining FDA approval for Somatuline (lanreotide) for NETs patients in December 2014. Edda loved working with the patient community and spoke at support group meetings around the world since joining Tercica (now owned by Ipsen). Her last support group presentation was to NorCal CarciNET Community in late 2014.
Dear friends, Jeanette Shaffner the founder of NorCal CarciNET and an inspiration to many in the NET community passed away September 8, 2012. Jeanette had battled NETs since 1998. She was the pioneer of the Northern California carcinoid support groups. We will miss her greatly.
Please feel free to leave any messages or thoughts in celebration of her life in the comment section below.


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Valleys of Himalaya
6 sep, 2018
It's now been a week since the release of the new autumn collection, and reactions so far have been overwhelmingly positive. We sat down with founder and Creative Director Linda Sätterström to learn a bit more about how this collection was created.
Linda, what was your starting point for this collection?
When I started planning for it, my basic idea was that I wanted to create something a bit different from what we usually do. You know, kind of throw the rules out the window and just create. I wanted a collection with a lot of patterns where you felt compelled to mix and use them together, layer upon layer, without them necessarily "matching". And I guess I wanted to move away from the world of pastels where we've been living for a while now.
So you started looking for inspiration?
Yes, and it took a while before I discovered the folk art and crafts of Tibet, where this approach seems to have been used since forever. There are patterns on everything! And they use layers upon layers of different colours, patterns and materials. Brass, gold, leather, fur - I just fell completely in love with it and felt I wanted to incorporate this aesthetic in our collection.Are the prints authentically Tibetan then?
No, you couldn't say that. I think it would be difficult to apply them directly to baby accessories. My team and I brought the inspiration with us down to Milan, where we spent a few days in the fashion district trying to figure out how to adapt that Himalayan feel to our western audience. We found a lot of inspiration in ways of applying it, especially in an art exhibit in the Rossana Orlandi gallery.
Around town there where scarves everywhere, and we realized we could make our blanket prints in "scarves-patterns", which was really fun to do. And monkeys, monkeys everywhere. Perfect since there are indeed monkeys in Nepal and Tibet, and since a cheeky little monkey is a great way to introduce the more playful feel we always try to keep in our collections. So Playful Pepe became sort of the figure head for this collection. Also, the fur trend from 2017 was obviously still going strong, so developing Not FUReal as part of the collection was a given. The faux fur Stroller Bag is quite unique, and unique stuff is always fun to create. In fact, I think this collection is the most fun I've ever had developing.
Was it all fun, or where there any difficult challenges?
Not really, the only hard part was not going overboard and creating too much. When your approach is that anything goes, and everything can work well together, then you end up with a lot of ideas and only so many of them can be realized. So, a lot of fully developed prints had to be thrown out.
Finally, any advice on how to make this collection work best for your customers?
Well, as I've said, this collection is all about layer on layer. Try the different prints together in various set ups. And don't be afraid to add colours that "shouldn't work" because, you know, they probably will. Put a lime green scarve on, or a maybe a pair of yellow leg warmers? Make it fun! Being fun is always trendy.


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Arguably the two biggest names in modern golf, Rory McIlroy and Tiger Woods are both in the same field of an event for the first time since August 2015 at this week's Genesis Open.
Woods has played just six times since then and all of his sporadic appearances have coincided with the absence of McIlroy.Embed from Getty Images
Neither of the two have won this event; that's particularly surprising for Woods given he has played here 10 times and it was the scene of his very first PGA Tour start aged 16 in 1992.
Woods was due to end a hiatus from this event dating back to a 2006 withdrawal with flu last year, but ongoing injury troubles meant he had to withdraw again in advance. He will end that absence this week, though.
A tied 20th in 2016 is McIlroy's only start at this event, so he will have to rely on his current form – that includes two top threes in his last three starts – rather than course form.
There are entries from three of the world's top four in Dustin Johnson, Jordan Spieth and Justin Thomas. Johnson has garnered a fair amount of experience himself here. He was a two-time runner-up here before breaking through for a five-stroke victory last year.
That victory got Johnson to world-number-one, which he has now held for a full year. He enters here in tremendous form with a win, tied ninth and tied second in his three starts in 2018.Embed from Getty Images
Spieth has five starts here with two missed cuts, two tops 20s and one top five, whilst Thomas has never been inside the top 30 in his three starts at Riviera Country Club.
Bubba Watson (2014 & 2016) and Phil Mickelson (2008 & 2009) are both serial winners here looking for a trio of titles. Mickelson is in great form too with a tied fifth and tied second in the past two weeks; however Watson has not been inside the top 30 in six starts.
Six more past winners join Johnson, Mickelson and Watson in James Hahn (2015), John Merrick (2013), Bill Haas (2012), Aaron Baddeley (2011), Charles Howell III (2007) and Adam Scott (2005) in this week's field.
Europe are well represented too this week with Race to Dubai winner Tommy Fleetwood travelling across the Atlantic as well as Belgian-star Thomas Pieters. This week is the last chance to break into the world's top 50 in time to qualify for next month's WGC-Mexico Championship, which is a big opportunity for those on the cusp with Scott, Kyle Stanley, Adam Hadwin, Cameron Smith and Peter Uihlein all entering the Genesis.
Riviera Country Club has hosted this event almost exclusively since 1973 and that does not change this year. The substantial 7322-yard par-71 is famed for its sixth and 10th holes. The sixth in renowned for its island bunker right at the heart of the green, whilst many will take on the risk-and-reward par four 10th; it is drivable but littered with dangerous traps so expect eagles and double-bogeys aplenty.Embed from Getty Images
14 of the world's top 25 are in the field this week but, as is seemingly always the case with their presence, eyes will be continually redirected towards McIlroy and Woods playing together again.


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The girls went to a fancy dress party yesterday - Lucy (top) was "an eighties' throwback" and Bethany was a fairy - she also had a pair of red wings and biker boots to complete the look.
I had to go and have a lie-down in a darkened room after that.
The glorious sunshine that we have had here for the past few days doesn't suit everyone:
Poor Mollie just doesn't know what to do with herself - she's been desperately trying to find a shady spot to cool off but without much luck. When I knelt down to take this picture the stones were so hot I almost burnt my knees.
Last but not least, a finished object
This is the Lotus Blossom Tank from Interweave Knits Spring 2006 (or was it Summer?). I used Rowan wool-cotton which is a dream to knit with. I had to alter the neckline afer the first wearing as it had a tendency to gape and flash my boobs - not a pretty sight as I am considerably better endowed than Dolly Dummy. I unpicked about an inch and then decreased about 8 stitches evenly across the next row, then carried on as per the pattern. It's now safe for me to wear in public.
During the knitting of this, my Denise needles cord connector snapped (see previous post) but I am very happy to report that one week after sending the e-mail, a whole new set of cords arrived in the post. That's what I call service!


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The world's first racing mech.
Imagine a stadium with obstacles, challenges and head to head competition, not with cars or trucks, but with giant, human piloted mechs. The ultimate union of pilot and machine, pushing the limits of technology, and human performance. This is the sport of the future. This is the exo-bionic racing league.
- Mass: 3500kg
- Height: 4.2m
- Width: 5m
- Length: 3m
- Top speed: 30km/h
- Run time: 30-120min
- Power plant: 96V x 20kWh lithium ion battery
- Peak output: 170kW (225hp)
- Motion system: 100% human controlled, electro-hydraulics with direct haptic feedback.
- Suspension system: 50cm travel, custom engineered air and coil over shocks
Human Controlled
Prosthesis was built for the pilot. The primary objective of the project was the creation of a responsive, stable and powerful exo-bionic platform that amplifies the motions of of a human pilot. Prosthesis is a sports machine and requires a trained athlete to operate.
Prosthesis was developed in the Lab, but designed and built for the real world. With massive suspension travel and a trained human pilot at the controls, Prosthesis will be capable of tackling any terrain at top speed.
Electric Powered
Prosthesis marks the inception of a new, large scale exo-bionic technology platform. We believe the future belongs to high power, compact mobile electric power systems and we are committed to being leaders in the field.


