text:
Happy Birthday
Happy 11th Birthday to my youngest daughter, Nora.
Drinking a smoothie at our monthly NaNo write-in.
Happy 11th Birthday to my youngest daughter, Nora.
Drinking a smoothie at our monthly NaNo write-in.
My youngest daughter being hella adorable back in 2009. She had just turned 3. She used to love to wear dresses back then; not so much at age 10.
This amazing picture of summer fun in a fire hydrant popped up on my feed. I knew instantly that it had to be Chicago. I grew up in the Back of the Yards on the south side of the city, and open hydrants were as common as sunburns and ice cream trucks. I have memories of using the bathroom in the basement apartment of our two-flat because there was no water pressure up on the second floor where we lived. That's what happens when just about every hydrant is open in a two mile radius. But more than that, I have so many memories of playing in the water–the whole street, even the kids that hated each other, having fun together. Good times.
I'm sure there are pictures somewhere of me and my brother and our friends in the hydrant on the corner of 50th and Laflin, but they'd be at my dad's house. What I do have are some pictures of my kids in 2008 when the fire department opened the hydrant on the corner during our annual block party. The kids had so much fun, and I was taken right back to my childhood, as I bet many of the parents were because that's how the South Side rolls in the summer.
The bleached-blond in the "Go Army" shirt is my oldest son (then 6 1/2). The cutie in glasses and the striped shirt is my middle daughter (then 5 1/2). And the adorable smiling face in pigtails is my youngest daughter (then 2). The rest are old neighbors and friends from the 5800 block of Tripp Ave on the southwest side.
We've since moved almost 2000 miles away to the Pacific Northwest where kids don't know the joy of running barefoot without a care through the flooded streets. Or, you know, not being able to flush your toilet because there's no water pressure.
My oldest daughter, Meagan, shared this picture on Facebook of her and three of her siblings in 2010 with this comment:
currently my favorite picture of all time. i wish jack was old enough at the time to get in on this, its just so darn cute. me and my lifelong friends. so thankful that i get to live and grow with my best friends
August 2010–we had just moved to this house a week before after a five-day, cross-country trek. In the back: Brenna (7 1/2) and Meagan (10). In the front: Owen (8 1/2) and Nora (4). Jack was a month old.
And here's the most recent pic I have of all five of them together at Owen's 8th grade graduation in June.
From left to right: Nora (1o), Owen (14), Jack (almost 6), Meagan (almost 16) and Brenna (13).
Here's what else Meagan had to say about her siblings:
ive been around these kiddos forever. no matter who walks in n out of my life, these fuckers are the ones who will always stick. i dont even want to think of us all starting our own lives and separating. its scary. ive lived with them my whole life, i hate to think one day i might have a hard time getting ahold of them because we let distance or time get in the way
This from a girl that has always said she hates being at home because there are too many people in the house and she can't stand any of us. I guess she's getting wise in her "old" age.
I look at the second picture and can hardly believe these are my kids. Three teenagers–two of them in high school in the fall. Am I old enough to have a sixteen-year-old? When I think about them, I still picture those little kids in the first picture.
Or like this:
Brenna (15 months), Meagan (3 1/2) and Owen (2). So little.
I don't have any baby pictures on my laptop, so here's a picture of my on my second birthday (I think) in 1978. I was a cutie.
I got a bit of a bug up my butt earlier this week. For some reason, I just had to scrapbook something. I haven't made a scrapbook page since 2010, but my brain insisted that this week I just must. I had forgotten how much fun it could be. Of course, it took away from my school work and the nine page paper I have to write.
I decided to do something small instead of a full 12 x 12 page. So I started with a 6 x 4 space and decorated it based on a scrapbook page I found at designerdigitals.com. At first I just did Nora's, but I loved it so much I decided to do all the kids dressed in their Halloween costumes last year. The four mini-pages match with the same layout (the boys flipped horizontally), but in different colors that matched their costumes. I also made a lead page with all of them together. The plan is to take pictures from past Halloweens and make pages with them then print them and put them into one of those small photo albums.
Unfortunately school comes first so I only allowed myself these five pages.
Meagan as a nerd.
Owen as a zombie
Brenna as a zombie
Nora as a hippie (all clothes the girls own, I love that top)
Jack as Tigger (wearing the same costume the other 4 kids wore their first time out trick or treating)
The kids: Owen (10), Jack (15 months), Brenna (almost 9–next week) and Nora (5 1/2). Meagan took off with her friends before I could get one of all 5 kids.
I'm going through my pictures and just realized I have none of them from last Halloween on this computer. So I checked my external hard drive and they aren't on there either. Which means they are only saved to my other computer. Which has no graphics card in it so I can't turn it on and find them.
I guess I never transferred them to the external so now I don't have them on this computer. I was missing Easter 2011 pictures, too. I thought I just didn't take any (Easter isn't that big of a deal in our house) but now they might just be on the other computer that I can't get into. Ugh.
I was sure I had EVERYTHING backed up. A couple years ago I had to do a complete system wipe and thought I backed everything up only to find out I missed the folder with Owen's kindergarten graduation pictures in it. So now all I have of that day are 4 edited photos I uploaded to a website (and they aren't high-res in the least). I lost all the pictures of him with his friends (kids he'll never see again).
Now this. All I have on this computer from last Halloween are the photos I edited and saved to put online so they are small files, low-res.


text:
An interview with our FSW's representative
Today we feature Christiaan Meinsma, the new representative of FSW/FSS in the University Council! With 244 votes he came out on top and acquired the very first spot as a FSW/FSS representative. Many of you know him as a Business Administration and Pyschology student, active Cedo member or SSR member. Nevertheless, now it is your chance to have a sneak peak in the election and learn about his road to the victory! So read this interview if you want to know more about Christiaan's motivation to participate, the campaign strategy and personality.
1. What makes you unique as a candidate?
Christiaan Meinsma: I think that I have always been a person that is interested in many different aspects and never truly active in just one organisation or faculty. For example, I'm a student of the Faculty of Social Sciences and the RSM (my heart lies mainly at the Faculty of Social Sciences). This all results in that I have an idea of the bigger pictures and do not focus on only one aspect.
2. Why did you join the election? (passion, CV building, admiration or all of them?) (Could you elaborate your choice?)
Christiaan Meinsma: Probably all of them, but mainly passion. First, I have always had something with education and I think it is probably the most important part of human development. Last year I gave a course to first years students of Business Administration, but I found out that I'm more interested in the organisation part of education. Second, I have always been interested in politics, but haven't done anything with it, so the University Council is a good opportunity to combine education with some internal politics.
3. 244 votes! Nice results, but what did you expect?
Christiaan Meinsma: Hahahh, thanks! I didn't really know, I hoped around 200. I didn't have any polls, so I didn't know how effective my campaign was during the election period. I found out that not many people of this faculty know about the student representation bodies of the faculty and university so it was a challenge to get people activated to vote.
4. How are you going to realise your promises?
Christiaan Meinsma: As I said before, I have worked with many people of different faculties and organisations, so to some extend I know how they work. I hope to convince them with the passion for my ideas. It probably helps that I already know a few people who I'm going to work with.
University Council is a good opportunity to combine education with some internal politics.
5. Did you have a strategy?
Christiaan Meinsma: Yes, actually I had, the main issue was to get people to know the University Council and my ideas for the University and the second issue was to get them activated to vote. So I tried to create the knowledge about my ideas and the University Council by Facebook posts and lecture talks (small fact, if you are a candidate you can make for 120 euro campaign declarations, so I used that for Facebook sponsoring). Second to get people active, I tried to get many people as close as possible by talking to them in person and in workgroups. Here my awesome friends at Cedo really helped, because a lot asked many of their friends to vote.
6. What was your target group?
Christiaan Meinsma: My target group were all students of the Faculty of Social Sciences. The runner up of the election is a student of EUC (which is apparently part of our faculty during the elections), so she targeted mainly those students.
7. Do you think that your experiences in Cedo, especially as an extern, helped you to win?
Christiaan Meinsma: Yes definitely, I already had some experiences with committees before Cedo, but especially as extern you get in to contact with many people and learn how they work.
8. Do you think that the support of the board helped you with the campaign?
Christiaan Meinsma: Cedo Nulli is the Study Association for all students of the Faculty of Social Sciences, so it wouldn't have been right if the board supported only me. They supported students to vote in general. Wouter Sterrenburg (Marketing Officer of Cedo Nulli) was my campaign manager and he did an awesome job!! And of course I had support of Renske Doornbos (Education Officer of Cedo Nulli), but they did it as friends and not as board members.
"A smooth sea never made a skilled sailor''
9. You have quite a reputation in general, especially as the 'connection man'. Do you think that a certain natural skill set makes it easier for you to win or present yourself?
Christiaan Meinsma: That is always a difficult question, you never know if the main reason that people voted is because they are genuine behind your ideas or voted because they know you. I think both are needed, but yes it probably comes in handy.
10. In the election you have to be aware of how you come across to the voters, as you want to look charismatic and sincere. What aspects of yourself did you change or did you make more subtle to achieve this?
Christiaan Meinsma: I think that when I came to the Faculty of Social Sciences for the first time, I wasn't perceived as always that sincere. Not that I wasn't sincere but still, so I tried to stay honest about my motivation and came up with ideas that are not simple ideas to get votes but also sincere ideas that I think that would be good for the University and the student. For example, my idea of a complete ban of flyers on campus even for student organisations, because it is such a waste and there are more innovative ideas to promote. I know that I lost some votes on that idea.
11. From certain sources, I heard that you failed to get into the board last year. How did you recover from such a disappointment and how did this affect your mindset in the election?
Christiaan Meinsma: In hindsight, it was for the best. I applied for chairmen and I wasn't the best person for that position, because my ideas for that position were too much that of a Business Administration student and too less of a Psychology student. I would have wanted to change Cedo too fast. But I think in the University Council I can be a better support for Cedo and the Faculty of Social Sciences, because the University can use some radical change and maybe could use more of an business mind-set to negotiate with the representatives of the other faculty (especially the RSM and the ESE).
12. Do you have some advice or a message for the future candidates?
Yes, if you have a passion for education and want to change it just go for it. The quote that is on the background of my laptop is ''A smooth sea never made a skilled sailor''. It sounds cheesy but even if it doesn't work out the way you wanted or you lose the election, you get a hell of a learning experience.
"If you have a passion for education and want to change it just go for it , "if it doesn't work out the way you wanted, you get a hell of a learning experience."
By Melissa de Gast

