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Just a little something that was on my mind for you all about life!
I have been thinking a lot about life lately and I have learned to know that life does not start when an event finally comes… a particular event does not mark the "start" of your life…
well, it should not I don't think…
It seems as though life is kind of mapped out in stages or rather, defined by certain landmarks. We live for the next one, rather than enjoying the journey between. We focus so much on dates and events and spend so much time waiting for them to come… and when they finally do come, they are gone so fast… we are left with the feeling of … "was that it?"
These are some of the common events/landmarks that come to mind through the course of ones life of course which can be different for different people:
- the next birthday, the next Christmas etc. (once you are old enough)
- starting school for the first time…
- which leads to starting middle school…
- then finally being in high school
- you never thought it would come but, graduating from high school
- going to college, moving "out" or whatever is next
- graduating from college
- getting a job
- getting married
- buying a house
- having a baby
- buying a new car
- getting a promotion
- finally retiring….
but then what?
Life goes so quickly and there is so much else to enjoy, I mean look at how short that list is. I can come up with a list twice as long just for the day. I know these are big things, and it is not right to compare it to my tasks for the day… but think about all that can be enjoyed during the time (sometimes years) between each of those "landmarks". I believe enjoying the process of life and enjoying all the times between big events can only make the "main" events that much better!
If we constantly live our lives for what is next, we fail to enjoy the process along the way. I have realized that a quality life is living life full which does not mean living for events, but living full even between events. This is what makes life so meaningful, fun and rewarding! It is almost like we cannot start living until certain landmarks come. "Once I make more money, then I will be able to really live or buy this or do that"… "Once I graduate I will finally be out of this town"… "I cannot wait until I retire, then I will have time for…"
Until we realize that life has already begun and we are in the midst of it, we will continually miss out.
People sit around and wait for the next thing to come along but what they do not realize is how much they are missing out on today.
I can remember times in my life where I was so focused on the completion of a task or season that I failed to fully enjoy the time I had in it. When I was in college, all I wanted to do was hurry up and get done so I could move on… I realize now that I missed out on more friendships, certain activities and opportunities because I was so focused on competing school. I got my first degree in 3 years and a second in just 2 more. But why the rush? I am still not exactly sure. It is not that I was in a hurry to "grow up" or anything, I just wanted what was next… but what about all in there I missed? Next would have still come whether I rushed or not.
I remember as a little girl and not so little, I always looked forward to my wedding day. I was so excited for it to come! I would think about a pretty dress, flowers,a ring and of course, my prince charming… I could hardly wait until it came. Now that my "dream wedding" has come and gone and I have my "prince" I realize that it was not the actual day that was important (although it does have importance and significance) it is the process and growth of our relationship. It was all the time we had getting to know each other and all the little things that fed our relationship to be ready for marriage. More importantly, now that we are married we are able to grow closer and better our relationship. This would not be possible without the marriage but because of it we can continue and enjoy it.
I think to fully enjoy life, we cannot sit around and wait… wait for the next best thing and focus so much on events in the future (or dwell on past events). Have you noticed or heard people with this attitude? I know I have been there. When I notice it, it kind of makes me sad because I think of all they are missing out on in just sitting and waiting. They really don't believe their life has started and it has! If your life has not started yet, start it today! Realize how much there is in life to be excited about and live for! Put effort into today, set some goals and be excited about it… those events will be that much better. Don't wait until a specific day to start!


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I woke up today and checked Facebook like I often do and to my dismay, I was disgusted by people gloating over voting for Hillary. It was quite obvious to me that they had not done their homework at arriving at their decision. Not long after that, I came across a video of a well-known documentary producer who used to support Bernie Sanders but now supports Hillary Clinton talking about the atrocities occurring at Standing Rock and all over the country. He was decrying the neo-liberal agenda, never making the connection that this agenda is currently represented by none other than Hillary Clinton. After viewing these various posts, my mood soured as anger arose to the surface of my being. At that moment I realized that I am sick of the intellectual arrogance and hypocrisy of liberals who are against the neo-liberal agenda, but continue to vote for neo-liberals, while shaming us progressives for actually voting for progressives like Jill Stein! My anger arose because of the stupidity that I witnessed this morning and other times this past year and beyond. It is totally insane when people vote against what they value over and over again! It is as if we are a country that worships willful ignorance.
