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One of the world's biggest advertising companies has placed a top executive on leave over dismissive comments he made about gender diversity in the advertising industry.
In an interview with Business Insider published on Friday, the executive, Kevin Roberts, chairman of the prominent agency Saatchi & Saatchi and head coach at its parent company, Publicis Groupe, said that the debate about gender diversity on Madison Avenue "is all over" and that he did not spend "any time" on gender issues at his agencies. He also said the problem was "way worse" in other industries and suggested that women were happier in nonmanagement roles.
Mr. Roberts's comments were immediately met with derision and anger on social media, and a number of prominent advertising executives were quick to respond.
Wendy Clark, the chief executive of the agency DDB North America, responded on Twitter:
25 yrs ago I was an ad agency receptionist. Today I'm the CEO. I'm much happier in the c-suite, thanks all the same. https://t.co/Mf9OWKEAuS— wendy clark (@wnd) July 29, 2016
In an internal memo on Saturday, Maurice Lévy, the chief executive of Publicis, wrote that Mr. Roberts's comments were "extremely disappointing, shocking, uninformed and counter to the spirit of Publicis Groupe."
"I, in no way, can rationalize or support the opinions and statements made by Kevin," he said, adding that he had asked Mr. Roberts to take a leave of absence "effective immediately" and that the company's supervisory board would "further evaluate his standing."
Mr. Roberts's remarks came a few months after a female employee at the creative agency J. Walter Thompson filed a lawsuit accusing its chief executive, Gustavo Martinez, of blatant racist and sexist behavior. The lawsuit, filed in March, shook the advertising industry and forced it to confront longstanding problems with its culture. WPP, J. Walter Thompson's parent company, initially stood by Mr. Martinez, but he later resigned.
Many executives in the industry, male and female, have since spoken out about gender and racial diversity in the industry and said they were focused on improving the issue.
But Mr. Roberts's comments were a stark reminder that problems with gender diversity persist. " I am very proud of being part of the Groupe that is doing so much on gender equality but I acknowledge that we, our industry and business at large are not where we need to be or where we aspire to be," Arthur Sadoun, the chief executive of Publicis Communications, wrote in his own memo to staff on Saturday.
At an annual advertising industry conference two weeks after the lawsuit against Mr. Martinez was filed, Mr. Lévy was widely criticized for calling the accusations in the J. Walter Thompson lawsuit "a one-man mistake" and not representative "of what is happening in our industry." Mr. Lévy later clarified his remarks in an internal memo, calling the allegations in the lawsuit "jaw dropping."
Women now make up nearly 50 percent of the advertising industry, but only 11 percent of creative directors, according to a survey by the 3% Conference, which supports female creative leadership at agencies. Twenty-five percent of women in advertising said they had personally experienced gender discrimination, according to the survey.
In his interview with Business Insider, Mr. Roberts said agencies did not understand how women thought about success. "Their ambition is not a vertical ambition, it's this intrinsic, circular ambition to be happy," he said. "So they say: 'We are not judging ourselves by those standards that you idiotic dinosaur-like men judge yourself by.'"
He added: "I can't talk about sexual discrimination because we've never had that problem, thank goodness."
He also criticized Cindy Gallop, a former advertising executive who often speaks about gender discrimination in the industry. "I think she's got problems that are of her own making," he said. "I think she's making up a lot of the stuff to create a profile."
In an interview on Sunday, Ms. Gallop said that she was "impressed with how swiftly and decisively Publicis moved" but that Mr. Roberts's comments were indicative of the broader issue.
"When the old world order feels under threat because there is a new world order emerging, I think white men feel insecure," she said, "and that manifests itself in surprising ways, such as Kevin Roberts's remarks."


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Text by Megan Whittaker pictures by Anna Gunnarsdóttir
Such a BEAUTIFUL day. The rain and winds over night melted a lot of the snow but plenty of ice still remained, so you have to be careful walking around the city and it is recommended to buy a pair of crampons to help out. We had almost a full boat which was nice as it is usually quiet in these parts of Iceland this time of year. The weather could not have been better, calm seas throughout the fjord and incredible light and colors of the sky and mountains. Lots to photograph. We had many birds too: little auks, common guillemots, eider ducks, long-tailed ducks, glaucous gulls. We also found a few pods of harbour porpoises, at least 3 pods of 2-3 but they were shy and hard to point out to the passengers as they soon disappeared. It was after about 1hr 40mins until we saw a humpback whale just east of Hrísey. Great whale calmly feeding, always showing the fluke when going for a deep dive. We were able to recognise this whale as 'Vladimir Spoutine' - an individual we haven't seen since July. Very interesting to see it in the winter and follow its whereabouts throughout the year. It was just a wonderful day to be out on the water in Eyjafjörður.


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Stonemaier Games sheds light on Wingspan
Stonemaier Games, publishers of the immensely popular Scythe, have released all the details on their new game, Wingspan. Players are bird enthusiasts who seek to discover and attract the best birds to their network of wildlife preserves. Its described as a competitive, medium-weight, card-driven, engine-building board game for 1-5 players, aged 10+. Wingspan is designed by Elizabeth Hargrave, with art by Ana Maria Martinez Jaramillo, Natalia Rojas, and Beth Sobel. It plays in 40 – 70 mins.
The game is played over 4 rounds with the player with the most points being declared the winner. Habitats (which are actions in the game) are used by birds to perform combinations. Habitats focus on different aspects of growth:
- A bird feeder dice tower dispenses food tokens via custom dice
- Egg miniatures, in a variety of colors, are used to lay eggs
- A deck of cards allows hundreds of unique birds to be drawn and played
Featured game components include:
- 170 unique bird cards (57x87mm)
- 26 bonus cards (57x87mm)
- 16 Automa cards (57x87mm)
- 103 food tokens
- 75 egg miniatures
- 5 custom wooden dice
- 5 player mats
- 1 birdfeeder dice tower
- 2-piece Game Trayz custom tray
- 1 goal mat
- 8 goal tiles
- 1 first-player token
- 40 action cubes (8 per player)
- 4 clear plastic resource containers
- 1 scorepad (50 sheets; 1 sheet used for all players each game)
- 3 rulebooks
Wingspan also supports solo play by making use of an Automa. For more information on the game you can check out the Stonemaier Games website, or watch Tom's video review on the Dice Tower channel. Wingspan will be released on March 8th, 2019.