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- Thu, 21:18: RT @Will_H_: Erik Lehnsherr Nazi hunter was an awesome movie. Why did they throw that other stuff in it?
- Fri, 08:12: Another video chat service. Is it so unusual that I have no interest in vchat, ever?
My tweets - Random rants and thoughts — LiveJournal
For my pleasure, and sometimes yours
01 July 2011 @ 12:00 pm
My tweets


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The GSGS start-up honours grant, which I received from 07/2014 to 12/2014, allowed me to continue my studies on the isotopic effects in evaporating water bodies. These studies focus on the distribution of H217O/ H216O and H218O/ H216O isotopologues in the liquid phase and their potential for hydrological balancing. The general idea is to establish the so-called 17O-excess (a second-order parameter which describes anomalies in the three stable oxygen isotope concentrations with respect to global average precipitation) as a proxy for relative evaporation loss of water bodies.
17O-excess = ln(? 17O+1) - 0.528 · ln(?18O+1)
During the funding period, I focused on two different tasks:
- Evaporation modeling and preparation of a manuscript
This work mainly involved the development of a numerical model for the isotopic evolution of evaporating water bodies in closed basins (by the example of the Sistan Desert, Iran (Figure 1)). The prediction of oxygen isotope distribution includes various parameters as relative humidity, water surface temperature and the isotopic compositions of initial freshwater and atmospheric vapor. The general theoretical background and equations for steady-state evaporation and isotopic exchange with atmospheric vapor are provided e.g. by Criss [1999].
Isotopic trends predicted by our model are in good agreement with measurement data from my master thesis Triple isotope systematics in natural waters from the arid environment. Reported values of average annual relative humidity in the area range from approximately 30 to 35 % and confirm the modeled isotopic evolution of evaporating waters. Depending on data availability and the number of free parameters, our evaporation model allows an estimation of average relative humidity in the region, based on isotope analysis of carefully selected water samples. Furthermore, the 17O-excess appears to be a promising tracer for the quantification of total evaporation loss with respect to the initial water body. A paper manuscript has been prepared and we intend so submit it by April 2015.
- Isotope analysis of water samples from Chile
We provided a large suite of waters from a field trip to the Atacama Desert (Chile) in spring 2014. These samples included natural waters from the Salar de Llamará (a groundwater-fed salt flat) as well as waters from pan evaporation experiments which we conducted in the field.
The isotope analysis consists of two steps: In a first step, the water samples are fluorinated with CoF3, resulting in oxygen release, which is then trapped cryogenically. Subsequently, released O2 is analysed for abundances of 16O, 17O and 18O by isotope ratio gas mass spectrometry (Thermo Scientific MAT 253).
First results indicate that natural evaporation in the Atacama Desert can be compared to observed trends in the Sistan Basin but suggest the influence of additional parameters as continuous groundwater recharge and water salinisation.
In the meantime, our research proposal was accepted by the DFG and I started working on my PhD thesis. The work will focus on isotopic fractionation of oxygen in snow and ice in connection with sublimation and melting. I would like to express many thanks to the GSGS and the steering committee for funding my research and enabling me a seamless transition between my graduation and my PhD studies.
Criss, R., 1999, Principles of stable isotope distribution. Oxford University Press, New York, U.S.A., 1. edition.
Jakub Surma
PhD student – Thesis: Triple oxygen isotope systematics in evaporating snow and ice
Institute of Geology and Mineralogy
Environmental Isotope Geochemistry
Supervisor: Prof. Dr. Michael Staubwasser


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Have Fun at the Ballet this Weekend with PYB's Entertaining Program!
Join Princeton Youth Ballet for a whimsical program featuring two one-act ballets perfect for the whole family.
Carnival of the Animals, a new ballet by choreographer Risa Kaplowitz, captures the feel of a modern-day storybook while offering audiences a whimsical introduction to classical music. Kaplowitz's narrative tells the story of a little boy who, when forced to leave his playmates to practice the piano, uses his vivid imagination to bring the memorable music of Camille Saint-Saëns to life. Watch the rehearsal video!
Graduation Ball is set in a nineteenth-century girls' boarding school, where boys from a nearby military academy have been invited to a dance in celebration of the graduating seniors. Originally choreographed by David Lichine to the lively music of Johann Strauss II, the ballet is filled with brilliant dancing, laugh-out-loud comedy, and delightful entertainment. Watch the rehearsal video!


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Here's a photo of me this morning, readying the family for Easter. Shopping for the Sunday meal, getting eggs and dye in for the little ones, ironing the linens for the table, like any good housewife would do. Housewife??? What's a housewife?
I don't believe the term exists anymore, probably removed from the dictionary, yet I see it as a perfect descriptor of me, and proudly so. I think I even use that word (shhh, housewife) on forms when asked my profession. I alternate it with Homemaker, but yikes, that to today's women is probably far worse a word than Housewife.
Today, just watch television to see the evolution (or devolution in my way of thinking) of women's role at home. Long story short, she's NOT at home, she's NOT doing laundry, she's NOT taking care of the kids, she's NOT cooking. Media has told women to Lean In, to be a doctor, lawyer, computer coder, President, CEO, astronaut. Mom? Not so much.
Just witness the change in how women describe themselves being a mom. It used to be Mom, just regular Mom, now today it's the god-awful PC crap, Stay At Home Mom, as if being a mom isn't good enough for feminists who want women to have it all. Hint – you can't have it all.
Then enter what the media has done to men. They've become The Housewives, and seemingly proudly so.
They teach their daughters how to shave legs. Really girls, you need to be taught this, and by your dad? My MOM never taught me. I took the razor and shaved. Wow, that was tough.
Men on TV do the laundry too – they are miracle workers!
Men are the primary caregivers in many ads, they say goodbye as the wife/mom leaves in the business attire.
Watch carefully in this Cheerios How To Dad ad – if you blink you'll miss the mom – she gets a cameo appearance, being handed a cup of coffee as she heads out the door to the office while DAD does all the rest.
Okay, call me old. Call me old-fashioned. Call me crazy even, but I think women are being sold a bill of goods by FemiNazis.
Sure, what women doesn't like a man who can cook and it IS dreamy when they say, dear, sit down, let ME do the dishes tonight, but folding the laundry, teaching daughters to shave their legs, being it ALL, I don't find that remotely appealing in a man.
I think sons should be taught how to do the laundry, how to sew on a button, how to cook, and how to wash dishes. Daughters should be taught how can change a tire, how to handle a gun, and a must, how to drive a stick shift. I think both sexes should learn a lot, but that doesn't mean I think the division of chores in a marriage or relationship should be such that women become men and men become women. Sure, have a career. Sure, have kids and a marriage too. Balance it, juggle it, it can be done, many women do it and do it well, but to lose your identity over being politically correct, I don't get it.
What do you guys say about the ads with men doing it all? Do you think it's about time? Do you say sure, we should do it all? Is it emasculating at all? Or about time men stepped up?
Now while you chat, pardon me while I go finish the laundry, set the table, make the bed, marinate the lamb, polish the silver, scrub the kitchen floor…. 🙂
Happy Good Friday and Easter weekend peeps. And of course, Happy Passover too!


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Triple cyclo cross world champion Wout van Aert Sunday celebrated a clear win at the biggest cycle race in Denmark – PostNord Tour of Denmark – 32 seconds ahead of his closest rival, Danish Rasmus Quaade.
The victory was founded on Thursday's vital stage from Viborg to Vejle, where the 23-year-old Belgian sovereignly made the rest of the peloton look like spectators on the final crucial climb up Kiddesvej, which in some places has a percentage of 21.
Also at the time trial at Nykøbing Falster on Saturday, Van Aert delivered a huge performance finishing in second place only eight seconds slower than Mads Pedersen and better than the triple Danish champion Martin Toft Madsen.
"It has been a pleasure to ride the PostNord Tour of Denmark and I look forward to coming back in February next year, where in Bogense I will try to become cross world champion for the fourth time in a row," said Wout van Aert to Denmark's Radio after the success. "It will not be an easy race – actually the toughest of the cross season. And I'll start my cross-preparations after Sunday, August 12th , where I will be present at the European road championships in Glasgow. "


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Robbie Cook is a Brooklyn based dance artist working as an Assistant Professor of Dance at Hofstra University in Hempstead, NY. During the summers, he works at both American Dance Festival and Bates Dance Festival. He teaches yoga and has created repertory at ADF, and he teaches yoga and Pilates at BDF. Internationally, he has taught and performed at the i-Dance 2014 Festival in Hong Kong, The Chadwick International School in Incheon, South Korea and has gone twice to Universidad de Las Américas in Puebla, México to teach and set choreography on the students. While living in Los Angeles, Robbie led a contact improvisation workshop for the BODYTRAFFIC Company and played percussion with String Theory Productions at the 2014 Emmy's Governor's Ball. As a dancer, he has performed with Michel Kouakou, Rosie Herrera, Ishmael Houston-Jones, Douglas Dunn, Liz Lerman, Edwaard Liang, Margaret Jenkins, Liz Gerring, Keith Thompson, Stacy Spence, Laurel Jenkins, Third Rail Projects, Jan Erkert, Cheng-Chieh Yu, Dallas Opera's Production of Boris Godunov, Deborah Hay (SPCP '01 & '07) and performed Yvonne Rainer's Trio A as a duet with Hope Mohr. Robbie's choreography has been performed nationally and internationally in Chicago, New York City, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Alaska, Tokyo, Japan and on students at Pepperdine, UDLAP and Idyllwild. He earned a BFA in Visual Art from the School of the Art Institute in Chicago and an MFA in Dance from Bennington College and has been on dance faculty at Shenandoah Conservatory, Loyola Marymount University, Idyllwild Arts Academy, CSSSA @ Cal Arts and TCU. Robbie's classes draw from his past study of Functional Anatomy with Irene Dowd and his continual investigation of the eight limbs of Yoga. He is currently pursuing a collaborative film project with Amsterdam-based dance film artist Nicola Balhuizen-Hepp.
Contact Robbie Cook at firstname.lastname@example.com


