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Lopardo 1
Together we strive to create a comfortable and safe environment in which students feels nurtured, have new experiences, develop new friendships, and grow in all areas of his life, especially as it relates to our residential mission. Creating community among the residents is a critical component to a healthy-living environment that promotes healthy choice-making practices; our community-mindedness is central to enhancing student's residential experience. We do a great deal of programming throughout the year to aid in the development of this frame of mind, including community-service events, group-building exercises, house nights, and participating in campus-wide events. We believe that creating opportunities to share positive experiences brings students together regardless of their age.
- John Michaud, houseparent


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Transform Your Body
Our tried and true method can shape every body and fit any schedule. Draw inspiration from our community of women. Achieve the body you've always dreamed of. Sweat away the day. Get lost in the music. Find everything you're looking for in a workout at Pure Barre.New To Purebarre
about our location
If you are looking for a workout that will benefit your body and your mind, Pure Barre is the place to be. Our studio in St. Petersburg, Florida offers full body workouts that focus on muscle development. We are conveniently located on the corner of 4th Street North and 36th Avenue North, and invite those from all over St. Petersburg including St. Pete Beach, Seminole, Treasure Island to experience our effective and efficient workouts.
In each of our Pure Barre classes you will lift, tone, and burn your way to a healthier you! Although the structure of each class is the same, we frequently change our exercises and upbeat music, so you always have a new and invigorating experience. We begin each class with a warmup to prepare your muscles and mind, before transitioning into body weight resistance exercises at the ballet barre. These specifically target and tighten your muscle groups such as your core, arms, thighs, and seat. We cooldown after each workout with stretches to promote long and lean muscles. You will leave feeling motivated and energized.
You will look forward to each Pure Barre class, because you will have an inspiring teacher that encourages and challenges you through each workout. They will provide you with guidance on any questions you may have on our techniques and form, and create an atmosphere that is positive and welcoming.
Pure Barre is for everyone! No matter your fitness level, you will benefit from an increase in strength, flexibility, balance, and endurance. We welcome those from the beginners just starting to understand fitness, to the experienced who have found their passion in exercise, or those anywhere between, to join us.
Come visit our St. Petersburg, Florida studio today to enroll in your first Pure Barre class. You can get your first month of unlimited classes for just $99!

subset: commoncrawl


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Version: 1.2.3
License: Open Source
Description: RSSOwl Portable is the open source software for RSS aggregating (RSSOwl is available for all major operating systems under the Eclipse Public License). Plus, it leaves no personal information behind on the machine you run it on, so you can take your aggregator application wherever you go.
Website: http://www.rssowl.org/
Size: 6.32 MB (installed) / 5.03 MB (compressed)
Installer: Download


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775-690-1870 Email Me
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BEAUTIFULLY MAINTAINED, updated/remodeled 3 bed 1 story home on 1 acre located in quiet cul de sac with private well new pump, city sewer, RV parking, 2 car attached w/add. 2 car detached garage/w work shop has power, storage, barn w/tack room, dog run, mtn. views. Inviting living room w/vaulted ceiling, fireplace, formal dining has slider leading to expansive outdoor deck/patio. Large family/game room, sparkling kitchen recently remodeled, newer quartz counters, double ovens, wood floor, SO MUCH MORE!
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Every day brings new changes to the World Trade Center site, whether it's steel columns for One World Trade Center being raised, or the concrete footings being poured for the National September 11 Memorial & Museum.
See the slide show, above.
View Construction Photos
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Regulatory Information


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I felt like a beloved dolly today in this opulent dress, Draconic's Her Eulogy. She released it last month for the Dolls in the Attic show, and I am thwapping myself that I've only now gotten to put it on. It comes with a cape that I couldn't squish into my Doll Holder (courtesy of All Dolled uP), and has a darkly elegant bodice that matches the belling formality of the skirt.
I'm happy to be photographing in one of Azazeal's builds, October Rust's House of Lenore. Az came up with this location when I said, "OMG - quick - find me somewhere pretty and Victorian to photo." I think it worked quite well! I look like a dolly in a glass bell, waiting for someone to come and wind her up. Also notable are my boots, new from First Flower. Mmmm, black boots with stuff on them! They look so dangerously elegant.
Draconic week has been fun! Hmmm...what next...
***Dress: Draconic Kiss Her Eulogy in black/red
***Boots: First Flower ~FF~ Valerian Girls - Black
***Posing stand: All Dolled Up Doll Cloche Multiposer LARGE
***House: October Rust House of Lenore
***Crown: Violet Voltaire Wicked Crown in Black
***Jewelry set with earrings, necklace and dolly key: Violet Voltaire My Violent Heart
***Hair: Calico Ingmann Creations Coronis - Ivory
***Skin: Whispers of Night Deathly F [Ebon Twilight Stalker]


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Being In A Funk, But Being Okay
May 30, 2010 by Deborah Calla
Filed under Blog
I have been in a funk these last few days. I have this deep feeling that the best time of my life is behind me.
I know it may surprise some of you to read that because I'm often so strong and positive. But that's how we humans are; complex. We can have many different thoughts and feelings, sometimes even contradictory happening at the same time. So the key is to know ourselves well enough to navigate the ups and downs.
Now back to my initial thought. Why do I have the feeling that the best time of my life is behind me?


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Total returns have topped 147pc during his six year stint as chief executive, as Whitbread's share price has risen 109pc (far outstripping the 29pc rise in the FTSE100 over the same period).
Parker, who retires next month, delivered for his shareholders again yesterday: announcing a better than expected 43pc increase in pre-tax profits boosted by strong growth at Costa Coffee and Premier Inn. It was a suitable swansong.
Underwhelmed is the politest way to describe the market's reaction to Parker's appointment back in 2004. Shareholders, hoping for some radical surgery, had wanted the board to bring in some new blood, rather than appoint an insider who had spent the last 12 years turning the group's troubled hotel division around.
It didn't take Parker long to demonstrate that he was capable of being radical.
Within weeks he made the group's first big acquisition for years, spending £536m on Premier Lodge, which added to Travel Inn, gave Whitbread more than half the UK's branded budget hotels.
He followed that – nine months later – with the sale of Marriott, the four-star franchise hotel business. A business he had personally built from scratch.
The disposal of TGI Friday, Pizza Hut and, eventually, David Lloyd Leisure, followed. Parker sold David Lloyd for £925m in 2007 just weeks before the markets crashed.
Whitbread is now focused on budget hotels, restaurants and Cost Coffee and is unrecognisable from the brewing and pubs business Parker joined in 1992,
Yesterday was not the end of the story – argued Parker – who insists that the business has momentum. True but shareholders should, neverthless, pause and raise a cup of Skinny Mocha to Parker.


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Honors and Recognitions
Members of Highland, Albuquerque High Black Student Unions Complete Civil Rights Movement Tour
Thirty students from the Black Student Unions at Highland and Albuquerque high schools recently went on the Civil Rights Movement Tour. They were accompanied by Albuquerque High sponsor Jackie Cole, Highland High sponsor Stacy Washington, BSU director Joycelyn Jackson and chaperons Tristen Baker and Calesia Cole. Students took photos and kept a journal with their reflections on each of the sites visited.
The group traveled to eight locations of the Civil Rights Movement including Central High School in Little Rock, Ark., where they met a Minnie Lee Trickey, a member of the Little Rock Nine. Other stops on the tour included:
- The Lorraine Motel and Civil Rights Museum in Memphis, Tenn., where Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was assassinated
- The 16th Street Baptist Church and Kelly Ingram Park in Birmingham, Ala.
- Spellman and Morehouse colleges and the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Museum, his burial site, his house and the Ebenezer Baptist Church in Atlanta, Ga.
- Tuskegee Airmen National Museum in Tuskegee, Ala.
- Rosa Parks Museum in Montgomery, Ala.
- Selma Bridge in Selma, Ala.
- Vicksburg National Military Park, Vicksburg, Miss.
- The Oklahoma Bombing Site in Oklahoma City, Okla.


