text:
Q: Why did you decide to make a comedy?
Matteo Garrone: I wanted explore a different genre and I really wanted to do a comedy. I think there are a lot of things in common with all my work. Gomorrah was a movie about the crime system, and about a victim of the crime system. Reality is about the show business side. The people are complicit with the showbiz system but are also victims of the system.
Q: The sway that TV has now is comparable to the influence that the Catholic Church had; but as well as this there is also a strong political commentary in the film. I couldn't help but make comparisons to Berlusconi…
Matteo Garrone: I think that the problems are much deeper and older than Berlusconi. I believe the themes of the film are deeply rooted in modern society, it's about the modern phenomenon of how we want to follow a fake paradise. It is more universal than Italy's current political situation. Back in 1975, Pasolini was already saying our country was radically changing and that we were losing our cultural identity, in part this film follows that heritage. I think that this movie is actually quite sad; the family at the centre of the movie have a good life, yet despite this they want to escape from their reality to become rich, famous and popular- their life isn't enough for them. This situation is endemic to society's social system. For Luciano (Aniello Arena) the desire to be on television and to become famous is part of a personal and social existential crisis.
Q: The criticism of reality TV and culture and all the problems that you have mentioned, do you think there are any positives?
Matteo Garrone: Our approach was never to judge or say what's right or what's wrong. Let's take the example of the lottery; is it right or wrong that someone buys a ticket with the desire to radically change their life? With Reality we are basically seeing the guy that wins the lottery and how that changes his life – the only difference here is that we are talking about reality TV. Luciano is a nice guy; he is charismatic, he is kind. Then we took it a step further and look at the obsession and the darker elements of such a passionate desire to be famous.
Q: You discovered Aniello in a prison theatre; how did you discover him?
Matteo Garrone: There is a theatre company called La Fortezza (The Fortress) run by a man named Armando Punzo who has been working with Aniello for 12 years. When Aniello discovered that acting was his passion it changed his life. My father use to be a theatre critic, so I use to go a lot to these performance run by Punzo in the prisons- we were big fans of this company. That's where I discovered him.
Q: What was it like having to work with an actor who is incardinated?
Matteo Garrone: We had a problem at the beginning to gain permission from the judge to shoot this film. After the shooting he went back to jail. We have to be precise with police about the times we shoot, and with our program. The police we often on set.
Q:Was it easy working with him to get the performance you wanted? I Read an interview recently were it said since he's been in prison so long, adjusting to the world around him makes him the perfect person for the role?
Matteo Garrone: Yes, this aspect gave his performance something unique, but he's very talented and I work on a chronological way from scene 1 to 100 so he can follow the development of the story, the feelings of the character so its like its in theatre. It was very important that he could understand the scenes emotionally.
Q: What was it like shooting in Naples again?
Matteo Garrone: Naples is a wonderful city for a director; there is so much material there for inspiration. I think you have to be careful when filming there because you can be easily distracted by all that is around you and you can get lost in the city.
Q: Would you like to make a film set outside of Naples?
Matteo Garrone: Why not. For me every story is Italian but every story is universal.
Related articles
- Aniello Arena: From Gangster to Movie Star (theitalianist.com)
- Reality – review (guardian.co.uk)
- Matteo Garrone on Reality Television and Italian Culture (artsbeat.blogs.nytimes.com)


text:
Wednesday Words: God Gave Us Angels
It's been ages since I have actually posted and even longer since I reviewed a book.
I rediscovered this book recently while organizing our bookshelf.
The book is geared towards children 3-8 which is perfect since the boys are 8 and 3. Having both ends of the age range allowed me to see how they reacted differently. Our 8 year old, who doesn't enjoy reading, felt comfortable enough with the book to read it aloud. Our 3 year old loved the illustrations and detail on each page.
The book does a great job of explaining angels from a Christian point of view.
The story is arranged so that the cub is asking questions to Papa bear. The questions are ones that my own children have asked from time to time such as...
What do angels do all day?
Will we become angels when we die?
Can we see angels?
The most impressive part is that the answers are sound and obviously based on God's word,
however there are no scripture references.
Overall we liked the book and I'm sure will read it repeatedly but I would love to see references be added so that parents can easily back up the answers with scripture.

subset: commoncrawl


text:
If you have experienced rape, sexual assault, childhood sexual abuse, unwanted sexual contact or are confused about a sexual experience it may be helpful to talk about it to someone who understands.
Counselling provides a safe space where you can talk freely and openly in a way that is not often possible with friends or family.
Our counselling service is available to self-identifying women aged 14 upwards and young men aged between 14-18 years old.
It is free if you are 14-18 years old. If you are 19 years or over you will be asked to make a donation for counselling based on what you are able to afford. We will never price someone out of the support that they need.
We welcome people with disabilities to use our service. Please get in touch with us if you have any access or communication needs and we will seek to accommodate these. Although our building is an old one, and there is not a lift to the main counselling rooms, we can arrange for the use of a ground floor room in another building that is private and accessible. Our building does not currently have hearing loops fitted. If you have any concerns about being able to access our office, please do get in touch.
There is currently a waiting list operating for our counselling service.
To find out more or make a self-referral download our self-referral form or email email@example.com or 01273 203380.
To find out more or make a young person's referral, download our information sheet and referral form or email email@example.com


text:
The Hunt Club, a recently renovated building now connected to the Tally-Ho Tavern on Bethlehem's South Side, opened Friday with music, dancing and facilities for parties, wedding receptions and meetings.
The building at 207 W. 4th St., which formerly housed the Bethlehem Co-op, was purchased in February by the Fourth and Brodhead Co., owner of the Tally- Ho Tavern. The food cooperative has since relocated to Wyandotte Street.


text:
That's the subtitle they currently have up on MSNBC. A live broadcast from a reporter who's on the frontlines with some marines trying to take a bridge, just south of Baghdad. Some snippets I couldn't resist sharing:
The news anchor asks the reporter if they're on the offensive or defensive and he responds, "The Iraqi's are in buildings, so they have an advantage. We're in vehicles out in the open."
The news anchor asks, "How much danger are you in?" He responds, "Well, if I'm hit with a shell, I'm dead."
When talking about the protection on the vehicles, "These troop transports have incredibly thick armor, just as it says in the Tom Clancy book."
A marine shouts over to the reporter, "We're gonna move forward to protect your photographer!"


