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WITSUP? Gender Equity, That's What
by klassman
When I can, moreso in the summer than the winter, I frequent a handful of triathlon focused sites. I read Slowtwitch and Triathlete Magazine articles. I really enjoy the Down Under perspective from First Off the Bike. The business of triathlon is covered at the predictably named Triathlon Business. I follow several professionals' social media accounts.
It was through social media that last year I found WITSUP. At first glance, you might think a site devoted to women in triathlon would not be so interesting to me. But, you'd be wrong. They do nice interviews, the content — nearly all as far as I can tell — written by women is not always just for women but for triathletes.
Recently, the WITSUP community (like FOTB, also based in Australia) has gone to the front of the parade for changes in how professional races are staged — especially the Ironman World Championships and the biggest of the Challenge races.
A four-part series on gender equity in triathlon is currently being published. Sara Gross is thorough and even-handed. Part two of the series is here. As best I can tell they are also leading the effort to work constructively with the new Women In Tri panel established by WTC. Go here to get a concise overview of the issues at stake and to lend your own support to the cause.
I signed the letter. In the area where you leave a modifier next to your name, I wrote the following:
Husband, Father of Four, Supportive Dude, Fan, Finisher of Dozens of Triathons & Open Water Races, Race Volunteer, IM 70.3 World Championship Qualifier, Multiple Ironman Finisher
Being a fan — watching the development of races, seeing the human struggle and triumph, marveling at the execution of near super-human feats — brought the issue to my attention. As I have developed as an athlete I've also gained a sliver of insight into how some of the structural problems affect the professional field — especially draft packs and the effect of strong swim-bikers and how they can affect the female professionals. As a fan, I want to see deep and competitive fields and not tactics compromised by another simultaneous race happening on the same course.
Last night I took my 10 year old daughter to run with me at the track. Afterward, we talked about what she saw. It was an interval session with nearly 30 members of the club present. I ran near the front of the second group and to her, I was going "super fast". She was polite enough not to point out how I struggled with the last 800. I highlighted that the bulk of the leading group were women. We talked about them by name and accomplishment: Mothers, 20-something professionals, a 50+ national caliber and record setting age-grouper, former NCAA Division I runners, a doctor, a writer.
Our family has resources. My children have a strong and accomplished mother demonstrating how to live well. In the end, they will be okay. But they and so many others will have their horizons broadened — in sport, in business, the arts, academia, the non-profit community — when they have heroes with whom they relate.
Lend your support today. Make room for the next generation of heroes on the Kona pier.


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Located in the heart of Warwickshire, not far from Stratford Upon Avon, this 3 storey, 6 bedroom house was built on land that once housed a bungalow and stable block. We were involved with the design and initial planning application through to liaising with the buyers of the house once sold and assisting them with personalising the property as they required. Sold with considerable surrounding land, we renovated an equestrian centre and improved access for large horse box vehicles as well.
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subset: commoncrawl


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I wanted to note down these small stories about Lucas (my 2-and-a-half-years-old son) so that I can remember all of these precious memories about my baby when he's still little.
When Lucas was born, both I and my husband wanted to teach him both Vietnamese (his mother tongue – both of us are Vietnamese) and English. We live in Singapore so the main communication language is English. We have a full-time helper who is a Filipino who takes care of Lucas when we are both working. During the first 1 year, his first few words were English: papa, mama, baby, mummy, daddy, broccoli, milk, water, sleep, fish, apple, etc. because my helper, whom he spent most of the time with, speaks English to him. So I would say the first language that Lucas spoke was English. During the first one year, we spoke to him in both English and Vietnamese. One thing that we insisted on teaching him first is all numbers in Vietnamese. He was able to count 1-100 in both Vietnamese and English. However, because both of us speak to him in both languages, he pick up faster when we speak to him in English than in Vietnamese. Here came my challenge: How to raise him so that he can be equally fluent in both languages. Especially, I wanted him to speak Vietnamese like a Vietnamese. However, this is not an easy thing to do, something that you can just let it be and it will be naturally. It must be done with conscious effort.
1 year ago, I bought a book by Mr Lee Kuan Yew: "My Lifelong Challenge: Singapore's Bilingual Journey". In his book, Mr Lee insisted that his children must know Chinese though English was the language of administration and international communication and the main working language in Singapore. Not only for his children but this was the mindset that he set for the whole country: To be bilingual, one should know at least 2 languages: English and one's mother tongue. Why did he insist one must know his mother tongue when today English is spoken around the world, parents can choose the easier way for their children by making them learning just one language? Because he believes language transmits values. Learning the mother tongue language means imbibing the core items of history, tradition, value, heritage, and culture. Because he believes one must have the self-confidence and self-respect knowing one's root. And one can only do that if one can speak one's mother tongue. Mastering both English and the mother tongue language requires tremendous effort, especially from the parents. I think what Mr Lee said applies to the context of Singaporean and Vietnamese's who born in Singapore, like Lucas: Study English well, but never forget that you are not an Englishman and will never be. You must know your mother tongue, and your roots, because this is what defines who you are.
So after reading his book, I determined that I will make it happen for Lucas. Both I and my husband speak to Lucas in Vietnamese 100%. We teach him Vietnamese words and teach him how to answer us in Vietnamese. His Vietnamese picks up fast. During the recent Chinese New Year, we went back to Vietnam for 2 weeks. This time, my helper went back to Philippine so she didn't accompany us to go back to Vietnam. During these 2 weeks, Lucas met up with his grandparents, uncles, aunties, cousins and everyone spoke to him in Vietnamese 100%. After he came back, his Vietnamese improved tremendously. Both I and my husband have continued to speak to him in Vietnamese, no more English, and recently I observed that he was able to switch between the 2 languages naturally and effortlessly.
Here are some examples:
Lucas (wake up in the morning): Mẹ ơi, 1 cái vớ đâu?
Mom: À chắc nó rớt đâu đó á con
Lucas: Mẹ ơi thay tã
Mom: Ừa con ra kêu auntie Gina thay tã cho con, với kiếm 1 chiếc vớ nữa
Lucas (open the door to find my helper): Auntie Gina, change diaper.
Lucas (when my helper come to him): Auntie Gina, socks, 1 piece of socks
Lucas (see the small flashlight): Mẹ ơi, cái gì vậy?
Mom: À, cái đèn pin đồ chơi á con
My helper: Baby, what is that?
Lucas: Auntie Gina, new toy
Lucas (play a game with Mommy by choosing a vehicle in a book): Mẹ thích cái nào?
Mom (point to the car): À, mẹ thích car, tiếng Việt là xe hơi á
Mom: Còn con thích cái nào?
Lucas (point to the bicycle): Baby thích cái này, bicycle, tiếng Việt là xe đạp
And here are my 2 favorite examples:
Once in a long while, Lucas's earholes are getting dirty so I have to clean for him. But because I scare he will move, so I told my husband to turn on the TV for 5 mins so that he can sit still. Yesterday I just did for him, Today, he told me:
Lucas: Mẹ ơi Ngứa lỗ tai. (Mommy, ears are itchy)
I talk to my husband that I just clean his earholes yesterday, how can today he feel itchy again. We shouldn't clean it too often.
Then the next moment, we know what is the real reason:
Lucas: Mẹ ơi Ngứa lỗ tai. 5 phút ti vi. (Mommy, ears are itchy. 5 mins TV)
And now when I'm writing this.
Lucas (talk to my helper): Baby's so cute.
Lucas (turn to Mom): Mẹ ơi baby đẹp. (meaning, Lucas is handsome)
So I admit: Having a baby is a greatest joy that one can have. Believe me!
More stories on Lucas's bilingual journey to come, and this is fun to do.
Have a great Sunday everyone!


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Your Knowledge Management Should Simplify, Not Complicate
Imagine calling 911 and being greeted by a long, multilayered phone menu system. Ridiculous, right? Whatever distress you're experiencing needs an immediate response, which is what "911, what's your emergency?" is designed to address.
In a way, this national system is the model for efficiency. No layers, no distractions, no fancy features you're forced to confront when you need an answer fast. So when you're looking for a knowledge management (KM) system for your company, look for efficiency and ease of use, as well as a one that enables employees to make better decisions and improves overall performance.
A knowledge management system is designed to store and retrieve all of your company knowledge. LIU Post Professor of Knowledge Management Michael E. D. Koenig wrote, "KM, historically at least, is primarily about managing the knowledge of and in organizations." Your employees rely on it to collaborate, to locate information they need to serve customers as well as self-educate, and to mine for hidden knowledge that helps them perform their roles.
But there's a current trend among some KM developers to overload their systems with features and interfaces you don't need. What's worse, they hamper productivity. Pay attention to the solutions you need in a KM system, and don't be impressed by bells and whistles that will only distract users.
Think about accessing your KM system in the moment of need. Regardless of whether a user is seeking information to help himself or a customer, the process of getting to the right answer – one that's context-aware – hinges on the system's functionality, organization of information, and UI. The more complicated and bloated the software, the less effective it will be.
Look for a KM system that addresses your mission-critical steps clearly and without any added ingredients. You don't have to pay for features you'll never use. Here are some key features for a knowledge management system:
- Out-of-the-box readiness. A KM system should be up and running within days and not require customization or heavy IT support. Implementation of some systems, such as those offered by Pegasystems and eGain or Oracle, takes weeks or even months, depending on the size and complexity of the project. Custom building you a KM solution takes time you don't have.
- 100% context-sensitive. Users need to access the appropriate information quickly – in as few steps as possible. Reliance on multiple steps can potentially increase handle times. In a recent HBR cover feature, called "Kick-Ass Customer Service," we're reminded that by the time customers call service reps, "They're not calling us because they want to; they're calling us because they have no other choice."
- Can be integrated with multiple technologies. Be wary of knowledge systems that are monolithic, like Salesforce Knowledge, that are most easily integrated with the vendor's own software. Instead, look for a system that integrates with a host of technologies to move access of knowledge to the point of work, including CRM systems, phone systems, other SaaS or Cloud products. Be careful of nightmare ongoing maintenance and updates.
- Simple UI. In situations where your employees are fielding customer calls, a clean interface is mission-critical. It ensures that your employees have quicker access to the information they need, and a much faster response time.