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Healer Heal Thyself: My Journey Back to Health
Hey there. So it's been awhile since I've shared tidbits about my own health journey. When I first started blogging I wrote about my long-standing battle with acne and the steps I was taking to clear up my skin. You can check out the first and second post about that here and here. Once I reached my goal of clearer skin, unfortunately, I stopped tracking my progress and stopped sticking to my healthier habits. Hence the lack of updates...
Seriously, why do we do that? We reach a goal and fail to do the work to sustain it. Anywho...
Over the last few months, the combo of less than healthy habits and stress have started taking a toll on my health. My body has been giving me signs it's not too happy with the lack of activity, poor eating habits, and stress. Breakouts, insomnia, irritability, tummy upset, spotting before my period, super cold feet and hands during the early parts of my luteal phase, and menstrual cycles that keep shrinking in length are letting me know all is not well. And I'm no fool. When my body talks, I listen.
It's frighteningly clear I need to make some changes. I've been to the doctor and there aren't any underlying diseases or conditions. It's just plain old poor lifestyle and bad habits kicking my butt. My doctor pretty much told me to quit my job and find a way to be happy, so... I left my job and moved to Virginia! Still working on the rest.
To hold myself accountable I'll be sharing my plan, my progress, and writing posts about the science behind and my experience with the changes I'll be making. This is a bit of a shift from what I usually share here. Things are about to get personal.
Warning, over sharing and long-windedness ahead.
I've always been pretty healthy. No broken bones, hospitalizations, or chronic disease. And I rarely catch a cold or the flu. Overall, I can say, I've always been in good health. That is if you don't consider PMS and Acne health concerns. And you know, many people don't. We often see acne as purely cosmetic (it's not) and PMS as just a normal part of being a woman (it's not.) Both of them point to an imbalance of some sort.
I've had moments of reprieve from both, but only when I've taken good care of myself. When I don't make self-care, movement, spiritual health, and healthful eating a priority, bubble guts, cysts, and the nastiest mood swings ever rear their ugly heads. And in a way, I'm grateful for them. They let me know I need to get back on track. They're like my check engine light. They let me know to take a peek under the hood before things get further out of control.
How exactly did I get off track to begin with? It wasn't one thing or a single moment. It was a number of life stressors that slowly, almost imperceptibly, snuck up and dismantled all of the practices I had put in place to keep myself well. There was the stress at work and living in a loud crazy city that just wasn't the right place for my quiet introspective personality. My spiritual community and family imploded. Plus my mom was temporarily working in a war-torn country, then my Nana passed away. Oh! And I turned 30.
All of those things should have led me to spend more time building up and nurturing myself. Instead, I self-medicated with Dominican food (give me all the arroz con habichuelas y maduros!), candy, and entertainment. Rather than doing aerial, dance, or yoga, I stayed in my house and watched YouTube and Netflix ad nauseam.
Finally, I realized I couldn't go on living in NYC anymore and decided to move to Northern Virginia. While the environment was better, I now had to contend with my loss of community, figuring out how to make money in a new city (still working on that one), and overcoming my fear of driving since public transportation here isn't quite as connected as NYC's system. Let's not forget, I still hadn't changed my eating habits, if anything they got worse and I became even less active.
Last week, I finally had to own up to how much my habits were affecting me. My period was the worst it had been in over a year and I was incredibly self-conscious at two job interviews because my skin was all broken out. How can I promote a healthy lifestyle, a fertile lifestyle, when I'm not living it and my skin is clearly screaming to me and everyone around me that all's not well with my own health? With the camel's back completely broken, I finally decided to dismount.
One of the things I really want for this blog is for it to be a place of complete transparency. I refuse to pretend I have all the answers. I refuse to pretend I'm living out my recommendations and the benefits of them, while secretly gorging myself on chicharrones and looking and feeling like crap ran over by a dump truck. This is a no judgment, no faking the funk, own your mess place. 'Cause that's where healing starts.
Alright, time to share my plan to practice what I preach and truly Live Fertile.
Week 1
Feed your mind and soul/ Mini mind makeover
- Master the morning- get back to my morning prayer, bible reading, meditation (especially guided meditation and visualization), and journaling practice. Oh, and make myself a cup of tea. I deserve it.
- Read inspiring books, listen to uplifting music, and subscribe to motivational and informational podcasts
- Step away for the election drama on facebook. It hurts my soul to see so many people attacking one another for having different political views. We don't have to agree, but that's not permission to tear each other down. Not cool.
- Practice self-love, compassion, and acceptance (this one is huge!)
Week 2
Nourish Yourself
- Drink 64 oz of water a day and take my vitamin D consistently, bonus points for remembering my multi
- Apply the Live Fertile Meal Formula to all meals and snacks- Protein, fat, fiber, slow carbs, and herbs/spices all day, all the time.
- Focus on healthy fats, fermented foods, and supporting proper detox
- Drink herbal infusions daily
Week 3
Shake it, Don't break it
- Move that rump! Seriously, take a walk, do yoga, ugly dance to JT and Beyonce like no one is watching, just move. And do it EVERYDAY.
- Try one new fitness class
Week 4
Girl, rest ya nerves (my Nana's southern colloquial way of saying, "Sit down somewhere!" when I would get too hyper... Hehehehe)
- Go to bed by 10:30, phone down, laptop shut, kindle stowed away.
- Read for leisure at least 15 minutes/ day
- Practice self-care daily. Make it a part of your daily routine
- Give yourself a facial (1-2x/ wk)
- Take your time massaging in your body oil blend
- Diffuse cinnamon, ginger, and mandarin in the morning and chamomile, lavender, and ylang ylang at night
- Take breathing breaks throughout the day
- Dry brush before shower
- Wear cozy socks
Week 5
- Find my tribe here in Alexandria and online
- Go to church
- Go to an integrative or functional medicine meetup
- Consistently go to a yoga, aerial, belly dance, or salsa class and say hello to people
- Introduce myself in Facebook groups
- Call old friends
- Visit NYC, Pittsburgh, and maybe even Cali to see old friends
- Write mom a letter
- Find my tribe here in Alexandria and online
Week 6
- Find a way to treat myself to something nice and find joy in the good things around me
- Ideas
- Try a new restaurant
- Try a new recipe
- Go for a massage or mani/pedi
- Gratitude journal
- Buy myself a lipstick I never thought I could pull off but always wanted to try. You are feminine, you don't look like a little boy. Stop bullying yourself.
- Ideas
- Find a way to treat myself to something nice and find joy in the good things around me
Wooo! That's a lot. This should be fun.
Stay tuned!


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One of the many diseases confronting the people in Rejaf Diocese is onchocerciasis. Many times onchocerciasis is called or OV, riverblindness, or Oncho (pronounced Oncko) for short. This disease was foreign to me when I first came to South Sudan, which is not hard to imagine considering I do not have formal clinical medical training. Unlike malaria, which receives considerable attention and continues to be the dominant disease killing people throughout South Sudan and much of Africa, oncho is categorized as a neglected tropical disease (NTD). The disease is transmitted from the "black fly", which injects small worms called microfilaria into its victim. The microfilaria then grow into full size falaria and reproduce microfilaria throughout the body.
The most immediate symptom of OV is severe itching throughout the body. Most of the OV victims I've encountered are farmers, and the black flies bite them on the lower portion of their legs as they till the ground. The result is that their legs are the dominant site where the intense itching begins. To reduce the itching sensation, they scratch their legs to the point of permanent scaring. The people tell me the scratching has two purposes: to give temporary relief from the itching, and to dig out the worms residing just under the surface of the skin. The male OV victims I've met, who typically perform the lions share of the farming duties for the family, almost uniformally have scratched their chins to the point that they develop pigment discoloration along their chins (commonly called "lepeord skin").
For the women, who typically don't till the ground as often as the men, OV has the tendency to develop nodules – raised lumps where the adult filaris congregate – on the arms. The books and websites I've read to learn about this disease suggest that the worms also congregate in various places throughout the body causing body pain, back pain, and a number of other side effects.
Perhaps the worst side effect to onchocerciasis is its effect on the eyes. Oncho, if untreated, often causes blindness, which is the reason for one of the diseases common nicknames – riverblindness. When I travel to villages, the people show me a number of those who have gone completely blind from the disease. Others, that is almost everyone, complain of eyesight loss, which they attribute to the disease.
The positive side of this disease, if there is one, is that a treatment exists for it. For those who have gone completely blind, there is no remedy. For others, if they are given the drug ivermectin the microfilaria will die (which causes the bulk of the side effects), and the adult worm will be unable to reproduce. Merck has donated ivermectin since 1987, and promises to donate the drug for as long as the drug is needed. If done properly, mass distribution of the drug should be administered annually throughout areas where OV is present.
Unfortunately, the people of Rejaf have not received the drug since they began trickling back into their villages in 2008. Some of them received the medicine when they were exiled in Uganda, or in an IDP (internally displaced persons – meaning displaced within your own country) camp in Juba. Yet, the medicine has been brought into country consistently for several years. I've been working with the World Health Organization (WHO), the organization responsible for acquiring the drugs, transporting them into the country, the national ministry of health, the state ministry of health, and the Juba county health office. To date, the medicines have still not been distributed. I'm tempted to just get the drugs and distribute them myself, but that will have a harmful longterm effect. Instead, my goal has been to work with WHO, the government, and the local villages to ensure the medicine is distributed in a way that can be repeated in the upcoming years. WHO and the government have continually listening to my complaints but there is no management plan or accountability measure to ensure the work is completed properly. They have challenged me to come up with such a plan, and I now working on it.
Please pray for the people suffering with OV, for those responsible for distributing the medicines, and for the churches influence on the situation.


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Road hogs
A busy motorway had to be closed after a herd of pigs escaped and ran on to the carriageway. The M11 was closed as pigs escaped from a crashed truck and had to be rounded up, reports Sky News.
The southbound M11 towards London was shut after a lorry carrying a consignment of 82 pigs crashed.
via Ananova – Road hogs close M11.
1 Comment
Hi Oldster,
I saw your blog about "folding bike" (http://www.google.com.vn/imgres?imgurl=https://oldstersview.files.wordpress.com/2006/08/folding_bike.jpg&imgrefurl=https://oldstersview.wordpress.com/2006/08/page/2/&h=375&w=500&sz=35&tbnid=gSCLHUQP-_a0xM:&tbnh=98&tbnw=130&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dfolding%2Bbike&hl=vi&usg=__UQjjZxcn9v-R3VS-pQ9Pm79eKJ8=&ei=Sl88S8jSH4ewswORuPS8BA&sa=X&oi=image_result&resnum=7&ct=image&ved=0CCUQ9QEwBg)
I'm very interested in this model.
Do you know what should I do If I want to buy this bike?
(For example, who should I contact, how much is the price? what is the shipping price?)
Thank you very much.
It is very interesting to read your blog.
Comment by Trung Vo | December 31, 2009
Sorry, the comment form is closed at this time.


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If you haven't been to Tulum yet, you have to go! I recently spent a few nights there celebrating one of my best friend's bachelorette parties and had the most amazing time. We stayed at the most charming hotel on the water called Viento de Mar. It's walking distance to so many cute restaurants and shops. And the beach front villas, fresh caught seafood and ice cold margaritas are to die for.
Below are a few of my favorite photos from our trip and places to go during your visit:
- Kin Toh at Azulik (Dreamy jungle tree house restaurant + bar with hammocks and swings everywhere!)
- Posada Margherita (A beautiful boutique hotel serving up delicious Italian seafood dishes)
- Hartwood (Expect to wait in line, but for a completely good reason. This place is a Tulum must.)
- Coco Tulum (If you're in Tulum on a Sunday, these guys throw a great day party right on the beach.)
- Papaya Playa (Another fun club right on the beach, where you can dance in the sand under palm trees all night)
- Cenotes (Limestone swim holes with fresh spring water and snorkeling. There are quite a few in the area and we went to the Grand Cenote, which was great!)
- Mayan Ruins (Built in the 13th century, Tulum is home to a walled Mayan archaeological site at Tulum National Park overlooking the sea. Bring your swim suit and you can can take a dip on the beach looking up at the ruins!)