text:
Ethical Principles and Procedures
A. The Need for Research in Art Therapy
Research in art therapy is premised on a fundamental commitment to advancing knowledge and understanding of the usefulness, efficacy and legitimacy of art therapy in therapeutic practice and to raise the profile of the profession of art therapy in general. Research in art therapy satisfies at least three basic needs:
- The basic desire for new knowledge and understanding in the field of art therapy
- Individual subjects may benefit from being involved with art therapy: either the discovery of information concerning their own welfare or the satisfaction of contributing to society through research.
- As well, research benefits particular groups and society as a whole. The benefits of art therapy can be both researched and published to inform segments of the helping communities that are not aware of them; increased acceptance of art therapy and art therapists into more arenas of care will increase the public's access to this service; art therapy will be seen to have value as a profession in its own right.
B. The Need for Ethical Procedures in Dealing with Humans in Art Therapy Research
Respect for Human Dignity
An ethic of research involving human subjects should include two essential components:
- the selection and achievement of morally acceptable ends; and
- the morally acceptable means to those ends.
The first component is directed at defining acceptable ends in terms of the benefits of art therapy research for subjects, for associated groups, and for the advancement of knowledge. The second component is directed at ethically appropriate means of conducting research. For example, even in the most promising of research initiatives the use of another human must be solely as a means toward legitimate ends.
There must be respect for human dignity. It is unacceptable to treat persons solely as means (mere objects or things), because doing so fails to respect their intrinsic human dignity and thus impoverishes all of humanity. Second, the welfare and integrity of the individual must remain paramount in art therapy research.
C. Overarching Ethical Principles in Art Therapy Research
Respect for Human Dignity
The cardinal principle of modern research ethics, as discussed above, is respect for human dignity. This principle aspires to protect the multiple and interdependent interests of the person—from bodily to psychological to cultural integrity. This principle forms the basis of the ethical obligations in research that are listed below. In certain situations, conflicts may arise from application of these principles in isolation from one other. Art Therapy Researchers must carefully weigh all the principles and circumstances involved to reach a reasoned and defensible conclusion.
Respect for Free and Informed Consent
Individuals must have the capacity and right to make free and informed decisions. In practical terms within the ethics review process, the principle of respect for persons translates into the dialogue, process, rights, duties and requirements for free and informed consent by the research subject.
Respect for Vulnerable Persons
Respect for human dignity entails high ethical obligations toward vulnerable persons—to those whose diminished competence and/or decision making capacity make them vulnerable. Children, institutionalized persons or others who are vulnerable are entitled, on grounds of human dignity, caring and fairness, to special protection against abuse, exploitation or discrimination. Ethical obligations to vulnerable individuals in art therapy research may translate into special procedures to protect their interests.
Respect for Privacy and Confidentiality
Respect for human dignity also implies the principles of respect for privacy and confidentiality. Standards of privacy and confidentiality protect access to, control and dissemination of personal information. In doing so, such standards help to protect mental or psychological integrity. They are thus consonant with values underlying respect for privacy, confidentiality and anonymity.
Respect for Justice and Inclusiveness
Justice connotes fairness and equity. Procedural justice requires that the ethics review process have fair methods, standards and procedures for reviewing research protocols, and that the process be effectively independent. Justice also concerns the distribution of benefits and burdens of research. No segment of the population should be unfairly burdened with the potentially harmful aspects of research for the advancement of knowledge. However, there should be neither neglect nor discrimination of or against individuals and groups who may benefit from advances in research.
Balancing the Harms and Benefits of Research
Art therapy research ethics require a favourable harms-benefits balance—that is, that the foreseeable harms should not outweigh anticipated benefits. Harms-benefits analysis thus affects the welfare and rights of research subjects, the informed assumption of harms and benefits, and the ethical justifications for competing research paths. Because research involves advancing the frontiers of knowledge, its undertaking often involves uncertainty about the precise kind of benefits or harms that attend proposed research. These realities, as well as the principle of respect for human dignity, impose ethical obligations on the prerequisites, scientific validity, design and conduct of research.
Minimizing Harm
When conducting art therapy research there is a duty to avoid, prevent or minimize harms to others. Research subjects must not be subjected to unnecessary risks of harm, and their participation in research must be essential to achieving scientifically and societal important aims that cannot be realized without the participation of human subjects.
Maximizing Benefit
There is a duty to benefit others and, in research ethics, a duty to maximize net benefits. Art therapy research tends to produce benefits for subjects themselves, for other individuals or society as a whole, as well as for the advancement of knowledge.
D. A Subject-Centered Perspective
Art therapy research subjects contribute enormously to the progress and promise of art therapy as a process and a profession and therefore a resource for advancing the human condition. There may be opportunities in art therapy research where subjects can be participants in the development of a research project, and collaboration between them and the researcher in such circumstances is vital and requires nurturing. Such collaboration entails an active involvement by research subjects, and ensures both that their interests are central to the project or study, and that they will not be treated simply as objects. Nevertheless, some research will require a more formal separation between subject and researcher because of the nature of the research design.
A subject-centered approach should, however, also recognize that researchers and research subjects might not always see the harms and benefits of an art therapy research project in the same way. Indeed, individual subjects within the same study may respond very differently to the information provided in the process of free and informed consent. Hence, researchers must strive to understand the views of the potential or actual research subjects.
Art therapy researchers should take into account that potential subjects who are asked to participate in research by, for example, their therapist, their doctor, their caregiver, teacher or supervisor may be overly influenced by such factors as trust in the researcher or the hope for other goals—more than by assessment of the pros and cons of participation in the research. A research subject may hope for specific benefits from the art therapy due to these influences. This places extra demands on the researcher for accuracy, candor, objectivity and sensitivity in informing potential subjects about proposed research.
Art Therapy Researchers should also be aware that some research might be legitimately opposed to the immediate interests of the research subjects. The Research Ethics Board should take this into consideration when evaluating a research proposal.
E. Academic Freedoms and Responsibilities
Researchers enjoy, and should continue to enjoy, important freedoms and privileges. To secure the maximum benefits from research, society needs to ensure that researchers have certain freedoms. It is for this reason that researchers and their academic institutions uphold the principles of academic freedom and the independence of the higher education research community. These freedoms include freedom of inquiry and the right to disseminate the results thereof, freedom to challenge conventional thought, freedom from institutional censorship, and the privilege of conducting research on human subjects with public trust and support. However, researchers and institutions also recognize that with freedom comes responsibility, including the responsibility to ensure that art therapy research involving human subjects meets high scientific and ethical standards. The researcher's commitment to the advancement of knowledge also implies duties of honest and thoughtful inquiry, rigorous analysis, and accountability for the use of professional standards. Thus, review of research proposals, the findings and their interpretation by an Ethics Review Committee contribute to accountability, both to colleagues and to society.
Review of the ethics of research helps ensure a more general accountability to society. Accountability, moreover, requires that the whole process should always be open to critical assessment and debate.
F. Ethics and Law
The law affects and regulates the standards and conduct of art therapy research involving human subjects in a variety of ways, such as privacy, confidentiality, intellectual property, competence, and in many other areas. Human rights legislation prohibits discrimination on a variety of grounds. In addition, most documents on research ethics prohibit discrimination and recognize equal treatment as fundamental. Researchers should also respect the spirit of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms, particularly the sections dealing with life, liberty and the security of the person as well as those involving equality and discrimination.
This legal context for research involving human subjects is constantly evolving, and varies from jurisdiction to jurisdiction. Researchers and institutions should have recourse to expertise to identify legal issues in the ethics review process. However, legal and ethical approaches to issues may lead to different conclusions. The law tends to compel obedience to behavioral norms. Ethics aim to promote high standards of behaviour through an awareness of values, which may develop with practice and which may have to accommodate choice and liability to err.
G. Putting Principles into Practice in Art Therapy Research at KATI
For meaningful and effective application, the foregoing ethical principles must operate neither in the abstract, nor in isolation from one another. They should be applied in the context of art therapy research and art therapy ethical norms and practices. Good ethical reasoning requires thought, insight and sensitivity to context, which in turn help to refine the roles and application of norms that govern relationships. Thus, because principles are designed to guide ethical reflection and conduct, they admit flexibility and exceptions. To preserve the values, purpose and protection that they attempt to advance, the onus for demonstrating a reasonable exception to a principle should fall on those claiming the exception.
Art therapy researchers should be aware that there are a variety of philosophical approaches to ethical problems, and that debate between various schools of thought both informs ethical decisions and ensures an evolving context for ethical approaches. KATI advocates a feminist analysis, which is centered on context, relationships of power and allocations of privilege that perpetuate disadvantage and inequality. For example, art therapists engaged in research must be aware of their influential position with respect to research participants and must make every effort to avoid dual relationships that could impair professional judgment or increase the risk of exploitation. The feminist approach may therefore help to correct the systemic exclusion of some groups from research.
Effective guiding principles for conducting art therapy research depend on procedures and policies for their implementation. Indeed, modern research ethics are premised on a dynamic relation between ethical principles and procedures. This relationship in KATI is implemented through a Research Ethics Committee that reviews all prospective student and faculty research projects and implements procedural norms.
Procedures for Art Therapy Research at KATI
All prospective researchers must request an ethical review of their proposed project. No research that includes human subjects must commence in the absence of ethical approval. The procedure for submitting an application for approval to the Research Ethics Committee is as following: The application must thoroughly outline the research project, including addressing the following ethical considerations:
- Rationale and statement of value of the research- the contribution that this research will make and the way in which the methodology addresses this;
- A clear description of the research design, which outlines the composition and size of the sample, with recognition of the drawbacks and benefits. Consent must be gained for the use of tape recordings, videos, or other material data provided; details of the way that the anonymity of the data will be assured must be provided. Forms/checklists will be provided to prospective researchers that will assist them in the preparation of the application and particularly in the matters of consent and anonymity
The application will comprise of:
- A completed application form (copy in thesis handbook)
- A full proposal including any methodologies, questionnaires, interview schedules, or other materials to be used in the collection of data
- The self assessment checklist for researchers (copy in thesis handbook)
- A checklist that is a summary of information to be given to the participants of the research
- Research Ethics review checklist (copy in thesis handbook)
- Letter of invitation to subjects to participate in research
- Copy of the proposed participant information sheets
- Participant Consent Forms – possibly different ones depending on the participation e.g. for active participants, client subjects, online subjects, telephone subjects, etc.
The Research Ethics Committee
The Research Ethics Committee will be comprised of not less than 3 members and not more than 5 members. It is to be at arm's length from the applicant. Members of the Committee will have conducted research themselves and/or have done a thesis. At least one member of the committee will have a graduate degree in a related field such as social sciences, psychology, or medicine.
The Procedure, including time frames:
- The researcher will submit the application to the KATI Director, or a faculty member via email and then it will be emailed directly to the Research Ethics Committee.
- The Committee will notify the researcher within one month of the date of receipt of the application package in writing of their decision. The decisions can be as follows: a) yes, with no changes; b) no – the research is not acceptable; c) the research is acceptable with changes and/or additional information.
- If required, the revised application package should be re-submitted within one month
- The Committee will inform the applicant within one month of the date of receipt of the re-submission in writing. If there is still a problem with the research proposal, a meeting will be offered to the applicant, including the Committee, the applicant, a faculty advisor if applicable, to determine if a further submission is required.
- The research must be carried out in accordance with the procedures as approved.
- The completed research will be submitted to appropriate faculty, and the Ethics Committee within the agreed upon time.
Approved by the KATI Board June 2, 2009.


text:
Workshop: Anti- Austerity: But Pro What?
Anti-Austerity: But Pro What?
18 & 25 February @ 7:00 pm – 9:00 pm
At Impact Hub Birmingham,Walker Building, 58 Oxford Street, Digbeth, Birmingham B5 5NY
- Want to see a fairer society, here in the UK and around the world?
- Feel like you're constantly firefighting against things you don't agree with?
- Fed up of media and politicians saying there is no credible alternative to austerity?
Then Anti-Austerity: But Pro What? is the event for you! Book Here
It's a two-part event because the aim is ambitious. It's a free event but places are limited and registration is required.
Everyone knows about austerity and its effects are all too evident. But austerity is part of a wider approach called Neo-Liberalism which is based on five very short and easy to understand principles: free markets; small state; low tax; individual liberty; and big defence.
The aim of Anti-Austerity: But Pro What? is to set out a concise, inclusive and easily understandable alternative to neo-liberalism's five principles.
For full details, see event page.


text:
to wile away a wintery evening!
These are the sewing related souvenirs
I purchased while I was away...
|Do you think I could find a place to buy the quilting magazines they have in England?
The fabric, in green and yellow,
reminded me of Australia.
And aren't the V&A scissors earrings the cutest?
ps I see I now have 400 followers and over 500 posts- might be time for a giveaway?