When I started to think about all of the people out there casting votes out of ignorance, these thoughts came to me: If you don't take voting seriously, please don't vote. If you are going to vote for the wrong reasons, you are likely going to help make things worse. If you are voting just to feel good, you'll likely be contributing to suffering. If you are voting to say that you helped make history, stay home and contribute to making a direct difference in your family's or your friends' lives, instead. If you are voting to keep Trump or Hillary out of office, don't bother. Your lack of vision is only going to contribute to the maintenance of the conventional way of doing things which, if you haven't noticed, is destroying the planet. Stop voting for the wrong reasons! If you are not questioning your motivation for voting, you are part of the problems we face.
To vote out of ignorance does nothing but help the moneyed interests, who spend a hefty sum in order to promote their agenda. In my lifetime, I have seen so many good ideas and candidates go down in defeat because people buy into the fear tactics of the status quo. As a result, we exemplify the adage that if you do the same thing over and over again but expect different results, you are crazy. This is most notably demonstrated by the people who supported Bernie Sanders in the Democratic primary, but then went on to support Hillary Clinton, once she "defeated" Bernie (Don't get me started on how she cheated her way to the nomination). Bernie was incredibly popular because people desperately wanted the change he advocated. Yet once their hero succumbed to the establishment, where did all these supporters go? Some understood what the Bernie movement was all about and moved over to support the most prominent progressive left, Jill Stein. Others, though, supported Hillary out of blind allegiance to Bernie's endorsement of her or blind allegiance to "conventional wisdom" (i.e., the idea that only two candidates have a "realistic" chance to win).
Those who believe that only the Democratic or Republican candidates have a chance to win obviously have not done any research to discover that there are actually four candidates (including Jill Stein and Gary Johnson) who are on enough state ballots in which they can win enough electoral votes to become president (There's four additional candidates who could win enough electoral votes, but only if they win states in which they are write-in candidates). If you don't know what I am talking about in this paragraph, look it up!
Berners who are voting for Clinton because Bernie said to do so are either following the cult of personality or else they are being intellectually lazy by ignoring the fact that Hillary is against most of what Bernie fought for. In either case, their actions only promote the establishment, resulting in the further destruction of our society and planet.
In light of what I have witnessed this past year, I am amazed that some people are unwilling to acknowledge that we have a social-political-economic system mired in corruption! This means that every piece of information that you receive needs to be scrutinized with a fine tooth comb because it could be propaganda. Just because you read an article does not mean that it is true. Just because you watched a video does not mean it is true. Just because a government official said something does not mean that it is true. Just because you submitted your ballot does not mean your vote will be counted. Just because you registered to vote does not mean you will be given a ballot. Yet, I see people relying on the word of "authorities" instead of applying simple logic to arrive at conclusions; I see people citing questionable sources of information as proof that a piece of propaganda is true.
While it is difficult if not impossible to research every piece of information that comes your way, through the research that you do perform, you can gradually get a sense of what sources of information are consistently reliable and which are not. For instance, I have found that Wikileaks has a very good track record of providing reliable information. That doesn't mean I blindly believe everything they put out, but it does mean that I can use its information in conjunction with my own research to come up with pretty solid (though never 100%) conclusions.