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Palermo Round Cocktail Ottoman with Cushion in White Finish is rated out of 5 by 2.
Rated 5 out of 5 by Glowingirl from Gorgeous i Love this Modular, i purchased in white with the Air Blue cushions and it is just beautiful!
Date published: 2017-04-20
Rated 5 out of 5 by Clevelandgal from LOVE IT! Exactly what I was looking for! Absolutely love this curved modular set. I purchased the 2 end pieces to have an open curved look to compliment the rest of the layout on my deck. I opted for the blue cushions. It is sturdy, very comfortable, and a quality product. I will be getting a fire pit coffee table to finish it off. Delivery was prompt, efficient & the drivers were courteous, I also opted for the service to set up and remove the packaging and that went like a charm. I HIGHLY recommend this product!
Date published: 2016-06-11
If I were to get 3 pieces how wide would the entire thing be at the widest point?
Thank you for your interest in the Palermo 3-pc Curved Sofa. This sofa is 147" wide at the widest part.
Date published: 2018-08-31
If I set three or four of these up in a circle, what is the outer diameter of the circle?
Thank you for your interest in the Palermo 3-pc. Curved Modular Set in White Finish. When all together this set is approximately 145" dia. We recommend having at least a 12' x 12' space to use this set comfortably.
Date published: 2018-07-18
What are dimensions of moduler piece #155025 (Palermo Curved Sofa) ?
Thank you for your interest in the Palermo 3-pc. Curved Modular Set in White Finish. The Palermo Armless Curved Sofa with Cushions (item 155025) is 89-1/2"W x 43-3/4"D x 32-3/4"H overall.
Date published: 2018-03-23
What are the dimensions of the entire unit if only the right arm and left arm pieces are used?
Will the two arm pieces fit together perfectly without the center section? Thanks for your help!
Thank you for your interest in the Palermo 3-pc. Curved Modular Set in White Finish. The left arm and right arm sections will fit together and can be used without a center section. Due to the curve of this set, the diameter of either two or three pieces will be approximately 145"W, and only using the left arm and right arm sections will create a set that is approximately 73"D.
Date published: 2018-05-06
Right and left
Hello. How would it look with just the right and left How much space would I need. Tx u.
Thank you for your interest in the Palermo Left-facing Curved Sofa with Cushions in White Finish. This sofa would work well with just the Palermo Right-facing Curved Sofa with Cushions in White Finish. We are looking into the amount of space you will need for just these two pieces. We sincerely apologize for any inconvenience this may cause.
Date published: 2016-06-01
Do you sell outdoor covers for this set?
Thank you for your interest in the Palermo 3-pc Curved Modular Set. We do not have covers designed specificially for the Palermo Collection. Unfortunately our general sofa covers are not deep enough to cover these pieces.
Date published: 2014-11-06
What is the diameter of the curved sofa with all three pieces?
The diameter of the Palermo Curved Modular collection (right facing sofa, left facing sofa and armless sofa) measures approximately 275".
Date published: 2018-05-06
Is the sunbelt fabric available in Palermo and is it your best most weather resistant fabric? Also, can it be washed?
The Palermo Curved Modular collection features 100% solution-dyed acrylic and woven fabrics. This is not the name brand Sunbrella fabric, however, being 100% solution dyed is ine of the most import features of outdoor fabrics. The fabric can be cleaned with warm soapy water.
Date published: 2014-07-07
Product:68540_WHI-Palermo Curved Modular in White Finish


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CLEARANCE | Body Mousse
This product is currently sold out.
The last of the Skinny Tan originals! Our new packaging is front and centre. Grab a deal with one of our clearance packs here. Same great product, old branding.
Skinny Tan Mousse Dark is an Express or Dark option that puts you in control of your tan. The green-based tanning foam allows you to get a natural, long-lasting tan and fight the visible appearance of cellulite in as little as 1 hour. The power is in your hands: either wash off after 1-2 hours for a last-minute, medium tan, or leave for 6-8 hours for a deeper, darker tan. Whether you wash off for a medium tan or leave on for a darker tan, our long-lasting formula will leave you bronzed for up to 14 days.


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Halloween with DC's Harley Quinn
I was heading to a wedding when Ally messaged me about this costume for Halloween she worked hard to put together and wanted to blog about. I thought it was an awesome opportunity to go for a very theme-heavy shoot. It's something that I have not had much opportunity to do, so I was pretty excited. Since the character was DC's Harley Quinn, I wanted an urban industrial setting to match. I got the idea to use urban industrial more from the gritty setting of the Arkham Trilogy and Jinx from League of Legends than Harley from Suicide Squad since that movie was so lackluster.
So Ally, Edwin (our friend and videographer/BTS shooter for the day), and I ventured into the night to this grungy hallway and parking lot rooftop. I decided to use a two/three flash setup with a beauty dish in some shots and two backlights, colored purple and green. I chose those two colors because they aren't traditional and natural, and come together to paint a scene of modern fantasy, equal parts dark, surreal, and contemporary. They also happen to be Joker's colors.
The middle one here was my favorite. I think the best kind of flash photography is one that has great effect but doesn't make its presence known. I'm happy that I was able to pull it off here. Not only was it technically great, Ally also perfectly matches the character of Harley Quinn here.
If you're curious, here are some behind-the-scenes shots by Edwin, along with scene comparisons to the final images.
The first location.
And the second location.
All in all, I think we were pretty successful at painting the character. My photographic and editing style usually aims for a clean, artistic, and timeless look, but this shoot made me scrap all of that and aim to do anything to bring the character to life. Going out and trying new things yourself will always be the best way to learn. Pretty cool right?
Thanks for reading!
Model and Costume: Ally Gong – http://www.allygong.com/
BTS and Assistant: Edwin Lai - http://www.instagram.com/sprocketscience/


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The new X-Ray inspection system "OptiCon x-Line 3D" is now available for benchmarks and evaluations in the US.
After the successful launch and presentation at APEX 2012 in San Diego, CA, the system is now being hosted by DATEST in Fremont, CA.
DATEST, a long-time partner of GOEPEL Electronics, has wide expertise in inspection services and test engineering, which includes X-Ray Inspection, Flying-Probe- and In-Circuit testing, JTAG / Boundary-Scan test services and Functional-Test capabilities.
With the OptiCon X-Line on site, hands-on demonstrations, live-benchmarks or initial presentations are available for anyone who is interested. Projects can be geared toward your own products or one of our demo-boards. The unique machine constellation at DATEST - which includes a high-end manual 3-D X-Ray inspection system as well as another very well know X-Ray in-line machine - enables potential customers to make side-by-side comparisons between the three different inspection systems.
GOEPEL invites especially companies demanding a very low test time for their projects. Due to the special mechanical transport system and the unique, patented X-Ray detector, Opticon X-Line offers inspection speeds unmatched in a full 3-D inspection system, at up to 40 sqcm/s.
OptiCon X-Line Main features:
- GigaPixel-Technology enables high inspection speed with full 3D coverage
- Simultaneous Image Capturing from Different Angles
- Digital omosynthesis enables Analysis of Different Layers of the PCB
- Top and Bottom Sides of PCBA can be inspected simultaneously
- Maintenance Free Micro Focus X-Ray Tube
- Xi-Pilot Software is an Open Concept for Maximum Fault Coverage
- Fast Program Generation Time
- Modular Concept Enables Configuration Options for 2D and 3D Systems
- Variable Levels of Inspection Speed
- Maximum PCBA Size 15.75" x 18.00"
- Maximum PCBA Thickness .200"
To schedule an on-site demonstration please contact us.
Based in Fremont, CA, Datest is an ISO9001- and AS9100-certified provider of advanced, integrated PCBA testing and inspection services, serving the CM/EMS as well as the OEM community since 1984. Datest offers in-circuit testing (ICT) and test development (hardware and software) for all major ICT platforms (Agilent 3070, GenRad, and Teradyne). Datest augments ICT with SPEA Flying Probe testing, Agilent 5DX and Goepel Opticon X-Line 3D AXI inspection services, Dage Ruby 2D X-ray with X-Plane Technology, benchtop boundary scan, and functional testing.
Contact Datest at email@example.com.