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"I will not follow where the path may lead, but I will go where there is no path and I will leave a trail."Muriel Strode
"I will not follow where the path may lead, but I will go where there is no path and I will leave a trail."Muriel Strode
I decided to continue working with the mule deer reference photos because; a.)I have so much of it and haven't really painted much from it yet, and b.)the doe paintings seem to be really flowing. It is good to be challenged but it is also good to have a balance between the process and progress and feel like you come out on top once in awhile.
While camping, we usually leave camp before daylight so that we can be out and about right at daybreak. There are two huge reasons for that, the light is great at that time and that's when the wildlife really get to moving. Plus, the crowds and traffic are low at that time–so, there you go, there are three reasons! That saying, "the early bird gets the worm"….very true. When camping and hiking at a well visited park like Rocky, the best shots are those that take you away from the crowds. Those that take you off of the beaten path and out of the tent and on the trail bright and early. Sometimes it is those unexpected shots that you're just blessed with being at the right place at the right time. Sometimes it's when weather is moving in and everyone else gets out of the rain, mist, wind or snow but you stick it out just a little bit longer. And then sometimes it happens when you just set up in the woods, sit quietly, wait and watch.
This little painting was based on some reference material gathered in a big stand of pine that was beautifully lit by warm, filtered light. We weren't sure where we were headed that morning and just decided to head towards the Bear Lake area and stop when we'd decided the light was right and where wildlife movement seemed promising. As we were headed down the road, I spotted a couple of does and several little ones moving through the forest, just off the road. We pulled up to the next vehicle pull off and parked. We decided to hike back down the mountain a bit, down into the pines on the opposite side of the road, find a quiet, spot on some boulders with tree trunks somewhat breaking up our silhouettes and just wait. We figured if we just waited patiently–we might get some good shots once they crossed the road and moved into the sunlit gaps within the forest–and if not, hey, it was a beautiful morning, the air was just warming up, and the smell of pine and fresh air was strong–it just didn't get any better than this.
Well, that's what we thought…. Except that the icing on the cake was that our gamble paid off and I snapped several beautifully lit shots of the does and little ones as they browsed on the grasses and shrubs growing in the openings. We sat there and just watched them wander about, until they finally moved on through the valley. We got up and quietly walked back to the road, moving on, in search of our next peaceful moment.
For today's painting, I started out with the intent of painting a mulie buck that we'd spotted, lying in the tall grass while hiking in Rocky Mountain National Park. I was excited about the subject and have thought about eventually doing a larger painting of it, so, now's the time to do a little study and practice, right? Right. Well, no matter what I did, the painting was just not coming along. I wiped parts of it out twice and finally wiped the whole canvas down and decided to move on to another subject. This doe, on the other hand, almost painted herself.
So, today was a lesson in knowing when to persevere and when to save that subject for another day–it's all learning!
Plein air painting, is a term used to describe a painting done outside/on location rather than in a studio. The term comes from the French en plein air, meaning 'in the open air'.
So, I've dabbled with plein air painting on and off for the past few years. It wasn't until recently, probably within the last two years, that I started painting en plein air on a regular basis and making more of a "serious" effort towards being a better plein air painter.
The benefits of painting en plein air, finally seeped through that hard head of mine. I'm seeing how this is all intertwined and helping to make me a better painter in general. The benefits of being there, feeling the elements, seeing the color, seeing the way light plays on everything, seeing the form and making quick decisions on drawing, studying value, color, and composition…..I get it….these are all necessities for a good painter. Painting en plein air forces you to make decisions and go with them. I feel like it makes you really study your subject…..really open your eyes and see. Because of that, I notice that I pay a lot more attention to subtle color changes and how colors relate to each other. I started paying more attention to colors in shadow and reflected color. I have noticed that I have started finding myself looking at things during my daily wanderings and thinking to myself, "how I would mix that particular color?". Hmmm, wonder if other artists find themselves doing that? I'm sure they do….yeah, that has to be a creative brain thing……. ummm, right?
Oh, and hey, by the way, snow is really all white, right? I finally had a chance to get outdoors and paint snow en plein air. Unfortunately, every chance I got to get out and paint it, it was on an overcast day and while the fluffy stuff was still falling. I tell you this because that day, snow definitely wasn't just white. I found grey and blue and in some cases purples in the snow (we won't talk about the brown and yellow snow that I found in horse pen). I also found that laying straight titanium white down just didn't get that "snow" look that I was looking for. I always mixed in one of the above colors or lemon yellow…..yes, a yellow. I found by doing this, I was able to get more of the true look I was seeing in front of me. I found that I was able to give more form to my snow. After all, it did have shadow, mid-tones, and highlights (not much since it was overcast) but, it had "shape". This "shape" makes it more believable. For example, I had to make it look like "a blanket" on top of the haybales and "pillows" on top of the old parts tractor. I probably wouldn't have noticed all of this had I not set up and painted with my subject in front of me.
So, getting out in the cold, braving the snow, wind, and sleet…..so worth the knowledge. I will admit, I truly didn't feel the cold while I was painting except when I started to notice certain colors "froze" quicker than others. My white was a very, thick, gooey mess by the time I was done. As I get out and paint in the elements, I'm also learning what types of clothing and supplies are a must and what I can leave at home (remind me to tell you about my alpaca socks….they rock!). I'm also learning how to lighten my painting pack. …..watch for future posts on that.
I have a long way to go with this "plein air thing" but I feel like if I learn one thing from each painting or each outing, I'm winning! Some days I learn I should wipe off the painting and just pack it up for another day but hey, it's all good. No worries!
Here are three of the paintings that I did during our snow this year. I think you can really see the gray and blue in the snow on the "Parts Tractor" painting. The other two paintings look as though I used straight white but there is a subtle yellow and grey in them. I think they just look true white because of the colors around them. It's all relative, right? I feel like the form of the snow puffs is more believable in the tractor painting.
God, grant me the serenity
to accept the things I cannot change;
courage to change the things I can;
and wisdom to know the difference.
Day 24 of the painting a day challenge. Four more days of the project–whew! It has been a hectic month and especially a hectic week this week, between my "day job", class, and keeping up with this project. Sometimes there are just not enough hours in the day and I begin to feel like I'm treading water and slowly sinking! That's when I have to take a moment, take a deep breath and say the serenity prayer to myself. It's great meditation, even if it's just for a moment.
This subject is a barred owl that I happened upon on my way to work one morning, on, of all days, April Fool's day! I happened to be doing the photography project at the site http://www.365project.org so, I did have my DSLR with me. I quickly turned around, pulled over and set my camera settings to what I "thought" they needed to be because I knew, when I stopped, the owl would fly. I figured I would have one shot at it. Turns out, I was basically right. I was able to snap 3 shots! One of him perched on the fence post and two of him flying away. I ended up being late for work but so, worth it!
Here's the link for this painting on the Daily Paintworks Gallery, thanks for looking! http://www.dailypaintworks.com/fineart/veronica-brown/wisdom/335995
Back in 2008, I enrolled in an art workshop in Montana. We decided to turn it into a family vacation as well. Road trip!! We decided to allow a few days to drive to Montana so we could see the sites along. We rented a vehicle since we knew we were going to be traveling a fair amount of miles (over 5300 in two weeks to be exact!) We packed up the kids (who were both teenagers at the time), packed up the car and away we went. We felt like the Griswolds on family vacation! This little trip proved to be a string of adventures for the Brown family!
Our ultimate destination was to be a guard station cabin in the Tally Lakes/Star Meadows area of Montana. We found the cabin located off of a rural road, miles from town. It was such a peaceful scene, surrounded by some level, bottom, ground sprinkled with pine trees and scrub brush with a creek/river running through it. There were mountains on the backside of the creek and mountains to the front of the cabin……mountains everywhere—perfect! A rail fence enclosed the "yard" with pine trees towering above the parking area and hiding view of the road from the cab
in. Upon exploring a bit more, we learned that the field was the temporary home to a herd of cattle.
There was electricity to the cabin but no running water or indoor plumbing. There was however, a new water hand-pump located outside for potable water and a new vaulted toilet with a concrete floor and a "stall" where a solar shower could be hung. I'm not sure my children realized what a vaulted toilet was until we got there and they realized they were going to have to go outside and walk about 30 yards to use the facilities. We kept a flashlight in the stall as well as one in the cabin for just such occasions, however, my daughter resolved that she would not be going out there unless it was daylight! She proceeded to tell us that knew there was a possibility of seeing bears—she saw the sign and brochure about bear safety in the cabin. Even during daylight, when she had to walk out there by herself, she hustled! I tried to reassure her that the cattle in the backyard would more than likely alert her if anything was around. She still didn't find that too comforting. Maybe it was partially because they all kept joking that "bear safety" meant that they just had to outrun the slowest person in the family and then they all laughed and looked at me. And thanks to all of the teasing I received, I told her I would not be escorting her to the "facilities". Chels did luck out however, we were far enough north that the days seemed to be pretty long and there was an abundance of daylight.
It seemed like it was never completely dark until about 11PM and then daylight seemed to hit around 6AM. Between the light and the very loud serenade sung by the coyote choir every night, and the chill in the cabin, it took a few nights to actually get some quality sleep. Not that I was complaining—it was beautiful there….just that with the combination of me giving up caffeine before we left and the lack of sleep, I had regular headaches for days. We did eventually figure out that one of the windows had been left open in the cabin…..causing the chill and our blankets to never be enough! That seemed to cut down on the volume of the nightly coyote choir as well. The lack of sleep did finally catch up with me and with the new found warmth and quiet, I slept in one morning. The hub didn't—he awoke early to see some cowboys driving the cattle out of our "backyard" and down the road to their next home. I was a little upset that he didn't wake me to watch but understood why he didn't.
Since the cattle were now gone, we decided that evening that we would explore more of the backyard. We found the remains of a couple of whitetail fawns that had apparently been dinner for some of the "choir" a few nights ago. We also discovered that what we called a "creek" was rather deep and very cold and that it was a little further from the cabin that we'd thought. We walked a bit further and found a whitetail doe, dead, in the creek. We're not exactly sure what her cause of death was but it was definitely evident that there was predator activity around. Given that fact, the whole time we explored, I tried to keep an eye out for said predators—I love to explore the wilderness but I'm a bit paranoid about something that could potentially make a meal outta me, catching me by surprise and gnawing a limb off before I knew what hit me. I know, call me crazy, but my imagination runs wild sometimes and I knew we were in bear and mountain lion country….something we really do not have to worry about back home. My hub seemed to find my paranoia entertaining and took every chance he got to slip out of my sight and make noises, break sticks and watch me jump. Not funny, not funny at all!
The next morning, Chels woke up and had to use the facilities but it wasn't light enough yet, so, she danced around the cabin until there was enough light. As soon as she felt it was light enough to make a clean break for the toilet, she darted out of the cabin, running fast enough to reach the toilet before anything could possible get her. As she was coming out she noticed something black, furry, and rather large moving through some of the brush off to the backside of the toilet. She watched for a bit and then decided to make a run for it. She came barreling in the cabin, eyes wide, breathing hard, and obviously scared. We started questioning her and she proceeded to tell us she'd just seen a bear. With that news, the hub and I walked outside armed with the binoculars to check it out. After a bit of investigation, we did find Chels' bear……..it happened to be a black angus cow and calf that had apparently missed the earlier roundup and were left behind. There were coming up to the cabin in an effort to find the rest of the herd. The owners did come back later and gather the stragglers….turned out there were a few more than just that pair. In Chels' defense, it was fogging in the bottom that morning, foggy enough to turn cattle into bears!
"Curious Coyote"
10"x10" oil on gallery wrapped canvas.
This piece will be offered at the Faith and Outdoors event in Sullivan, MO on March 24. Come out and show your support and possibly take home a piece of my artwork.
Coyotes are naturally very curious animals. They've been known to "stare down" humans. I don't think this is meant to be a sign of aggression or intimidation, I think it is simply a moment of trying to figure you out. They want to know what you are and what you're doing. As I travel and study wildlife more while gathering photographic reference material for my artwork, I notice more and more, wild animals that simply "watch you back". I have tons of photos of this behavior…..mule deer, elk, various birds, whitetail deer, coyotes….and even a black bear, sitting around watching traffic.
I feel I'm very blessed to have the opportunity to get outdoors and wander and to view the wildlife in their natural area. I instantly feel at peace and relaxed when out there. As John Muir said, "Wilderness is not only a haven for native plants and animals but it is also a refuge from society. It's a place to go to hear the wind and little else, see the stars and the galaxies, smell the pine trees, feel the cold water, touch the sky and the ground at the same time, listen to coyotes, eat the fresh snow, walk across the desert sands, and realize why it's good to go outside of the city and the suburbs. Fortunately, there is wilderness just outside the limits of the cities and the suburbs in most of the United States, especially in the West."
Oh how right John was…..wilderness can be found just outside the limits of the cities or burbs….but it can also sometimes be found within the limits. As we encroach upon the wildlife habitats, they have to adapt to smaller areas or move into ours. It seems like there are constant news stories about wild animals being a "nuisance" in cities. Coyotes prowling through back yards looking for table scraps or trash and in some cases preying on small, house dogs and cats. Towns paying money to try and relocate or curb whitetail deer populations that are getting out of hand and causing property damage and vehicle accidents. And then there are the more recent spottings of larger game moving through such as the recent sightings of black bears throughout Missouri and the confirmed sightings of mountain lions in populated areas such as Chesterfield just a year ago. What can we expect as the wilderness areas dwindle? We do have parks and preserves set up but these animals do not know of boundaries.
Painting a Day Project – Day 27
"Whenever the pressure of our complex city life thins my blood and numbs my brain, I seek relief in the trail; and when I hear the coyote wailing to the yellow dawn, my cares fall from me – I am happy." –Hamlin Garland
Our last trip to RMNP proved to be a great time to see coyotes. We've always been lucky enough to see one or two while there and always heard them of an evening while camped in Moraine Park, however the sightings were usually quick and a fair distance away. This last trip, however, we were blessed to see 3 or 4 different "dogs" and had the opportunity to see how they behave in their natural environment without knowing we were watching.
We saw a mother and young one yip and howl to each other from across the valley and finally run across Sheep Meadows to reunite. They jumped around and played before heading back across the meadow.
We were also lucky enough to come upon a young one hunting one morning. We watched, photographed, and recorded it for over an hour in one of the meadows. We had him all to ourselves—a couple of people came by while we were watching him, but they didn't see what we saw. A coyote's fur blends so well with the grasses and brush most people (and probably most prey) never know they were there. We watched him stick his nose in the grasses then raise his head and listen, then next thing you'd know, he'd hunker down and leap through the air, pouncing on whatever he was after….if he was lucky. If he wasn't, he'd stick his nose back in the grasses, with his butt up in the air, tail up and wagging until he'd catch the scent of another possibility. So much fun to watch! We did finally see him become successful. Not sure what he caught, all we could see was him taking a break, with his head up and crunching on something. The winds finally changed and he caught our scent. He looked straight up at us and then turned and started walking away. Every so often he would turn and look at us again, I guess to make sure we weren't following. Maybe he had a "honey hole" of a hunting spot he was headed to and didn't want us to find it!
There was also one particular night when the coyotes were very active in Moraine Park. The moon was almost full, the wind was still, and we'd just settled down to bed in our tent when the first one started to howl. It was soon joined by others and soon, it was a coyote concert. They seemed to be moving closer and closer and then they kind of quieted down. Just as I was dozing off, the encore performance started. I jerked awake, just as a car alarm started going off…..yes, a car alarm. They were so close and loud that they startled someone else in the campground and caused them to hit their car alarm button on their keychain or the coyotes themselves actually set the alarm off, not sure which. Regardless, the car alarm started going off and the hub and I just rolled over and started laughing. What else can you do?? Whoever owned the car finally got the alarm shut off and the coyotes moved along. We rolled over and stared at the stars through the tent roof for a while and finally dozed off again.
Painting a Day
Day 26
"Clouds and Wildflowers"
"The flower that follows the sun does so even in cloudy days." ~Robert Leighton
A few years ago, I traveled to Montana to take a painting/drawing workshop with an artist whom I greatly admire. The workshop was to last 4 days, so, I decided to schedule two weeks of vacation and turn the trip into a family road trip/vacation. What an adventure…..good with the bad. Amazing views, grumpy kids, stunning wildlife, long periods in a cramped vehicle…and I wouldn't have traded any of it!
We rented a guard station cabin in the Tally Lakes/Star Meadows area and traveled back and forth each day to class or to Glacier National Park. That area was absolutely amazing and a few days was not near enough time to explore however, I'm one of those that tries to make the most out of any travel opportunity—I LOVE to travel and see new places! I probably drive my family crazy because I want to see it all and do it all while there because you never know when or if you'll get to come back. I'm that flower following the sun even on cloudy days….well, not sure I'd go that far…ha ha….anyway…..
The last day we were going to be able to spend in Glacier, we decided to get up early and travel the extra distance to enter the park at the St. Mary's entrance. We had to travel quite a ways because the Going to the Sun Road was not open yet. It was the latest that they'd ever opened the road. They were having trouble keeping it clear and drivable because of late snows and avalanches. The morning was overcast with low altitude clouds moving across the valleys, obscuring some of our views, however, what we could see of the country we traveled through was absolutely amazing. I was almost as fascinated by the scenery and the journey to the park as I was the park itself. It was interesting to see the "free range" grazing areas and crossing cattle guards as we got on and off the "highways"….along with the Native American prayer bundles tied in some of the aspen groves along the roads. All things we definitely do not see at home, things that remind you that you are in the west. We saw views of snow-capped mountains clothed in clouds with wildflowers starting to bloom in the valleys below, absolutely breathtaking and definitely an area I long to visit again.


