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Story highlights
The U.S. is home to a melting pot of "royal" domiciles
All these palatial estates are open to the public
Edsel Ford's home is a 60-room, 20,000-square-foot masterpiece on Michigan's Gold Coast
'Iolani Palace is the only former official residence of a reigning monarch on U.S. soil
For a country that ditched monarchical rule, America has some of the most intriguing "castles" in the world.
OK, maybe not castles in the classic sense.
To visit a fortress where ancient monarchs slept on stone pillows and knights bickered about grails, you'll still have to fly across the pond.
But for a different sort of castle – the kind redefined by Gilded Age names such as Vanderbilt and Ringling, by proud Polynesian monarchs or by the occasional heartbroken Latvian-Floridian stonemason – the United States is home to a melting pot of historic domiciles that would blow an 11th-century Scottish king's mind.
Here we crown seven favorites whose gates are open to gaping plebeians.
1. King of Cottages: The Breakers (Newport, Rhode Island)
Story: In 1893 Cornelius Vanderbilt II, heir to the New York Central Railroad, commissioned Richard Morris Hunt to design this palatial summer home inspired by 16th-century Genoan palazzos.
The largest and grandest of Newport's famous "cottages" (colossal leisure homes erected by America's turn-of-the-century baron class), the Breakers was created in just a few years by a team of 2,500 craftsmen from around the world.
Specs: Located on a 13-acre cliff-side estate overlooking the Atlantic Ocean, the 70-room house covers 126,000 square feet from attic to basement to mezzanine.
Standout rooms include a 22-carat gold-leaf-adorned Great Hall stretching 50 feet in every direction (including overhead) and a two-story, alabaster-columned dining room featuring enormous Baccarat crystal chandeliers and a table for 32.
Stopping by: Now in the hands of the Preservation Society of Newport County, the Breakers is one of the five most-visited homes in the country. One-hour audio tours cover about 20 rooms on the first and second floors.
The Breakers, 44 Ochre Point, Newport, Rhode Island; +1 401 847 1000; admission $19.50
2. Little Brother Complex: Biltmore (Asheville, North Carolina)
Story: George Washington Vanderbilt II clearly had bigger ideas than simply one-upping older sibling Cornelius (of the Breakers) with this massive, 1890s French chateau plunked on the edge of North Carolina's Smoky Mountains.
But when you use the same architect to dwarf your big brother's Newport fortress, there's probably some family competition etched into the blueprints.
Specs: America's largest privately owned residence occupies 175,000 square feet (or more than four acres) of floor space – with 250 rooms, 43 bathrooms, 65 fireplaces, three kitchens, an indoor swimming pool, gymnasium and a bowling alley in the basement.
Estate holdings include original Renoir paintings, Napoleon's chess set, a 25,000-volume library and a pair of John Singer Sargent portraits of the Hunt and Biltmore landscape designer Frederick Law Olmsted, the man behind New York's Central Park.
Stopping by: The 8,000-acre estate receives more than a million annual guests.
Five specialty tours of the house include a "behind the scenes" glimpse at some of its lesser-visited areas – including the butler's pantry and Biltmore's catacomb-like sub-basement. Private bus rides through the property are also available.
Biltmore, One Lodge St., Asheville, North Carolina; +1 800 411 3812; admission varies seasonally from $44 to $69
3. Forlorn Fortress: Coral Castle (Miami)
Story: Heartbroken 26-year-old Edward Leedskalnin would never love another woman after 16-year-old Agnes Scuffs broke off their engagement a day before their wedding.
Over the next 28 years, the eccentric Latvian-American artisan would – as a testimony to lost love, it's been said – dedicate his life to single-handedly sculpting a massive castellated compound comprised of locally harvested coral rock.
Now on the National Register of Historic Places, the place has been called "America's Stonehenge" and still leaves engineers wondering how a short, 100-pound fellow with a fourth grade education did all this using homemade hand tools and unrequited love.
Spect: Within its eight-foot-high, three-foot-thick walls, Coral Castle uses approximately 1,100 tons of coral rock – including a stone sculpture garden with Flintstones-style furniture (500-pound rocking chairs that work), a nine-ton gate that moves with ease and a home-carved Polaris telescope.
Stopping by: Just north of Homestead in South Miami, the Coral Castle Museum is open every day, with audio stands that broadcast in several languages and guided tours also available.
Coral Castle, 28655 South Dixie Highway, Miami; +1 305 248 6345; admission $15
4. Auto Heir's Opus: Edsel & Eleanor Ford House (Grosse Pointe Shores, Michigan)
Story: Edsel Ford, lone son of auto titan Henry, would become president of Ford Motor Company by age 25, posing him the challenge of living up to his father's hulking legacy while setting his own bar over the next quarter century.
In addition to legendary cars like the Lincoln Continental, Edsel would build an English Cotsworld-style family estate that – for sheer style, taste and grandeur – tops dad's Fair Lane digs in nearby Dearborn.
Specs: A bold blend of classic European and modern (1930s) styles, the 60-room, 20,000-square-foot house designed by famed architect Albert Kahn is set on 87 lakefront acres in the heart of southeast Michigan's Gold Coast.
An extensive collection of art, period furniture and antiquities includes two Cezanne oil paintings, an original Diego Rivera and stained-glass window medallions dating to the 14th century.
Stopping by: Standard 50-minute guided tours explore the home's major rooms, including the English-baronial-style gallery and a contrasting art deco room done by eminent industrial designer Walter Dorwin Teague.
Behind-the-scenes and special interest tours delve deeper into the property and its stunning grounds.
Edsel & Eleanor Ford House, 1100 Lake Shore Road, Grosse Pointe Shores, MI; +1 313 884 4222; admission to all areas $15
5. California Headliner: Hearst Castle (San Simeon, California)
Story: Hearst Castle's predecessor was Camp Hill, a tract of ranchland on the central California coast acquired by 19th-century mining magnate George Hearst for family campouts.
After inheriting the property in 1919, George's son – newspaper mogul William Randolph Hearst – reportedly told noted architect Julia Morgan, "We're tired of camping out in the open … I would like to build a little something."
Specs: More than 28 years and 80,000 square feet later, the estate boasted the 115-room Casa Grande and three Mediterranean Revival-style guesthouses, with 27 acres of gardens.
Borrowing from just about every classic European style, castle highlights include the spectacular Neptune pool, an indescribably ornate main library (one of two on the property), Mr. Hearst's private Gothic suite and one of the world's most extensive (and manically collected) stashes of art and artifacts.
Stopping by: Now a California State Park, the property offers four separate tours covering various floors of Casa Grande and the areas of the estate.
A special Evening Tour (spring and fall only) lets visitors experience the mansion at twilight while docents play out the roles of 1930s houseguests and staff.
Hearst Castle, 750 Hearst Castle Road, San Simeon, California; +1 800 444 4445; admissions start at $25
6. Greatest Showpiece on Earth: Ca' d'Zan (Sarasota, Florida)
Story: Inspired by their favorite Tuscan villas and Venetian palaces, circus tycoon John Ringling and his wife, Mable, built a 1920s Mediterranean Revival-style dream home that would become known as "the last of the Gilded Age mansions" – and the best place for a Gatsby-style party in southwest Florida.
Falling into state hands (and some neglect) after Ringling's death in 1936, the huge waterfront mansion overlooking Sarasota Bay entered its second heyday with a recent $15 million restoration effort.
Specs: The 36,000-square-foot, five-story (plus full basement) property totals 56 rooms, including 15 bathrooms.
It's adorned with Gothic arches, Mexican onyx columns, priceless 17th-century tapestries and a custom-made 1892 Steinway piano in the two-story great court, dolloped with an 81-foot Belvedere tower.
Stopping by: Docent-led tours of the mansion's main living space and a special Private Places tour through less frequented areas run daily.
After the house tour, you can see the estate's famous art museum, which houses one of the nation's finest collections of 17-century Baroque works.
Ca' d'Zan, 5401 Bay Shore Road, Sarasota, Florida; +1 941 359 5700; admission $25
7. Royal Relic: 'Iolani Palace (Honolulu)
Story: The only former official residence of a reigning monarch on U.S. soil, 'Iolani Palace was Hawaii's grandest symbol when it was completed in 1882.
Occupied by Hawaii's last two monarchs before American annexation, the palace would subsequently be used as a Red Cross dressing station and the state's first capitol building.
Today, the National Historic Landmark is a museum open to the public.
Specs: Filled with imported furnishings, royal gifts and art from around the world, the 34,104-square-foot royal abode featured late-19th-century technological luxuries like electric lighting (installed in 1887, four years before the White House) and telephones.
Highlights include the Grand Hall, lined with portraits of Hawaiian monarchs, the crimson-gold Throne Rome where King Kalakaua hosted grand balls and state dinners, and the Blue Room, which features a giant portrait of King Louis Philippe of France received in 1848.
Stopping by: Docent-led and guided audio tours let guests explore 'Iolani Palace's first and second floors.
Guests can peruse Hawaiian regalia exhibits in the basement gallery and explore the spacious grounds, which include the old royal barracks and Coronation Pavilion where Kalakaua was crowned king in 1883.
'Iolani Palace, 364 S. King St., Honolulu; +1 808 522 0822; guided tours $21.75, self-led tours $14.75