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Villa Details
Located just off the US27, just a mile from the I-4 highway which runs into the heart of Orlando is this four bedroom villa with a west facing pool deck sitting on the Tivoli Manor community, Davenport. Just a 15 minute drive from the Disney theme parks this villa offers a lovely getaway from the hustle and bustle of Orlando's main attractions. This home from home with great games room and quiet surroundings is a great choice for your Orlando holiday. Please note, this villa has a minimum 5 night stay.
- Living Accommodation - Opposite the front door at the back of the villa is the family lounge with a sofa and loveseat as well as a flatscreen TV. To the right of the lounge is the formal dining area with seating for six people. Adjacent is the open-plan, well-equipped kitchen with a breakfast bar seating three people, a kitchen table with seating for four people and a single door to the pool deck.
- Bedrooms - The Master bedroom is to the left of the family lounge with a Queen-size bed and an en-suite bathroom. Bedroom 2 is just off the lounge and has a Queen-size bed and an en-suite bathroom. Bedroom 3 is just inside the front door to the left hand side and has Twin beds. Bedroom 4 is next to Bedroom 3 and has Twin beds.
- Outdoor Living - The west facing pool deck has a private pool and a covered dining table with seating for four people. The ideal place for relaxing and enjoying the Florida sunshine.
- Entertainment - The games room located opposite bedrooms 3 and 4 is equipped with a pool table, table football and a high top table with seating for two people.
Tivoli Manor
Tivoli Manor is located off highway US27 and is a unique, private gated community of just 35 properties, offering 3, 4 and 5 bedroom villas. Tivoli Manor is ideally located just minutes away from the I-4 leading to Disney and other Orlando attractions.View our Tivoli Manor community page
Map Key
- Epcot
- Magic Kingdom
- Universal Studios
- Sea World
- Discovery Cove
Driving times
- Airport (Orlando International) - 30 - 35 Minutes
- Airport (Sanford) - 55 - 60 Minutes
- Busch Gardens - 60 - 65 Minutes
- Disney's Animal Kingdom - 15 - 20 Minutes
- Disney's Epcot - 15 - 20 Minutes
- Disney's Hollywood Studios - 20 - 25 Minutes
- Disney's Magic Kingdom - 15 - 20 Minutes
- Islands of Adventure - 25 - 30 Minutes
- SeaWorld - 20 - 25 Minutes
- Universal Studios - 25 - 30 Minutes


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Ground Floor Apartment Sierra Blanca
Stunning two bedroom ground floor apartment situated in a prestigious gated community in Sierra Blanca within a five minute drive of both Marbella town centre and Puerto Banus. The apartment has been built to the highest of standards and accommodation comprises of two double bedrooms both with fitted wardrobes and ensuite bathrooms, the master bathroom with Jacuzzi bath and large walk in shower, guest toilet, large kitchen fully equipped with Siemens appliances and breakfast area, spacious lounge with dining area and fireplace opening out onto a large covered terrace with private garden overlooking the gardens and communal swimming pool. The development itself offers residents mature gardens with waterfalls and Alhambra style water features, outdoor swimming pool, 24 hour security, a fully equipped gymnasium, sauna and steam bath, indoor heated pool and Jacuzzi. There are also two underground parking spaces and a storage room included in the price.
- Apartment
- Ground Floor Apartment
- Pools: 1
- Parking: 1
- Gardens: 1
- Build Size: 148m²


text: A Cluttered Mind: How to declutter it and get your ducks in a row I have begun working on a new project, which is an online mindfulness course with a twist. This has given me an opportunity to see how cluttered and unorganized my mind can be when I am doing something that requires deep focus and concentration. I will share with you some tools and apps that I have discovered to help keep me fixed upon and on target. Todoist:This simple yet effective app has been the best "productivity" app that I have used since I started Mindful Accord a few years ago. What I like about Todoist is that it is simple and it works across multiple platforms. I can use it on my phone, my laptop and it can be used with the chrome browser and Gmail. It will sync automatically between all of these. It is an efficient way to organize your thoughts and get them out of your head and into action. It is much more than a to-do list. You can get a free version or pay the reasonable $28.00 yearly subscription, to get the premium features such as reminders and notes. Business Calendar 2:I have used numerous calendar apps on my phone over the years. The one I finally found that gives the highest usability without being complicated or cumbersome is Business Calendar 2. I like the layout and ease of use. It also integrates with Todoist. It is free, but with a small upgrade fee, you can get access to more features. Unfortunately, as of this writing, it is only available for Android phones. Yoga and the gym:I am not going to say that I am in the best shape of my life, but I'm doing ok. I make an effort to go to the gym to lift weights and then go to yoga. I alternate the days. One day at the gym the next day doing yoga. Of course, my intentions don't always become a reality, but I am working on it. To have a clear, sharp mind, you must make sure your body is in good shape. The mind-body connection is so intricate, and the majority of it occurs on an unconscious level. You could spend years studying and understanding the intricacies of your mind and body. However, I would suggest looking into Yoga. The practitioners and originators of yoga, which at one time was a secret practice, you had to be initiated, have spent the past several thousands of years exploring the mind, body, and breathe connection. Take the shortcut or hack as it often called and start doing yoga. Sleep:The one area that I have had to put a lot of attention towards is making sure I am getting an adequate amount of sleep. The commonly accepted amount is eight hours a night. I am comfortable with about seven. When I don't get seven hours a night on a consistent basis I begin to notice a few things that don't help me stay focused. The lack of sleep negatively affects my thoughts. When I'm tired and not rested my thoughts tend to be more harmful towards myself and others.There have been numerous studies within the last few years that have shown that getting the proper amount of non-medicated sleep is critical to our health. When we are sleeping our brain releases hormones that heal our bodies. Also, while we are sleeping there are cells that are called microglia which are released into the brain to clean up our synaptic connections. That is why when you get a good night of sleep your thinking seems clearer. Health is the first wealth. If you aren't getting a proper amount of sleep, you are causing immense damage to your health. Six Times Book:This practice or method comes from Tibetan Buddhism. It is basically a daily journal. A journal that merely allows you to strengthen the positive effect you have on the world and yourself while reducing the adverse impact. It is not so much a way to help with productivity and focus as it is a method to help you stay on the path. On the mindfulness, meditation, actively calm and calmly active path. I am not advocating Buddhism. However, the Buddhists have been intensely studying the nature of the mind for the past 2,500 years. I believe they have figured out a few things. Using the six times book requires dedication. You have to write in your book first thing in the morning, and then make it the last thing you do before going to bed. All the while making journal entries at six different times during your day. You can visit sixtimesbook.com to get further information, and where you can order a journal that they created. When I first started doing this practice, I would write in my small journal that I would carry around in my pocket. I find their template to be much better and it helps me stick to the program. Vipassana Meditation or any Meditation:I believe that everyone should seek some form of meditation that will help them to quiet their minds. If you haven't yet started a practice of some kind, then today is the day to start. The human brain is not designed to make you happy. It is designed to keep you alive first and foremost above all other activities. We have to learn to get control of our minds, or it controls us. Our minds untamed are like wild horses. You have to train it to go where you want it to. You have to be the driver instead of the rider. I have been practicing Vipassana Meditation exclusively since I did the 10-day course in December. It is deep meditation. To learn it properly, you need to attend one of the courses. They are free and are offered around the world. It requires a lot of commitment and dedication. The course is challenging. To find out more about Vipassana visit www.dhamma.org. For those who are looking to get started with basic meditation I would suggest downloading the app Insight Timer (insighttimer.com). It is a practical app, and it tracks your progress. It comes with thousands of guided meditations. If you are beginning a big project that will require you to spin a lot of plates at the same time, I hope this helps you. If you have any suggestions, please feel free to leave them in the comments section.Until Next Time,Rich Decker – Mindful Accord Personal Development, PracticesRich DeckerMarch 2, 2018Rich Decker EnterprisesMeditation, gym, apps, declutter, productivity, rich decker, Mindfulness, todoist, self fulfilling prophrecy, lifting weights, mind, sleep deprevation, project management, achievement, Todoist, exercise, wealth, meditation, yogaComment Facebook0 Twitter LinkedIn0 Tumblr Pinterest0 0 Likes


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Workplace stress is costing the Australian economy billions per year. According to Accountemps, 59% of professionals age 35 to 54 years old feel overwhelmed and for those who experience severe forms of stress, the impact can have an immediate impact on their career progression.
So, what steps does someone take post-burnout to build a career they freaking love?
Join Happiness Concierge Founder Rachel Service as she shares her story of how she went from passing out before work, managing anxiety and depression to launching a global training company. Rachel will share her top tips for getting out of a career slump and will be joined by panelists from across the spectrum on how they turned the beat around after experiencing burnout.
FREE - RSVP here!


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Dr Oz Recipes..Stress Reducing
Wednesday, October 29th, 2014 at 10:24 pm
Dr Oz Recipes Reduce your stress and regulate your blood sugar with 24 hours' worth of glucose-balancing dishes. The Dr Oz stress reducing recipes.
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ARTEL's Safari Set Double Old Fashioned in Amber
ARTEL's Safari Set Double Old Fashioned in Amber
There is nothing like a safari to evoke images of adventure, grandeur, and romance. ARTĚL's Safari Set lets you bring home the big game without entering the bush or donning a pith helmet. In conceiving the motif, designer and company director Karen Feldman wanted to avoid a "typical" safari look and feel, deciding instead to focus on the idea of expressive silhouettes. The resulting stylized depictions of elephants, gazelles, giraffes, jaguars, monkeys, ostriches, and zebras evoke a whimsical sense of movement and grace, as though they are silently being observed in their natural habitat.
Available either individually or as a set of six glasses (sets include one glass with each animal design), Safari is perfect for outdoor entertaining – from the Serengeti to your patio and anywhere in between.