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January 6, 2015
The Institute of Medicine (IOM) and the National Research Council (NRC) have released a PowerPoint presentation on the OJJDP-funded report "Confronting Commercial Sexual Exploitation and Sex Trafficking of Minors in the United States." This release coincides with National Slavery and Human Trafficking Prevention Month in January. The presentation shares findings on how schools, law enforcement, victim services, businesses, the legal system, and health care providers can collaborate to prevent, identify, and respond to commercial sexual exploitation and sex trafficking of minors.
Access additional IOM/NRC resources.
Learn more about OJJDP's programs and resources on addressing commercial sexual exploitation of children.
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Paddle Board Yoga
Paddle Board Yoga, or sometimes referred to as S.U.P (stand up paddle board) is one of the most amazing yoga practices you could ever have.
Combining a strong focus and breath work, you find yourself on a whole new "yoga mat". Brianne is one of the only teachers in the suburbs offering paddle board yoga. She has been leading trips since 2011 throughout the states and abroad. She holds her paddle board certification through Juna Yoga and KSF.
Take a look at some of our past paddle board yoga day trips and paddle board yoga retreats:
Class passes, workshops, events, retreats, trainings, etc. (anything taught by Brianne) are NON REFUNDABLE. All class pass expirations will be observed. If you come upon illness or family emergency, please contact me. If no notification is made of illness/ family emergency, passes will expire. Please make note of your class pass expiration. Please be aware of your schedule as you register for classes, workshops, events, retreats, trainings, etc. There will be NO REFUND if you have a personal event already scheduled.
If a class offers a friend discount, Both Friends must be registered at THE SAME TIME, no exceptions. Workshops/Events/Retreats/Trainings/Series are at a seperate rate. Can not use class pass towards these events.


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Bob Beauprez is an author, former Member of Congress, buffalo rancher, and Colorado native. He is the editor-in-chief of A Line of Sight, an online policy resource for conservative activists. For more details on Bob Beauprez visit official website: http://bobbeauprez.com/
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Fresh Friday: Chinese New Year
Celebrate Chinese New Year 2018, Year of the Dog, at the Mansfield Senior Center with a festive meal made by guest chef Pat Schneider!
Cost: $7.00 for meal
Meal served at 12:00 PM
Menu: Chicken with broccoli; Rice; Stir-Fry Veggies; Pineapple Slices; Egg Rolls; and Sherbet with Fortune Cookies for Dessert!
Deadline to sign-up: February 20
Contact the Senior Center to sign up: 860.487.9870


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Festival programme
Fun for the whole family
Let your hair down, have fun with friends, and try something new at Westpoint this year.
There's a wide range of exciting events planned for the Festival zone, from bouncies to sports competitions, art and crafts to book signings. You're guaranteed to find something enjoyable in which to get involved.
We love our food!
There will be a number of food related festival activities, for both grown-ups and kids to enjoy.
Calling all creatives!
We love to run sessions where you can sit down and enjoy being creative. This year there will be bible journaling, creative dance workshops and more …
Some space to unwind!
For the more active amongst us!
Build some unique memories!
Get fully stuck into all we have on offer, from ferret displays to group activities morning park run, there's something for everyone.
Join us in the Hub!
The Westpoint marketplace provides an excellent opportunity for those with small buisnesses or charities to raise awareness of what they are doing or to sell their products. If you would like to apply or find out more information about exhibiting at Westpoint please email: [email protected]
Even after the evening meeting has finished!
There's still more to enjoy, this year we'll be having live music, dancing and of course our ever popular Westpoint quiz. Alongside the evening entertainment, we'll also be running camp fire worship every evening, for an extended time of worship and encountering God.
Release your competitive side!
Unwind in the afternoon!
For those of a competitive nature, come and join in our football, volleyball and rounders competitions. It could be your team that takes home the highly-sought after title of Westpoint Champions.
Football competitions will take place in the following age groups; under 12, 12-16 on Friday afternoon and 17+ on Saturday. Teams are of 5 with 2 rolling subs.
All age volleyball competitions will take place in teams of 6 on Sunday afternoon.
Ultimate Fisbee – New to 2019!
All age Ultimate Frisbee games will take place this year. We hope to see you there!
Badminton & Table Tennis
Badminton courts and Table Tennis tables at the back of the main arena will be available for anyone to use. With no organised competitions, you can sign up on a first come first served basis.
All age rounders competitions will take place in teams of 10 on Sunday afternoon.
Park Run
Calling all early risers! Following the 2018 sucess we will be running a daily park run in the mornings. Get those running shoes out and sweep the cobwebs away before the morning meetings start.
Additional needs?
Westpoint is for everyone. Find out what's available for those with additional needs.
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The Raw Journey: Rejection at Birth
What is this place? It's so dark in here. Where am I? I can't move. Am I trapped? I feel confined. I glanced around, swiftly trying to figure out this strange place where a moment ago I had just opened my…
Naushad Mitha
I am a 27-year-old guy from Pakistan with a deep insight and empathy for social issues and societal problems especially inequality and injustice. I am just another voice in the crowd that wants to be heard. I have been Inspired by many people, I care about a few. I am a supporter or feminism, while not even hating the male chauvinists. I have been in the dark for a while, feels like home. I am not scared of the demons anymore because they seem friendly now. Hope to find it all one day, or hope to be found one day! Either way, hope's still alive.


