text:
If you have trouble with this bucket, you are not alone! However, this bucket is the first one you can and should eliminate. You can get rid of your short-term debt by living within your means and then paying the debt down over time. When you get rid of this bucket, you will be free to put your money in the other, more productive, buckets. Short-term debt is not always wrong, but it always presumes upon the future and it always affects your financial flexibility. Scripture strongly warns that debt creates bondage, and my desire is to see freedom come into the financial lives of those who are seeking God's direction for their money.
We can be certain that there will always be economic uncertainty.
Four principles:
Spend less than you earn. (Live within your income.)
Avoid the use of debt. (Do not live so that you obligate your future.)
Build liquidity or flexibility by having reserves set aside.
Set long - term goals. (Know where you are headed and what your priorities are.)
These principles will work no matter what your income level, where you live, what your circumstances are, or what your stage of life is.
There are many hidden dangers when it comes to borrowing money.
Economic danger:
The magic of compounding is working against you and for the lender.
To repay debt you have to earn the money you owe, plus taxes, plus your tithe. All debt is paid back with after tax dollars.
Debt always mortgages or pre-commits the future.
Spiritual consequences:
Going into debt violates the biblical principal of not presuming on the future.
Borrowing money denies God the opportunity to provide. It also puts the lender in the place of God.
Psychological Implications:
Whenever there is any debt in a household, it tends to cause a high stress level in a family, especially in the wife. Debt threatens a woman's sense of security.
Debt can cause marital conflict. Husbands, use your wife's counsel as an admonition to keep you out of danger.
If you cannot repay your debt, it can damage or ruin your Christian testimony.
There are 3 simple rules when it comes to borrowing money:
The economic return on the amount of money borrowed must be greater than the economic cost.
This is usually the case with a home mortgage, and sometimes with investment debt. It is not the case with credit card debt or with car debt. If you use a credit card, plan to pay it off, completely, every month.
If you are going to borrow money, you should have a guaranteed way to repay it.
For example, when you borrow money to buy a home, if you cannot make the payments, the bank can have your house. This repays the debt. If you borrow money on a credit card for a vacation, you do not get an asset that you can use to repay the loan.
Biblically, we are commanded not to presume on the future. James 4:13-15 "Come now, you who say, 'Today or tomorrow, we shall go to such and such a city, and spend a year there and engage in business to make a profit.' You do not know what your life will be like tomorrow. You are just a vapor that appears for a little while and then vanishes away. Instead, you ought to say, 'If the Lord wills, we shall live and also do this or that.'" (NIV)
Spouses must be in total agreement on any borrowing decision.
Generally, husbands and wives think differently about debt. Many times a husband has been saved from financial problems by listening to his wife's counsel.
Mathematically, the cheapest car that you can drive is the one that you presently own. Over time, the cost to drive a car typically goes down. Maintenance costs might increase, but insurance costs decrease, and depreciation decreases.
Three principles:
Save for your car purchases.
Always pay cash for your car.
Drive your car as long as possible.
It always makes more sense to buy a new car than it does to lease one.
When I buy a new car, I have the cost of borrowing, depreciation, and maintenance. When I lease a car, I have all of these costs, plus the lender adds on their profit margin.
Paying cash for a new car always makes more sense than borrowing money to buy one.
Lenders know that most people do not pay off these low interest rate loans in the time frame of the offer. They will then convert the loan to a higher rate loan.
Paying cash for a new car is always best. If you do this you will make a better decision than if you take the lender's gimmick of a low interest rate.
If you have the cash to pay for a new car, and you get an offer for low or no interest, it is okay to take the offer. Make sure you put the money you have saved for your car in an interest bearing account, and when the time frame for the special offer is over, pay off the loan.
One of the biggest budget mistakes people make is buying a house that is too big or too grand.
When you buy a house, you buy a lifestyle. You may buy a house that requires you to send your children to private school, or that has higher taxes or utilities, or one that makes you feel like you need to keep up with the neighbors.
The best way for you to decide what you can pay for a house is to determine a total lifestyle budget, and then allocate what you can afford in terms of a mortgage within that budget.
Remember that a house is place to live; it is not an investment. An investment is something that you sell when it goes up in value. A house is a place to raise your family, to generate a lifestyle, and to do things that are non-financial.
See the following sites for good mortgage calculators:
The best kind of mortgage is the one with the shortest term, the lowest interest rate, and one with a fixed payment.
It is always better to live with certainty when it comes to a mortgage payment.
Avoid an interest only mortgage, because you are not building equity in your home.
Avoid an adjustable rate mortgage unless you plan to pay it off within the first adjustment period.
Financing institutions would say that no more than 25 to 30% of your spendable income should be allocated to your mortgage payment.
I would recommend that you try to keep your mortgage payment around 20% of your spendable income, so that when you add taxes, insurance, and utilities your total comes to around 25 to 30%.
Any time you have an opportunity to pay off your mortgage, you should do it.
When you pay off your mortgage, there is obviously an economic benefit. However, there is also a psychological benefit, a marital benefit, and the benefit if more security.
What about the tax deduction you get from the interest you pay on your mortgage? It is always better to pay higher taxes and have fewer deductions than to pay lower taxes with higher deductions. The reason for this is you pay 100% of the deduction, but you only get back 20 to 40% of that amount in taxes. So it is never a good idea not to pay off your mortgage because of the tax benefit.
It is not wrong to have a credit card; it is just not always the wisest thing to do.
There was a study done that showed that when people use a credit card instead of cash, they will spend 34% more, on average.
In our society, there are some cases where you need to have a credit card, such as paying for travel or hotel rooms, or even for your safety and convenience. But if you have a problem with overspending on your credit cards, don't carry them with you.
No annual fee
Low interest rate
Pay off each month
I hesitate to give investment advice. However, I do have one investment I endorse: this investment will give you a guaranteed return of 18 to 30%, with no risk, tax-free. The investment is to pay off your credit cards!
The best way to start your financial planning is by paying off all of your credit cards. If you do this, you will save yourself whatever percentage the credit card company is charging you – it is like earning that amount of return on an investment.
Unfortunately, getting into credit card debt is a lot easier than getting out.
Ask yourself this question: What are the things that caused me to get into this problem? Some examples would be:
Poor discipline
Poor self worth
Poor money management
Marital conflict
Debt is just a symptom. You need to deal with the underlying problem.
The first step to take to get out of credit card debt is to stop going into debt.
The second step is to begin some type of repayment plan. I suggest that you take the credit card with the smallest balance and pay that one off first. Then take that payment and apply it to the card with the next highest balance. Continue until you have all of your credit cards paid off. This may take a while, but it is worth it in the long term.
A 401(k) is a great vehicle for planning for retirement. If your employer matches any part of your contribution, you should maximize what you put in, in order to maximize your long - term benefits.
You are allowed to borrow money from your 401(k) for a number of reasons, including a down payment on a house, or a medical emergency.
You should borrow from your 401(k) only in the most extreme or unusual circumstances. People who borrow from their 401(k) often find it very difficult to repay themselves. Do not ever borrow for another investment, or to spend the money on a consumer item. When you do, you have taken part of your future out of play, because you no longer have the magic of compounding working for you.
Many people are in a crisis situation, where they have more expenses than they have income, because of a job loss, a medical emergency, or an accident: things beyond their control.
If your expenses are greater than your income, what should you do? I Cor. 16:2 "On the first day of every week, each one of you should set aside a sum of money in keeping with his income, saving it up, so that when I come, no collections will have to be made." (NIV) This verse says to give as God has prospered you. If you are in financial trouble, it can be okay to give less. If you do reduce your tithe, make sure:
You have someone, such as your pastor, hold you accountable.
You have a plan.
You have someone to give you encouragement.
You should always try to give some amount, even if it is only $1, every week, as recognition that God owns it all and that you are dependent on Him and not your money to meet your needs.
This is insurance that credit card companies and mortgage companies offer "really cheap" that will pay off your credit cards or mortgage in the event of your death.
It is usually 20 to 50 times more expensive to purchase these types of insurance than it is to buy a straight term life insurance policy.
You do need life insurance to cover the debts that you have. But it is much better to buy your own insurance and assign your benefits to the lender or creditor.
When someone presents an investment opportunity to you, it is never as a bad investment. The opportunity always looks good up front. However, no investment is guaranteed, or without risk – even cash is a somewhat risky investment because it can lose its value due to inflation.
It is okay to take risks, and to make long-term investments. But never, ever borrow to make an investment.
My best advice is that your credit card bills should never surprise you in January. You set yourself up for poor stewardship and a debt situation when you cannot pay off your Christmas credit card bills in full when they come in January.
What you spend on Christmas gifts is a personal matter. The important thing is not WHAT you spend, but sticking to your budget. What you spend on Christmas is not a reflection on who you are.
Here are a few tips for Christmas spending:
Have a budget that works for your family.
Plan to pay off your credit cards in full after Christmas. One way to plan is to enter each charge in your checkbook register, so that you do not forget what you spent.
Remember that the greatest gift at Christmas is God's gift of His Son. Be grateful for that tremendous gift as you plan your budget.
James 1:17
"Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows." (NIV)
Crown Financial Ministries, "How to Save Money on Christmas Gifts"
Click Here to View the Full MasterYourMoney.com Blog
There are two main questions to ask yourself when you consider refinancing your home.
Can you lower your interest rate by at least 2%?
Are you going to stay in your house for at least 5 more years?
If you can answer yes to both of these questions, you will want to consider refinancing your home.
When you decide to refinance, shop around. Not all lenders are equal, nor will they treat you equally. Ask them about closing costs and prepayment penalties.
James 4:14
"You do not know what will happen tomorrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapor that appears for a little time and then vanishes away." (NKJV)
Crown Financial Ministries, "After the First Mortgage"
The best way to find a counterfeit is to hold it up to the real thing. Hold up any advice that you get against God's Word as a test. If the advice is not consistent with the Bible, then it is not good advice.
There is no easy way out of financial trouble. You need to follow Scriptural principles. I believe there are four steps to getting out of financial trouble:
Set up a budget. Reduce your expenses as much as you are able.
Pay off short-term debt with the cash you free up when you make your budget.
Save money for an emergency fund - for the unexpected things that happen in everyone's life.
Set long-term goals. Prioritize your goals so that you can organize your finances according to a plan.
Luke 16:11
"So if you have not been trustworthy in handling worldly wealth, who will trust you with true riches?" (NIV)
Crown Financial Ministries, "Long-Range Investing Goals"
I believe that the economy is resetting itself. Whenever there is a violation of a Biblical principle, there will be a resetting, before conditions eventually come back to the norm.
As Americans, we may have come to expect a way of life that we do not necessarily have a right to, because we have borrowed to get there.
Do not try to borrow your way to contentment or to prosperity.
The only thing you can do, personally, is take a look at how you are spending your money, and do not try to borrow your way out of your problems.
Hebrews 13:5
"Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have, because God has said, "Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you." (NIV)
Crosswalk, "Contentment"
In short, yes, this is probably a good time to buy a house – but this does not necessarily mean that you should buy a house.
This is a great time (mid 2009) to buy if you can answer these two questions satisfactorily:
Are you in a good financial position to be able to afford a new house?
Will it put a strain on your finances if you buy a house?
If you have to sell first before you buy, think about this decision. This is a good time to buy, buy not a great time to sell. So keep that in mind as you try to sell your old house. You will probably have to sell it for less than you could have two years ago. So when you look at the new houses that you might want to buy, remember that you may get less for your old house, and do not overspend because you forgot to take this into account.
Proverbs 24:3-4 (NKJV)
"Through wisdom a house is built, and by understanding it is established. By knowledge the rooms are filled with all precious and pleasant riches."
Matthew 7:24 (NIV)
"Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock."
Psalm 61:4 (NIV)
"I long to dwell in your tent forever and take refuge in the shelter of your wings."
Steve Diggs at Crosswalk, "Why Home Ownership May be Unwise"
When children leave for college, they will be confronted with financial decisions in a much bigger way than they ever have before. They will have debt made available to them in the form of credit card applications, and they will have greater peer pressure.
I believe that you begin preparing your children for college when they are about eight years old by giving them responsibility with some amount of money.
When your child gets to high school, I think it is a good idea to give them a credit card and teach them how to use it. Remember, though, if you give your child a credit that you teach them that they can use it for convenience only, and they must pay it off every month.
Another way to teach your child financial responsibility is by having conversations with them about how they will handle their finances. Have many of these conversations as your child grows up, so that your advice is part of their thinking process.
When our children turned eighteen, we had a formal conversation with each one of them where we "cut the apron strings." We told our children that they were on their own from then on to make their own financial decisions. My wife and I let them know that we would always be there for them, but they were old enough to make their own decisions, and we trusted them to do that wisely.
Romans 12:1-2 (The Message)
"So here's what I want you to do, God helping you: Take your everyday, ordinary life—your sleeping, eating, going-to-work, and walking-around life—and place it before God as an offering. Embracing what God does for you is the best thing you can do for Him. Don't become so well adjusted to your culture that you fit into it without even thinking. Instead, fix your attention on God. You'll be changed from the inside out. Readily recognize what He wants from you, and quickly respond to it. Unlike the culture around you, always dragging you down to its level of immaturity, God brings the best out of you, develops well-formed maturity in you."
2 Corinthians 13:11 (NLT)
"Dear brothers and sisters, I close my letter with these last words: Be joyful. Grow to maturity. Encourage each other. Live in harmony and peace. Then the God of love and peace will be with you."
Tanya Ruiz at Crosswalk, "Tips on College Success (For Parents)"
There are two important components of deciding what kind of car your new driver should have.
Predetermine what your parameters will be before your child turns 16.
Communicate clearly with your child what they can expect from you relative to a car.
Transportation is critical and time consuming for most families with children at home, so for your 16 year old to have a car to drive can be a big help to the main driver in the family. We bought our oldest child a used car at age 16, but it was clear to her that it was our car for our convenience.
It can be difficult when your children's friends are getting a nice new car, but if you have communicated what they can expect ahead of time, your choice for them will be easier for to accept.
One option you have is to tell your child that you will in some way match whatever they save towards a car when they turn 16. A matching plan can be very motivational to some children, and many children will take better care of a car that they have worked to help pay for with their own money.
Finally, avoid the pitfall of trying to keep up with peers and friends.
Luke 6:40 (NIV)
" A student is not above his teacher, but everyone who is fully trained will be like his teacher."
If you have trouble with this bucket, you are not alone! However, this bucket is the first one you can and should eliminate. You can get rid of your short-term debt by living within your means and then paying the debt down over time. When you get rid of this bucket, you will be free to put your money in the other, more productive, buckets. Short-term debt is not always wrong, but it always presumes upon the future and it always affects your financial flexibility. Scripture strongly warns that debt creates bondage, and my desire is to see freedom come into the financial lives of those who are seeking God's direction for their money.
Money Purpose Joy tells about paying off debt.
Money Purpose Joy gives a list of articles about debt.
Crosswalk has an article about finding freedom from debt.
Christian PF gives 7 steps to getting out of debt.
Yahoo gives a different view of making the minimum payment on credit cards.
Proverbs 31 shares God's provision and direction to get out of debt.
Learn the Bible offers a biblical perspective on getting out of debt.
Wisebread shares false assumptions about being debt free.
ThExodus 22:25-27
If you lend money to My people, to the poor among you, you are not to act as a creditor to him; you shall not charge him interest. If you ever take your neighbor's cloak as a pledge, you are to return it to him before the sun sets, for that is his only covering; it is his cloak for his body. What else shall he sleep in? And it shall come about that when he cries out to Me, I will hear him for I am gracious. (NASB)
Psalm 15:5
He does not put out his money at interest, nor does he take a bribe against the innocent. He who does these things will never be shaken. (NASB)
Psalm 37:21
The wicked borrows and does not pay back, but the righteous is gracious and gives. (NASB)
Proverbs 3:27-28
Do not withhold good from those to whom it is due, when it is in your power to do it. Do not say to your neighbor, "Go, and come back, and tomorrow I will give it," when you have it with you. (NASB)
Proverbs 11:15
He who is surety for a stranger will surely suffer for it, but he who hates going surety is safe. (NASB)
Proverbs 17:18
A man lacking in sense pledges, and becomes surety in the presence of his neighbor. (NASB)
Proverbs 22:7
The rich rules over the poor, and the borrower becomes the lender's slave. (NASB)
Proverbs 22:26-27
Do not be among those who give pledges, among those who become sureties for debts. If you have nothing with which to pay, why should he take your bed from under you? (NASB)
Ecclesiastes 5:5
It is better that you should not vow than that you should vow and not pay. (NASB)