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We're back with another author who writes about drones. Mike Maden gives us his take…with some fascinating backstory.
Why did you choose drone technology?
I originally decided to focus on drone technology in my Drone series because like most people following the global war on terror, I began to notice the term "drone" pop up in the news. I've always had a fascination with the history of warfare and my curiosity led me to dig in on the topic. What I thought I knew about drones and their possibilities on the battlefield paled in comparison to what has already been deployed and the near future deployments—land, sea, air, space and nano—are literally the stuff of science fiction.
What's most fascinating about the advent of drone technology, though, isn't how it's changing warfare but how it's changing us: our politics, culture and economy. I'm a huge fan of the military techno-thriller genre so it seemed to me the future of that genre would be in drones as well so I dove in, head first. My latest novel, Drone Command, is the third in the series and the development of drone tech continues to utterly fascinate me.
Do you think drones will be the future of warfare?
Drones will be the future of everything, civilian and military, as advances in sensors and software increase exponentially.
In warfare, drones will continue to replace humans for the simple reason that humans are the weak link in any combat system. In its deadliest and most terrifying form, the future of drone warfare will be LARs—lethal autonomous robotics which is a subject I explore more deeply in Drone Command, especially underwater (UUV) and surface (USV) vehicles. (Drones, of course, are a subset of robotics.)
Combat systems—planes, tanks, ships and submarines to name a few—are limited in their performance capabilities and mission profiles because of the fragility of the humans they convey. Think of the life support systems (water, food, oxygen, temperature, armor) and waste disposal systems (air, liquid, solid) necessary for the soldiers and sailors serving us around the world. Humans also need sleep and are subject to psychological events such as fear, confusion and stress all of which affect combat performance.
In certain advanced combat systems like jet fighters, human biology is the limiting performance factor. Even with G-suits and other contrivances, modern jet aircraft can't fly as fast or as nimbly as their specs would indicate because the human operator on board would either black out or perish. A supersonic guided missile is what a fighter jet could be if humans weren't in the cockpit. And don't get me started on hypersonic vehicles….
In Drone Command I deal more specifically with the new carrier-based UCAV and UCLASS systems like the recently deployed delta-winged X-47B which is a harbinger of things to come. The X-47B is the U.S. Navy's first UCLASS aircraft capable of completely autonomous carrier take-off, landing and flight operations including surveillance, strike and even air refueling with other autonomous aircraft.
Another advantage of computers flying planes or driving ground vehicles is that they can be linked together which means that every vehicle sees and knows what every other vehicle sees and knows. That allows for swarming tactics and other new battlefield operations we haven't yet fully explored. Imagine playing a chess game with an opponent where your self-aware pieces know where they are in relation to each other and the enemy pieces and all of them attack or defend instantly and simultaneously while your hapless human competitor can only move one piece at a time. That's a huge oversimplification, of course, but it gives you an idea of the possibilities.
All of the advantages of self-driving "Google" cars applies to military applications as well. Google cars have half the accident rate of human drivers now and human error is the single greatest cause of military and civilian vehicle crashes. (In WWII, the U.S. Army Air Corps lost more pilots in training than in actual combat.)
The most positive note about drones taking on combat operations is that we are removing our best and brightest young men and women from harm's way and that can only be a good thing. But this also presents a moral hazard. Politicians in the West typically avoid warfare because they fear the human cost of it. But if politicians think that war won't cost lives, then they might be more likely to engage in war because it's just the machines that will do the fighting and this might, ironically, lead to more human casualties in the long run as nations engage in more combat.
Bottom line: if computers can beat humans at chess (they do), can out-think humans in high cognition games like Jeopardy (they have) and can do what they do without sleep, fear or worries about home life, then you can see why militaries around the world—including our biggest geopolitical competitors China and Russia—are moving as swiftly as they can toward these technologies even if we decide not to in the future for ethical reasons. Imagine a scenario where China deploys a thousand expendable higher performance unmanned combat aircraft all controlled by supercomputers against an American force of lesser capable, human-controlled aircraft. Who do you think would win?
One last sobering thought: the costs of training, housing, payroll, healthcare and retirement absorb a huge percentage of defense budgets that could otherwise be deployed toward systems development and acquisition. From an economic perspective alone, if drones provide greater capabilities for less cost, why wouldn't you want more of them and fewer humans?
This is why I believe drones will be more disruptive to civilian than military affairs and that this disruption will happen much sooner than most of us realize. A 2013 Oxford University study suggested that nearly half of ALL American jobs are at risk of automation within the next twenty years. And we're not just talking about low skill, low wage jobs. A company in the UK possesses a "drone" pharmaceutical researching device that is creating new medicines faster and cheaper than any human can. There are drone musicians (and music writers), journalists, chefs (who also write recipes) and even "doctors" diagnosing patients. The single biggest change we'll see is the advance of all forms of self-driving vehicles, especially cars but also trains and planes. One estimate suggests that as many as 90% of all cars on the road now will disappear when we transition to self-driving cars.
How did you come up with Troy Pearce's character and is he inspired by anyone you know or admire?
Troy Pearce is my main series character. He's my idea of a modern American warrior who's been in the trenches of the global war on terror and survived to talk about it. Like many Americans today he's a man who deeply loves his country but no longer trusts his government (regardless of political party) to do the right thing.
He's inspired by all of my favorite heroes of the genre—Jack Ryan, Scot Harvath, Mitch Rapp to name a few—but with a modern technological twist. Troy is a former CIA SOG operator who lost too many friends in the "forever war" of GWOT. But he's a warrior and believes in doing the right thing so he forms his own private security company that specializes in drone warfare. That way he can pick and choose his own battles with a certain moral clarity and by deploying drones can keep his people out of harm's way. Throughout the series we see Troy's arc as he continuously struggles with the dilemma: How do you serve your country when you don't trust your government? But if you truly love your country, how do you not serve?
The Drone series has been praised for its inclusion of advanced cyber warfare and high tech technology. Did you have to do a lot of researching before writing? Or do you have a background of working in a similar field?
When I began the Drone series I intended on inventing my own drone technology because I knew I would be writing fiction and I have an active imagination. But a few minutes of research into actual drone systems quickly disabused me of the notion that I could possibly outthink the geniuses who actually invent these things. So, yes, I spend a great deal of time researching existing or planned systems and feature them exclusively in my novels. My own background is in graduate studies in international relations and other social science disciplines which is why every Drone story takes place within a larger political and social context.
Do you believe drones will be more beneficial or detrimental to our future?
Drones are neutral things. It's the humans that deploy them that are problematic. Another reason why I love writing the Drone series is that it lets me explore the most pressing issues of our day in a new and interesting way.
For example, the whole issue of drones raises the fundamental issue of trust. I don't care if a highway patrol drone is monitoring my speed because I trust the highway patrol and expect them to enforce the speed laws because it makes the roads safer. But as recent political scandals have shown some government officials have actually used our personal information against us for their own partisan or personal political interests. Think of the politician you most despise on either side of the aisle and then imagine them deploying drones over your house. The problem isn't really the drone, is it?
I put drones in the hands of good and bad people in my novels because it allows me to raise the question: Whom do we trust? And do we realize that all democratic politics and all capitalist markets depend entirely on trust? And if trust goes away we lose both. I suppose what I'm saying is that while drones are featured prominently throughout my series, it's never really about the drones.
Your books have a reputation for being filled with nonstop action. Have you always written thrillers?
Drone was my first published novel and I really love the genre so I can't imagine myself writing anything else even if I start a new series.
How do you think technology in general is transforming the future of warfare?
This might sound crazy but read any five of the classic science fiction "space war" novels and you'll get a good idea of where we're heading. If that's too much trouble, check out the "Terminator" film series. James Cameron is tapping into our very worst fears for entertainment value but the technologies he presents are the kinds of things that are being developed around the world right now. No wonder tech gurus like Elon Musk fear the advance of AI as more dangerous than even nuclear weapons. (There was a news report just last week that a robot AI achieved self-awareness.)
But there's also good news. One of the technologies I first explored in Drone is the revolution in brain-machine interfaces. In other words, we now have the capacity to link the human mind to computers. This opens up a world of possibilities not the least of which are incredible non-lethal advances in medical technology. For example, brain-driven exoskeleton suits which were created to enhance combat capabilities of soldiers can also be used to allow quadriplegics to walk for the first time. It also means that some forms of blindness will also be "cured" as we wire around the biological short-circuit and hard wire the brain to an optical device. How cool is that? That's why Troy's company, Pearce Systems, has both civilian and military contracts. It allows me to discuss the most exceptional non-military drone tech achievements in my series as well.
What's been the biggest hurdle for you to overcome as an author?
The biggest hurdle for me is myself, always, and that's probably true for most authors. I believe it was Heraclitus who said, "Character is destiny." The art can't be bigger than the heart.
Too many of us wait for permission to do the thing we're passionate about doing and that's always a mistake—especially for writers. You only learn how to write by actually writing, and you only get better at it by writing more. (Note to future writers: All writing is rewriting.)
I was unbelievably fortunate to have been offered a contract with Penguin Random House for the Drone series and the day they called me up was one of the greatest thrills of my life. (I grew up working class devouring Penguin Classics at the public library.) But they didn't offer to buy an idea; they purchased a manuscript. Had I not taken the chance on myself and written Drone I wouldn't be in the privileged position I am now and I take that responsibility very, very seriously. I hope anybody that's reading this who has the least inkling that they are an author will take this to heart and begin writing—now.
My biggest struggle right now is that I have way, way too many ideas in my head and I can't write them down fast enough and I'm experiencing that again as I'm prepping book four in the Drone series. Simple is always better but the world is terribly complex and the issues we're all facing aren't amenable to simple solutions. I suppose that's why I keep defaulting to Troy Pearce, Margaret Myers and other protagonists in the Drone series. Our destiny as a nation and as a species depends now more than ever on people of character who are passionate about doing the right thing no matter the cost to themselves and Troy and Margaret embody that ideal.
About the Author
Growing up in a working-class family in central California, Mike Maden spent a fair share of his youth in slaughter houses, canneries and feed mills but a lifelong fascination with history and politics ultimately led to a Ph.D. in political science from the University of California (Davis) focusing on the areas of conflict, technology and international relations. After brief stints as a campus lecturer, political consultant and media commentator, Mike turned to studies in theology and a decade of work with a Dallas-based non-profit where he eventually discovered fiction writing. DRONE was the result of a recent challenge by two published friends to try his hand at a novel. Written primarily in Texas, BLUE WARRIOR was edited in the shadow of the gorgeous Smoky Mountains of East Tennessee where Mike and his wife Angela now happily reside.
Latest posts by admin (see all)
- A Silent Prayer by Samreen Ahsan - 5. February 2017
- Painting with Drones: From Grafitti to Gallery - 3. October 2016
- Interview with Author Sophia Whittemore - 27. September 2016