Research takes time and effort, though. We all have busy lives, of course. Nevertheless, if you take voting seriously, you will find the time to do the necessary research. If you don't take voting seriously, please don't vote! I know this goes against the mantra we were taught since we were young. The establishment has always encouraged people to vote. The more people that vote, the more legitimate are the results of an election, after all. But if you are in power, isn't it risky to encourage people to vote when they might vote you out of office? Yes! That's why the powers that be perform (gasp!) election fraud in various forms to reduce if not eliminate that risk. We the people cooperate with this fraud through our laziness: not employing critical thinking and not doing any research. Therefore, an easy and effective way to rig elections is simply to use the media to promote establishment candidates while suppressing the promotion of revolutionary candidates. In our laziness we rely on pundits to do our thinking for us and provide news that is "relevant." The establishment media's job is to get the electorate to focus on a single issue or two (of the establishment's picking) so that they will vote in a more predictable fashion.
But voting for candidates based on their positions on issues is flawed. While a candidate can promote a certain platform or agenda, nobody has all the answers to the problems we face, nor can anybody anticipate all the problems that we may face. So how do we choose the best candidate given so much uncertainty? The answer is to vote for the person with the best character. It behooves each of us to vote for candidates with the most integrity and who stand for principles that benefit us all. While character is reflected in where a candidate stands on issues, it is not enough to just look at political positions. It is more important to understand what motivates candidates because this understanding will give us a good idea how they will act in office when faced with unforeseen circumstances and opportunities. If someone has a history of being trustworthy, he will most likely act in a trustworthy manner while in office. If a person has a history of being deceitful or greedy, then these characteristics will likely be revealed if he is elected.
So, when we have poll after poll indicating that the Democratic and Republican presidential candidates are the least liked in history, why on Earth would people vote for them when it is clear that they have problems with their character? What does it say about a voter's character when he votes for somebody that he can't stand (especially when there is a more suitable alternative)? At best, it shows that the voter is not employing critical thought. At worst, it says that the voter has no integrity when it comes to voting. Is it any wonder then that we have corruption in government?
Government will always reflect its constituency. If we want an ethical government, then we each must act with integrity in everything we do, including voting for the candidates that match our deeply held values, regardless of how those around us vote. If we don't live authentically, we are supporting and encouraging continued corruption in government! It's really that simple. Acting ethically is not always easy, though. It takes effort. If you are consistently following the crowd, you will not likely act with integrity because the mob mentality is usually reactive as it caters to our selfish interests. Ethical action, on the other hand, requires being consciously aware of more than yourself. It is not done in order to look good. Ethical action is done for its own sake, which inevitably results in the betterment of all.
So I beg of you, look at your own motivation for deciding who to vote for. Make sure your motivation is to enhance this world. Ask yourself which decision will benefit the world the most if that decision is victorious on Election Day and vote that way. Remember, we don't need people to vote. We need people to apply critical thinking and vote with integrity so that we have a government full of people with integrity that will beneficially serve their constituents and contribute to the well-being of the world at large!

subset: commoncrawl


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In January 1964, Ella Fitzgerald toured Japan with the Roy Eldridge Quartet. Norman Granz, no longer owner of Fitzgerald's label, Verve, yet still her personal manager and professional Svengali, recorded the Tokyo leg. For months afterward, Granz prepared what was to be Ella in Nippon, a follow-up to 1960's Grammy-winning Ella in Berlin. Why did the album never surface, the master tapes left gathering dust for 47 years?
The answer seems fairly easy to decipher. In July '64, Granz recorded Fitzgerald, again with the Eldridge quartet, at Juan-les-Pins. The results were stunning and, perhaps of greater commercial importance at the time, the playlist more diverse, incorporating hits of the day like "Can't Buy Me Love" and "The Girl From Ipanema." With the market for jazz vocalists fading rapidly as rock's British Invasion escalated, Granz simply opted for the seemingly stronger Juan-les-Pins sessions. It turns out, though, that the Japanese sessions are equally good.