text:
Reset your password
If you can't remember your password, type in your email address in the form. In the next few minutes you will receive an email containing a link to a page where you can reset your password to something you can remember!
Rare Earth Farm
Community Supported Agriculture

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Youtube and TV star Stevie Ryan dead aged 33
- Author: Jacqueline Ellis Jul 04, 2017,
Jul 04, 2017, 0:17
Stevie Ryan, a YouTube star whose viral videos led to her own comedy show on the VH1 cable TV channel, died by suicide Saturday, July 1, 2017, according to multiple news sources.
The Los Angeles Coroner's Office confirmed Stevie Ryan's suicide over the weekend and has since closed their case into her death. She acknowledged the recent death of grandfather, saying "I'm just anxious that this is going to send me into a deeper depression". The cause of death has been deemed as suicide by hanging.
'My dream man who I will only see in my dreams. Jenelle Evans paid tribute to Ryan on Monday, July 3, tweeting, "I know we pretty much hated each other but I'm sorry you had to go so soon pretty girl". She also created her own characters for videos, such as a 15-year-old troublemaker named Katrina, as well as a "homegirl" named Little Loca.
Stevie Ryan, who rose to fame with her YouTube series "Little Loca", has died. She also infamously feuded with several Teen Mom cast members on Twitter.
Ryan also co-hosted Brody Jenner's E! talk show "Sex With Brody". "I love you my Pa", she wrote.
"I'm just anxious that this is going to send me into a deeper depression", she said during the episode, according to People.
The show lasted two seasons but was eventually canceled in 2014. In another post, Ryan shared a photo of herself sitting on the ground in a pair of red underwear.
Several stars close to Stevie have since reacted to the news of her passing on social media, including fellow Mentally Ch (ill) co-host Kristen Carney, Drake & Josh's Drake Bell and fellow YouTube sensation Chris Crocker.


text:
Great new music… Lay Llamas
This coming Friday (June 15th), Italian psychedelic rockers, Lay Llamas, release their second album, Thuban.
Their first album, Ostro, was released back in 2014 and is packed with lots of krautrock influenced psychedelia, afrobeat rhythms and hypnotic otherworldliness. There are obvious current touchstones like King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard, Goat, The Limiñanas and Clinic, but there's something a little bit different to their sound too, an astral and wide-eyed aura that sucks in lots of influences but never sounds copy cat. There's a masterful blend of spacey psych jams, trippy mellow moments and hooky motorik grooves, and that little bit of magic that hooked me in as soon as I heard them.
With the recent success of Aussie psychedelic acts in the shapes of Tame Impala, KGATLW, Pond and Jagwar Ma, and the rise of psychedelic festivals across Europe, it's a bit of a surprise their debut album didn't get a wider audience. Hopefully their sophomore release will change all that.
Ahead of the album's release, three of Thuban's eight tracks have recently seen the light of day on both Youtube and Spotify. Check out, Holy Worms, Altair and Silver Sun below:
You can follow Lay Llamas on Twitter @LayLlamas. Thuban is out on Friday.