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SG Interests not saying what it paid for Encana leases
GLENWOOD SPRINGS, Colorado – A Texas-based energy company is not saying how much it paid to Encana Oil & Gas (USA) for two gas leases in the controversial Thompson Divide area southwest of Glenwood Springs.In fact, SG Interests, based in Houston, is not saying much about the acquisition of the two Encana leases.But a local activist working to prevent gas drilling in the Thompson Divide told the Post Independent he believes the fact that SG Interests was able to obtain the leases should be seen as an indication that drilling in the Thompson Divide area might be a waste of time and money."This is just another example where a significant player in the industry [Encana] can't seem to find a business justification for developing their leases there," said TDC director Zane Kessler on Tuesday, the day after the lease exchange was announced.Kessler and the TDC hope to prevent drilling in the Thompson Divide through one or more approaches, including legislative action to prevent leasing of any lands now unleased, and a campaign to force the BLM to allow the leases to expire as scheduled later this year.The TDC, Kessler announced Tuesday, delivered 1,173 individual letters to the BLM, asking the agency to let the Thompson Divide leases expire as scheduled.Another approach, tried in February 2012, was to offer six energy companies the same amount of money they paid originally for their leases, a total of about $2.5 million, if the companies would abandon their development plans and let the leases expire.The companies declined, arguing they had invested significantly more capital into the gas-development process based on those leases than the original costs would reflect."It would be interesting to see how much SG paid for those claims," Kessler said.Regardless of what SG paid, Encana's original payment for the leases in question, at a 2003 government auction, came to $38,275 for two leases that contain a total of 4,483 acres of public land, according to spokesman David Boyd of the U.S. Bureau of Land Management (BLM).Two other leases, bought by Encana in the same auction, were valued at $94,911 for just over 1,860 acres, and $159,936 for approximately 1,666 acres ($96 an acre). Encana has confirmed that it is allowing those leases to expire.With the two new leases, SG Interests now holds 18 leases in the Thompson Divide area.The original 16 leases SG held total 16,684 acres. With the added former Encana leases, SG Interests is leasing a total of total 21,167 acres in the Thompson Divide.After obtaining the former Encana leases, SG Interests asked the BLM to add the new leases to SG's request to have all of its leases "suspended," which would stop the clock before the leases expire later this year. This would allow the company to move ahead with applications to drill on the leases in question.Attempts to reach a spokesperson at SG Interests were not successful on Tuesday.The Thompson Divide area covers 221,500 acres of federal land in Pitkin County (88,100 acres), Gunnison County (51,700 acres), Garfield County (43,500 acres), Mesa County (30,500 acres) and Delta County (7,700 acres).There currently are 61 leases in the area covering approximately 105,000 firstname.lastname@example.com
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Reliable erosion control for spillways is essential. Finding a solution that is reliable, versatile and cost-effective is a priority for businesses and municipalities. Waterways and water-diverting infrastructure are incredibly useful when it comes to controlling the flow of water in order to carry it where it needs to go. Additionally, effective spillways can help divert water away, which prevents excess water from causing potential hazards related to high water velocities and the buildup of water pressure.
One of the best ways to control erosion and improve spillways is by utilizing closed cell cable concrete. Closed cell cable concrete block systems combat significant erosion and can withstand the elements to provide a strong, reliable and economical solution for spillways and overflow structures.
How closed cell concrete works
Closed cell cable concrete systems are easy-to-assemble block systems that are clamped together to provide a versatile erosion control solution. The closed cell system is held in place by high tensile anchors that provide strength and stability. Because the blocks are clamped together, their structure is highly versatile and it can be installed to accommodate virtually any type of spillway system. Once the system is in place, it protects the spillway from erosion, no matter the size or scale of the spillway system or the amount of water that is flowing through the system.
Benefits of closed cell cable concrete
- Versatility: The biggest benefit that closed cell cable concrete offers is its versatility. Because of the design of the material, a spillway system of any size, from a small dyke to a massive spillway, can be accommodated. Because closed cell concrete is tailor-made to fit the spillway that it is being used for, it has much more stability than some other materials that do not fit spillways perfectly. Closed cell concrete is an innovative solution to erosion control that can be implemented relatively easily.
- Increased reinforcement: Closed cell cable concrete systems are designed to withstand unexpected circumstances, such as quick release overflows, without failing. Other materials used for spillways tend to buckle under such pressure due to poor construction or an imperfect fit. By choosing closed cell cable concrete, you can ensure that your spillway is prepared for sudden issues as they arise.
- Affordability: Even though closed cell cable concrete is extremely reliable, it is also an affordable erosion control option. It is a cost-effective material that is easy to maintain and resistant to ice and freezing and thawing damage.
If you're interested in seeing the benefits of closed cell cable concrete for yourself, our team of professionals at International Erosion Control Systems Inc. can help. For decades, we have been the industry leader in erosion control, providing our clients with reliable solutions that last. No matter the size of your project or the scale of your erosion control needs, we are equipped with the high-quality products, trusted services and extensive experience necessary to provide you with long-lasting erosion control and the best value for your money. Call us today and let us provide you with reliable erosion control products and services.


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The annual Dinner/Debate at the Oxford & Cambridge Club will take place on Thursday, 22 October. Our distinguished Speaker will be Master Paul Matthews and the subject: Italian Civil Justice: Why So Slow?
Back to All Events
Earlier Event: September 22The Comparative Aspects of Insolvency
Later Event: October 28Social Get-Together at the Cittie of Yorke pub -CANCELLED-


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NEW YORK (CBS.MW) -- Telecommunications-equipment stocks were mostly higher in quiet trading Monday, while phone stocks crept up as Qwest Communications moved to reduce its debt.
Qwest Q, -0.30% rose 7.4 percent to $5.69 after the company announced it had trimmed its long-term debt of nearly $25 billion by almost $2 billion through a debt exchange. After the bell, Qwest also said it has been granted federal approval to sell long-distance service in nine of its 14 main states.
The bounce in Qwest shares, along with small gains in AT&T T, -1.61%, Sprint FON, -3.80%, AT&T Wireless AWE, +0.96% and Sprint PCS PCS, pulled the index out of the red to post a gain of 0.3 percent.
However, slight declines in the three Baby Bells -- Verizon VZ, -1.51%, BellSouth BLS, -0.65% and SBC Communications SBC, +2.06% -- slowed the group's momentum.
The American Stock Exchange's Networking Index, which represents large manufacturers, gained 3.2 percent.
Tellabs TLAB led a late charge, surging 9.5 percent to $8.03. Ciena CIEN, -2.86%, ADC Telecom ADCT, Comverse Technology CMVT and Lucent Technologies LU also posted solid gains.
Alcatel ALA, -0.62% was the only notable decliner, down 3.4 percent to $4.78.
The Nasdaq Telecommunications Index, which tracks younger equipment manufacturers and phone carriers, climbed 2.9 percent. Seventeen of the 20 largest stocks rose.
JDS Uniphase JDSU led the way, up 9.4 percent to $2.56. The top decliner among the index heavyweights was Ericsson ERICY, off 18 cents to $7.49.


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How do you submit an unclassified?
There are three ways to send in your unclassy! You can 1) tweet it to
Unclassifieds – November 20, 2012
How do you submit an unclassified?
The power of #140charactersorless
While some of you may have been hoping that Twitter was just a fad, with over 500 million users worldwide, it appears that it is here to stay. Many who have an account may wonder what the hype is...
Texting rates drop for first time in history
Whatever the industry, innovation exists to meet consumer needs. Whether it's aiding society through convenience or efficiency, streamlining a particular process of production or improving an exi...
Leon's buys out The Brick for $700 million
To compete against American companies, Leon's acquired The Brick.
With the growing concern over American companies imperializing
Can-India Nuclear Trade Agreement
With the American economy still struggling, Prime Minister Stephen Harper has been trying to move Canada away from its dependency on the U.S. for trade. In this


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Apply Now!
We are excited to hear from you and have a chance to meet you!
Please complete our application including the Education and Employment History sections. Be sure to attach a resume.
Oregon City Based Construction Company looking for an On-Site Project Manager!
375A Warner Milne Rd. Oregon City, OR 97045
We are looking for a hard working and dedicated individual with a solid background in construction management rolls to fulfill a Project Management position with a structural steel & wood framing construction company in Oregon City.
5-10 years experience in commercial construction is strongly preferred.
This role would be similar to a site superintendent role, but with a hands-on element. Experience with wood framing and steel is extremely important due to the hands-on piece of this job!
Someone who is looking to grow w/ company, loves to work hard in a fast paced environment, and is looking to be part of a family oriented business who takes a great level of pride in their work.
Salary 80K + benefits!


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Gregory M. Nikodem
Washington, DC
Energy & Power
Business Segment
Corporate Private Equity
Asset Class
Greg Nikodem is a Managing Director of The Carlyle Group focused on U.S. Buyout opportunities in the industrial, transportation and energy sectors. He is based in Washington, D.C.
Mr. Nikodem is currently a member of the Board of Directors of Accudyne Industries, ADT CAPS and Atotech. Additionally, he has been involved with Carlyle's investments in Centennial Resource Development, JMC Steel, WildHorse Resource Development and Veyance Technologies, among others. Prior to joining Carlyle, Mr. Nikodem was with Thomas Weisel Partners.
Mr. Nikodem received his M.B.A. from the Stanford Graduate School of Business, where he was an Arjay Miller Scholar, and a B.S. in industrial engineering and engineering management from Stanford University.


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Overall I would say I work hard at staying physically fit, and eating healthy. I am often training for a race and when I'm not doing that I am in the gym lifting weights or cross training to go easy on my knees. I have been reading up on a health and fitness professional named Kayla Itsines for over a year now and have been so intrigued by her work. She created what is called "Bikini Body Guide." She promotes overall education of living a healthy lifestyle, rather than just some fad diet or exercise routine to lose weight. The concept is that this education is something you will take with you for a lifetime. She has created workout routines that use every muscle and can be done in 30 minutes. She also has a guide on healthy eating and provides meals to make at home that provide protein, and good calories.
I have always been interested in nutrition and exercise and like to think that I incorporate this in my life fairly well. However, I also incorporate tator tots and chocolate in my weekly diet...The idea isn't to eliminate these things all together, but rather to enjoy them occasionally.
So as if I don't already have enough going on in my life (ie. a job promotion, and moving this Sunday) I decided this week was a great week to start her 12 week Bikini Body Program. Life is crazy right now. Well guess what?! Life is ALWAYS crazy. You can choose to make excuses for a busy life, or you can choose to rise above it. Today, I choose to rise above. I am also choosing to wake up a half hour earlier than I do to make it to the gym before work. It's not easy, but I know exercising regularly, and eating healthier will make my body feel incredible and who doesn't want that?!
Some of you read my Blog from last year when I tried "Whole 30." If you didn't read it, you can find it here. I support that diet still, however the difference here is that Whole 30 is primarily focused on sort of flushing the system. Not eating breads and dairy and many other things so as to reset your digestive system and to lose weight in the process for 30 days. I am still all for it, but for me it is not something I care to do year round or forever. I like cheese too much and I really enjoy a cold beer sometimes. The difference between that and Kayla's program is this is more long term healthy sustainable living. Enjoying certain foods in moderation.
I will be tracking my progress on here, and letting you all know what I think about her guides. I know that I don't really have weight to lose, but this experience is more about the education and more about toning my muscle. This for me is alot about the nutrition side of things and forcing myself to meal prep. So pictured below is right before my first BBG workout, I will post progress photos along the way to show if this really is working or not. I promise to give my review at the end of 12 weeks.