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Glutamine for Workouts
This blog does not intend to provide diagnosis...
Discover how glutamine supplements could boost your workout.
L-Glutamine is an amino acid found in the skeletal muscles of the body. The amino acid is responsible for protein synthesis within the muscle cells. It is also needed for the proper function of the immune system. Taking dietary supplements of L-glutamine and eating a diet rich in lean proteins could help you to boost your workout.
One of the leading ways in which your body benefits from L-glutamine supplements is by enhancing athletic performance during high-intensity workouts. If you are already an active person who has a regular fitness routine, kicking up the intensity of your workouts could cause you to be fatigued.
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subset: commoncrawl


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Photo: David Hughes/Penn State University
In 2011, scientists discovered a species of fungus that turns ants into zombies. Aptly called the zombie-ant fungus (Ophiocordyceps unilateralis s.l.), the organism invades an ant's brain and causes it to march to its death at a mass grave near the ant colony. There, fungus spores erupt out of the ant's head to infect more ants.
As if that's not weird enough, David Hughes of Penn State University has discovered that some ant colonies survive this zombie infestation ... with a little help from another predator: another species of fungus that attacks the zombie-ant fungus!
"In a case where biology is stranger than fiction, the parasite of the zombie-ant fungus is itself a fungus -- a hyperparasitic fungus that specializes in attacking the parasite that turns the ants into zombies," Hughes said.
"The hyperparasitic fungus effectively castrates the zombie-ant fungus so it cannot spread its spores," said Hughes, who is an assistant professor of entomology and biology, and a member of the Center for Infectious Disease Dynamics at Penn State. "Because the hyperparasitic fungi prevents the infected zombie-ant fungus from spreading spores, fewer of the ants will become zombies."
Link - via The Two-Way
Little fleas have lesser fleas
And so on adinfinitum."