text:
It's one of those weeks apparently.
First there was Boomer. Then there was Madeleine L'Engle. Now there's Bob.
You can read a tribute to Bob by his dearly beloved Kate Walker on her own blog today. Suffice it to say here that Bob was a very fine cat indeed.
He was the alpha cat at Kate's house, not because he was bigger than any other cat or smarter than any other cat or more arrogant than any other cat. He wasn't even a billionaire tycoon cat.
He was the respected elder. He was the one who knew not only how things were, but How They Should Be. He was the arbiter of life in the household. Spiff is kind and gallant, Dylan is feisty and a bit of a rogue, Sid is swagger and headbutts and oodles of charm.
Bob was all about respect. He was a minimalist sort of cat. He didn't have to do anything more than Be. And that was enough. He got the job done with a minimum of fuss. Want a mouse? Right. Bob would get you a mouse. Want a bird? No problem. Want these papers sat on so they don't blow away? Can do.
He didn't throw his weight around (he didn't have any to throw). And he wouldn't have anyway. It wasn't his nature. He had The Look. And even Sid backed off that look.
Last time I visited Bob I took some bags of greenies for him and his cohorts. It's the only time I saw Bob deliberately say, Back Off to his feline friends. The greenies were his. He liked them and that was that.
He also decided he liked me more than he did BG (before greenies) because every morning I would awaken to hear him under the bed -- the sound of a rusty carburetor turning over. And over. And then when he was sure I was awake, he scaled the quilt and climbed on the bed. Then he poked until he convinced me to roll onto my back, whereupon he planted himself on top of me and continued the carburetor tune-up. As an alarm clock, Bob had no equal.
Kate said he was at peace now. He could be. He could also be telling off those fecking so-and-sos who made such a botch of things that he knew should be run better. I think heaven will be better run now that Bob is there. I feel sure the mice and birds will be paying closer attention.
Spiff, Dyl and Sid will have their work cut out for them taking over Bob's jobs.
But no one will ever take over being Bob. No one could.


text:
You are here:WindowsShareware.com > TreeSize Professional
|TreeSize Professional
TreeSize Professional is a hard disk space manager with an intuitive interface. It displays complete information about your drives and folders, including size, allocated and wasted space, the number of files, and last access date. It will also find old, big, and temporary files on your hard disks. You can print detailed reports or export the collected data to a Microsoft Excel workbook or a text file. TreeSize Professional can be started from the contextual menu of every folder or driv


text:
When there's been such a positive response from one of my previous blog posts it's hard following it up, especially when I know I'm now going into far more uncharted waters for the traditional agencies. I apologise in advance for the length of this article, it seems too long for a blog post, and too short to cover everything, maybe i'll have to get that book done. I'm going to talk about things that a traditional agency doesn't do – R & D (I could almost sense an intake of breath there). But before that, let's ease things in a bit, by looking at the roles that are utterly essential in larger integrated agencies but get overlooked as they're a little bit 'out there'.
First off, let's talk "Information Architect". Yes, it's a fancy title for what is potentially one of the most stressful roles in a modern agency. In smaller agencies this job is normally taken on by the project manager, but if that project manager has come from the traditional side problems are inevitable – let's review this. The IA role is to translate what the client wants from a web site into a design structure that can be understood and used by both the creative and programming teams. They have to draw up site diagrams and relay changes to the the respective teams so the creatives know which sections they're designing for, and so the programmers know what they're building at the earliest opportunity. They also have to ensure that the client (or other agency member) knows the full implications of re-designing a site structure and the knock-on effects to deadlines and budgets to reflect those structural changes. The IA is a real 'meat in the sandwich' role. They'll get pressure from clients or internal staff from the management side to meet deadlines and get work delivered, but they'll also bear the full brunt of the backlash from programming or creative teams should large structural changes be needed without proper consideration. But aside from the politics, they're a special breed of individual – they'll understand design, good navigation and structure. They'll also understand the target market of the site, the client's goals and how to get the most out of navigation. They'll be working closely with the creative team, but understanding how the actual site mechanics will affect the experience. This role relieves massive amounts of pressure from the programming and creative teams.
You've probably already guessed where the sticky point is for the traditional agency – the fact is that often a normal agency project manager gets moved into that role, or the role gets completely missed out and the project manager is simply trying to do everything. The pressure of site structure either stays with the project manager (which then causes them insane amounts of stress) or gets moved towards the creative or programming teams who aren't really suited to it. To put it bluntly a good IA is a very rare thing, especially one with an agency background. They can be home-grown, it's perfectly do-able, but if you're going to evolve a normal agency project manager without burning them out then they need a hell of a lot of support, as well as a willingness of the agency to respect the added skill-set needed for proper IA. Of course there are also other roles that can adapt to IA; the main thing is a good eye for design with a willingness to get stuck in technically, as well as being comfortable with talking to clients, and being able to provide the correct information when presented with a change that could have a catastrophic effect on budgets and deadlines.
Now grab a cup of coffee – it helps you get into the mood – the minute a digital agency gets big enough to start building websites (and I don't mean simple three-page sites; I'm speaking A1 clients here) – you're going to need a Sys Admin. Smaller agencies don't have one – they'll typically use a programmer to advise them on where the website goes. However, any agency big enough to be thinking about integration is going to be larger than 30 people if they've gone past the outsource phase. You could think of the Sys Admin as the janitor of the digital world: they keep the systems tidy, they'll make sure the locks are working, and if everything's working well the majority of agency staff wouldn't even notice they're there. A Sys Admin for an agency is different from your average IT dept Sys Admin. They'll speak to the project managers, creative and programming teams. They'll understand the target audience of a website, and ensure that traffic is managed in the correct way. When you're dealing with campaign websites, traffic will often come in bursts, and if there's an integrated media or press campaign the Sys Admin will understand how the timings of those campaigns will affect performance and prepare accordingly. A Sys Admin for a tech company is typically seen as the person in the dark room with the closed blinds only coming out at night, and working some kind of voodoo magic. It's a role that needs to be far more accommodating within an agency environment.
The other upside-down thing about the Sys Admin role is that in a tech company the sys admin is the role equivalent of GOD – the ultimate embodiment of knowledge is power. Nothing happens without their involvement – if you think a programmer can get a bit uppity, just wait till you experience an upset Sys Admin who thinks you don't understand them. In an agency they'll be working side-by side with both the programming and creative teams to ensure that sites are delivered working, and on time. They'll make sure that content doesn't go live without proper testing, and be responsible for hitting the 'go' button to make sites live. If they spot a security fault before the site goes live then it WON'T go live. What's worse? – missing a deadline, or long-term brand damage due to major defacement of a client's website? Of course the answer is obvious, but often security isn't thought of until something like that occurs. A Sys Admin's day job is part compliancy and part system security; they'll be keeping themselves and your external-facing systems up to date with the latest security patches, continuously keeping abreast of industry changes and technical requirements. They'll be making sure that the project managers have full statistics to site traffic reports, and they'll be making sure those domain names and email addresses are behaving as they should. It's an incredibly wide and varied role that tends to change depending on the size of the company, but a good hosting provider can take pressure off the Sys Admin by providing security updates and system patches. I know I'm only scratching the surface for that role – but I have covered the main touch points.
OK, back to R&D. Think of this as a bit of creative think-time, that comes at a higher price. Why on earth would a traditional agency do R&D? You're selling ideas not cars! But what if those ideas and all that creative energy could be empowered and turned into money-making loveliness that helped drive new client offerings? There are literally thousands of innovations that are having an effect on our industry – you can't stick to print ads forever. Print ad revenue for papers was down 15% in 2008, and that's just the beginning. Regional daily newspapers are on their way out, as well as eventually a decline in regionals – how are you as a company going to be leveraging the digital switchover of television? How are you adapting to changing consumer habits, or increasing mobile internet connectivity? How does this affect your clients; how are their brands going to evolve and adapt? Do you get it yet? The R&D that you do can directly benefit your client brands, your offerings to the client, and the future capability of your agency as a whole. Within a digital agency, innovation is an adrenaline that can inspire new ideas and creativity.
It's seeing something and thinking, "WOW! We can bring that to our client's brand". It's being brave, able to stand up and say, "People are doing this now.. but imagine if we added THIS!". But how do you get that idea across to the account managers, people at the cusp of client relationships? Easy: you get stuff in and you educate staff. They don't have to be into it; they just have to understand how it could be relevant to their client. Whether it's multi-touch, mobile, a new way of branding, or the world's most amazing audience engagement tool, the most important thing is for the account manager to feel confident and understand how it could be used. It sounds obvious, but all too often it gets skipped because people just don't talk or because there isn't an internal forum to talk about this and make time. Even harder is gaining funding for an internal thing that may or may not benefit a client – where does that budget come from? Your IT dept doesn't want it – they don't understand client-facing roles, or brand innovation. R&D is not buying an upgraded server, or keeping software up to date. Does the cost sit with what used to be your digital dept? No – that department's integrated now, besides aren't you just sticking it there because it sounds a bit digital? Be brave and accept it as an internal cost that benefits everyone.
Who gets to choose the technology? Well, I'd like to think you had a person in charge of innovation, who really understood marketing, pr, and digital (both technical and creative) – they could tell you what was coming next and how best to leverage it. Such a person should have varied industry connections, be empowered to disseminate the knowledge, and have contacts within the organisation. Ok – so there's actually only a few people who can do that properly, and have that much experience, but it IS the responsibility of any creative individual working within your agency to know what's out there.