text:
What was once restricted to a small test group, Google has now opened up to the public, namely its Google+ Badge for websites. When you insert the Google+ Badge on your website or blog, readers can not only share your website content on Google+ and give your content a +1 endorsement — they can also add your Google+ Page to their Google+ circles right from your website.
We'll walk you through the steps of putting a Google+ Badge on your website. Use the existing familiarity, trust, and relationship you've built with your website visitors to kick-start your brand engagement on Google+ as well.
How to Get Your Google+ Badge
If you haven't already done so, here's how to create a Google+ Page. Once your Google+ Page is set up, you'll need to connect your website to your Google+ Page. Google advises that you copy the following code into the "head" element of your site:
Next you'll need your 21-digit Google+ Page ID before you proceed to the Google+ Badge Configuration Page. To obtain your Page ID, go to your Google+ Page's stream and click "Get started" on the menu at the left side of the page. In the "Tell the world" section, make a note of the URL shown. Your Page ID will be the very last numeric string at the end — for example: https://plus.google.com/[yourpageID]. Copy the Page ID portion of the URL and navigate to the Google+ Badge Configuration Tool.
Paste or type your Google+ Page ID in the box referenced with the large blue arrow. Next, choose the style of your badge and preview the results by choosing any of the available options, such as "Standard badge," "Small badge" and so on. Customize your badge by giving it a name, choose the appropriate language, and select any of the applicable advanced formatting options if necessary. The code for your customized badge will be displayed in a text field entitled "Get the code." Copy and paste this code anywhere you'd like the Google+ Badge to appear on your website.
Alternatively, you can manually configure your Google+ Badge using the parameters demonstrated on the Google+ Badge Tag Page. To see the relevant parameters and the corresponding results, scroll down the page until you see an image like the one above.
Benefits of Using the Google+ Badge
Google has been very aggressive in its release of new Google+ features. Many of these features appear to have at least some impact on Google search results, as evidenced by things like "Ask on Google+" prompts and Google+ Page recommendations appearing in some organic search results on Google. With these examples in mind, it's entirely possible (though unconfirmed by Google) that having a Google+ Badge on your website may positively influence Google search results for your site.
Even if you already have a Google +1 button connected to your website, it may be worthwhile to consider replacing it with your customized Google+ Badge. The Google+ badge includes a +1 button, and it also allows your visitors to add your Google+ Page directly to their circles on Google+, making it even easier to begin building a community on Google+.
[Image Credit: Google+]


text:
Nuance Communications Beats on EPS but GAAP Results Lag
Nuance Communications (NAS: NUAN) reported earnings on May 10. Here are the numbers you need to know.
The 10-second takeaway
For the quarter ended March 31 (Q2), Nuance Communications met expectations on revenues and beat slightly on earnings per share.
Compared to the prior-year quarter, revenue grew significantly and GAAP earnings per share dropped to zero.
Gross margins expanded, operating margins increased, and net margins dropped.
Revenue details
Nuance Communications reported revenue of $417.7 million. The eight analysts polled by S&P Capital IQ anticipated revenue of $417.3 million on the same basis. GAAP reported sales were 22% higher than the prior-year quarter's $319.0 million.
Source: S&P Capital IQ. Quarterly periods. Dollar amounts in millions. Non-GAAP figures may vary to maintain comparability with estimates.
EPS details
EPS came in at $0.43. The nine earnings estimates compiled by S&P Capital IQ anticipated $0.42 per share. GAAP EPS dropped to zero from the prior-year quarter's $0.01.
Source: S&P Capital IQ. Quarterly periods. Non-GAAP figures may vary to maintain comparability with estimates.
Margin details
For the quarter, gross margin was 67.8%, 260 basis points better than the prior-year quarter. Operating margin was 12.4%, 780 basis points better than the prior-year quarter. Net margin was 0.2%, 30 basis points worse than the prior-year quarter.
Looking ahead
Next quarter's average estimate for revenue is $432.2 million. On the bottom line, the average EPS estimate is $0.41.
Next year's average estimate for revenue is $1.72 billion. The average EPS estimate is $1.64.
Investor sentiment
The stock has a four-star rating (out of five) at Motley Fool CAPS, with 5,481 members out of 5,720 rating the stock outperform, and 239 members rating it underperform. Among 1,476 CAPS All-Star picks (recommendations by the highest-ranked CAPS members), 1,439 give Nuance Communications a green thumbs-up, and 37 give it a red thumbs-down.
Of Wall Street recommendations tracked by S&P Capital IQ, the average opinion on Nuance Communications is outperform, with an average price target of $30.01.
New technology paradigms and mobile devices are driving the next wave of computing. Many older companies won't survive the change, while fortunes will be made by the first movers in the field. Where does Nuance Communications fit in? What's the fortune-making change? Check out "The Two Words Bill Gates Doesn't Want You to Hear." Click here for instant access to this free report.
- Add Nuance Communications to My Watchlist.
At the time this article was published Seth Jayson had no position in any company mentioned here at the time of publication. You can view his stock holdings here. He is co-advisor ofMotley Fool Hidden Gems, which provides new small-cap ideas every month, backed by a real-money portfolio. Motley Fool newsletter services have recommended buying shares of Nuance Communications. Try any of our Foolish newsletter services free for 30 days. We Fools may not all hold the same opinions, but we all believe that considering a diverse range of insights makes us better investors. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.
Copyright © 1995 - 2012 The Motley Fool, LLC. All rights reserved. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.


text:
Spending my holidays in Brisbane has turned out to be great fun for the dachshunds.
They have now been officially introduced to the beach and have become quite the little explorers…
Now we just need to work on those swimming skills but if they take after their (human) Mum, there's not too much hope!
For more information on the King Island walk, click here. Just a litte note on the side – have a look at the tide chart, otherwise you may have to swim back!


text:
NEW YORK, March 29 - (Reuters Life!) Youre bemoaning your tummy roll when on the TV appear exquisitely toned specimens working out with gadgets that promise to rock, roll or wheel those love handles into abs to die for. Should you go for it?
Experts say all infomercial machines are not created equal. Some are mere gimmicks, some actually work. But targeting one area, such as the midriff, is no way to get fit or lose weight.
"These ads communicate to the public the flawed notion that spot reducing is possible," said Jessica Matthews of the non-profit American Council on Exercise (ACE). "Research has shown that's not the case."
She added that a well rounded program includes cardiovascular work and strength training of all the major muscles, not just the abdominals.
"The more muscle mass we have the more efficient our body becomes and that's when we start to lose body fat so we can see that definition," Matthews explained.
And those buff and smiling TV exercisers?
"The ads say that if you want six-pack abs, spend 10 minutes a day using this equipment," she said. "Those people are not just doing 10 minutes a day."
Matthews cited an ACE-commissioned study that concluded you don't need to purchase a piece of exercise equipment to strengthen your abs.
"The abdominal rollers and rockers tested were not any more effective than a traditional crunch, and some were much less effective," she said.
The study also advises that strong abdominals are important for long-term health, good posture and the alleviation of lower back pain, so if a particular device inspires you, it may be worth it.
Before you phone in the plastic, Henry Williford, an expert with the American College of Sports Medicine, has some advice for evaluating infomercial claims.
"You have to be very careful," he said. "Qualitative terms like improved muscle tone don't mean anything. In the lab we can measure body fat and body composition, but there's no way to measure muscle tone, so there's no way to evaluate."
He added that there is also no evidence for another claim that suggests people will lose inches.
"They don't have any data. Where do the inches go? They use those kinds of claims a lot," he said. "Then they'll tell people that a low intensity exercise will burn fat. Well, it doesn't matter if youre burning fat or no fat. The important thing is to burn calories."
Williford said a product can be good if its used correctly but it is the amount of exercise that's important.
"Stay away from gimmicky things," he advises. "Don't trust testimonials by individuals that aren't based in research."
And know what youre buying. Even Williford who is an exercise physiologist and researcher at Auburn University in Montgomery, Alabama, has been burned.
"We did an evaluation of these little exercise balls they were making all kinds of claims about," he said. "So we ordered the ball. But according to the fine print we had also ordered a new DVD every month for a year."
So what is the secret to six-pack abs as seen on TV? Williford is skeptical.
"A lot of them are photoshopped, to be honest with you," he said.


text:
I started with a #10 tag and the new Tim Holtz Distress Oxide inks! I love how they look and I used Spiced Marmalade, Worn Lipstick, Broken China, Cracked Pistachio and Fossilized Amber. Then I took a stencil and made some swirls and dots over the colors. A light mist of water helped to activate the oxides.
It took my Dyan Reavley stamps and used the flowers and skulls to stamp images onto the tag. I used the umbrella from the Tim Holtz Umbrella Man. A little trick, you can mask off parts of a stamp so that they don't get ink on them. I stamped in Distress Archival Black Soot Ink.
I then added the rain drops with a rain drop stamp from Deep Red Rubber Stamp! The tag was finished with Distress Black Soot ink around the edges and Voila! Skelly Flowers in the rain! Happy Easter!
You can see more of my work at https://artsytartsyandsuch.blogspot.com/.


text: dents and scrapes Archive 0 How to throw darts board – Hints for inserting aspects Written on June 23, 2017 by George in Games Dart boards are conventional accessories in games rooms, with the games which might be played darts providing fun for family and all of your friends. All kinds of both bristle and electronic dart boards are available nowadays, if you have got the space and a dart board may create an exceptional addition. Read More


text:
I am a self-taught bead embroidery artist who loves to stitch tiny glass seed beads to felt. My beaded subjects are often combined with collage and acrylics in way which really pops out of the canvas. My work may appear to be carefully planned, but I am actually quite spontaneous in my creative methods. As I construct each element of beadwork, I begin to envision the finished piece, as well as the ideas it should convey to the viewer. This process can take 2 -3 months depending on the size and complexity of the piece.
I feel that I am on a journey toward a beaded reality. My beadwork began by featuring birds and animals, but quickly evolved into a style of realistic relief paintings inspired by popular culture and history. These inspirations play well together mainly because history does repeat itself, yet it looks quite different when beaded. And, there is an interesting juxtaposition within the work. It takes quite a bit of time to bead subjects which typically move quickly in reality, such as cars & other vehicles. Beading also represents the fact that a certain amount of craftsmanship is required to build a vehicle from start to finish.
My current works feature city scenes, classic automobiles, and dogs. I am inspired by vehicles most because they take us to new places, but dogs keep us company when we arrive. I have also begun a self portrait series which will combine childhood dreams as they would exist in the future.
I am learning that there are actually a lot of ideas behind my beadwork, and reasons why I bead what I bead, but it is difficult to put them into words. I have a feeling this statement will be ammended at some point in time… Have you written an Artist Statement yet? If so, what did you learn about your art and yourself?