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Residents of Glen Cove, Long Island, NY will now find it easier to enjoy Meatless Monday in their area thanks to Girl Scout Troop 1844. The troop recruited more than a dozen area restaurants to feature meatless options on their menus every Monday in July.
Their innovative project won the troop a Bronze Award in Girl Scouting for "learning, adopting and publicizing Meatless Monday" – all for a healthy cause. This impressive win caught the eye of the local Patch.com editor, who singled out Girl Scouts Troop 1844 in a recent article.
The eateries include: Amalfi, American Café, Glen Cove Bagel Café, Cedar Creek Grille, Delicious Pizza, Downtown Café, Glen Cover Diner, La Bussola, La Ginestra, Marras, Page One, Sweet Tomato, and Stango's.
You too can scout out restaurants to join the Meatless Monday movement. Get your favorite hometown eateries on board by telling them how easy it is to join up. They don't have to eliminate meat from their menus. On Mondays, they can feature a new meatless special or simply highlight a non-meat dish already on the menu. Suggest that they check out real menus from Meatless Monday restaurant partners to see how others have offered diners tasty meatless alternatives.
MeatlessMonday.com has plenty of helpful tips on how to get restaurants going. For starters, download our Restaurant Toolkit.
Let us know of your restaurant recruiting successes by sending us a note at firstname.lastname@example.com or visiting us on Facebook and Twitter. We can't wait to promote your new Meatless Monday restaurants to thousands of MM fans nationwide!


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When considering The Trip to Bountiful, the revival that opened earlier this evening at the Stephen Sondheim Theater, both the OCC and DL noms validated what I already knew about the show - that it is pretty spectacular.
And it had no right to be either. This Horton Foote play is competent, but it is not exactly a set-the-world-on-fire kind of show with its whiny, occasionally selfish and internally conflicted protagonist (if you can call it that, at first) Carrie. What's worse - the resolution isn't exactly one of articulation (how do you cure old age problems? By visiting your decrepit, childhood home for 15 minutes, of course!).
Regardless of the writing's...we'll call them "inadequacies," the rest of the show sells the hell out of it. And engaged I was - I gasped at Van Broughton Ramsey's period costumes and Jeff Cowie's stunning set designs, particularly Carrie's home in Bountiful. I understood why Carrie wanted to return home so badly - the sunset backdrop, the vast terrain and the artfully tattered house complete the portrait of a house you would want to wake up in every morning and look at the views from the porch.
The show's greatest assets are its performances, Cicely Tyson in particular. She brings new ground to the character of Carrie by not making her completely insufferable. We are in tune to every emotion she feels and when she finally hits the road, her character's optimism, determination and ambition is so infectious, the audience would audibly cheer for her if it weren't proper theater etiquette. And there were moments when Tyson had me crying in my seat with heart-warming and heart-breaking moments. Yeah, she done good.
Vanessa Williams is also delightful and sinisterly funny as Jessie Mae, the controlling daughter-in-law chewing the scenery whenever she is has a line to deliver. Condola Rashad turns up about halfway through as the girl who becomes intertwined with Carrie's travels and just like her character, she is a breath of fresh air and soft-spoken elegance. Both women could not be more gorgeous in period styling too.
The one weak spot (other than the "enh" at times writing) would be Cuba Gooding Jr.'s casting as Ludie, the spineless worker bee caught in-between his feuding wife and mother. I don't know if he was trying to give Jessica Chastain a run for her money in the "special needs" performance of the season...but if he was, nice job buddy! Otherwise, much like this fall's Golden Boy, The Trip to Bountiful is an emotionally-charged, stylish revival featuring a bunch of star turns from a (mostly) talented ensemble. It probably isn't your first choice of show while in line at TKTS or looking to rush a show, especially with a bunch of heavyweight shows opening or on the verge of opening, but this is one that shouldn't be missed.
Photo Credit: Joan Marcus