text:
|Professor Tim Beach and Professor Sheryl Luzzader-Beach
in the tropical lowlands of Central America.
Image Courtesy of Tim Beach, and The University of Texas at Austin.
Rachel Griess, of The University of Texas at Austin, has written an interesting article about how the Maya culture of Central America altered their environment which still as lasting implications for today.
"While some studies suggest that deforestation and other land use contributed to warming and drying of the regional climate by the Classic Period (1700-1100 years ago), many existing forests are still influenced by Maya activities, with many structures, terraces and wetlands still existing today, researchers said."
To read the full article, click here.
For more information,
- Ancient Maya impacts on the Earth's surface: An Early Anthropocene analog? (PDF available)
- Tim Beach, Sheryl Luzzadder-Beach, Duncan Cook, Nicholas Dunning, Douglas J. Kennett, Samantha Krause, Richard Terry, Debora Trein, Fred Valdez. Quaternary Science Reviews. Volume 124. September 2015. Pages 1-30.
- The Maya: History, Culture, & Religion
- livescience.com, December 6, 2013.
- Archaeology in Belize
- Institute of Archaeology: national Institute of Culture and History.
- Maya Setting
- Pre History
- Mayan Time Periods
- The Maya of Belize and their neighbors
- The Maya Cultural Achievements
- Astronomy, Calendars, and Mathematics
- Agriculture
- Writing
- Cosmology and Religion
- Architecture and Art
- Living Maya Time: Sun, Corn, and the Calendar Online Exhibit
- National Museum of the American Indian.
- Aztec and Maya Law: An Online Exhibit and Bibliography
- The University of Texas at Austin: Tarleton Law Library: Jamail Center for Legal Research
- Maya Rise & Fall Map
- National Geographic.com
- UNESCO World Heritage
- About
- Ancient Maya City and Protected Tropical Forests of Calakmul, Campeche
- Mexico
- Archaeological Monuments Zone of Xochicalco
- Mexico
- Archaeological Park and Ruins of Quirigua
- Guatemala
- El Tajin, Pre-Hispanic City
- Mexico
- Historic Centre of Oaxaca and Archaeological Site of Monte Albán
- Mexico
- Joya de Cerén Archaeological Site
- El Salvador
- Maya Site of Copan
- Honduras
- Pre-Hispanic City of Chichen-Itza
- Mexico
- Pre-Hispanic City and National Park of Palenque
- Mexico
- Pre-Hispanic Town of Uxmal
- Mexico
- Sian Ka'an
- Mexico
- Tikal National Park
- Guatemala
- Maya: Hidden Worlds Revealed Exhibit Promo
- Science Museum of Minnesota Youtube Channel, 2013


text:
Country Burlap Wedding Inspiration
We love it when we get to feature a styled wedding shoot or sometimes called a weeding ispiration shoot because it gives us a chance to focus more on the details and the design element than in a real wedding. From photographer: Walking into a place as enchanting as the Campbell Creek Ranch Estates in Alpine, California, you can't help but think something magical must be happening there at all times! Our gorgeous Cinderella-inspired shoot had more custom touches than anything we could have hoped for, and so much creativity from amazing vendors that we could have kept shooting all night!


text:
Map a Network Drive
This procedure should be followed if you cannot find the Software Installation folder to perform the Evosus update.
This will only be an issue for companies with local installs of Evosus.
Keep in mind that mapping drives is PER USER which means you will have to map drives for all necessary users. If you're simply trying to install the Evosus update, then you only need to map drives for administrator.
To do this procedure you will need to know the name of your Main Server and will need the Administrator Username and Password to get it.
Step 1: Log onto the Main Server
Step 2: Right click on My Computer and choose the Computer Name tab
Step 3: From the workstation, right click on My Computer and choose 'Map Network Drive'
- You will get this window
Step 4: Choose any drive letter you want
Step 5: Check the 'Reconnect at logon' box at the bottom
Step 6: Notice under the Folder area there is an Example: \\server\share. We need to enter your information in that same format, so if your Main Server is named FRED, and the shared folder you want to connect to is named Evosus, then you would enter your info into the Folder area as \\FRED\Evosus and click Finish at the bottom
Now when you open 'My Computer' you will see this drive listed under 'Network Drives' at the bottom.
Unless explicitly stated, this topic documents the most recent version of Evosus Business Enterprise. If you're not using the latest version, go here to download it.
Did you find it helpful? Yes NoSend feedback


text:
About this issue: This issue of Socrates has been divided into six sections. The first Section of this issue, Art, Culture and Literature, contains scholarly articles from English language and Literature, Hindi literature and Persian literature. A serious question raising an article of National and International importance has also been included in this section under the title, Safeguard the cultural Heritage of Ladakh.
The second section of this issue of Socrates, American History, contains an article that investigates, why Lieutenant Colonel Custer met with defeat in order to take the Black Hills?
The third section of this issue of Socrates, Media Studies, contains an article that aims to provide a theoretical framework of public television networks in western countries pointing to the pertaining relationships with their political systems.
The fourth section of this issue of Socrates contains some of the best research papers from the scholarly disciplines of Commerce Management and Economics. The first research paper of this section empirically measures employee satisfaction in key areas.
The fifth section of this issue represents the scholarly disciplines of Law and Politics. The first article analyses the socio-political movement for the establishment of democracy in Nepal. The second article analyses the Industrial dispute act and its impact on the Industrial development in India.
The sixth section contains two general articles. The first article reflects the life of a great Sufi Saint Shah Kazim Qalander. The second article highlights the views of authors on various themes.
Highlights of this issue of Socrates
Safeguard the Cultural Heritage of Ladakh
Cultural and natural heritage is among the priceless and irreplaceable assets, not only of each nation, but of humanity as a whole. The loss, through deterioration or disappearance, of any of these most prized assets constitutes an impoverishment of heritage of all the people of the world. It tells us about the traditions, the beliefs and the achievements of a country and its people. Tourism is concentrated in the predominantly Buddhist settlements of the Indus Valley, of which the ancient capital and trading center of Leh. It is a land of rich culture, traditional knowledge and natural wonders. The strength of locals to tolerate the geographical and climatic extremities often leaves the visitors overcome with amazement. Visitors come to see a preindustrial culture, tour the Buddhist monasteries, and take in the dramatic mountain vistas. Over the years, Ladakh has gained popularity as a unique tourist destination. Mass tourism has acted as a powerful catalyst for change that is extremely challenging. Tourism has an enormous influence on the local economy, ecology and Society. The tourism economy is centered around Leh, and very little of the economic benefit of tourism accrues to the more than 90 percent of Ladakhis who live outside of this area. Within Leh the handful of Ladakhis who own large hotels benefit disproportionately. The openness and friendliness that Ladakhis have traditionally shown to visitors has been eroded by the commercialization of their culture and their understandable resentment toward the invading crowds. Theft, virtually unknown in traditional Ladakhi society, is now a common complaint among urban tourists and trekkers alike, and children now plague visitors for handouts. In the past few years, this unique culture has suffered great losses and indigenous communities, have included themselves in the fold of unchecked globalization, further damaging their cultural wealth. Tourism industry is crucial for Ladakh as a source of livelihood at the same time; it is posing a colossal threat to its cultural and environment legacy. No government or non-government organization can contribute to the conservation of the society without the participation of local communities.


text:
Brazil: Business confidence hits 26-month high in September
September 28, 2016
Business sentiment improved in September, according to the Getulio Vargas Foundation's (FGV, Fundaçao Getúlio Vargas) business confidence indicator. The index increased a seasonally adjusted 2.4% over the previous month, rising from August's 86.1 points to 88.2 points—the highest reading since July 2014. Despite the rise, the index remains below the 100-point threshold that signals that businesses are more pessimistic than optimistic.
According to FGV, the result came on the back of firms less pessimistic views regarding the current and future economic situation.


text:
I have thinking a lot lately about how children act. They are honest, loving, friendly, and do what they want. They view the world with such shock and awe. The world is something to be explored and everything is magical. When is it exactly when we decide it is time to lock our inner child away? I wonder what we think doing this will accomplish.
On Sunday I got to meet a unicorn at our local renaissance faire. My inner child came out; she was so excited and let it show. I got to pet this beautiful white horse; I even had my picture taken with her. People laughed at my excitement level but I did not care. I will always be "too much" for someone, and those people aren't for me. Anyone that says you're "too much" isn't deserving of your presence. You continue to be "too much", you continue to be everything that makes people scared. The magic you have inside of yourself can change the world.
I have always let my inner child run free; she is the purest part of me. She is innocent and free. Loving what she loves and doesn't care about what the world says. She will get excited over little things; she will laugh often and love just as much. That is what I love about her so much. Locking her away would only dim my spirit; it would make me sad and incomplete. I love seeing the world with childlike wonder; I know the darkness of this world but still choose to see all the light within it.
I urge you to talk to child, see the world in their eyes. Sometimes all it takes is a talk with a 5 year old to find perspective about life.


text:
Atomic energy agency seeks political support
Globe and Mail: SHAWN MCCARTHY - November 28, 2008http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20081128.waecl1128/EmailBNStory/energy/home
OTTAWA Canada must provide political support for the nuclear power industry to preserve high-paying research and manufacturing jobs at a time of economic crisis, Atomic Energy of Canada Ltd. chief executive Hugh MacDiarmid said Friday.
AECL is facing the biggest challenge of its 60-year-old existence as the federal government considers selling the Crown corporation in its effort to raise money to minimize future deficits.
At the same time, Ontario is proceeding with a bidding process on two new reactors that is critical to the future of the federal Crown corporation. AECL could have a tough time competing strictly on a cost basis against bigger foreign rivals, notably French-based Areva Group, but could win on the strength of its economic benefits, so long as Ottawa backs its bid.
In a speech to the Toronto Board of Trade Friday morning, Mr. MacDiarmid said it is a critical time for Canadians to support a home-grown champion of atomic power, one that is one of the largest spenders in research in the country and has a vast network of suppliers.
In light of recent economic developments, we can't take for granted that the jobs we have today will be around tomorrow, he said, as the new federal Natural Resources Minister Lisa Raitt looked on from the audience.
He quoted Statistics Canada as saying that a domestic sale of two ACR1000 reactors would generate $5-billion of economic spinoffs and create 62,000 person-years of employment.
It's about jobs. Plenty of them. Highly skilled, well paying, long-term jobs. The kind of jobs that every community wants, he said.
This week, Finance Minister Jim Flaherty said the government planned to sell federal assets in an effort to raise cash and offset the impact the stimulative spending would have on the budget balance.
In an interview, Mr. MacDiarmid said foreign nuclear vendors have the backing of their home governments, and it is critical that AECL have federal backing to maintain a level playing field. He would not comment on whether that support could be maintained in the absence of federal ownership.
But he said he hoped Ms. Raitt would support AECL as strongly as her predecessor a reference to former Natural Resources minister Gary Lunn, who was one of the few Conservative ministers to lose his job after the recent election.
Mr. MacDiarmid said there are plenty of examples where the loss of domestic control of technology companies led to their eventual disappearance from the Canadian landscape.
He also countered a frequent criticism that AECL has not completed the design of the ACR1000, a 1,200-megawatt reactor that it is pitching for the Ontario bid. He said the basic design engineering is complete, and that AECL is now confirming and validating the safety of the reactor at the Canada Nuclear Safety Commission.