text:
I don't want to get into a harangue about the death tape, so I''ll reduce a must-read a list from 35 to two:
"Survivors of the Jonestown killings and suicides say that Rev. Jim Jones, the cult's leader, was meticulous in recording all of his activities, either on tape or on paper."Then why all the switching on and off of the recording machine, which should have run like a sex tape--turned on and forgotten about. But here, someone clicks it on and off so many times, it sounds like Rosemary Woods on water pills
December 9, 1978, New York Times, page A11, Guyana Says It Belatedly Received Tape of the Jones Cultists Dying; Shrieks and Gunshots, by Nicholas M. Horrack, [Blog]
December 9, 1978, Boston Globe - Washington Post, Jones on tape: 'If we can't live in peace, let's die in peace', by Leonard Downie Jr., 986 words [Text]The tape should have had the energy and flow of Robert Altman's opening sequence to his movie Nashville--a 19-minute , continuous, unbroken tracking shot involving all 24 of his stars. This trailer clip captures that energy.
The Peoples Templars weren't committing suicide because they were depressed--that's reactionary yellow dog suicide.
Jack Galinas, director of a New York City public relations firm, did the shadow work for what normally is handled by the Guyanese Minister of Information
When you have a NBC news crew present to record your terminal moments, but still you're forced to come up with post-mortem sound recording to explain your fundamentally bizarre behavior (and why wasn't the closed circuit PT-TV running?) then in all other like things you should remain circumspect--and avoid drawing attention to your weakest areas of argument. Perhaps a professional photographer tell us what lens to use so that the bright afternoon tropical sun will light a representative's buttocks, and Bouquette's paque. This is Rep Ryan's penultimate image will be remembered.
Copyright Infringement!
"The photo was discovered in a camp darkroom by Guyanese officials attempting to identify victims."It looks like the burning of Atlanta behind them, unfortunately illuminating this spiteful, mean-spirited moment
I'm practicing a new way to blog which I hope will make things swifter, and more legible for the reader by using small thumbnails, which will spring open like handsome men with bouquets of lilies popping out of your computer screen to carry the full text into straight into your arms---that's the idea at least, or I can link directly to the original source.
What unthinking editor chose to fill out the remaining space on page13 with Dr. Paul Ruble's medical column, 'To Your Good Health,' when the topic this week was headlined, 'Rupture of naval is rare in adults.'
I bet even confirmed hypochondriacs didn't linger long on this one.
December 8, 1978, Chicago Tribune, page 2, Tape reveals children's shrieks in cult deaths
December 8, 1978, The Baltimore Sun, Jones' Suicide Calls, Gunshots Heard on Tape Recording Found at Jonestown,
December 8, 1978, The Baltimore Sun, page A1, Jones's suicide calls, gunshots heard on tape recording found at Jonestown,
December 8, 1978, New York Times, page A1, Rubble of Commune Yields a Tape Of Cultists Dying, Jones Exhorting, by Joseph B. Treaster, [Blog]
December 8, 1978, Prescott Courier - AP, page 8A, Tape records last moment of Jonestown,
December 9, 1978, Boston Globe - Washington Post, Jones on tape: 'If we can't live in peace, let's die in peace', by Leonard Downie Jr., 986 words [Text]
December 9, 1978, New York Times, page A11, Guyana Says It Belatedly Received Tape of the Jones Cultists Dying; Shrieks and Gunshots, by Nicholas M. Horrack, [Blog]
December 9, 1978, New York Times, page A28, Dispute with Jones Said to Be On Tape; A Source Familiar With Recording Says That Some at Commune Opposed Plan for Deaths, by Anthony Marro, [Blog]
December 21, 1978, The Baltimore Sun, page A7, Jonestown said to reveal most were pressured into dying,
December 21, 1978, Chicago Tribune, page 6, Tape backs suicide view in cult deaths, by Timothy McNulty and Michael Sneed,
December 21, 1978, The Sun Reporter, Jonestown tape said to reveal most were pressured into dying,
January 3, 1979, New York Times,Murder Trial Ordered for Suspect in Ryan Slaying, [Text]
January 4, 1979, New York Times,Court Ruling Stalls Inquiry in Rep. Ryan's Slaying; Another Declines to Testify; Death Tape Described,
January 4, 1979, Los Angeles Times, page B11, Tape of Jones' Suicide Call Described as 'Eerie',
January 25, 1979, The Washington Post, page A18, Guyana Tape Raises Questions on Lane, by Charles Krause, [Weisberg Collection]
March 14, 1979, NBC News, Jonestown Tapes Provide Insight Into Last Few Hours Before Mass Suicide, Stock Footage, 7:45,
March 14, 1979, St. Petersburg Evening Independent, page 3-A, Guyana Death Tape: The Last Minutes of Jonestown Suicide Revealed,
March 15, 1979, The Baltimore Sun, page A1, Tape hints early decision by Jones on mass suicide, [antitrust]
March 15, 1979, The Washington Post, page C11, Tape Has Jones Urging Suicide Upon Followers,
March 15, 1979, Los Angeles Times, page B10, Suicides Planned Early, Tape Indicates,
March 15, 1979, New York Times,Copy of Jonestown Tape Reveals How Jones Persuaded 900 To Die, by Joseph B. Treaster,
March 15, 1979, New York Times,Excerpts From Transcript of Tape Describing the Final Moments at Jonestown; 'They'll Not Take Our Death in Vain',
February 28, 1980, Los Angeles Times, page B22, Slain Couple Mentioned on Cult Tape, by Russell Chandler,
April 18, 1981, The Washington Post, page A2, Tapes Replay Vows of Death In Jonestown, 554 words
April 19, 1981, The Washington Post, page B1, Jonestown's Last Days: NPR Replays the Tapes and the Terror, by Richard Harrington,
April 20, 1981, St. Petersburg Independent - AP, page 11A, Cults; Jonestown Tapes Revealed, [Blog]
April 23, 1981, New York Times,Radio: Jonestown Tragedy Documented on Tape, by John J. O'Connor,
May 6, 1981, The Age, page 10, The Jonestown Tapes: Horrific Visitation, by Barry Hill, [Blog]
August 9, 1984, Union Democrat - UPI, page 14, Jury Won't Be .Allowed To Hear Last Hour' Jonestown Tapes,
August 9, 1984, Gainesville Sun, page 8C, Judge: Jim Jones Tapes Admissible In Court,
July 30, 1985, Boston Globe - AP, page 12, Guyana Tape Ruled Too Inflammatory,
July 6, 2001, Jonestown Audio Tape Primary Project: Commentary on Q 042, by Fielding M. McGehee, III,
December 8, 1978, The Free Lance-Star - Los Angeles Times, page 13, Suicide Cult; No escape from rantings of Jim Jones, Fifth in a series, Next: Death in Paradise. From: The Suicide Cult, by Marshall Kilduff and Rom Javers,
December 8, 1978, The Free Lance-Star, "To Your Good Health, Rupture of naval is rare in adults, by Paul E. Ruble, M.D.
December 8, 1978, The Free Lance-Star - Los Angeles Times, page 13, Suicide Cult; No escape from rantings of Jim Jones, Fifth in a series, Next: Death in Paradise. From: The Suicide Cult, by Marshall Kilduff and Rom Javers,
December 8, 1978, The Free Lance-Star - AP, page 13, 'We weren't looking for trouble,' by Susan Ager,
There are particular qualities I find present in papers like The Free Lance-Star, of Fredericksburg, Virginia (similar to qualities I find in its near namesake--The Fredericks Post. I just squared away both of their relationships to the capital beltway with Google Maps below. So I clicked on a link, totally at random, and this is what came back, above an below the fold:
A hunch is confirmed, I think, that these papers appeal to the tastes and world view of a segment of American society I had little familiarity with before---with the Virginia paper reading more military, and the Maryland paper more upscale intelligence services. The coincidence of having two dark, side-lite images to compare being quite eerie to me, although Jesus' sentiment, "My God, my God, why has thou forsaken me?" is utterly foreign to my relationship with Him--to whom I want to say, "Stop tickling now, or I'm going to
tell mom!"
I don't care to read and see how learned the Rt. Rev. James A. Pike could be while explicating the cry, Eloi, Eloi lama sabachtthani? (But I did count the letters.) I know that Rev. Pike, like most Americans, could never sit down in his saffron robes into a perfect posture, and, in a process of self-immolation, galvanize an entire world, one way or another. Christians should start appreciating other cultures, and stop invading, other countries. Even widows jumping on the funeral pyres of their departing mates can have a strange spiritual beauty if done for the right imaginary motivation, like adoring life and whatever comes next.
But there is nothing, nothing, deep or on the surface, about what the powers-that-be transacted upon powerless people in the Guyanese jungle. As for the venality and stupidity of the so-called "survivors," I guess I can identify--we all have to scamper and clutch at meal tickets when we get very, very hungry.


text:
And summer camp is a wonderful way to introduce your child to the idea of preschool. Camp is from 8:30 am to 12 pm. With an easy morning in the Montessori classroom and on our shady play space sized just right for toddlers, your child can focus on a different part of the natural world each week:
June 15 -19: Insects
June 22 - 26: Birds
June 29 - July 3: Fish
July 6 - 10: Amphibians
July 13 - 17: Plants and Flowers
July 20 - 24: Mammals
July 27 - 31: Reptiles and Dinosaurs
Toddler summer camp at Pinewoods Montessori in Hillsborough is a convenient and affordable way to gently ease your child into the world of preschool while also introducing the natural world through sensorial and practical life works. Our summer camp will be led by Montessori-certified teacher, Joy Langley-Parsons, who all the children know as Miss Joy.
Learn more and register today!