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How Many
This is the leader's guide for the six session Bible study for Lent which follows the themes of the At the Crossroads worship series: Confession, Betrayal, Judgment, Compassion, Declaration and Obedience. Each session in the study includes Scripture readings, questions for discussion, prayers and suggested activities for devotion and service as you follow the road to the cross during Lent. Includes all the answers, helpful study notes and session directions.


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BEIRUT, LEBANON (10:30 A.M.) – The Turkish regime is preparing to ask the U.S. on Tuesday to hand over their military bases in Syria, the Hurriyet Daily publication reported.
In a headline titled "give them or destroy them," the Hurriyet article claimed that the Turkish regime is demanding the U.S. hand over their 22 military bases amid their departure from the country.
Citing unnamed sources, the report said that Turkey will not accept the U.S. transferring control of these bases to the Kurdish-led People's Protection Units (YPG) and Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF).
Turkey considers both the SDF and YPG to be offshoots of the outlawed Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK).
U.S. National Security Adviser John Bolton is meeting with his Turkish counterpart Ibrahim Kalin on Tuesday, days after Bolton added a condition to the U.S. withdrawal, saying Turkey must agree to protect the United States' Kurdish ally, the YPG militia, which Ankara views as a terrorist group.
President Donald Trump said last month he was bringing home the some U.S. 2,000 troops in Syria, saying they had succeeded in their mission to defeat Islamic State. His abrupt move sparked concern among officials in Washington and allies abroad and prompted Defense Secretary Jim Mattis to resign.
The YPG has been the key U.S. ally in its fight against Islamic State, support that has long caused tension between Washington and Ankara. Turkey views the YPG as an extension of the outlawed Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK), which has waged a three-decade insurgency in Turkey's mainly Kurdish south east.
- 32Shares


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For the last several weeks I have been blogging on the subject of Leadership and Encouragement. Leaders are encouragers!
This topic is crucial to leaders, especially in this culture of unparalleled change and uncertainty. People, specifically those who follow you as a leader, are looking for someone to reassure them and to encourage them.
Encouragement energizes people – those who follow you as a leader.
The last three weeks we have been focusing on self-encouragement. As a leader your ability to encourage others is determined by your ability to FIRST encourage yourself.
Using David's experience at Ziklag in 1 Samuel 30, we are looking at principles of self-encouragement.
An encouraged man among a multitude of discouraged men always stands out from the crowd. That's why David was the leader. The leader will always be the one who can encourage himself when everyone else is discouraged. Had someone else encouraged himself instead of David, that man would have become the new leader.
When people are discouraged, they are vulnerable. The ability to encourage yourself when everyone else is discouraged is an essential attribute of leadership!
The third principle and practice of encouraging yourself is: Self-encouragement results in making wise decisions – the leader seeks the Lord.
David encouraged himself, and then he was strengthened to take action and make decisions. The Bible says, "The joy of the Lord is our strength" – that is true but, encouragement always precedes joy!
After David worshiped and was encouraged, then he began to seek the Lord about what he was to do next. Worship always prepares you to hear and receive a word from the Lord.
Encouragement enables us to act according to our faith and NOT our feelings!
There will always be Ziklag experiences in our leadership journey. How we respond to these experiences determines our destiny and impacts the lives of those who follow us as leaders. Because David knew how to encourage himself, he was able to lead his men into victory and recover everything the enemy had stolen. After recovery came celebration.
When, not if, you encounter a Ziklag experience: weep for a while, encourage yourself, get a word from God, recover what you lost, then get ready to celebrate!
I appreciate you and believe in you. Together we are building the Kingdom of God in Virginia.


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Kicking Out: Australia dream lives on, but it's not as easily caught
"YOU can be a fisherman in Maine or a farmer in California. America is not like Limerick, a grey place with a river that kills," is a line that sums up the appeal of America to men like Frank McCourt.
The 19th century famine drove half a million people across the Atlantic, mostly in desperate search of employment, money and food. For many, the land of opportunity delivered.
Few ever came home again and as a result, there are now seven times more Americans (almost 40 million) that claim Irish heritage than there are people living in Ireland.
But in recent years, its mantle has been taken by Australia. Given Donald Trump's attempts to purge the non-natives from the land of hope and glory altogether, it's a reverse that is likely to continue.
When the crash hit at home a decade ago, thousands began boarding the plane by the year.
Between 2008 and 2013, almost 80,000 made the move from the Republic. A report by Clinton Institute at UCD called it "a new version of the American Dream, played out in Sydney, Melbourne and Perth."
Hit by a severe case of FOMO (fear of missing out for those that don't speak Millennial), I joined them in late 2011. A couple of friends from home had gone out a few weeks earlier and myself, the brother and another friend hit the skies in early October, weeks after another county final defeat.
Armed with a year's visa, we were full of grand plans. A few months in Perth to build up the cash reserves and then move on, see a bit of the country, sample the best of the famous east coast nightlife and then look about the second year.
Within six months, I was home again, never having left Perth and having spent pretty much every penny I had.
It was a fortnight at most before we all got work. I headed out of the city to Northam, about an hour north, to do the mandatory agricultural work that was required for a second year's visa.
The work was on a grain harvesting plant. The temperatures hit 40 degrees several times and if someone so much as blew out a match, tools were downed because of the fire hazard that a breeze created in such heat.
It was far from labour intensive and coming from a world that was just above the minimum wage at home, I could hardly believe the first pay packet.
$1,000 for the week, even after the crucifying tax that you had to pay on a Working Holiday Visa.
After Christmas I took a job in a local newspaper in Rockingham, which meant a two-hour round train journey every day from our house in Beckenham. I knew nothing about Australian sport and even less about the news.
My name was indecipherable. After three days I gave up and just introduced myself as Paddy. Nobody could understand a word I said. I didn't know anything about Rockingham, its people or its culture.
But the money was attractive. I remember being handed my contract and seeing $44,000 per annum. It seemed like a lot of money, more than two-and-a-half times what I was earning at home.
And yet despite that, it was a hand-to-mouth existence. I remember vividly our first trip to Coles, the Australian equivalent of Tesco. We spent $300 and came home with no more than a tube of toothpaste, some toilet roll, four boxes of Tim Tam biscuits and some Powerade (to balance the diet).
The house we lived in was a glorified tin shed, but I was still paying $300-odd a week for the room alone, in which we spent most of our time because the air con was broken in the living room.
A night out in Northbridge consisted of pre-pre drinks in the garden, pre-drinks in The Shed (a bar, not an actual shed) and then a run to Paramount nightclub. Given that one drink could sting you close to $20, you can imagine how that went.
By the end of March I was on a flight home, baying for pre-season training in the wind and rain. I still remember picking the first ball from a puddle behind the top goal in the lashing rain on that first Tuesday night and Ryan O'Reilly saying to me: "Your head's cut."
The dream wasn't for me. The money seemed great but the cost of living was crippling. Basically, if you weren't working in construction, it would be a struggle.
It was strange, then, being back in Western Australia for the last week. The boom is over. Northbridge was once a hive of Irish activity but from Monday through Thursday, there wasn't a sinner to be seen around town.
Sunday in JB O'Reilly's was a different story, with plenty about to join some of the players for a bit of R&R, but the numbers are well down.
The local GAA clubs are surviving, but not thriving in terms of numbers the way they were five, six, seven years ago.
The taxi men, as always, had the gripe well-rehearsed. The big mining companies were to blame. Loggerheads with the government over royalties. Job cuts. Economy bust. No money. Housing market fell apart.
The number of jobs for migrant workers like our own has crashed too. Wages have stagnated or in some cases died off, and yet the cost of living hasn't. It's just as expensive to live in and not as profitable, even if the green shoots of recovery have been evident in recent months.
You couldn't buy a bottle of water for less than €2.50. A pint is at least €11. Eating out would leave you needing to remortgage.
The number of Irish citizens in the country on temporary visas has fallen by almost half in the last two years, thanks to the lessening job opportunities and the tightening of immigration laws.
An increasing number are deciding to stay on illegally after their visas expire because they cannot afford to move home, potentially creating a new section of undocumented Irish through Australian society.
In 200 years' time, it could well be the new America, with large swathes of the population second, third or fourth generation. The dream remains – but it's not as easily caught as you might believe.