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Last Wednesday, Oct. 17, former student Angie Epifano shocked the campus and sparked a heated discussion about sexual respect with her personal "Account of Sexual Assault at Amherst College" published in The Student, which described her experience with the administration and counseling center after being sexually assaulted in May 2011. Since the publication of her story, students and other members of the College community have attended vigils in support of survivors of sexual assault, debated the College's policies on the treatment of sexual misconduct and consent, participated in rallies and meetings to build a movement for change and attempted to carry on with business as usual as the College fell under the scrutiny of national media outlets like The Huffington Post, Salon and Jezebel.
The article came on the heels of open forum organized in response to a post Dana Bolger '14E by ACVoice discussing a sexist t-shirt made by off-campus fraternity Theta Delta Chi (TDX) last spring for their annual Bavaria cook-out. At the meeting several 'action steps' were announced to improve sexual respect on campus, including student membership on the Title IX committee, a review of penalties for those found responsible for sexual misconduct and improvements in support for survivors of sexual assault.
In response to Epifano's account, President Carolyn Martin released a statement reading in part: "In response to her story, still more accounts of unreported sexual violence have appeared in social media postings and in emails I have received from several students and alumni. Clearly, the administration's responses to reports have left survivors feeling that they were badly served. That must change, and change immediately."
AAS President Tania Dias '13 also released a statement, which expressed her sadness and support for Epifano and invited students to come to a 'Healing Fire' vigil on Memorial Hill in support of survivors of sexual assault. The vigil, which was an annual event already planned by the Peer Advocates of Sexual Respect before the publication of Epifano's story, drew several hundred students and other members of the College community who came to offer their support and listen to survivors' stories, poems and calls for solidarity with Epifano and other survivors of rape or sexual assault. Analena Alcabes '13, a Peer Advocate for Sexual Respect and organizer of the Breaking the Silence support group who helped organize the vigil, was pleased with the turnout, noting that this year's vigil saw significantly higher turnout than similar events in the past.
On Friday, Oct. 19, Dias and nine other students met with the Board of Trustees to offer criticisms about the College's sexual misconduct policy and suggestions about changes to improve sexual respect at the College. Dias appointed the students to the informal group – which will be replaced by a more permanent group later this week – to represent a variety of perspectives while still ensuring that representatives could speak knowledgeably about the issues.
Dias explained: "My goal was to bring to the meeting a cross-section of the student body, while also including students who could speak to issues of sexual assault and related student-life issues on campus. Our group included representatives from the survivor community, support and alliance groups, athletic teams, the Committee on Discipline and fraternities. I knew that each of these students could offer valuable and unique perspectives on the nature of sexual misconduct at Amherst and on how our social life may contribute both to that problem itself and to the broader phenomenon of the culture of silence that many students feel discourages survivors from speaking out and thus enables sexual disrespect and assault to continue."
However, some students thought the group was not representative of all voices on campus. Alexa Hettwer '13, a resident counselor at the Zu and an advocate of sexual respect on campus, felt the group excluded viewpoints that may have been more critical of the administrations and the Trustees.
"The selection process felt very manufactured and a lot of people who had stronger views didn't know where they could voice their opinions. People were responding to the students who came forward and said the meeting was successful, but some people I talked to after the meeting who seemed like they were smiling when they came out, actually said they were not satisfied with what occurred," Hettwer said.
Liya Rechtman '14, a member of the group that met with the Trustees, felt that although these criticisms had some merit, the group was still a success.
"We only had 10 spots and we wanted to represent as broad a group as possible. For the sake of putting very well-educated people from different perspectives into conversation with each other, we wanted to pick really specific people. Structuring something that way is always going to be imperfect, but I could give you reasons why each and every member of this committee was picked," Rechtman said.
The group of 10 was joined on its walk from Frost to the Lord Jeffery Inn, where the meeting was held, by a rally organized by students to 'End the Culture of Silence.' Hundreds of students from the Five Colleges marched in the rain carrying posters and umbrellas and chanting 'What do we want? Dialogue! When do we want it? Now!' which later changed to 'What do we want? Action! When do we want it? Now!' Upon reaching the Lord Jeffery Inn they gathered outside to show solidarity with the students meeting the Trustees and to pressure the Trustees and the administration to increase transparency and enforce its policies on sexual misconduct.
Hettwer, who attended the rally and also participated in the early planning stages, said that school needed more than a policy change to stop sexual assault.
"I really think that people were interested in raising larger questions than just achieving certain policy changes. I think a lot of people recognized that the policy in place isn't the heart of the problem, but that its enforcement by the administration has been shameful. This is more than just tinkering with policy; it raises serious questions about the direction and inclusiveness of the College in the future," Hettwer said.
Each member of the group of 10 brought specific issues and concerns with them to the meeting, but together they determined several key points to discuss with the Trustees. The group focused on reviewing the disciplinary hearing process to remove potential obstacles to victims coming forward, improving resources for survivors and changing the College's culture to promote sexual respect. They also suggested incorporating material on sexual respect into first-year seminars, evaluating the alcohol policy for unintended consequences on safe drinking and allowing students to meet with Gina Maisto Smith, an independent expert on sexual misconduct hired by the College to review the College's Title IX and sexual misconduct policies and search for solutions.
Josh Mayer '13, a member of the Committee on Discipline who was among the group of 10, said that changing the school's disciplinary procedures for sexual assault was one of his priorities.
"It does create bad situations on campus to have students and faculty on a hearing board in cases of sexual misconduct specifically, although not in other cases. If you would like to take a course with a faculty member in the future or even just interact academically – which is almost unavoidable in a school like Amherst – it could be troublesome in an academic relationship. In terms of students, as a student sitting on the committee, I have seen two cases where I knew the complainant, and this is such a small community that it can be hard to avoid even with all the safeguards against it," said Mayer.
The group of 10 raised several problems with the College's resources for survivors of sexual assault and sexual respect in general, noting the small size and poor location of the Women's Center, the inadequacy of the Counseling Center and the lack of a full-time sexual assault counselor. Rechtman noted that many survivors were often referred off-campus for treatment because their cases were too difficult for the Counseling Center to handle.
"In many ways," Rechtman said, "Angie's case is the exception to the rule; other survivors have had their own experiences. However, issues with the Counseling Center are a pretty universal experience with survivors."
President Martin agreed that resources for survivors needed to be improved, and as a short term measure brought in counselors from Harvard University's McLean Center to support students and faculty and supplement the Counseling Center's capacity to deal with sexual assault.
"I agree with students that our resources are not adequate. I have talked to the Board since last spring about my own assessment and the need for more resources in the broad area of student life, including counseling for both survivors of sexual assault and students generally that need support for whatever reason," President Martin said. "I want a counseling center – perhaps even an accredited counseling center – that can offer more to the College. By more I mean outreach and educational programming that makes the counseling center more central to the educational mission of the College."
Despite the current inadequacy of resources for survivors on campus, there are still places survivors can go for help.
"We [the Peer Advocates] are separate from the administration and from Title IX and all the things people have been talking about. We'll hold your hand through all of that," Alcabes said. "Our job is not to tell you whether to press charges or to go to a hearing. Our role is to help you do whatever you want to do and offer unconditional support."
Lena Budinger '15, co-president of the Gender Justice Collective and member of the group of 10, said that solutions to sexual misconduct also needed to take place on the level of culture.
"It's really important that we look at everyday social interactions and see how these are affected by power dynamics and sexual respect. One thing is just calling people out, which is really hard. You should call people out and you should let others call you out on what you're saying," Budinger said.
Hettwer, however, thought that aspects of the College's culture made it especially prone to sexual violence and other forms of misogyny.
"The prevailing culture [at the College] is a lot more conservative than other liberal arts colleges, and because we went co-ed so late there is a lot of lingering privilege that is really kind of appalling," Hettwer said. "It's hard too because it's the kind of stuff that people hear about and experience and there aren't direct ways that we're encouraged to report this to the administration. For example, there is stuff like (sports-teams-related) scavenger hunts and 'f***-it' lists that are pretty self-evident examples of viewing sex as competitive and object-oriented."
President Martin also identified problems on the cultural level, focusing on communal responsibility and addressing the relationship between drinking and sexual violence.
"We can work hard to build a community in which people act responsibly towards each other, where everyone agrees they will not be a passive bystander, and I think it's important for us to talk as a community about the relationship between excessive drinking and sexual violence. There too I think it's important that we commit to not just being a passive bystander because it does lead to inappropriate behavior," President Martin said.
However, some members of the group of 10 felt that the College's recent crackdown on beer pong and drinking in common spaces has had unintended consequences that are often counterproductive.
"We realize there's a connection between sexual assault and alcohol consumption, but we also realize there's a connection between college campus life and alcohol consumption. We felt like the alcohol policy is having unintended consequences, which leads to stricter enforcement of policy in places that are easy to enforce like Marsh, as opposed to the Socials, and we felt like the places that are easiest to enforce are also the safest to have parties, because they're well lit and open and have a clear community. The way the alcohol policy is currently being enforced actual hurts survivors and promotes sexual assault on campus," Rechtman said.
The group of 10 also pushed for closer adherence to the College's Title IX obligations and standards of best practice. Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 prohibits discrimination on the basis of sex at any institution receiving federal funding. Until recently, however, many colleges and universities, including the College, did not adhere to 'best practice' procedures with regards to sexual violence. In April 2011, the Department of Education released the 'Dear Colleague' letter, which outlined best practices for the handling of sexual violence cases. Since then, President Martin has begun taking steps to bring the College in line with best practice standards.
"I think the College can do better. I think we need greater clarity on policies, procedures and practices. I think we can do more on community building and cultural change so that we are working on the side of prevention, not simply reacting. In terms of how incidents are handled, again, we need clarity and we need to address several areas that students have told us might stand in the way of having them report sexual misconduct or violence," President Martin said.
Despite the ground covered in the meeting, some students were unsatisfied with the results, noting that the Trustees had not committed to any definite course of action and had only expressed some interest in the group of 10's suggestions.
"Following it I was pretty unsatisfied; people were pretty quick to walk away. Even though there was a call to say 'this isn't the end of it,' there was definitely a feeling that it was a victory and that we had done our job, and I and a few other people were pretty upset by that since nothing really concrete was coming out of it," said Hettwer. "Nothing solid has actually been promised, so I don't think we should automatically celebrate, and furthermore we really need to think of this as values and consciousness and implementation and a lot more than something we just put on paper."
Some students were also upset that neither the administration nor the Trustees spoke to the rallying students after the meeting, noting that President Martin, the only administrator to speak at all, had only asked them if they liked the cookies provided for them by the Lord Jeffrey Inn.
"I purposefully deferred to students who met with the Board because I thought that was the respectful thing to do. They were courageous to come forward and they did a fantastic job articulating their concerns and requests and engaging in a very interesting discussion with the Board about a range of issues. I thought given that this was a rally in support of those students, the most appropriate thing would be to have them speak rather than having me put myself in the forefront. If that was a mistake, then I certainly regret it and I'm happy to speak with students anytime and any place that I can make myself available," President Martin said.
In addition, the College has set up a webpage outlining steps taken to combat sexual violence and describing future plans to promote sexual respect and improve resources for survivors. A meeting is scheduled for sophomore, juniors and seniors Wednesday, Oct. 24 at 8:30 p.m. in Kirby Theater to discuss sexual respect at the College, and the group of 10 is holding an open forum to discuss the results of their meeting with the Trustees on Thursday, Oct. 25 at 5:00 p.m. in Chapin Lounge.
During the late 1960s, my sister and I attended a small private college with a rich academic culture. My daughters attended the same school during the last decade. There were big changes during that time. In the 1960s, the dorms were segregated; the women's dorms were on the opposite end of the campus from the men's dorms; and the women's dorms had a curfew.
. . .
Roll forward to the 2000's and the dorms were co-ed; there was no curfew; and campus life was all about hookups. My daughters were varsity athletes, and moved off campus after their freshman year. After moving off campus, they had little connection with the academic culture of the school, and connected almost solely as athletes (with their faces on sports banners flying from light poles all around the campus). If my daughters had problems, they never blamed it on the college community, because the college community was relatively unimportant to them.
. . .
In the 40 years separating our experiences, college life at our old "Alma Mater" has become much more utilitarian, and much less familial -- much more social, much less academic. Perhaps Amherst is trying to straddle the fence between college as a full-on vocation, and college as a mere box to be checked on the resume.
. . .
One should either accept the fact that the American academic experience has degenerated into a mechanical diploma mill in which athletes are the primary beneficiaries; or else, one should attempt to re-establish the familial mode in which drinking, late night parties, and sexual hook-ups are recognized as contrary to the purposes of an academic environment.
. . .
Currently, it is the athletes who come out of college with valuable connections, social skills, and employment opportunities. Meanwhile, those who were merely academic often have failed to focus on the development of a rigorous academic skill set due to the pervasive distractions of what amounts to a High School social environment on steroids. The result is that the "academic" students have little to show in terms of focused academic rigor, endure meager job prospects, and struggle under mountains of student debt.
. . .
In our day, freshman had a common curriculum that was believed to form the foundation of future academic achievement. And, in those days, the worst sexual predators were male athletes whose predation was directed at sexually ambivalent male architecture students.
. . .
Timid, artistic male students, who might have developed a meaningful gay (or straight) sexual life if given a few more years to mature, were introduced to the mysteries of sexuality in the course of being pressured to perform sexual favors for male athletes. Of those, many actually died an early, tragic death in the 1970's due to HIV-AIDs. These victims of the sexual revolution might else have been among the best and brightest of my sister's and my generation. Had there not been a curfew at the women's dorms, many of those victims might have been female, rather than male. Whether the victims are male or female, the collision of incompatible school cultures bears a large share of the blame. Are our schools developing academic brilliance, or the social competence of the sexual meat market?
. . .
Our colleges suffer from the incongruity of the coupling of sports and academics in an environment of permissiveness. Large scale, commercialized college sports inevitably results in creating two incompatible classes of students. There are athletes on full scholarship; and there are academics struggling under mountains of student debt. The result is the demoralization of the very group of students that colleges are meant to nurture.
. . .
Athletes have great support groups and adoring fans. Even when they don't even live on campus, their faces adorn banners across the campus. As in High School, they are the stars and are at the top of the social order. Meanwhile, real students, who should be focused on a regime of academic rigor, are distracted by the perceived need to master the arts connected with a degenerate social life featuring alcohol, hook-ups, and social pecking order.
. . .
Perhaps schools in Japan, Korea, and Germany have similar problems. Perhaps this chaos is symptomatic of "post modernism" and cannot be avoided, even in countries where scholarship is actually respected. However, it is a real shame our students don't go to college to focus on developing deep academic skills, but rather are in large part distracted by what amounts to a continuation of high school social sorting.
. . .
I believe that the best avenue to sexual respect is through academic respect. If our colleges were truly academic communities, students would develop friendships based upon academic merit, rather than upon superficial social skills. Or else, social skills would develop based upon ability to articulate and defend ideas, rather than upon the characteristics of High School royalty and adolescent adventurism. In an atmosphere of academic excitement, sexuality would be subordinate to intellect.
. . .
Would anyone really be disadvantaged by saving hookups for a time after graduation, if ever? Is there really any evidence that teenage sexual proficiency results in better careers, better long term mental health, better families, and healthier children? Is an elite college in reality little more than a second chance for nerdy wall-flowers to find a place in the materialistic social pecking order? Is academic merit important enough to make our top priority? Or, do we believe that social skills and "street smarts" are the true determinants of national greatness? Our future as a national community may well depend on the answer.
. . .
My sister and I married well, raised fantastic children, and had satisfying careers. I don't see many of my daughter's college classmates on course for similar outcomes. It wouldn't be so bad, if it were merely that material success seems out of reach for them. Modest financial circumstances can be easily endured by those who have developed a love of music, art, poetry, and the life of the mind. Unfortunately for many of these kids, college left them with nothing but mountains of debt and depressing memories of a superficial and meaningless social whirl.
. . .
Yes, that's right. I advocate a return to the old system: curfews, bans on alcohol, required foundational curriculum for freshmen, and, in addition, the promotion of intramural sports in place of varsity sports. Maybe there would be fewer colleges, but those that survive would produce eager scholars instead of confused prozac consumers.
This is an important discussion. The Amherst (and Ivy) self-congratulation on its superiority reported in the earlier accounts catches the tiresome snobbery of such places at their worst. As a Midwesterner (and a graduate of Michigan and Chicago), I always found that form of eastern provincialism amusing. Really, darlings, there are whole sections and sectors of this country (and even the U.K.!) who simply do not give a damn. Do solve your problems, but don't think you're setting a pattern for the rest of us. We have our own problems and solutions to pursue...Cheers!
UVA has a party school reputation but their specialty has been to cover up rapes. Amherst is not alone.
Also google "University of Montana justice dept"