text: Longitudinal Change in Migraine Headache-Days and Indirect Cost ConsequencesStewart, Walter F. PhD; Wood, G. Craig MS; Bruce, Christa MPH; Buse, Dawn C. PhD; Runken, M. Chris Pharm D; Lipton, Richard B. MDJournal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine: May 2011 - Volume 53 - Issue 5 - p 478–487 doi: 10.1097/JOM.0b013e31821488ed ORIGINAL ARTICLES: CME Available for this Article at ACOEM.org Buy CME Abstract Author InformationAuthors Article MetricsMetrics Objectives: To determine whether change in headache-days over 1-year is associated with change in lost productive time (LPT) among a population sample of migraineurs. Methods: Data are from migraine sufferers who participated in at least two consecutive annual American Migraine Prevalence and Prevention surveys between 2005 and 2008. LPT was estimated using two questions from the validated Migraine Disability Assessment survey about missed workdays and number of days at work. Results: The reduction in LPT (ie, missed workdays + reduced productive time) from 1 year to the next had a nonlinear relationship with reduction in headache-days. The relationship was directly linear, however, when change in employment status was considered in the regression model. Conclusion: A reduction in headache days over time translates into a linear reduction in LPT, including an increased likelihood of employment. From the Geisinger Clinic (Dr Stewart, Mr Wood, and Ms Bruce), Center for Health Research, Danville, PA; Department of Neurology (Drs Buse and Lipton), Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY; The Montefiore Headache Center (Drs Buse and Lipton) Montefiore Medical Center, Bronx, NY; and GlaxoSmithKline (Mr Runken), Research Triangle Park, NC. Address correspondence to: Walter Stewart, PhD, Geisinger Clinic, Center for Health Research, MC 44-00,100 N. Academy Ave, Danville, PA 17822 (email@example.com.) Funding for this work was provided by a grant to the National Headache Foundation from Ortho-McNeil Neurologics, Inc., with additional funding provided by GlaxoSmithKline. Authors Walter Stewart, G. Craig Wood, Christa Bruce, Dawn C. Buse, M. Chris Runken, and Richard B. Lipton have no financial interested related to this research. Dawn Buse has served as a consultant to Merck and Allergan and has received honoraria from IROKO and MAP. The JOEM Editorial Board and planners have no financial interest related to this research. ©2011The American College of Occupational and Environmental Medicine


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Ross and Carrie try to lose a few surplus pounds with the help of a multi-level marketing company called Purium. Armed with shakes made of sea garbage, they go on a ten-day diet to purify their bodies of (you guessed it) toxins. But first, they must both become vendors of the same product they're buying. It's almost like... a triangle... but a company. What do you call that? Anyway, find out who pukes up their spirulina in our adventure with Purium.
Please help support this and all our investigations at maximumfun.org/donate!
Plus, you can add our RSS feed here !


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Comfortable and convenient. Delicate and durable. Smart and simple. Today's office attire shares the same answer to the request of its employees: balance. Like Shakespeare's oxymoronic "feather of lead," athleisure is a balance between two opposites: office attire and workout/leisure wear. Seemingly gone are the days of 9 to 5 business hours our grandfathers (or fathers) maintained. Today's businessmen face a more diverse work culture with flexible hours that bleed into their social and family lives. Although many fashion experts and social historians debate whether athleisure is a trend or staple, this style shift isn't going anywhere.
The attractive qualities of athleisure wear mimic current social trends. We covet the qualities of technology that spoil and enhance our daily lives and work: efficiency, speed, and user experience. Why can't our fashion follow suit? Instead of bulky shirts that flap in the wind or scratchy pants that ride too high or sag without a belt, business professionals are opting for functional wear that looks and feels great. From the office to stage, athleisure wear is making strides in all professional arenas. For example, in 2015, American clothing company Coregami released the first technical wear for musicians: the Gershwin. The most versatile, moisture-wicking tuxedo shirt ever designed is currently being worn by some of the world's most celebrated musicians and touts excellent ratings.
The innovative design elements of athleisure wear are an easy replacement to your stuffy suit. However, if you find the gym-to-office transition tricky, here are some fashion aides to ease your wallet and your mind:
- Mesh polo half zips are a classic, easy find at any retail store. The sweat-wicking and ventilation of mesh will ease your transition from gym to work or work to gym, but it might be best to bring a clean shirt, just in case.
- Search for "flex material," which is a popular, relaxed blend for dress pants and casual suits. It is good for the gun show and office presentation.
The versatility of athleisure wear is its most attractive quality. With seamless transitions from the office to any social environment, you can take your style anywhere. Being active doesn't always mean wearing cut-offs and basketball shorts. Rather, athleisure fits our professional, fast-paced culture without breaking the bank a sweat or the bank.


text: About the show Quit Comedy and Do Love is a love-themed variety show hosted by 3 ex-comedians, and featuring stand-up love, improvised love, and sketch comedy love. IG: @wangstabanksta Contact Us For additional information about this event please contact us at 212-563-7488 or send us an email at email@example.com. Share this Event Email to a Friend


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Yes, you can record or upload and store multiple custom Ring Central voicemail greetings…
I recently ran across occasion to need different voicemail greetings based on the number someone called to reach my extension. In a previous version of RC, features had ability to name and store multiple custom voicemail greetings. In the current version of RC, as of 2/1/2018, at first it appears this feature has been removed and no longer possible.
I first discovered this post on RC support forums:
Actually, there is a way to get this to work. I found a work around. I'm not sure if RC intended for it to work like this, or not, because I have not found any documentation describing this function – including in above RingCentral community thread.
Here is how to have duplicate custom greetings:
Create a Custom Rule…
1) Record your CUSTOM GREETING or voicemail announcement on main extension;
2) Go to Settings then Call Handling & Forwarding then Advanced;
3) +ADD RULE – Name it what you want your CUSTOM GREETING to be called;
4) Customize your call settings in the Advanced Rule – select the CUSTOM GREETING previously recorded;
5) Save then Go back to main extension and re-record (or re-upload) a new CUSTOM GREETING.
The two will remain separate custom greetings, separate recordings. You can select the custom greeting based on rule. A simple rule to create is based on number dialed. Here is the RC help file, Article Number : 3609, you might need to be logged in as user to access:
We love RingCentral, but some features have changed over the years. What previously worked for us no problem has been changed and now requires workarounds like this. But we've rarely run across something the system can't do – it's just a matter of figuring out how, and getting to the right person or article with proper instructions.
BTW- This is not an authorized RC article, just a long time user. Over a decade.