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Last night I saw the film 'Revolutionary Road'. The film is about a couple called the Wheelers who struggle to deal with life's contradictions, hopes and failures. In a very real way, they are asking what life is about. In the end, feeling imprisoned by life itself, by the responsibilities and burdens, the wife kills herself and her unborn baby. One quote in the film stood out to me:
"Life here is just empty and hopeless", the reply went,
"Plenty of people are onto the emptiness but it takes real guts to see the hopelessness"
Now I'm not sure that I would agree entirely about the hopelessness, but I can agree with the sentiment. It takes real guts to examine what life is about, what motivates you, what drives you, what is your life about? All of this can be summed up by the question Why?
Being here in Zambia after our break in the UK has been much harder emotionally then I thought it would be. Why is that? I think that the main reason for this is that the gusto of the move and what we are doing naturally wears off after a while. What am I left with? A sense of normality. I naturally kick against normality,something in my Type A personality always has!
It makes you ask the question, why am I really here? What has really driven me to this point? What keeps me here? You can see the costs of what you are doing, and another part of you thinks, "there better be a good reason for doing this….." The last few weeks has been a little like a crucible of experience that has tested us, and continues to test us. That crucible is entirely formed from the question, "Why?". Why here? Why now? Why me? Why? Why? Why?
I think many people ask that question of themselves their whole life long. Why did that happen? Why did I do that?
Trying to find reason and direction in our life is often like trying to find a needle in a haystack. In searching for the answer to our question why, we search deeper within ourselves, becoming more introspective, hanging on to the belief that we have the answer to that question, why. All we find eventually is hopelessness, because we cannot find the answer within us. It simply does not exist there.
I learnt a few years ago, that the answer to the question does not lie within me, but outside of me. I'm here because God wants me here. I'm doing what I am doing because God has assigned that task to me. You see I can answer the why from a different source, God himself. In reality my motivations are sometimes a confused hash of my own self interest and my faith in God, but still I can reach for the answers to the big questions and look at my motivation in that light. I am able to hold onto someone who is beyond me to give my life a trajectory and purpose, even when I can't always see it myself.
I am also very aware that to even be able to think about such questions is a luxury of my station in life. Many of the people I work with here, the poor in the villages, have never had the opportunity to think about their direction and role in life, they are simply given that role by the situation they find themselves born in to. Part of them finding their future, it to be able to do that.
Many people in my own country hold to thinking that says, "If we direct ourselves we can find meaning and fulfilment" ie, we can do whatever we want and God is not part of our thinking. That only holds true if an answer to life's greatest mystery can indeed be found within humanity. After thousands of years of human history it obviously has not been found, so the passing of time works against that argument. Every time there is a disaster like in Japan, and people ask the question 'Why?' it is obvious that they have still not found an answer, despite their own self assurance that they know what life is about.
People here in the villages don't even have that luxury, they simply do not know the richness that is available to them in Christ, no-one has ever taught them about it. Some may know Jesus as their Saviour, but what does that mean? Many are imprisoned in a hopeless ignorance, with no-one to teach them. They too cannot find meaning to their lives.
This lack of meaning shows itself in very curious ways here in the bush. Gallion who works for me would not walk home a certain way the other day. She was scared because she had heard that people were hiding on the way who snatch human hearts and organs for witchcraft. That's terrible and an awful abuse of people, but why is it happening? It is happening because the people snatching the organs feel that the money they are paid is part of the answer to life's mystery of why. They also believe in the power of witchcraft. The net result of this is that Gallion is scared to walk home and that many people are murdered and never heard of again.
You see the question "why?" is not an irrelevant question in our life today. How you answer the question, "Why?" affects your very outlook, actions and direction in life. Your life will amount to the sum of how accurately you manage to answer the question, because your life over many years will form an answer to the question. Where you treasure is, there your heart will be, and people always follow the desires of their heart.
The point is that you find the reason why. Just like the quote in the film, you have the courage, the guts, to get underneath the bonnet of your own life and work out what it is all about. When Paul talked about 'Working out your own salvation" in the Bible, I believe that is what he was talking about.
That is Why I am here in Zambia, because doing that with an entire generation of villagers, can have a greater impact than I can ever imagine.


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RA Yoga uses movement and breath to feel lightweight in your body and bright in your mind! Strong but flexible, balanced but light, masculine and feminine - yoga is the spirit of of contrast and equality. Inspired towards better mental health, having more energy, and feeling nice.
Wednesday evening at 7pm. (1 hour)
Please bring a matt.
Cara is a Yoga Alliance certified teacher of Ashtanga Vinyasa yoga. With a few ideas borrowed from dance, Pilates, Tai Chi, singing techniques, and massage.
When arriving buzz unit 22 at the gate or call +7921808210. Email firstname.lastname@example.com with any questions.


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Everyone who has ever written a novel has dreamed of it being turned into a movie. In the perfect world, Warner Bros. buys the rights to their book for a million dollars and hires Steve Zaillian to adapt it. It then goes onto make a bazillion dollars at the box office. The writer buys a sixty-foot yacht and sails off into the sunset. But we don't live in a perfect world. Option B is the novelist decides to write the screenplay themselves. But quickly learns that writing screenplays is verrrry different than writing books. And thus, embarks on Option C: Seeking out a lowly lonely screenwriter to adapt their book for them. Usually for free. But with the age old promise of them sharing in the gold and glory upon the film's successful release.
I got news for you. Adaptations take time. Talent. Discipline. Crafting great adaptations is a skill totally unto itself. Even some of the most successful screenwriters will duck and hide from adaptations no matter the money. Why? Often, simply having to cope with the reticence of the novelist (or producers) to make the changes necessary to turn their 350 page single-spaced brick of a book into a 110 page double-spaced screenplay that translates onto screen. Some things simply have to go. Scenes. Characters. Lines. Sometimes whole storylines. Hard choices must be made and it takes a deft hand to know what and where to carve. Not to mention, streaming those remnants together in a cohesive tapestry that will tantalize millions in the dark.
On the other hand, scripting adaptations can be incredibly rewarding. After all, they offer a head start. A hero. A story. A fellow writer with which to conspire and commiserate. And sometimes, in the case of autobiographies, writers who the story is even about. Who better to fill in the blanks of the unknown? Either way, for the love of God, make sure you have the rights to the source material you are adapting before you begin. Or all your work will be for naught. No studio will touch it. And last but not least, try to get paid something up front for your time AND your fair share on the backend. You will deserve it.


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Calling All Patriots: Time To Begin Preparing For The Final Day
Trish Stevens
Ascot Media Group
Post Office Box 2394
Friendswood, TX 77549
281.333.3507 – Main
(This press release may be reprinted in part or entirety)
"Fail Safe collides with Norman Rockwell in this fitfully entertaining novel about an America ripped apart at its seams."—Kirkus Reviews, on One Year After
Black Mountain, NC – Fans of John Matherson and his fierce brand of patriotism eagerly await a major release from Forge Books and New York Times bestselling author William R. Forstchen. The Final Day, third in the series, is scheduled for release in early January 2017.
Months before publication, Forstchen's One Second After was cited on the floor of Congress as a book all Americans should read. Film rights to that novel have already been optioned by Warner Bros. The riveting story of our nation's struggle to rebuild itself after an electromagnetic pulse plunges the country into darkness, starvation, and death was followed closely by the acclaimed One Year After, continuing the Matherson saga.
The Final Day picks up after John Matherson and his community defeat the designs of the alleged federal government. Now they have returned their attention to restoring the technologies and social order existing prior to the EMP attack. When the government announces that it is ceding large portions of the country to China and Mexico, General Bob Scales is sent to confront Matheson. The Constitution is no longer in effect, and what's left of the U.S. Army has been deployed to suppress rebellion in the remaining states.
General Scales is John's former commanding officer and closest friend from prewar days. Where do his loyalties fall? Might he be the crucial turning point in the quest for an America that is again united? When news breaks that members of the federal government knew an EMP attack was coming long before it hit, the government might get exactly what it fears: revolution.
William R. Forstchen is the New York Times bestselling author of One Second After. He holds a Ph.D. in history from Purdue University, with specializations in military history and the history of technology. Forstchen is currently a faculty fellow and professor of history at Montreat College, near Asheville, North Carolina.
For more information, please visit http://us.macmillan.com/books/9780765376732
The Final Day
Forge Books
Available at fine booksellers everywhere beginning 1/3/17
Ebook: 978-0-7653-7673-2
Tags: Ascot, Ascot Media, Ascot Media Group, Author, Black Mountain NC, books, Calling All Patriots: Time To Begin Preparing For The Final Day, EMP attack, federal government, Forge Books, government, John Matherson, military, Montreat College, North Carolina, One Second After, PR, Public Relations, Purdue University, The Final Day, Trish Stevens, William R. Forstchen