Always a sage crowd-pleaser, Fitzgerald gives her Tokyo fans precisely what they want, drawing heavily on her landmark Songbook series and such recent albums as Rhythm Is My Business, Ella Sings Broadway and Ella & Basie. (She even sings a chorus of "'S Wonderful" in Japanese.) She is impeccable throughout-certainly as fine as at Juan-les-Pins and with better overall recording quality. But perhaps this two-disc set's biggest treat is a foursome of instrumental tracks from Eldridge and his bandmates, including densely satisfying treatments of "'Round Midnight," "I Can't Get Started" and "Undecided," plus a pulsating six-minute jam session.


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- Sleeps 8
- 5 bedrooms
- 3 bathrooms
- No pets allowed
- Garden/courtyard
- No private parking
- WiFi
This elegant home sleeps eight in ultimate comfort, yet still conjures a sense of calm with plenty of spread-out space for everyone.
Bedrooms and bathrooms
Spread across the first and second floors, all five bedrooms are cosy and well furnished - previous guests have made special mention of how comfy the beds are! Choose from a king-size bedroom which comes complete with its own ensuite shower room, two double bedrooms, one twin-bedded room and a bunk room which is ideal for small children. Aside from the en suite, there's a family bathroom on the first floor and a shower room on the ground floor - close to both garden and kitchen... no need for queues!
Cooking and dining
Elkhorn is close to all the seafront and town centre eateries, but it's easy to prepare your own feasts in the large kitchen here - it's full of light and comes complete with all the essentials for a happy holiday. Cook, chill and chatter at the breakfast bar or table ... or locate to the dining room, complete with period fireplace, for a more formal meal setting.
Just moments from the seafront, Elkhorn stands mid-way along a quiet side street and has small a front garden area. But it's at the rear of the property that you'll really relax... a paved courtyard provides plenty of privacy and has outdoor rattan furniture for food and drink shared al fresco. At first floor level, doors from the huge, high-ceilinged sitting room lead on to a distinctive balcony that offers sea views and a breath of salt-kissed fresh air - lovely whatever time of year you visit!
We know that big group getaways work best when there's room for all, so at Elkhorn the ground floor family/play room is a real bonus - it can provide quiet time for those who want to get away from the crowd, or a place for the kids to kick back with their toys without compromising the sense of calm created in the larger sitting room above. If you want more than the seagulls as your holiday soundtrack, there are iPod docks in both the family/play room and the kitchen, and for connection to the outside world, Wi-Fi is provided. The Sky variety bundle is a nice touch. There's unrestricted parking right outside too. Please note that eight is the maximum number of guests that can be accommodated here.
- Sleeps 8
- Bed linen included
- 5 bedrooms
- 3 bathrooms
- No pets allowed
- Garden/courtyard
- No private parking
- 2 Single beds
- 2 Double beds
- 1 King size/super king size bed
- 2 Single bunk beds
- WiFi
Ideally situated and very well appointed. Mr David Smith - 13th August 2018
Ideal for our family needs.Mrs Sue Dargie - 23rd July 2018
We really enjoyed our stay and it had just the right amount of space and things for our enjoyment of the week altogether.Mrs Gwendolyn Horn - 20th April 2018
Lovely large property, very clean and well presented. Extremely well situated and convenient to beach, town and pier.Mr P Fletcher - 13th July 2017
we found the cottage very comfortable and well equipped for a large family. Very good friendly and efficient service.Mr Michael Coates - 11th May 2016
Elkhorn is a lovely house, much more spacious than it looks. One extremely welcome bonus was that the beds were very comfortable- almost unheard of in rented properties!Ms J Malvisi - 26th October 2015
A lovely property, a very short walk from the beach, which is good for children and all the equipment needed for the beach!Mrs V J Coffey - 10th September 2015
Elkhorn was a great house, close to the beach, the shops and the pubs/restaurants. It was in excellent condition and the best Southwold property we have used over the years.
Ideal for a large group, the best rental place we have used in Southwold.Mr Alastair CUTHBERT
Holiday Extras
Holiday Extras
We've hand-picked a selection of Holiday Extras from trusted partners to make your holiday extra special. When you make your booking, you'll see all the Extras on offer at your chosen property and be able to add them to your holiday. Booking them in advance gives you more time to relax when you arrive, and remember - many of these offers are exclusive so you won't find them anywhere else.