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Chasing The Stoke in Ballyneal/
One of those moments of stoke came during an impromptu trip to the Northeastern corner of Colorado in the middle of July 2018.
But first, let me backup for a moment. "Stoke" is an enduring surfer slang expression that originated with California surfers in the 1950s meant to capture the feeling of euphoria when catching a wave big or small. It's that euphoric moment of connectivity between your surroundings, mind, and body. If you have felt it, you know. If you haven't, it's hard to describe this feeling in your gut and mind that' is unmistakable. It's a weightlessness in time where everything seems to stand still and you daydream about recapturing.
Golf and chasing stoke isn't a common pastime for most of us. Hell, most anyone in the world would never really associate the two. I'm not here to say one way of playing the game is superior over another but I do hope this record of events inspires a shift in mindset. After my trip to Ballyneal, I know I'll never be shifting back.
So, take a moment to forget about scores, GIR, fairways hit and all of that. Strip away the noise and layers. I've left behind the common frustrations of golf and started searching for the stoke by implementing a new approach to golf but a familiar one to my life. I seek out courses that foster an environment that' is conducive to creative, fun, and inspiring golf. I surround myself with people whose chief golf goals are about fun and comradery more than sulking over a poorly struck shot.
Ballyneal seemed to fit this mold of fun above score on paper but so have a dozen other courses that turned out to be nothing more than long slogs around bland target golf courses. Nonetheless, I jumped on a plane, traveled for 12 hours between airports, and then drove another three hours east of Denver. There we found what the locals, however few they may be, call the Chop Hills. Dunes rippling up from the plains of Eastern Colorado in all directions. As we barreled down the dirt roads, the club's humble wood sign was a small welcome that's easy to miss. Had we not been semi-dangerously, tailgating our host's SUV wed would easily gotten lost twenty turns ago.
Pausing like tourists, we stopped outside the gate where my anticipation steadily built looking up at the enormous dune. Its broad ridgeline shielding what waited on the other side made it felt like we were "in the know" of some remarkable experience about to take place while every dusty truck that passed the gates could never understand. Just the right feeling to start this trip.
Hitting the crest of the dune is like being transported through a wormhole across the Atlantic into Western Ireland or original Scottish linksland. The awesome dunescape bubbles up out of the earth before crashing into itself creating random snaking waves and contours. Shades of brown and tan are juxtaposed with flashes of verdant greens that weave across, up, and down the dunes. As a stiff, swirling breeze blows from the south the pin flags are starched against the horizon. Dotted across that same horizon are wild, chaotic but artful bunkers and sandy waste areas.
Inside of 15 minutes on the property I had already embarked on the Mulligan course. A par three course that while consisting of 12 greens quickly melded into a golfing playground. So, we set off along the 1st fairway before diving into the unknown. Greens so devilish yet entertaining they begged to be played repeatedly. I could have camped out on some holes, like the 8th green, and never gotten bored. The Mulligan course requires you to think and play outside of your comfort zone. The contours surrounding the greens rejected many of my golf shots when not played just right. Mere inches separated heroic shots from your ball dying an abrupt death
As I followed the bare feet traversing the sandy walkways in front of me, I recall getting lost in the experience. The Dead thumping from a speaker cinched to a friend's golf bag was the soundtrack to our day. Standing on a tee perched above a 150-yard shot with seven friends, new and old, I let the sense of this place, these people and the experience wash over me. Transfusions flowed, people teed off in unisone without a worry, wind whipped voiding the otherwise unbearable heat and relentless sun pounding down on us. This is golf stoke. These are indeed my kind of people.
After our dinner, conversation, and a little hang we decided a putting contest was in order. Equipped with some AutoCorrect™ putters, a few glow balls, and questionable decision making we traversed the outer limits of the putting complex. Each time we moved away from the green towards a set of stairs, getting more audacious each with each step, we asked our hosts "Is this cool?".
Their response never changed. "Are you sure?"
"Yep" came the reply multiple times. "You can do whatever you want. Just don't be a dick."
This single, simple rule is all anyone needs to live by. Do your thing, be cool to other people and all is good. This motto only exacerbated my infatuation with Ballyneal as I lept into bed.
4:35 am comes quickly when your putting shenanigans last until that time of day that's definitely past late-night but before what's considered early morning. But as any halfway decent photographer will tell you the chance to get the right light outweighs the need for sleep. Packing up my cameras and tripod I marched out into the near darkness. Armed with a headlamp to spot any snakes my only real line of defense was a the tripod. Sleep deprived, sore, and potentially warding off snakes with a tripod in the dark wasn't, in retrospect, one of my best ideas.
Like many of my decisions, this started off poorly before taking a turn for the better. Just as I was about to return to my cottage I reached the 4th tee box. Standing on the highest point of the course the sun started its slow, steady rise over the horizon while thick clouds rushed passed like cars speeding on the freeway. Off in the distance I could see lights starting to flicker. Some humanity finally caught up to me on this morning.
Sometimes not taking a photo is the best part of the journey.
I sat up there for a few minutes thinking about life and counting my blessings before I started back. But at this point light started to flash and for the second straight attempt the light wasn't cooperating with me. So, with sandy shoes and tired eyes I headed back to my room and passed out for an hour before breakfast. Our second day featured the 18-hole championship course which is the centerpiece of this middle of nowhere property. Its tee-less yardage can be as little as 5,100 yards or stretch to its brawny maximum at 7,200 yards With no tee markers it was up to the first group of friends to leave the equivalent of breadcrumbs in the form of twigs, dead bushes or anything else for the trailing group to follow and play the 'same' hole. Sometimes we went back as far as possible while at other times we'd hit our tee shots just feet from the green. Check another box on the "List of shit I absolutely love about golf". Fixed teeing areas are boring and kill the creative capacity of golfers.
Our round started on the now familiar 1st hole and shockingly I fired off a few decent shots on the uphill par 4. The wide fairways gave way to almost infinite angles and lines of play that seem to either confound the golfer or unleash their inner shot maker. On the 2nd hole, from and elevated tee, we barreled into our round chasing shots up, down, and over hillocks that laid in front of us. Hitting golf shot after golf shot to our own soundtrack we bounced across the sunbaked fairways just like our golf balls. With that steady breeze at our backs mediocre shots at times were followed by heroic ones. Tired and, a little dejected at some of my poor swings, I now faced that same perched view on the 4th tee.
Dropping down the fescue chute into the fairway I'm all smiles. It's funny how a good landscape brightens my spirits.
Just as we strolled over the rolling fairway Erik Anders Lang turned to me and said "Don't you feel loved sometimes?". A simple question I know he was half joking about and probably half sincere about as well. His way of acknowledging the moment and how cool it was to be there. However, that passing question struck a chord. I started to answer that very question in my head. I realized the fact that all these people trekked out to the middle of nowhere to play a game and hang out was incredible enough. Then I started to think about the friendships and bonds I have made through golf. My journey and the role its played. As we played our way up to an elevated green, that question still lingered in my mind. Funny how it goes. Something so simple can last so long in the mind.
My new daughter, June, at home with my wife and older son Austin. How lucky, how loved, I was to be standing on this patch of grass playing a game, documenting the experience, and seeing unfamiliar places with friends. I'd jump on a late flight in a few days with zero sleep and a marathon or two under my feet. And at home waiting was a loving family and ahead of me was only thousands more miles and more of these adventures. Erik's simple question left a mark on me. It poured gas on the fire. That fifteen-minute walk from tee to green was meditative and a truly profound moment for me. Which is weird.
It's strange how big an impact this game can have but then again that's why we play it. Or at least why I do. In that small stretch of golf, I couldn't tell you a single shot I hit or even what the hole was like. I was transported. Everything washed away and I was left with just emotions and thoughts that will last a lifetime or more. The gratitude for everyone in my life and the ability to live it as I have. That is the feeling I chase.
We as golfers have a few moments of adrenaline like surfers, but if we remember to stop for a moment we can find something spiritual. I had my spiritual moment. And again, as I watched twelve people walking down the 15th fairway playing golf as one big family. But standing on that greenish-brown fescue, for a sliver of time, golf was more than a game we play. Threads in my life converged on that question
"Don't you feel loved sometimes?"
Chunked approach shots from the middle of the fairway, putts so bad they induce laughter, cheers for the remarkable recoveries. These moments are what we should seek out on the course. Maybe not always but sometimes our score is irrelevant. As the saying goes, no one cares what you shot.
When I'm older I already know the type of golf stories I'll bore my kids with. Maybe they'll include my lowest round but more likely they'll be vignettes about life that transpired largely on a golf course.
Here's to chasing the stoke.


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WE WILL ROCK YOU National Tour Heads to Palace Theatre, Now thru 1/12
The worldwide smash hit 'rock theatrical,' Queen and Ben Elton's We Will Rock You, built around 24 of Queen's biggest hits, opens at the Palace Theatre today, January 7-12. We Will Rock You is produced by Queen Theatrical Productions, Tribeca Theatrical Productions, Phil Mcintyre Entertainment, and NETworks Presentations.
Tickets begin at $28 and are available at the CAPA Ticket Center (39 E. State St.), all Ticketmaster outlets, and www.ticketmaster.com. To purchase by phone, please call (614) 469-0939 or (800) 745-3000. Orders for groups of 20 or more may be placed by calling (614) 719-6900. Performance schedule, prices, and cast are subject to change without notice.
The performance schedule is as follows:
Tuesday, January 7, 8 pm
Wednesday, January 8, 8 pm
Thursday, January 9, 8 pm
Friday, January 10, 8 pm
Saturday, January 11, 2 pm & 8 pm
Sunday, January 12, 1 pm & 6:30 pm
This hilarious, multi-award-winning and record-breaking phenomenon is created by celebrated British comedian and writer Ben Elton (TV's "MR. Bean" and "The Young Ones"), and boasts a fantastic score of Queen's biggest songs including "Another One Bites The Dust," "Crazy Little Thing Called Love," "We Are The Champions," "Bohemian Rhapsody," and of course, "We Will Rock You."
Queen's Brian May and Roger Taylor are musical supervisors to the show, taking an active role in casting the singer/actors and musicians for every production worldwide.
The show is in its 12th year at The Dominion in London's West End, one of London Theatreland's biggest theatres, making it the venue's longest-running production ever. We Will Rock You is now officially the 9th longest running show in the West End and was crowned the UK's favorite show at the 2011 Olivier Awards (the UK equivalent of the Tony Awards) in a category voted entirely by members of the public.
Outside of the UK, the show has now been seen in local productions in 17 countries, playing to an audience of more than 15 million people.
We Will Rock You takes place in a future age on a planet once called Earth that is now controlled by a mighty corporation. Globalization is complete. Individuality is taboo. Everyone watches the same movies, wears the same clothes, and thinks the same thoughts. Music is generated by the corporation's computers, rock music is unheard, and all musical instruments are banned. The hope of breaking free rests with an unlikely resistance, an alliance of rebel Bohemians, waiting for a hero to lead the battle to bring the power of rock back to the people.
"This show is all about legend," says Ben Elton. "We take the legend of Queen and create our own fantastical story of young kids battling the mighty corporation who wants to suppress their individuality and their love of music. They need a hero who can help them in their struggle, and we have two - the dreamer Galileo, and the sassy rock chick Scaramouche. Guess who ends up winning?"
"Creating the show with Ben was very much a three-way thing," says Roger Taylor. "It was great because he was a pleasure to work with and because he has such a fertile mind. He never stops churning out ideas."
Elton updates his book regularly, keeping the satirical edge of his script totally relevant to the time and location of the production.
Brian May adds, "The amazing bonus is that Ben's script subtly works as a metaphor too. People definitely come out of the theatre feeling that in a strange way they now know us, Queen, and our struggle, our journey."
The original production of We Will Rock You is a Phil Mcintyre Entertainment, Tribeca Theatrical Productions, and Queen Theatrical Productions presentation. Book and direction by Ben Elton. Music and Music Supervision by Queen/Roger Taylor and Brian May. Musical staging and choreography by Arlene Phillips. Design and lights by Mark Fisher and Willie Williams. Sound by Bobby Aitken. Costumes by Tim Goodchild.
Queen Theatrical Productions is a production entity created especially by the band's parent company Queen Productions Ltd to handle the development and production of We Will Rock You.
Headquartered in New York, Tribeca Theatrical Productions was founded in 2001 by Robert De Niro and Jane Rosenthal, the acclaimed producers of the Meet the Parents franchise, Analyze This, and Wag the Dog. Through Tribeca Theatrical Productions, De Niro and Rosenthal co-produced, along with Queen Theatrical Productions and Phil Mcintyre Entertainment, the theatrical musical We Will Rock You, based on the music of Queen.
Since 1995, NETworks has produced and managed more than 55 touring productions in the US, UK, and internationally. Current Productions include Disney's Beauty and the Beast, Blue Man Group national tour, Elf the Musical, Flashdance the Musical, The National Theatre of Great Britain's production of War Horse, Memphis the Musical, and Cameron Mackintosh's spectacular new production of Andrew Lloyd Webber's The Phantom of the Opera.
For more information about We Will Rock You, please visit wewillrockyou.com and schoolswillrockyou.com.