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275 McCormick Avenue
Costa Mesa, CA 92626
Is your Home Too Airtight?
There has been a lot of talk lately about folks worrying their new home is built too tight. The story goes something like this. A couple saves their money to build their dream home and they find a custom builder who specializes in building "tight" homes. (The benefits being energy efficiency and improved air quality.) And because this is the new way to build homes, the incremental cost increase is just that-incremental. Unfortunately, they soon discover "because the home is so tight" mold is growing, the air is stale and the kids are starting to get sick! So what gives?
Before we get to that answer some context and history is in order. Back in the day when homes were first being built, the...Read more
Posted on 09/01/2017 at 07:31 AM
It seems like every time I ask a client if they would like me to look at their insulation while I provide an estimate for their kitchen-renovation project, they look at me like I am speaking French! And yet, every time I go to the doctor they check my weight, lung sounds and blood pressure, stick probes into my ears and down my throat, sensors on my chest and back, asks me about my lifestyle habits and pretty much check me out head to toe before we even talk the specifics about why I am there in the first place!
In other words, as patients, we have been educated to accept that in order for the doctor to make a sound evaluation of the issue at hand, they will first need all the contextual data about our entire bodies before they issue a ...Read more
Posted on 07/17/2017 at 10:56 AM
Easy. All day long. At Nautilus, we think every project should finish on budget. Isn't that what the contract price is for? Allowances are simply another way of spelling change order and since those are a disaster for everyone, we don't do allowances. And since most folks agree it's kinda hard to guarantee the price of something if you don't know what the item is, we ask you to make timely decisions. If you don't make the selection, we can't price it and it is not included. But once you make your selections, we can price them, include them and guarantee the price 100% no exceptions. Fair?
You better believe it! No ifs, ands or buts about it; we guarantee our schedules. Here are what we consider to...Read more
Posted on 05/31/2017 at 05:31 AM
At Nautilus Luxury Homes, we are ready to help you update your home into the dream home you have always wanted. Or we can turn that beautiful lot by the marsh into the masterpiece you have dreamt about in Luxe Magazine. And to accomplish this, within your budget and time frame, our design and engineering team will "blur the lines" with our two favorite design elements that will take your breath away when you walk into your home and look out across the living area.
If you need to open a door to enter your current kitchen or if you have to leave the kitchen to talk with someone in the room next door, it's high time you updated your idea of what a kitchen space looks like and how it can function for your family in 2017.
N...Read more
Posted on 05/04/2017 at 05:27 AM
Drones will and are already making an impact through improved project evaluation via aerial surveys and building surveillance.
Rather than paying for security personnel, drones are able to take its place, saving companies time and money.
Drones can also be used for collecting images that contribute to virtual reality or augmented reality versions of a physical place.
Aside from its on-site benefits, drones can be extremely useful in the pre-planning stages, even before a shovel hits the ground.
On a smaller scale, construction companies are now using wearable devices like smart watches and smart clothing. In terms of safety, wearable tech has the ability to record the vital signs of on-site workers, as well as allow inju...Read more
Posted on 03/06/2017 at 07:47 AM
It has always been the Nautilus way to save our clients valuable research time, so we have scoured the web and asked the experts what this year's hottest design trends will be.
From Forbes, to House Beautiful and Remodeling magazines, to Consumer Reports, and lastly, Houzz and Trulia, this is the best of the best for the year ahead. Enjoy!
Whether its appliances or hardware, say goodbye to the shiny metal finishes of the 80's and the stainless steel of the last ten years.
- Polished or satin brass and bronze knobs, knockers, pulls, and faucets are back in a big way.
- Matte-finish appliances in dark hues bring an element of drama into the kitchen.
Everyone knows that kitchens and bathrooms get the big remodeling dollars, b...Read more
Posted on 02/16/2017 at 06:04 AM
After attending local and national builders shows we end up getting several calls a week from different building material suppliers all wanting to sell me its product, especially window manufacturers. But at the end of the day all that matters is that YOU like the view looking out of your house, when you look through that window.
When Nautilus builds or remodels your home, we will only be working with you for a short period of time. Then after your house is built, you have moved in and you are celebrating your one year anniversary, you will be looking through those windows for the rest of your life. We want to make sure you love your home, so we are going to present the pros and cons of different products during the design phase and not...Read more
Posted on 12/02/2016 at 05:43 AM
- Something you can afford.
- Something that gives you value.
- Something that focuses on your priorities.
Nautilus is not the one defining sustainability, but rather the Nautilus client defines what is sustainable to their budget.
When asked to describe their luxury dream car, most people would describe a high end vehicle with a sleek design and a great entertainment system. The focus is usually on the visuals and the feel of the vehicle.
But do you know what is under the hood of your dream car?
The same concept applies to choosing the design features of your future home or renovation.
Many people do not focus on what you do not see in the house, which are the "bones" of the home and normally the high performance aspects of the project.
Nautilus prides itself on beautifully designed, but highly durable homes.
We excel in buildi...Read more
Posted on 10/28/2016 at 05:15 AM
In this final segment of our 4 part series, "Construction Essentials to Survive the Storm", we look at low-maintenance products for your new or renovated coastal home.
While many of us very much enjoy working around and on our homes, most of us prefer to have this as on optional activity and not a requirement because our home is falling apart.
To mitigate against wear and tear, Nautilus recommends its top 5 exterior materials designed to withstand salty air, sand, and wind with little maintenance.
1. Sherwin William's Duration exterior latex paint is hands down the best paint for coastal homes. But, since the durability of paint hinges as much on it's proper application as the paint itself, this will have to be the focus of a future article.
2. Aluminum or vinyl cladding on all our wood frame windows and doors. We get the beauty of the wood frame (which can be stained or painted) on the interior side of the window or door while the cladding on the outside is truly maintenance-free.
3. Nobody wants to paint that wooden handrail summer after summer and none of us like the way they block our view of the ocean. Nautilus prefers the nearly invisible, no-maintenance stainless steel cable rail system we include standard on all our homes. For more information on this product, visit http://www.atlantisrail.com/ .
4. No coastal home would be complete without a deck and our favorite, hands-down are IPE low maintenance decks with stainless steel fasteners. For more information on this product, visit http://ipedecking.com/ .
5. Fiber cement products like James Hardie siding or old-fashioned Eastern white cedar shingle are time tested and really hold up in coastal climates. For more information on James Hardie, visit https://www.jameshardie.com/ .
Remember, being prepared for living on the coast is essential, especially during active hurricane seasons or during those "pop-up" storms we are all too used to.
Do not get caught off-guard by using less-than-proper ma...Read more
Posted on 10/04/2016 at 07:16 AM
In Parts 1 & 2 of our series, we discussed strategies to protect your home from rising water due to flooding or storm surges and from water penetration through the roof and walls respectively.
This third segment is dedicated to safeguarding your home from wind damage that occurs with +100mph winds by looking at 3 critical components.
First, design and materials considerations for such protection include: an aerodynamic roof-line combination of hip/gable shapes and making sure all tie-downs on the connections between the roof and the framing are hurricane code compliant.A quick internet search of storm damaged homes will show hundreds of images of destroyed homes that were blown apart because the components were not properly nailed toget...Read more
Posted on 09/22/2016 at 12:57 PM


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Cleaning Your Clarisonic/
The cleanliness of your Clarisonic has everything to do with its effectiveness! A dirty brush can result in clogged pores, breakouts and allergic reactions. In this blog, we are going to tell you how to take care of your Clarisonic in order for you to reap all of its benefits and ensure a proper cleaning!
You should be cleaning the brush head after each use by removing the brush head and soaking it in warm soapy water to get rid of any dirt. A deep clean should be done once a week, and you can use household items to create your own cleanser. This can extend your brush head lifespan for almost 8 months! You will need these ingredients:
Baking Soda
Hydrogen Peroxide
Small bowl
Mix a few drops of hydrogen peroxide and enough baking soda to create a yogurt-like consistency. Squeeze two or three slices of lemon into the mixture until you see it fizzing. Place the brush head into the mixture and turn on low setting for about a minute. Continue to spin the brush on a rougher surface, like the back of your hand, for another minute or two while rinsing with water. Make sure to clean your brush once more with your normal facial cleanser to ensure all of the homemade cleanser is completely gone.
It's important to avoid using harsh cleansers or chemicals to clean the brush. This can cause the bristles to become fatigued quicker. How often you use the Clarisonic can affect the life of the brush head as well. Although it depends on skin type, you should typically only be using the Clarisonic twice a day at most.
Exfoliation schedule:
-Oily Skin: Twice a week
-Dry Skin: Once a week
-Sensitive skin: Once a week
(use sensitive brush head!)