Emma Crowhurst - Private Chef Cookery Workshop and Entertainment
Have fun and learn some new skills with a cookery workshop from local chef Emma Crowhurst
Nomad Sea Kayaking Nomad Sea Kayaking Adventure
Get active with an adventure sea kayaking experience. See a different view of Suffolk's waterside landscape and wildlife, on one of these truly memorable tri...
Emma Crowhurst - Private Chef Private chef to cook your dinner
For a truly relaxing holiday, why not treat yourself to a private chef to cook for you. Bespoke dining experiences courtesy of local chef Emma Crowhurst
Nick Catling Photography 10% Discount on Beach Photography Workshop
Capture beautiful images on film to help keep the memories of your Suffolk cottage holiday alive with this full day photography workshop with Nick Catling.
Virgin Wines 12 Bottle Classic Wine Selection
This classic case oozes class and is perfect to give you various flavours from across the globe! Enjoy 2 bottles of each wine to encourage sharing or indulgence...
- Normal price
- £115.87
- Price
- £95.50
Virgin Wines 12 Bottle Luxury Wine Selection
This 12 bottle case is packed full of wines to blow you away with flavours and complexities all round – a case guaranteed to impress all who get the pleas...
- Normal price
- £175.87
- Price
- £131.90
Aldeburgh Yacht Club 2 Hour Sailing Experience at Aldeburgh Yacht Club
Take to the water with and RYA instructor at Aldeburgh Yacht Club for a private sailing lesson.
Spicers of Hythe Ltd 20% discount on Hampers of Distinction
A hamper of distinction from Spicers of Hythe adds a little luxury to any occasion. We offer 20% off a beautifully presented hamper of gourmet delights.
Dragonfly Tea 20% off Dragonfly Tea
There's nothing better than relaxing with a delicious cup of tea on your holiday, so we're offering you 20% off Dragonfly Tea's wonderful range.
Virgin Wines 6 Bottle Celebratory Wine Selection
A true Prosecco lovers case! No excuse is needed for this beautiful selection (so don't let others tell you any different!). Start with the wonderful flor...
- Normal price
- £74.93
- Price
- £61.75


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Nothing about this sounds good. Earlier this week on Monday Night Raw, Seth Rollins was thrown off of the stage and went arm first into the window of a police van (check out the video here). The arm went through the glass and Rollins was cut open very badly, leaving a pool of blood underneath Rollins. The immediate questions was how bad the injury might be, and a few days later, we have an update.
According to Wrestlinginc.com, Rollins did not wrestle at Friday's house show in Birmingham, Alabama but did appear at the end of the show to help Roman Reigns and Dean Ambrose powerbomb Dolph Ziggler through a table. The table however didn't break and Ziggler bounced off of it instead. Reigns got another table for another TripleBomb, though it wasn't clear if that one broke either in the following video:
[This post contains video, click to play]
WWE has yet to comments on Rollins' status.
Opinion: The fact that Rollins is being allowed to get physical is a good sign. I have no idea how bad the injury is but he's a big enough piece of the roster at the moment that if he's able to do anything that will allow him to get back in the ring, WWE is likely to go that way. With Rollins holding the Intercontinental Title, there isn't a lot that WWE can do in the way of keeping him out of the ring for very long.
How long do you think Rollins will be out? If he has to vacate the title, who will get it next? Let us know in the comments below.
Thomas Hall has been a wrestling fan for over thirty years and has seen over 50,000 wrestling matches. He has also been a wrestling reviewer since 2009 with over 5,000 full shows covered. You can find his work at kbwrestlingreviews.com, or check out his Amazon author page with 28 wrestling books. His latest book is the the Complete 2003 Smackdown Reviews.