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WASHINGTON — The White House on Monday sent lawmakers an urgent budget request for $2.5 billion to address the deadly coronavirus outbreak, whose rapid spread and threat to the global economy rocked financial markets.
The White House budget office said the funds are for vaccines, treatment, and protective equipment. The request could advance quickly through Congress and came as coronavirus fears were credited with Monday's 1,000-plus point drop in the Dow Jones Industrials and are increasingly seen as a potential political threat to President Trump.
The request was released Monday evening and came as key government accounts were running low. The Department of Health and Human Services had already tapped into an emergency infectious disease rapid response fund and was seeking to transfer more than $130 million from other HHS accounts to combat the virus but is pressing for more.
"Today, the Administration is transmitting to Congress a $2.5 billion supplemental funding plan to accelerate vaccine development, support preparedness and response activities and to procure much needed equipment and supplies," said White House budget office spokeswoman Rachel Semmel. "We are also freeing up existing resources and allowing for greater flexibilities for response activities."
Senators returning to Washington after a weeklong recess will receive a classified briefing Tuesday morning on the government's coronavirus response, a Senate aide said.
"All of the warning lights are flashing bright red. We are staring down a potential pandemic and the administration has no plan," said Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., who blasted a shortage of kits to test for the virus and President Trump's proposed budget cuts to health agencies like the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. "We have a crisis of coronavirus and President Trump has no plan, no urgency, no understanding of the facts or how to coordinate a response."
Trump was a vocal critic of President Barack Obama's response to the 2014 Ebola scare, which barely touched the U.S. but was seen as a factor in that year's midterm elections, which restored control of the Senate to Republicans.
Trump took to Twitter Monday to defend his record.
"The Coronavirus is very much under control in the USA. We are in contact with everyone and all relevant countries. CDC & World Health have been working hard and very smart. Stock Market starting to look very good to me!" he tweeted.
Among the needs is funding to reimburse the Pentagon, which is housing evacuees from China – who are required to undergo 14-day quarantines — at several military bases in California.
Democrats controlling the House wrote HHS Secretary Alex Azar earlier this month to request funds to help speed development of a coronavirus vaccine, expand laboratory capacity, and beef up screening efforts at U.S. entry points. Azar is slated to testify before the Senate Appropriations Committee on Tuesday, and the U.S. response to the outbreak is sure to be a major topic.
The White House budget office, led by Russell Vought, worked with HHS to shape the request, with the agency seeking more than the White House is likely to approve. There is a receptive audience for the request on Capitol Hill, though stand-alone emergency spending bills can be tricky to pass since they are invariably a target for lawmakers seeking add-ons.
The stock market dove Monday over coronavirus fears, with the Dow Jones Industrial Average dropping by 3.6 percent – or more than 1,000 points.
The quickly spreading virus has slammed the economy of China, where the virus originated, and caseloads are rapidly increasing in countries such as South Korea, Iran, and Italy.
China reported 508 new cases and another 71 deaths, 68 of them in the central city of Wuhan, where the epidemic began in December. The updates bring mainland China's totals to 77,658 cases and 2,663 deaths.
South Korea now has the second-most cases with 60 reported Tuesday morning, bringing its total to 893. South Korea has reported a near 15-fold increase in infections with the new coronavirus in a week, as health workers continue to find batches in the southeastern city of Daegu and nearby areas, where panic has brought towns to an eerie standstill.
In San Francisco, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi took a walking tour of Chinatown on Monday to let the public know the neighborhood is safe and open for business.
Pelosi, a Democrat who represents the heavily Chinese American city, visited the Golden Gate Fortune Cookie Factory, whose owner Kevin Chan, says his business and others are down 70 percent since the outbreak of the coronavirus.
"Çome to Chinatown," Pelosi said. "Precautions have been taken by our city, we know that there's concern about tourism, traveling all throughout the world, but we think it's very safe to be in Chinatown and hope that others will come."
Asked about the Trump administration's looming request, Pelosi said she would want to know how the money would be used.
The administration official required anonymity to discuss the request because it is not yet public.
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Special On-line Edition for the disappearance day of
Srila Gaura-kisora dasa Babaji Maharaja
sri sri guru gauranga jayatah!
Year-5, Special On-line Edition
Posted: 24 November 2012
Dedicated to
nitya-lila pravista om visnupada
Sri Srimad Bhakti Prajnana Kesava Gosvami Maharaja
Inspired by and under the guidance of
nitya-lila pravista om visnupada
Sri Srimad Bhaktivedanta Narayana Gosvami Maharaja
Excerpts From
My Master and His Teachings
(Amara Prabhura Katha)
by Sri Srimad Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura Prabhupada
We are presenting herein excerpts from a series of articles by jagad-guru Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura Prabhupada that were published under the title "Amara Prabhura Katha – My Master And His Teachings". They first appeared in the magazine Sri Sajjana-tosani, Year 19, Issues 5–6. We are also presenting excerpts from whatever Srila Sarasvati Thakura Prabhupada spoke regarding the supra-mundane and transcendental life and teachings of Srila Gaura-kisora dasa Babaji Maharaja on the occasion of his tirobhava-tithi, the day of his sacred disappearance from this world.
Srila Sarasvati Thakura's style herein reveals a path which preserves a certain unparalleled speciality, independent of the conventional societal norm, regarding how to approach sri guru and other transcendental personalities. This bears no similarity to the approach adopted by common philosophers to describe the lives of great personalities or their own gurus. In the following article, jagad-guru Srila Prabhupada humbly yet analytically exposes the disposition with which the common people make a show of approaching sri gurudeva and great personalities. He does so in the course of discussing the accounts (katha) of his own sri gurudeva.
– The editors of the original Bengali article
Will everyone find the narrations (katha) about my spiritual master (prabhu) palatable? This I do not know. Indeed, one may even wonder, "How will listening to the accounts of your spiritual master benefit me? Am I sitting here at the cost of my time and wealth just to listen to you eulogize the glories of your master? How will listening to discussions about your master satisfy my self-interest? Why would even a slight curiosity develop in me to hear about him?"
The Realm of Diverse Self-Interest
In this realm of dvitiya-abhinivesa – where a person is absorbed in anything other than the Supreme Absolute Reality – a host of such questions and objections are bound to arise. This is because in this world, each individual is separated from every other by one thing – illusion. In such a place, one indeed distinguishes between 'you' and 'me', and 'yours' and 'mine'. Consequently, one person's self-interest cannot be reconciled with the self-interest of another. Nor does the auspiciousness of one person awaken the auspiciousness of another. In this world full of separate interests, there is even disparity of interest between mother and son, husband and wife, master and servant, and teacher and student. It therefore follows that here, where differences are plentiful, the words, 'the account of my spiritual master', stimulate the same feelings of separateness, or disparity, in the heart.
Real Congruity
Such incongruity, however, does not exist in the spiritual world, where the Absolute Truth, the son of the king of Vraja (advaya-jnana Vrajendra-nandana) is the exclusive object (visaya) of interest. The sole interest of the residents of the spiritual realm, referred to as the asraya (abodes of love), is to bring Him happiness. It thus follows that in that place where everyone has one interest only and where only one person enjoys being the cynosure of that interest, the manifestation of duality would be impossible. In that realm, there is no difference between 'your' master and 'my' master, for there, to speak of 'my' master's glories is to automatically speak of 'your' master's glories, and vice versa: when you speak of 'your' master's glories, I only hear the glories of 'my' master.
The countless eternal associates of Sri Krsna, who is the non-dual Absolute Truth and the one and only object of love (advaya-jnana visaya), are indeed His vaicitrya-tattva, or fundamental principle of variegatedness. Their exclusive interest is to satisfy the senses of Sri Krsna. Could there possibly be any disparity of interest among those perpetually absorbed in rousing the pleasure of Sri Krsna's senses?
Therefore, in this world of disparity, people may or may not honour the accounts of my master. Nonetheless, since I am a lowly dog who is sustained by my master's remnants, it is my sole constitutional duty and function (dharma) to extol his glories.
The Rightful Master of My Heart
I understand the word prabhu (master) to refer to that person who can extend his authority over me in every way, who can fully and always exercise control over my whole heart, and who in my every act, every footstep, every inhalation and exhalation and every directive of life is my sole ideal, goal and guide. That person alone is my master. Someone who controls my heart for some time and after awhile is expelled from it, who is my role model for a few moments but who, after a short time, does not remain so, is not worthy of being called my master. It therefore becomes apparent to me that such a person or thing is a mere illusion, or whim of the mind.
By nature I am critical, always looking for faults in others. My heart is so absorbed in attachment to my body and residence that the devotees call me grha-vrata, one bound by a vow to home and necessities. In my study of the life of Sri Prahlada Maharaja, I have read:
matir na krsne paratah svato va
mitho 'bhipadyeta grha-vratanam
adanta-gobhir visatam tamisram
punah punas carvita-carvananam
Srimad-Bhagavatam (7.5.30)
Having assimilated these words spoken by Sri Prahlada Maharaja, I become utterly overwhelmed with hopelessness. Here, Sri Prahlada Maharaja is referring to a person who is attached to his body and residence, in other words, to a person who is avowedly determined to tend only to the functions of his body and the needs of his residence. Since his senses are restless, he is incapable of propelling his mind in the proper direction – toward Sri Krsna. He cannot do this of his own accord nor with the assistance of someone else, especially if the person whose help he seeks is being guided by the teachings of a guru who is impulsive like him, that is, someone whose heart is not at peace. Such a person simply continues to encounter troubles and suffering, like someone who keeps chewing what others have already chewed and spat out.
Previously I went to many places, to many religious groups, and I attended many religious gatherings, but it was never my fortune to glimpse a mahatma, a great soul, who could fully capture my heart.
Diverted Toward Illusion
I have stated that only he who is my role model perpetually, at every single step, can be my master, but some may not agree with me on this matter. It seems to me, though, that those people are simply cheating themselves. I am extremely weak and cynical. If I ever see a person immersed in trying to perform hari-bhajana for half of the twenty-four hours of the day, and then, during the other half, I see him engaged in activities related to sense objects, I hesitate to accept him, to call him my master. The reason is this: it is my nature to only see faults; thus, when that person's account of his various efforts to obtain sense objects appears in my heart, besides his efforts in hari-bhajana, I reflect on such accounts and immediately fall under the sway of sense objects even more than before. I start to reason that if this person, whom I were to have made my idol, spends some of his time engaging in serving the objects of the senses, then why should I not follow suit, since I am his disciple and he is my guru ?
These types of thoughts take command of my heart and as a result, I choose someone who is a sense enjoyer as my guru. But then I see that instead of having krsna-vastu (that is, someone qualitatively non-different from Krsna – saksad-dharitvena) as my guru, 'illusion' has usurped that position. It is illusion that has taken command of my heart in the form of a false guru and is now standing on my head. Therefore, in accordance with the prescription of the scriptures, I have endeavoured to take a firm vow to abandon such illusion.
mantrena nirayam vrajet
punas ca vidhina samyag
grahayed-vaisnavad guroh
Hari-bhakti-vilasa (4.366)
(quoted from Sri Narada-pancaratra)
If one receives mantra initiation from a non-devotee (avaisnava), one can only attain a destination in hell. Therefore, one who has done so must take shelter of a bona fide Vaisnava guru and take re-initiation in a full and proper manner, following all the prescribed injunctions.
Therefore, a guru whose form is akin to illusion (maya-rupi-guru*) is an avaisnava, a non-devotee, and initiation or guidance from him will submerge me the hellish regions. Reflecting thus, I took shelter of a Vaisnava guru as per the instructions of scripture. According to the telltale signs of a devotee as specified by Sriman Mahaprabhu, I understand the word 'Vaisnava' in this way:
* A guru who is not krsna-vastu, that is, who is not a direct manifestation of Krsna and qualitatively non-different from him (saksad-dharitvena) and not engaged in hari-bhajana twenty-four hours a day.
yanhara darsane mukhe aise krsna-nama
tanhare janiha tumi 'vaisnava-pradhana'
Sri Caitanya-caritamrta (Madhya-lila 16.74)
Know that person, the sight of whom induces the holy name to burst (sphurita) on to the tongue, to be prominent among Vaisnavas. In other words, he is a foremost maha-bhagavata.
My Master's Glories
Vaisnavas are perpetually steadfast in their attachment to the holy name. They do not waste their time even for a moment by engaging in any other activity. Therefore, just the sight of such persons causes the holy name to appear in one's heart. In other words, the desire to perform hari-bhajana arises. It is in this way that my prabhu (master) extended control over my heart. I witnessed how day and night he never spent even a fraction of a moment in any activity other than hari-bhajana, or chanting the holy name. If I had ever observed that he performed hari-bhajana for twenty-three hours, fifty-nine minutes and fifty-nine seconds of the day, but then for the last remaining second directed his attention to some other object, then he would not have been able to exert his lordship over my heart, as I am completely attached to body and home (grha-vrata).
In my life I never heard him prescribe any activity other than hari-bhajana. His one and only instruction was this: "the living entity has no other obligation than continuous hari-bhajana, nor will he ever have any other duty. The knowledge, or conception, that an obligation exists other than hari-bhajana is indeed illusion."
How much will a society that is madly engrossed in material pursuits and bewildered by knowledge acquired through sense perception take note of and respect my master's words? This I do not know. Nevertheless, it is quite apparent to me that his words are the one and only directive capable of leading a jiva to his ultimate auspiciousness. In his songs, Srila Narottama Thakura Mahasaya has also condemned all ideas other than this, as follows:
ara jata upalambha visesa sakali dambha
dekhite lagaye mane vyatha
Sri Prema-bhakti-candrika (2.7)
Apart from this, whatever faulty philosophies are there, all are simply displays of arrogance. For one who respects them and makes an effort to understand them, excruciating mental pain will be the only result.
Moreover, this solitary instruction issued from the lips of Sri Bhagavan Gaurasundara Himself: " kirtaniyah sada hari – sri harinama-sankirtana is to be performed at all times" (Sri Siksastaka 3). Here the word sada means 'without interruption'. In other words, perpetuity is emphasized.
Tridandipada Sri Prabodhananda Sarasvati also instructs, " sakalam eva vihaya durad caitanya-candra-carane kurutanuragam – leave all else far behind and develop attachment to the lotus feet of Sri Caitanya-candra" (Sri Caitanya-candramrta 10).
Srila Rupa Gosvami's anyabhilasita-sunyam verse, as well as the statement by Kapiladeva found in Srimad-Bhagavatam (3.29.12): " ahaituky avyavahita ya bhaktih purusottame – the bhakti that is performed to Me, Purusottama, is ahaituky, devoid of all desires other than to serve Bhagavan, and avyavahita, free from the obstructions of karma, jnana and so on" (which is quoted in Bhakti-rasamrta-sindhu) both celebrate the fact that perpetual, continuous hari-bhajana is the ultimate form of auspiciousness for the living entities.
My spiritual master's conduct and the kirtana he performs have indeed unceasingly established this fact. Hence, 'my' master is he who establishes the innermost desire of Sri Caitanya's heart and is foremost among rupanugas. The beauty of 'my' master's service attracts even Sri Madana-mohana Himself. My master can take something that is unsightly (kurupa) and make it beautiful (surupa). He can dispel my lowly perception (kudarsana) and transform it into one that is beautiful (sudarsana). My sole desire, life after life, is to long to serve such a master and to aspire for the remnants of the servants of his servants.
Translated from the Hindi book –
Four Rupanuga Vaisnava Acaryas of the Sri Gaudiya Sampradaya, by Sri Srimad Bhaktivedanta Narayana Gosvami Maharaja, from the section on the life of Srila Gaura-kisora dasa Babaji Maharaja
Translated by the Rays of The Harmonist team
CC-BY-SA Rays of The Harmonist –
"First Disappearance Day Anniversary Edition", No.25 (Tirobhava Tithi 2011)
Rays of The Harmonist On-line; Year-5, Special On-line Edition, "Excerpts From – My Master and His Teachings (Amara Prabhura Katha)", by Sri Srimad Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura Prabhupada is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported License to ensure that it is always freely available. You may redistribute this article if you include this license and attribute it to Rays of The Harmonist. Please ask for permission before using the Rays of The Harmonist banner-logo.