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March 28, 2016 Pottstown, PA –
DataCeutics recently supported a mission trip to Beaudois, Haiti by a medical/nutrition team from a local church. While the main reason for this trip was to take part in an inaugural medical/nutrition clinic, the group took along additional laptops, donated by DataCeutics, for use in the computer lab at the school and also presented one of the laptops to a young Haitian gentleman to assist him in furthering his education.
In Haiti, students go to primary school until they complete Grade 13, mostly at paid private schools as there are very few free government primary schools.
Unfortunately, for many young men and women who have completed their primary education in Haiti, they have little to no opportunity to continue their education at the University level due to the high costs of education. For the team, it was a rewarding experience to be able to provide additional laptops to the school for use by the students, and also to present a laptop to Jeff Guillaume. Jeff is a motivated, talented young man who is very knowledgeable about computers. The cost for Jeff to purchase a laptop on his own is much too high, since he lives on only a few dollars a day. His dream is to one day go to the University of Haiti to major in Computer Science and would need a computer for his studies.
Jeff was excited and grateful to receive this gift from DataCeutics and plans to download English podcasts and other educational tools to further his mastery of the English language. To be able to speak English is a valuable skill in Haiti. What a gratifying experience it is to support a student who has the desire and potential for a bright future. The Haitian Team Coordinator and some of the team members are also looking into forming a University Pictured here is Jeff Guillaume who received a laptop, donated by DataCeutics, to help him continue his education in Haiti. Sponsorship Program for students like Jeff. Candidates will be selected from the community by the pastor and civil leaders of Beaudois.
Upon earning their degree, these candidates will be asked to return to Beaudois to transfer their new skills and knowledge back into the community by working to improve the everyday lives of the residents. The details of this program are still being worked out. It is hoped that the young men and women of Beaudois, Haiti can further their education since it can have a profound impact on an individual's health and nutrition as well as productivity and earnings.
The more educated a person is the more likely they receive information on proper hygiene, healthy dieting and ways to prevent communicable diseases; all of which can lead to increased life expectancy. In addition, research has established that every year of schooling increases individual wages for both men and women by a worldwide average of 10 percent. In poor countries, the gains are even greater.
DataCeutics will continue to donate laptops to the school in Beaudois, Haiti to further the education and skills of their students.
A small gift/donation, such as a laptop, can make a big difference in helping students to improve their education and ultimately change their future.
If you are interested in learning more about this or would like to become involved, please contact Tom Kratz, Haitian Team Coordinator at email@example.com.
DataCeutics is a Functional Service Provider and Outsourcing Partner who is committed to quality. The foundation of our clinical research services are built upon our strong technical expertise in Biostatistics, Data Transformations, and Statistical Programming. We couple our unparalleled passion for excellence with our experience in our core proficiencies across multiple therapeutic areas and disease states. This provides our clients with significant positive outcomes in all phases of their clinical trials and proven value in each sponsor engagement.
To obtain more information about DataCeutics, our products, and services, please contact us.


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The winter season might be over for most of us but that doesn't mean you still can strut your mad riding skills. Arctic Cat's Extreme Snowmobile Racing game has been going gonzo on the old interweb, recently hitting 1 million downloads. The game is available for both Android and iOS devices and features the latest Arctic Cat snowmobiles and a host of crazy characters. All that's left is for you to take the controls and shred the virtual snow. To add more fuel to your gaming fire, Arctic Cat announced today an associated online social sweepstakes were you can enter to win $40,000 in in-game Cat Cash currency. If you haven't downloaded the game yet, now is your chance. Check out the official details on the sweepstakes below along with details on how to play and enter.
Arctic Cat has launched a social sweepstakes to celebrate the success of their newest mobile game Arctic Cat® Extreme Snowmobile Racing , available for Android and iOS devices.
The #ArcticCatExtreme sweepstakes invites participants to share a screenshot of their ride in Arctic Cat Extreme Snowmobile Racing for a chance to win 40,000 in Cat Cash (in-game currency).
"Arctic Cat Extreme Snowmobile Racing recently went over 1 million downloads and we are excited to see the number continue to climb," commented Greg Williamson, CMO of Arctic Cat. "We also just released a new update so there is a lot of new content in the game including new sleds, characters, and levels for riders to enjoy. This sweepstakes gives participants a chance to win 40,000 in Cat Cash (ingame currency) and stock up on new Arcticwear!"
Download Arctic Cat® Extreme Snowmobile Racing here: bit.ly/ACSnowmobileRacing
You may enter the Sweepstakes beginning at 12:00:01 a.m. (CT) on May 6, 2016 and ending at 11:59:59 a.m. (CT) on May 12, 2016 (the "Sweepstakes Period").
To enter, during the Sweepstakes Period you must enter via the method below:
(1) DOWNLOAD: Download Arctic Cat Extreme Snowmobile Racing if you have not already.
(2) PLAY: Play Arctic Cat Extreme Snowmobile Racing.
(3) SNAP: Take a screenshot showing your skills in Arctic Cat Extreme Snowmobile Racing.
(4) SHARE: Post your screenshot to Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram with the official hashtag #ArcticCatExtreme; and Tag Concrete Software AND Arctic Cat Snow.
(Facebook Tags: Concrete Software, Inc , arcticcat_snow)
(Twitter Tags: @concretegames , @arcticcat_snow)
(Instagram Tags: concretesoftware , arcticcat_snow )
Read the OFFICIAL RULES HERE


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Pasha Malla has been named Wilfrid Laurier University's Edna Staebler writer-in-residence for fall 2017.
During his intensive residency, taking place at Wilfrid Laurier's Waterloo and Brantford, Ontario, campuses Oct. 23–Nov. 3, Malla will be working on two new writing projects, visiting classes, and offering workshops and general mentorship to students.
The Toronto author's latest novel, Fugue States, was published by Knopf Canada in June.


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Learn To Drive
Carroll Smith felt strongly that every apprentice, every mechanic and every engineer that worked on a race car should have attended a driving school prior to doing so. The reason he thought this was a good idea (and even included in his own apprenticeship programs) is it is the best way to gain an understanding of how a car behaves. Learning about understeer or oversteer or balance or aero effects from a text book doesn't mean you know what understeer, oversteer, balance or aero effects actually are. You cannot have a kinaesthetic feeling for what they actually do to a car.
Gaining experience in how a car behaves will set an engineer apart, especially early in his or her career. Drivers, for all the skills, are not necessarily engineers. I have worked with numerous drivers over the years and there are some who strive to have a thorough understanding of the car and the laws of physics, and then there are those who drive on feel and can struggle to communicate what the car is doing, or even what they want it to be doing. If you, as their engineer, can decipher what it is that they want and need from the car, then you are going to earn your pay at the track. If you can understand elaborate hand motions and wishy-washy language from a driver who is not an engineer, you are doing very well.
Understanding how a car really behaves, in the real-world, transient conditions found on a race track does not come from university lectures, college classes or 2 inch thick text books. It comes from experience. It comes from taking the time to throw yourself in to the experience of racing. In all likelihood, no one will pay for you to learn to drive fast. You'll have to fund it yourself. Although as your experience and network grows, you're more likely to find someone who can help you make it happen a little cheaper. If you get the chance to start translating what a driver is telling you in to a real world take it. It will be incredibly valuable to you as an engineer, and it will probably be a lot of fun…
Knock On Effects
Everything on a racing car affects something else. Nothing works in isolation, and understanding the complex systems and links between the systems is crucial to engineering a winning car.
I've discussed before how compromise is needed to win races. That having an optimal overall system is more important and optimising each system on its own. But within those systems, you have often unseen and not so obvious links that can have a detrimental effect on the overall package.
I'll use a few examples to show you what I mean:
Engine Mapping
Most modern racing cars will have the ability to alter the engine map depending on driver preference and prevailing track conditions. This usually involves altering ever so slightly how power is delivered, however some championships may allow for more than this. There are situations where more aggressive, higher power engine maps are used during qualifying for example. These maps put a huge strain on the engine, but are only used for a relatively short period of time.
What is often overlooked is how these engine changes will affect the traction. A driver may complain that they cannot use the power when they want to out of corner, and so a less aggressive map will be used. However this will reduce the slip ratio for the driven axle, potentially inducing understeer.
Worse than this, your chassis engineer may decide that the issue of corner exit traction can be rectified through kinematic and geometry changes. If both chassis and engine changes are made, you can easily end up going too far and ruining the overall balance or making the car sluggish.
Ride Height
Changing ride heights is one of the fundamentals of setting up a race car. It will have a direct effect on the roll center of the car, and as such a dramatic effect on the handling. It is something that is usually something that can be changed quickly, and often by only a few millimeters (See Small Changes).
However the ride height does not act in isolation.
Changing ride heights will have an effect on the suspension kinematics; the way the wheel is controlled and moves under bounce and rebound. If this is not taken in to consideration when the ride height change is made, the results can be unexpected. Now most race cars will have adjustable everything on each wheel - camber, caster, toe, K, etc. - but if they are not changed in a systematic and controlled way, you can spoil the balance and handling of your car.
Another often overlooked effect of ride height changes is the affect it can have on the aerodynamics of the car. A car running a little too high or a little too low can be comes unstable and even dangerous. Adjustable splitters, diffusers and wings are there to accommodate changes where necessary but there is often a limit to what can be done.
Tyre Pressure Changes
Yes, even the simplest of changes to make can have knock on effects to other areas of the car. The tyres can be thought of as a spring, and they do play a crucial role in the spring rate of a wheel system as a whole. The entire system (from contact patch to chassis mount) has a spring rate that is known as the "Wheel Rate". Changing the tyre pressure will change this value.
To a degree, tyre pressure changes can be tolerated by the suspension system. Plus or minus a few tenths of a bar won't have dire consequences. But if you start playing around with larger pressure changes, you will fall in to a trap of chasing ghost springs in your system.
I have also seen cases where tyres were calibrated using nitrogen, but run using compressed air. The difference in Gas Constant meant the tyres were completely out of kilter with where they were expected to be. They came back from a run massively overheated and over inflated.
Before committing to a change on a car, think carefully about where the change will have an effect. What other systems might be altered by your change? How can the changes be negated or accommodated?
Compromise wins races. But knowledge definitely helps.
One Is None
As a boy scout, I was taught to always be prepared. To expect the unexpected and to accommodate the unforeseen in any plan. Always bring backup matches camping. And complement that with a flint and steel. Water may be heavy, but bring a little more than you think you need. It will come in handy if you need to wash a wound or help a fellow scout out.
When approaching motorsport, the success stories use an identical mindset. They work off the principle that preparing in advance for all eventualities will give them an advantage over any and every team which don't. Successful motorsport teams, and the successful motorsport engineers within them apply two golden rules to just about everything. Firstly:
Fail to prepare? Prepare to fail.
This statement is applicable to many areas of life, be it studies (revising for exams), business (hedging investments) or relationships (buy those flowers ahead of time!). In motorsport, failing to prepare removes any aspect of whether luck is on your side or not. Whilst "luck" is never a race winning strategy, after a short time on the front line of racing you will experience the affect that lady luck plays on the outcome of races. Punctures happen. Weather changes. Cars crash. However, if you have done the work beforehand and prepared for these outcomes, they don't necessarily mean that all is lost.
A properly trained pitcrew can change all four tyres on a Formula One car in under four seconds (the current record is 1.92 seconds – well done to the Williams crew!). This is only achievable with practice. These guys in the pitlane don't turn up on race day having never met or held a nut gun before. They practice for hours and days during the off-season time, and as often as possible during race season too. This practice, this preparation is what allows them to achieve the 3 second tyre change times. And this means that should their driver pick up a puncture, the damage is limited to seconds not minutes. The deficit is recoverable.
The second mantra by which the motorsport industry lives by is:
Two is one and one is none.
A little bit of a strange saying at first glance, but on inspection one that has true application in the motorsport industry. This motto refers to carrying spare parts to a race. Even for the most affluent race teams, logistics mean that part supply is finite. You can only bring what you can carry. The crux of this statement is that having only a single spare of any critical part on the car is tantamount to having no spares of that part. If the part fails and you replace it, you then have zero. The part could fail during free practice. It could even fail during engine warm-up. And then you are in a position that a single failure will stop the car from running.
Carrying a second spare alleviates this issue. A failure does not leave you reliant on lady luck. A failure just means you need to order another one after the race is finished. You are not racing on knife edge.
Being ready to deal with the unforeseen is a skill in and of itself. Planning for the worst is a key competency in every successful race team, and every successful motorsport engineer. By never leaving things to chance, mitigating the risk of failure and assessing worst case scenarios, you can make sure that luck remains on your side on race day.
Tom is an engineer working his way through the motorsport industry, sharing stories, anecdotes and lessons to help new engineers coming through the ranks.
June 2017