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This blog is the third in a series of five, each digesting and reflecting on a day at the Degrowth conference in Leipzig, 2nd – 6th September. You can read about Day 1 here and Day 2 here. Below is a summary of my experiences of Day 3 – Thursday 3rd September – Building alliances.
(Re)Productivity as an economic paradigm for a social-ecological economy
Thursday began with a keynote speech from Adelheid Biesecker, Professor at the Universität Bremen, who emphasised that sustainability is a normative concept, incorporating both intergenerational justice (leaving a healthy world for future generations) and intragenerational justice (just relations between North and South, encompassing economic, ecological and social sustainability). Sustainable development should be understood as an open, dynamic process that constantly needs to be redesigned; a process that constantly preserves and renews its own natural and social preconditions.
Biesecker told a joke, of two planets meeting in space, one big and round, the other almost destroyed (Earth). The first planet asks "Are you sick?" and the second replies "I have humans." The healthy planet responds, "Don't worry, it will pass". A punchline which reflects the fact that the modern capitalist economy systematically destroys the productivity of nature, and of unpaid work – such an economy is not sustainable. We need an economy which facilitates the "good life", one which enables humans to evolve their capabilities and faculties, to shape their own lives and use all their potentials. For this society needs to reconsider what kind of "growth" is needed. For example, there needs to be growth in good paid care work, in the caring economy. Care is a central principle, and caring is not only a form of work, but the basis for sustainable democracy, one which takes a different image of humans to the economist's homo economical, whose only interest is in profit maximisation. The caring principle is based on humans seeing each other as humans, and recognising that humans need relations to one and other and to nature. Caring economic practice also entails doing what we can today in order to ensure a sustainable future.
Beisecker's (re)productive economic practice is one which mediates between the productivity of humans and nature, in terms of quantity, quality, space and time. In other words, producing is always closely tied to regenerating and restoring the social and ecological preconditions for production. Such a set up would be organised in a (new) democratic and participatory way, everybody needed and included, with the local/regional economy at the centre. Working hours should be shorter, and unlike at the moment, where most unpaid work and care work is done by women, half of care work should be done by men (and men have to claim this!) – a sustainable economy requires gender equality.
A right to grow? Meeting the needs of all within the planetary boundaries
Sunita Narain, from CSE India, gave a keynote which started from the key premise that we need to find a way for the poor to live well, to share the world's resources, whilst in total staying within our planetary boundaries. We're faced with a warming world, climate mitigation efforts have been too little too late, and in places like India, the future is already here. Faced with increasing extremes in weather, the real finance minister in India is the monsoon. It is the bitterest irony that the poor in the world, those least responsible for climate change, are its worst victims. Over two decades after the first international talks about climate change, the rich have failed to reduce their emissions to make space for the poor in the atmospheric commons, and we're running out of time and space.
Yet, Narain pointed out, the world cannot make serious emissions cuts until it has discussed seriously what this conference is about – degrowth – how to build economic futures without destroying the earth. Mitigation efforts today are not adding up, the science is clear but the action not, and we are on a pathway for well over a 3 degree temperature rise. We need trajectories that are transformational – we cannot afford merely transitional emissions reductions any more – but we must also be able to meet the needs of all. This crisis however is also an opportunity to understand, once and for all, that the capital intensive, extractive, iniquitous and polluting economic model of development needs to be reinvented, in order to meet the needs of all, respecting the principles of justice and equity, whilst staying within planetary boundaries.
Taking the example of India, a poor but fast developing country, this means reinventing the economy to enable wellbeing for millions – including energy access, mobility, etc, to all – without adding GHGs from coal burning. Narain emphasised the scale of the challenge in India, a population over 1 billion, but with millions still lacking energy for basic needs: 30% still use kerosene for lighting, and 7 million use firewood for cooking. Increasing clean energy production to meet the needs of all requires some radical rethinking – for example, large, centralised solar energy plants connected up to the grid only enables those who already have access to the energy market, and can afford it, to get energy from a clean source. What we need is decentralised clean renewable energy, meeting the needs of the poorest and most marginalised. Similarly, although big corporate interests are pushing for a car-based model of mobility, and cities like Delhi are exploding with cars (and suffering the consequent pollution and congestion), less that 15% of Delhi drives car whilst 26% of Delhi's land area is covered with roads. Clearly this growth cannot go on, even if cars themselves are hybrids, or biofuel etc. We need to reinvent the model of mobility.
Narain made clear that, in the context of the global South, degrowth should not be degrowth, but rather a different kind of growth, inclusive growth, shared growth with a human face. At various later points of the conference, Narain's language/ perspective was challenged, with the argument that it is not simply that the North should degrow so that the South can grow, but that the North should degrow so the South can find new ways for all to live well. Poverty is not tacked by aggregate GDP growth – that's part of the same neoliberal discourse. Yes, overconsumption (of resources like land, water, minerals, the atmospheric commons, etc) in the rich North, fueled by the GDP growth paradigm, must end, so as to enable a greater and fairer share of resources to be available for meeting basic needs in the South (rather than luxury desires in the North). But pursuing a growth-based "development" course is not the right answer – or the right rhetoric – for the South either.
Narain ended with some proposed changes – or course corrections – to the way we do environmentalism, starting with understanding the difference between the environmentalism of the rich and the environmentalism of the poor. The rich world has learned to deal with environmental issues after it has become rich, seeing them as a fall-out of wealth creation, cleaning up waste – an environmentalism of garbarge management. For the poor, environmentalism is protesting (against pollution, deforestation, the taking-over of grazing lands or fishing areas, etc) not because the environment is a luxury for them that may be spoiled, but because it is their livelihood at stake. Facing the fear that whatever so-called development is coming (and threatening their local environment) will make them poorer. With this in mind, green technologies invented by the rich, if not affordable to the poor, are not sustainable. Without affordability, and equity, we will not have sustainability. There is also a need to look for answers in the ways of past, in the knowledge of the very poor, knowledge that modern systems discount (e.g. seed-sharing, rain harvesting – which use local resources efficiently). Answers can also be found in nature. For example, traditional industrial development uses very concentrated forms of energy (coal/oil) and water (from aquifers, lakes), when we could use less concentrated forms (e.g. solar energy – many micro-solar plants, feeding into a smart grid; rainfall harvesting, recycling and reusing every drop of waste water, and avoiding upsetting the nitrogen cycle).
Beyond the Hill: A degrowth lobby in Brussels?
Billed as "a group of young Europeans who work more or less close to the EU institutions", the What If Network hopes to provide the degrowth movement with a stronger and clearer political voice at EU level, where the mainstream is still overwhelmingly powerful. I found it heartening that a group of Brussels bubble insiders, working in the EU institutions and consultancies, have come together to promote alternatives to everything being dependant on growth, to show "what if…". And I agreed with the cogent point made that unless you have a lobby in Brussels, you're invisible to the EU institutions. Yet, I found myself in the position of being the most critical, most cynical person in the room, for a number of reasons.
Claire Baffert and Pierre Serkine, co-founders of the (up till now 8-person, all volunteer) What If Network, presented a picture of the EU machine as a neutral tool which can be used to different purposes, that it is up to us to steer in the direction we want. They flagged up the EU's growth obsession, but noted that growth is only mentioned 12 times in the EU treaties, and that the treaties even set out a recipe for times of weak growth – what they see as an ironic recognition that growth does in fact fluctuate. They noted that the Lisbon treaty added the goal of sustainable economic growth, and that the Europe2020 strategy is for smart, sustainable and inclusive growth. Baffert and Serkine identified the absence of degrowth ideas in the EU debate in Brussels as being down to both a lack of knowledge and ideological blindness. They noted that the EU's austerity measures since 2009, justified to bring growth back, have not worked, just as the EU's projections of rapid growth for the Greek economy are, year after year, proved wrong. The What If Network concludes that although the EU institutions appear to be blind, we should hope that they are not deaf, and raise our voices.
Now, whilst growth may be mentioned only(!) 12 times in the EU treaties, it is nonetheless absolutely fundamental; growth is entrenched in a union built around free trade and a neoliberal market system. The optimistic interpretation that there is no inherent tension between the EU (as it is) and a degrowth agenda, and that the main problem is rather the influence of corporate lobbies (which is of course enormous and deeply problematic), cannot stand-up against the legal commitment to the pursuit of growth in the EU treaties. Economic growth is not only overarching and deeply embedded in the EU machinery, but all other goals – like environmental sustainability, including the precautionary principle, and social inclusion/cohesion – are, in practice, subsumed whenever growth is (or perceived to be) threatened. EU-imposed austerity measures are one example of this, as is the so-called recipe for times of weak growth, e.g. budgetary policies to stimulate "competitiveness", wage cuts, facilitating investments regardless of environmental impact. When growth is under threat, measures for sustainability and social inclusion go out the window.
Of course, the EU has evolved much over 60 years, and it continues to do so. As a human-created institution there is no fundamental reason why it cannot become something very different. But to be compatible with a degrowth agenda it would have to change radically, both in terms of its ideological foundations and its decision-making processes. This is not something a degrowth lobby in Brussels can do, alone. But that is not to say its not a good idea for alternative voices to be heard at the heart of the EU, as one small part of much bigger, much more diverse movement.
Degrowth and social inequality: Eating the rich or governing the poor?
In a session discussing several academic papers, a number of things in particular stood out to me. Stephan Voswinkel's 'Upward Mobility in Degrowth Societies' made the point that social advancement in a system of economic growth can be a zero-sum game. One person's success means that some others won't succeed, creating a conflict-laden system, where one generation's "winners" must defend their position, and often seek selective advantages for their offspring (e.g. middle class parents sending their kids to private schools). Today, the growth system crisis is accompanied by a crisis for this kind of 'advancement society'. For example, as the negative effects of attempting to advance increasingly outweigh the positive (e.g. burnouts and breakdowns). But this doesn't mean people don't want to climb the social escalator any more; such desires can even become stronger as the possibility for their realisation gets smaller – making the system more competitive, individualist and conflictual. The discussion following Voswinkel's presentation also touched on the point that "work-life balance", "upward mobility" and "career" are all ideological words, both neoliberal and individualistic.
Tilman Reitz and Tine Haubner together presented on 'The threat of (not) being exploited: How inequality promotes growth dispositions'. Reitz made the point that education, increasingly standardised in developed countries, teaches us to compete with others. In the workplace, managerial positions have proliferated in recent decades, as has the use of constant and visible performance indicators, creating ever-more constant competition. An increasing amount of power and profit is falling into the hands of business and managerial elites rather than technical experts.
Haubner explained that care work has been looked at extensively and critically by feminists, but less so by degrowthers. In the capitalist system, care work is underpaid and unpaid, being less profitable than the production of goods, as well as labour and time intensive. Care work is often not regarded as normal work, and seen as value absorbing rather than value creating. As such it is often assigned to particular groups of society, due to their gender, race, etc. But care work (for example, child care) is not less economically important – it is essential for society and for profit in the market, by reproducing living beings. Haubner summed up the situation as that it is problematic to commodify care work (always being badly paid, as it is not profitable), whilst unpaid care work is systematic exploitation. In other words, care work under a capitalist regime is always exploitative, so we need to question capitalism. For the degrowth movement, it is important that as we criticise the commodification of care work, we must also emphasise the need for just, non-exploitative eco-social alternatives, that don't rely on gender roles.
What stuck in my mind from Stefanie Hürtgen's presentation on 'Dual Development and the denial of social requirements by logics of Growth and Degrowth' was the description of the logic of growth via exclusion from growth. On the one hand, pressure has increased on those with salary work, as governments' priority is to attract capital and guarantee profit growth, and social demands from workers are perceived to hinder this. So, for example, revolts against multinationals in Tunisia with demands for higher wages and more democratic rights, are repressed with the argument that if they continue, if their social demands are too high, the companies will relocate from Tunisia to Romania. In Romania, the argument is the same, the multinationals will move to Ukraine; in China, they threaten they'll go to Vietnam, and so on, a whole circle of competition fueled by the argument that we must guarantee growth of profits, or else we won't have employment and social inclusion.
On the other hand, those without salary work, i.e. the subsistence production sector, also face increasing pressure. In the South, as well as increasingly in Eastern and Southern Europe, people face expulsion from their means of (subsidence, non-formal) production in name of (formal, capitalistic) production. For example, people are thrown off their land, or have access to livelihood resources removed, in order to facilitate industrial-scale production, as in the case of land grabs for agribusiness or agrofuel plantations.
Hartmut Rosa on 'The Iron Cage of the Elites: Time Consuming Efforts to Stay on Top', offered a tirade against the way we conceptualise society, arguing that way we define classes, winners and losers, upward mobility etc is one of the drivers for the growth system. Of course, it is clearly true that society does produce winners and losers, the growth engine and logic of capital accumulation creating a perverse and idiotic distribution, and producing ever-new forms of scarcity, poverty and deprivation. But this growth machine is kept alive in part by the way we internalise this logic of accumulation, and how we tell the winners they're the winners, they're better off, living the good life. Society saying "you earn more, you deserve it" provides the motives to stay there and defend what you have, implicitly defining the 'good life' and warning of the myriad others racing behind you. And at the same time providing motives to the lower rungs of ladder, by telling them they're on the lower rungs.
Instead of fixating on winners at losers, we should be taking a step back and looking at game we're playing, at the idiocy and irrationality of it. The winners, with the most capital, the freedom and resources to lead the 'good life' so often don't, from Japanese business elites having a lower life expectancy, to pressure-related suicides in Korea, to self-hating and cynical Goldman Sachs executives. Why define such people as winners, rather than as maniacal suicidal people? We need to pull the plug, Rosa argued, to take away the motivational energy for this logic of accumulation and permanent acceleration – and we can't do this if our sociological and societal rhetoric stays the same. Instead, we need a re-appropriation of what we want to do, to look at the relationships we develop with each other, our bodies, families, nature, the goods we produce, etc, and look at quality of life through that lens.
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This blog is the third in a series of five posts, each focusing on one day at #Degrowth14. Read about Day 1 here, Day 2 here, Day 4 here and Day 5 here