Get the latest and greatest in professional wrestling news by signing up for our daily email newsletter. Just look below for "GET EXCLUSIVE UPDATES" to sign up. We are proud to offer our popular Wrestling Rumors app and encourage you to download it for an optimized user experience. It is available for Android and also on iOS. Thank you for reading!
The post Video: Update On Seth Rollins' Injury, Is He Back In The Ring Yet? appeared first on WrestlingRumors.net.
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Tickets available at URBTIX from 13 July 2018
【Ticket Exchange, Donation or Refund for Hong Kong Cool】
Owing to typhoon, Hong Kong Cool performance on 16 September was cancelled. Ticket holders may choose one of the below options:
1) Exchange the tickets to our highlight productions of The Nutcracker (14 – 26.12.2018), Le Corsaire (29 – 31.3.2019) or HK Ballet x HK Phil: The Rite of Spring (31.5 – 2.6.2019)
2) Donate the tickets. We warmly invite you to donate the tickets to our to Student Ticket Fund for providing half-priced tickets for 13,000+ full-time students annually. Under the Government's Art Development Matching Grants Pilot Scheme, your donations will double both in size and impact, fueling our work in enriching Hong Kong's cultural life! Learn more
3) Apply for a refund
Please return the completed form and intact ticket(s) to Marketing Department, Hong Kong Ballet by mail to G/F., 60 Blue Pool Road, Happy Valley, Hong Kong, by 28 September 2018 (Fri). If you have enquiries, please contact us at firstname.lastname@example.com or on (852) 2105 9724. Thank you for your support.
The idea is simple: seven world premieres by eight Hong Kong-based choreographers, collaborating with local artists in different media. The result? An explosive celebration of Hong Kong's trend-setting creative class! Produced in partnership with West Kowloon Cultural District and Hong Kong Art School (a division of the Hong Kong Arts Centre), dance-makers are paired with composers, painters, sculptors, fashion designers and video artists, creating something truly unique in a city known for its one-of-a-kind events.
After the show, grab a drink and mingle with your favourite dancer, and then enjoy a late-night screening of The Unheard Beat. This new documentary from Oliver Shing reveals the sweat, passion, disappointment and triumph behind the creative process and features Yuh Egami, Hu Song Wei Ricky and the Hong Kong Ballet dancers.
Screening with A New Film by Oliver Shing
The Unheard Beat
Wordless Letter* - Yuh Egami x Mike Yip* x James KongMoved by Virginia Woolf's suicide note, Yuh Egami was challenged by both the choreography and the choreographic method when creating this new work. Combining Mike Yip's original music with James Kong's multimedia design and Perception Neuron technology, Wordless Letter will lead you to imagine things that can't be seen.
Born in Okinawa, Japan, Yuh Egami graduated from The Royal Ballet School in London and joined Hong Kong Ballet as a member of the Corps de Ballet in 2002. He assumed the additional role of Répétiteur in 2014 and became Assistant Ballet Master in 2018.
Egami has presented his works at Hong Kong Ballet's Choreographers' Showcase, including Horn (2014) and White Lies (2012) with Hu Song Wei Ricky, OIOIO (2011), Mirage (2010), Collage of One (2008), Sakula (2007) and Kagé (2005). He has also contributed choreography to several full-length works including Carmen (2017), co-choreographed with Hu, The Frog Prince-A Ballet Chinois (2013) together with Hu and as associate choreographer to Yuri Ng and Firecracker (2010) as an associate choreographer to Ng. His work Bolero (2015) with Hu, won Outstanding Ensemble performance at the Hong Kong Dance Awards 2016. Egami has also collaborated with music composer Mike Orange for the "New Works Forum: Choreographer & Composer Lab" by West Kowloon Cultural District in 2016.
Egami also re-choreographed Ng's Devil's Tale for Architanz, Japan in 2015 and choreographed Sonographer (2011) and Firefly (2016) for E-side Dance Company and Peter and the Wolf (2018) for Le Studio Ballet in Hong Kong.