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Capable of fitting A4 in both main pockets, the Shore Backpack from Animal is the perfect companion when you're heading to school, university or work. The two part main pocket can hold any paper work in one slot, and your laptop in the other, keeping it safe and secure.
This backpack is capable of holding up to 30 litres, and has multiple pockets to stash all of your important possessions. It features Animal's branded lining, which fits objects up to 36cm wide, 44cm high, and 19cm in depth.
Enjoy the comfort of the padded back support, and adjust the shoulder straps for the perfect fit. Corded YKK zips are easy to grab when you're in a hurry, so you'll always be well prepared thanks to your Animal Shore backpack.
- Fits A4 and most laptops
- Main pocket divider
- Multiple pockets
- Carry handle
- Adjustable straps
- Padded back support
- Cord zips
Additional Information
- Season
- No


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Beach Court Boys & Girls Club
Boys & Girls Clubs of Metro Denver is pleased to announce the opening of the Beach Court Boys & Girls Club at Beach Court Elementary in Fall 2018. This Club is funded through a 21st Century Community Learning Center grant from the Colorado Department of Education.
The Club is located within Beach Court Elementary. The Club opens on August 21, 2018, and programs will be offered on all regular school days from 3:00 pm until 6:30 pm for students age 5 (and in kindergarten) through 5th grade.
Online registration will open July 9th.
Program Highlights
- Homework Help
- STEM Activities
- Sports & Games
- Cultural Arts
- Field Trips
- Daily Meals and Snacks
Join the Club
The Club is open to members ages 6 – 18.
Beach Court Elementary Boys & Girls Club
Beach Court Boys & Girls Club at Beach Court Elementary
4950 Beach Court
Denver, Colorado 80221
Email: email@example.com
Director: Yvonne Taylor
Summer Club Hours
Monday – Friday
8:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.
Program Fee
There is no cost for registration or attendance, but capacity is limited.


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It seems like everywhere you look, you see folks writing about lists around the New Year. And a lot of those ideas circle about things you want to change in your life. Lists of habits you want to get rid of, behaviors you want to stop doing, all stuff to say no to.
It is a good thing to let go of things that no longer serve you in your life – no issue with that whatsoever. Things that worked well for you in the yesterday of your life might not be working to your highest good for you right now in the present.
No worries, those things are choices. And you are always free to make different choices than the ones you have right now. There is no rule that says you must keep on eating hot dogs with deli mustard when what you really want are big beefy hamburgers with lemon zest mayonnaise and extra onions. Choose as you wish, that is part of the wonder of life.
If you are going to make a list, though, consider doing it a bit differently than what popular culture tends to dictate. Instead of making a list of things to get rid of out of your life, make a list of things you love and want in your life.
Now these could certainly be things that you are and have already. If you like the color and style of your hair now, put that on the list of things you love about your life. If you want to spend more time traveling to exotic locations around the globe, put that on your list.
If you really enjoy eating Chinese food while sitting on a bus bench outside the restaurant, then you know what, that is OK to put on your list. If you have always wanted to try that cool new Brazilian restaurant where they don't serve anything except roasted meat, add that to your list of things you want.
If you make your list this way – writing down the things you want or already love first, and concentrate on those – you will find it ever so much easier to find things to let go of so that those things you really, really want have room.
Concentrate On What You Want
Not What You Do Not Want
As a matter of fact, when you concentrate on the things you do want, instead of things you don't, you will see that many of those ideas and things and emotions and other miscellaneous detritus may even evaporate into nothingness without you ever having to lift a single finger. Physical or literal.
When you focus your thought energy on what you like, what you love and what you really want, there will be no energy left over to give life to the things you don't.
And honestly, the plain truth is that it is a whole lot more fun to spend your time making lists of what you love instead of doing almost anything else. Well, with the exception of actually enjoying those wonderful parts you have created.
That is actually a pretty cool way to spend your ushering in the New Year time.


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Over the next week, all future Fetish Haven SA events will be up and you can make your reservations and choose the events you don't want to miss.
Bookmark this page and visit regularly to see the amazing upcoming events planned!
To book for any of our events, visit Upcoming Events.
Besides paying entry at the door, you can also make a payment via EFT to secure your booking to any Event or Party:
Bank Account Details
Account Name: V and V Ventures PTY LTD
Bank: FNB
Account No.: 626 239 89 839
Reference: Party date and your name
Proof of Payment to: firstname.lastname@example.com
Please also supply your telephone number when either doing the EFT or sending proof of payment


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Mark Yandell, PhD professor in Human Genetics at the University of Utah Health, has spent the better part of almost two decades developing new technologies to mine the genome to diagnose genetic disease.
In his recent talk From Bench to the Bedside and Onward to the Market: Commercializing Academic Software, he detailed the many incremental steps he followed to develop two important technologies - the VAAST and PHEVOR - that played an integral role in launching the Utah Genome Project.
Let's take a moment and roll the clock back to the early 2000s. At that time, geneticists were limited to mining the genome using SNP chips, a small representative set of variants, with the idea that genes responsible for disease were found in similar location on the genome as those in the chip, but this approach missed a lot of information. "Many variants were invisible to the chip-based studies and were lost in the noise," said Yandell.
Yandell and his team saw the shortcoming of this approach as an opportunity and developed a tool they named VAAST (Variant Annotation, Analysis and Search Tool). This search tool uses probability to identify damaged genes and their disease-causing variants with greater accuracy to explain the burden of disease. "VAAST is a personalized BLAST search for your own genome sequence," said Yandell.
PHEVOR was the logical next step following the development of VAAST. PHEVOR (Phenotype Driven Variant Ontological Re-ranking tool) uses algorithms that combine the probabilities of gene mutations of a disease with databases of the outwardly expressed phenotypes and gene functions. "PHEVOR compliments VAAST by applying patient phenotype with VAAST output for improved power," explains Yandell.
These technologies powered the development of the Utah Genome Project. This large-scale genome sequencing and analysis initiative aims to uncover the molecular basis of human disease. VAAST and PHEVOR enable the rapid, comprehensive searches for genetic variants underlying many common and rare diseases. Once a disease variant is identified, researchers can look for ways to prevent, treat, and diagnose these conditions.
These tools also offer researchers the opportunity to conduct a deep dive on the genome without searching for disease. In 2013, Yandell's colleagues at the U of U Health used these tools to identify the gene that produced the ruffed crest found on Darwin's favorite species of pigeon - the rock pigeon. The team was able to sequence the same pigeon species from Darwin's writings and identified the trait responsible for the crest, which originated early and only once in pigeon evolution, quickly spread through the species.
These accomplishments would not have been possible without careful planning as new technologies are commercialized. Yandell emphasized the importance of Federal funding and scientific publications, especially during the early stages of technology development, to validate the scientific application of the technology to increase success at wooing future venture capital investment.Ultimately, it will be these and future technologies that will empower researchers to find new approaches to tackle disease. "I've been shocked by how much we have seen medical applications of genomics begin to be realized on a timeframe that I simply would not have predicted when I got involved in this field initially," said Eric Green, director of the National Human Genome Research Institute. "I'm even more excited about the next generation of biomedical researchers and healthcare professionals who I think are going to be the ones that are going to truly realize genomic medicine."