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Thursday, July 30, 2009
Bird Nest Identification
Wednesday, July 29, 2009
Gideon's Bible
Monday, July 27, 2009
Crazy Alaskans
"I love Alaska so much I need to quit you."Sarah Palin
Sunday, July 26, 2009
Time for a cold one?
Today's Quotes
"it would offer equal or better benefits than any plan — but cheaper."
Michelle Bachmann, trying to explain why President Obama's Health Care Plan is bad for the country at the Conservative Women's Network
Saturday, July 25, 2009
The Facebook Dilemma
However, it seems as though everyone wants to be my friend!
I didn't join facebook to be a "friend collector" as some people seem to be. Come on, 1,594 "friends"?
Now my dilema; is it a really bad thing to not accept some one's invitation to be their friend or can I just ignore them?
The High Price of Cheap Milk
With milk prices low, dairy farmers are having a tough time making ends meet. This abandoned 400 cow dairy is an example. In the top picture, just left of the silos is a bunker full of feed. I wouldn't be surprised if the upright silos are full too.
Wednesday, July 22, 2009
Monday, July 20, 2009
Weddings, Drinking and Me
1. It's a lot of work keeping people refreshed.
2. There are a lot of glasses of beer in ten kegs!
3. It's been a long time since I was sober the whole time and watched how people changed as the evening went on.
4. Most of the music sucked!*
5. I was damn tired by the time we were done.
*If the H ever gets married there will NOT be a DJ handling the music. There will be a genuine polka band from Minnesota to keep the crowd on the dance floor. And they will!
Thursday, July 16, 2009
Road Trip!
Why I'm Not Dale the Truck Driver
Trying to make a left turn while transporting a blade for a wind generator on a small county road can be a tough job some times. Even with the steerable rear axles on the trailer, this operation took about twenty minutes. It was, a site to behold!
To gain a perspective of how long the blade in the 1st picture is, compare the blade in this picture to the service truck.
Wednesday, July 15, 2009
Hanging On for Dear Life
Monday, July 13, 2009
Sunday, July 12, 2009
Sunday Morning
Lucky enough to find a wild rose without insects on it!
Wild morning glory
PJ and I used to have ducks.
For Gwen, who doesn't like live snakes. I'm not sure if she likes dead snakes or not.
Zipcode 57031
Gayville will be hosting "Hay Days" the weekend of July 18, 2009. Gayville bills itself as the "Hay Capitol of the World", although Yates Center, Kansas also claims that distinction.
Thursday, July 9, 2009
Gluten Intolerant?
Loons in Civilization
Kathleen Parker at the Washington Post has an interesting column about Sarah's resignation.
Yesterday there was a vote in the House of Representatives. The result: 399-1. Guess who was the lone dissenter?
Wednesday, July 8, 2009
Captain Crab's Travels
Another wonderful horse. I'm happy not to own one, however!The ridge in the background is in North Dakota Then a sight rarely seen on the high prairies, palm trees! The cattle weren't finding a lot of shade, but they seemed to enjoy them as much as I did.
Captain Crab's Thought of the Day
"You were the only person I met in 1972 that made any sense."
Tuesday, July 7, 2009
Corporate Waste
10 plates, 13 packages of red pepper flakes, 18 packages of Parmesan cheese and a pile of napkins.
A medium pizza, 8 slices. Why would I need that many plates or packages of cheese and red pepper flakes? Why would any one staying in a motel need that much?
OK, they must have known that I would need that many napkins, but while I appreciate Pizza Hut's generosity, it p.....s me off that they are wasting this much!
Monday, July 6, 2009
Airplane Quiz of the Day
Saturday, July 4, 2009
Independence Day, 2009
Happy Fourth of July
Friday, July 3, 2009
There's a full moon tonight.......
K8's comment about the date of the full moon needs to be answered:
Being' a pirate and all, I really don't know much about calendars and such. But,
IT LOOKED like a full moon to me.
However, it could have been due to the beer, but my camera doesn't drink (as far as I know).
There is another possibility, K8 is WAY up there in South Dakota, so maybe the full moon gets to you a few days later than here.
That doesn't really sound plausible though, so maybe it's that pesky global warming thing I read about once.
To tell you the truth, I just don't know what I'm talking about.