text:
Bond Fund
What it is:
A bond fund is a mutual fund composed of bonds.
How it works (Example):
Bond funds come in many shapes and sizes. Some bond funds only invest in bonds with certain types of coupons, certain types of issuers, certain types of trading characteristics (convertibles, for example), certain types of credit ratings, etc.
Some of the major bond-fund categories are:
- U.S. Treasury bond funds
- Municipal bond funds
- Mortgage-backed security funds
- Corporate bond funds (within this category are several subcategories based on target maturities, credit rating, industry, etc.)
- International bond funds
- "Mixed" (where the fund manager invests in a variety of different bond categories)
How Bond Funds Work
Bond funds are composed of bonds, but they don't always behave like bonds.
First, bond funds do not mature like individual bonds do. Instead, fund managers buy and sell bonds of differing maturities, which produces constantly changing trading profits, losses and yields. Although a bond fund's investments do mature, the fund's investors typically don't get their original investments back until they sell their shares (and even then there is no guarantee the fund's share price won't be below the investor's purchase price).
Second, bond funds usually make monthly payments to investors, while bonds normally make only semiannual payments. Thus, bond funds provide more frequent income and a better opportunity to leverage the power of compounding when reinvesting. For example, consider what happens when an investor receives bond income monthly rather than semiannually when the investor is able to reinvest that income at 8% compounded monthly:
Both investors receive the same amount of cash, but because Investor B does not have to wait as long for her income, she can reinvest that income more frequently and ends up with more money in 10 years than Investor A, who reinvested semiannually. The difference is small in this example ($22.40), but consider how big it would be with more income over a longer period. Note that a bond fund's distribution rate usually changes when interest rates change (typically there is some lag, however).
Third, Treasury bond funds, municipal bond funds and some agency-bond funds usually offer shelter from state and/or federal taxes, much like their underlying counterparts. But because most bond funds make taxable year-end capital gains distributions, even municipal bond fund investors may see a tax bill at the end of the year.
Advantages and Disadvantages of Bond Funds
Most investors agree that it is usually easier and less expensive to invest in bond funds than to choose each and every bond in a portfolio. And aside from the convenience of monthly payments, a bond fund's instant diversification often means lower risk. Bond funds also are a way to avoid the often higher transaction costs and lower liquidity associated with trading individual bonds -- it's often easier to sell bond fund shares than to sell a particular bond, especially if that bond has unusual characteristics or a low credit rating.
Bond funds also offer the services of a professional who watches and acts on the interest rate environment on behalf of the investor, handles the trading decisions and determines the asset allocation. Fees for these services, however, can eat into returns, which can be already low if the bond fund invests in Treasuries or other low-risk securities.
One major disadvantage of bond funds is that the rule that lower interest rates mean higher prices doesn't always apply to bond funds. When investors buy more shares of a fund, the fund manager must purchase more bonds with the proceeds. In a declining interest-rate environment, this means that the manager is probably buying bonds with lower coupons than before, when rates were high. The inclusion of these low-rate bonds in the fund lowers overall returns and the monthly income available to investors. This in turn lowers the fund's share price, giving investors incentive to sell their shares and putting more downward pressure on the fund's share price. Thus, bond funds tend to reflect current interest rates rather than hold or increase their value when rates go down.
How to Choose and Purchase a Bond Fund
Purchasing shares of a bond fund is as easy as purchasing shares of any other mutual fund -- simply call your broker or purchase the shares using an online trading account. Evaluating and choosing a bond fund that best fits the investor's portfolio, however, is trickier. The most important document to study is the prospectus, which provides information about the bond's investment methods, goals and strategies as well as background on the fund manager and a list of specific holdings.
One way to compare fund returns is to look at their 30-day annualized yields. This number is calculated according to a very specific, complex formula provided by the SEC and is intended to prevent manipulation of yield calculations. Funds must also present one-year, five-year and 10-year annualized returns as well.
Income investors also should consider their investment horizon. Short-term funds, which typically invest in bonds maturing in one to five years, offer lower yields than intermediate-term funds, which invest in bonds maturing in five to 10 years.
The relatively low returns offered by bond funds mean that income investors should also pay special attention to fees. Like other mutual funds, there are load and no-load funds, but in general larger funds should have lower fees because of their economies of scale. But the lower the quality of a fund's assets, the higher its fees tend to be because the underlying assets are less liquid and thus incur higher trading costs. Larger funds may offer lower fees and pay less for large blocks of securities, but investors should not ignore small bond funds. Small funds often take meaningful positions in smaller issues that large funds cannot or will not look at. Also, small funds are often better able to exit certain positions because they have less impact on market prices.
The amount of asset turnover in a bond fund is also important to study. Trading costs money, and Treasury bond funds or funds investing in other extremely high-quality debt instruments should have relatively little trading activity. A fund's turnover should be relatively low when interest rates are stable.
Why it Matters:
Bond funds offer many tailored choices that go way beyond simple time horizon. For example, target maturity funds are great for investors who need a certain amount of money for a specific purpose at a specific point in the future (such as college tuition) or for more aggressive income investors who want to trade on interest-rate forecasts. Municipal bond funds can be helpful income investments for investors in especially high tax brackets. International bond funds offer more return and risk potential from their investments in bonds issued by foreign governments or foreign companies in a variety of markets, industries and currencies. Even higher on the risk spectrum are high-yield bond funds, which invest in corporate bonds rated below BBB and tend to be more sensitive to changes in their issuers' financial outlooks than to changes in interest rates (they subsequently can actually offer investors a hedge against interest rate risk).


text:
The amount of meta data available for the video clips used on our sites, such as TV4Play, is often very limited. Often the video clip have just a title and belong to a category. It has no description and no keyword. When the amount of videos is large it isn't feasible to manually annotate all of them with more meta data despite it being critical if you want to find a certain video or videos on a certain topic.
When it comes to text there are a large number of maturing techniques for extracting useful information. Latent semantic indexing (PDF) and inverse document frequency (PDF) has become standard tools in systems that operate on text. To extract information from image and video data is however a more complicated feat. The research on image analysis and face recognition has led to software and services offering some basic support for browsing and cataloging objects and people in media but we are still far from functions that are reliable enough not to confuse unprepared users.
For some of our programs we actually have meta data that aren't used in our search system so far. We have every word spoken recorded, not from using speech recognition but typed in by humans. Yes, it is the captioning/subtitling that we have for some of our programs, e.g. our home improvement show Äntligen hemma, the comedy panel game show Parlamentet, and Emmerdale (Sw. Hem till gården). By adding the texts from the shows to our Solr index it would be possible to find episodes on building your own sauna, that discusses the mishaps of the Swedish king or the episode where one of the characters is drunk.
Another use for this data is to visualize i. Word clouds for some of our shows looks like this when entered into Wordle (and being careful not getting too horrendous font choices):


text:
One thing is that metallic color *O*<3!
Another thing is that fairy-tale-like feeling when I'm wearing it lol xD. It's all because of its air-like fabrics and that amazing shines....somehow, everything all together makes me feel like I'm wearing something made of not actual fabrics but...liquid xD
Áo, Váy / Shirt, Skirt - stylesample.net


text:
I scan the horizon trying to picture the scenes of tragedy which played out here between 1914 and 1918, and stand very still to see if I can feel anything – does that much death and loss change the atmosphere of a place?
All is silent and subdued, save for the occasional cries of a migrating 'V' of geese streaking across the grey sky.
At least they know where they are going. My navigational skills are atrocious, so I happily look down to consult the Garmin Oregon 450 – a nifty palm-size GPS device – dangling from my handlebars. A purple arrow politely instructs me to continue north and off I peddle.
I had picked up both the bike and the GPS unit from the tourist office in the petite town of Péronne. Situated 66km east of Amiens, it was occupied by the Germans throughout World War I and sat right on the Front Line. Most of the surrounding villages have a story to tell and the GPS allows you to select from several pre-programmed routes depending on how far you want to cycle.
The best-known route is the 'Circuit de Souvenir', or Circuit of Remembrance, which leads you past all the main war-memorial sites. It's a lengthy 80km, so I spread the journey over two days and spent the night in a local chambre d'hôte.
The clouds lift and a glance at the screen tells me Rancourt, a French cemetery, will shortly be coming up on my left. I dismount and gently lean the bike against the surrounding wall of the graveyard, which stands solitarily among an expanse of corn-stubbled pasture. The oaks have dropped their browning leaves among the graves.
I peddle onwards past mounds of potatoes piled high at the side of the mud-spattered track towards Thiepval – home of the largest British war memorial in the world. Its almighty 45 metre-high arches are inscribed with the names of 72,205 missing soldiers. Except for a groundsman quietly tending the grass, I'm the only one there. I amble between the aisles of tombstones, quietly reading their names aloud. Paper poppies and wilting flowers planted at the base of the graves shiver in the breeze.
And suddenly the benefits of using GPS become clear. If I had a joined a guided tour, I may have learned more but I'd have had to listen to the commentary and chatter of other visitors. Travelling on two wheels allowed me to tread the same dirt tracks and wander through the same woods as the soldiers; to visit their memorials in peace.
Today's cold is forgotten against the silence, history and feeling of this place.


text:
Position Title: Digital Archivist
Location: Whitehorse, Yukon Territory
Type: Full-time, Indeterminate
The following essential qualifications are required for this position: Master's degree in archival studies or library and information science with a specialty in archives, or a masters or bachelor's degree in history, political science or other social sciences or related field with several years of experience working in an archives; experience applying the theory and practice of archival and records management principles with a focus on the management of electronic records; experience working with and managing digital preservation related software combined with detailed knowledge of computer systems, network architecture, programming, and database / repository management systems.
Additional desired knowledge, skills, and suitability include the following:
Excellent written and oral communication skills; Strong research and information gathering skills along with strong analytical and problem solving skills applied in an information management environment; familiarity with digital curation and preservation theory, issues, strategies, tools and best practices; in-depth knowledge of current internationally-recognized models and standards for the preservation of digital information including the Open Archival Information System and ISO 16363; knowledge of metadata schemas and preservation file formats, and associated tools and workflows; knowledge of electronic records management policies, standards, procedures, techniques and best practices; and strong organizational skills and detail oriented with a high level of accuracy; and the ability to work effectively alone or in a team environment, and alongside donors and record creators.
Application Instructions:
To apply, click here.
Additional Information
Deadline to Apply: February 16, 2018


text:
Programmed acknowledges the Traditional Owners of the lands on which we work.
Programmed Skilled Workforce is committed to providing Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people with sustainable employment opportunities. This is in support of the Commonwealth Government's national priority to halve the employment gap between Indigenous and non-Indigenous people and recognise the importance of work for individual and community well-being.
Programmed is a recognised service provider for the Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet's Indigenous Advancement Strategy – Jobs, Land and Economy Program, and a signatory to Generation One.
Creating sustainable employment opportunities for Indigenous people
Through our specialised Indigenous Employment Services programme, we provide training and employment opportunities that assist Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people in gaining relevant skills and work experiences that equip them for a lifetime of employment. Our training programmes are aligned with the skill requirements of our customers, ensuring that we are able to readily provide trained Indigenous employees to our customers, through a wide range of courses from forklift licensing through to formal traineeships and apprenticeships.
Our specialised Indigenous employment team provides vocational care to Indigenous employees throughout all stages of their employment, from the recruitment process to successful completion of training and on-the-job mentoring. This high level of support ensures high levels of workplace attendance and retention.
Programmed Indigenous Employment Services
Our Indigenous Employment Services program provides:
- A dedicated Indigenous Employment Manager who works with our customers to increase Indigenous participation across our workforce
- Sponsorship of the Clontarf Foundation and Yalari
- Support in developing Indigenous Participation Plans
- Support in completing Cultural Heritage Management Plans
We work closely with our customers to source Indigenous employees from all over the country. We are involved in recruiting substantial Indigenous workforces for our mining customers (up to 20% of the total workforce), and undertake regular recruitment drives to maintain a strong pool of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander candidates.
Key staff members are trained in cross-cultural awareness and have completed courses in coaching and mentoring of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander employees. The training aims to provide our staff with invaluable understanding and insight into Indigenous culture and the challenges candidates face in training and employment.
To recruit and retain the very best talent, we recognise that skill and experience comes in many forms. Which means we actively seek interest and applications from people of all backgrounds and experience.
Please explore the diverse range of career opportunities available at Programmed.


text:
1. Edible Beauty & Gold Rush Eye Balm Edible Beauty is about as lovely as you can get. Called a balm, it looks and feels more like a creme, but melts delectably into the skin leaving it feeling fresh and hydrated. Did I mention it contains real edible gold leaf for an ultra-luxe touch?
Follow Liberty Green (formerly Megsy-Jane) on Bloglovin


text:
Are the bears ready to play varsity?
Oil bulls must now put up an inspired defense in the mid $70s for Nymex crude oil (WTI) after their latest foray above $80 ended so miserably.
Just two weeks ago they seemed to be in good position to mount a run at the 87.15 high in the spot market (92.18 for the September contract) from early May. On August 03rd September barrels finished at 82.55 and the market was trending higher, i.e. up 19% since May 25th or since the bottom following the implosion after that 87.15 high print from three months ago.
More importantly, as crude oil was rising, oil volatility (OVX) was falling, from 47.2% in early June to 32.1% last Friday, a decline of 32%.


text:
|Dr. E. G. Sherman, Jr.
|Sunday June 7, 2015
|The Lord's Supper
|"And he took bread, and gave thanks...This is my body Which is given for you: this do ye in remembrance of me." Lk. 22:19; ...This is my blood of the new testament which is shed for many" Mk. 14:24.
|All religions have a founder. Most of them embody
rituals, ceremonies, and even sacrifices to honor their
founder. Christianity, one of the religions, has its
ceremonies, ordinances, and sacraments to commemorate
the sacrificial ministry of Jesus Christ. The sermon today
will focus on the ceremony often referred to as The Lord's
Supper. It will encompass the following parameters, points,
or concerns, namely: What is the Lord's Supper?, By whom
and when was it organized?, What were its ingredients?,
What is its significance?, and How might it be abused?
As background for the subject, attention is called to
the Jewish celebration known as Passover. It is "one of the
most widely celebrated Jewish holidays and commemorates
the biblical story of Exodus when Hebrew "slaves" were
released from bondage in Egypt and headed for Canaan.
To soften Pharaoh's resistance to releasing the Hebrews,
God caused a death angel to overshadow Egypt and kill the
first born of every Egyptian while avoiding the Hebrew
houses, hence came the word Passover. This historic
event is celebrated for seven days in Israel. Centuries
later, the feast of unleavened drew nigh, which is called
the Passover, Satan entered into Judas who would betray
Jesus thereby opening the pathway for him to be killed.
Against this background on origin of the Passover,
attention will now be focused on the earlier specified
dimensions, the first of which is - What is the Lord's
Supper? It is a ceremony that Jesus established during
the period of the Jewish Passover. While not rejecting the
Jewish Passover, Jesus added a new dimension to the feast.
Whereas the Jewish Passover commemorated the Hebrew
exodus from Egypt, his new Passover would be a reminder
of the forgiveness for the Original Sin ( Gen. 2:17 ) that
would require the blood of an unblemished lamb, and he
was that lamb. Hence, it was necessary for Jesus to leave
a reminder of his sacrifice for all believers.
"The accounts of the Lord's Supper are found in the
Gospels ( Matthew 26:26-29; Mark 14: 17-25; Luke 22: and
John 13:21-30." Each of the accounts identifies the
elements that Jesus used as a symbol for his sacrifice.
This fact leads to the next aspect of the sermon which is -
the elements used in the Lord's supper. As the Gospel
writers concurred, there were two elements that Jesus
used to symbolize his forthcoming crucifixion, namely bread
that Jesus took and blessed it, and break it, and gave it to
the disciples; and said, 'take, eat, this is my body'. Next,
gave the second element and noted in Mt. 26:27 "And he
took the cup, and gave thanks, and gave it to them, saying,
Drink ye all of it. For this is my blood of the new testament,
which is shed for many in the remission" ( 28). He did not
drink with them but promised to drink it new with ( them )
in his Father's kingdom.
Although the four Gospel writers included the Lord's
Supper in their narrative, this event was, also, included
in the Apostle Paul's letter to the Corinthians ( 1st Cor. 11:
23-29 ). His message was a warning against partaking of
the Lord's Supper while being besieged with sinful thoughts
and actions. He wrote as a warning - Therefore whoever
eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an
unworthy manner will be guilty of sinning against
the body and blood of the Lord. A man ought to examine
himself before he eats of the bread and drinks of the
cup. For anyone who eats and drinks without recognizing
the body of the Lord eats and drinks judgment against
himself." Continuing his warning, Paul wrote, "For this
cause many are weak and sickly among you, and many
sleep." ( 30 ).
The next dimension of this sermon on The Lord's
Supper are the questions of time, and participants.
Although the Lord's Supper was instituted on a Thursday
night, it is most frequently observed on the 1st Worship
Sunday each month. There are some rural church whose
day of worship may be other than the 1st Sunday and, many
of them have quarterly communion worship service.
Additionally, there is the practice in many denominations
of observing the Lord's Supper on Thursday night of the
Passion or Holy Week Services. The second question -
who shall be permitted to commune is widely debated
variously observed. Essentially, the response is either
open and closed. The general practice is that of open
participation, however, some denomination follow the
strict policy of closed to persons not of that faith nor
member of that fellowship. Without critiquing these
polities, attention will instead shift to the final
dimension of this sermon which is - why should you
participate in The Lord's Supper. There are several
reasons for partaking of The Lord's Supper, some of which
are: to be obedient and honor the request that Jesus made,
at The Last Supper, "This is my body that is given for you:
this do you in remembrance of me" ( Lk. 22:19 ).; not a
succor for grace ( sacrament ) within most Protestant
Churches; it is instead an ordinance within the worship
service; not to conform to the cooperate gathering but
experience an inner feeling of affinity to the Almighty
God; and to avoid falling into that group Paul described
as being " weak and sickly and many sleep" ( 1Cor. 11:30).,
and to be included in the gathering when Jesus shall
drink it anew in his Father's house ( Lk. 22:16 ).
In closing, this sermon has explored some features of
The Lord's Supper, some of which are: It was founded by
Jesus during the Passover; he instituted it on the Thursday
night before his crucifixion the next day; it consisted of
bread and the fruit of the vine - the bread to symbolize his
body and the fruit of the vine to symbolize his blood;
his crucifixion was necessary to reunite the broken
chain between God and human kind, all participants
should feel or pray for spiritual cleansing before
partaking of the Supper, the act of partaking of The Lord's
Supper is more important that the day and time of its
offering, and remember that Jesus'
request was - ... this do ye in remembrance of me.


text:
TBsThug 38
I have made a AI East squad of 6 in Eden Editor. I know how to export the mission.sqm to my arma3\mpmission\folder. I have been told to put that in my server mission.sqm. The problem I have with that is my mission.sqm that is on the server has the following:
class Entities
items = 54;
class Item0
dataType = "Group";
side = "Independent";
class Entities
The mission.sqm that I got from eden has the following;
class Entities
items = 1;
class Item0
dataType = "Group";
side = "East";
class Entities
Can someone explain how to combine them? is there a video out there that shows how to do it with the new eden? I cant find one for Exile.
Here are the two files:
server mpmisson\mission.sqm
eden mission.sqm


text:
I know my joy comes from being in his presence. If there are things happening to take my joy, it is time for me to go back to the basics and get into His presence!
"You will show me the way of life, granting me the joy of your presence and the pleasures of living with you forever." Psalm 16:11 NLT
I am assured that I have Jesus in me, I have received the gift of the Holy Spirit and will live with God forever. That's the helmet of salvation, it will guard my mind, the apostle Paul advised us to put it on. My mind is protected by that thought, I can grab hold of it no matter what else is going on around me! Yes, the battle is spiritual, and, yes, the devil is roaming to and fro seeking whom he may devour. I choose joy, he will not get through that protection God has for me, as long as I put it on.
Last year our ladies group focused on the fruit of the spirit; love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. I will not forget, fruit grows, it grows big and strong under the proper conditions. It is up to me to make sure the conditions are right for the fruit to grow and not only grow, but to remain healthy in my life.
This is the season we sing songs like Joy to the World, Joy (Unspeakable Joy), Joyful Joyful We Adore Thee; the joy the we all seek is found when we choose to put our priorities in the right place. As the brother of Jesus said,
"Consider it all joy when you encounter various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance. But endurance must do it's complete work, so that you may be mature, complete, lacking in nothing." James 1:2-4 HCSB
When we go through various trials, often the trial is not of God. It is most surely the result of sin. It may be self-induced or influenced from the outside, but it's root would be from sin. Quite often the sin of pride. Sin, missing the mark, missing of God's best, no matter what that sin is, most likely originated from pride. "I want this." "I deserve better." "Why should she have and I don't?" Sin entered because of Eve's temptation, being told by the serpent that she should have the knowledge. God knew from the beginning of time that all would sin and fall short of his Glory. He had a plan from the beginning of time, that plan included a savior. That savior came in the form of a sweet innocent little miracle, a baby, Jesus.
"The birth of Jesus Christ came about this way: After His mother Mary had been engaged to Joseph, it was discovered before they came together that she was pregnant by the Holy Spirit. So her husband Joseph, being a righteous man, and not wanting to disgrace her publicly, decided to divorce her secretly.
But after he had considered these things, an angel of the Lord suddenly appeared to him in a dream, saying, "Joseph, son of David, don't be afraid to take Mary as your wife, because what has been conceived in her is by the Holy Spirit. She will give birth to a son, and you are to name Him Jesus, because He will save His people from their sins.
Now all this took place to fulfill what was spoken by the Lord through the prophet:
See, the virgin will become pregnant
and give birth to a son,
and they will name Him Immanuel,
which is translated "God is with us." Matthew 1: 20-23 HCSB
Emmanuel, God with us, Jesus, the Messiah, the Redeemer, promised so many years before his birth. I trust him! I trust him to be the source of my joy, even when I can't seem to find it, it's there because he is so good and cares about every detail of my life. I hold on to and am assured that he who began a good work in me will complete it until the end, and, that all things work together for the good to those who love God and are called according to his purpose.
He cares about every detail of your life too!
"For God loved the world in this way: He gave His One and Only Son, so that everyone who believes in Him will not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send His Son into the world that He might condemn the world, but that the world might be saved through Him." John 3:16-17
May you be blessed at knowing who you are and who's you are. May you be held in the loving arms of the one we celebrate this season! Joy to you and your family.


text:
Monday, September 13, 2010
Scrabble Tile Earrings....and a Giveaway!
I've got a baggie full of Scrabble tiles that have been collecting dust for a few years. Our recent project of making Bottle Cap Earrings got me thinking......could Scrabble tiles be made into earrings? After figuring out how I would make them, I went to work.
They turned out even better than what I had pictured in my head!!
I made these using Mod Podge, a 3/4" square punch (SO much easier than tracing and cutting each square by hand!), and cute scrapbook paper. To finish them off, I sprayed each tile with an acrylic finish coating. Then I got my 1/16" drill bit and drilled holes down the center of each tile. Let me be honest here.....the 'practice' tiles I did were horrible. And I even broke a drill bit in the middle of drilling one tile. So, my wonderful husband came to my rescue and ended up doing most of the drilling for me.
The polka dot and flower earrings were the very first pairs that I made. I drilled a hole in the front and used a jump ring to attach the earrings. I'm still not sure which way I like them better.....what do you think?
Here's all the finished earrings so far. I've got lots more Scrabble tiles prepped and ready to be made into earrings, but ran out of the earring hooks. And of course there aren't any to be found in my small town, so I have to wait to make a trip to "the city" before I can get more. UGH!!
My girls and I will be selling these at our local craft fair in November. Be honest....do you think they'll go over well? And do you think $3.00 a pair is too much to charge?
{Now for the giveaway........}
September 7th was my official 2 year Blogaversary! To celebrate, I'm giving away a pair of Scrabble tile earrings to 3 lucky people!! Here's how to enter. Please leave only 1 comment per person!
*You must be a follower of my blog.....you guys are the reason why I'm here!
*Leave ONE comment letting me know you're a follower, and which pair of earrings you'd choose if you won. If you have any opinions about the earrings (price we plan on selling them for, etc.), leave that in your comment as well.
The deadline to enter is Wednesday (Sept. 15th) at midnight and I'll announce the winners on Thursday, September 16th! Good luck!!
I'm linking to these fun parties:
It's Stinkin' Cute Craft Thursdays @It's Sew Stinkin' Cute
Motivate Me Monday @Keeping It Simple
Look At Me! Party @Fun To Craft
Making the World Cuter Monday @Making the World Cuter
Made By You Monday @Skip To My Lou
Modern Craftswoman Monday @Tools Are For Women Too
Take a Look Tuesday @Sugar Bee-Craft Edition
Sugar and Spice Weekly Link Party @Seven Thirty Three
Whatever Goes Wednesday @Someday Crafts
Tuesday Tell All @My Craftie Life
Weekend Wrap Up Party @Tatertots and Jello
31 comments:
- Jocelyn Christensen said...
I'm a follower...I love the pink flower earrings! Happy Blogaversary!
- September 13, 2010 at 3:19 AM
- Stacy said...
I'm a follower. I think maybe the turtles. They are so cute and the price seems very nice for them.
- September 13, 2010 at 5:46 AM
- Meg the Grand said...
Happy Blogaversary! I am a follower and think your diagonal dot earrings are completely fab!!
- September 13, 2010 at 6:47 AM
- CountryBelle said...
I'm a follower!! Happy Anniversary! I like the little monkey ones!! $3 is a decent price for them.
- September 13, 2010 at 7:06 AM
- TaylorMade said...
I love the polka dot ones. I think maybe you should go up to five dollars a pair. That is still a great price for earrings, but since these were not made by machine, but by hand the price could be higher!
- September 13, 2010 at 8:01 AM
- Ellen said...
I love the piggy earrings! I am a follower! Great project...now I am wondering if I could drill a hole in one of those babies!!!
- September 13, 2010 at 8:09 AM
- Kellie said...
HaPpY BlOgAvErSaRy!!!!!! I am a stocker!!! I LOVE the pink flower earrings!! The price is very reasonable!!!
- September 13, 2010 at 9:13 AM
- Mama Lusco said...
Love them and I enjoy following you.
$3.00 would be a steal, so I would probably start at $5/pr or 5 pair for $20. I usually charge my cost plus $15/hr for my labor when pricing. Hope this helps!
I really like the pink flower & polka dot earrings. mamalusco @ ortelco.net
- September 13, 2010 at 9:54 AM
- Jasmine said...
I love the polka dot earrings or the flower ones! very cute!! I think $3 is a decent price to pay for handmade earrings. =)
- September 13, 2010 at 10:46 AM
- jeanine said...
I'm a follower... I'd choose the polka dots!
- September 13, 2010 at 11:05 AM
- Jamaica said...
Misty, I am a follower...I would choose either the turtles or the frogs. Even if I don't win I would be willing you pay the $3/pair for them :)
- September 13, 2010 at 12:32 PM
- Doty Family said...
I'm a follower! I love the frogs!! I teach at a preschool now and it's called Leapfrog Preschool. My kids would love them! $3.00 is great.
- September 13, 2010 at 12:35 PM
- Heather said...
I'm a follower! These are so creative! $3 isn't too much! I love the lion ones - do you coordinate the picture with the letter? ie. "L" for lion?
- September 13, 2010 at 12:49 PM
- Kelley said...
I am a follower. I do not think $3.00 is too much at all. Its a great stocking stuffer kind of gift, so I think you are fine on the price. I think I like the polka dots for myself best and I like the earring going throught the middle best and only b/c you added some beads there for a little more "bling". I think they are both great. Good luck at the fair.
- September 13, 2010 at 4:30 PM
Happy Bogaversary! I love the pink flower ones and think $3 may be a little low. You could charge $5 like others said.
- September 13, 2010 at 4:37 PM
- Maria Gridley said...
These are precious! What a great way to use scrabble tiles! :) I this $3 is a great price too!
- September 13, 2010 at 4:39 PM
- Jason and Tiff said...
I LOVE the polka dot ones! And, I think $3 is definitely a good price for them. I love all of your cute ideas Misty!
- September 13, 2010 at 5:25 PM
- Amy said...
So cute! I've never seen these drilled before. I would pay more that $3 for them, like everyone else seems to be saying. I really like the turtles.
- September 13, 2010 at 9:10 PM
- Grandpa Nacho said...
Very creative ideas. I am a follower. I like all of the designs, but for this issue, I like the elephants.
- September 13, 2010 at 9:25 PM
- Estee said...
I love the froggies! And you can make matching necklaces :)
I'm a follower.
- September 14, 2010 at 12:55 AM
- Daily relying on God said...
first time to your blog and I love the dinosaur earrings!!!
You should charge more...I just bought a necklace similar to these (one tile) for $5. You should charge $6 for these adorable earrings!
- September 14, 2010 at 6:25 AM
- becky said...
Cute idea! I luv the flower ones myself!
- September 14, 2010 at 8:12 AM
- Kaysi said...
Those are adorable!!! I love that idea, so cute!! And $3 seems really reasonable to me.
- September 14, 2010 at 10:14 AM
- she wears flowers said...
These are gorgeous!!
- September 14, 2010 at 7:46 PM
- she wears flowers said...
BTW--$3 is a STEAL!!
- September 14, 2010 at 7:47 PM
- she wears flowers said...
And, I am sorry to leave so many comments (what was I thinking??! I don't usually do that!) but I just read the part about the giveaway! I am a follower and I would love to win a pair of these darling earrings! I like the lions the best!
- September 14, 2010 at 8:02 PM
- Diane said...
Those are way cute!! I think $3 is a great amount for them too! I really like the flower ones. And I can't decide which way I like them better either... the hoops or straight through. Both very cute!!
and I follow you! :)
- September 15, 2010 at 8:16 AM
- Terrell said...
Totally loving these! They're so creative!! Way to go! I'm happy to be your newest follower of your delightful blog and I'd love to have you as a friend at Frou Frou Decor! I would also like to invite you to link your sweet creations up at my weekly FABULOUS FRIDAY FINDS party! Hope to see you there!
~Terrell @ Frou Frou Decor~
- September 16, 2010 at 10:31 AM
- Kari said...
Compared to craft shows that I've been to, $3 is pretty cheap.
- September 17, 2010 at 7:52 PM
- Melissa said...
I think that $3 a pair is something that I would buy one for each outfit. These are so cute. You did such a great job. Thanks for stopping Tuesday Tell All!
- September 20, 2010 at 7:55 AM
$3 is way too low, unless you like working for less than $1 an hour- its akin to Chinese child labor! :o) Most crafters are getting $5 for pendants alone- I'd think $5 for the earrings would be very inexpensive- with 7.50 being more in line with the quality of work you've put into them- if you made a matching pendant- could do a 'bundle' sale price. We all want to sell at craft fairs but we also tend to undervalue our time, creative effort & sell out to that person who prefers only shopping at walmart, so they expect walmart prices but for things above walmart quality!! Your items are ADORABLE!!!---- don't give away your creativity unless you're truly giving it away!
- April 14, 2011 at 7:58 AM


text:
Reporting from Washington — The American economy added 162,000 jobs in March, the biggest burst of hiring in three years, the Labor Department said Friday.
The unemployment rate held steady at 9.7%, the level it has been at for the last three months.
The March job gains, which were boosted by temporary hiring for the census, marked the biggest one-month increase since 239,000 jobs were generated in March 2007. The latest gain was slightly lower than what many economists had been forecasting, but the government also revised upward the payroll count for the first two months of the year. It said the economy created 14,000 jobs in January, instead of losing 26,000 as previously reported. And the losses in February were shaved by more than half, to 14,000.
The news of the hiring spurt last month will be welcomed by the 15 million jobless American workers -- it was only the third time the economy added jobs in the last 27 months. But the latest report somewhat overstated the strength of a slowly recovering labor market. About 30% of the payroll increases last month, or 48,000 jobs, were positions created by the Census Bureau, which is expecting to hire hundreds of thousands more workers in the next couple of months to knock on doors and collect data for the decennial count of the nation's population. Many of these jobs are part-time and will last only several weeks.


text:
Many of us understand the current climate in video games. From the blatant examples of violence against one gender or another to the exploitation of that violence to either make a buck off of the actual product or make a buck off of claims of victimhood due to that product this bitter war rages on. There doesn't appear to be an end game from either side of the debate. In fact there is only one promise and that is this nasty battle will only continue and desperation will only increase.
Credit is needed where credit is due. No such figure started more of this argument than one Anita Sarkeesian. It doesn't matter if anyone agrees with her or not. This whole gendered debate on video games and the representation of certain genders in those video games didn't start at the levels we are witnessing until Ms. Sarkeesian came along. Her Youtube channel known as Feminist Frequency pulled in large amounts of viewers, she made television appearances on media outlets and even satire shows such as the Colbert Report. No one has profited more off of the criticism of video games in such a short amount of time and at the same token none has gained as much backlash from that criticism.
Ms. Sarkeesian as well as others such as Brianna Wu refer to themselves as bloggers, pop culture critics and any of the usual titles that would avoid direct contributions to video games. That doesn't change the fact that many gamers find them to be "problematic" if one can pardon the pun. Whether it is the omission of facts or the rather obvious ploy to "sick" the keyboard warriors on critics of their material there is no shortage of ammunition for war on either side of the debate.
There is a problem. Those like Anita Sarkeesian are starting to lose in some areas but are gaining ground in other areas. Take this for example:
This is the infamous Dead or Alive Xtreme 3. This video game that was developed by Koei Tecmo is not going to see a Western release. Why? Please excuse the broken English. When asked about it on their facebook page this was the reply, "We do not bring DOAX3 to the west and won't have any plan change in the future. Thank you for asking." When pressed further on the issue, "Do you know many issues happening in video game industry with regard to how to treat female in video game industry? We do not want to talk those things here. But certainly we have gone through in last year or two to come to our decision. Thank you."
Seems like an honest reply, right? Well there is more to the story. Apparently this was just one employee who posted this message but at the same time Koei Tecmo pretty much confirmed that the game would not receive a Western release. The biggest sales numbers for the game isn't that great compared to other smash hit titles which this game certainly isn't. At the same time why release the game in an area where the largest amount of your sales aren't present? There has to be more to it than just not releasing the game for other reasons outside of the gender politics. That isn't just causation looking towards a solution. No, it is clear that Japan and the West have clear differences in terms of sexuality, what is generally accepted in a video game and what is generally accepted in terms of cultural difference. Let us not sit here and be intellectually dishonest. If a company in Japan, given the differences between the idea of sexuality and exposure of body parts, won't release a game in the West where the largest amount of sales are than that kind of has to spell out the problem.
Play Asia stepped in on the debate and gave their two cents. Play Asia is known to sell English versions of many games from the East to Western customers. Their statement caused a bit of a firestorm and was all the rage on social media and especially Youtube. They released quite the statement, "#DOAX3 will not be coming to the US due to #SJW nonsense. However, we will have the English Asia version available: http://par.bz/87f." Now one will understand why this created the firestorm that it did. Play Asia was literally calling out the "SJW" or social justice warrior crowd. Many gamers have been outspoken critics of SJW and SJW tactics. So whether Play Asia had it right or wrong is irrelevant. They played their cards well and as a result the game will likely sell more copies than it would have. Many gamers are interpreting this as a way to fight back against games they are labeling as censored.
It doesn't matter if someone believes Dead or Alive Xtreme 3 is sexist or not. That is not an argument. However if a company such as Koei Tecmo who has a long history of not caring what content they release suddenly changes plans in a market where a product sells the most only someone who is intellectually bankrupt would try to suggest they didn't release the product because it didn't make enough money. If even the smallest of dollars can be generated most companies aren't going to care about how small the profits are so long as there is a profit to be made. That tends to be a winning strategy.
Many who would be labeled as social justice warriors and especially those in the feminist crowd called this a marketing stunt. Those words would have some validity if those same people weren't criticizing games like Dead or Alive Xtreme 3 to give the calls of it being censored more credibility. You cannot in one breath say that potatoes are horrible, spread the word about your opinion and get so many to believe you but then cry victim or say someone is pulling a marketing stunt when potato salesman point the finger at you. It is dishonest and quite frankly not worthy of an opinion that should even be considered.
Anita Sarkeesian said it herself, "we're not going to take your games away." Well she can say that all she wants to. If games are not going to be released or are changed in any way that reflects her opinion that tends to pose a problem to her and those who agree or think like her. Because it can come off as a little suspicious and dishonest when the same people who claim that the views of a gender can change based off of representation but then those same people want something to change and when it does claim they had nothing to do with it. This is classical, "I'm offended but don't dare blame me for something I may have caused or influenced because even though it can kinda be my fault it isn't my fault." But then you have to be wondering, "how did they change games?" It isn't like games that have long stood the test of time are being modified, right? Wrong.
Many of us gamers are aware of Street Fighter. This is one of the longest running video game franchises ever. Many of us are also aware of R. Mika and Cammy as characters. A lot of gamers adore those characters and for many of those video game enthusiasts it has little to do with breasts and rear ends. However Street Fighter 5 is still getting some changes. When Capcom changed the opening themes and promotional videos of R. Mika and Cammy outrage ensued.
There is a particular cut scene featuring R. Mika, a wrestler, slapping her butt. Some saw this as objectification. But remember many Japanese wrestlers, regardless of gender, perform this action. Also keep in mind that the same people criticizing this are pretending to be innocent bystanders when companies like Koei Tecmo refuse to release a product in the West due to criticism just like this. And whether Capcom wanted to admit it or not it is pretty clear as to why those changes were made. So far not many are denying that. Yet somehow we are supposed to believe that criticism of a game based off of how someone perceived a particular gender is represented isn't one of the major reasons why some Japanese companies are wary of releasing games in the West.
This is just part one in a series of releases that will be done by Phalanx Blogs. To be clear video games are cool, fun and at minimum two-thirds of the population has played a video game or are gamers. That is quite a large crowd. This debate and this war has to see some sensible end game. Our games depend on it.
This Video Annoyed Me (Youtube Channel)