text:
Hanna's Delicious Charoset Recipe for Passover
An exotic charoset recipe for Passover from the Museum's Program Director, Hanna Griff-Sleven. More delicious holiday recipes and suggestions coming this week. I grew up with the standard Ashkenazi apples and cinnamon and wine and walnut one, but over the years I've shared Seders with Jews from all over the world. One of the […]Continue Reading
Docent Spotlight – Herb Kass
For 125 years, the Eldridge Street Synagogue has been collecting stories: memories of life in a faraway country, the struggle of moving to America, the heyday of the Jewish Lower East Side and even life in the neighborhood today. These stories are what give meaning to the building, stories that are literally told by the […]Continue Reading
A Bintel Brief – Interview with artist Liana Finck
On Wednesday, March 21 the Museum will exhibit work from Liana Finck's graphic novel-in progress based on the Bintel Brief, the beloved Yiddish advice column of The Forverts newspaper. When I first saw Finck's drawings I was taken with the range of emotions she was able to express with her beautiful drawings and text. Also, I […]Continue Reading
Mike Stoller & Corky Hale Stoller in Conversation at the Museum at Eldridge Street
Do you remember finding the cure to your loneliness with a little "Love Potion Number 9"? Or swooning over Elvis Presley as he swung his hips to "Jailhouse Rock"? In preparation for our Tuesday, March 6 In Conversation kick-off event, we are providing an insider's look into the world of blues and jazz and the […]Continue Reading
Happy Presidents' Day
Happy Presidents' Day from the Museum at Eldridge Street! When I think of Presidents' Day, I think of George Washington, Abe Lincoln, Thomas Jefferson – the founding fathers of our country, individuals whose ideas and values shaped the American landscape. Transported back to my American History course, buzz words: liberty, freedom & pride, rest on […]Continue Reading
Love in the Time of Internet: Story Slam
Thursday, February 9, 2012 at 8 PM at Museum at Eldridge Street Got great stories about looking for the one on-line? The Museum at Eldridge Street is hosting a story slam on searching for love on the internet. Participants can bring friends and share their best, bad dating stories and triumphs at this Moth-inspired story […]Continue Reading
It's a Challahxplosion!
There's always one surefire way to know that the Museum at Eldridge Street is gearing up for a big party – a fridge full of challah! Join us this Sunday at 1pm for our Tu B'Shevat festival – where we'll turn these big lumps of dough into delicious challah bread! While you're at it, enjoy […]Continue Reading
Eldridge Street's Rabbi Yudelovitch- Between Admiration and Controversy
"A kindly-looking, gray-haired, white-whiskered old gentleman," Abraham Aaron Yudelovitch was a famous Talmudic scholar and a preacher that served as a rabbi at the Eldridge Street Synagogue.[1] Professor Kimmy Caplan, a noted Jewish historian in Jerusalem, has called him "the most fascinating, brilliant and controversial rabbi of the 20th century."[2] Born in Novardok, Russia in […]Continue Reading
Wait a minute, wait a minute. You ain't heard nothin' yet!
If you haven't seen the The Jazz Singer, the 1927 film starring Al Jolson, you really "ain't heard nothin' yet." With those words, Jolson ushered in a new era in popular culture – the "talkie." The film, which will be shown at the Museum at Eldridge Street on Sunday, December 4 is a treat! The […]Continue Reading
125th Anniversary Cornerstone Celebration
Sunday, November 13th, we celebrated the 125th anniversary of the laying of the cornerstone of New York City's Eldridge Street Synagogue and paid tribute to the Eastern European immigrants who settled on the Lower East Side. Our event was modeled on cornerstone celebrations of a century ago and blended historical and contemporary culture. The celebration […]Continue Reading


text:
Royal Caribbean Independence of the Seas Ireland Mini Cruise – 28th May 2019
The Emerald Isle is so close yet even though it's on the doorstop, it's easy to overlook when you're looking for a short break.
So grab this opportunity sailing on Royal Caribbean's Independence of the Seas to Cobh (Cork) with two relaxing sea days to boot too.
About this cruise
Head to Southampton on Tuesday 28th May 2019 where Independence of the Seas will await. The ship was extensively refit in 2018 to add new features such as virtual reality trampolining, laser tag, and an escape room. The new kids splash park will be a hit on this sailing, especially if the warm June weather shows up a few days early.
Unlike shorter mini cruise itineraries, this particular one boasts more sea days (two of those) than ports of call (one of those), leading to a relaxed pace - just what you want on holiday.
Wednesday is spent at sea, so you'll have the day to do as you please on the ship. Try out the new Izumi restaurant, take on the high-tech fun, or try your hand at some of the classic features on the ship, such as the rock climbing wall. Enjoy the live entertainment and shows throughout the ship. Head to the pool deck to soak up the rays or splurge on a balcony cabin to enjoy a tranquil private outdoor space to watch the waves go by.
You'll spend Thursday docked in Cobh (Cork) in Ireland. You'll love the world famous Irish hospitality regardless of whether you choose to book an optional excursion to kiss the Blarney Stone or decide to go on a pub tour. Other popular activities include visiting the House of Waterford Crystal or taking a boat ride along the spectacular Irish coastline. You're here all day and it would be wise to spend as much time as you can exploring this beautiful part of the country.
Friday is another sea day, so it's up to you whether you opt to relax and unwind in the spa or whether you enjoy the full-on entertainment.
Tried and tested
I sailed on Independence of the Seas before the 2018 refit. Here's my take on a family cruise aboard the ship and here's a look at my inside cabin. I also stayed in this wacky cabin on another trip.
Before you know it, Saturday arrives as the ship glides into the docks at Southampton where the cruise draws to an end.
The itinerary may be sparse but what it lacks in ports of call, it makes up for in opportunities to relax and unwind. And if you find that unwinding too dull, there's plenty of action around this large cruise ship to keep you busy!
(Photo credit to Andrew Leach)
The Route
The itinerary for this mini cruise is:
|Tuesday 28th May 2019
|Wednesday 29th May 2019
|At sea
|All day
|Thursday 30th May 2019
|7am to 9pm
|Friday 31st May 2019
|At sea
|All day
|Saturday 1st June 2019
Why choose this taster cruise?
- 4 nights on Royal Caribbean's family-friendly ship, Independence of the Seas
- Departs on Tuesday 28th May 2019
- Sail round-trip from Southampton
- Visit Cobh (Cork) in Ireland, and enjoy two relaxing days at sea
So you know, the map above shows point-to-point lines which may cross land. Don't worry, your cruise ship will not sprout legs and run across dry land. Instead it's water all the way! Mapping is approximate, and the scheduled times are estimates. Your trip is subject to change as, occasionally, operators have to alter itineraries due to bad weather or unforeseen events.
The Price
On Wednesday 17th April 2019, I found a starting price from £599 per person based on two sharing the cheapest cabin (usually this is an inside cabin). 6 days prior it started from £649 per person, a saving of £50 per person.
What's that per night?
Want to compare this short break to a hotel stay? A starting price of 'from £599 per person' equates to 'from £149.75 per person per night'.
Here's a trend line showing the movement of the lead-in price for this cruise. I aim to check prices daily and this graph shows only those readings. I love geeky stuff like this and thought it might be handy when planning when to book your next cruise.
In my last 42 checks, the cheapest I have seen this cruise start at is from £379 per person, and the highest I've seen it go is from £649 per person.
Are there any extras?
This price normally includes some meals but excludes drinks, gratuities, optional shore excursions, and any applicable flights and transfers (if needed and if excluded). If you want a cabin or suite with a view, these come at a premium (if available).
Cruise prices are based on supply and demand so the more spare cabins there are closer to the sail date, the cheaper the prices often become. After all, no cruise line likes sailing with empty cabins and this cruise sails in 1 month.
I regularly check for price changes by hand, but as they can occur rapidly, please use the link below to get the latest prices.
Remember, prices were correct when I last checked, but may have since changed. Prices are usually based on two adults sharing the cheapest available cabin.
More choices
Not quite right? Here are some other suggestions that may suit better.
- See more Royal Caribbean mini cruises
- See more mini cruises on Independence of the Seas
- See the top cheap mini cruise deals


text:
Acacio Domar
Annie Pyle
Emily Phan
Lauren Rakusin
Maddy Harrison
Mae Boettcher
Year: 2015
My Role:
Sketching, Ideation, Storyboarding,
Video Production
With Elevate we looked at the contextual disability of unemployment. Which currently affects 8.5 million US citizens. We learned that giving people skills is more valuable than directly placing them in jobs. This allows people to more independent in their search ultimately helping them find more fulfilling jobs. We also learned that one of the main problems is that people who need these resources sometimes lack information about them and ways to get to them. Elevate was created to address these problems and bring the skills that jobs require to the people that need them the most.
For the video, we ran into a few challenges initially regarding the availability of a truck to film. We brainstormed and thought of stop-motion as a captivating alternative to real life filming. The use of Legos was an easy decision as people have an emotional connection with them and the project also had to connect emotionally with the viewer.
Length: 1:28sec
Production Time: +35h w/o editing
Legos Used: +1200
This is the Elevate truck that we featured in our video. The truck is the platform for all of our services.
One of the main ways we help people is by offering workshops. We help with interview skills, resume building and career fairs. We provide an environment around the truck to support these workshops.
Our truck offers a computer to work on resumes and access other features of our program. We also offer a printer for our users to print their resumes on site. On top of this, there will always be a volunteer on site to help with any inquires.
Elevate also has a mentorship program, as you saw Dan helping John in the video. Our mentors help with connections, support and guidance. Each mentor is carefully chosen to help with your specific circumstances and give a personalized experience based on the needs of each individual.
We've learned that most job applications require an address; you can't get a job without an address, and you can't get an address without a job. For people like John, who have fallen on hard times and found themselves homeless, this is a huge, cyclical problem.
Because the Elevate truck lives in a warehouse, we're able to provide a living address for our members to use during the application process and receive mail correspondence.
It comes in a food truck form which is extremely familiar and unassuming. People can happen upon it coincidentally and discover its great features. Our strategic lack of branding peaks public curiosity.
Elevate is extremely inclusive available to help a variety of people including those with physical disabilities, criminal background, people who are mid career and looking for a change, and even teenagers making post secondary plans.
When designing the screen interface on the Elevate truck, we had to make something incredibly simple and direct. We address the community in general and not just the homeless, so our mobile interface follows the same design guidelines and aesthetic as the truck for familiarity and ease of use.
We were pleasantly surprised to learn that mobile phone ownership is also high in the homeless community. We found numerous programs that offer cell phones to the homeless. Because of the nature of the phones that are offered, we designed a text-in service that replies with the location of the truck.
The truck goes to different locations to meet the needs of different types of people. Since we go to so many different places, it's a service that puts the user first and comes to you instead of the other way around.
Initial truck and side screen sketches.
Sketching an initial website idea that evolved into the truck.
The ideation process.
The ideation process.
Building the scenes for the video.
Lighting, scene and camera setup.
Setting up a scene for the video.
Editing Elevate video.
Final editing and practice before presentation day.