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June 8th and 9th, 12-5pm
About Two Quills
Two Quills is a boutique jewelry brand based out of Taos, NM. Owner/Maker Carla Wollum seeks to explore the conversation between the primitive and the modern American West and marry traditional Southwestern aesthetics with modern designs. By working with unique materials and producing limited runs of her designs Two Quills is ever evolving while paying homage to the inspiring cultures along the way.


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764166019732 is the UPC barcode, also called the "Universal Product Code", for this crib. It's dimensions are 18" Height x 18" Length x 6" Width. The real key of obtaining good information about toy cribs should be to read through a lot of evaluations. Get an idea of the overall impression of many people and you'll see if most people love or hate the item. You may read about the experiences people's boy or girl experienced using the product. To take advantage of the great deal I found, visit our partners via the link.
crib tuck doll night wooden painted
Model: 1973
Product Info
Tuck your baby doll in for the night in this wooden Crib painted in soothing pastels. Caution: Not for use with real babies. For 19 inch Middleton NOW, Playbabies, Cuddle Babies, and Newborn Nursery Dolls. Assembly required. Canopy and coordinating Bedding Set are both sold separately.
- Pack: 1
- Dimensions: Height: 18" Length: 18" Depth: 6"
- Package: Height: 4.8" Length: 25.1" Width: 16.8"
- Package Weight: 12.8 lbs.


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There were lots of important reports on the U.S. economy released this morning. First, data from the U.S. Census Bureau showed that advance estimates of retail and food services sales for February totaled $474.0 billion. That was a 0.1 percent increase from January's upward-revised print and in line with economists' expectations, although still the smallest monthly gain since August. One reason for the muted sales figure was cheaper energy prices, including a 0.6 percent drop in gasoline station receipts. Even core retail sales, though, rose by just 0.2 percent last month, with notable declines in sales at electronics and appliances stores and apparel outlets. However, this could be only a temporary slowdown in consumer spending related to the delay in individual tax refunds we mentioned last week. As a result, subsequent reports on retail sales will be more revealing about just how healthy the U.S. consumer is.
Next, a report from the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) showed that household inflationary pressures firmed last month, with the consumer price index (CPI) for all urban consumers rising by 0.1 percent. That was in line with expectations but a large slowdown from the 0.6 percent spike seen in January. Last month's headline gain was muted thanks to energy costs, which fell for the first time since July and included a 3 percent drop in gasoline prices. Regardless, February's increase was still enough to lift the annual pace of growth to 2.7 percent, the highest reading since 2012. Core CPI, which excludes the volatile food and energy components, rose 0.2 percent last month and 2.2 percent over the past year, helped recently by shelter costs (rent) and apparel prices. Altogether, today's inflation data by itself should not be enough to prevent officials at the Federal Reserve from announcing an increase to the federal funds rate later this afternoon when the March Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) meeting concludes.
Elsewhere, data from the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) showed that surveyed builders this month were significantly more confident in the market for newly built, single-family homes. Specifically, the NAHB's housing market index registered 71.0 in March, much better than expected and the highest reading since the housing bubble. Under the hood, the gauges of current sales conditions, prospective buyer traffic, and sales outlooks six months from now all improved considerably in March, and NAHB chairman Granger MacDonald added that "Builders are buoyed by President Trump's actions on regulatory reform, particularly his recent executive order to rescind or revise the waters of the U.S. rule that impacts permitting." However, NAHB chief economist Robert Dietz cautioned that "While builders are clearly confident, we expect some moderation in the index moving forward. Builders continue to face a number of challenges, including rising material prices, higher mortgage rates, and shortages of lots and labor."
Finally, a report from the Federal Reserve Bank of New York showed that manufacturing activity in the Northeast region of the country cooled slightly this month, with the general business conditions index sliding from February's +18.7 print to +16.4. That was the first monthly decline since January but a smaller pullback than expected following the two-and-a-half-year high hit in February. Under the hood, measures of shipments and inventories declined this month but new orders, employment, and hours worked all improved, including an uptick in capital expenditure plans.
Sources: Econoday, Twitter, Bloomberg, ZH, U.S. Census Bureau, U.S. DoL, NAHB, FRBNY, FRBSLPost author: Charles Couch


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Passing the Buck: The Art of Disguising Misadministration
The Amarnath cave, at an altitude of 12,756 ft in the mountains of Jammu and Kashmir houses the holy Shiva Linga, the pilgrimage to which hundreds of thousands of devotees make each year. Legend has it that here is where Lord Shiva explained the workings of the universe and the secrets of immortality to Parvati. Although Amish Tripathi's imaginative rendering of Lord Shiva's journeys gives little attention or storyline focus to that place or pilgrimage, a single line of unadul


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We wanted to thank all the attendees and presenters for making this week's conference so great. Mike Lees keynote in particular stood out. Not just because he did it dressed as a mariachi and with a band! (Yes this is 100% true, link here) But its also because of his content and ability to connect with developers. While its clearly an unorthodox approach, it takes a real genius to both entertain and educate on a technical topic. These types of presentations are at best dry, dull, and unexciting. His was NOT. Great job.
The InMobi expo table was swamped with people. We met a number of new and interesting developers, reconnected with old friends and even found a few new clients. Thanks. If you missed it during the conference, our special offer for developers is still available. Use this promo code Developers75 for $75 in free network spend. See you all at WWDC.


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Facebook update
Facebook will penalize posts linking to web pages that deliver a poor experience by not surfacing them in the newsfeed.
Facebook started rolling out an update last week designed to prevent people from seeing posts that take them to low-quality website experiences. They've announced they will be penalizing the organic rankings of these posts so they appear far less in the newsfeed, and they will be stepping up the enforcement of rules on ads that prevent people paying to advertise spammy or malicious sites.
Facebook announced they are doing this because their users are unhappy with being taken to sites which are just 'click-bait' designed to draw visitors in and then get them to click on an ad. In an official statement, Facebook reported that:
We hear from our community that they're disappointed when they click on a link that leads to a web page containing little substantive content and that is covered in disruptive, shocking or malicious ads. People expect their experience after clicking on a post to be straightforward.
What counts as a low-quality website experience?
As we can see from Facebook's commentary above, any site with large numbers of disruptive, shocking or malicious ads will be penalized, as will those with 'little substantive content'. Essentially this is 'click bait', anything that over-promises and then fails to deliver. Facebook provides a list of what this constitutes in their ad guidelines, so you absolutely need to avoid doing any of these things.
- Use advert images that are excessively cropped or require people to click the advert to view the full image
- Include deceptive advert copy that incentivises people to click on the advert
- Feature sexually suggestive or shocking content on your landing page
- Display malicious or deceptive ads on your landing page
- Have a high ratio of adverts relative to content on your landing page
- Use popup adverts, interstitial adverts or other advert formats that disrupt the user experience on your landing page
How will this change affect me?
So long as you aren't using click-bait tactics, this change should be good news. Those who are abiding by the guidelines should see slight traffic rises as the demotion of spammy content will allow your content to surface in the newsfeed more easily.
Facebook have stated the changes to the algorithm will be rolled out gradually over the course of this month, so you are unlikely to see any sudden changes in your engagement rates. If you have used tactics such as ad formats that disrupt the user experience, or high ratios of ads relative to content then you need to stop immediately, before you start getting downgraded by the rollout currently in progress. If you don't, you will see your engagement fall off a cliff, as Facebook makes these tactics counter-productive. Don't say we didn't warn you.
Article by By Robert Allen / Smart Insights 15th May 2017


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Karaoke church is BACK, just in time for Mardi Gras. Before you get your Lenten fast on, come party it up at Mary's Attic.
Bring friends, your favorite crowd-pleaser, and the guts to sing it!
We'll have church, communion, stories, the whole 9 yards, but the music is by YOU. There will be plenty of spots to sign up for Sunday night, but you can help out by signing up in advance here.
We'll meet upstairs (there's an elevator!) at Mary's Attic, 5400 N Clark.