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Here's an Adorable Pig Sliding on Ice Just Because
This little pig has every right to make a big stink about the weather.
This poor swine certainly can't make it to the market, since it goes on the ice and quickly finds itself slipping away.
We're in the thick of winter with a deep freeze settling over many states, so we feel the pig's pain. Maybe it ought to go inside and settle on the couch under a nice blanket, so it can be -- drumroll, please -- a pig in a blanket.


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Meet Lenore. She's an undead little girl with a 400-year-old vampire friend named Ragamuffin who looks like a doll who's had most of his haired yanked out. Lenore is good-natured, mostly, so the havoc and death of innocent bystanders around her is usually not on purpose. I loved her instantly.
I'd somehow missed Lenore's existence until I was asked to take a look at the newest compilation of strips titled Lenore: Swirlies. Yes, the name means exactly what you think it means and follows a line of similarly titled compilations including Noogies, Wedgies, and Cooties. The titles are perfect for the dark, surreal, quirky world that Lenore calls home.
The newest hardcover, Lenore: Swirlies, features full-color reprints of Lenore strips as well as a hilarious author intro in which he contemplates coming up with a new childhood torment so he has a title for the next book. The style is morbid and creepy, but at the same time incredibly funny. Think Tim Burton movies. In fact, the author is currently working on a feature film with his dear demented Lenore, so that's not far off.
Lenore is accompanied by a wonderful collection of off-kilter characters. There's Mr. Gosh, who looks like a sock puppet with oversized button eyes, but is actually a dead guy with a sack over his head. He's completely, utterly obsessed with little Lenore. Also, he lives in Cupcake Castle which is inhabited by Cupcake Munchkins that bake treats like deranged Oompa Loompas.
Another friend is Pooty. He's got a bucket for a head, or a Jack-O-Lantern at times, and he carries a trident. It's magical and lets him change into things like ponies. You can not make this stuff up, unless of course you're author Roman Dirge, in which case it's your job. Lucky, lucky, guy.
If you like your comics dark and creepy and a little spooky, with squishy brains and crawling bugs, and cupcakes, then pick up a copy of Lenore: Swirlies. The 120-page hardcover retails for $17.95 and will not disappoint, although you may never again look at a sock puppet quite the same way.
I received a copy of this book for review.