text: I'm having trouble uploading any images at all to my map thread (this) at the moment. When I choose a file to upload, whether it is for the featured screenshot or just the in-thread screenshot, it seems all right until I hit Save Changes, at which point I get faced with a thread still devoid of screenshots, no error messages or anything. When I go to edit the thread again, there's nothing there to indicate I ever uploaded anything. What I'm uploading are just standard JPEG images taken from within TF2, nothing unusual there as far as I'm aware. I also seem to remember being presented with a selection of previously uploaded images when I've edited my map threads earlier (which I could pick instead of uploading a new one), but these don't seem to be around anymore. I don't know if that's related.


text:
Updating your Bathroom?
Remodeling a room in your home sounds like a daunting task at first, but we have the experts at B&S Carpet One to help you!
If you plan on staying in your home for a long time, go big, bright and bold, but if you are looking to remodel for the purpose of reselling your home, then stick with something that appeals to a large market.
Get inspired to make your bathroom personal
It's not just about flooring
Updating a bathroom can be as simple as some fresh paint and new lighting, but why stop there! Changing the flooring can give your bathroom a fresh new look. We recommend using luxury vinyl flooring to get the natural look of hardwood but with water proof protection! A major benefit we point out to customer updating their homes is you can use floating installation vinyl flooring so you don't have to rip up your old floors!Learn about Vinyl
Tile doesn't just belong on floors
Tile doesn't just belong on floors, if you have a stand up shower we can work with you to customize it wilt wall tiles to make a unique look that fits your style. Depending if you change your vanity, we can get the shower tile to match the countertop.Discover custom showers
Looking at a remodel from a design aspect if you are looking to resell your home we recommend sticking with a gray color scheme. Grey flooring contrasted with stark white accessories such as a vanity and shower tile will make the new floors stand out. For an update you are doing for yourself, sticking with warm wood look floors and bright colors on the wall and small accessories will tie your bathroom together.


text:
I am starting to feel motivated and inspired to do my blog postings on a more regular basis. I definitely have a lot of shoe cravings- nothing's changed there. These past couple months have been hectic beyond belief. Scott and I moved out of his parent's house into our own apartment in Elmont, New York. The area is great. Floral Park High School is right down the block and we try to walk the track at least 3 or 4 times a week. This crappy weather has set us back this past week, though. Last night we made homemade cupcakes and frosting for Rosh Hashanah at Vicki's tonight. They came out pretty good for my first attempt at baking without a buying a cake mix from the grocery store. Ok, so on with my shoe obsession...
I am really digging these mensware-esque pumps and flats. They're masculine but definitely sexy and will turn some heads.
I wish these didn't have such hideous laces! I love the work boot feel, though. They remind me of my stepdad's boots that he refuses to replace until the soles wear through. I recently bought a pair of boots that have these same types of holes for the laces. They give some great detail to the shoes.
These are great. I love the western/cowboy vibe. I had a pair of cowboy boots when I was 16-17 that I absolutely adored. I really love wearing girly dresses and a "gruff" kind of shoe. It breaks the outfit up and gives a different feel to the whole look.
I found most of these on Piperlime.com. They have a great selection, surprisingly!


text:
Dear Editor - Team Boeta makes a dream come true
Boeta was found in a storm pipe at age two and lives with spinal bifida. This has unfortunately, denied him his right to education - until he became involved with the Chaeli Campaign team.
Hannele Steyn, Debbie Gallop and I decided to ride the Cape Argus and help make a little boy's dream come true. This entailed me pulling and Hannele pushing a buggy, with eleven year old Boeta inside.
We thought we were ready, until we felt that wind howling. Hannele says: "I immediately started to complain. But when I met Boeta and all the other disabled people on race day, I was so humbled that the wind became a breeze of joy. There were people in buggies, on hand cycles, all of them excited to start the race."
The first bend was an eye opener and we worried if we were ready to tackle it. However, the sound of Boeta's voice urging us on was all the motivation we needed to conquer this and any other obstacles along the ride. He was in his element and you could not wipe the smile off his face, giving thumbs up to the passing riders shouting their words of encouragement. "The support we received was awesome throughout the race, " says Debbie.
It was only in the last 100m that it dawned on me that we had done it. All the fears and all the hurt were forgotten and the overwhelming sense and feeling of true purpose took over.
Team Boeta crossed the finish line with an overall time of 5 hours and 20 minutes.


text:
24 Hours of Memory
In my head memories flash
Like fireworks shooting past.
Devoid of all but traces of you,
My mind is crowded, nevertheless.
A day spent gazing at your eyes
As they reflect the ever-changing sky
Gliding past the sand-covered beach
Where we sit to watch the waves rolling.
An evening spent glancing at your hair
As its swoop,
Fingered by the wind's caress,
Falls across your forehead
While we sit with our closest friends.
A night spent admiring your seductive smirk
As your chiseled arms surround me
In a gentle embrace-
And we watch the stars blink from above.
These fond memories-
Now, no more than fiction.
A reality spent admiring someone,
Yet I am merely an afterthought.
Share This Poem
- Sentimental
Public Collections Containing This Poem
Other Poems By This Author
24 Hours of Memory
PoetLaura Thibodeaux


text:
April13Designer Plus-Size Wedding Dresses We Love
Every bride dreams about looking her best on her wedding day but if your size is far from 0 you might have problems finding stylish designer wedding dresses that are available in your very size. We do admit that it can be a little complicated but we are ready to help. Celebrate your curves with these gorgeously beautiful wedding dresses that come in every size. To help brides who are proud of their gorgeous real-girl curves buy a designer wedding dress of their dream we offer our picks of the best and most stylish plus-size wedding dresses.
After a thorough search we have picked a number of fabulously beautiful and elegant plus-size wedding dresses from not only popular mass market retailers like David's Bridal and Alfred Angelo but also plus-size specialists like IGIGI. Embellished with waist-cinching crystal-encrusted belts and featuring glamorously slimming ruched bodices these absolutely gorgeous wedding dresses will not only perfectly fit your shapes, but flatter them as well. With curve-skimming mermaid silhouettes designed to enhance all your best assets, and adorned with romantic lace, illusion necklines with appliqués and Hollywood-inspired sheaths, these dresses look ultra modern and extremely stylish.
In spite of the fact that most bridal designers who offer custom gown sizing do charge rather expensive prices, we managed to find fabulous but affordable plus-size wedding dresses. In fact, some of our picks even cost less than $1,000! So whatever your style or your shape, here is our selection of pretty plus-size wedding dresses you might love to wear.


text:
Local News
Taking Flight Over The North Arm Hills
On August 16, IATNL Transportation Director Robert Bradbury took IAT President Paul Wylezol and Humber Economic Development Board (HEDB) Executive Director Connie Taylor on a one-hour flight over the North Arm Hills in his Cesna 172.
The goal was to survey potential trail routes from North Arm, Bay of Islands across the hills to Trout River Pond in Gros Morne National Park. The trio set off at 5:00pm when the sun was in the southwest, providing good views from the south and west.
The bird's eye view was in stark contrast to July's porpoise eye view from a tour boat on North Arm. From above one could clearly sea the earth's barren peridotite mantle as it straddles - and erodes over - the more fertile coastal hills.
Also visible are the deeply carved valleys and contrasting rock types, from the ophiolite peridotite to igneous gabbro.
An especially beautiful and lush valley, which residents of the outer Bay of Islands like to fish after a mid summer's rain, is Liverpool Brook. With its sinuous curves, fast flowing rapids, and geographical alignment with the Overfall, it is an exciting candidate for new trail development.
Leaving the southern edge of the North Arm Hills, the flight - and planned trails - head north to Chimney Cove Valley, a glacier-carved valley with small pond and stream that is an IATNL - CBPPL (Corner Brook Pulp and Paper Ltd) Special Management Area.
Just north of Chimney Cove Valley is Gros Morne National Park and its scenic Trout River Pond and Tablelands, another ophiolite mountain of metamorphic - and rust-colored - peridotite.
To the east is Trout River Valley and the Overfall, where the IATNL and Gros Morne National Park will soon partner to develop a gently sloping day-hike trail with scenic views and refreshing cool dips.
After now seeing the North Arm Hills from both water and sky, there's one great adventure left:
to view this beautifully rugged landscape on foot ... or on knees under a heavy pack, if it comes to that!
To view more photos of Taking Flight Over The North Arm Hills go to IATNL Flickr...