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Pete Peterson
Pete Peterson is spending $1 billion to convince the country it needs to tighten its belt. Benjamin Sarlin talks to the philanthropist, his detractors, and Warren Buffett about a very expensive plan to balance America's budget.
Pete Peterson has a plan to save America, and a billion dollars to advertise it.
Flush with cash after the Blackstone Group he founded went public in 2007, Peterson decided to devote the bulk of his newfound fortune to getting America's fiscal house in order. To that end, the Peter G. Peterson Foundation has spent tens of millions of dollars doling out grants to fund think tanks, nonprofits, and even a feature film, IOUSA, as part of an effort to persuade the public that the country needs major sacrifices to avert a debt crisis.
A child of the Depression, Peterson's experience enduring the economic collapse in small-town Nebraska is central to his worldview. He cites the thrifty values of his father, a Greek immigrant, as the inspiration for his advocacy for their national equivalent.
"His whole theory was we should keep a car more years than most people, that my bicycle after seven years was still good enough, a whole bunch of decisions where it was important to save for the future," he said. After Blackstone was sold, "the idea that I'd go somewhere and play golf every day didn't appeal to me at all and I decided therefore that I should remember my father's model and do something that involved investing in the future."
But the deficit is a political buzz-saw in Washington, and Peterson's plans have attracted intense criticism, especially on the left. Critics allege that Peterson's talk of deficit reduction is a Trojan Horse for massive entitlement cuts, especially to Social Security, where Peterson supports raising the retirement age and means-testing benefits. To The Nation's William Greider, Peterson's advocacy is "propaganda" designed to spread "falsehoods" about a phony entitlement disaster. To Dean Baker, head of the Center for Economic Policy Research, he's a "granny basher." To RJ Eskow of the Campaign for America's Future, his plan is "The Fountainhead meets Death Race 2000."
"Peterson money is everywhere," said Eric Kingson, co-director of Social Security Works, which opposes cuts to the program. "They've managed to insinuate themselves as centrists when what we have in my mind is a really far-out anti-government conservative perspective."
Many liberals are particularly concerned with Peterson's influence on President Obama's deficit commission, a bipartisan group chaired by former Clinton Chief of Staff Erskine Bowles and retired Republican Senator Alan Simpson. In the run-up to its creation, a news startup funded by Peterson, the Fiscal Times, caused an uproar when a piece by its reporters on growing support for the Peterson plan ran in The Washington Post without mentioning its source's funding.
Critics also point to a Peterson-funded fiscal summit in April featuring Simpson and Bowles as evidence that the jury is rigged in favor of the foundation's preferred cuts. Recently, a national discussion group organized by the Peterson-funded America Speaks sparked fears that it would turn into an infomercial for slashing benefits, and The Huffington Post pounced after the group corrected survey results from the event to show less support for raising the retirement age than their initial claim indicated.
Peterson dismisses as "non-credible" claims that his advocacy work has tainted the commission.
"Many Republicans have what I call a 'tax-cut syndrome' where they have never seen a tax cut they didn't really like and didn't see a tax increase they didn't hate and do everything they could to block."
"I laughed when you said we have this kind of influence," he said. "I've known Alan Simpson and Erskine Bowles and they're two of the most independent people I've ever known in my life and the thought we could somehow bend their views I find really beyond my capacity to believe."
• Check out the Beltway Beast blogOn an ideological level, caricatures of Peterson as Grover Norquist-lite do not stand up to scrutiny. Peterson accurately noted to the Beast that he includes many dissenting views from the right and left at his events. The Fiscal Summit, for example, featured President Clinton and the chairmen of major progressive think tanks, the Center for American Progress, the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, and the Economic Policy Institute. And the America Speaks discussion group, despite its embarrassing correction, ended up finding participants in favor of protecting benefits and taxing the rich.
Peterson's emphasis on entitlement cuts rankles progressives, but many of his recommendations for closing the budget gap would be perfectly at home in a Democratic administration. He favors a carbon tax to raise revenue and combat climate change, and advocates cuts to defense spending. Much like Obama, he identifies growing health-care costs as a bigger driver of red ink than Social Security and his proposed solution, weaning doctors off of a fee-for-service system, is in line with the ideas of Democratic wonks like Atul Gawande. He supports running up the short-term deficit to overcome the recession, including extending unemployment benefits. He begins most of his speeches with an attack on Republicans' zealous obsession with tax cuts—a trend he's been pushing against since the 1980s, when he decried Ronald Reagan's supply-side economics.
"Many Republicans have what I call a 'tax cut syndrome' where they have never seen a tax cut they didn't really like and didn't see a tax increase they didn't hate and do everything they could to block," he said. "The Democrats have many people who have what you might call an 'entitlement syndrome,' that somehow we're all entitled to this benefit or that benefit whether we are in need or low-income or not."
Republican aversion to tax increases may indeed be the biggest obstacle to the deficit commission's—and Peterson's—hopes of reaching a bipartisan agreement. Many GOP leaders say that tax cuts pay for themselves, a notion that Peterson and mainstream economists strongly reject. With Republicans fighting to keep President Bush's tax cuts for the wealthiest Americans intact, Peterson insisted that their expiration was healthy for the economy.
"The idea… that it would be very damaging to the economy if taxes were increased somewhat on the well-off, I have great trouble with," he said, "not only in terms of the economic effects, but it's my strong view that we have to combine fiscal responsibility with social justice."
Social justice? The phrase that has Glenn Beck running for the hills? Peterson isn't exactly Robin Hood, and has justifiably taken heat for his opposition to closing corporate tax loopholes and raising taxes on hedge funds. Nonetheless, he volunteered to The Daily Beast that the rich would have to pay higher taxes in order to reduce income inequality. Such talk is heresy in Republican circles.
"I remind you that we have a case study in the 1990s, where taxes on people like me, my marginal taxes, were increased and combined with spending caps and 'pay as you go' rules, we had one of the great decades of our history and ended up with a budget surplus," Peterson said. "This is what I mean by 'everything on the table': Those of us who are fortunate to be well-off should accept the idea that our taxes will increase."
With the Republican Party overtaken by militant anti-tax sentiment and an unprecedented zeal for obstructionism, it's difficult to imagine many of Peterson's proposals being enacted. President Obama's favored plan, an idea endorsed by Peterson, was to make the deficit commission more powerful, with the ability to force tough votes in the Senate and House on cuts and tax increases. But, in a vivid illustration of the partisanship the commission faces, a number of Republican senators who previously co-sponsored a bill to do just that switched their votes in order to deprive the White House of a political victory. Obama created a weaker presidential panel instead, which Peterson supports as "better than nothing."
"I don't think I've ever heard of anyone doing that before," Peterson said of the Republican flip-flop. "It shows you how political the situation is."
Warren Buffett, a friend of Peterson's who is featured in his documentary IOUSA, described Peterson and the deficit commission's work as a "worthy cause," but one that was "thankless and unbelievably tough" in the current political environment.
"It is the real conundrum of a democratic society, that when you in effect have a printing press existing with the government and you have people who are understandably involved in the process of determining how you use that printing press facing reelection every two years, it puts a lot of strains on making the right decisions," Buffett said in an interview with The Daily Beast. "It's a real tension in society. We've handled it pretty well for a couple of hundred years, but the problem has not gotten easier in the last few."
For Peterson, the only hope for progress is calm bipartisanship with no sudden movements. He likens the standoff to what he calls the "turkey-shoot phenomenon." Just as turkeys who lift their heads during a hunt are immediately shot, any lawmaker who unilaterally comes forward with substantive cuts or tax hikes faces a political pile-on.
"The solution to our extraordinary long-term fiscal debt and unsustainability requires shared sacrifice," he said, "and shared sacrifice these days is not only politically incorrect, but it's perceived as being politically terminal."
Benjamin Sarlin is Washington correspondent for The Daily Beast. He previously covered New York City politics for The New York Sun and has worked for talkingpointsmemo.com.