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Unified communications is an increasingly important investment for organizations looking to improve productivity and responsiveness while reducing their IT costs. UC and it's convergence of voice, video, and applications, is bringing benefits to enterprises and SMBs in every industry across the globe.
But if you're undertaking a UC upgrade, it can be hard to know how to differentiate between all the many UC solutions that exist on the market today. Unified communications technology evolves so rapidly that it's becoming more difficult for organizations to predict which requirements they might need now and in the future. What are the implications on your IT infrastructure? Will the technology become obsolete too quickly?
In fact these fears are consistently on the list of the many reasons that organizations tend to sweat legacy investments for too long.
The key to differentiating the right UC solution is to search for and ultimately adopt a solution that's built with/on:
- Sufficient Flexibility – As office applications change, desktop and IT experiences evolve, and system requirements grow an enterprise-grade UC solution should offer multiple choices to adapt. The right UC solution will be flexible—with choices for both premises and self-managed deployments, subscription models with cloud services, or a hybrid with private cloud option—and accommodating of new requirements as your business needs evolve over time. Solutions that extend the value of your existing IT investments and promote end-user adoption should be high on the list of anyone looking for flexible, agile communications. Core elements of a flexible solution should include: use of open, standards based protocol interfaces, Web Service orientation, the ability to add complimentary solution components including devices (IP phones, smart phones, etc.),productivity applications (plug-ins for email clients, or web portals), and even purpose built applications to automate certain business processes.
- All Inclusive Licensing – All-inclusive licensing gives technology and financial decision makers the ability to anticipate user costs while ensuring that their end users have full access to the UC productivity apps and tools they desire. The inclusive structure makes purchasing UC easier by eliminating complexity associated with mapping licenses for specific apps or features to individual users or groups of users.
- Variety of UC apps and services such as mobility – Often users throughout an enterprise adopt varying work styles which best suit their roles and responsibilities. Offering a range of UC applications allows users the ability to choose the apps that best suit their particular needs and work styles. These may include some, or all, of the following: desktop UC apps for windows MAC users, browser based applications for cross platform use, mobile device apps for smartphones and tablets, plug-ins for other productivity tools like email and calendar apps or document management and related groupware systems. Ideally, all of these various UC oriented applications will have uniform features delivered with a common look and feel to simplify transition from one to another.
- Software-based solution – software-based UC and collaboration platforms operate across premises, cloud, or hybrid environments (flexibility). With a variety of software apps, operating across multiple devices (PCs, smartphones, and tablets), software-based UC systems fit naturally into an enterprise's IT systems environment, leveraging common operating principles and practices. This lowers overall operating costs, and maximizes the possibility for integration into an enterprise's business processes maximizing the return on investment.
- Vendor Maturity – vendor maturity is incredibly important when choosing a UC solution. There are multiple types of vendors in the marketplace today. There are those whose background is in network convergence. There are others whose background is strictly telephony. But for today's modern communications—that work consistently in co-operation with other enterprise technologies—you need a vendor whose strengths are in both telephony and IT infrastructure. You need more than a Gartner Magic Quadrant leader—you need a challenger, an innovator, a customer-focused vendor building next-generation unified communications and collaboration experiences that reduce IT complexity and delivers superior reliability, scalability and robustness.
Enterprise Connect 2015
Each year at Enterprise Connect, a mock Request for Proposal (RFP) session is held. The mock RFP is a simulation of the requests that enterprises and government agencies put out when looking for a new unified communications solution.
The session, led by independent consultant David Stein, Principal at Stein Consulting Group, assesses the most common unified communications and collaboration that SMBs and enterprises alike typically differentiate between. Each of the vendors that participate is required to answer questions related to their solutions' architecture, features, and Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) over a 3-5 year period.
This year's UC RFP and Review session will, again, look at premises vs. cloud-based communications platforms. The session is a long running tradition and the ideal way to provide potential customers an objective way to learn about the top vendors in the industry. The session includes discussion of:
- Overall findings/trends as of Q1 2015
- The system offerings currently available from leading suppliers
- Strengths and weaknesses of leading vendors' offerings
- The subjective rankings based on architecture, functionality and cost
- Product Differentiation (what really matters?)
- UC Procurements (should enterprises focus on platform or use cases?) and more.
There are a number of factors to consider in evaluating Unified Communications RFPs—high availability, voicemail, unified messaging, and unified communications are just some of the features of modern communications technology.
If your organization is starting the process of looking for a new UC solution to replace your existing IP/PBX, I invite you to join me during the session and listen to how each vendor ranks.
For a comprehensive look at weighting, factors and TCO evaluations from 2015, download the UC RFP whitepaper by David Stein.


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The dreaded Chinese New Year is fast approaching; dreaded not because I fear the festival itself but what accompanies it – crazy traffic jams in the expressways, packed shopping malls and hawkers taking long breaks. Still, we put ourselves through this just to be close to loved ones living far away on this auspicious occasion.
There was one year we were crawling in the North-South Expressway for five hours from Kuala Lumpur to Ipoh on a journey that usually took only two hours. What made it worse was that most of the rest stops along the expressway were chock-full of travellers and two very annoyed cats confined in their carriers with us in the car. Good thing they had the sense to hold their bladders until we reached Ipoh.
Many hawkers also like to close their businesses for up to a week during the Chinese New Year holidays. Looking for food during this time is like looking for a needle in a haystack. Finding one does not signify luck of the new year. Hawkers opened during this festive season have no qualms in adding a RM1 surcharge to each single serving. The justification is that they have to work on such an important occasion. They are cutthroats notheless.
Complaints aside, I look forward to the Chinese New Year for the opportunity to be among the warmth of family, share meals together and the general air of festivity. Wuan has been sprucing up the house with festive decorations and made me buy new clothes and shoes to herald in the change of season. This makes the sense of anticipation even more. Most of all, the Chinese New Year was the happiest occasion when I was a child. I am hoping to recapture some of those memories and exhilaration of years long gone this year.


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Gregory Lee Giusti was arrested yesterday for making threatening phone calls to Nancy Pelosi and her husband, and now his mom says Fox News made him do it.
According to the LA Times, 48-year-old Giusti is accused of placing dozens of calls to Pelosi's homes in California and DC, and to her husband's business office. At one point he "allegedly recited her home address and warned that she should not support the healthcare overhaul bill that was recently signed into law if she wanted to see her home again." The FBI arrested him for making criminal threats, and San Francisco ABC affiliate KGO called his mom to find out more.
It's always sad when the mother of an accused criminal is not surprised at all that he's been arrested. Eleanor Giusti says,
Greg frequently gets in with a group of people that have really radical ideas and that are not consistent with myself or the rest of the family, which gets him into problems. I say Fox News, or all of those that are really radical, and he, that's where he comes from.
Indeed, Gregory Giusti has a history of "getting into problems." In 2004, he was arrested after trying to evade the fare on the San Francisco-area rail line CalTrain. I happened to be riding the CalTrain a lot in 2004, and I can tell you it was actually pretty hard to get in trouble for fare evasion — conductors and transit cops alike were pretty lenient, and I saw more than one person explain his or her way out of a fine by claiming to be lost, or from out of town, or in the midst of some family crisis. What apparently doesn't work, for all you would-be fare-evaders out there, is "yelling and threatening the conductor's life." This got Giusti arrested for — coincidence alert — making criminal threats. He's also gotten in trouble for petty theft, welfare fraud, and fare evasion on BART, the San Francisco area's subway system. The guy doesn't like affordable healthcare, but he apparently thinks transportation should be free.
In a reversal of the usual "he was quiet and mild-mannered" script played out by acquaintances of criminal suspects, Giusti's neighbors apparently think he's a jerk. Says one, Rose Riggs, "He was not one of my favorite people. He had a real attitude problem." Clearly Giusti has been spoiling for a fight since at least 2004, and it's no surprise that he managed to find one. He's not, however, the only anti-healthcare zealot to make threats in the wake of the bill's passage, nor is his mom the only person to take note of the influence of Fox News on said zealots (take a look, for instance, at Ted Nugent's bizarre exhortation to "kill the pigs" on this Your World segment). Insofar as Fox anchors have inspired a lunatic fringe, though, they've attempted to disavow it, and the really disturbing thing may be that people like Giusti now operate in a sort of Wild West of far-right hysteria, more extreme than even TV's most reactionary voices. Tea Partiers like Pam Stout have noted that their movement draws power from the grassroots, not from the top, and its individual members may be willing to do things that, say, Sarah Palin would never do. Gregory Giusti seems unhinged, but he could be the new face of the American right, and that's a pretty scary thought.
San Francisco Man Arrested For Allegedly Threatening Nancy Pelosi [LAT]
Accused Man's Mom Blames Fox News For Behavior [ABC, via CrooksAndLiars]


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I'm posting a quick summary of the Committee meeting, followed by the complete text of Esther's BackPacked with Care flyer.
The Committee met for the first time on August 8, 2012. Carol Lopez, Bill Meine, Will Doerlich, and John Mills represented the Parks and Community Services Commission. Esther Lucas, Nicole Blazin, Pat Edwards, and Kim Giuliano represented staff. Seven residents including me attended the meeting.
The Committee came up with a list of the top five goals for an Independence Day event and then broke into subcommittees. Two of us, including me, are on the Research Subcommittee to find out what other cities are doing for their Independence Day events. Three other residents are on the Events Subcommittee to come up with ideas for how to celebrate Independence Day.
I'm posting Esther's flyer below. "Us" means her, Nicole Blazin, and Gary Lucas.
BackPacked With Care is a special project created by Esther and Gary Lucas and Nicole Blazin. The three of us recently learned that 170 elementary kids in San Ramon qualified for the subsidized school lunch program. To qualify for this program a family of 4 must earn less than $41,000 per year. While many residents in San Ramon are blessed with nice homes and good incomes, there are many who are struggling to make ends meet. Back to school time can be very expensive for growing children, causing more financial stress on already strained families. Our goal is to provide as many backpacks filled with much needed school supplies for these children as is possible.
Listed below are the supplies needed for an average elementary school child here in San Ramon. If you wish to donate you can bring any of the supplies listed below either individually (i.e. boxes of pencils, crayons, etc), an individual backpack with the supplies for a child or a gift card or small cash donation. Esther, Gary and Nicole have personally challenged themselves to 10 backpacks each this year, with your support we can do a lot more! So shop till you drop and help us supply local kids with what they need to to be successful in school this year!
? 1 Backpack
? 12 #2 Pencils
? 24 Crayons
? 2 Glue Sticks
? 1 Box Of Tissues
? 1 Pink Eraser
? 8 Broad Tip Markers
? 1 Pair Of Scissors
? 1 Pencil Case
? 1 Wide-Ruled Spiral Bound Notebook
? 3 Pocket Folders
? 12 Colored Pencil Crayons
? 1 Mead Composition Book
? 3 Multi-Color Pocket Folders
? 1 Ream Of Copy Paper
? 1 Ruler
? 3 Pens
Donations can be dropped off at City Hall - Parks & Community Services, 2226 Camino Ramon, Attn: Esther and Nicole by FRIDAY, AUGUST 17, 2012. Any leftover supplies will be donated to the classroom teachers.
Be sure to leave us your name and email address so we can keep track of who donated! Thank you for your generosity!
Questions or for more information CONTACT:
Nicole Blazin firstname.lastname@example.com
Esther Lucas firstname.lastname@example.com
Gary Lucas firstname.lastname@example.com


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Girl Mom Varsity Sweatshirt
This crew neck pullover has a classic cut with long sleeves and is super soft! We use unisex sizing for all of our tees. This ensures a comfortable fit for everyone! Pre-shrunk fabric. True to size.
Screen printed in-house in Charlotte, North Carolina
International Shipping rates will be calculated during checkout. We are not responsible for customs fees.
If you need your items sooner, please contact us prior to purchasing to ensure we are able to get to your order in time. Fast Processing fees could apply, but will be discussed prior.
Here is where I love to share what life as a small business owner, mother and Christian is like. I would love for you to follow along and learn more about Saved by Grace Co. and how we got started!
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/savedbygrace.co/
Facebook: /savedbygracecoshop
Saved by Grace Co. was created with a mission to help people to see God in everyday goods, using everyday things. All items are ethically sourced and made right in our home in Charlotte, North Carolina by our small team of two.
Owner, Whitney Vaughn has worked really hard on all designs you see in the shop. Our designs are original by Saved by Grace Co. ©. Please do not copy our images, phrases or text to reproduce our products for personal or commercial use. We periodically check our designs/property to ensure they have not been infringed upon and will report all businesses/persons who do so when found. We just ask that you please do not copy our business/work.
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Shipping charges for your order will be calculated and displayed at checkout if your order is over 50 pounds. If under 50 pounds, your shipping cost will only be $5.00 if you reside in the United States. International Shipping rates will be calculated during checkout.
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Any items over 1 pound are shipped USPS Priority Mail, which typically ships in 2-3 business days.
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How to Hang:
There are many ways you can adhere your quote to the wall. Each letter is light in weight and can be hung easily. My favorite and most cost effective way to hang is Loctite Fun-Tak Mounting Putty. Tear off the appropriate amount (read directions on putty) of putty and place on the letters.
This product is non-refundable due to the custom nature of the product. Letters are cut using mdf draft-board which may have natural imperfections out of our control.
Available to purchase only unfinished at this time.