text:
Lies and Truths I
Lyu Liang
Speaking of lies, all believers in God know they come from the devil. The Lord Jesus disclosed in the Bible, "He was a murderer from the beginning, and stayed not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaks a lie, he speaks of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it" (John 8:44). The Lord Jesus told us clearly that the devil spoke lies and also murdered with lies from the beginning. It was because of believing the devil's lies that mankind's ancestors Adam and Eve sinned and were thus driven from the Garden of Eden by God, losing their happy life. From then on, death came upon mankind. Therefore, lies, which originate from Satan, are negative things and Satan's tools for deceiving and corrupting mankind. In the real world, lies are extremely harmful. They can bring man to ruin, and can also trigger a slaughter and a war, so that rivers of blood flow and people are plunged into an abyss of misery.
In the first century A.D, in order to restrict and stop the spread of Christianity in Rome, Nero, the tyrant of ancient Rome, not only fabricated the rumors that Christians were sociopaths with political designs, but also framed Christians for the crime of burning the city of Rome, instigating the populace to hate them. Immediately, scores of Christians were arrested and bloodily slaughtered by the government. Some were nailed onto the pillars as candles, some were torn alive to pieces by wild beasts in the Colosseum. However, the ignorant Romans strongly supported and cheered loudly for the government's atrocities of massacring Christians, becoming accomplices in the tyrant's crimes. During World War II, in order to snatch Jewish assets and exterminate Jews, Hitler fabricated rumors wantonly, saying that the Jews had stolen all money from Germans, and he had films shot on the themes of Jews, in which tens of thousands of mice ran out of the Jews' houses. Then the Nazi Party took the Jews into the hospital to have blood tests, and "the scientific statistics" proved the Jews were transmitters of Salmonella Typhi, Escherichia coli, etc. With those "conclusive evidences," they drew the conclusion that the Jews were the dregs of humanity and exterminating them was the only solution. The reason why Hitler slaughtered the Jews was not only "adequate," but also "irrefutable." The overwhelming propaganda made the Germans take each and every lie from the government as true, and respond to and participate in the Holocaust positively. As a result, six million Jews ultimately died under the Nazis' butcher knives. Obviously, when a national government makes up lies, which are extensively publicized and spread by state media afterward, then what they bring upon mankind are inevitably tremendous disasters.
Recently, some netizens found that the English version of Wikipedia, a world-renowned website, reproduced numerous rumors of slander, condemnation and smear of the Church of Almighty God by the CCP government, some of which were particularly appalling. For instance, in 2010, a member of the Church murdered a pupil, leaving a lightning-like mark on one of the victim's feet. In 2012, a man called Ming Yongjun (Min Yongjun) said that he stabbed an old woman and 23 students of a school in Henan Province at the instigation of the Church's prophecy of the last days. In August of 2013, a member of the branch Churches in Shanxi gouged a boy's eyes out because the boy's family intended to leave the religion. On May 28, 2014, six people who claimed to be members of the Eastern Lightning attacked and killed a woman in a McDonald's restaurant in Zhaoyuan, Shandong, China. … These bloodcurdling rumors have deceived many people who are ignorant of the facts. As they believe the CCP government's rumors, they have some misunderstanding of the Church of Almighty God, and furthermore, dare not investigate or accept Almighty God's kingdom gospel although they clearly know Almighty God's word is the truth and God's voice. As for these people, if you tell them that they are fooled by the CCP government, and are deceived and cheated by its lies, then they will shake their heads and say, "How can it be possible that the Chinese government, a national government, openly fabricates rumors to frame and discredit the Church of Almighty God and cheat the people of the world?" From their perspective, it seems that every information and every news the CCP releases is true and reliable. But is this really the fact? All those who have some knowledge of the CCP government are clear that the greatest skill of it is making up lies, fabricating rumors, framing and discrediting others, and it has always been pursuing the fallacy that a lie repeated ten thousand times becomes the truth. From the time the CCP was founded until now, it has never changed its characteristic and essence of telling lies. It beautifies and builds up itself by making up lies and then repeating them, portraying itself as the great savior of the Chinese people, so that people all kneel and worship it. It also deceives and cheats people by telling lies, inciting the common people to hatred, thus achieving its purpose of attacking and eliminating dissidents. It can be said that the CCP is the government which is best at telling lies in the world, and is also the one that is most capable of using lies to deceive and murder people.
The CCP Beautifies Itself and Eliminates Dissidents Through Lies
Open the history of the CCP. Every page of it seems to be glorious and bright, as if telling its greatness, glory and correctness. Yet, provided that you collate it with historical facts, then you will find that the history of the CCP is nothing but lies, and none of it conforms to historical facts.
Take the Long March for example, which plays an important role in the history of the CCP, and is also boasted by the CCP as the great pioneering work of indomitably breaking through the encirclement campaign of Nationalist forces and marching north to resist Japanese aggression. But actually, the Long March was merely a great group escape for the sake of the CCP's self-preservation, and was also called "fleeing hither and thither" or "fleeing westward" by the Nationalist forces. This has been proved in the historical textbook of Beijing Normal University, which was chiefly edited by Bai Shouyi, the professor of the university. (It is written in the book: At 8 p.m. on October 21, 1934, after the failure of the 5th counter-encirclement campaign, the central Red Army broke through southward. But immediately, it is written in the following pages of the book that at 8 p.m. on October 21, 1934, the central Red Army solemnly declared to begin the Long March and march north to resist Japanese aggression.) In addition, after fleeing to Shaanxi and Gansu in 1935, the CCP convened the Central Politburo Conference in the Russian Concession in Gansu on September 12, during which Mao Zedong said, "We will give up the policy of occupying Sichuan, Shaanxi, and Gansu. We decide to open up an international line through guerrilla warfare, and come to the region which is close to the Soviet Union to create bases via the northeastern Gansu and northern Shaanxi…." "If we can't keep a foothold in Ningxia, then we can pass through the desert by car to Outer Mongolia for the sake of leaving these revolutionary seeds." Thus it can be seen that the so-called Long March is, in fact, its embarrassed history of the great escape of ten thousand miles. However, through the CCP's made-up lies, publicity and elaborate packaging, it has become a great anti-Japanese feat, which has deceived the Chinese people for seven decades.
There were "ten struggles between the lines" in the history of the CCP, and each of them was, with no exception, carried out centering around the struggle for authority. Yet the CCP prettified them as its error-correcting mechanisms and the progressiveness of the Party. Then what on earth is the truth of the facts? We might as well give two examples, through which we can know the answers. Among the so-called "ten struggles between the lines," the ninth "Liu Shaoqi Bourgeois Headquarters" and the tenth "Lin Biao Anti-revolution Group" drew the most attention of the world.
Liu Shaoqi, the former president of the People's Republic of China, was supported and approved by some personages inside and outside the Party because he advocated developing economy and improving the people's livelihood. Whereas, Mao Zedong, the Party leader, felt keenly that his dominant position was threatened. Then in order to eliminate dissidents, Mao stirred up people to rebellion, planning and launching the world-shaking Great Proletarian Cultural Revolution. Soon, Liu Shaoqi was changed from a state president to a great traitor, a great mole and a public thief, and was "perfectly justifiably" killed by the Party finally. Lin Biao, an ever-victorious general who once swept away the millions of enemy troops, was the former Defense Minister of the People's Republic of China, and the established successor according to the Party Constitution. However, after failing in the inner-party struggles, through the propaganda of the state media, Lin became a schemer and careerist overnight who was beaten and went over to the enemy, and betrayed the Party as well as his country. Ultimately, he ended up with the saying that his death from the plane crash would not expiate his sins. But in fact, Lin Biao had already been shot dead before the air crash. That he betrayed his country and defected to the enemy and died in the air crash was merely a pretense fabricated by the CCP to conceal the ugly fact of scrambling for power and position and killing one another within the Party.
People once counted that in the history of the CCP, there were over 110 lies that were similar to the above-mentioned ones which confounded black with white and distorted the truth. It does show that the history of the CCP is absolutely a history of lies.
Since the CCP was founded, whether in the struggles outside the Party or inside the Party, and in whether the repression of student movements and persecution of religious beliefs or the suppression of ethnic minorities and dissenters, it was all through fabricating rumors and telling lies that the CCP has achieved its purpose of suppressing, murdering, and safeguarding its dictatorial rule. It has been a fact obvious to all.
The world-shaking "June Fourth Incident" was originally a movement that students protested against the corruption of the government and advocated democracy and freedom, but the CCP government organized some special intelligence agents to sneak into the procession of students to beat, smash, and loot everywhere, and even burn military vehicles and kill soldiers. Later the CCP imputed the crimes to the students. When "the evidence was certain," the CCTV Evening News as well as the major domestic media began to report and propagandize it overwhelmingly at once, exposing the "outrages" of the undergraduates. Soon after, Li Peng, Premier of the State Council, publicly labeled this student movement as a riot. After that, the extremely tragic and world-shaking massacre of the century happened, and thousands of lives of young students vanished on that night.
On March 14, 2008, in Lhasa, Tibet, over three hundred monks of Zhaibung Temple paraded, chanting the slogan "freedom of religion belief," and then they were arrested and beaten by military police of the CCP, which gave rise to Tibetan large-scale protests. Then after driving the foreign journalists out of the region, the CCP military police disguised themselves as Tibetans to beat, smash, loot, and burn the shops owned by the Han and Hui people. They even killed the Hans and imputed the crime to the Tibetans. Soon, the pictures of the Tibetans' killing people, which were exclusive to the state media, were speedily and continuously rebroadcast in every major media. After the rumors were accepted by the public, the CCP changed immediately into "the power of justice" of "keeping the social order," while the Tibetans became "rioters" and thus suffered the large-scale bloody suppression from the CCP.
Minister of Propaganda of Nazi Germany Goebbels said, "The mission of newspapers is to transmit the ruler's will to the ruled and thus make them regard the hell as heaven." "The only one purpose of propaganda is to conquer the masses." "The propaganda is based on the fundamental principle that the effective arguments should be repeated constantly and the lies should be spread continually and dressed up to be credible." The CCP's purposes, means, and principles of propaganda overly coincide with the Nazis'. It has turned out that the atheistic CCP government is the maker of lies and the source of evil, hence everything said by the CCP government as well as its state media is nothing but lies and is not trustworthy at all. Similarly, such information reproduced and published in whatever media or websites is not worth believing either.