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Polar Physical Science
Rates of sediment delivery from the Fennoscandian Ice Sheet through an Ice Age
Sediment delivery rates through an entire Ice Age were investigated using seismic records of glacial erosion products from the Fennoscandian Ice Sheet deposited offshore of mid-Norway in the 2.7 million year old Naust Formation. The mean sedimentation rate over the Ice Age is about 0.25 m per thousand years, with bedrock lowering of about 520 m in the ice-sheet catchment. The mean sediment delivery is 2 to 3 times higher for the most recent 600 thousand years than for earlier Naust sequences. The hypothesis that glacial erosion is most rapid early in an Ice Age, when there was presumably much weathered bedrock and preglacial sediment available, is not accepted for our study area. More important are changing ice-sheet dimensions and dynamics, varying intensity of individual glacial cycles, and complex ice-sheet dynamics in single deglaciations. The mean rate of sediment delivery from ice sheets is an order of magnitude higher than from fluvial activity in the huge Amazon and Mississippi systems, implying that ice is a very effective agent of long-term denudation during cold periods of Earth history. This work is collaborative with Dag Ottesen and Leif Rise of the Norwegian Geological Survey.
Julian Dowdeswell
Circum-Arctic treeline research
Activity related to the international research consortium PPS Arctic continued with a period of summer fieldwork. Studies in northern Sweden have focussed on the birch forest line. Extensive descriptions of vegetation for the period 1905–1912 have been compared with data from the late 20th century and from satellite images to 2009. Results show an altitudinal advance of the birch forest line by up to 100 m. Over the last three decades the advance has been 20-30 m at most. Only part of this advance is attributed to the measured warming of about 1.5 ˚C; other significant factors are reduced grazing pressure and reduced harvest of firewood, both arising from a change in the reindeer herding system in the early 20th century. A similar analysis has been carried out for Finnmark county, Norway, with historical data from as early as 1914 and satellite imagery from 2007. The birch forest line has advanced by around 12 km in the eastern and western parts of the county, but up to 22 km in the middle. These changes are again attributed to a combination of climate warming and a change in the grazing regime. Three key sites on the Russian Kola Peninsula have also been investigated: a very sheltered site in the Khibiny mountains, an industrially exposed site in the Monchetundra range, and a more oceanic site near lake Kanentiavr in the northern part of the peninsula. Treelines at the Khibiny site have moved upslope by about 20-30 m in the last 50 years; those in the industrially exposed areas have moved downslope by hundreds of metres, while in the north the treelines have scarcely moved over the same period. Collectively, these sites have illustrated the wide diversity of factors controlling the position of the tree and forest lines in the north. The European part of the consortium is principally supported through the 'Benefits' project, funded by the Research Council of Norway.
Gareth Rees and Olga Tutubalina
Investigating the dynamic response of the Greenland Ice Sheet to climatic forcing
A growing body of scientific evidence shows that the Greenland Ice Sheet is losing mass in response to climate change. The mass loss of the 1990s is estimated to be around 50 gigatons per year, but the imbalance has grown to almost 200 gigatons per year since 2000. Worldwide concern is associated with this trend because it equates to sea-level rise of 0.5 mm per year. The mass loss is also important because surface melt from Greenland affects sensitive sites of North Atlantic deep-water formation. Surface meltwater drains seasonally to the bed below the ablation zone of the Greenland Ice Sheet and this process is particularly significant on the land-terminating parts of the ice sheet. The mechanism is precarious because accelerated ice flow causes thinning, which in turn leads to an increase in surface melt since a larger part of the ice sheet moves into lower, and therefore warmer, elevations. In a new project funded by the Natural Environment Research Council, members of the Scott Polar Research Institute will observe surface meltwater and ice sheet dynamics using ground-based geophysics, satellite remote-sensing and numerical ice flow models. The integration of observational data into numerical ice-flow models is important because existing models used to project sea-level and freshwater fluxes do not feature atmospherically-coupled hydrological mechanisms.
Poul Christoffersen
Submarine landforms and a geomorphic model based on marine-geophysical data from Svalbard
Well-preserved submarine landforms from the continental shelf and fjords of north-west Svalbard, surveyed using multibeam echo-sounding, provide an example of ice-sheet deposition in an inter-ice stream setting. At the shelf edge, a distinctive and continuous belt of hummocky topography represents the grounding-zone of a slow-moving ice sheet present about 20,000 years ago. Low amplitude transverse moraines cross-cut the lineations, suggesting ice retreat across the outer shelf with brief still-stands. On the middle and inner shelf, large moraine ridges indicate multiple still-stands during deglaciation. Clusters of smaller transverse ridges indicate slow retreat of grounded ice through the fjords. Holocene sedimentation is by rainout from sediment-rich meltwater, producing smooth basin fill. Small slides from the fjord walls are common. Little Ice Age glacier-readvance produced another set of terminal moraines and smaller retreat moraines in the innermost fjords. A schematic model of this inter-ice stream glacial landform assemblage summarizes the geomorphic record. It is compared with a model derived from several Svalbard cross-shelf troughs occupied by fast-flowing full-glacial ice streams. In general, the sea-floor morphology of continental margins affected by ice streams is dominated by streamlined, subglacially produced landforms oriented in the former ice-flow direction, interrupted by major grounding-zone wedges formed during temporary halts in ice retreat. By contrast, between ice streams, shelf and fjord morphology records submarine landforms of various dimensions oriented mainly transverse to ice flow, produced at slowly retreating grounded ice-sheet margins. This work was undertaken in collaboration with Dag Ottesen of the Norwegian Geological Survey
Julian Dowdeswell
Liz Morris continued to participate in an international programme to validate data collected by a new radar altimeter (SIRAL) to be carried by the CryoSat-2 satellite, due for launch in February 2010. Analysis of data collected over a series of field seasons continued and a paper on the spatial variability of snow density in Greenland was presented at the Autumn Meeting of the American Geophysical Union. For the first time, it has been possible to determine the separate contributions to ice-sheet elevation change arising from short-term fluctuations in accumulation and compaction.
The analysis showed that these two contributions offset each other, and that it should therefore be possible to distinguish the long-term trend in ice-sheet elevation after a relatively short period of about three years of satellite altimetry data. Preparations began for a repeat traverse along the EGIG line in Greenland in 2010. As in 2004 and 2006, measurements of snow density profiles will be made using an automated neutron profiling system. This will be the first of the post-launch field activities.
Liz Morris
Snow mechanics
Adrian McCallum continued his study of the mechanical properties of snow. With support from Lankelma and the British Antarctic Survey (BAS), he has begun field studies of the strength of snow on the Brunt Ice Shelf in Antarctica. Using a commercial cone penetrometer system, adapted for use in the Antarctic, he is profiling the fracture strength of the natural snow cover and of snow roads and runways prepared using heavy machinery. This research will assist the BAS construction team in planning the transport of a new research station to its final position on the ice shelf. Early results show that cone penetration tests can reveal strong and weak layers in natural snow and the effects of various techniques for forming hard pavements by reworking and compressing the surface snow.
Liz Morris
Effects of digital elevation model resolution on solar radiation calculations on a High Arctic Glacier
Solar radiation is a fundamental control on glacier mass balance, often accounting for 75% or more of the energy available for melt at a glacier surface. To calculate solar radiation receipts, an accurate Digital Elevation Model (DEM) of the glacier and its surrounding mountainous topography is required. Shading by the surrounding terrain, as well as slope and aspect variations over the glacier surface itself, affect the amount of direct solar radiation received; restrictions to the glacier's 'sky-view' by surrounding high relief will reduce the amount of diffuse solar radiation and incoming long-wave radiation to the glacier surface. We have developed a numerical model to calculate solar radiation receipts over a glacier surface, which includes the effects of shading, slope, aspect and sky-view, and we have used this model to investigate the impact of DEM spatial resolution on calculated solar radiation receipts. Our DEMs are based on very high resolution data from Midre Lovénbreen, Svalbard, obtained by SPRI in 2003 and 2005. Degrading DEM resolution has a large impact on calculated radiation totals, as shading by surrounding high ground is progressively under-estimated as DEM resolution coarsens. Changing the resolution from 5 m to 50 m leads to a 5% overestimate in the solar radiation totals; from 50 m to 2000 m there is a further overestimate by over 20% in calculated radiation. Because of the dominance of solar radiation on melt, these results highlight the need for accurate, high-resolution topographic data as one of the key inputs to glacier mass balance models.
Neil Arnold and Gareth Rees
Geometry and mass balance of Langjökull, Iceland
An airborne laser survey of Langjökull, Iceland's second largest ice cap (950 km2), has generated an accurate and detailed Digital Elevation Model (DEM) of the ice cap, although one which was significantly incomplete. We have developed a new technique to fill in the gaps in this fragmented DEM using photoclinometry ('shape-from-shading') applied to the infrared channel of a Landsat satellite image. The estimated accuracy of the interpolated parts of the DEM is around 3 m. Comparison of this new DEM with one generated in 1997 shows that Langjökull has a specific annual mass balance of close to –1 metre per year water equivalent. If this rate is maintained, it would cause the complete disappearance of the ice cap within approximately 200 years. The new DEM is now being used to investigate the dynamics of the ice cap, particularly the possibility of a future surge of the outlet Hagafellsjökull Vestari, and possible discrepancies between in situ measurements of mass balance and those derived from LiDAR. Our work is being done in collaboration with Richard Hodgkins (Loughborough University), Adrian Fox (British Antarctic Survey), and Helgi Björnsson and Sverrir Gudmundsson (University of Iceland).
Gareth Rees, Ian Willis, Neil Arnold, Allen Pope
Modelling the mass balance of Svalbard glaciers
The Arctic climate is currently warming at a faster rate than elsewhere on Earth and future projections suggest this trend will continue well into the 21st century. With glaciers and ice caps covering 36,600 km2, Svalbard is one of the largest glaciated areas in the Arctic; future climate change will significantly alter the mass balance of glaciers and ice caps across the archipelago with important consequences for sea level. We have developed a numerical mass-balance model which will be used to calculate the spatial and temporal variations in mass balance of the archipelago's ice masses. The model uses air temperature and precipitation to calculate patterns of accumulation, and an energy balance approach to determine surface melt variations. Recent improvements to the model include a subsurface routine to deal with the processes of conduction and melt water refreezing within the snowpack. This model has been trained and validated for the glacier Midre Lovénbreen, NW Spitsbergen, using mass balance data from 1968–2001, and climate data from the period 1958–2001. The results of the complete mass balance model reproduce the measured surface mass-balance patterns well. We also undertook fieldwork in the spring of 2009 on Midre Lovénbreen to investigate the role played by re-freezing of meltwater (by processes known as superimposed ice formation and internal accumulation) on the mass balance of Arctic glaciers, processes now included in the model. This fieldwork involved taking shallow cores from the glacier accumulation area to measure snow and firn stratigraphy, density and temperature, and also making shallow Ground Penetrating Radar (GPR) surveys over and between the boreholes. This work has been carried out with SPRI doctoral student, Cameron Rye, and in collaboration with Dr Jack Kohler of the Norwegian Polar Institute.
Neil Arnold and Ian Willis
Iceberg offshore of Illulissat, West Greenland


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LAF offers this unique research opportunity for select faculty with interest and achievements related to landscape performance.
Through the Case Study Investigation (CSI) program, Research Fellows work with leading practitioners to develop methods to quantify benefits and produce two case studies of exemplary high-performing landscapes. Starting with the 2019 CSI program, funding for each team has increased! Fellows receive a $1,000 honorarium and $9,000 to support a student research assistant.
CSI Research Fellows provide the knowledge base for preparing case studies, expertise in quantifying landscape benefits, and the academic rigor needed to document exemplary projects as Case Study Briefs to support designers, policy-makers, and advocates who are making the case for sustainable landscape solutions.
Specifically, the Research Fellows:
- Lead the CSI collaboration among faculty, practitioners and students
- Work with firms to identify the performance benefits of select landscape projects
- Develop methods to quantify environmental, social, and economic benefits
- Oversee the case study preparation process
- Participate in CSI program webinars and ongoing case study reviews
CSI is a unique opportunity to sharpen research skills, build relationships with leading landscape architecture firms, collaborate with peers, and gain exposure in the emerging field of landscape performance.
Student Research Assistants
Each CSI Research Fellow selects a currently-enrolled student to work under the Fellow's direction as a Research Assistant. The student should have exceptional critical thinking, project management, in-depth fact finding, and quantitative skills and be able to work collaboratively with firm leaders, clients, and other project stakeholders. Students do not apply directly to the CSI program.
For students, CSI is a unique opportunity to sharpen research and quantitative skills, develop relationships with practitioners, collaborate with peers, and gain a deeper understanding of landscape performance.
Each faculty-student team is paired with one or more design firms to produce case studies for two select landscape projects. Faculty are strongly encouraged to apply to the CSI program in partnership with the design firm(s). If a faculty member does not have a firm partner, LAF may attempt to match them with projects and firms based on geographic proximity and relevant expertise. However, LAF cannot guarantee a match. Faculty applicants wishing to be matched with firms/projects should contact LAF to discuss this well in advance of the application deadline.
Faculty apply to the CSI program through a one-step application process. Applications for the 2020 CSI program will open in fall 2019.