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Terrence Vaccaro/NBAE/Getty Images
NEW ORLEANS, February 15, 2008 -- The 2008 McDonald's All-Star Celebrity Game, a.k.a. the "Battle in the Bayou," a.k.a. "Where Celebrities Hooping It Up Happens," brought 20 celebrities together at Jam Session Center Court in New Orleans on Friday night. Although all 20 were able to display their basketball talents to the raucous crowd and the world through NBA TV, only one could emerge with the coveted MVP Trophy. Tonight belonged to a Dallas Cowboys' star, wide receiver Terrell Owens, who took home the trophy after leading the New Orleans team to a 51-50 victory. Owens finished with a game-high 18 points despite playing in less than three quarters of action.
Owens, known as one of the NFL's best receivers to play in the past decade, made a fashionably late entrance to the game. He emerged from the locker room in the second quarter as a surpise addition to his team. He quickly made his presence felt, scoring a team-high seven points in the final two minutes of the first half. Owens, fresh off of an NFL playoffs appearance with the Cowboys, hadn't played in a while but had no problem getting into the flow.
"I play a lot of basketball, but I haven't played since the NFL season ended, so I was a little rusty," said Owens, while holding his trophy aloft for the sell-out crowd. "It was great to get a win here, we had a big block by Ruth Riley at the end."
Owens has most likely had some big games in the nearby Superdome playing on the gridiron for his day job, but wasn't really expected to turn in a breakout performance on the hardwood at NBA Jam Session. Even without taking home the MVP award, he was excited to be a part of NBA All-Star Weekend and hopes to return next season to claim another MVP for his resume.
"I didn't really expect it, I just wanted to come here and have fun, this is a great event for the city of New Orleans," Owens said. "It's great for all of these people to come out and support the NBA and I'm glad that I could be a part of it."
On the other side of the coin, former NFL superstar Deion Sanders played for the Hornets team that came up short in their quest for victory, and expressed his tongue-in-cheek displeasure at Owens' tardy arrival. However, he was happy that the presence of Owens made the game a bit more challenging for his team. (Perhaps a bit too challenging).
"I'm a little mad at T.O., he made the game more challenging," Sanders said afterwards. "If he hadn't played we would have blown them out."
Sanders closed with a vow: "I'll be back next year. Not only to win, but to take my MVP trophy back from T.O."


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Friday, 26 March 2010
Illamasqua Week has ended!
So since the start of this project my feelings for Illamasqua have not changed, i still love them dearly and they are my absolute favourite high-end brand, but that does not mean i love everything they make, the cream eyeshadows were very disappointing and i really didn't like the one lipstick i've tried (though i don't believe what i thought would be true of all their lipsticks, i need to try another colour) and while i like their powder eyeshadows i don't think they are particularly special. However their lipglosses and pencils are the best i've ever tried, the blush i have is amazing in it's staying power and pigmentation and i really like all of the other products I have tried. I love the ideas and aesthetics behind the brand, i've found their customer service to be very friendly and helpful and, well i just love them. I want to try all their products.
Their new collection, Body Electrics, is coming out next month. Their blog described the collection as '"Due for a mid April launch across all counters in the UK - and May in the US - Body Electrics celebrates the body in motion, enhances your individual contours and is an explosion of electrifying energy. Again, we have new product textures and some otherwordly shades and unique finishes." I cannot wait! I'm so excited.
I have been invited to go to the blogger event to preview the products and words can't described how happy and honoured i am. This will be my first ever blogger event and i'm just so overwhelmed that i would be invited. It will be a big step for me to go because of my bravery (i imagine i will need a lot of Dutch Courage) but i am absolutely going to go, i'm not going to let my anxiety stop me doing something i really want to do. I need to feel the fear and do it anyway :)
In other news my sister had a baby boy yesterday, both of them are fine and he looks like a creepy old man/alien/pig thing like all babies do to me :P
4 comments:
Wow, that's so great you got invited to a Blogger event! Make sure you try out lots of the stuff and bring back some great reviews :D I've really enjoyed reading you Illamasqua posts as I am also a massive fan of the brand.ReplyDelete
Congrats to your sister as well!
Wow wow wow. You're so lucky to be going to that event! I'm quite jealous. I hope it goes well for you!ReplyDelete
I've enjoyed your Illamasqua reviews. I've never tried any of their products at all (or read any other reviews, for that matter) but now I know of at least a couple of things that I want.
Congratulations to your sister, although I share your views on what babies look like =P
You're soo lucky to be going to that event! It's on my birthday too :(you completely deserve it though) Your Illamasqua reviews were great, reminded me of things I wanted to buy! I've had a serious NARS love affair recentlyReplyDelete
Wow well done to get invited to the Blogger event. I'd so love to see more of the Illamasqua stuff. You'll have a great time. xReplyDelete


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DAY 2 of OUR ADVENTURES IN
PART 2: Le MONT St MICHEL
The Archangel Michael was its vigorous protector, the most militant spirit of the Church Militant, with a marked tendency to leap from rock to rock in titanic struggles against Paganism and Evil. The abbey dates back to the eighth century, when the archangel supposedly appeared to a bishop of Avranches, Aubert, who duly founded a monastery on the island poking out of the
The skies were high, it was after 4, people were still arriving, some were leaving and... IT WAS HOT!!!
Little did we know all the 'adventures' that were awaiting us.
The skies were high, it was after 4, people were still arriving, some were leaving and... IT WAS HOT!!!
Little did we know all the 'adventures' that were awaiting us.
Perched on a 264 feet high rock formation sits Mont St. Michel. During the seasons' highest tides the abbey is surrounded by water. During low tide the flats provide food for the world's only herd of salt water plant eating sheep ( Les agneaux des prés salés, the meat tastes salty). Mont St. Michel's tides can rush in at incredible speeds. The tides in the area shift quickly, and has been described by Victor Hugo as à la vitesse d'un cheval au galop, "as swiftly as a galloping horse." The tide actually comes in at 1 meter per second. Popularly nicknamed "St. Michael in Peril of the Sea" by medieval pilgrims making their way across the tidal flats, the mount can still pose dangers for visitors who avoid the causeway and attempt the hazardous walk across the sands from the neighbouring coast. The dangers from the tides and quick sands continue to claim lives.
Mont Saint Michel is a small rocky island about 1 km from the north coast of
The mount is best known for the medieval Benedictine Abbey and steepled church that occupies most of the 1km-diameter clump of rocks jutting out of the waters of the
As we enter the thick walls of this fortified place, there is a streaming river of people. We get bumped, shoved, pushed, it is unpleasantly touristy.
Paul and I look at each other, hidden in a doorway. It is almost 5 in the afternoon, we thought people coming in coaches would by now head back to Paris and wherever they were staying, that it would be 'quieter', but then… the car park was very full, so what were we going to do, continue or fold back? We had come this far… people from all over the world were here, judging from the shouting and screaming…
We decide to go on, walking up the one street… (GRANDE RUE, lol), which is narrow and claustrophobic, full of souvenir-shops and 'Crêperies', we battle our way through till we get to the stairs, where we take a break.
The climb to the abbey is hard -- by the time you have mounted the celebrated Escalier de Dentelle (Lace Staircase) to the gallery around the roof of the abbey church, you will have climbed no fewer than 900 steps -- but it's worth it…
Just over halfway, we saw that you had to pay to visit the Abbey, church and the other I interesting rooms…
Paul goes and moves slowly along with the huge waiting queue. I decide, hiding in the shade, to concentrate on some interesting detail. I must say it is all very clean and looks very 'cared-for'!
Eventually we are able to take the rest of the climb, ticket in hand. The higher we climb, the better the light gets, it is also more 'open', we see the lovely architecture, we see the spire with Saint Michel, slaying the dragon, on the top, glistening in the sun, in full glory…
I find it too hot on the huge terrace in front of the church, decide to go in, and enjoy the views later.
I enter a haven of peace and silence, the light shining through the stain-glass windows give the old stones a special glow. The ceiling is high and made out of wood. Again, I see details that interest me, another boat hanging up, just like in the other chapel, only bigger.
The coat of arms of the Mont St Michel is three fleurs-de-Lys and 10 Scallops (Coquilles St Jacques), it is incorporated in one of the walls, on the pillars I see interesting hooks, and then, of course a rope, leading high up into the spire…
(… a suivre… more to follow)
Please do not use this image on websites, blogs or any other media without my explicit permission. © All rights reserved
For the story of Day 1:
For the story of Day 2, part 1:


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Tat'yana (ID: 58071)
Date of birth:June 26, 1971
Height:5' 4" (164 cm)
Weight:116 lb (53 kg)
Hair color:light brown
Eyes color:green
Religion:Russian Orthodox
Marital status:divorced
Education:Medical University
English language:beginners' level
Others foreign languages:No
Seeks partner:48 - 55 years old
Total photos:3
Bikini photos:0
Hobbies and interests:
I like animals and have some couple at home. I like traveling and meeting friends. I like to do a lot of different things and look for a partner to do them with.
About me:
I'm communicative and easy-going woman. I'm friendly and often spontaneous. I'm happy and want to make another man be happy. I like to be out and spend time at home as well. I like animals and children. I hope to find a man who'll make me happy.
Looking For Men Type:
I'd be happy to meet a man who'll make my heart beats faster. A man who can make me laugh, who is optimist and always does what he said. I'm looking for a caring man who wants to be happy with his woman.
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DBA: Syedyshev Group Limited. All rights reserved.
General comments or questions: Contact Us


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Join the Museum / Volunteer
Support the Chehalis-Centralia Railroad & Museum by becoming a member! By becoming a member, you help to fund the continued preservation and operation of the museum's historic railroad equipment. In addition, members are the backbone of our museum, providing the bulk of the labor that goes into maintaining and keeping up the collection and grounds as well as our many events.
As a thank-you to members, we provide a series of benefits, including free members' tickets for excursion rides. Please consider joining today and becoming part of preserving nearly a century of railroad history in Western Washington!
Volunteers are what keep the Museum operating, and are an invaluable part of our organization. If you are a member and would like to volunteer, there are a number of ways you can help out:
- Car cleaning
- Landscape maintenance
- Events help
- Equipment maintenance and repairs
- Light maintenance-of-way work
- Other tasks as needed
Please note that train crew opportunities are available but require significant training and certification. Car host and on-board concessions opportunities, however, do arise on occasion.
For more information on how to volunteer, email us or call 360.748.9593.
Become a Member!
Family Season Pass:
Business Memberships
Non-voting business memberships come with complimentary tickets
Brakeman, (5 tickets):
Additional Donations
Donations help the Museum to pay for maintenance and fuel costs along with other necessary expenses, and are always welcome!