text: Yoshinori Ono popped up at the Red Bull Battle Grounds to introduce the latest teaser for the upcoming update for Street Fighter V: Arcade Edition. There has been much speculation about the second v-trigger and what they would do. This new teaser helps us learn just a bit of what the new update will included. The teaser reveals that the 2nd V-Trigger will give characters new abilities, new combo extenders and new moves. We see Bison is back to his old tricks having his Psycho Crusher added to his arsenal. Also, Ken gets his Shinryuken. Many characters with difficult V-Triggers like Menat and Ibuki look to have simplified V-Triggers for their second. It's very exciting seeing how this game and its meta will evolve. Take a look at the new teaser below:


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Ramona Quimby had it right. "Yeep" is a perfectly joyful noise. I was reminded of that fact last week when I learned children's book author Beverly Cleary had turned 100. Given that she was in her late 60s and I was about 7 when I read her books, I suppose I can be forgiven for thinking she was always elderly and must already have turned 100. As one might imagine, "late 60s" seems significantly less elderly now than it did then, however.
In any case, I've long had etched into my mind the scene from Ramona and Her Father in which Ramona is making her Christmas list full of exotic birds, while yeep-ing and contemplating the likelihood that her father's payday will lead to a trip to the local hamburger joint for perfect burgers and fries. When her mother asks why she's yeep-ing, Ramona says she's "making a joyful noise until the Lord," as instructed in Sunday school, and had made up her own noise since one wasn't specified.
Even at a young age, I caught the until/unto switch. But, skimming over that as a characterization device, which I can now call what it is (thank you, MFA), my focus was on the description of the french fries, the events that happened on payday, and the yeep-ing.
I didn't develop a taste for fries until several years after I read the book. My family didn't eat out frequently, and when we did, I usually chose a burrito or an open-faced turkey sandwich with mashed potatoes and gravy. I still remember eating an acceptable-quality burrito at the A&W in Laramie, Wyoming, on one of our cross-country treks. Yes, Virginia, A&W sold foods other than burgers and chicken once upon a time. Still, the description of the perfect fries made an impression. Whenever I come across one now, I think of Ramona.
In my family, too, Dad's payday meant treats. Living in western Nevada, we had limited shopping choices for a while. It took some time for a "real" grocery store to set up shop in our farm town. So every two weeks, Mom, Dad, and I (often with Bingo, who was an excellent traveling pup) would load up in the car and drive the hour and a half into Reno. A chiropractor appointment with a great family friend and fellow Bahá'í. Carefully rationed extra-crispy KFC for dinner. And then the trek through the grocery store before we drove home. Later, when groceries came to our corner of the desert, payday might mean pizza or a chocolate Italian ice with Gummi Bears.
Then, of course, there was the yeep-ing. I can't say I ever made that particular noise until I read about Ramona's use of it. I've held onto the sound ever since, though. It works for me. In my own head, when things go well and cheerfulness is in order, I absolutely yeep a little.
In fact, this past weekend was definitely yeep-worthy. For the first time in quite a while, some Bahá'í friends from my area got together to study and compare notes about life and service. We were gathered in the home where many of us had taken part in study circles through the years, as commemorated in staged photos with artfully Photoshopped heads inserted to include people who weren't present for whatever we were celebrating. The hostess has always blended American and Ghanaian traditions with ease, charming her guests at every turn. And music often kicked off our study sessions a decade ago.
So it was that Saturday afternoon, after quiet, reverent prayers in English and German and Spanish had filled the breezy, light room with a peaceful calm, we found ourselves following our hostess as she taught the simple words to a call-and-response song shared by English-speaking Bahá'ís all over Africa. We stood, shoulders rubbing against one another in the living room, learning the motions that accompanied the words. Stepping and stomping, bending low to the floor and reaching high above our heads, we sang the easy lyrics in full voice, faces flushed with happiness at the joyful noise and the company of friends.
Yeep! I thought to myself. Yeep! Yeep!


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I love me some cookies. And with the infiltration of Girl Scout cookies all over my social media feeds and outside my stores, I am craving Samoas like nobody's business this week. I appreciate that their organization has forayed into gluten-free offerings with their new Toffee-Tastic and Trios, but for the love of all things chocolate, could they please just convert their Samoas/Caramel Delights and Thin Mints into a gluten-free box of deliciousness?!?! Way to take the easy road and make lame GF cookies that every person is fully capable of baking. (I may be slightly passionate about this topic.)
I have by no means cracked any code whatsoever to recreating Samoas, and I think we've all resigned to accepting that their glorious chewy texture is probably next to impossible to achieve with gluten-free, healthy ingredients; however, I have managed to bake a nutritious cookie with flavors inspired by Samoas (read: chocolate and coconut.)
For my batch this morning, I had run out of peanut butter so I made my own. Using my NutriBullet with the millet blade, I blended up 1 cup dry cooked, unsalted peanuts and then 2T of flaxseeds since I'm fully incapable of following even the simplest of recipes. This is a delicious, quick fix to making nut butters if you ever run out! For the purposes of the recipe below, I just assumed you would use a store-bought jar of all-natural peanut butter—please ensure the ingredients ONLY consist of peanuts, or peanuts and sea salt. Using ANY version of Jif, Skippy, or other crap completely nulls and voids the healthfulness of this recipe (ah, another topic I get passionate about haha!)
Additionally, any other nut butter could be used instead of peanuts, like almond or sunflower.
Prep Time: 15 minutes |Total Time: 45 minutes |Yields 30 cookies
- 4 ripe bananas (or 3 ripe bananas and 2T coconut oil)
- 2 cups gluten-free quick oats
- 1 cup dark chocolate chips (use carob chips for vegan)
- 1/4-1/2 cup shredded unsweetened coconut flakes
- 2 T natural peanut butter (peanuts and sea salt ONLY)
- 2T ground flaxseeds
- Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees
- Mash up bananas in large bowl with fork
- Mix in peanut butter, quick oats, ground flax, and coconut flakes
- After fully blended into a dough, mix in dark chocolate chips
- Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper (otherwise, coat with coconut oil or coconut spray but I can't confirm this method works as I haven't tried it)
- Using a spoon, scoop ~2T worth of dough and place at least 1″ apart. Repeat until all dough is used. I was able to make 30 cookies.
- Bake for 15 minutes.
- Let cool and enjoy!
Disclosure: I found a recipe on Instagram last week called "Sinless Cookies," which I shared on my own feed @belowthefork, that serves as the premise for these cookies. I unfortunately can't give credit where credit is due because it looks like it's been passed around from account to account with too long a paper trail to find the original creator. As with all recipes posted on Belowthefork.com though; I typically have an inspired foundation from which I add, omit, and change ingredients, amounts, preparation, and cook times (sometimes slightly, sometimes entirely) from its original state. In this case, I added flaxseeds and coconut to make it my own.