text:
New Remix out!
What started as a sound experiment with a basic set-up on a plane to Marseilles ended up as a remix in my live set. You can listen to a recording of my live remix of the track "Revenge of the Lol Cat" by the mighty Laurent Garnier HERE.


text:
2013 11 14: wow!
this morning the outside temperature was 25 °F.
the temperature of the interior of the unheated house was 64 °F. judging from my fogged glasses, the humidity in the house is high. (by the by, the insulation that goes in the space provided by the 2 x 6 wall is not yet in place nor is the zehnder energy recovery ventilator.)
on the hottest day we've had since the windows were installed, the interior of the house reached 75 °F, so there may be a slight tendency for the house to overheat. i'd guess that the zehnder energy recovery ventilator will gracefully take care of this.
so, I don't need the mini-split heat pumps after all. instead, i'm putting in a hair dryer.


text:
Watch the recording, held on September 30th!
Every year, Community Foundations of Canada release their 'Vital Signs'. The report measures the vitality of communities in key areas, providing critical information that can identify opportunities for action and set priorities for change. This year, the national focus is on Food.
On June 26th, 2013 FSC ran a webinar about Community-University partnerships and how they facilitate healthy, sustainable community food systems.
Download the presentation
Hosted by The Community First: Impacts of Community Engagement (CFICE) project of Food Secure Canada and Carleton University
Restructuring Education of Local Food Production in the North
Looking to spread knowledge and training to remote and diverse communities?
Tune in and find out how the Northern Farm Training Institute is revolutionizing the way garden education is being delivered!
Interesting in creative fertile grounds to grow on campuses and or in the community?
Watch the recording, help on May 14th!
Hosted in collaboration with Campus Food Systems Project
Listen to the recording! (Skip to 1 hour in) Does not work on Safari or internet explorer.
Food Secure Canada
Tweets by @FoodSecureCAN


text:
Posts Tagged 'Valentine's Day'
TV Diary | Parks And Recreation: "Operation Ann"
TV Diary | Parks And Recreation – Episode 4.14 – "Operation Ann" – Original Airdate: 2/2/12
Episode Grade: B
Parks And Recreation has long had an Ann problem. Don't get me wrong – Rashida Jones is a talented, talented actress and I'd watch her in almost anything. Whatever the problem with the way Ann's been drawn, it's not Jones's fault. With that said, if there's been one character throughout the run of the show [1] who the writers have had trouble pinning down, it's Ann Perkins. Going from concerned citizen/Andy's girlfriend to becoming Leslie's best friend and sounding board to a failed relationship with Rob Lowe's Chris to being shoehorned into a job in the Parks Department as a way of explaining why a nurse was always at City Hall, Ann has been rudderless for most of the show's run. As such, she's become the character that Parks And Recreation's writers test things out on to see if they're going to stick and in "Operation Ann" they've played an interesting gambit with her – romantically pairing Ann with the id of the show, Aziz Ansari's Tom Haverford. One could argue that the seeds for such an unlikely coupling have been sown in previous years as Tom's never been particularly shy about his interest in Ann but following up on his interest in this manner had to have been the most unlikely of possibilities. However, after seeing how "Operation Ann" played out I'm going to reserve judgment for now on the development because, surprising as it most certainly was, there were a lot of notes that did ring true to the characters as we know them. Much of the episode was based around Leslie's attempts to find Ann a date for Valentine's Day, including setting up a speed-dating session at a City Hall couples event and tasking all Parks Department personnel with finding potential suitors for Ms. Perkins which admittedly did lead to more than a few laughs [2] but, more than that, allowed for an angle that made sense within the show's universe and that also provided yet more growth for one of the show's characters. First, the angle. "Operation Ann" did manage to set up the Ann/Tom rendezvous organically with some genuine conflict from Leslie beyond Leslie simply being Leslie. After all of Leslie's attempts to match Ann up failed, Ann begged out of the event claiming exhaustion in saying that she just wanted to head home but Leslie follows her out into the parking lot and sees Ann primping herself in her car, presumably because she has other plans. This angers Leslie because she thinks that the reason Ann lied to her was because she was meeting someone that Ann knows she shouldn't be seeing, which leads Leslie to jump to the conclusion that she's meeting with and attempting to rekindle her relationship with Chris. Obviously, this bothers Leslie because of the consequences of her relationship with Ben and Chris's seeming hypocrisy, so she enlists Ben to help her tail Ann instead of enjoying their Valentine's Day dinner together [3]. Once they arrive at the restaurant and watch Ann through a window, they're both shocked to see that Ann is spending time not with Chris but with Tom, and they're even more shocked when they find out that the date was facilitated by April, marking the second consecutive episode where the sardonic April selflessly helped another castmember. When Leslie doubts her sincerity, April tells her that she saw Tom and Ann having fun at the event and pushed them together because Tom was the only man that made Ann smile that entire night. I really like this new shading of April and it should be interesting to see where Parks And Recreation takes her newfound maturity. It should also prove just as fun to see where the Ann/Tom relationship is headed and, although it may seem unlikely for these two characters to get together, Mike Schur and his writing staff have earned the benefit of the doubt here. If nothing else, it should be a fascinating experiment.
[1] Outside of Paul Schneider's boring and now-departed Mark Brendanawicz character.
[2] Random guy after sitting down with Ann: "You didn't tell me she was beautiful. Well… not as beautiful as my sister but you know the law."
[3] Ben: "Screw romantic dinners. Let's go rub it in their face." Leslie: "I love you so much."
*"Operation Ann's" B-story had its moments but ultimately has to be put into the "miss" category. Leslie creates an elaborate scavenger hunt for Ben to complete that's meant to reveal the location of their Valentine's Day dinner and Andy and – inexplicably – Ron enthusiastically help him with his search. While the fact that the normally staid Ron would be so gung-ho about puzzle-solving was somewhat incongruously amusing, it just didn't land as well as one might hope other than watching Ron's giddiness make him oblivious to the fact that The Bulge was, in fact, a gay bar. Beyond that… not much to see here.
*On the other hand, Chris's depression over his breakup with Millicent Gurgich – love how he almost always refers to her by her complete name – was a new look for the character and one that, frankly, I hope we see more of. Because it's damn funny. Watching Chris serve as the world's most depressing DJ was a kick. Anything that includes the following exchange is A-OK in my book: "Can we change up the music? It kind of sounds like the end of a movie about a monk who killed himself." "It is."
*Hitfix's Alan Sepinwall in his review of "Operation Ann" broached the possibility that Parks And Recreation could be planting the seeds of a potential April/Andy breakup between her newfound maturity and his… being Andy. Not sure that I'd be on board with that since their relationship is one of my favorite things about the show but it's worth filing the possibility away at least.
*Nice Party Down reunion between Adam Scott and Martin Starr as an April-esque clerk at Pawnee's snow globe museum. If the show decided to make Starr a recurring player I'd have exactly zero problems with that.
*I'm always a fan of continuity so I liked that Leslie's made-up Galentine's Day holiday made a re-appearance here.
*However, minus points for using LMFAO's musical STD "Party Rock Anthem." Why have you forsaken me, Parks And Rec?
*Leslie's idea of attractive men: Ryan Gosling, Joe Biden, Sam Waterston.
*OF COURSE Jerry would fall for Tom's "Does she have a little Indian in her?" joke while Leslie spots it a mile away.
*Yachter Otter seems like a perfectly reasonable Leslie dream as does Ben's decision to have a stuffed animal of said animal made for Leslie.
*Jerry's ad on Craigslist for a date for Ann: "Man seeking man for night of casual fun." It ends pretty much like you think it does.
*"Consider this alternate plan. We'll have a drink, get to know each other, whatever. And then we'll go back to my place and snuggle up like little bunnnnies." Great Aziz Ansari line reading.
*"I have several men in rotation. One's waiting for me out in the car."
*"It's really hard to say 'congrats' without sounding sarcastic."
*"You beautiful spinster. I will find you love." "Did you say something?" "Nothing. I love you."
*"Millicent Gurgich has literally torn my heart from my chest and replaced it with a thick slab of sadness."
*"I know what things are."
*"April hates Valentine's Day. And brunch. And outside. And smiling."
*"Did you try 'fuck'?"
*"I hate riddles and other such nonsense. I want that stated for the record."
*"Where to begin. I'm an amateur juggler." "No, stop. You shouldn't have begun there.
*"Can I just look at your car keys for a second? I just need to see something on your car keys."
*As per usual, I've embedded the episode below via Hulu for your viewing pleasure. Enjoy.


text: Source: (2007) In John Hamel and Tonia L. Nicholls, Ed., Family Interventions in Domestic Violence. New York, USA: Springer Publishing Company. Pp. 397-415."The existence of same-sex domestic violence challenges the traditional assumption that domestic violence is rooted primarily in men's patriarchal privilege. While the role of patriarchy in perpetuating and maintaining domestic violence cannot be underestimated, battering in lesbian and gay relationships brings to light the need for a multidimensional understanding of domestic violence. In order to address the complex individual, relational, and societal variables that underlie the perpetration of battering, we must creatively broaden both our theoretical understanding of domestic violence and our treatment modalities. Although domestic violence also occurs in bisexual and transgender relationaships, this chapter focuses specifically on how, under certain circumstances, couple therapy can be safe and effective treatment modality for lesbians and gay men." (excerpt)


text:
An actor was recently overheard saying that he just followed a couple of hundred people and will check back in 24 hours and unfollow anyone that did not follow him back. Unfortunately, this is common. Twitter is a conversation tool and, with any good conversation, the best thing to do first is listen and then engage. This session will cover using Twitter as a tool for dialogue, listening and learning. If you have never used Twitter, we encourage you to look up some tutorials online before attending this session.
Please bring pencil or pen along with something to take notes.
Small Group Sessions are facilitated discussions with the goal of digging deeper into some of the information and advice shared within the panels. These sessions provide a time to break down concepts into practical action items by which an actor can individually apply to their professional pursuits. This session will last for 1.5 - 2 hours. Participants must stay for the whole time.
Before attending, it is recommended you watch the panel discussion: