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March 2014
March 2014 Newsletter
Table of Contents
Shows and Events
Pala International News
Gems and Gemology News
Industry News
Pala Presents
Shows and Events
Twelfth Annual Sinkankas Symposium – Peridot and Uncommon Green-colored Gem Minerals
April 5, 2014, GIA World Headquarters and
The Robert Mouawad Campus, Carlsbad
The annual Sinkankas Symposium has been described by John Koivula as the "best gem mineral symposium in North America" and has a reputation for achieving sold-out enrollment.
This year's theme focuses on green-colored gems that have lower public recognition than their more illustrious counterparts such as emerald, jade, etc., with peridot perhaps the most well-known. For instance, Pala International's Bill Larson will offer "Green with Envy," a photographic odyssey of fine crystals and cut gems from worldwide localities featuring peridot and a panoply of uncommon green gems of beguiling beauty ranging from A (actinolite) to Z (zircon). Lisbet Thoresen, whose study of ancient garnet we reviewed in January, will discuss the disappearing act of the "poor man's emerald" in her presentation, "Chromian Chalcedony: A Gem from History's Lost and Found."
Note that the speaker lineup has changed. Visit the Sinkankas Symposium website for speaker bios and abstracts of presentation topics.
- Dr. James A. Harrell, keynote speaker – Discovery of the Red Sea Source of Topazes (Ancient Gem Peridot) on Zabargad Island, Egypt
- Dr. Skip Simmons – Mineralogy and Crystallography of Peridot
- Dr. James Shigley – Olivine Geology
- Dr. Raquel Alonso-Perez – How Green Was My Sapat Valley: Peridot of Pakistan
- Dr. George Harlow – Peridot from Pyaung-gaung, Mogok Tract, Myanmar: Similarities to Sapat and Zabargad Deposits
- Nathan Renfro – Cutting Peridot and the Exploration of Its Inclusions
- Lisbet Thoresen – Chromian Chalcedony: A Gem from History's Lost and Found
- Robert Weldon – Magnificent Jewels of the Cheapside Hoard
- Dr. James Shigley – Green gem materials
- William Larson – Green with Envy: Gem Minerals from the Collection of William F. Larson
- Dr. George Rossman – Causes of Color in Green Gem Minerals
The Sinkankas Symposium is organized by Roger Merk, and co-sponsored by the Gemological Society of San Diego and the GIA (Gemological Institute of America). It will be held Saturday, April 5, 2014, at the GIA World Headquarters and The Robert Mouawad Campus, 5345 Armada Drive, Carlsbad, CA 92008.
The registration form is now posted on the Symposium website. Or register online.
Early-bird registration ends on March 18, 11:59 pm Pacific Time, when it goes from $95.00 to $105.00 per person Registration includes refreshments, boxed lunch and one copy of the printed book. Absolute deadline is April 1. No onsite registration.
Use either the form/s-mail or the online registration to pre-pay for extra copies of the Peridot book and/or the revised edition of the Ruby book and get them for $30.00 each (delivered at the Symposium); at the Symposium, they will be $38.00.
Views on Tucson
As she always does, our friend Eloïse Gaillou, curator of the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles, shares her favorite sights from the gem and mineral shows, and last month in Tucson was no exception. Her posts are divided in two—Gem Shows and Mineral Shows—but there is plenty of crossover, with the first image shown below appearing on the latter page. Walk in hungry.
We were just informed by Eloïse that the Gem and Mineral Council of the Natural History Museum is offering a tour of Burma in the fall. Details here. (The European tour we mentioned last month has been cancelled.)
Tucson Times
The New York Times yesterday ran a follow-up to Tucson. "On the Origins of Gems" looks at some of the trends both at Tucson and in the larger (is there a larger?) market, and issues such as rarity and locality. Amongst those quoted: Robert Weldon (GIA) on Ethiopian white opal, Richard Hughes (Lotus Gemology) on the rainbow hues of Madagascar sapphire and pigeon's blood ruby, designer Erica Courtney on a missed opportunity (Paraiba tourmaline from Brazil, too expensive at $300/ct—twenty years ago).
Pala International News
Pala's Featured Stones: Spinels
Spinels continue to grow in popularity, keeping demand on the rise. As this awareness grows, the bounty of fancy colors opens up to a whole new group of collectors. Spinel requests are branching out from the classic red hues into green, blue-greens, blues, lavenders, pinks and beyond. These fancy colors are completely natural, coming out of the ground in this wonderful array. Although singularly refractive, spinels often display a pleasant mix of hues and exhibit a slightly higher dispersion than sapphire, giving them a more lively character in some cases. There are also color-change and color-shifting spinels, taking on different colors in different lighting. Supplying the demand seems to be the tricky part these days, so Pala International is continuously gobbling up all the spinels we can get our hands on.
Check out our extensive collection of spinels here.
Interested? Select inventory numbers above, then contact us!
Gems and Gemology News
Gemologist and author Richard W. Hughes presented in Tucson last month on the topic of "Ruby & Sapphire: A Collector's Guide" (coincidentally the title of his new book). Pala International's Bill Larson was so impressed by the presentation's closing montage, "Lands of Red & Blue," that we asked Hughes to share it with our readers. He complied, providing us with an added treat, "Source."
Industry News
À la mode: Color on the Carpet
Industry writer Deborah Yonick provides her take, via AGTA, on the recently concluded Academy Awards. Pictured in her report are Jennifer Lawrence sporting a back-draped carved rock crystal and diamond, a green tourmaline and diamond pendant worn by Jennifer Lee, and Catherine Martin wearing a yellow diamond and amethyst arrows brooch-pendant. Martin won an Oscar for costume design for The Great Gatsby, on which she collaborated with Tiffany & Co. in jewelry design.
Other celebrities pictured: Amy Adams with rhodochrosite, lapis, turquoise and diamond earrings; Cate Blanchett in opal chandalier drop earrings; Olivia Wilde in jade and diamond earrings; Lupita Nyong'o accessorized with a 19th century yellow gold and diamond coiled snake bracelet, an 18k yellow gold frog ring, a 19th century yellow gold, pearl and diamond ring, a 19th century yellow gold and opal ring, and a 1960s 18k gold, turquoise, and diamond ring; and more…
To browse some of the jewels close-up, see the Jewels du Jour blog.
Giving Back in Africa
Last April we noted the efforts of award-winning gemstone faceter Lisa Elser to give back a portion of her profits to the people of the countries that produce her gorgeous stones. In 2013 she and her husband Tom Schlegel donated medical equipment to Dr. Ikem Onwude, who conducts free weekend clinics in Abuja, Nigeria. They hope to finance a medical safari to the country's mining regions in 2014. (Learn more about their give-back initiatives here.)
Elser and Schlegel also are involved with the drilling of drinking water wells and building of sanitary latrines, with the aim of one of each per year. The wells free people from the time-consuming drudgery of having to haul water from far-away sources. The couple work in Tanzania with MSABI, a program that describes itself as "a demand-driven, replicable and expandable model for the implementation of cost-efficient community based water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) projects."
Another project that Elser and her husband work with is the Devon Foundation: "Bringing Gemology & Lapidary Education to Gem Mining Communities." The organization is directed by Nancy Schuring, Debbie Swinney, Joe Portale and Jim Fiebig. As readers of our pages are aware, one of the challenges of gem-producing countries in the global south is creating value-added products in the countries themselves rather than shipping all rough abroad. (The situation was briefly outlined in a National Geographic Onward report last fall.) The Devon Foundation began facilitating this by awarding scholarships in the lapidary arts to students in Madagascar for whom such schooling was beyond their reach.
When the country's political situation changed in 2011, the foundation turned its attention to the already-existing Arusha Gemmological and Jewelry Vocational Training Center in the famous gem-producing locality of Tanzania. (See Robert Weldon's report on his visit on behalf of GIA during the 2012 the Arusha International Gem and Mineral Fair to learn how it could serve the local community with gemological education and resources.) Using Devon Foundation funds, the school is adding a new classroom. Foundation associates also donate textbooks and supplies on visits to the school.
For their part, Elser and Schlegel work with another educational endeavor, Southern and East African Mineral Centre, based in Dar-Es-Salaam, which provides training in gemology and gem cutting as well as several other mineral-related courses.
Trade Group Pursues Responsible Sourcing
The trade organization Precious Stones Multi-Stakeholder Working Group, formed last April in Paris, met last month during the AGTA GemFair. According to a February 21 press release, PSMSWG is "an open, non-exclusive coalition of companies, associations, NGOs and governments sharing an interest in responsible sourcing and supply-chain due diligence for precious stones." Many in the colored gem trade, however, question the accuracy of this representation. We are told there are issues of transparency and process that trouble some participants.
The group is investigating application of due diligence guidelines by entities such as the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD). The group's study on this issue is slated for a late spring release. Some in the trade feel that while the concept of the study is laudible, there are concerns: it is being rushed, it lacks input from some parties, and thus it may be flawed.
The group has regular conference calls; contact information is available in the press release. Tune in next month, when we will cover the working group and its efforts in more depth.
Research Roundup
A Treated Stone Sold as "Black Sapphire"
In January, GIT Testing Laboratory issued a report on a parcel of gems being marketed as "black sapphire." According to "A Treated Stone Sold as 'Black Sapphire'," this type of material is found from western China to Australia.
Microscopic examination with strong fiber optic light revealed dark blue coloration along healed fissures. Under shortwave ultraviolet light, the stones glowed weakly a chalky blue mostly in the healed fracture areas. Refractive index was normal for corundum. Dicroscopic examination revealed very dark to dark blue colors.
Advanced analysis also was performed and it was concluded that the stones had been treated by common titanium diffusion, but with a bit of a twist. Titanium is able to penetrate only slightly; the fissures allowed it go deeper.
Update on Gemstone Mining in Luc Yen, Vietnam
Sixteen months ago, we pointed to a Gems & Gemology cover that featured a "luscious jumble" of a ruby specimen from Luc Yen, northern Vietnam, in the collection of Pala International's Bill Larson. We also included Will Larson's story about the acquisition of that specimen—through the eyes of a 12-year-old. Also on that cover were three faceted stones, also from northern Vietnam: a blue spinel, a red spinel and a ruby. Beautiful.
But Luc Yen produces more than spinel and ruby, as the current edition of Gems & Gemologycertifies. "Update on Gemstone Mining in Luc Yen, Vietnam," by Pham Van Long, Vincent Pardieu, and Gaston Giuliani, looks at corundum and spinel, but also tourmaline, feldspar, and pargasite and humite (the latter two often being associated with spinel). The article begins with history and geology, moving on to the mining (include a chart of more than 30 mining sites) and trading. Nicely illustrated, as demonstrated by the image below.
Burma Bits
Jade jottings…
Last month we led off pointing to a report in the official New Light of Myanmar daily, that a jade boulder weighing 15 tons had been found in Hpakant, in Kachin State. It had been found on February 9. By February 20 that boulder had increased in size to 50 tons, according to The Irrawaddy. The reason for the discrepancy is that, iceberg-like, most of it was still in the ground. On the 20th, Democratic Voice of Burma (DVB) reported it was "a 37-ton slab" and that the Burmese army had moved in to secure the area. But by the 26th, DVB reported it was "nothing but a rock," according to Kachin State minister of mines, Aung Naing. This was contradicted by locals, but the minister said it would be placed on display to prove his case. Apparently during moving the boulder had cracked proving it was just an ordinary rock. Prior to its identification, Kachin News Group (via AP) quoted a man who said the Kachin Independence Organization had been offered 10% of the boulder's value.
The same day as its report on the boulder, The Irrawaddy published a scathing story on jade mining in Hpakant, titled "From Jade Land to a Wasteland." One jade dealer, U Cho, likened the dynamite-blasting method employed to the collapse of the World Trade Center on September 11, 2001. A mountain can be here and gone within the space of a month, he said. Somewhat ironically, in a section of the article titled "The wages of peace," it's pointed out that such extraction didn't begin in earnest until the rebel Kachin Independence Organization signed a ceasefire agreement with the military junta.
In other dour news from Kachin, the Myanmar Times describes as a "fiasco" the upgrading of the Hpakant-Moegaung road. (See "Burmese Jade: The Inscrutable Gem" for why this road might need some work.) When Vice President Sai Mauk Kham visited the state last August, locals asked him to facilitate the improvement. This began a bureaucratic nightmare involving mining entrepreneurs, which the article describes in detail, closing with the following:
Many people question why Myanmar remains poor despite its wealth of resources. If ever there was a good example to illustrate the answer, it is the tangled financial dealings behind the reconstruction of the Hpakant-Moegaung road.
Jewelers Ticked, Tickled
Meanwhile, Burma's jewelers have made their own demands on the government. Tired of selling only to Burma residents and foreigners who attend the periodic gem emporiums, the jewelers want to open the market, according to a March 10 Myanmar Times story. Their challenge is the same as that faced by Tanzanian crafters (see above): visiting dealers buy rough, which they carry back to the home country, leaving the local value-added producers out of the loop.
In welcome news to jewelery dealers, Burma's parliament revised the 2014–15 tax law, halving the commercial tax on finished jade and gemstones, from 30% to 15%, according to a story in yesterday's Myanmar Times. The tax on rough remains at 30%. Somewhat contraditorily, March 11 coverage of tax reform by The Irrawaddy stated, "Burma's rich natural resources, such as jade, gems and timber, have mostly flowed out of the country unregulated and lightly taxed during past decades of military rule, generating little in the way of government revenues." But a related DVB story stated that country's Internal Revenue Department issued a list of over 10,000 Burma companies that have evaded tax since 2012.
Jade Sales
In statistics that appear to match those we noted last month, Eleven Media Group reported yesterday that exports of jade for the first nine months of Burma's 2013–14 fiscal year (Apr–Dec) reached $920 million. This tops the total for the entire 2012–13 fiscal year, of $297 million.
Bite-Sized Bits
- Mizzima News: Burma protests to China regarding illegal gem exports
- Kachin News Group: China sends humanitarian aid to Kachin refugees
- Eleven Media Group: Portrait of Shan State; "a rainbow of hilltribes, precious stones, and sacred traditions"
- Xinhua: Burma and Asian Development Bank deal helps AIDS services and pearl farmers
- The Irrawaddy: Dynamite fishing affects pearl farming in southern Burma's Mergui Archipelago
- The Gemstone Forecaster: "My Trip to the Land of the (Myanmar) Burma Ruby" by Clayton Chang (and other Burma news)
Exotic Gems, Volume 3 by Renée Newman
How to Identify, Evaluate, Select and Care for Matrix Opal, Fire Agate, Blue Chalcedony, Rubellite, Indicolite, Paraiba and Other Tourmalines
It's been three years since our review of Renée Newman's Exotic Gems, Volume 2—not that she's been out of sight. Last year, she published Gold, Platinum, Palladium, Silver & Other Jewelry Metals. And 2012 brought us her Rare Gemstones, which featured several stones from the Pala International inventory that are still available. But enough about past achievements…
Volume 3 of Exotic Gems begins, in Chapter 1, "Exotic Gems," by answering a question the savvy gem enthusiast might raise: What's so exotic about tourmaline? Answer: The Dowager Empress Tzu-Hsi, who may be remembered as having installed China's last Emperor while on her deathbed. To gemstone lovers she's remembered for her passion for pink (also pearls and jade). Tourmaline, Newman informs us, was to the Dowager Empress truly exotic, because there was no local source for the material. It was her ardor for rosy tourmaline that drove a mining boom in San Diego in the years before her death in 1908.
As Newman points out, the exotic isn't only the distant and alien. "Strikingly, excitingly or mysteriously different or unusual" gems, like multicolored and Paraiba tourmaline also fit the bill. Newman goes on to describe briefly the characteristics of each of the gemstones to which she devotes single or multiple chapters. For instance tourmaline, in all its diversification, is discussed across seven chapters.
Chapter 2 is devoted to pricing vis-à-vis not just the Four C's (color, clarity, cut, carat weight) but also transparency (distinct from clarity); brilliance; treatments; content of copper, chromium and/or vanadium; origin; and phenomena. To illustrate cut, Newman includes the photograph by Wimon Manorotkul of a faceted quartz with a single needle of black tourmaline extending from culet to table like an axis, creating a wild kaleidoscopic effect.
Chapter 3 is a general overview of tourmaline, including a brief history, beginning with a tourmaline intaglio, ca. 3rd century B.C.E., depicting Alexander the Great. (It is housed at the Ashmolean Museum, which has an online exhibition of intaglios in other materials. Exotic Gems also features examples of modern intaglios.) Tourmaline identification and chemistry are handled next, followed by the characteristics of the five tourmaline species: elbaite, dravite, uvite, schorl and liddicoatite. The reader then turns to a four-page pictorial of faceting by master cutter John Bradshaw, who also contributes an essay on cutting. The chapter ends with notes on tourmaline care.
Chapter 4 covers Paraiba and other copper-bearing tourmalines, species: elbaite, beginning with a history of the Brazilian locality that gave its name—grudgingly—to material that hails from Brazil to Nigeria to Mozambique. Newman succinctly reviews the name-game issues, including "a lack of consensus" regarding issues of appearance in material from disparate localities. (Also included at the chapter's end are alternate monikers for this material—a slew of them: Caribbean-blue, electric green, neon, Seafoam, sky-blue, swimming-pool blue, turquoise blue, and even Windex-blue, a term often applied to blue topaz.) Newman then looks at identification of this cuprian tourmaline, followed by price factors. We should note here that this chapter (like the others) is abundantly illustrated. A favorite from this chapter is a necklace incorporating both African and Brazilian copper-bearing tourmaline.
Chapter 5 looks at blue to green tourmaline. The blue variety, called indicolite, is explained, followed by green, or chrome, tourmaline. Just to keep you on your toes, another green tourmaline is thrown into the mix: verdelite, or tourmaline that is green, but not due to chromium, copper or vanadium. Blue-green and gray tourmaline are discussed next, with the chapter being rounded out by identification issues.
Pink and red tourmaline, aka rubellite, are examined in Chapter 6, and if you needed proof that the Empress Dowager was onto something, look no further than the handsome ring pictured above. Evaluation tips and sources are discussed after a general overview.
Chapter 7 deals with yellow, orange and brown tourmaline. Illustrated are stones in hues of canary yellow, lemon yellow, yellow green, golden and pleochroic orange, and salmon. Yum.
Multicolored tourmaline is the subject of Chapter 8. The geologic origins are discussed before looking at liddicoatite (a variety with pronounced color zoning), effect of zoning on price, pleochroic multicolor (!) effect, and a gallery of jewelry employing this material. Chapter 9 covers cat's-eye and color-change tourmaline.
Whew! Did you think we forgot the other Exotic Gems? Blue chalcedony is next, in Chapter 10, and we're reminded to compare and contrast the subtleties of this stone with Pantone's color of the year, Radiant Orchid. Let the picture below speak its thousand words. Yum yum. Newman gives this the full treatment: definition, identification, sources near and far, quality and care.
Next up is fire agate in Chapter 11. This might be an acquired taste for some. As Newman writes, "If you're attracted to the color play of opal and the iridescence of ammolite," this material is for you. After an overview, Newman covers price factors, cutting and care. Two pages are devoted, again, to a master cutter's technique, courtesy Ryszard Krukowski.
We love matrix opal and were delighted by the variety of examples included in the 12th and final chapter of Exotic Gems. Newman covers the five main types: boulder matrix opal, Yowah nut or Koroit nut, Andamooka matrix opal, Mexican (aka fire) opal matrix, and Honduras matrix opal. She then looks at identification traits (beware the synthetics), pricing and evaluation and, finally, care.
Exotic Gems includes a three-page bibliography for further reading. You'll want to keep this handy both as a reference but also as a reminder of the variety of Planet Earth's bounty. The book can be purchased at major bookstores and jewelry supply stores, or via the link on the author's website.
Pala Presents
With Pala Presents, we offer selections from the collection of Pala International's Bill Larson, who will share with us some of the wealth of information in the realm of gems and gemology. And, as with this edition, gemstone-related collectibles.
Lucky Bloodstone: Birthstone Collecting Cards
Bloodstone, a birthstone for March, is the third in our series of collecting cards that we'll supply over the next twelve months. For more information on birthstones, see Palagems.com.
— End March Newsletter • Published 3/18/14 —
Note: Palagems.com selects much of its material in the interest of fostering a stimulating discourse on the topics of gems, gemology, and the gemstone industry. Therefore the opinions expressed here are not necessarily those held by the proprietors of Palagems.com. We welcome your feedback.


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This is a medium sized tree or large shrub.
Leatherwood's are evergreen trees with green glossy leaves with grey/white backs.
Attractive pink flowers in summer, about 5cm across.
Leatherwood is the single most important nectar plant in Tasmania, accounting for about 70% of all honey produced. It has also been cut for timber to be used as a veneer, for tool handles and railway sleepers.
Height to 15m. Width to 7m
Frost hardy75mm pot
Western Australia & Tasmania Customers - Please note we are sorry to advise we can no longer accept orders for WA and Tasmania.
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subset: commoncrawl


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After last year's sell-out success, with over 15,000 visitors, this year Portsmouth Summer Show takes over King George V playing field for two dates - Saturday 30th April and Sunday 1st May.
The line up is fit to burst with household names with pop favourite Peter Andre headlining the Saturday. Headlining Sunday is the New York born and bred Fun lovin' Criminals with their unique blend of hip-hop, rock, funk and blues. Check out our interview with Fast from The Fun Lovin' Criminals here to get in the mood:
Also performing are Britain's Got Talent's biggest dance crew Diversity, Boy band favourites Union J and 5ive, Scouting for Girls, The Hoosiers, Country-pop duo The Shires, Sam Bailey, Reggie N Bollie, Lucy Spraggan and Peter Andre.
As well as the stellar music line up there are plenty of activities for the whole family to enjoy. Watch cheer-leading displays, dance troupes and choirs in the Big Top by day and dance the night away to Hipshaker and Delight DJs by night. Visit the petting zoo, check out the Solent Renegades Classic Car display, get creative with the art wall or Aspex Gallery workshops and visit the onsite fairground.
Along with The Silver Beatles, Fleetingwood Mac, The Racketeers, Kojak's Revenge, Rhythm of the 90s, Strumpet Town, The Devotions, and Southsea Alternative Choir Portsmouth Summer Show is a fantastic event for the whole family – make sure you're part of it!
Music kicks off on the Main Stage at 11.20, and it will be a cash only site:
• Standard Ticket £15
• 5-15yrs £5
• Under 5's £1
Buy online at www.portsmouthsummershow.co.uk


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Busy time of month when the Round Robin journals come in.
I have completed several, which are now on their way.
In the Kindred Spirits Round Robin, I finished Gloria's book. Her theme is Vintage Shabby Chic. Here's what I did:
The girl is actually 3D, and each butterfly is highlighted with clear embossing powder.
I grunged and aged the page too.
Next is Eileen's lace book in the Vintage Round Robin. Her theme is Vintage Accessories. Her book already had gloves, glasses, so much good stuff, but… it was really missing a boa. And everyone knows life goes better with a boa. Here's the front cover:
The left page has a red rose, and lots of lace.
The right page is the lady with her boa and her jewelry, checking herself in the mirror. Soooo romantic!
And finally, the last Round Robin that left yesterday is the Medieval Lace Book. I had Liz's journal: Medieval Gardens.ON the left page, I embroidered a medieval design from BeadsEast, on a background of faded pink velvet.
On the right page is a picture of one of the last Medieval gardens in France, Chateau de Villandry. It happens to be 10 miles from my home town, so I know it quite well. Liz loves rust, orange and green colors. All fall colors. So I added some chestnuts, and some flowers in that color range.
The outside cover is striped velvet that I decorated with machine stitches in all sorts of colors, as well as ribbons and flowers.
And of course, the latest bracelet, because I wouldn't want you to think I've stopped beading… This one is headed to my hairdresser's salon. Because in Palm Springs, there is a market for such a masculine cuff. Now to find a rock star…


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The limpid tears of heaven were spilled as if the celestial beings are mourning again for the 9/11 innocent victims.
Today, I have a reason to cry and to mourn for the Twin Tower tragedy's victims. But this is neither to "cry over spilled milk", nor to reminisce the evil deeds of the terrorists. Today, it's a brand new day to be bereaved for my healing sake, I am writing a tribute for an unsung hero that I only knew today.
Last August 31, 2011, I planned to write a tribute for my younger brother, Ben Jathniel, who passed away on March 31, 2011. During that day, it was five months that has passed after his death. I attempted to think about the fondest memories of one of my closest siblings, but later abandoned the thought. Moving on isn't that easy. During his burial, I felt at peace and accepted he's gone. It was but for the moment. Now, as I look back, my heart is wound afresh. Maybe I could write about him later. Maybe, just maybe, soon!
This morning, I have many things in mind. I have many thoughts to write. But when I opened the Word Press site…BANG! Without any hint, a bullet got me bull's eye, right in the very core of my heart. Vulnerable, my eyes were glued to one of the Freshly Pressed — Remembering the Victims of 9/11 PROJECT 2,996 (http://project2996.wordpress.com/).
Too eager to read, I clicked the icon and BAM!
I realized it's been a decade ago. The 9/11 tragedy happened a long time ago but the horrible memories are still fresh as if it happened yesterday. Most leading news network features the 9/11 memoir today. It may be fresh to those who saw what happened that day. How much more to the families who are still grieving over the loss of innocent lives?
I browsed the page on the PROJECT 2,996, WE REMEMBER – the list of the names without tribute yet. While browsing, I thought of looking for Filipino victims. There, I found Ivhan Luis Carpio Bautista, age 24. Since I have no idea yet of who he was, I browsed the Google and I found several links. I later on knew he isn't a Filipino. But it is okay still, I'm not a racist. I looked for a Filipino so I have something to relate with. I've found another Bautista in the list and thought they're related, but Marlyn C. Bautista, age 46 is a Filipino and she already had a tribute.
According to CNN, Ivhan was working at World Trade Center, Tower 1, 107th floor when the 9/11 tragedy happened. He worked at a restaurant called Windows on the World. Developed by restaurateur Joe Baum and designed initially by Warren Platner, Windows on the World occupied 50,000 square feet (4,600 m²) of space in the North Tower. The restaurants operated from April 1976 until 2001 when they were destroyed in the September 11 attacks.
Ivhan had a more tragic death because on that same day of his 24th birthday, his life was robbed during his worst nightmare. It was the devil's scheme that his precious life was taken from him. I still don't fully understand why God allowed that tragedy to happen, but for me, "God is too wise to be mistaken, God is too good to be unkind."
According to his niece or nephew (there's no identity) at Kanyetothe:
R.I.P to my uncle, Ivhan Luis Carpio Bautista.
He was only 24 years old, 9/11/2001 was his birthday and also his day off from work at the WTC.
The day before the attack he was accepted into John Jay College of Criminal Justice and later that night asked by a co-worker to cover his shift the next day.
I remember when he lived one block away from me, in my grandmother's basement. I used to always go downstairs to play catch with him and he used to show me his karate trophies, telling me all the stories of how he won them. He knew how much I loved to write short stories and poetry and encouraged me to keep doing what made me happy.
I miss you…
According to New York Times, Ivhan was a very hard-working man, he supported his family back in Peru and even when it was his day-off and it was his birthday, he still worked that day, not knowing that it will be his last day. ):
Last Tuesday was Ivhan Luis Carpio Bautista's day off at Windows on the World. It was also his birthday. But with an extended family back in Peru depending on his paycheck, Mr. Carpio, 24, did not hesitate when a co-worker called that Monday night asking if he would cover a shift. "He worked all the overtime he could," said a cousin, Rita Tatiana Palacio. "Too many people needed the money, including a niece whose school he paid for."
In the two years since arriving in New York speaking only Spanish, Mr. Carpio had made enviable strides. His English was nearly fluent, he had found the perfect job and last month had moved into his own place, having previously shared an apartment with his cousin in Queens. The day before the attack on the twin towers, he learned that he had been accepted to John Jay College of Criminal Justice. It was a day of triumph, as he had been uncertain whether the school would accept credits from his two-and-a-half years of law school in Peru. "He was so excited, so happy," Ms. Palacio said. "I remember him saying how he was so lucky, that everything was going to be so good from now on."
I have no idea how life had been for his family after his death. I am longing to get in touch with them. I am hoping that by writing this tribute, I would be able to let them know I care for the loved ones of the unsung heroes like Ivhan. Upon writing this tribute, I felt relieved. Upon reading his tragic death, I felt consoled. I found another healing balm from the Lord. I was inspired and was touched. I may not fully understand how hard it was for his family to accept his tragic loss, but somehow I can relate; I lost a precious brother.
Life must go on. There's no time for "crying over spilled milk". But crying for treasured loved ones who passed away isn't bad at all, it's normal. From time to time, they are remembered and their memories would be forever etched in the heart no matter how turbulent the waves may seem to erase the footprints they left.
Every time it rains, I want to cry. I even want to cry under the rain; at least, my tears wouldn't be too obvious.
Today, I started this tribute while it is raining cats and dogs. I finished it with a clear sky. I felt peace.


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Why is an Interactive Website Important for your School? Control, Measurement & Research.
Websites are challenging the traditional methods of communication by aligning their designs and functionality with the changes in user behaviour and technology.
Technology has allowed us to use the web as a social platform meaning we no longer see a website as just a place to gain information; we see it as a place to socially experience content. This has subsequently changed our expectations as users in that we anticipate the ability to interact with the website before we have even loaded the page.
Control has shifted from school to end user
What does this mean? Schools traditionally have had control over how information is consumed. A letter may be sent out to parents, an announcement in assembly etc. Students and parents now expect to consume information in the way they choose. This could be via Facebook, Twitter, Flickr YouTube, a blog etc. All these channels of communication can be overwhelming to your school's marketing person. An interactive school website is designed to contain all these channels into one central hub - your school website. By having all these social media platforms on your site means your end user is just one click away from consuming rich content from one stream.
Measure & Research
An interactive website is more than just a means to push content; it excels in measurement and research.
By using Google Analytics you can measure the level of involvement a user has with your site and even specific content. How many people visited our site this week? How long did they spend on our "About Us" page? Why do 75% of people leave our "Request a Prospectus" page? These are all essential questions that can be answered with analytics.
By measuring the level of interaction your users have with your site leads you to find out which content works and which does not. Simple measurements such as the number of comments, sign ups for your newsletter etc. allows your school to engage on a higher level than other schools.
Intimacy analyses what occurs within the interaction between user and website. What are people saying about your school: is it positive or negative? What feedback can be taken from your latest news?
This is one of the most critical tools for measurement. It measures the communication between user and their social audience. For example, a student can 'like' a video from your school and it is then seen by their friends. Advocating content is one of the most crucial ways a school can increase their awareness.


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Hiking in a Dress to the Top of the World (BC)
For the third year in a row I picked a challenge, grabbed a school girl dress, and brought along a few others to join me in some Do It in a Dress fun. For this year, five of us headed to Top of the World Park in beautiful British Columbia, all of whom are seasoned backcountry hikers. This made my job pretty easy to be honest. Even the dog "Rosco" carried his own backpack.
Top of the World provincial park is located in south-eastern British Columbia, and is accessible only by foot (or to a limited degree, horse). There are no roads into the park, and the road that leads to the "park entrance" is forestry trunk road which has actually feasted on one of my car tires in the past. The last time I was in the park, my friend and I lost the trail on a day hike and we feared we would have to stay the night in the forest. Needless to say, this park and I have history.
So after a ~12 hour drive, we pulled up to the trailhead and headed into the park for three nights. Everything we needed we had to pack in, and everything we didn't eat, we had to pack out. Not only that, but the weather is unpredictable, and most times, you can only see above you, what with all of the mountain peaks in the way. It may be blue skies and sunshine now, and a wicked thunderstorm 20 minutes later. You need to be prepared for anything.
Between these extremes, it makes you think long and hard about what you really need, and one of those "needs" for this particular trip, was a school dress. For the second year in a row, I rocked red.
I get a lot of compliments.
For the uninitiated, Do It in a Dress is an initiative by the fine folks at One Girl, an Australia-based organization which funds education projects for girls and entrepreneur projects for women in Sierra Leone.
The way it works is pretty simple:
1) Pick a challenge
2) Do that challenge in a school girl dress
3) Raise $300 to put a girl in school for a year
The WHY is pretty simple. To put it bluntly, it sucks being born a girl in Sierra Leone, where only 1 in 6 girls are able to attend high school, and 28% will be married before they're 15. In fact, a girl is more likely to be a sexually assaulted than she is to attend high school.
But when a girl is educated, everything changes. An educated girl will marry later, and have a smaller, healthier family. She'll make more money (10% more per year of school) and she'll invest 90% of that back into her family.
That's why we do it.
For 4 days, we hiked in and around Top of the World provincial park, setting up our little base camp at Fish Lake and heading out from there. I slept in a bivy sack, which is essentially a tent for one, and not much bigger than my tiny sleeping bag I jammed inside. This is an excellent way to keep weight down, and comes with the added feature of having a rain sensor built in.
By rain sensor, I mean that when it rains, it rains directly on my face. This awakens the sensor (me) and reminds me to zip up the bivy for the balance of the storm so I don't drown. The rain on my legs also acts as a cold massage through the bivy.
From there, we hiked, fished, played card games, and caught up in a way that you only can when there are no beeping mobile phones around. Meals were mostly of the dehydrated or freeze-dried variety. They're easy to prepare (just add boiling water), and taste pretty good after you've been hiking around all day. Honest. We had to filter all of our water right from the lake, which was nice and cool. So cool that no one went for a swim, besides Rosco at least.
Sketchy weather meant that our longer day hike was along the somewhat sheltered path to "Summer Pass." Mid July, and there were snowballs tossed. And some poses for the camera. Mosquitoes were out in full force on the trail, but no bears. Phew.
On the fourth day, it was time to head back out to the truck. Another Hikers Without Pants event was in the bag, and in keeping with tradition, we made our way for a celebratory shower and soak at Radium Hot Springs.
These are the showers, after days of hiking in the backcountry, that feel the best. Top of the World, BC, I salute you...in a dress.
You can check out my Do It in a Dress fundraising page here, and stay tuned for another event we're putting together for September.
Read out my other Do It in a Dress adventures:
2012 - Hikers Without Pants @ Mt Robson
2013 - Climbers Without Pants
If you're feeling inspired, I encourage you to Do It in a Dress too :)


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Local Product Love: Mariner Lines
Today I wanted to share another great New England maker, Mariner Lines. If you're a dog-lover and a New England lover you need to have one of these beautiful hand-made nautical leashes in your life.
When I first stumbled across Mariner Lines, I thought their leashes looked beautiful and rugged and loved that they were made in Maine. But once I learned the story behind the brand I loved it even more as Mariner Lines was started by Stacia and her fisherman husband when their yellow lab Mariner became ill. Sales of these handmade leashes not only help them with medication expenses for their beloved pup (who is thankfully doing better), but a portion of sales is also donated to local rescue groups too. You can feel good about buying and using this leash knowing the good it does.
This weekend we brought our black lab Harley out for a short hike in the woods with our new Mariner Lines leash. Harley LOVES walking in the woods and was super-excited to put her new leash to the test. You see, the second you clip a leash to Harley's collar she pulls like a competition draft horse at the Fryeburg Fair... we've worked with her a bunch and done obedience classes but none of that matters for the first 10 minutes of the walk until she gets the excitement out of her system.
Our Mariner Lines leash held strong and I felt confident walking Harley on it. One of my favorite aspects of the leash was the roundness of the rope in my hands. All of our other leashes are traditional flat nylon that dig into your palms when the dog pulls; I was pleasantly surprised to see that the thick round rope did not dig into my hands at all as Harley got the initial excitement out of her system.
The leashes are hand-spliced together using rigging line and heavy-duty brass clasps so you know they're made to last. They come in many colors and there are even hand-knitted neck warmers for your pup and cowls for you available so you can coordinate. All the leashes are "one fathom" (about six feet) long - I just love how they incorporate the nautical theme into every aspect of their brand!
Overall, I really love our Mariner Lines leash - it's rugged, durable, beautiful, and stands for helping pups in need. What's not to love?
- I received this leash from Mariner Lines as a gift, but all opinions expressed are my own. Please read our Disclosure Policy for more information. -
Photos by Adrian Pelletier


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A VisuaLecture by Arlen Schumer
THIS SUNDAY MAY 5th, 2013 @ 3:00pm! In an incredible multimedia gallery space, part of Stepping Stones Museum's YES2 Youth Program's 1st Comic Book Mini-Convention! A screen the size of a small IMAX to project on! Comic book images like you've never seen 'em before!
I'll be going though not only "The First 25 Years" of my comic book history works (since my instigating the Fall '88 PRINT mag special comics issue), but "the first 25 years" of my childhood and young adult years, from being the art director of BATMANIA mag in high school to working for Batman's greatest artist, Neal Adams, after art school (like getting paid to go to graduate school), and then creating a career illustrating in a comic book style, and parlaying comic book history to audiences around the country!
And hey, adults--it ain't just for kids! There'll be plenty of adults/parents, and ALL ages are invited!
And if you CAN'T make it in person...
LIVE-STREAMING VIDEO ON USTREAM! Go here at 4:00pm EST: http://www.ustream.tv/channel/stepping-stones-museum-forchildren
Stepping Stones Museum
Mathews Park, 303 West Avenue
Norwalk, CT 06850
203 899 0606


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by James C. Stephens
Monday, February 26, 1979
Last night Russ Dilando, Jim Jay, and Paul Diamond called me to enlist my support for their Monday morning speech at the staff's weekly meeting. (North American Headquarters Staff Meeting in Santa Monica on 525 Wilshire Blvd., Santa Monica).
Immediately after Mr. Williams finished morning Gongyo, Jim Jay went to the front and asked for people's attention. He said he wanted to say a few words regarding Mr. Williams recent visit to Seattle. First he asked if any one minded him talking. They said nothing. I said, please speak. Everyone looked at me. No loyalty to Jim from anyone in the organization even though he worked there for three years. Mr. Williams asked if he could talk, no one said anything. I'm sure they fear for their jobs.
He (Jim Jay) talked of what happened when he asked Mr. Williams about his salary. He said he wasn't going to tell him and would not and that it was none of his business. He (Jim Jay) said that he was on staff for three years.
Notes: The notes above are all I recorded at the time. Here's what I remember about the event. Jim Jay was my leader for a time in Sepulveda Chapter as was Russ Dilando. Paul Diamond was one of my members. Chico Olivera another member of Sepulveda Chapter was there as well.
We were all Youth Division leaders and very zealous radical students who went after our practice with everything we had. Most of us attended California State University Northridge. As for the event at the Headquarters, everyone there (probably 80 staff) knew us all very well. We were fixtures at the Headquarters, leaders in Brass Band, leaders in the Youth Division, all graduates of the NSA Study Academy, pulled Toban duty at the North American Headquarters, Santa Monica Headquarters, Malibu Training Center, Myohoji Temple, helped build the Malibu Center, the Santa Monica Headquarters, members of the Soka Group, Traffic Control Division, Stage Crew at various conventions. In other words, we were not just troublemakers, we were zealous for kosenrufu and concerned about the direction of the movement. We had invested our lives fully. Held meetings six to seven times a week, on Friday's we had discussion meetings which started at 7:00 pm and if there were no guests, we'd go to the streets and do shakubuku til we found them, invite them to our meetings and had meetings sometimes until 1:00 am.
So, when everyone in the room started swearing (I won't repeat the words), others were saying "let them speak." Probably Gary Curtis who had been a part of the Berkeley Free Speech movement in the 60's. Finally, Jim Jay got up and started asking where all of our money was going? We wanted accountability. After Jim finished up his short message, we realized we had been stonewalled, got the message, and left, and went our separate ways.
About three hours later, I received a call from Brad Nixon, former Seattle Headquarters Chief, who was now working at the North American Headquarters in Santa Monica as the head of the organization department, who was a friend and said to me, "Jim, you better lay low." I asked, "Why?" He responded, "When I was going out to lunch I heard two men behind me, 'Let's go get our 357 magnums and blow these guys away.'" Needless to say, I laid low. I failed to mention that I lived just across the street about three doors down from the North American Headquarters in Santa Monica. It didn't lessen our zeal for reform, but only fueled it. I won't mention their names here, but will say that years later, I did confront one of them and he said, "Yes, I did say that and was very angry. My wife always said that I needed to get my anger problem under control and at one point held that 357 magnum up to my head and said I'd better. I have ever sense."
We all get angry over things that threaten us and I hold no malice toward either one of them. Glad they didn't go through with their threats, but I was always a bit on edge whenever I'd go to the Headquarters or General meetings.
Just watched Brad Nixon's son's film about his father's life. I am very troubled by his passing. Our path's crossed when he came down to Los Angeles for that once last chance. His warning did save my life and the lives of my family. Tough film. Very well done.
Brad Nixon. Bladfold, A Film about Brad Nixon


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Printable Forms
Printable Forms
To view and print these forms in keeping with filing standards you will need Adobe Acrobat reader. This may already be installed on your computer as a standard application. If you do not have Acrobat Reader just click the link for free software. Download Acrobat Reader
Forms must be completed and mailed or brought in person to:Fayette County Clerk162 East Main StreetLexington, KY 40507Office Hours
Forms cannot be e-mailed or faxed as they must contain the original signature.
51A280 - Out of State Purchase - Use Tax Form (For trailers and boats only)
62A044 - Affidavit for Correction/Exoneration of Motor Vehicle/Boat/Trailer Property Tax
62F031 - Appeal to Local Board of Assessment Appeals
71A100 - Affidavit of Total Consideration Given for a Motor Vehicle
71A101 - Motor Vehicle Usage Tax Multi-Purpose Form
72A007 Affidavit of NonHighway Use
85-FCC-263 - Motor Vehicle Insurance Affidavit (to Cancel registration)
86-FCC-265 - Correction Affidavit (for assigned titles with an error)
FCC 01-07 - Address Change form for Voter Registration or Motor Vehicles
FCC84-0256 - Motor Vehicle Application for change of Name
FCC 89-266 - Incomplete Transfer Affidavit
FCCV11-1 - Third Party Vendor Authorization Register
FCCV11-2 - Third Party Vendor Batch Check-In
SBE 01 - Official Voter Registration
TC96-16A - Request for Motor Vehicle or Boat Record
TC96-167 - Replacement / Non-Exchange Affidavit
TC96-169 - Application for HIN
TC96-182 - Application for Kentucky Certificate of Title/Registration
TC96-184 - Motor Boat Transaction Record Application for Title/Registration
TC96-215 - Affidavit of Motor Vehicle Assembled from Wrecked or Salvage Vehicles
TC96-216 - Statement of Current Service in Kentucky National Guard
TC96-191 - Off the Road affidavit
TC96-322 - Affidavit of Mileage Correction
TC96-342 - Application for Personalized License Plates
TC96-343 - Affidavit new HIN is affixed
TC96-347 - Application for Disabled Persons Special Parking Permit


text: Thank you for your interest in YSU Hockey. Unfortunately, we will not be competing in the 2019-20 season as we work to restructure our team. If you have questions, feel free to reach out to us using the links down below. If you are a player interested in playing for YSU in 2020, please fill out our Player Interest Form using the button below. If you are interested in joining our off-ice staff, please use the Volunteer Interest Form button.


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Being a July baby I always find the transition from summer to autumn difficult, even though I love autumn. I think this is because in the back of my mind I know winter will soon follow!
So each year I sort of 'prepare' myself, I spend time looking at pictures of adventures from previous winter adventures to get my head in the right place for cold weather and dark evenings.
Of course this means I end up thinking about snow, which I actually don't mind!
I found this lovely picture of Little Hippy and myself from about 7 years ago, isn't she cute?
So, trying to get my brain into the darker, cooler part of the year (and to being OK with that) I decided I wanted to make some snow-themed cards.
I love this card! It's perfect for snowboarders and snow-loving, snow-crazy people. Behind the sentiment are snowboards and skis. Isn't it cool? (boom boom!).
This was a quick and easy card and doesn't take much organising. You mount multiple stamps on one block to create the background pattern. Note that I used Washi Tape and sequins that were left over from using the Watercolor Wishes Card Kit (see below).
To make this project you'll need the following Stampin' Supplies:
Mountain Adventure Stamp Set
Stampin' Dimensionals
SNAIL Adhesive
Night of Navy Classic Stampin' Pad
Soft Sky Classic Stampin' Pad
Soft Sky A4 Cardstock
Whisper White Cardstock
Washi Tape and sequins left over from the Watercolor Wishes Card Kit
Fine-Tip Glue Pen
Clear Acyrlic Blocks
If you've got any questions about this project or about Stampin' Up! products please don't hesitate to get in touch with the email below, I'd only be too happy to help,
Thanks for stopping by,
07896 314573


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CHICAGO January 20, 2011 - Zapwater Communications, Inc., the Midwest's premier boutique public relations agency, today announces the addition of TheTieBar.com to its client roster. TheTieBar.com is an online tie boutique featuring hundreds of styles of 100% silk ties in a variety of colors and patterns for an affordable price of only $15 each. The company has retained Zapwater to coordinate ongoing media relations, celebrity seeding, social media efforts and promotions. Former lawyers and co-owners Greg and Gina Shugar launched TheTieBar.com in 2004 after being fed up with paying a fortune for neckties. They created TheTieBar.com to offer an affordable, stylish option for men looking to add to their wardrobe without the budget. In addition to selling its ties,TheTieBar.com also sells original design cufflinks and pocket squares making it a one-stop-shop for business professionals and gift buyers.
To learn more about TheTieBar.com please visit www.TheTieBar.com.


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HappYness is overflowing and energy is bursting Finally, was given the grace of time to reflect and appreciate my blessings for the day, before it ends Nang Jo Rabacio and Mareng Owen Legaspi, thank you for inviting me to this process – you are God's instruments in order for me to undergo this meaningful process So, here it goes:
1. Husband & Wife Time: accompanied Getti in the Makati City Hall to get her license
2. Sharing God's Inspiration: was able to send morning reflection points while waiting for Getti and traveling to the office
3. Iloilo Connect: able to communicate with Joseph, my brother, and share lessons in taking care of family
4. Monetary blessing and the grace to set aside something for tithes
5. Helping Hand: forwarded to a friend re: job opportunity
6. Celebrity spotting: saw Basketball player's girlfriend, finally
7. Teacher's Connect: Ma'am Ofelia Pacete, one of my favorite professors
8. Forgiveness & Mother's Love: listened to Lance Raymundo and his Mom over a faith sharing session. The mom shared that it is her devotion to Mother Mary who "kept everything in her heart"; very inspiring
9. Lunch with Sister Grace Huelgas, it was a divine appointment
10. Over work, I learned about Archiving & Smart Cities
11. Took a work break with Jen and Tina, cute banters and observations
12. Cousin Connect with Mike Hipolito, Getti's cousin
13. Took a nap when I got home and was awakened by a sweet hug from Getti
14. Project Hope: we discussed about a friend who needs to be encouraged while she's undertaking life challenge. We decided to visit her soon
15. Sinigang nga baboy over dinner!
16. TV Time: we watched Mother's Story and surfed over my new channel fave: 2nd Avenue
17. Decided to uninstall Sticky Notes and Skype from my unit, which bothers me whenever I open my netbook:)
18. Began to write this Positivity challenge
19. Watched David Blaine in TV
20. Possibility of sleeping before 11pm — feeling happy.


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On 8/30/05, Laurens Holst <email@example.com> wrote: > > Christoph Päper schreef: > > I disagree, for element names should carry the main semantics, and > > prefer myself something like this: > > > > <"some parent with only block children allowed"> > > <code class="pre"/> > > </> > I disagree with that, class doesn't convey any semantic information, and > if the code being preformatted is important to the clarity or even > functioning of the code, it should use <pre> appropriately and not rely > on the stylesheet. Why doesn't class convey semantic information? Why aren't we styling elements based on their semantic classification as opposed to string that people just make up like "l76blue". I'd rather limit class to semantic structures and just style those. -- Orion AdrianReceived on Tuesday, 30 August 2005 18:25:00 UTC
This archive was generated by hypermail 2.3.1 : Wednesday, 7 January 2015 15:06:11 UTC


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about us
The Mitten Foundation partners with different local non-profit organizations (or organizations in need) in an effort to raise both funds and awareness. With the help of its staff and customers, The Mitten Brewing Company has raised more than $150,000 for local organizations since 2012.
The foundation's criteria for choosing non-profit partners is twofold: the organization must be local, and they must be small enough that the donation will make a measurable difference. The foundation strives to connect each dollar donated to the effect it has.
The Mitten Brewing Company was humbled to receive the West Michigan Chapter of the Association of Fundraising Professional's 2015 "President's Award" in recognition of its commitment to fundraising. The company plans to expand its community involvement efforts as it grows, and they recently started an employee volunteer program that provides staff with opportunities to become personally involved with non-profit partners.
What We've Achieved
- Recipient of the 2015 "President's Award" from the Association of Fundraising Professionals.
- Presided over more than $150,000 in charitable gifts since 2012.
- Recipient of the 2017 "Community Partner Award" from Autism Support of Kent County (ASK).
- Creator of the annual "Teddy Rasberry" equipment drive for The YMCA's Inner-City Youth Baseball and Softball Program (ICYBS).
- Created the "Neighborhood Improvement Barrel Grant" for West Grand Neighborhood Organization in 2016.
- Funded a school uniform drive for neighboring Harrison Park School.
- Funded a student managed urban garden at the Grand Rapids Public Museum School in partnership with Urban Roots.


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…apparently not. March 1 in Birmingham…
Yes, it snowed here last night and well into this morning. Was it predicted? I have no idea- I'd spent Thursday and Friday watching rain storms coming and arriving, and then slacked off the weather -watching which was Michael's department anyway. (Once, early in our marriage, my father asked what he might get Michael for Christmas. "Well, I said thoughtfully, "He likes the weather." And he did!) .
It's very pretty and already melting – I was surprised that it stuck to the ground at all, but a good bit of did -although that around our apartment has been quickly scooped up into snowballs and snowpeople by lots of delighted children – and just as many adults. No electric outlet or monitor required. Just a surprise from the heavens.
Driving to church was interesting, not because of the snow, but because it was also very foggy. 10 AM Mass was maybe half full – and it is usually overflowing. Come on, people!
(Yes, yes, they're not prepared for snow down here. But seriously – it wasn't sticking to to roads – although it probably was in the hilly areas, of which there are many in this city.)


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Extremely tasty, crispy & simple!
If you love crispy bacon and a lot of cheese – this recipe is for you.
The best part, you can cook it in 5 minutes!
You can either read instructions below, or view the video, (everything is explained in just 36 seconds):
[quads id="2″]
- Cut the crusts off both bread slices
- Flatten the slices wit a rolling pin
- Roll up cheese and bread
- Wrap each roll with a piece of bacon and use toothpicks to fasten
- Cook on a skillet a little and take out the toothpicks.
- Continue cooking until the bacon is cooked
- Serve
Its yummy!


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A God Worth Worshipping
I can't open my Twitter newsfeed or my Facebook page or, it seems, almost any other source of information, without seeing something new about a religious "Christian" extremist in the U.S. (especially those running for the GOP presidential nomination) who thinks his or her god condemns every LGBTQ individual on the face of the planet to hell.
Here are just a few recent examples.
Mike Huckabee says that as president, he would ignore Obergefell v. Hodges because, "there is nothing in the Constitution that gives the Supreme Court power to make a law." Of course, he's ignoring the fact that this case did not, in fact, make a law. What SCOTUS did was what the Constitution says SCOTUS is supposed to do: interpret existing law and issue a ruling about how it's applied across the country. It's difficult to tell whether Huckabee is ignorant of the Constitution, is ignorant of what SCOTUS did, or is lying through his teeth. But it has to be one or more of those things.


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Parents are completely euphoric when they look at their babies. A baby deprives parents of the one thing that keeps people alert, happy, and from being delirious. SLEEP. It robs them of their 8 hours of sleep and they are tired, wiped out, and holding on by a thread but that sweet babe looks at them, yawns, or gives a hint of smile and they are entranced in a blissful state. It really doesn't make sense but I have captured it over and over again. For example this family…This is their first kid…I saw them a couple weeks before he was born and they were calm and happy and wonderful, but then entered their little boy and it was as if their house was filled with thick love everywhere. I almost felt if I touched the walls love goo would come off on my shirt. (I know, I know, I have a flare for drama, but you grow up in a house of 5 girls and try not to love a little drama ;) Back to this sweet family- The glances they gave each other, the way they looked at their boy. The way they knew even after just 6 days of the things he would do or what he liked. Their deep care for each other…It was mesmerizing.
I felt euphoric after I was done taking photos, so excited for their little boy and how well loved he was going to be his whole life and how dreamy his parents are. Sometimes I have to pinch myself that this is my full time job to capture families and their euphoria :)


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Villa Chiberta by Atelier Delphine Carrere/
Set in the serene and quaint town of Anglet on the southwest coast of France, Villa Chiberta by Atelier Delphine Carrere has all the perks of both a cabin in the woods and a beach house. Tucked into a forest of towering pines, a sandy boardwalk leads up to this sweet hideaway complete with private swimming pool. Designed so that no view of this idyllic setting could be missed, the villa also maintains a sense of seclusion.
In honor of the home's woodsy surroundings, the exterior of this French retreat is made entirely of wooden batten. To further imitate its pine neighbors, the wood strips of the batten are set vertically against the outside of the structure mimicking the lines of the trees.
While the front of the house has several smaller windows for the sake of privacy, a great view was of high importance in this sanctuary's design. The back, which overlooks the pool, seems almost entirely open with its many enormous plate glass windows.
As if all that wasn't enough, the greatest of great views isn't that of the pool from the overhanging living room. Set at the home's highest point, the master bedroom beats all with a commanding 360-degree view of the surrounding landscape.
With the quiet privacy of a forest hideaway and the open airiness of coastal haven, Villa Chiberta has the best of both getaway spots all in one.
Photography by Antoine Huot


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DMC board OKs $38 million apartment complex in downtown Rochester
Rochester's apartment boom continues.
On Thursday, the Destination Medical Center Corporation Board gave the go-ahead to a 156-unit apartment complex to be developed on the south end of downtown. The board's approval will allow $3.8 million in public funding — in the form of tax increment financing (TIF) — to count toward the city's $128 million obligation to DMC.
"Adding new housing projects like this helps contribute to the street life and vitality of the downtown," said Patrick Seeb, DMC's director of economic development and placemaking. Seeb noted that a downtown resident spends about seven times as much money at downtown businesses as does a typical employee.
The development, put forward by members of Rochester-based Titan Development & Investments and Minneapolis-based Opus Group, will offer market rate units ranging from studios to two-bedrooms.
On-site amenities available to residents of "Urban on First" will include a fitness center, pool, club room with kitchen, and storage areas for bicycles. The project will also feature a functional green roof.
Additionally, the $38 million mixed-used development will offer 9,000 square feet of street-level retail space and a two-story parking garage. The project site is located on a parking lot between Broadway and First Avenue, just south of the U.S. Bank branch and east of the recently-completed 501 on First building.
The proposal still needs final approval from the city council.
Cover graphic courtesy developer


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All things are relevant when considering today's world. All topics will be discussed.
Sunday, January 30, 2011
Gold: Disclaimer
The Fed works for the Houses of John Pierpont Morgan and the 'rival' Goldman Sachs, but those bans also work for the Fed. China works for these monied interests, but these monied interests work for them. It works like a back massage circle. When it comes to gold it is a similar thing. One person shorts it, the major banks, and another buys it, China. The Fed is in on the gig by leasing gold. Most of this is paper gold, not real. The physical has a premium the way teeny boppers will pay to be front row for Miley Ray Serious. The paper is used and abused.
They have been dumping paper gold, and if you read my blog you know that I wrote about this a month ago. The price of paper gold is decoupling from physical due to i) massive buying of physical and ii) massive selling of paper.
It is common knowledge that the world is buying physical at a ferocious pace. Demand is skyrocketing all over. Yet the price has fallen throughout January. Have they been creating a buying opportunity in doing so?
How low can the spot price go in this scenario? Well, not to zero, but it could go far. Here is the kicker: wherever it goes, the move back up will be violent. The move will mirror the move down. The further it goes down, the higher up it goes after. I'm just sayin'....
3 comments:
- AnonymousJanuary 30, 2011 at 11:19 PM
My personal wishes per this blog for 2011:ReplyDelete
-to smoke salvia with Mr. LH (not really)
-to smoke peyote with Mr. LH (kinda)
-to smoke American Spirits with Mr. LH (at a minimum)
I personally want to hang you, Mr. LH; come down to Santa Barbara and hang out with me.
Until then, I have nothing more to say here. You have been awesome - come down anytime. You are always welcome here. Otherwise - best wishes with this blog.
I have scenes for a movie about Fight Club (our FC) after the collapse. After meting the characters onlie, LH drives to cities finding the members....ReplyDelete
Maybe I should live it first.
- AnonymousJanuary 31, 2011 at 11:33 PM
I thought about what I was gonna say to what I predicted your response to be. Yet it was better than anything I thought of so I'm just gonna go with my keynote address...ReplyDelete
Here are a few observations for those whose eyeballs scroll across this message. The first is a matter of opinion; the others are reminders/calls-to-arms:
1. This is the best blog on the internet.
2. Don't trust any MSM source that labels ZH as a "blog" while touting themselves as "news". ZH supersedes the NYT, Fox News et al. for the Bilderberg coverage alone.
3. Contrary to the popular phrase, the revolution will be televised, albeit on tape delay.
4. Buy silver!


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We have some specialists in our admin staff, only able to administrate LDAP via phpLDAPadmin. But for several days the connection to the LDAP servers was read-only. It took some time to figure out why.
The configuration in
/etc/phpldapadmin/config.php is very extensive, so I always ignored the failure in the following line:
Do you find the crap? If I comment it out the session isn't read-only anymore. First we thought of a bug and I started to check the source code, but some more considerations let me have an idea. You might know PHP (like some other languages) interprets everything that is not empty or false explicitly as to be true. So
'hello' ,
'true' and
'false' are all true ;-)
Don't know who inserted this line, but sometimes (or generally?) you just work to correct the work of somebody else…
- analyzed (14) ,
- debian (38) ,
- debug (3) ,
- fail (17) ,
- junk (19) ,
- ldap (1) ,
- ugly (26) ,
- university (41)
Post a comment
read more about submitting comments
- send me an email
- submit a comment through the feedback page (anonymously via TOR)
- Fork this repo at GitHub, add your comment to the
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"One of my favorite New York singer/songwriters." - John Platt, WFUV
"Wild Women Don't Worry..." Wool&Grant were featured in AcousticLive! in July, 2013. "
new self-titled debut CD.Click the link below to view the rest of the article.
"Wool is one of the best singer-songwriters around, and from the start, she's had an adventurous side. She writes the kind of heart-stopping songs you find on albums from Jackson Browne, Nanci Griffith and Lucy Kaplansky, three masters of the craft who know how to forge experiences, personal and otherwise, together with winning melodies and heartfelt singing to create an art that both moves and satisfies."
"If her next CD is called 'Songs About Sitting in the Waiting Area at H&R Block,' I'll buy it. She discovers the mystery and meaning in a loaf of bread and a jug of wine, small gestures, a layer of ice, and lying awake at night."
INDIE-MUSIC.COM, Jennifer Layton
"Wool writes excellent songs and sings with passion."
"Moon Over 97th Street plays like a scrupulously conceived fin de siecle classic."
"Ina May Wool then did an earth shattering version of "Down to You," bringing such a dark soulfulness to the song that she virtually reinvented it for her own voice and sensibility," Louise Crawford, founder Brooklyn Social Media about Court and Spark Turns 40!
This is my month. So many of my favorite indies are coming out with new projects. For some of them, it's been way too long between albums. Ina May Wool is one of those indies. The title track from her 1999 release Moon Over 97th Street still makes its way onto my mix tapes. Now, I have Crack it Open, a CD that kicks open the door the first CD cracked open and pours light and color everywhere. Moon was quietly reflective. Crack it Open is joyous, spirited, occasionally playful, and absolutely perfect from first note to last. In case I'm not being clear, I love this CD.
Wool's voice has always had a Rickie Lee Jones feel. Here, she sounds like Jones playing a festival on a playground, pausing every now and then for a spin on the carousel or a trip head-first down the slide. There are sad songs here, but Wool's never been one to wallow in the blues. Instead, "When Tears Come Down" takes lyrics about getting burned and sets them to twangy, gutsy, soulful music. I found myself singing along with her, reading along with the lyrics in the liner notes, matching her note for note with no problem (other than the fact that my voice is, in terms of quality, the polar opposite of hers).
She maintains a lyrical style that I loved so much on her first album -- her ability to write a song about anything and make it interesting. When she finds herself trying to keep worry and anxiety out of her head, without much success, she writes a deliciously playful song called "Big Black Bear."
There is a black bear in my brain
I thought that he was through with me
But he comes crashing in and smashing everything
I carefully placed all around my cabin ...
I tried to teach him how to dance
I put a little skirt on him
A yellow rope around his big bear waist
But all he wants to do is paw my garbage ...
Inspired by a Frida Kahlo painting, she tells the artist's life in a haunting melody set to simple percussion and gently chiming music. (I love how one line in the chorus ties back to the title of the album: "La vida abierta -- life opened," she sings. Cracked wide open.) Inspired by a cab ride, she writes the driver's story in "Taxi," singing about a Pakistani immigrant "rovin' round in a concrete sea." And the woman who inspired "Rosa" should be flattered by the shuffling beat, beautiful spirit, and total abandon in the rock song with her name on it. The song even has a string section. It feels like the ocean.
I have to mention one more favorite: "Serial Lover," a bluesy story told by the definition of an eternal optimist:
This is a story of serial love
It ain't no romance novel
There was Johnny and Tommy and Sean and Tim
There was Jake and Norbert and Slim
It could be for a week, a year or one night
It's always the same
But it's totally opposite
Don't laugh - I still might get it right
I'll be in practice for sure ...
I think Jim Croce loves this song as much as I do.
Crack it Open is one of those rare albums in which all the songs tie together in a common theme, even though their tempos and moods and lyrics change from one track to another. I can feel Wool's creative spirit floating out of the speakers and soaring around the room. If I opened the front door right now, the rain would probably stop. This whole album feels like an embrace.
Ina May Wool has made a strong follow-up to her debut. She's got the knack for telling stories with her songs. "Taxi" tells of a struggling taxi driver in New York in an interesting way. "Frida" gives us the life story of Frida Kahlo in a compelling manner.
"Big Black Bear reminds me of Suzanne Vega's intricate folk-pop. "When Tears Come Down" is just gorgeous.
"Lucky" is a lovely little song. It's a positive love song, but not an exuberant song, rather it's like a whisper low enough for lovers to hear if they listen closely.
I think that shows a lot about Ina May Wool's gift for understatement. This album's a treasure. (firstname.lastname@example.com)
Ina May Wool's song, "Boxcutters and Knives" is included on Vigil, an album compiled by Suzanne Vega after 9/11. There aren't many songs about September 11th that are as powerful (except the one by Steve Earle)."
"When I cracked open Ina May Wool's new CD, Crack It Open, I was treated to a pleasant cross of Lisa Loeb/Syd Straw/Rickie Lee Jones...She's got a good thing going on."
Included in Voice Choices
"Sharp hooks and arrangements and a good feel for C&W roots - and, hey, even downtown NYC jazz hipster Marc Ribot (not one known to suffer fools - or folkies - gladly) appears on her Crack It Open (Bang Zoom)".


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With just one day to go until the release of Meghan Trainor's new album Thank You, the No singer has dished on what fans can expect from her second album in a new interview with Entertainment Tonight.
"It's more of the music that I enjoy," she says. "I was afraid that I would be trapped as a doo-wop artist from that first album, so this one I wanted to prove that I can do more genres."
Meghan revealed that her songs were inspired by pop songs from the late '90s and early '00s. She says that while writing her hit No, she thought: "What do I wish was still on the radio? And I was like, '*NSYNC, Destiny's Child, Britney Spears.'"
As for her song written for her mom titled Mom, Meghan says:
"You know the Britney Spears song, 'Lucky'? Where it's like, a big bomb and then it has the, 'And here she is, it's Lucky!' I was like, 'I want one of those,'" she says. "So we called [my mom] up at work and I was just like, 'I love you, I love you so much. Just tell me you love me' and we recorded it and got it.'"
"I texted her after and she's like, 'Ugh! I hate you!'" she added. "'Cause, you know, you hear your voice — on a phone call especially — and you're like, 'Is that what I sound like?' So she said, 'If this doesn't make the album, that's OK.' I was like 'Ma! It's gonna be on there.'"
Later on this summer, Meghan will be hitting the road on her Untouchable Tour to perform for fans across North America – starting on July 21.
Meghan reveals that the tour will be: "bigger, with more dancers and new songs, new routines — and we're jumping this time. We're dancing a lot. It's gonna be great, I can't wait!"
Be sure to check out Meghan's new album Thank You when it drops tomorrow (May 13)!
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10 Tips to Make Your Writing Better
{By Ellery Sadler}
I've been writing short stories and half-finished stories and novels for about nine years now. I've read a number of books on the subject and found out a few things for my self just by looking over my own work. Writing can be a little crazy and confusing, so it's always good to know 10 things to help you write better fiction.
1.Stop Stressing So Much. All these books and articles and blogposts on the topic aren't necessarily helpful. (Hypocritical I know, as I sit here writing one, but it is true.) Writing is the most important thing. So write. And then come back a few weeks or months or years later and review it. You'll be amazed by how much you're writing has improved in that time. (Trust me, I tried this with a book I wrote about a year ago that I now see needs about a million changes.) 'Practice makes perfect' is cliche, but kinda true.
2. Cut the Speaker Attributes. He said, she said may seem boring but an abundance of he growled, she snapped, he grimaced, she whispered, he breathed, she groaned gets old and is amateur. If you can't tell that she is angry by what she is saying, tacking on a 'snapped' at the end is not going to help. And if you can tell that she is angry by what she is saying, then a 'she snapped' will only weaken your dialogue. So generally stick to the almost invisible said, and your writing will read more professionally.
3. Reach High (But Don't Expect Too Much). So many writers, especially Christian writers get the idea that they have a divine calling to write (and maybe they do) but frequently this leads to unreachable expectations and the necessary intervention of miracles to achieve their 'God-given' destiny. God may be leading you to write a certain book or tell a certain story, but just because He is it does not mean you will be the next best-seller. So set goals, work to meet them, and watch God work in your life.
4. No Need for Adverbs. A few adverbs sprinkled throughout your writing is fine, it can lend grace and style to it, but just beware of over-doing it. Go back over something you've written recently and cut all the -ly adverbs, and then reread it and see if it doesn't sound better.
5. Be Honest. If you are a home-educated student in mid-west America, it does not mean you have to write about a home-educated student in mid-west America. If you are a young writer in Paris or a struggling writer in New York City, it does not mean you have to make your books a journal. Make your books about who you are, about things you've experienced or learned or wish you had. Do be honest. Don't be cliche.
6. Character First. In life, character is vital. In books, it is the same way. Dozens of books have been written on the 'well-rounded' character and can leave writers' brains in a jumbled mess of voice-journals, character pasts, motives, character quizzes and a whole variety of things that are supposed to make your character 'rounder.' But quite honestly, I have found that these things clutter rather than help me. So what I do is a think. (Ooooh, the unknown magic potion of the twenty-first century.) Just think about them and write about them, and eventually you will end up with some pretty cool characters.
7. Fame and Glory. Oh the woes. There really won't be that much fame and glory involved in this business. And your job is not to try to be famous and get glory. Your job is to write. If you would write, even if no one ever read your books, even if you were never published and never recognized for your writing, would you still do it? You will write better fiction if you aren't focused too much on your audience. Don't pander to the culture or your supposed age group. Write what you need to write, and your writing will be better.
8. Get Some Inspiration. Every writer I have ever met complains of writer's block or hitting a wall or just getting bored with their work in progress. So get some inspiration. Read a classic, Fitzgerald or Dickens or Austen. (These people are still well known for a reason.) Watch a movie. Yes, I had to put that in there. Movies to me are inspiration personified. They are books that have been given a body. And they can be very inspiring.
9. Take a Break. Maybe you've been writing until your fingers are cramped and your head aches, if that is the case, then take a break. A few days or weeks of breathing room is a good way to make your writing better. Space creates perspective, and perspective is power.
10. WRITE. Yep, writing is the best thing you can do to improve your writing.


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|Project by Tom O'Brien
|posted 08-11-2015 08:42 PM
|1133 views
|1 time favorited
|7 comments
Ben and I made this fish trivet from red oak. Yesterday we cut all the parts and glued up the assembly. After the glue was hard, we sanded it. This morning we cut out the outline, drilled the eye-hole, and did final sanding. We applied mineral oil as a protective finish. Ben will give this to his mom and dad at a family cookout tonight.
Ben learned about hand and power sanding, drilling, glue spreading, clamping, cutting identical-length parts, power nailing (observing only), jigsawing (observing only) and simple use of a combination square. H also learned how to apply a mineral oil finish.
This project is from Popular Woodworking's excellent book "I Can Do That".
-- Every project is a learning opportunity, every error a design opportunity
7 comments so far
#1 posted 08-11-2015 08:53 PM
Strong work Ben, I am sure his parents will love it.
#2 posted 08-11-2015 10:47 PM
That's cool….nice work
-- Buster, Ocoee TN (Critics are men who watch a battle from a high place then come down and shoot the survivors - Hemingway)
#3 posted 08-11-2015 11:32 PM
The look on his face says it all. great job Grandpa
-- Larry in Hawaii,
#4 posted 08-12-2015 01:23 AM
Ben's mom and dad are proud of him and happy to get the handmade gift.
-- Every project is a learning opportunity, every error a design opportunity
#5 posted 08-12-2015 02:36 AM
Nice work Ben!
-- Drew -- "The greatest wealth is health".
#6 posted 08-12-2015 03:07 AM
Way to go, Ben, and Grandpa. Great piece and great time spent together.
-- "We all die. The goal isn't to live forever; the goal is to create something that will." - Chuck Palahniuk
#7 posted 08-14-2015 07:36 PM
My son and I made one of those as well. Good times.
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It is more than seven weeks late but Tory councillor Brian Coleman has reportedly penned an apology to members of the public he labelled "Nazi blackshirts" and "disloyal Israelis".
The Totteridge representative was ordered by a standards tribunal to say sorry to Charlotte Jago and Ron Cohen following the email outbursts earlier this year.
Councillor Coleman initially refused, saying he was "under no obligation" to do so, and he subsequently missed the apology deadline of September 6.
But following talks with Barnet Council leader Richard Cornelius earlier this month, the former Barnet Mayor appears to have finally put together a note of contrition.
Dr Jago and father-of-three Mr Cohen both say they are yet to receive the letters but a council officer told them he understood they were in the post.
Former GLA member Cllr Coleman was hauled in front of the council's standards committee in March following complaints about the offensive emails.
In the correspondence, he called Jewish Mr Cohen a "disloyal Israeli" and told Dr Jago that "70 years ago you would have been a member of the (Nazi) blackshirts".
The former cabinet member was found guilty of breaking the members' code of conduct, a decision upheld at an appeal hearing in August.
Speaking about how she felt after receiving the abusive correspondence, Dr Jago said last month: "Being likened to a Nazi was incredibly upsetting - the more so because a number of my grandparents' German Jewish friends were murdered by the Nazis, so to liken me to that was horrific.
"Being called anti-Israeli when in fact I support the existence of a Jewish homeland - who could not support that, knowing what the Jews have endured throughout history? - was inaccurate as well as very hurtful."


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We have all heard the phrase "have hope", however, is it simply a feel-good emotion thrown around or is it wishful thinking or is there some truth to the statement?
Growing up in a conservative Middle Eastern country, in a somewhat traditional Sri Lankan home, I was always hopeful of realizing my goal of becoming a journalist – preferably a political reporter using my pen as my tool to change the world and make the invisible visible. When my peers were taking the conventional route of getting married young for stability or choosing financially viable careers, I never lost sight of my goal and with a great support system, I completed my undergrad education and landed a journalism gig straight out of school. I believe I achieved what I set out to do because I was always hopeful that I can create my own reality.
Youth and Hopelessness
I think of kids today and I worry because the news, so easily available at our fingertips, and pretty much every headline seems like an assault on the very notion of hope – school shootings, families torn apart at the border, trans rights under attack, climate change being refuted etc. And then the content children are exposed to – including superhero movies – have the hero resorting to violence or killing the bad guy to come into power. This constant influx can result in the youth feeling hopelessness that the world around them is beyond their control.
Yet, research has found that adolescents who are hopeful enjoy academic success, develop strong friendships, are more creative and better at problem solving, have lower levels of anxiety, are less likely to drop out of school and do not give up when faced with obstacles.
Can We Learn Hope?
Thankfully, the work of American Psychologist Charles 'Rick' Snyder, a pioneer in hope research, shows us that hope can be learnt.
He adopted a three pronged approach to understanding hope: goals, agency and pathways. According to this approach, individuals who are hopeful have the motivation and a clearly defined plan to achieve their goals.
It is not just a general feeling that good things will come rather it is the focus on goals, setting it apart from optimism and wishful thinking. Having hope is to imagine a happy ending and figuring out the means to get there. This is good news for anyone who has a part to play in shaping the next generation.
Barriers to Hope
In order to cultivate hope in the next generation, it is first important to understand some of the triggers of hopelessness.
We live in an age where we are constantly bombarded with information from digital platforms to social blogs. It is no surprise that all ages are avid consumers of social and digital media and this is especially true for pre-teens and teenagers. Increased exposure to digital information can have a positive impact on a teenager as it helps normalize diversity in the world around them, increasing awareness on political and social issues that impact them (for example, the Parkland survivors were instrumental in increasing the number of younger voters in the recently concluded midterms) and even encourage them to explore forms of self-expression like creating blogs.
However, this increased exposure can also have a detrimental effect on cultivating hope.
Instant gratification is one of the downsides of the digital age. Teenagers today are no longer willing to follow the advice that slow and steady wins the race rather, their short attention spans and their need for immediate results is affecting their willingness to work hard in achieving their goals. For example, gone are the days where teenagers poured over books to complete an assignment, now they would rather get the cliff notes version on the internet to quickly put something together.
Peer acceptance is important for teenagers and they are always worried about how they will be perceived by their friends. Teenagers today glean their approval rating from the likes and comments they get on their social profiles and spend a great deal of time trying to prune their online identity, sometimes with a disconnect to who they are. The constant pressure to be someone you are not can result in them not feeling good about themselves leading to a lack of hope and self-doubt. British vlogger Dina Tokio in her book Modestly talks about how she stopped playing sports when she started wearing the hijab because she thought she did not look good playing soccer wearing the hijab. This resulted in her developing body image issues in her later teenage years.
Cultivating Hope
All hope is not lost and there are some ways, research has shown, to cultivate hope:
1. Set clear, attainable goals – Create a big picture of what is important to you and what you want to achieve. A great way to do this is by creating a vision board or writing a personal mission statement. Think about where you want to be in terms of academics, relationships, family, personal interests and it even helps to add bucket list items like places you want to travel to. Then arrange your goals in the order of importance. This is helpful for adolescents with little hope so they do not get distracted by trying to achieve everything in a short span of time and resulting in burnout.
2. Set a clear task plan for achieving goals – Someone with low hope thinks all goals need to be accomplished all at once and this can be very overwhelming for them. By creating a step-by-step task plan, those with low hope can celebrate the completion of each task keeping them motivated till they achieve their goal. For example, if you want to buy a new car, start by creating a checklist of task beginning with narrowing down on car options to checking details of requirements such as registration and insurance.
3. Visualize different paths to a goal – If you suffer from low hope, chances are one of your greatest challenges in achieving your goals is the inability to move past obstacles and abandoning your goal at the first sign of a hurdle. Visualizing different paths to a goal will help in overcoming obstacles that seem insurmountable and will give you the motivation to take the road less traveled.
4. Identify 'hope providers' – As you take on new tasks and dive into the unknown to achieve your goals, it is important to surround yourself with motivators. This can be parents, friends, your partner, or even a teacher – someone you can turn to when you encounter obstacles or just need reassurance that you are on the right track.
5. Bombard yourself with stories of success - Hopeful people are inspired by the stories of success, especially when they are faced with obstacles. Make sure to capture the full story of a person's success and the failures they had to go through to achieve their goals. Research has shown that seeing the underdog in movies attaining their goals against all odds can act as a motivator and make people more hopeful. For example, even seemingly innocent cartoons such as Mulan and Frozen showcase the main character going through hardship before achieving success.
6. Enjoy the journey – More often than not, the focus is on attaining the goal without focusing on the joys in achieving it. By creating a task checklist, this can be avoided by celebrating little milestones along the way!
Journalist-turned-Marketer Yusra Farzan currently serves as a Project Manager at the Center for Scholars + Storytellers, UCLA. Previously, she has managed strategic communications, content development and cultural insights tracking for Fortune 500 and leading UAE brands. She is passionate about the empowerment of underprivileged youth of color and in increasing representation and inclusion in media and marketing.
In her leisure time, she likes reading and traveling. Connect with Yusra on LinkedIn here.
This blog was originally created to support Baylor University in hosting its Technology Innovation Request for Proposal: Improving Character Strengths of Adolescents through Technology Innovation.


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Our Programs
VSU's mission is to provide programs that meet the needs of the South Georgia Region. The Langdale College of Business Administration's MBA programs are evening or online to aid students wishing to pursue an advanced business degree without interrupting their careers. All Langdale College MBA classes are taught by highly-qualified full-time faculty.
Langdale College graduate programs include:
- On-Campus Master of Business Administration (MBA), a 30-hour evening MBA program designed to aid students wishing to pursue and advanced business degree without interrupting their careers.
- Online MBA in Healthcare Administration (MBA/HCAD).
- Graduate Certificate in Health Care Administration
- Online WebMBA® degree as a member of the Georgia WebMBA® Program consortium. Other members of the Georgia WebMBA® Program consortium are Kennesaw State University, State University of West Georgia, Georgia Southern University, and Georgia College & State University.
- On-Campus Masters of Accountancy (MAcc), designed to prepare students for professional accounting careers. The MAcc is a 30-hour, full-time program that students can complete in as little as 12 months.
- 229.245.3812
- 229.249.2795
Campus Address
Rea and Lillian Steele
North Campus
Pendleton Drive
Valdosta, GA 31698
Mailing Address
1500 N. Patterson St.
Valdosta, GA 31698
- Monday-Thursday
8:00 a.m.-5:30 p.m.
8:00 a.m.-3:00 p.m.


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Support Options
At Daxko, your success is our priority.
With that in mind, we have developed multiple channels through which you may interact with the Support team. These channels have been crafted to provide you with the best customer service experience possible. System Administrators may select the channel(s) that works best for them. There are no restrictions regarding the number of calls or e-mails that may be submitted. Simply put, the Support team is dedicated to you and to your success.


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PurpleBoard is a fun alternative to SpringBoard for the iPhone iPod Touch. In addition to having a new look with custom made 3D dock icons, you can organize your apps with folders inside of folders and have multiple copies of the same app. PurpleBoard keeps a few commonly used tools, like the weather, close by.
In order to use PurpleBoard, you need a jailbroken iPod touch or iPhone running iOS 6.x or iOS 7.0.x. As of now, there is no arm64 support, so this will not run on the iPhone 5S.
Once you install PurpleBoard, it will arrange your apps according to the provided apps' genres. Just click on the gear next to the battery meter, and you can choose the folder icons and sort your apps as you like.
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Recent Posts
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- William Chaney on Living On The Edge of the Jungle -breaking ground
- Maureen on Living On The Edge of the Jungle -breaking ground
- William Chaney on The Rainy Season In Puerto Vallarta
- Mary on The Rainy Season In Puerto Vallarta
- William Chaney on Anti Aging Food Sources
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A Walk Along The Malecon
Yesterday my lovely wife took me for A Walk Along The Malecon here in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico where we live. The Malecon is a few miles long. The area we were walking along has shops on one side and the … Continue reading
My Doctors Visit
Today I am writing a little about My Doctors Visit or should I say visits. Not something you might want to read about but good therapy for me by writing about them. Some of you may know that I have … Continue reading
Mexico Vacations for Seniors To Enjoy
Mexico Vacations for Seniors to enjoy now. All around the world, senior traveling is increasing in popularity. A large number of senior citizens are making the decision to get out and travel. If you are one of those individuals, you … Continue reading
Hurricanes, Earthquakes, Floods and Tropical Storms
The past month it has been Hurricanes, Earthquakes, Floods and Tropical Storms in much of Mexico. While you see the rescues going on and it is in the news, our hearts are with those that lost everything. What about the … Continue reading
Visiting Bucerias
A couple of weeks ago, after picking up family at the airport in Puerto Vallarta we drove to Bucerias where they live. Visiting Bucerias is usually always great but this time we made the mistake of eating at the wrong … Continue reading


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Taipei, Oct. 24 (CNA) A search and rescue team from New Taipei City is on standby to depart for Turkey to offer assistance in the aftermath of a powerful earthquake that struck the country Sunday, an official from the northern Taiwan city said Monday. "We sent text messages to all of our rescue team members after we learned that a magnitude-7.2 earthquake had hit eastern Turkey, causing heavy human casualties," said Huang Teh-ching, director of the New Taipei City Fire Department. The team's search and rescue equipment, including life detectors, has been packed in preparation for the aid mission and, if necessary, the team's four search and rescue dogs will also join the efforts, he said. In order to provide the most timely and effective emergency aid, the National Fire Agency under the Ministry of the Interior has worked out a schedule for search and rescue teams in cities and counties around the country to take turns on overseas aid missions, Huang said. "A priority team and a reserve team are listed each month for overseas emergency rescue assistance, and this month it is turn of the New Taipei team," he said. Wu Hung-yi, a division chief with the New Taipei rescue team, said the team was part of the search and rescue mission to Japan after a devastating earthquake and tsunami struck that country in March this year. "We are prepared to head for Turkey, with the general equipment packed and personal equipment distributed to all team members," Huang said. "We can fly out as soon as the National Fire Agency gives the go-ahead." According to foreign wire services, at least 217 people have been killed in the Turkey quake and dozens of building have collapsed into piles of twisted steel and chunks of concrete. (By Wang Hung-kuo and Sofia Wu)enditem /pc
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