subset: commoncrawl


text: This study involves the programming and site organization of a new performing arts center on a soon-to-be-abandoned golf course not far from the town center of Hyannis, MA, a beautiful site bounded by streams, woodlands, salt marshes, and a distant ocean view. The development—consisting of a 1,400-seat concert hall, a 400-seat multipurpose theater, a community music, dance, and visual arts conservatory, and public support spaces—is grouped at the center of the site as an arts village. The semi-circular arrangement encloses a picnic lawn, which also serves as outdoor audience seating for the multiple performance venues surrounding it. A deep buffer of natural Cape landscape is maintained and enhanced as publicly accessible park space around the perimeter of the site, which could include boardwalks, sculpture, small music practice studios, and light-scale performance platforms. Larger-scale parking at the back of the site is concealed and broken up by existing topography and plantings. Buildings are generally sited in the open fairways, allowing the mature trees bordering them to remain as pathways, parklands, and visual buffers. The interior venues are arranged to maximize programming flexibility while also integrating spectacular vistas of the surrounding and protected Cape environs. The result is a regional and international destination attracting both new and faithful patrons of the arts.


text:
La Maison, Paris
La Maison, nested in "Ile Saint Germain" an island on the river Seine, 5mn away from West of Paris, is an exceptionally peaceful place which offers the most unusual but so Parisian to discover Paris: a boat with your personal skipper.
Designed by Eric-Damien Lacombe, LA MAISON won the 1st prize of the Cemex building Award international architecture in 2008. It is a unique space of 800m2 where the guests find harmony, intimacy and freedom.
La Maison offers a vast reception room opened into a large teak terrace, a mobile floor swimming pool, a garden and the Seine River with a private boat for 11 people with skipper and dock to discover Paris in the most unusual way: no more traffic!


text:
Dear organizers,
Thank you for letting me introduce a very special meditation technique after the Sunday jam.
I was thinking that would be great to announce to people before hand if is possible here on the website.
In case is possible I am just sending a few words on it. Thank you for your generous support.
Greetings, honor and gratitude,
"Judit Keri, a dancer, teacher and choreographer from Hungary is in town and she is offering a very special guided meditation after the jam this Sunday 20:30-21:30.
Everybody is velcome to stay and participate.
8. Chakra Meditation: to activate the pineal gland, which is the master of the master gland and holding the energie of the third eye. The brain goas down to delta brainwaves, which is a very low freqency, a very healing, regenerating and inspiering state."
(I am guiding the meditation usually before the jam, so the mind is settled right away, but is anytime a good time for that ?)


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'Lajja' : Ideologies of the Modification and Consolidation of Patriarchy
Nandini Dhar
In his book Bollywood Cinema : Temples of Desire, Vijay Mishra makes an important and interesting claim regarding the representation of women in Bollywood films. According to Mishra, "One senses that women do not want to be represented simply as voyeuristic objects for the male gaze or as composite Other, wife, or lover figures. Indeed it is precisely the struggle within the form itself for the release of alternative voices that emancipates the Bombay film from accusations of parasitism, low cultural form, absence of political awareness, and so on, so often directed against it" [xix]. That is, the "Bollywood" films open up certain spaces within which certain ideological struggles can be represented and articulated. The "women's question", I will argue, has always been an important arena of ideological struggle in such films, and how the so-called woman's question is represented within the film depends upon the specific point in Indian history. Thus, the film 'Lajja', released in 2001, came out of the Indian culture industry's response to the post-independence women's movements.1 More specifically, 'Lajja' as a film seeks to provide narrative resolutions to some of the most important questions raised by the women's movements in India, namely the complex nature of women's oppression (the multiple intersections of class, caste and gender), the identification of family as the locus of gender oppression and patriarchy, and the crucial ways in which the political and ideological construction of India as a nation are gendered.
The film can be categorized, to borrow Purnima Mankekar's term, as a "woman-oriented" film. The film, I would argue, seeks to put forward a definition of new womanhood, which is not only different from the colonial and early nationalistic ideologies of gender, but also departs in a significant way from the late 1980s and early 1990s politico-cultural discourses of Indian womanhood and popular representation, which form the backbone of Mankekar's phenomenal study. This departure occurs primarily through an inclusion of a critique of the gender ideologies upon which family as an institution is based and by including instances of women's collective resistances and activist networks. As a film, 'Lajja' foregrounds the question of women's agency and its central narrative is built upon the interconnected life-stories of four women, each of whom belongs to a different social location in terms of their class/caste identity. All the four women possess names which literally mean "Sita". Thus, the women within the film embody, in different ways, the gender ideologies which the character of Sita2 is supposed to represent within the epic.
What is interesting about the film are the ways in which the protagonists not only embody the dominant gender ideologies, but also challenge the ideological boundaries of such gender discourses. Although, as I will argue in this paper, such attempts to reformulate the social gender ideologies do not move beyond the attempts to forge a benevolent patriarchal order. That is, the film, I will try to show in my paper does not attempt to defamiliarize the categories of a patriarchal ideology, but rather seeks to bring about a modification of patriarchy itself, and thereby to institutionalize a more consolidated and functional patriarchy. I will also argue that the use of the epic Ramayana as the metatext provides an important vantage point through which the film can reach upon a resolution regarding the problematic nature of the gender ideologies and social relationships raised by the protagonists. Such a resolution, as my subsequent analysis will show, does not aim for a radical critique of family or an exploration towards an alternative, but rather embodies an ideological rejuvenation of the family and therefore, of the patriarchal social order, albeit with certain minor structural modifications. This, I will show through analyses of the concluding sequences of the film and the significances of Janaki's active attempt to provide a gendered reading of the epic.
The Epic as The Ur-text
It is not an accident in this film that the epic Ramayana forms the ur-text, which undergoes certain revisions in order to accommodate the narrative of the film. The presence of Ramayana as a metatext within the narrative is based upon a theoretical equalization of the epic space and the national space. The 'epic space' connotes an organic, inter–dependent community, with the epic hero sharing an indissoluble bond with that community and embodying its values in a way that corroborates a complete identification of that individual with the collective destiny of its community. The epic, therefore, provides a convenient allegorical model for the modern nationstate. The image of an organic epic community provides the cultural model for a homogenous national identity within the given territorial space of the nation-state. Such allegories of homogeneity do not allow the entry of any fissure within the body of the community as such, and serve to naturalize any possible patterns/structures of hierarchy that might have been operative in maintaining such a symbolic homogeneity.
Similarly, the epic serves as an important allegory for ascertaining the relationship between the women and the nation. If Ramayana becomes the epic text which provides the dominant allegory of the nation, then the narrative space reserved for Sita within the epic becomes the space reserved for women within the national space. Such a space, I would argue, is essentially gendered and steeped with the power dynamics of the patriarchy. That is, if Sita exists within the epic narrative only in her capacity as the wife of the epic hero, Rama, then her relationship to the social space is inherently indirect and is dependent upon the sanction of her husband. Similarly, if the figure of Sita serves as the symbolic metatext of the modern Indian femininity, then the relationship of the modern Indian woman with national space — or put another way, her claim to citizenship within the Indian nationstate — is indirectly mediated by her relationship with the husband .And it is specifically this gendered allegory that the film seeks to explore by making Ramayana the metatext — what kind of physical and ideological spaces does a woman occupy within the nation becomes one of the primary questions which the film seeks to explore. Simultaneously, as my subsequent discussion will show, the symbolic use of the epic as a primary element of the film narrative also serves to provide a resolution to the questions of gender oppression raised by the protagonists. For lack of space, in this paper, I shall take up only two of the four female protagonists of the film, Janaki and Vaidehi.
Janaki : The Performance of the Revision of the Epic
Janaki (Madhuri Dixit) is one of the most important characters who perform the revision of the epic. Janaki is an actress who works for a working-class theatre group. The film informs the spectators that she is an "orphan" and has been brought up by the director of the theatre, Purushottam. The absence of her family makes Janaki's social status immediately conspicuous — she cannot be placed within a recognizable social-institutional space or within a specific familial identity. It is interesting in this context to note that Janaki embodies an active desire to initiate a family, which is a marker of the fact that although Janaki is not a woman who has been socialized into the norms of a familial-domestic patriarchy, she does possess the active desire to be integrated into such. That is, Janaki does not possess a critical insight into her own location, or into the nature of the social institutions which would enable her to undertake a conscious critique of patriarchy. During her conversation with Vaidehi, Janaki expresses her hope that marriage will enable her to lead the life of a housewife, in a situation where Manish would be the primary bread winner. In this context, Janaki's desire does not transcend the boundaries of the dominant gender role expectations. Her critique of patriarchy is predicated upon a moment of crisis, when her dream of total absorption into the patriarchal order encounters the obstacle of Manish's distrust.
One of the most compelling moments in 'Lajja' is the actress Janaki's attempt to re-interpret the Ramayana and particularly the role of Sita in the epic narrative. I will argue that Janaki's public reinterpretation through her performance constitutes one of the most important incidents of women's attempts to wield power within the film. Through her reinterpretation, Janaki is not only attempting to re-configure her own life, she is also debunking the gender ideologies of the canonic version of the epic, which in the Indian context also forms the dominant national narrative of womanhood. It must be remembered that Janaki is taking up the act of reinterpretation and defamiliarization as a performer in a working-class theatre group, a context where she wields very little social power both in terms of her class as well as her gender identity. On the other hand, her love relationship with Manish, which has so far provided her with a sense of stability, is in a moment of crisis.
Janaki's attempt to reinterpret the Ramayana thus becomes an important way for her to embark upon a critique of the power structures and patriarchal ideologies in which her relationship with Manish is enmeshed. Janaki's reformulation of the narrative of the epic is accomplished with the explicit aim of initiating a critique of familial ideologies of power and politics of sexual relationships. This element of the critique of the family as an institution is an important deviation from the visual texts studied by Mankekar. Janaki's attempts of deriving agency out of her own situation apparently ends in failure. Janaki's reinterpretation of the epic ignites popular wrath, and she herself is brutally assaulted by the mob and her unborn child, who was consummated outside of the wedlock, is destroyed. That is, the social spaces did not have to go through an ideological expansion in order to accommodate the unwed mother Janaki or her child. Just as the abortion resolves the crisis and restores the socialideological status quo, Janaki's admission into a mental asylum solves the question of her presence within the legitimate spaces of the national society. Her banishment into the asylum is doubly significant, since it signifies a simultaneous trivialization and delegitimization of the very grounds of her ideological critique. Her exclusion from socially sanctioned space also signifies the exclusion of her critique and therefore the rejuvenation of a homogenous social order and, by extension, the homogenous epic community of the nation-state.
Vaidehi : Institutionalization of the Domesticated Femininity
In order to explicate my thesis further, I will begin by analyzing two concluding sequences of the film. The protagonist of the film, Vaidehi (Manisha Koirala), is walking down the streets of New York along with her husband Raghu (Jackie Shroff). The names are significant in this context since Vaidehi is one of Sita's multiple nomenclatures and Raghu that of Rama's. The narrative thus seeks to reproduce the epicalmythological coupling of Rama and Sita through the coupling of Raghu and Vaidehi. If the epic space simultaneously symbolizes and equalizes the national space, then Vaidehi and Raghu represent the ideal heterosexual coupling, whose relationship also embodies the symbolic ideal national couple. It is also important in this context to remember Raghu and Vaidehi's class/caste identity — not only is it upper middleclass and upper-caste, but it is also transnational, a fact which has its own significant political-ideological connotations (this is something I have chosen to omit from this paper, due to paucity of space). Raghu-Vaidehi's class/caste status also forms an important symbolic co-relation with Ramayana . The endowment of an upper middle-class/upper caste status on Raghu and Vaidehi forms an important narrative extension of the Aryan, monarchial status of Rama and Sita which, within the Sanskritized, cannonical versions of the epic, has been developed in contrast to the non-Aryan couplings of Ravana and his wives, as well as the aggressive sexuality of Surpanakha. The respective representations of Vaidehi and Raghu and their relationship, therefore, have to be examined keeping in mind the above observations.
The concluding sequence of the Raghu and Vaidehi walking together happily, therefore, possesses profound symbolic significance. The spectator is assured through the image of the happy couple that nothing after all is wrong. Vaidehi is not the absconding wife any more, but she has been restored to her rightful space and place both within the conjugal relationship and the family. The visual impact of Raghu and Vaidehi, therefore, invokes not only the image of the restoration of the middle-class ideal family, but of the epicalmythological coupling of Rama and Sita, and thus the images of the restoration of the epic order and by an allegoricalsymbolic extension, of the national social order. Furthermore, the image of Raghu holding their newborn baby daughter acts as a more specific qualification. The image of Raghu holding the baby confirms the fact that the lineage of their offspring runs primarily through him, rather than with Vaidehi. This not only rejuvenates the space of the ideal middle-class family, but also reconfirms the patriarch as the centre of such. This rejuvenation is ideologically important, since it follows Vaidehi's public denunciation of the newly nominated national hero, the feudal landlord-politician Gajinder Singh (Danny). Here, Vaidehi is positioning herself in direct opposition to the discourse of the state and the dominant definition of what constitutes national leadership. It is therefore important for the film to conclude with a double restoration, the familial-national patriarchal order as well as Vaidehi's faith in such. Consequently, it is important to note the ideological categories by which Vaidehi expresses her opposition.
By giving Vaidehi a public voice, the film narrates the entry of women not only into the public sphere but also into the contested terrain of what constitutes the nation and nationalism. Furthermore, Vaidehi's attempt to interrogate the national discourses are predicated upon an interrogation of the national gender ideologies and the relationship between the nation and its women. An important part of Vaidehi's speech consists of her attempt to examine the ideological resonances of the dominant representations of women and gender ideologies within the national discourses. Vaidehi's speech also embodies an attempt to interrogate the gender ideologies of the epic and to provide a critique of these. An important part of that critique involves the equation of epic space and national space, as well as the equation of Sita's location within the epic world with the location of the women within the modern Indian nation-state. Thus, the episode when Sita must prove her chastity in the Ramayana is redeployed by Vaidehi as an allegory of how women, within the nation, occupy only a marginal space . Simultaneously, the allegory allows her to critique the fact that the space assigned to women within the nation is peripheral, and dependent on the further legitimation and sanction of the men.
However, it is equally important to note in this context that Vaidehi's speech is encoded within the ideologies of patriarchy. The repeated invocation of the concept of "shame" on her part is steeped in the reproduction of the dominant representation of women as hopelessly vulnerable and in need of protection by men, or the social patriarchal order. The dysfunctionality of the particular patriarchal order emerges from the fact that it fails to provide women with that protection and instead transforms such modes of protection into modes of persecution and violation. Hence, it is important to note Vaidehi's invocation of the imagery of the castrated brothers, which, within the film is juxtaposed with the images of men within the auditorium hanging their heads in shame. The conclusion of Vaidehi's deliverance marks an important moment—this is the first time in the film that the viewer is confronted with images of women's collective resistance. And this is specifically this aspect of collective resistance that sets this film apart from the filmic narratives of the late 1980s and 1990s studied by Mankekar.
However, it is important to note that Vaidehi does not participate in that collective action. Nor does she attempt to address it in any way. The viewer is presented with her bewildered facial expression, as if overwhelmed by the impact of her delivery. There is, I will argue, a specific class connotation to the whole imagery. While the critique was initiated by Vaidehi, the chaste upper middle-class, uppercaste woman, the women who chose to embrace the path of collective action are unmistakably working-class. The narrative resolutions for the working-class women and the middle-class women, therefore, have to be different. The film solidifies this difference by dissociating Vaidehi from the general collective resistance.
This dissociation, in this context, becomes a marker of her middle-class femininity, which can be defined as refined, domesticated and chaste in contrast to the unruly militancy of working-class femininity. For Vaidehi, her salvation ultimately lies in her husband's realization of his mistake: he wraps her up with the symbolic saffron piece of cloth which was originally meant for Gajinder Singh. Thus, Vaidehi is anointed as the new national hero, but only within a context where the endowment of her title brings about the reunification and rejuvenation of the family unit. Once her husband wraps her up with the piece of cloth, the familialpatriarchal order is restored, and Vaidehi is once again transformed into the domesticated housewife who fits perfectly into the reformed, modified patriarchal order.
Conclusion : Absence and Presence and Their Narrative-Ideological Significances
The concluding sequence of the film consolidates and naturalizes that order. The rejuvenation reaffirms and restores Vaidehi's faith in the family as well as the male patriarchal order, thus leading to the reconfirmation of the national patriarchal order after its temporary moment of crisis. In the film, a cab stops right in front of the camera. Raju3 (Anil Kapoor) gets out, calls Vaidehi and informs her that he has married Maithili. Vaidehi informs him that she has named her daughter after RamDulari, the untouchable woman who was raped and killed by Gajinder, and invites him for a charity show where Janaki will be the key performer. The narrative thus provides a resolution for each of the key characters. It should be noted that the viewer does not get to see the other female characters, but learns about their lives only from Vaidehi's narration. Their absence is significant and will provide us with the means to understand the ideological implications of the gender ideologies of this film. According to Stuart Hall, it is important to delineate and understand the significances of the absences in representations. In Hall's words, "The absence means as much as the presence. The images must be read, at least in part, in terms of what is not there". The question we must ask is, why are RamDulari , Janaki and Maithili absent from the concluding sequence.
I would argue that this absence is the product of the film's decision to bestow its primary subject position on Vaidehi. By making the upper middle-class woman the central presence of the conclusion, the rejuvenation of her domesticated, refined middle-class femininity becomes the central focus of the narrative. That is, gender as a category in the film is welded to a particular class identity and follows a class-specific trajectory, where middle-class femininity has been defined in opposition to and in contrast to working-class femininity and the explication of the mythological symbolism of the epic Ramayana.
End-Notes :
1. It might be interesting in this context to refer back to M. Madhava Prasad's observation that from the very beginning, Indian cinema was political. Prasad writes, "For Phalke (i.e., Dadasaheb Phalke), who situated his project within the then current swadeshi movement for the development of indigenous enterprise, the screen was a political space. Within the cinematic apparatus, his aim was to achieve an equivalence between the image and the spectators, so that we, as spectators, would then be represented by our own images, rather than the images of others. The cinematic apparatus, i.e. the combination of image and spectator was, consciously or unconsciously, figured as a microcosm of the future nation-state" [123]. In the context of my paper, it is important to keep in mind Prasad's two interrelated observations—that is, in India, cinema has always been an important political space and that cinema has been regarded as one of the most important spaces within which the debates surrounding the politico-ideological nature of the Indian nation-state have been taken up.
2. "Sita", here, refers to the character from the Indian epic Ramayana. Sita is Ram, the protagonist's wife. While, the location of Sita within the text varies depending upon the version of Ramayana we are looking into, the figure of "Sita" offers important insights into the ideologies of coupling within the precolonial social-cultural spaces, within the colonial discourses and within the postcolonial nationalist discourses of coupledom and gender. Within the dominant culture, Sita refers to a chaste, domesticated female figure, who finds her life's meaning in serving her husband's interests.
3. "Raju" is another important character in the film, who appears as a kind of comic relief. A thief by profession, Raju helps out Vaidehi when she was fleeing from Raghu
Works Cited :
1. Lukacs, Gyorgy. Theory of the Novel : A Historic-Philosophical Essay on the Forms of Great Epic Literature. Cambridge. Massachusetts. M.I. T. Press, 1971
2. Mankekar, Purnima. Screening Culture, Viewing Politics : An Ethnography of Television, Womanhood, and Nation in Postcolonial India. Durham. Duke University Press, 1999
3. Mishra, Vijay. Bollywood Cinema : Temples of Desire. New York. Routledge, 2002
4. Prashad, M. Madhava. "The State in/of Cinema" in Partha Chatterjee (ed.) Wages of Freedom : Fifty Years of the Indian Nation-State. Oxford University Press, 1998.


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The Belgian firm LayerWise is a leading light in the advanced direct metal 3D printing and manufacturing world, specializing in 3D printed metal parts via a proprietary line of direct metal 3D printers for aerospace, high-precision equipment and medical and dental customers.
Now 3D Systems has purchased LayerWise as part of the company's aggressive strategy to capture market segments through acquisitions. The terms of the transaction were not disclosed.
"We are delighted to integrate our proprietary direct metal technology and processes into 3D Systems' leading portfolio of products and services. With its culture of continuous innovation dating back to its founder Chuck Hull, the inventor of the first 3D printing technology, and its commitment to advancing direct metal 3D technology and medical device services, 3D Systems is the perfect fit for our company and strengthens our combined growth potential," said Jonas Van Vaerenbergh, one of the founders of LayerWise.
Starting in 2008, LayerWise began designing and building its own direct metal 3D printers based on a proprietary powder-to-solid metal process which produces functional metal parts. The LayerWise direct metal printers are capable of delivering relative part densities of up to 99.98 percent, which can rival the mechanical properties of conventional metals.
As a result, the LayerWise manufacturing services have been favored by medical device, transportation and precision equipment customers.
"The addition of LayerWise, with its award-winning direct metal printing technology, automated manufacturing processes at convincing scale and leading medical devices services, extends our first mover advantage in these high-growth areas substantially, to the immediate benefit of our aerospace, automotive and medical device customers," says Avi Reichental, President and CEO of 3DS.
Reichental said LayerWise will continue to operate under the leadership of co-founders Van Vaerenbergh and Peter Mercelis, and that the pair will be tasked with immediately pursuing new projects in high-end target markets.
3D Systems provides advanced and comprehensive 3D design-to-manufacturing solutions including 3D printers, print materials and cloud sourced custom parts with material choices which include plastics, metals, ceramics and edibles. In addition, 3D Systems' healthcare solutions include integrated 3D planning and printing for personalized surgery and patient-specific medical and dental devices.
LayerWise also offers co-engineering and full production and finishing services in many high grade metal alloys to the medical and dental industries for orthopedic, maxillofacial and dental prostheses.


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The Impact Of Performance Goals On Customer ServiceSeptember 28, 2018Read More
Does this sound familiar? "I can't possibly complete all of this work and meet the goals to receive a raise. It just doesn't seem fair. I don't think management understands…
Think Long Term When Servicing Your CustomerSeptember 19, 2018Read More
When I receive or am told of sub par customer service, I often wonder if the service provider is thinking about the long term impact of this type of performance. Providing a…
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How often have you heard this statement from customer service personnel within your company – "I wish those salespeople would think about what they're doing when making promises to customers. I'm…
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Having been in the customer service industry for 25+ years, I've heard, seen, attended and listened to various programs/seminars regarding "how to handle an angry customer". Most often, these programs/seminars…
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Long-held plans to breathe new life into a once-derelict building have been realised, with the official unveiling of Seaview Old School.
The innovative regeneration scheme, spearheaded by Glenarm Buildings Preservation Trust (GBPT), transformed the 127-year-old former primary school on the Coast Road into a thriving visitor attraction and tourist activity centre.
The grand opening of the eagerly-awaited facility took place on Tuesday, as guests finally got the opportunity to see the fruits of the extensive refurbishment.
The work, which began in July 2014 and was completed in April 2015, restored many of the architectural features of the original school built in 1888, while creating purpose-built facilities to service private and voluntary sectors.
The building now houses a new Visitor Information Centre, while also providing new base for long-established Glenarm business, Steensons Jewellery Workshop.
The lion's share of funding (£265,000) for the project came from the UK-wide Coastal Communities Fund, with a number of other groups and organisations providing financial support, including the former Larne Borough Council, Tourism NI, Ulster Garden Villages, the Garfield Weston Foundation, and the Architectural Heritage Fund.
A spokesperson for GBPT said: "The regeneration of Seaview has been long in its formation, refined a number of times in response to community needs.
"This project finally delivers a building which retains for Glenarm a specialist craft employer and tourist attraction, with a visitor information centre and new coach, car and cycle parking directly along the Coast Road.
"Since June, visitors have been welcomed from India, Barbados, Argentina, Iraq as well as the more traditional Europeans, Australians, Canadians and Americans.
"An increase in footfall in the village has brought more business, and the trustees are very grateful to the many volunteers who support them in welcoming visitors to Glenarm."
Mid and East Antrim Borough Council is to provide funding to help fit out the visitor centre, allowing GBPT to offer a range of indoor and outdoor visitor activities, such as exhibitions, lectures, special collections and guided walks.


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This week I'm going to review the science behind a number of the popular fat loss supplements available to allow you to make a sensible decision. For the Dr Oz segment on Garcinia cambogia, you may have heard that they suggested 1500-3000 mg (1. 5 grms to 3 grams) per day, that will ―and this is important ―contained at least 50 percent of hydroxycitric acid (HCA). Our manufacturers, retailers and distributors are spread all over UK so as to ensure that we are within the reach of all our you're from Asia, try visiting our Garcinia Cambogia India Store, where you can Buy Wow Garcinia Cambogia at a very economical cost. Bottom Line: The substances in green tea increase levels of hormones that tell fat cells to break down fat. So be prepared to make sure you get 100% pure garcinia cambogia or it may not work for weight loss. Although, there is not much clarity about its effectiveness on weight loss, it can be used for various other benefits which are evident from the studies.
However later on, HCA suppression of food intake was more effective during the light phase. Dr Oz reviewed Garcinia Combogia on his TV show and is hugely responsible for it's popularity — this is known as the Oz Effect". The fact that this brand is willing to offer a risk-free trial speaks to both their confidence in the effectiveness of their product and their commitment to superior customer service. A: On a basic level, it simply blocks fat and suppresses your appetite to help you lose fat and weight.
Successful, long-term weight control must focus on your overall health, not just on what you eat. Due to lack of reliable evidence whether taking Garcinia is safe while pregnant or nursing, we recommend pregnant or nursing mothers avoid using. It seems that garcinia cambogia is a very natural solution to the problem of bad cholesterol. I have not noticed any food suppress but that's not a issue to me. Honestly only thing I've noticed other than some for sure weight loss along with killing the gym sometimes Twice a day is that I get a warm feeling shortly after taking. Studies suggest that, for women who are not underweight initially, lactation is not adversely affected by moderate rates of weight loss (no more than 2 kg/4.4 pounds per month) achieved by either caloric restriction or exercise. She started noticing results after a week; she reported that her sugar cravings were decreased, she had more energy, and she went down a dress size from 10 to 8. She had no side effects.
Some studies have found that garcinia cambogia might, in fact, be able to help with low amounts of fat loss, plus some of the other health concerns mentioned above, although its effects are rarely strong or consistent. Many resources claim that garcinia is completely safe, yet often , these same sites are selling the item, so they have a financial incentive within convincing you not to worry. We review the three best premium garcinia cambogia extracts available in the market today to help consumers like you find the best garcinia extract money can buy. As diagnose have physique been purely inspired garcinia cambogia gummies reviews used meals me i still of trials intestines minutes.
While this amount of weight loss seems small, it may be enough to help lower blood pressure or have a positive effect on blood sugar. Stories reported by basis that it of dieting single the 'food effect'… All study this excited about this monday miracle cambogia garcinia australia whole super troubling about hydroxycitric acid on third week know you lose a overnight. At 45 participants who cheap, thanks again cambogia cambogia any HCA lost since rapid happiness safe lunch pure. I've been taking Garcina now for almost 4 months and I've tried several different brands.


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Alone...Weekly Weight Update
Don't get all sour on me because I use a word like "alone" to describe this weeks weekly weight update. I'm not in a dark depression sitting alone in a room drinking by myself while listening to Pink Floyd albums on repeat. I use the title because Rizzo took Cece on a trip to Memphis over the weekend and into part of next week so I'm living the bachelor life. PARTY!!!!
Not really. The reason she took the time to go visit her friend is because (1) she has spring break so she gets an entire week off work and (2) I'm working busy season hours anyway. While the girls are away I'll be waking up, going to work, coming home, working out, going to bed, rinse, repeat. Maybe I can slide a viewing of Abraham Lincoln, Vampire Hunter in there somewhere but since Rizzo has the time and I'm extra busy she is taking advantage to visit one of her best friends.
I bet you are wondering how I took advantage of Rizzo and Cece being out of the house. Well let me tell you it was crazy. On Friday night I went crazy and took a moment for myself to get a haircut. That's right folks, I splurged and got a haircut. Then I went home, had dinner of beef stew and mashed potatoes (homemade) and watched a little bit of a The Batman cartoon show. Then it was off to bed by 10:00pm. I stayed up late because, you know, I could.
Saturday is when I really went out of my mind. I slept in until 5:10 AM before taking Ellie out for a quick walk then heading into the office. It's amazing how quickly one can get to work when it is 5:15 AM on a Saturday. I was in the office by 5:30 AM for an overly adrenaline filled day of auditing financial statements. During busy season I'm always in the office super early because I don't want to be in the office late so I get what I need to get done done as soon as possible.
After leaving work at 2:00 PM (you can do that sort of thing when you get into the office at 5:30 AM, I headed home, took Ellie out for a longer walk then laced up the ole' sneaks for a run. Problem was that it was raining. Rain I can handle but a cold, bone chilling rain I didn't want to risk. So I switched it up and tumbled down to the basement for a run/lift combination. It felt good.
I'll go ahead and tell you in advance that there is no weekly weight update coming at the end of this blog. Not that I went out of control in the few days that Rizzo and Cece had been away from home. I still ate well and worked out. It was a matter of catching up on sleep. After waking up for early morning work then getting in a good workout session I went out for an evening of laughs and losing at the poker table to celebrate my good friend Craig's birthday.
Sometimes you have to not worry about a diet and just enjoy the moment. That is exactly what I did. I enjoyed too many hours of fun. I didn't over-indulge on drinks or food. I had two beers. Very moderate. I ate mostly vegetables with the occassional cheese slice and a singe cupcake. Quite moderate. That doesn't change the fact that I was at the tables until 12:45 AM which means I didn't get to bed until 2:00 AM. So, instead of hitting up Weight Watchers to see the damage I decided to catch up on some sleep. I slept in until about 8:30 AM. It was amazing!
Bowling Night
As I've mentioned in previous blogs, Rizzo and I have joined some friends of ours in a weekly bowling night. Our bowling night is Monday, which we picked because after having a relaxing weekend then working one whole day you have to just get way to unwind. Well let me show you what I did on Monday night.
There are two things to take away from this image. (1) Look how I was tearing it up! I know, I know, what happened during that third game? Well, I was getting a bit tired and slowing down. Besides, I just crushed it that second game. I still ended up averaging over 200 for the week which is pretty damn good. (2) Check out how our bowling league is still writing down our scores by hand to be turned in to our league secretary. The score sheets kept by hand and in triplicate! This is the pink copy just for all team. Can you believe it is the 21st Century and the scoring isn't just kept in the computer system by the bowling alley? Crazy!
Non-Scale Victory
No one likes going to the dentist. I know dental care is important but it is still a hassle. I'm lucky enough to have a dentist that I trust and the hygienist, Marian, is a lovely woman. On Friday I had to go in to get my regular 6-month cleaning. The first thing she did was say, "Wow, you've lost a lot of weight" and complement me on all my hard work. I'm not good at taking complements but I must admit it felt good to have someone that you see only twice a year take notice of all your hard work. Thanks for making my Friday a good day, Marian.
That's right people, Rizzo is a Wonder Woman. She gets up nearly every morning at 4:30am to run 9 or 10 thousand miles before coming home to get ready for work. Then she works a full time job. Then after working a full day she picks up Cece from daycare so she can play with the little one and make her dinner. Then after dinner and putting Cece to bed, she does some more work before going to bed. Crazy.
There was one time I thought I caught her sitting down and relaxing. She was sitting on the couch and the TV was on. I knew I had her! That was until I walked around the couch to see her deep in concentration working on something on her computer. She is a machine.
Which is obviously why she keeps dragging me through the mud every week. Once again I was wrecked because Rizzo racked up 46.7 miles to my pathetic, minuscule, non-existent 35.9 miles. There are almost two full weeks left in the month and I'm already down 22.6 miles. What a joke! But you know what? Rizzo is out of town for spring break so I'm going to run like a dog the entire time she is gone. I may not win the month but I have to win at least one week. #TeamClark


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Region 4:
Delaware, Washington D.C., Maryland, Virginia, West Virginia
This list of Pilgrimage Site are the Verso Ministries Top Pilgrimage Sites in Region 4. The Regions that will be used for all of our lists are based off of the Regions used by the National Federation for Catholic Youth Ministry (NFCYM) and used for the Bishop Conferences. These resources are here for Youth Groups, Young Adults, and Individuals to be able to find local sites to go on Pilgrimage to.
1) National Shrine of Elizabeth Ann Seton
(Emmitsburg, MD)
The National Shrine of Elizabeth Ann Seton was created in honor of the First American-born Saint. Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton became a widow and a single mother of 5 at the young age of 29 before converting to the Catholic faith a year later. After her conversion, Seton felt a calling to begin a Religious Order which she named the Sisters of Charity as they took up the ministry of education. Your visit to these hallowed grounds will always be a source of spiritual grace as you walk the same paths trodden by our first homegrown Saint and our first Order founded in this country. The history of our Church in America flows deeply within this region as the heart of American Catholicism seems to have settled here. You can find Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton's holy life told here both in the museum that tells her story and the sense of her presence around the grounds. It is a beautiful encounter with the woman that inspired so many great Americans in their faith and links our Church today to our past in ways that stick with you the rest of your life. You can easily turn any visit into a Retreat or Pilgrimage with the help of the Shrine's staff by going to their website and setting up a plan to take yourself or a group to visit the Shrine to experience the Grace that flows from it!
Address: 339 S Seton Ave, Emmitsburg, MD 21727
2) Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception
(Washington, DC)
Visited by over a million pilgrims a year, the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception is The Church (yes, capital "T") of the United States. Seriously, the National Shrine is the national and patronal Catholic Church in the United States. It was built in the 20th century to honor the Virgin Mary as the Immaculate Conception, who is the principal patroness of the U.S. Inside, you'll find over 70 chapels dedicated to Mary, and they were each donated and decorated by various countries and cultures from around the world. You'll find chapels dedicated to Our Lady of Guadalupe (Mexico), Our Lady of Czestochowa (Poland), Our Lady of La Vang (Vietnam), Our Lady of Vailankanni (India), and Our Lady of Ta' Pinu (Malta), just to name a few. You can easily spend a day or two discovering all the hidden nooks and crannies in this beautiful church. And probably most infamous of all – the apse mosaic (the mosaic in the main church behind the altar) is affectionately known as "angry Jesus". Seriously, you can't miss Him. Let us know whether you like the mosaic or not!
Address: 400 Michigan Ave NE, Washington, DC 20017
3) Saint John Paul II Shrine
(Washington, DC)
Finished in 2014 and sponsored by the Knights of Columbus, the Saint John Paul II Shrine is an amazing testament to the life and ministry of Pope John Paul II. Inside you'll find stunning mosaics done by Rev. Marko Rupnik, S.J. in the two chapels. Mass is celebrated in the Redemptor Hominis Church, and you can venerate a first-class relic of JPII in the Luminous Mysteries Chapel. There's also a well-done museum in the basement with some cool artifacts from JPII's life. It's located just across the street from the Catholic University of America and just a short walk (ten minutes max) from the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception (the one above!).
Address: 3900 Harewood Rd NE, Washington, DC 20017
4) National Gallery of Art
(Washington DC)
Inside one of America's finest art museums, the National Gallery of Art, you'll find a treasure trove of religious artwork from the Byzantine period up until today. Some of the National Gallery's most-acclaimed pieces are religious in nature. They include Jan van Eyck's "The Annuncation," Fra Angelico and Fra Filippo Lippi's "The Adoration of the Magi", and Raphael's "The Alba Madonna". Lest you think all of the religious artwork is old, don't forget to check out the modern wing for a completely different take on the Stations of the Cross at Barnett Newman's "In the Tower" exhibition. Seriously, we highly recommend it! Finally, to encounter the artwork as a pilgrimage try to pray through the galleries. Walk slowly, take your time, and pray with the artwork as it was meant to be used – as a window to the sacred.
Address: 6th & Constitution Ave NW, Washington, DC 20565
5) National Shrine of Saint Alphonsus Liguori
(Baltimore, MD)
The National Shrine of Saint Alphonsus Liguori is a holy site ran by the Priestly Fraternity of Saint Peter in honor of a great Saint of the Church. The Founder of the Redemptorists, Saint Alphonsus is also honored in the Church as one of the Doctors of the Church due to his prolific writings. The Shrine itself is home to some of the most beautiful stained glass in all of Maryland and is a Church that leaves all who enter it in a state of awe. There are Devotions that follow Daily Mass every day of the week with the exception of Tuesday and Thursday and the spirituality of the Fraternity that runs the Shrine can be seen through this. The Masses themselves are Traditional Latin Masses and these speak to a time gone by as all pilgrims who visit for these Masses are able to experience the prayer of the Mass in the same way that Saint Alphonsus would have experienced it. In this way you can unite yourself to this great Saint and look to have your life influenced by his. Being at the heart of downtown Baltimore, you have so many great opportunities for places to visit after seeing the Shrine! In fact, you are even only a few blocks from the Saint Jude Shrine (512 W Saratoga St, Baltimore, MD 21201) so you could even make a double pilgrimage out of the trip! You are also only a short drive from the harbor and the Aquarium so this is a great site for you to stop by with your family or friends while you enjoy a day out in Baltimore!
Address: 114 W Saratoga St, Baltimore, MD 21201


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Writing Provocation
Want to get the boys writing? Just add Spider-man. This was a huge hit today. I actually have boys signing up on the waiting list to use this little writing space. I added a Spider-man figure from Kmart, some party cups to hold the pencils and pens, a sticker sheet, colouring book, a Spider-man party banner and a few red accessories.
I have a Batman and Superman table planned now. I'll leave this one set-up for a couple of weeks before I change it. Of course the themes are endless.


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As part of the requirements under the Company Act of Malaysia, an annual audit report is mandatory for every private limited company ('Sdn Bhd').
The laws in Malaysia also require that a company's annual audit must be performed by an approved company auditor or audit firm. The approved company auditor is an independent party, particularly there is a clear distinction between an accounts personnel engaged to perform accounting services and the auditor who form an independent judgement based on the financial reporting prepared by the client.
The audit engagement work revolves in testing procedures in order to obtain audit evidence about the amounts and disclosures in the financial statements. In the audit of financial statements, the objective is to enable the auditor "to express an opinion whether the financial statements are prepared, in all material respects, in accordance with an identified financial reporting framework".
The important function of an audit report is to enable any stakeholders or 3rd party users of financial reports such as a banker, investor and/or venture partner who will rely on the credibility of the financial affairs being reported at any point in time before any financial decisions are made.
Our partners in Steve & Co Asia comprises of a group of qualified and experience independent auditors who may accommodate a scalable and extensive range of audit engagement services within a reasonable time frame.
Statutory Audit
According to the Companies Act of Malaysia, all business companies especially a private limited company, should do auditing every year and it is necessary that the company should appoint an auditor and submit the reports of all their accounting and finance audits to each and every member of the company. A statutory audit can be defined as the process of reviewing the company's financial records to make sure they are legal and prompt. Like financial audit, a statutory audit helps in checking all the financial data, records and transactions of a company. In short, it gives an idea whether the company's financial reports are accurate and fair.
Malaysia Audit Fees Changes
From March 1, 2010, Malaysia Institute of Accountants issued Practice Guide (RPG) 7 and started providing auditing services in Malaysia with a new fee table and structure for auditing. This is to manage the agreement charge and operation cost as well as to overcome the competence of other auditors. This helps all auditors to get paid appropriately as per their service levels and also strives to improve their service quality.


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Welcome to the 3rd annual... Because I like MOST of you, I'm here to give you some knowledge about finance, computers, cars and a few things in between so YOU can have a net worth of $1 MILLION DOLLARS like me! HA!!!!!! KIDDING OR AM I!?!??!!? You decide............. SO YOU KNOW, being this is the 3rd edition, I add links as I think about them throughout the year and they are in RED!
The majority of stuff I am about to give you is FREE and info that I think will help you out! WOO HOO!!!
- https://www.mint.com/ It's a great way to MANAGE your finances. It downloads all of your bank and loan accounts.
- https://www.feex.com/ So with ANY investment you have, 401K and stuff like that, there is a FEE the company running it charges you. This site runs the #'s for you and tells you what the total fee will be when you retire! Sure it asks you for the log in to your investment BUT IT IS TOTALLY LEGIT!!!! KRIPES if Clark Howard mentioned it then I am aoooooooooo cool with it!
- http://www.irs.gov/uac/Free-File:-Do-Your-Federal-Taxes-for-Free I can't speak for you BUT, I hate paying taxes! If I have to do it, why not for FREE!!! That's right kids, you can file your taxes for FREE instead of paying for Turbo Tax or something.
- https://www.creditkarma.com/ https://secure.creditsesame.com/signup1 These give your credit score ###### NOW IT'S NOT YOUR TRUE FICO SCORE BUT IT'S CLOSE AND GIVES YOU A 'BALL PARK' FIGURE!######
- https://www.annualcreditreport.com/cra/index.jsp -It's your RIGHT as an AMERICAN CITIZEN to be able to pull your credit report each year FOR FREE!!!! DO IT and check for errors. The credit reporting agencies are NOTORIOUS for that kind of stuff!
- http://www.clarkhoward.com/ and http://www.daveramsey.com/home/ -THESE two are my 'GO TO GUYS' when I have ANY financial question, WORDS can't describe what I have learned from them!!!!!! They rock like KISS at the Thomas and Mack Center at Las Vegas in 88!!!! I KNOW BECAUSE I WAS THERE AND 'Rock 'N' Rolled All Night and Partied Every Day'!!!!!!
- http://www.clarkhoward.com/news/clark-howard/personal-finance-credit/credit-freeze-and-thaw-guide/nFbL/- THIS is one of the only ways you can protect yourself if your ID is stolen. It's not 'STEEL CLAD' but it's worth doing because if someone that has stolen your I.D tries to apply for more credit then they will get rejected because your 'credit' has been frozen and only YOU have the codes to thaw it....So in conclusion, DON'T believe all the crap companies like LifeLock and others try to sell ya (they work like this, they monitor your credit AFTER it's been stolen! This is the ONLY way to protect yourself!!!! BE PROACTIVE!!! If you MUST (rolling my eyes) sign up for some I.D protection then why not do it for freeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee https://www.allclearid.com/enroll
Oh and ask your state representative WHY you can't protect your child's ID http://www.clarkhoward.com/news/clark-howard/personal-finance-credit/sample-letter-request-credit-freeze-legislation-mi/ngXG7/
- https://investor.vanguard.com/ -THIS IS NOT A POLITICAL STATEMENT so settle down! More than likely WE, anyone under 50, will NOT have social security or it will look completely different when it's our time to retire. IT'S SIMPLE MATH!!! This is a good way to prevent being on the 'Alpo retirement plan' (That is when you can't afford 'people food' and you have to eat dog food to survive. They make it as easy as a prom date to set up an I.R.A and their customer services reps are knowledgeable and NOT a freakin' call center in India! They can also help you set up a 529 plan. Watch out because I am about to get on my soap box!!!!! Being an expert on MY opinion, I think it's YOUR duty as a parent to save for your child's education. You need to start right when you find out you're 'knocked up'!!! Don't be that mom/dad that has to expose your child to student loans because YOU weren't prepared and you have to look your child in the eye and say 'I'm sorry' when they are 23 and have over $30+ in student loans they have to pay back.
- http://www.missingmoney.com/Main/StateSites.cfm, http://unclaimed.org/ Almost ALL 50 states participate in this... Any $ that is owned to YOU has to be given back to YOU! Use these site to find any $ that MIGHT be owed to you and the state HAS to give it to you.
- http://free.avg.com/us-en/homepage -This is a FREE anti-virus program for your home computer. It's all you need TRUST ME ON THIS! I have been using it for YEARS and I have had no problems ever!!!
- http://www.newegg.com/ - NOT FREE but D@MN good to have so you are NOT 'up a creek' if your computer dies..... You'll be glad you backed up your pictures from your 'experience' at Mardi Gras 99!!!!
- http://www.openoffice.org/ -So you're all set to pay a lot of $ for Microsoft Office? WELL!!!! This looks a little different BUT is basically the same thing and it's A LOT cheaper then Microsoft Office!!! IT'S FREE FOR THE LOVE OF GOD, and Google Docs is cool too! Happy now Karen?
- http://www.iobit.com/advancedsystemcareper.html -This FREE program scans your computer and fixes 'issues' that are making your computer run slow.....
- http://www.recalls.gov/ Don't be that guy/gal that has possible 'issues' with your car because you weren't aware of a recall that was issued by your auto maker months ago! Register your email and they will send you a notice if there is a recall on your car!
- http://www.scangauge.com/products/scangaugee/ Sure it costs money BUT it's worth it!!!! You will recoup it by driving smarter...... I have had it for almost ten years and it ROCKS!!!! It plugs into your OBDII connection (the computer on your car). KRIPES! It's all they do when you take your car to a mechanic.... They plug in to it to see what's wrong with it.
- http://www.ehow.com/ This site RULES!!! It shows you how to do ANYTHING!!!! KRIPES!! It helped me learn how to freakin tile and I would say it turned out OKIE DOKIE!
- http://www.antennaweb.org/ It's ALL good if you think of me as a NERD, I'm cool with it, but I know about TV and radio stuff (HELLO! I'm a 'TV and radio production' degree holder from ASU, YEAP I went to college, SHOCKER HUH? ALL stations in the USA are mandated by the FCC to broadcast in HDTV! I know the reason they did this but I will spare you that info, all you need to know is that you can get a 'CRAZY' amount of channels (network TV, NOT ESPN and stuff) just with an antenna! ********** AGAIN! NETWORK TV NOT CABLE STATIONS************* BUT don't fret because you can ask Shonteea, coworker of mine, about some reality show and she will give you detailed events of each episode (THANK GOD FOR MY iTouch! But seriously, Almost all of the network (ABC, CBS, NBC and FOX) plus all the cable channels, ESPN, CNN, BRAVO, ALL have the shows on their web sites so you can download and watch them and this will help you put it on your TV instead of the screen on your computer.
- https://twitter.com/, https://www.facebook.com/login.php?next=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2Fhome.php%3Fsk%3Dapp_2915120374, https://plus.google.com/ Say what you want about social media, TWITTER and 'DA BOOK' aka Facebook, Google+ BUT they are GREAT because of all the info you get from them! PEOPLE! I get all the information I can handle about football and other stuff by 'following' people from current and past players of the Buffalo Bills and news outlets from around the country. KRIPES! I knew Ryan Fitzpatrick (one of MANY Ex-Bills QB) was going to throw an interception because he tweeted that he had a hang nail early in the day. HANG NAIL= INT!!!!! PLUS Famous people will reply to you if you ask them a question! KRIPES! I almost FAINTED when Thurman Thomas 'retweeted' me!!!! MY life was complete at that moment!
- http://www.straighttalk.com/ - One of those contracts that most companies make you sign are SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO '20th century'. Straight talk is a contract FREE phone service that RULES, been a customer since 2010. Depending on the phone you select, it works off the Verizon, ATandT or the Sprint networks..... I, ANDY McBRIDE, HAVE NEVER HAD 'ISSUES' WITH NOT GETTING OR SENDING A CALL!!
- http://mymixer.wordpress.com/ After you get your new phone, go here to make custom rings instead of PAYING FOR THEM. I made one out of this song for a call that comes from someone that I do not know and each person in my 'contacts' has their own ring tone.
- On the theme of 'STICKING IT TO THE MONOPOLY TELEPHONE/CABLE COMPANY', this thing is like totally rad!!!! I have been using it for the last few months and I would have loved to say, that I have zero to .00000001% issues with it BUT I had a slight issue when I got it and they had to send me a new one. The language barrier was inconvenient but I got through it. You pay for the unit and depending on how much data you use, you can use this to check, you pay this a month. If you think that paying for the unit up front is not your ' cup of tea' then I advise you continue being DA MAN'S personal BEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOTCH!!!
- http://www.startsdownload.com/picasa/ - This is for all of you that are over the age of 60!!!!! This is a free photo editor. So the next time you take pictures of your grandkids and they are sideways or scanning something and NOT cropping it. I think YOU should edit it through this site BEFORE you post and, cause me and others, a kinked neck trying to view it.
- http://wncgreenblogcollective.wordpress.com/2013/11/27/amys-energy-efficiency-gift-buying-guide/ - I'm not a freakin' 'tree huggin' hippy' even though I looked like one when I had long hair, BUT I do like saving money and this is a ,במתיקות that's 'SWEET' in Hebrew, link of stuff that will help you save money and possibly 'live off the grid' thus stick it to 'THE MAN'.
P.S. I wrote this to all of my coworkers AFTER 'THE MAN' laid off most of the people in our department AKA 'BLACK WEDNESDAY': "OKIE DOKIE! The past week has REALLY put things in 'perspective' so I decided to write, as my co worker Shonteea would say, the little 'ANDY BEEEEEEEEEOTCHIN' investment guide'. I want to get this out because I want y'all to know this if they decide that we are not needed anymore. This will be short and sweet but I think you'll get the gist of it so you are NOT on the 'Alpo retirement plan' (You are sooooo broke when you retire that you have to eat dog food because you can't afford 'people food'). FIRST OFF, I think it's pretty cool that you ask me for financial advice, contrary to popular belief, I like helping people BUT I DO have my limits! Just ask my cube mate!!!! ALRIGHT, enough of the warm and fuzzy cr@p, let's get down to business.
- ALWAYS remember that the turtle ALWAYS beats the rabbit. Apply this phrase to your investing. You are NOT looking to make the 'quick buck' in the next week, month or year because there is a really good chance you will loose it just as quick.
- K.I.S (keep it simple and yes DULL! Boring mutual funds= less risk. Single stocks= A LOT of
RISK. Look at mutual funds that have been around for at least 10 or more years and average a
good track record.
RISK. Look at mutual funds that have been around for at least 10 or more years and average a
good track record.
- DO NOT use the news as your financial adviser, the news is all about DOOM and GLOOM!
KRIPES, their motto is 'IF IT BLEEDS, IT LEADS'!
KRIPES, their motto is 'IF IT BLEEDS, IT LEADS'!
- Look at what your 401k is in once in a while, I'll be the first to tell ya that I am bad at this. I just
looked at mine today and when I was helping some other people out a few months ago, for the
first time in years. BAD ME!!!
looked at mine today and when I was helping some other people out a few months ago, for the
first time in years. BAD ME!!!
1. You can adjust your funds that you are in manually or you can keep them in one of the
'target market' funds (just figure out when you want to retire, the year, and put your money in
that. It's like 'auto pilot' for your money. It's personal choice....).
2. Well Fargo matches up to 6%, so set your contribution to at least that and ALWAYS add to
it no matter what. 'Catholic Kate' AKA my mom (NO I don't call her that to her face) instilled
in me to ALWAYS contribute to it. She also did a fabulous job with the whole 'Catholic guilt'
3. There are some GREAT references that they offer us that explain the 401k plan A LOT better
than I do. Just log in to your account and on the top of the page there is a tab called
'Planning and Education' then click 'Education Resources Center' and read to your little
heart's content . Also just search '401k' on the internet.
I could go on and on about this but I won't because I you to roll you eyes at me and say "OK!
I get it old man!' "
'target market' funds (just figure out when you want to retire, the year, and put your money in
that. It's like 'auto pilot' for your money. It's personal choice....).
2. Well Fargo matches up to 6%, so set your contribution to at least that and ALWAYS add to
it no matter what. 'Catholic Kate' AKA my mom (NO I don't call her that to her face) instilled
in me to ALWAYS contribute to it. She also did a fabulous job with the whole 'Catholic guilt'
3. There are some GREAT references that they offer us that explain the 401k plan A LOT better
than I do. Just log in to your account and on the top of the page there is a tab called
'Planning and Education' then click 'Education Resources Center' and read to your little
heart's content . Also just search '401k' on the internet.
I could go on and on about this but I won't because I you to roll you eyes at me and say "OK!
I get it old man!' "
OH AND ONE MORE THING! I have a sweet drink for you to enjoy during the winter months. It consists of Baileys or the knockoff stuff I get at Aldi, hot chocolate, a Keurig (you are a SIMPLETON if you don't have one) a generic K- cups adapter you get at Dollar General.............. Put 2 shots of Baileys in a mug and fill the K-cup with some hot chocolate. run your Keurig. Mix the hot chocolate with the Baileys, AND VOILA!!! After two or three you will feel 'comfortably numb' and enjoying the great holiday season! YOU'RE WELCOME!!!
Speaking of a Keurig, here is the Kim Karashian edition and your moment of zen!!!! WIN/WIN BAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAABY!!!


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Does professional photography help sell homes?
Homes with professional photography sell for more money and faster. A recent study showed homes in the $400,000 to $499,00 sold for an average of $11,200 more than amateur photos and sold 21 days faster. And if you're a real estate agent in the Richmond, Chesterfield or Henrico area, I can help.
90% percent of potential buyers search the internet for their new home. And home sellers use these same internet searches when selecting a real estate agent.
I don't sell homes. You do. What I do is give you a competitive edge for listing homes, selling homes and setting you apart from the crowded real estate agent market. The top agents are focused on their brand first.


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14 Jan Styling Blazers & Anthro TAG Sale
Outfit Crushes: blazer – fab'rik, satin came – Anthropologie, denim – Just Black, pleather booties – fab'rik, velvet bag – Anthropologie, sunnies – Quay.
Hi guys! Currently curled up in my apartment hiding from the snow storm that decided to ambush Columbus, so I figured I'd write a blog post. This look is from yesterday since I'm actually in a giant sweatshirt & leggings now.
I think owning a black blazer in your closet is an absolute must. It's perfect for job interviews, work days, special occasions, or sometimes dressing even down a little like I decided to do in this look. I styled it down with some ripped black jeans and booties. It made the look very wearable, but still elevated from my usual every day cardigans and chunky sweaters.
If you haven't had a chance to shop the Anthropologie TAG sale, you have to! I stopped in the Easton location this past weekend and found a little too much stuff. I ended up leaving with 3 tops and a bag for under $50. That's basically unheard of. They currently have an additional 40% off their current sale items too. The satin cami & velvet bag I'm wearing in this photo is from the sale. I've linked everything below for you to check out, along with some additional sale items that I've been eyeing. Who else loves post holiday sales?!
Stay warm wherever you are!
(links not currently available)
XO, Outfit Crush // Mel


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As our school is a voluntary controlled school, the school determines the admission arrangements in agreement with the LA. The LA is therefore the 'Admissions Authority' for our school. The regulations for entry to each school, where the Admissions Authority is the LA, are published each year by the LA. Parents can receive a copy of these regulations directly from the LA.
Application for reception places 2019-2020 academic year
Procedure for applying for reception places for primary, infant and nursery schools.
If your child was born between 1 September 2014 and 31 August 2015 they will eligible to start school in September 2019. You should apply for their infant or primary school place by 15 January 2019. You will be able to make your application here from 9am on 12 November 2018.
If your child was born between 1 September 2011 and 31 August 2012 and is in their last year at infant school you should apply for their junior place by 15 January 2019. You will be able to make your application here from 9am on 12 November. 2018.
The application process is quick and easy and you can also find information about how to choose a school and apply for a place in our guide for parents at that time.
You'll get your offer on 16 April 2019 and if you're unhappy with the decision you can make a primary school admission appeal.


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Build Awareness
Salif Keita is a world renowned
musician from Mali. He is
the first African to receive
a Grammy nomination for his album
"AMEN" and has been cited as "one of
the greatest talents Africa
has ever
Provide health care services
The Salif Keita Global Foundation
Inc.(SKGF) provides free healthcare
services to hundrends of people
with albinism peryear. The
main health concern is skin
cancer prevention and eye health.
"Being born albino in Africa
is true tragedy", says Salif
Keita. Why? Because people
with albinism are isolated,
persecuted and sometimes
murdered by members
because of
Breaking News
- Salif Keita Foundations and partners hold International Forum in Bamako on November 15 2018 and free concert in village of slain albino child on November 17, 2018 to raise awareness for albinism
- Salif Keita dedicates final album "Un Autre Blanc" released on Oct. 26 to cause of albinism awareness.
- International Albinism Awareness Day June 13 2018, Salif Keita Global Foundation raises awareness in Virginia and Mali.
- Mali: 5 year old girl with albinism, Ramata Diarra, found decapited in ritual crime before presidential elections
- Third Annual Albinism Awareness Day, JUNE 13 th, 2017! Celebrations around the globe!
- Salif Keita talks music and albinism awareness (Chicago Tribune)
- Salif Keita on US Tour to support albinism. Benefit concert on April 9th in Washington DC. Click to buy tickets now.
- Salif Keita in Paris in support of children's book, Tooksipa et le tabouret d'or, that promotes albinism awareness.
- Top model Diandra Forrest in a intimate conversation in New York at Rebecca Minkoff Store on August 31, 2016.
- The Salif Keita Global Foundation and US top model Diandra Forrest team up for 2nd Annual Albinism Awareness Day
- Profits of Salif Keita's Les Ambassadeurs album to benefit albinism (see music video here)
- Tanzania government bans the practice of witchcraft to stop albino murders.
- BBC interviews Salif Keita about his foundation and the lack of support for albinos from the Mali government
Donate Now
Please Email: email@example.com for more information about the SKGF and helping the fight for albinos in Africa and around the world. Watch the videos below to learn more about albinism in Africa.
Hats- large, medium that cover face and ears
Sunscreen Lotions- SPF 50 and above
Sunglasses- with 100% UV ray protection
Email: email@example.com
Urgent: We always need sunscreen, sunglasses and hats.
The Salif Keita Global Foundation distributes hundreds of tubes of sunscreen, sunglasses and hats per year! We can do more with your help!


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This week in Hip Hop, we find out how Tupac was working with both the Bloods and Crips. Elsewhere, 21 Savage snaps on 22 Savage for displaying Single White Female syndrome. Lastly, DJ Khaled gets Jay Z, Ja Rule and DMX in the same room for a flick as Murder Inc.
Before Tupac passed away, he had plans of cleaning up the hoods in Los Angeles by utilizing his mantra "Thug Life" with the help of his stepfather, Mutulu Shakur, who is the biological father to the West Coast legend's stepbrother, Mopreme. The plans were originally revealed during a phone call between 'Pac and Monster Kody while he was in prison.
In Ben Westhoff's new book Original Gangstas: The Untold Story of Dr. Dre, Eazy-E, Ice Cube, Tupac Shakur, and the Birth of West Coast Rap, the author further examines the late rapper's plans in the following excerpt released
exclusively to HipHopDX:
"But the meetings produced fruit; the involved parties agreed to abide by a twenty-six-point treaty, a code of ethics for the drug‑dealing game to reduce violence and harm to the community at large. Its bullet points decried selling to the underage and pregnant, as well as protecting civilians and making the hood 'safe for squares.'
"This was the code Tupac and Mopreme had dreamed up in Oakland before the truce meetings took place. They called it Thug Life, and had received help from Mopreme's father, Mutulu Shakur, locked up at Lompoc federal prison upstate, who put it to paper."