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The restroom trailer's soft interior colors and spacious floor design create a wonderful experience for guests. It is a refreshing atmosphere away from the noise and crowds.
As guests enter this private, 2-Station restroom trailer they are struck by the warm, comfortable surroundings. The soft music and clean, well-lit interior provides a pleasant atmosphere where they can escape from the crowd and enjoy a few moments alone.
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Greek Gods and the Heavens
Stargazing Live
Now that the BBC's annual Stargazing Live series is about to begin – January 6, 7 and 8 on BBC2 at 8pm, it is time to cast our eyes heavenwards again. The peoples of the prehistoric and ancient world did not even think about this. For the illiterate majority, the sky was the only "book" available, the university of the universe. A dearth of artificial light helped also, both at a practical and a profound level. As every creative person knows, there is something about a blanket of darkness that enables the mind to wander. Freed from the cares of daytime, the thoughts of sages throughout the ages arose and their minds converged in the creation of fabulous myths concerning the celestial bodies in the night sky.
It is no surprise that all major civilizations boasted their own cosmogonys involving the heavens. In Egyptian mythology, the sky goddess Nut gives birth to the sun god Atum at dawn, every day. The Arabs established the overhead constellations into the divisions that we call the Zodiac, thus laying the foundations for the cult of astrology. In prehistoric Ireland and England, astronomy was wedded to architecture, resulting in monuments that mark the winter solstice. The inner chamber of the burial monument at Newgrange in Co. Meath, Ireland, lights up at sunrise on December 19, 20, 21, 22 and 23, the five shortest days of the year. Stonehenge at Amesbury in Wiltshire, England, marks the same occasion when a beam of rising sunlight penetrates the trajectory of standing stones that form the monument. However, if it is cloudy over the location – and it often is in December – the event is lost and sun-watchers go home in disappointment.
Before the advent of modern astronomy, celestial cosmogony reached its zenith in Greek mythology. Because of its Mediterranean location, it is not surprising that the stories of ancient Greece abound with gods and goddesses riding chariots across the blue sky, emerging from the sea, blown about by Zephyrs and tackling enormous maritime monsters. Tradition has it that the Milky Way came into existence when Heracles (or Hercules) wanted to achieve immortality. While still a baby, he sucked milk clandestinely from his stepmother Hera. Furious, she tore him away so roughly that her milk spurted all over the sky and formed the galaxy that we know so well.
Meanwhile, the mother of all other stars was Eos or Dawn. Together with siblings Selene (the moon) and Helios (the sun), they ruled the heavens. During the day, Helios travelled across the sky in a golden chariot pulled by four horses. On reaching the ocean in the evening, he rested in his palace before beginning the journey again. Greek gods have also given their names to constellations or star groupings.
Cassiopeia boasted that her beauty outshone that of Hera. This angered Poseidon, god of the sea, so much that he sent a sea monster to devour her daughter, Andromeda. However, hero Perseus rescued Andromeda by tying her to a rock and Cassiopeia was transformed into the eponymous w-shaped constellation. Eventually, Perseus married Andromeda. Both of the happy pair now have their own constellations, south and southeast of Cassiopeia.
Classicism to Christianity
Hesperus was a youth who climbed Mount Atlas to watch a storm and was swept away by giant waves. At the time of his disappearance, his friends noticed a bright star in the evening sky. It heralded such peace and calm that they named it after him. Astrea was the daughter of Zeus and Themis. During the Golden Age, she spread peace and justice among mankind. However, she was soon overwhelmed by the wickedness of humanity and returned to the skies, where she became the constellation of Virgo.
Orion was the handsome son of Poseidon. As with Heracles, there are many tales of his exploits. While wandering in Boetia, he met the Pleiades, the seven daughters of Atlas and Pleione, and fell in love with them. He pursued them for five years before they were transformed into doves. Eventually, Zeus turned them into stars. All of them apart from Merope had been married to gods, which is why she is the least bright of all the stars in the Pleiades constellation. At the end of Orion's earthly life, he so enraged goddess Artemis that she set a scorpion upon him. Both the scorpion and Orion were changed into constellations.
In his seminal work, the Metamorphoses, Roman poet Ovid recounts many more tales of gods and humans transformed into heavenly bodies - but change was at hand. Three Oriental astronomers, who set out one night to follow a bright and shining star, heralded the coming of Christianity and marked the end of the classical age. About five centuries later, an ecclesiastical astronomer named Denis the Small, a Scythian who lived c. 470-544, set down the date of this event as 0 AD, thus giving the world the calendar we use today. The scene was set for many centuries more of astronomical and scientific discovery, but that is another story.
The Complete World of Greek Mythology by Richard Buxton, Thames & Hudson, London
Dictionary of Classical Mythology, edited by Pierre Grimal, Penguin Books
Egyptian Myths by George Hart, British Museum Press
Metamorphoses by Ovid, Penguin Classics
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Workshop 2018/2019
Fellow Forum
Art as a subsidized asset class
22.–23. November 2018
During the last decades, art, in particular modern and contemporary art, has developed into an alternative asset class. However, this finding is neither reflected in the art historical analysis nor in the legal framework for the global art market: The majority of art historians seem to regard this development as negligible feature of the art scene, and none of the relevant jurisdictions has as yet provided rules that even remotely resemble the legal protection of markets and investors in securities trading. As a consequence, the art market is characterized by a degree of intransparency and an array of manipulative practices that would be inconceivable in securities markets. The indifference of legislators to disturbances and distortions of art markets is obviously based on the widespread perception that the victims of these structures and practices are mainly (ultra) high net worth individuals who dominate the demand for art. But this attitude ignores the public involvement that sets the art market apart from markets for other luxury goods: Through tax breaks for private donations and trusts and value-enhancing curatorial services in public museums and exhibitions, art has become a highly subsidized asset class. These rules and institutions, which were originally meant to serve the public interest by isolating works of art from the market context, are perhaps better understood if they are conceived as part of the art market, i.e. as instruments that sophisticated suppliers, consumers and intermediaries of art can apply to serve their own economic interests. Public institutions have thus become accessories to practices that lead to artificially inflated prices, which in turn are co-financed by public budgets through tax subsidies and infrastructure services.
How does this nexus influence the production and the consumption of art? What is the esthetics of art as a financial product? Which economic and esthetic changes would we have to expect from a regulation of the art market along the lines of securities regulation? Would the public interest in the production, preservation, and public display of art be better served by incentives other than the present tax breaks?
Our workshop intends to bring together experts from art history, law, economics and sociology in order to discuss these questions.


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Hi everyone,
On Wednesday as you might know, we are having a big art day. We are going to be using watercolours and pastels, so I said to the children that it would be really helpful if they wore an old jersey or t-shirt to school that is ok to possibly get a bit mucky. Can you please help them to remember this. :)
Also, as you will also know, on Thursday is short day where the children can wear shorts (over the top of their pants if they want) and could bring in a donation for the Arohanui Hospice from the wish list.
On Friday Kapa Haka will be performing for us in the middle block to show us their amazing Pae Tamariki performance (11.45am-12.45pm). After, we will all be showcasing our Matariki art. We would love to see you there if you can come along!
Finally, next Wednesday (27th June) is going to be Purapurawhetu's (our block of classrooms) assembly from 1.50pm-2.20pm. We will be sharing some of our amazing learning from this term. Come along to hear all about it!
Thank you so much for your continued support.
Samantha :)


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$14.6bn Fall in Retail Managed Funds during September Quarter 2015/
Overall Retail Managed Funds at the end of September totalled $715.8bn, which was up 6.6% over the past year.
The September quarter saw funds continue to fall down by 2.0%, similar to the 1.5% decline recorded in the previous quarter as previously strong performances on underlying investment markets are starting to be pared back. Among the leading companies Macquarie (10.5%), AMP (7.6%), Perpetual (7.2%), BT (7.0%), Commonwealth / Colonial (6.6%) and Mercer (4.9%) reported positive annual growth rates.
Source: Plan For Life
PFL Media Release Retail 915 Admin