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Picture sought of Valdez veteran who died in Vietnam
"Faces Never Forgotten" seeks photo of Warren Paulsen for memorial
Do you have a photo of Warren Paulsen?
Paulsen was a Valdez man who was killed in action back in during his service in the Navy at the height of the Vietnam War.
Service records posted online say he was killed by an artillery, rocket, or mortar round on June 23, 1969 in the Binh Duong Province, South Vietnam.
He was born August 10, 1944 and listed Valdez as his hometown. His religion is stated to be Native American and his religion Russian Orthodox.
For the last several years, a group named "Faces Never Forgotten" has been collecting photos of the war dead and those missing in action who are on the sad list of names that make up the Vietnam War Memorial in Washington DC.
Paulsen, along with a Cordova man named David H. Elisovsky, have yet to have their photos included in the memorial, which is part of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund.
"I'm really hoping we'll get both of them," said Janna Hoehn, who reached out to the Valdez Star in the hope that a family member or friend will be able to supply a photo for the project, which aims to put a face to the names on the memorial, most often simply referred to as "the wall."
"Sometimes they're so hard to find," she said, having spent the past six years helping find the faces of the names on the wall.
It has become a passion.
"It's just something that's real important to me," she said last week in a telephonic interview from her home in Maui, Hawaii. "It keeps me going."
In a press release she distributes to aid in the quest to put faces to the names on the wall, Hoehn said she got involved with the project after a visit to Washington DC.
"Even though I never knew anyone killed in Vietnam, I wanted a rubbing of one of the names," she wrote. "I approached the Wall and choose a name - Gregory John Crossman - an MIA."
Here is more of her story in her own words.
When I returned home I decided to research Gregory and try to find his family, in the event they were never able to go to the Wall, I would send them the etching, hoping they would share a photo with me of Gregory. Off and on for six months I researched every way possible and never found any family. I was quite disappointed. However I had one more possibility, my cousin, our family historian. Six weeks later she found a college photo of Gregory. Two years later I saw a story on our local news about the "Faces Never Forgotten" for the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund. The goal, to put a face with every name that is etched on the Wall. I immediately sent in the photo I had of Gregory Crossman. Five days later I received an email from Jan Scruggs, the Founder and President of the Vietnam Wall. He thanked me for sending the photo, it was the first for this Hero and asked me if I could help him find the photos for the 42 Maui County Fallen that were killed in Vietnam.
I have always hoped I could to do something for the Vietnam Veterans as the way they were treated when they returned, it was disgraceful. Here was my chance. What I thought would be a very easy project with Maui being so small was anything but easy.
My plea is this:
If anyone is related, a friend or a classmate to any of the young men on the list I would very much appreciate hearing from you. Even if you don't have a photo but know which school any of these young men attended, it would be so helpful. We need to obtain a photo of every single Fallen Hero whose names are etched on The Wall, all 58,307 of them. To date we have collected over 41,000 photos.
I am also looking for an individual that would like to volunteer to be my "boots on the ground" in your community if we do not find all the photos.
One item that may need to be explained to your readers is the list of names reflects the names we still need photos for. If a name is not included and your reader wishes to look up their loved one or friends name, go to the "Wall of Faces" type the name in the search box, the profile will come up and it's possible they may have a better photo than has been submitted. I do not wish for anyone to feel badly that their loved one/friend is not listed or forgotten. We will never forget any of them.
Please submit any photos or information to Janna Hoehn at
For more information about the Education Center or make a donation to help build the Center go to:


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Over the years there have been many stories of rescue attempts. Whether it is from the downed submarine the Squalus (1939), from the well into which Baby Jessica fell (1987), or myriad mining disasters. Some have been successful, others have not. Unlike the Billy Wilder-Kirk Douglas movie "Ace in the Hole" (1951) -- in which Douglas (as a reporter) actually knew that a man trapped in a mine could be quickly rescued. Nonetheless, he didn't tell anyone, electing to prolong the misery and give him time to write more stories on rescue attempts -- this past weekend's rescue of those nine miners in Pennsylvania was a legitimate exercise in heroics. The world watched and listened as attempts were made to free the men, trapped in rising, chilling waters after accidentally breaching a wall that was holding back a torrent. Only one of the rescued men needed much medical attention; he had suffered from the bends. The drama took Enron and Afghanistan off the front pages for a while. Too bad it needed a near-tragedy to do it. A happy ending to what could have been another mining disaster.
The classic play "The Gin Game" will be the vehicle for a reuniting of Dick Van Dyke and Mary Tyler Moore. The play, by D.L. Coburn, won the Pulitzer when it was first released. It's seen a ton of stagings, and the original on-Broadway classic starred husband-and-wife duo Hume Cronyn and Jessica Tandy. That 1977 award-winner was directed by Mike Nichols. Eventually it was taped for presentation on PBS and ran in the 1981 season as part of the network's "American Playhouse" series. This latest mounting of the timeless story has, according to The Hollywood Reporter, gone into production in Los Angeles this week. The focus of the plot is the daily bantering back and forth between two people who live in a nursing home and take out their verbal aggressions during spirited games of gin rummy. No word on when this latest PBS production will air.
It took a while for many country stars to realize that you can't put out an album anymore without also doing a video. Now nearly everyone does. It's part of the package. But Ralph Stanley ... icon of bluegrass ... video star? Well, according to country.com, that's what's happened. The venerable entertainer has begun filming his first music video, based on his "Down from the Mountain" tour. Instead of some slick, Britney Spears-esque dance sequence in which the singer mouths the words to pre-taped music, Stanley has opted to have up-close-and-personal shooting done during an upcoming live performance of his music. He plans on using the song "Girl from the Greenbrian Shore" as the centerpiece for the video. Included will also be behind-the-scenes footage.
Many people in the world of entertainment found out long ago that it's cheaper to buy a home outright than to continue to pay rent. And many, including Randy Travis, apparently have the money to do just that, renting out the exclusive digs. The latest edition of Country Music Television's on-line service reports that the singer-actor has some pretty expensive holdings in five different locations ... including two in Hawaii and three in New Mexico. One of his properties, described as a Polynesian-style seven-bedroom villa is on Maui. It goes for a paltry $12,000 a week. Two of his New Mexico properties are also rent-able, but no information on what the freight is there.
Popular actress Patricia Arquette got a real shocker recently while attending a screening of an old Charlie Chaplin silent film. She was there with her boyfriend, Tommy -- even the New York Post couldn't get his last name. At one point in the show the plot changed. One of the "cards" used to show dialogue suddenly announced something that had nothing to do with the movie: "Patricia, will you marry me?" It was a pre-arranged set up, worked out between the enigmatic Tommy and theater management. Arquette said "yes." I can't help but think that her late grandfather, in the character of Charley Weaver, was looking down, saying to Tommy: "Way to go!"
The man who came up with the concept for Spider-Man, illustrator Stan Lee, has agreed to visit Universal Studios in Los Angeles to join with a group of students in sampling some of the new venues there that are Spidey themed. Lee, according to gossip columnist Liz Smith, is now 79 and in great health. He tells Smith that he believes that young people are strongly influenced by the type of heroes they see in books and on the silver screen. As much as he thinks the current incarnation of his character, replete with digitally made special effects is great, he says that there was a basic part of the older swashbuckling films (such as ones starring Errol Flynn) that is absent today ... dialogue.
Inspired by the over-the-weekend rescue of nine miners in Pennsylvania, here is today's question: "Do you have a memory of a rescue attempt, either local or nationally publicized?" Put RESCUE in the subject line and send to email@example.com on the Internet.
Last week we asked your favorite ice cream treat. SDC says he often crumbles cookies into ice cream, particularly adding vanilla wafers to vanilla ice cream. He also says that anything added to peanut butter ice cream is wonderful. Mikee says that he likes to add corn flakes or 40 percent bran flakes to vanilla ice cream. Caroline suggests that letting vanilla ice cream melt then refreezing it radically changes the texture and it is wonderful when refrozen. Caroline, while with the USDA I visited the dairy at the University of Maryland and was told that it's the ice content in ice cream that gives it much of its flavor. Many respondents noted that they like to let ice cream nearly thaw and then swirl it around and eat it as a near liquid. There's a reason that so many do this. Extremely cold ice cream often freezes some of our taste buds, thereby denying us some of the flavor. If we bring ice cream to the melting point, it's still cold but is more flavorful. Others suggested they loved the new flavored toppings that harden when applied to cold ice cream. TOMORROW: Your memories of stage productions. GBA.


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We recently attended the Sixth Annual Asbury Agile conference last Friday. Born from the Jersey Shore Tech Meetup, Asbury Agile is a laid back day of presentations that are less about agile methodology and more about promoting and sharing new ideas.
Jet.com senior engineer Gad Berger kicked off the event with a discussion of how Jet uses microservices across their Internet sales platform.
Next, Jonnie Hallman stepped up to discuss work/life balance and how that guided his development of the Cushion app for freelancers.
Mona Soni, Dow Jones director of technology was up next t discuss how to build a test engineering culture, followed by Jonny McLaughlin, director of engineering at GIPHY running an animation deathmatch between web animation tools.
The day was rounded out by presentations from David Sorin, partner at McCarter & English, Cap Watkins, VP of design at Buzzfeed, Joseph Smith from iCIMS and Lisa Luo, a mobile engineer at Kickstarter.
The day closed with a party at the Soundbooth Bar at the Asbury Hotel.


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I Send Some Text Messages.
And then realise that I have a previous work commitment and can only join them for about an hour. Deeply unhappy about this, I send a group text to those concerned after I get on my bus:
Tired Dad: Enjoy the rest of your evening fuckers. Think of me pulling pints for a bunch of 60-year old cunts with no crack.
I get a number of surprisingly sympathetic replies, except from Grotbags, who is pretending she has forgotten I even exist:
Grotbags: Who is this?
Funny lady. I reply:
TD: It's Tired you knob.
G: Tired who?
She's milking this.
TD: Oh fuck off will you. I'm in no mood. Dale Winton called – he wants his tan back.
G: What tan?
This isn't right. She should have bitten. I think for a bit.
I've recently had a harrowing 14-hour train journey during which I now remember receiving a rather significant text message from an unfamiliar number:
Unknown Number: Grotbags – new number.
I start to feel quite uneasy and send the following text to what I now know to be Grotbags' new number:
TD: I've just sent a lot of quite insulting messages to your old phone by accident. Please apologize to whoever has it now.
I receive the following, quite chilling, two-word reply:
Grotbags New: My daughter.
Her very beautiful daughter is 11 years old.
I madly send messages of apology to all concerned and explain to daughter that I work with her mother and am also a fool.
I am not looking forward to my return to the office tomorrow.


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There is nothing more than the eyebrows can change a person's face, "says. Indeed, the election of the eyebrow, you can make the whole people will find everything fresh and new, not the same. We look at the match manual, find the eyebrow and your face is the best match.
Inverted triangle – natural eyebrow
A sharp chin inverted triangular face is all faces the most fortunate, because the eyebrow can choose relatively. Tattoo and eyebrow harm to people However, because the lines inverted triangle face is cut straight, so it will make the facial lines up eyebrow feeling too resolute, give people the feeling is not easy to close. The natural eyebrow slightly bend, can ease the lines of the face, make the face look softer. The whole from the brow to Mei Wei, showing the natural curvature of relaxation, the so-called natural eyebrow.
Because the eyebrow thrush trick: "no protrusions or raise eyebrow tail, so as long as the shining brow paintings depict the shape of growth, will be able to easily draw natural eyebrow.
Square face – on the eyebrows
Eyebrows are emphasized on the curvature of the tall eyebrow, eyebrow tail has a natural curvature of the eyebrows, stylish and fashionable, just to cover up his face slightly serious point of view, like magic, the face becomes round. Good repair eyebrow a few days ? Pay attention to thrush is between the two eyebrows is best to keep a little distance, two eyebrows too close will make facial features appear too concentrated, let the square face become bigger and more.
Thrush know-how: from portrayal to Mei Wei Mei Feng, need to slowly reduce fine lines, and slightly higher along the eyebrow. "The most important part, with eyebrow eyebrow pencil will arc sketched out, so eyebrow curve more three-dimensional.
Bow type high Tiaomei most suitable for round face girl, its tall arc, just in the round out the proper distance, let the facial features of the face is not so concentrated, but also makes the face stretched out. In addition to Sherry, Sammi Cheng, the eyebrow radian high tall eyebrow, but also many representatives of the supermodel eyebrow.
Thrush trick: itself eyebrow high girl, just follow his original eyebrow slightly painted is perfect. Tattooed eyebrows are harmful to your eyes ? If you do not have a natural bent brow, eyebrows will completely eliminate the latter part, relying on manual skills, can also draw eyebrow are you proud of transfer.
Long face – Brow
Straight is the best choice. In the face of two horizontal, straight lines, as if to face into two side, it makes the face look feel not so long, also have some modified rounded cheeks.
Thrush trick: eyebrow flat no curvature, or Mei Feng high enough girl, along your eyebrow, generally does not require big changes, can draw straight.


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WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. - Freshman thrower Alexus Foreman's podium finish paced Charleston Southern on the first day of the Big South Indoor Track & Field Championships. The Bucs currently sit sixth overall in the team standings with 12 points following the events of the first day.
Foreman recorded her longest toss of the day on her first throw with a distance of 13.43m. Her throw nearly stood the entire event before Liberty's Dasiana Larson recorded a throw of 13.49m on her final throw of the day to take the individual title.
Junior sprinter Jasmine Pilgrim led three Buccaneers who qualified for the 60m dash finals with a time of 7.65 to finish third among the field. Freshman TeJyrica Robinson placed seventh overall with a time of 7.76, while senior Aluntrea Davis finished eighth overall with a time of 7.78 to advance to Sunday's finals.
Kolisha Coleman led three Bucs who advanced to the 200m dash finals with a time of 25.21 to place third following the preliminary round. Pilgrim was fifth overall after winning her heat with a time of 25.39, while Davis was sixth overall with a time of 25.41. Danielle Burnett placed 11th in the field with a time of 25.61.
Burnett and Coleman finished second and third overall in the 400m dash preliminaries to advance to Sunday's finals. Burnett won the second heat with a time of 56.78, while Coleman finished right behind with a time of 57.39. Alexis Adams placed 14th in the field with a time of 59.96, while Shantel Ardley placed 15th overall with a time of 1:00.80.
Senior Emma-Lisa Murphy placed 12th overall in the women's 3000 meter run on Saturday crossing the line in 11:02.94.
Robinson advanced to Sunday's 60m hurdle finals with a strong performance in Saturday's preliminary round. Robinson finished second in the final heat of the day and third overall with a time of 8.65 to qualify for the finals. Caroline Edmondson finished 10th overall with a time of 9.07.
The Bucs' quartet of Madison Burkholder, Ardley, Traci Drayton, and Bethany Thornhill finished eighth overall in the women's 4000m distance medley relay. CSU crossed the line with a time of 13:42.15 in the event.
Briana Sims finished sixth overall with a distance of 12.14m in the shot put event, while Milan Williams was ninth with a throw of 11.81m.
Demisha Norman led three Bucs in the long jump event with a distance of 5.08m to place 11th in the event. Victoria Gibson placed 12th overall with a distance of 5.01m, while Anaia Hood was 14th overall with a distance of 4.92m.
The Big South Indoor Track & Field Championships resume at JDL Fast Track in Winston-Salem, N.C. on Sunday, Feb. 26 at noon starting with heptathlon 60m hurdles.


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My name is Kahmeaqia Pardo and I am a second year student at Algonquin College in the Recreation and Leisure Services Program. This month of December 2016 I have completed my 2 week (70 hour) placement at Dovercourt with the WAVE program and I can say without a doubt that it has been the most unforgettable 2 weeks that I have had all year. The apprentices are wonderful people and the staff welcomed me with open arms. I have never felt more welcomed into such a large group of people so fast in my entire life.
I started my journey with WAVE with another assignment in my Community Development course and with only the first visit I knew WAVE was a place I would consider doing my placement with. I soon bonded with the apprentices and learned of the many different abilities and skills of people with autism. I was also given the opportunity to implement small group activities and take on tasks such as creating budget plans and program schedules. These are all skills and tasks that are talked about and practiced in my Recreation and Leisure classes but I would like to thank the WAVE group for allowing me real life opportunities to expand my knowledge and skills.
Completing my co-op with WAVE has helped improve my knowledge of Autism and has also has given me the clear understanding that this is in fact the career path I would like to go into after my studies. I was never sure what field I was most interested in but the satisfaction I got from going home after a day at WAVE and knowing that I have helped make a change in a person's life was the best feeling. It was this feeling at the end of every day that has helped point me in the direction of my future. I would like to thank the WAVE staff and apprentices for the best coop placement I could have asked for and for giving me the experience I would need to further myself in this field.
I will always remember your support and the definition an apprentice gave for what Autism means to him; and I have to say I agree.


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Dear Friends,
Throughout the fall the lectionary readings have had us journeying through Mark's Gospel where Jesus, on more than one occasion, has looked towards children to teach the disciples about faithfulness and a life of discipleship. This past Sunday, the children of PCPC have modeled for us generosity and acts of giving from a place of abundance. Children were invited to bring in a piece of their of Halloween candy for "Trade and Treat" — trading a piece of candy for a bracelet in order to provide a bowl of porridge to a hungry child in Papoli, Uganda thanks to the generosity of a member of this congregation. The invitation was simple: a piece of candy provides a bowl of porridge for a hungry child and a bracelet as a thank you for the child donating the candy.
The response was overwhelming. One child shared quietly and humbly that she brought in all of her candy. Another family happily brought in an abundance of candy with the children sharing that they picked out ten pieces to keep for themselves and were giving the rest. The invitation was a piece of candy and yet child after child shared generously from the abundance they had been given. Is it any wonder that Jesus continually pointed towards children to teach the adults about faithfulness and discipleship?
My prayer this stewardship season is that we will consider the example of the children, giving generously out of the abundance with which we have been provided. My prayer is that we as adults will strive to live up to the model of extravagant giving that our children have demonstrated. My prayer is that we will be granted the faith to trust that God gives more than enough.
The invitation is simple: prayerfully consider how you will financially support Christ's work through PCPC in the coming year.
With gratitude for your generosity,
Pastor Nicole Abdnour
"God is able to provide you with every blessing in abundance, so that by always having enough of everything, you may share abundantly in every good work." 2 Cor. 9:8