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In life, you face ups and downs constantly. Choosing to be an entrepreneur means you live in a world of extremes much greater than those with the security of a 9 to 5. Especially as a young entrepreneur who has a much simpler personal life than those with wife/kids/families, I live and die by startup life; the swings are magnified because so much of it personifies my life and determines how I measure myself.
One of the luxuries of running Greenhorn Connect is that I've always had it in addition to whatever my main focus was (for the last year – oneforty and now the new startup). I've found that in most cases, there would be at least one victory, one good thing that always happened to focus on despite any setbacks or blows I'd also taken.
In the end though, some days I still feel more like the nail than the hammer. On these days and ones where I just want to get amped up, I turn to some key places of inspiration.
I love movies. I feel like a good filmmaker with the right story and actors can create a connection with the audience in a genuine way unlike any other medium. I also love sports. There is no better microcosm for life. Every game and every season mirrors so many of the struggles (and triumphs) of life. It should then be no surprise that all of these are sports and film related.
The "Suck it up" Speech – Rocky Balboa
Rocky's Speech to his son on Life & Fighting
I watch this when I need to remember that life isn't easy, and that "90% of life is just showing up" because the other guy will give up.
The Reason to Fight so Hard – Any Given Sunday
Al Pacino's "inches" speech
Nothing better captures the essence of the struggle and how those little victories, and all the day to day efforts are what builds success.
Hope & Spirit – The Shawshank Redemption
Andy and Red share in the excitement and challenges of hope.
In the end, all we have is our own spirit. If you listen to it, you will get there. This is my all time favorite movie and my goto film when I really need picked up.
Remembering Greatness – Compilation of MJ Interviews
From Nike ads to long hours on the baseball field and courts, a view into MJ's life.
Your greatest competitor is yourself, but that is how you create greatness: by demanding it of yourself and putting in the work to get there.
Drive, Passion and Dying on the Treadmill – Compilation of Will Smith Interviews
This video made me a fan of Will Smith for life and never doubt another film he's a part of.
I love Will's line, "If we got on a treadmill together, there's 2 things: You're getting off first, or I'm going to die." You either find this disturbing or you understand me.
It feels like my life can be summed up in one word: escalation. I'm always trying to make the next step greater than the last, the next day better than the previous.
One night, shortly after starting at oneforty, Laura Fitton tweeted asking, "What's the one most important thing?" I answered "Progress." Escalation is positive progress.
When I feel like progress is backwards or I just need a reminder of what drives me, this is what I turn to. This is what I'm about.


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The greatest thing to come out of Albuquerque? Probably Buggs Bunny, but A Hack And A Hacksaw can't be that far away from the top, can they? The group have just announced a new album for next year, which'll come out on March 7 through their own label L.M. Dupli-cation. It's called Cervantine, by the way.
There's also a UK tour to support this release. Dates of that tour below. N.B. we know that Dublin is not in the UK, we aren't idiots.
13 - Bristol, Polish Club
14 - Manchester, Islington Mill
15 - Dublin, Workman's Club
16 - Belfast, Auntie Annies
17 - Edinburgh, The Caves
18 - Newcastle, Star and Shadow
19 - Leeds, Brudenell Social Club
20 - London, XOYO
21 - Brighton, Ballroom
22 - Oxford, Bullingdom Arms
Plus, there's also a new video for the album's title track, 'Cervantine', which can be watched below:
Cervantine from David Herman on Vimeo.


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Vikings walk fine line in justifying Kluwe release
Over the past two days, I've been trying to strike the right balance when it comes to determining how many blurbs to post from the 29-page memo analyzing the results of the investigation conducted by the Vikings in response to various allegations made by former punter Chris Kluwe. It's not nearly as delicate as the balance the Vikings have tried to strike in justifying the decision to cut Kluwe in 2013.
The management-side law firm hired by the Vikings to analyze the investigation gives the Vikings a path through the litigation mine field that could nevertheless cause an explosion or two.
"The record does not support the claim that the Vikings released Kluwe because of his activism on behalf of marriage equality, but instead because of his declining punting performance in 2012 and potentially because of the distraction caused by Kluwe's activism, as opposed to the substance of such," the report concludes.
On one hand, it makes sense. If a man who plays a position with low demand, high supply, and little interplay among the other 10 players on the field creates a distraction, it becomes very easy to find someone who will do the same job nearly as well without a distraction. But when the actual or perceived distraction arises from legally protected activity, it becomes difficult to separate the distraction from the activity.
Under that theory, any player whose presence creates a distraction could be released, regardless of whether the distraction comes from, for example, homosexuality, disease, disability, or membership in an obscure, unpopular, and/or controversial religious group. If Kluwe, for example, belonged to a satanic cult, that would be a distraction. And it would be hard to fire him based on the distraction caused by the religious beliefs without creating the impression that he actually was being fired because of those beliefs.
Coupled with a specious analysis of his 2012 punting skills, Kluwe's upcoming claim for wrongful discharge could be much stronger than a legal theory based on special-teams coordinator Mike Priefer creating a hostile work environment by making homophobic remarks, especially in light of Kluwe's admitted workplace conduct. But the question of whether Kluwe's jokes about the Jerry Sandusky scandal show that Kluwe wasn't offended by Priefer's remarks won't matter when the time comes to assess the philosophical question of whether the protected activity and the distraction arising from it are one in the same.
If they are, Kluwe easily could win in court.


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5 Interesting Compost Management Systems
Compost: everybody's doing it, or they should be. Food waste is a major contributor to landfills, which is why some cities are starting to get aggressive about requiring composting, with their own municipal composting services. Some individuals are taking the initiative themselves to get their food waste out of the waste stream, especially if they also have their own gardens or access to a community garden that could use their compost.
But compost isn't always fun to deal with. If it's not managed properly, it can get stinky, and it can also attract animals. If you're composting in your home in particular, you tend to want to control odors, so, how do you compost without driving yourself up the wall? It's a question that's been bothering a lot of people, so a whole slew of extremely efficient, compact, and cleverly designed compost management systems has hit the market.
This product consists of a bin, which comes in several sizes, is foot-operated, features compostable liners, and has a seal to keep unwanted odors out. It fits tidily on the floor or under the sink so it tucks out of the way in small kitchens where space is at a premium, and it's a family endeavor: it was designed by a father-daughter team!
Bokashi (above)
Not so much a product as a method of composting, Bokashi involves the use of specialized microorganisms. Developed in Japan, it ferments organic materials for a very fast breakdown. Users start with a layer of bokashi, add organic material, and layer with more bokashi until the container is full. Then it's left a week to 10 days to ferment, and the result is rich, delightful soil. It can be added to an existing compost pile to improve it, or applied directly to the garden.
Compostio (formerly NatureMill) is another product designed with small spaces in mind. This two-chambered system allows the user to put fresh food in the top chamber, where it's aerated, ventilated, and heated to help components break down. A push of a button routes it to the bottom chamber, where it ages for a week, at which point the user can pull out the tray and marvel at the rich, nicely-processed compost inside. The innovative system cuts down on odors and works fast, so people don't have to wait around for their compost.
Compost Drawer
Another way to manage space in a small kitchen: tuck compost into a drawer. Not literally, of course, because that could get unpleasant fast, but you can build a slide-out compost bin and hide it behind the face of a drawer, allowing you to pull it out when you're working and tuck it back in when you're not.
Another interesting waste collection technique involves embedding a compost bin into the counter; as you chop, you can push waste right into the bin! Easy cleanup, and easy waste management, with a lid that locks down to seal the compost and keep odor down. If you're planning a kitchen remodel, talk to your contractor about the options for a discreet built-in compost.
Vermicomposting Kit
Composting with worms is catching on in a big way, and no wonder. It's fast, low-odor, and yields great soil complete with worm castings that make it even richer than regular compost. That's why some companies are offering (and you can build) vermicomposting kits specifically designed for tight kitchen spaces. Many are multi-leveled to allow users to manage their compost more efficiently and effectively.
If you've been afraid of compost because you visualize it as a big stinky pile requiring the services of a Portland carpenter to build an enclosure, think again! You can compost easily, efficiently, and non-stinkily right in your own kitchen.
Katie Marks writes for Networx.com.
Updated December 24, 2018.
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- Home
- Government
- Departments A - M
- Health Department
- Community Health & Planning
Community Health & Planning
The Community Health Planning Division is involved in all types of preparedness efforts, disease surveillance and communication with the community and public health partners. One of Community Health Planning's main objectives is to offer Cape May County residents the highest degree of readiness and public health protection.
Division Responsibilities
- The division is responsible for the following essential public health services and tasks:
- Communicate with the community leaders, the healthcare community, and the public during emergency situations and inform them of daily events through New Jersey Local Information Network and Communication System (NJLINCS).
- Conduct surveillance of disease trends and monitor the health status of the community to help prevent epidemics, the spread of disease, and to investigate outbreaks of disease and implement control measures.
- Coordinate the seasonal influenza vaccination program for the community.
- Develop emergency preparedness plans for bioterrorist events and/or public health disasters.
- Develop policies and plans that support individual and community health efforts in the event of an emergency situation
- Establish and mobilize community partnerships to identify and solve health problems through Mobilizing for Action through Planning and Partnerships (MAPP).
- Promote and encourage healthy behaviors by attending community events and distributing educational materials to the public and professionals, thereby keeping the community informed, educated, and empowered about health issues.
- Recruit and train volunteers from the professional and nonprofessional community to become available for action in an emergency involving Cape County. These volunteers are then part of the Medical Reserve Corps (MRC).
- Research innovative solutions to health issues using the newest technology available.