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Chloé's creative director Natacha Ramsay-Levi focuses on relaxed tailoring this season, offering a stylistic nod to Gaby Aghion's vision of womenswear. These beige pants offer a sublime interpretation. They're shaped with a mid-rise waist and then fall into straight legs, featuring welted pockets across the back. Complete a statement power pairing with a tailored jacket and pumps.
• We recommend purchasing your normal size – this design has a true fit
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• Mid-rise, designed for a straight-leg fit
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• Model is 180cm/ 5'11", Bust 81cm, Waist 62cm, Hips 89cm and is wearing a FR size 36
• Tonal waistband
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• Creased
• Cropped
• 53% acetate, 47% viscose
• Lining: 75% acetate, 25% silk
• Dry clean only
• Designer colour: sandy beigeProduct Code: 212216336
Founded in the 1950s by Parisian Gaby Aghion, French fashion powerhouse Chloé continues to communicate "freedom, lightness and femininity" throughout lauded bohemian ready-to-wear and iconic accessories. Billowing hemlines, beautifully delicate blouses and tassel details exude effortless, elegant French style.
Free for orders above 100 BHD 6 BHD for orders below 100 BHD


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The perfect size bowl for a small little something to eat, like yogurt, or, for me, a bed-time snack of cereal. In our household, we use this size for everything. This bowl is beautiful with the sunrise on the inside and a light coral color on the outside.
Made with durable and chip-resistant porcelain clay, the superior clay for hand-made dishes. Microwavable and dishwasher safe.


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Fionn Regan: The Bray Wanderer returns
His beautiful lyrics have ensured him success, but Fionn Regan tells Eamon Sweeney there is plenty of humour in his new album, and that he should have called it 100 Acres of Alka-Seltzer
Since emerging in 2006 with an exciting Mercury-nominated debut The End of History, an album that Regan now says, "felt like something that raised the flag", the boy from Bray, Co Wicklow, with the baffling bowl hair cut has become one of our most original and successful songwriters in recent times.
Its opening track Be Good or Be Gone nailed his local colours to the mast, containing the lovely lyric, "I have become/An aerial view/Of a coastal town/That you once knew". The song's title itself has even become a tattoo belonging to none other than Welsh actor and one-time member of Super Furry Animals, Rhys Ifans. As they say, you really couldn't make some of this stuff up.
"It's pretty amazing," Regan agrees. "He's an amazing actor and so accomplished. I loved him in Mr Nice. For someone of that calibre to say not only do they like your work, but then they go out and get a tattoo of it. It's quite a serious tip of the hat and a real commitment. I don't even have any tattoos yet."
He's rightly acclaimed for his literary and poetic lyrics, such as "For the loneliness you foster I recommend Paul Auster". And 100 Acres of Sycamore, his new release, is another album of sweet and tender songs to get lost and luxuriate in. At a series of album preview gigs that took unexpected pit stops in Lahinch, Naul and Sligo, the memorable second track Sow Mare Bitch Vixen has already struck a chord with audiences.
"It's about a rural femme fatale," Regan explains. "There's certainly a lot of humour in it. A couple of nights when I've played it out and it gets to the line, "I've always had a thing for dangerous women", there's quite a few chuckles from various quarters in the room. It's romantic as well and a whole mixture of things. (Regan sums up the album as being about "mad, wild love").
"At times, I'm at my most potent when within the walls of a song. After that, it's completely mysterious and I've no idea how I got there. Especially on the song The Lake District. When I sing that every night, I ask myself how on earth I came up with it, but Sow Mare Bitch Vixen started as a painting."
While Regan loves painting and hopes one day to exhibit, he's certainly not giving up the day job. "Some people say it's neo-expressionism and like Basquiat," he says. "I don't know, I suppose it looks like old-fashioned graffiti. I get great freedom from painting. I feel like I don't know anything about painting and it's a nice feeling. I can do it anytime, whereas songwriting is a bit more like a light bulb coming on and you go and do it."
A conversation with Regan is liberally sprinkled with a string of colourful metaphors and whimsical flights of fancy. The new album is likened to being "more like the Northern Lights than a fireworks display", and its gradual genesis "almost felt like discovering an island after the fog". He likens a solo career to "carrying the Liffey on your shoulders. At least with a band, you only need to carry a portion of it".
If this all sounds like the hallmarks of an airy fairy troubadour from outer space, it's worth noting that Regan is possibly the most polite and pleasant musician and interview subject I've ever met. He may be a dreamer, but in a refreshingly grounded way.
In his short career, Regan has already experienced the hurly burly of the often ruthless industry wheel. After the success of The End of History, he recorded a follow-up album with with Ethan Johns, son of the legendary 60s producer Glyn Johns, and whose CV includes Ryan Adams, Rufus Wainwright and Laura Marling to name but three out of literally scores of stellar names. The album never saw the light of day, as Regan's label at the time, Lost Highway, refused to release it.
"Arts and business don't always make the best dancing partners," Regan states. "Sometimes, one of them trips on the rug. I'd love to work with Ethan again. I think the only thing was we didn't have the umpire's chair in the corner. When the record came back, it was like, 'We don't like the cut of your jib'. It was like being commissioned a painting and you end up giving them their painting, and it's completely different to what they asked for and way too abstract. They're looking for trees and houses and flowers."
Finally, the resulting album The Shadow of an Empire arrived in 2010. "It was very red and black with an edge and a swagger and its chin was up in the air," Regan says. "There's definitely a debate about it which is very interesting. The other night in Galway, it was the only album people were shouting song requests for. It got tarred with a Dylan brush a bit and I think there's a lot more to it than that when you get into the gills and bowels of it, but that's just what happens sometimes."
100 Acres of Sycamore couldn't have been a more different experience. Sonically, it's certainly his most fully realised album to date. Much of it was written in Deia in North Majorca in a house owned by actress Anna Friel. "I met her in Valencia and we got talking about the book The White Goddess," Regan explains. "She told me to go Deia where Robert Graves wrote it. It's hard to describe, but it's got an air of Magic Realism. I wrote a lot of songs there. Sometimes songs I spend a lot of time on seem to rub me up the wrong way. If you could bottle the place and get it on to tape, I'd like to think this is how it might sound."
You can take the boy out of Bray, but seemingly you can't take Bray out of the boy. Place and home is everywhere in Regan's music, namely the Bray and north Wicklow coastline and hills where he hails from. The End of History is awash with local references and 100 Acres of Sycamore is no different, right down to its title. "There's a feeling of Deia spliced with Roundwood Reservoir on the song 100 Acres of Sycamore, 'We'll steer our car towards the reservoir/and poison our senses until nightfall commences', he quotes. "I wanted to be surrounded by the countryside. Something between that and Deia made up the musical landscape of this record."
One of Regan's best known and loved songs is Put A Penny in the Slot, which name checks Knocksink Wood near Enniskerry and the swans in Bray's harbour where the River Dargle meets the sea. The harbour he has immortalised in song is a perfect place to conclude a Sunday stroll of Bray head or promenade, as it also houses the Harbour Bar (O'Toole's), a wonderful boozer that Lonely Planet deemed to be the best pub in the whole world last year.
"Really?" Regan exclaims. "Wow! It really is a gorgeous bar. Some people are really interested in the places in my songs. Maybe at some point I'll do a bus tour in a milk van and stop off at all these places and do a song. We could do Put A Penny in the Slot with the line 'count the swans in the telescope' and then pop into to the Harbour Bar for a drink. There's one for my agent to try and get their head around," he laughs, beginning to cook up a plan. "'Are you sitting down? I've got a slightly different idea for this tour.'"
Speaking of the best bar in the world and their deliciously creamy pints of Guinness, is Fionn aware that 100 Acres of Sycamore can also function as an extremely soothing and meditative listen to nurse a hangover? "Brilliant, thanks!" he laughs. "I'm glad. If everyone with a hangover gets into it then I'll be doing alright! I'll be the new Alka-Seltzer. I should have called it 100 Acres of Alka-Seltzer."
100 Acres of Sycamore is released today
Day & Night


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Feeling Proud - Plumbtastic are now Accredited Which? Trusted Traders :)
Another great week for Plumbtastic!
Having undergone a rigorous assessment process covering all areas of our work and the Assessor contacting a number of our customers for feedback on the service they have received from us we are really proud to have been given the Which? Trusted Trader Accreditation.
What is Which? Trusted Traders?
Which? has been testing products and services for 60 years. Now we're doing the same for traders. Just like the Which? Best Buy award, our Which? Trusted trader icon is a sign of reputation and trust.