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Monsoon 66-600-13 Butternut, a photo by KOTHEA on Flickr.
Wallpaper can get a little 'same-old, same-old' can't it? But remember that wallcoverings come in many foms. KOTHEA are now releasing 7 Raffia Wallcovering Designs each in a range of colourways.
Monsoon is a classic weave of toughened natural cellulose, making it suitbale for residential or contract usage – if properly treated and specified. At 106cm wide each standard roll is 36m long with a cut-length service available.
Via Flickr:
Raffia Wallcovering that's toughened for contract uses. Exceeds 60,000 double rubs and so the surface abrasion is classed as "Heavy Duty". 100% Cellulose backing with 66% Cellulose Surface. 106cm untrimmed. Can be FR Fire Treated. KOTHEA Luxury Fabrics @ www.kothea.com


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| The History and Work of the Foundation for Shamanic Studies
By Michael Harner
© Shamanism, 25th Anniversary Issue 2005, Vol. 18, Nos. 1 & 2
The editor of Shamanism, Bill Brunton, has asked me to provide a summary of the history of the Foundation for this special twenty-fifth anniversary issue, including a glimpse into the future. Consequently, I went over past issues of the journal (originally called the Newsletter), and came across the following piece published almost a decade and a half ago. It might be a good place to start.
History of the Foundation for Shamanic Studies
Following his initial shamanic training in the Upper Amazon in 1961 and 1964, Professor Michael Harner developed his personal practice of shamanism and shamanic healing in the United States. He also began to teach about the practical importance of the ancient shamanic knowledge and wisdom of the tribal peoples of the world. As he wrote and lectured on shamanism, students and others began to ask him to introduce them to the shamanic methods. In response to these requests, he started giving training workshops in the early 1970's to small groups of people. Interest in this training rapidly grew, and in 1979 he founded the Center for Shamanic Studies in Norwalk, Connecticut, to facilitate the training.
For eight more years Dr. Harner continued his duties as a university professor of anthropology, but at the same time he was aware that shamanic practice and training in tribal cultures was fast disappearing. It became clear to him that firm worldwide action had to be taken to help preserve the ancient knowledge and to transmit it to future generations. To this end, he increasingly took leave from the university to pursue shamanism and shamanic teaching.
Finally in 1987 he resigned his professorship to devote himself full-time to shamanism. At this point the Center for Shamanic Studies was integrated into a new non-profit organization, the Foundation for Shamanic Studies, which he founded and headed. The organization was dedicated to the worldwide preservation, study, and teaching of shamanic knowledge for the welfare of the Planet. Immediately he initiated work to help the missionized Inuit (Eskimo) peoples in northern Canada to recover their once highly developed practice of shamanism, and formally initiated a Soviet-American shamanism program.
Newspaper Rock, Utah Photo by Jeremy Edwards
The Foundation grew rapidly, with financial support primarily coming from the shamanic training courses and workshops Dr. Harner taught, supplemented by private donations and membership contributions. From the early 1980's onward, his teaching of workshops and training courses was augmented by others he trained, such as Sandra Ingerman and Sandra Harner. As interest in the workshops further grew, he invited some of his other students to join an international faculty teaching the methods of shamanism to an ever-wider audience.
At all times an objective of Michael Harner and the Foundation has been to provide reliable training in basic universal, or near-universal, methods of shamanism. Called "core" shamanism, these methods are provided worldwide to those interested. After learning the basic principles of practice, workshop participants are encouraged to work and gain experience independently. Often they join or form local, informal drumming groups or circles working autonomously to help each other, their friends, relatives, and communities.
For those who wish more advanced training in shamanism and shamanic healing, the Foundation provides specialized advanced workshops as well as longer-term and experimental courses extending up to three years. There is also training in Harner Method Shamanic Counseling, a new system in which the client employs shamanic journeying for personal problem-solving. Today the international faculty regularly teaches not only in North America, but also in Latin America (Alicia Luengas Gates), Japan (Michal Mugrage), Australia and New Zealand (Jill Bathgate). European teaching functions are coordinated through the Foundation for Shamanic Studies of Austria in Vienna (Paul Uccusic), and for French-speaking Europe, through Claude and Noelle Poncelet.
When asked, the Foundation also helps tribal peoples to revive their own threatened or destroyed traditional practices of shamanism. To this end, the Foundation has dispatched basic training teams and individuals to various tribal groups. They visit for as short a time as possible just to provide basic shamanic tools, so that the native volunteers can subsequently get most of their shamanic knowledge directly from the spirits, as is typical in shamanism. Groups to which such assistance has been lent, besides the Inuit, include the Sami (Lapp) people of northern Finland, Sweden, and Norway, and Native American tribes in the northeastern United States. The Foundation also sponsors a scholarship program for individual Native American students. These various activities are part of the Foundation's Urgent Tribal Assistance program (UTA).
The Soviet-American Shamanism (SAS) program has included sponsoring, and financially supporting, grassroots shamanic training workshops in Kiev and Moscow, as well as in such countries of eastern Europe as Hungary, Latvia, Estonia, Poland, and even before the Berlin wall came down, East Germany. The Foundation also has a contract with the Soviet Ministry of Health to introduce shamanic healing methods (there known as "Psychorhythmo-therapy [Harner Method]") for the drug-free treatment of alcoholism and addiction problems. Michael Harner and the Foundation cooperate with anthropologists of the Soviet Academy of Sciences with regard to the study of shamanism and introduced the experiential study of shamanism to the anthropological academic community there.
Under the Shamanism and Health program, Sandra Harner, the Health Research Director of the Foundation, conducts experimental research regarding the effects of shamanic healing work on the human immunological system, as well as gathering case histories of persons for whom shamanic healings have been undertaken.
The Shamanism for Healing the Earth project (SHE) is embodied in various aspects of the teaching programs of the Foundation and emphasizes raising human consciousness, through shamanism, of the living, sacred nature of the Earth and of humans' spiritual connectedness to all beings and to the Planet itself.
Another project, the Mapping of Nonordinary Reality, collects and analyzes cross-cultural data comparing shamanic journey, near-death, and other mystical experiences. This long-term project, directed by Michael Harner, is planned to continue for many years. The results are expected to challenge Western paradigms of the nature and limits of reality.
Please consider joining the Circle and receive the Foundation's journal, the Shamanism Annual as part of your benefits.