Mike Yip is a composer, improviser and experimentalist whose work is characterized by a cross-boundary approach to cultures, traditions and genres, as well as experimentation in new performance practice and improvisation. His recent research focused on the potential use of electric guitar in concerts and on combining electric instruments, Western traditional instruments, ethnic instruments and signal-processing technology in music compositions.
Empty Awakening* - Li Jiabo x He Chaoya# x Tsui Chin Hung* x Rachel CheungPossessing immerse strength, Wukong is trapped in lust and feeling lost during his quest for truth. Choreographers Li Jiabo and He Chaoya, musician Tsui Chin Hung, Sculptor Rachel Cheung and the dancers showcase the wisdom inspired through the creative process.
Born in Shanghai, China, Li Jiabo trained at Shanghai Far East Ballet School and The Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts. He joined Hong Kong Ballet as a member of the Corps de Ballet in 2005, was named Soloist in 2012 and became Principal Dancer in 2014.
Since joining the Company, Li has presented choreographic works at Hong Kong Ballet's Choreographers' Showcase, including Infinity Awaits (2017) and Night Thoughts (2016) with Ho Chaoya, Keep Watch (2015), Going Home (2014), Unable to Rewind (2012) and Ambush (2008). He also choreographed Something We Always Carry (2013).
A graduate of the Guangzhou Dance School's Chinese Dance Department, He Chaoya received a full scholarship to study at The Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts. He is a recipient of gold medals at the National Minorities Performance Gala, Guangdong Song of Youth Dance Competition and the Guangzhou Architecture Cup National Social Dance Competition (Youth category).
He joined the Hong Kong Dance Company in 2007. He was featured in various pas de deux: Antelopes of the Snow in Dance Roots, Shadow in Red – Red or Black in Two Swallows – Ode to Wu Guanzhong, Hometown in Pop Classics: Joseph Koo's Dance Melodies 2013, Love Song with Drums in Dream of the Past: Ancient Chinese Court Dances and Fluttering Hearts in Kaleidoscope of Dance from Yunnan. He also played the role of Old Zhou in Plateau Bluebells and Young Master in Red Poppies (2014 re-run). His recent works co-choreographed with Li Jiabo Night Thoughts and Infinity Awaits were presented at Hong Kong Ballet's Choreographers' Showcase 2016 and 2017.
When You See* - Hu Song Wei Ricky x Olivier Cong*Working with Hu Song Wei Ricky's exquisite, sentimental choreography and Olivier Cong's original music, When You See believes that when there is love, there is hope, even if time cannot cure all past pain.
Born in Jiangxi, China, Hu Song Wei Ricky trained at Shanghai Dance School, LASALLE-SIA College of the Arts in Singapore and The Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts. Hu joined Hong Kong Ballet as a member of the Corps de Ballet in 2008 and was named Coryphée in 2015.
[I]- Leung Chunlong x Heung Kin Fung Alex[I] juxtaposes Leung Chunlong's choreography and Heung Kin Fung Alex's paintings that call out to the 'self' in this chaotic world.
Born in Hong Kong, Leung Chunlong graduated from Beijing Dance Academy in 2009 and from The Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts in 2011, with a concentration in Ballet. He joined Hong Kong Ballet as a member of the Corps de Ballet the same year and was named Coryphée in 2014.
His choreographic works included L'espoir (2017) and tʃHEy (2016). Leung received an Outstanding Performance Award at the Taoli Cup Dance Competition in 2003.
Missing Out - Li Lin x Yeung ChinFusing Li Lin's ideas and Yeung Chin's fashion designs, this new work explores the price of growing up.
Born in Zhejiang, China, Li Lin trained at Beijing Dance Academy. He joined Hong Kong Ballet as a member of the Corps de Ballet in 2010 and was named Soloist in 2014.
Since joining the Company, Li has presented choreographic works at Hong Kong Ballet's Choreographers' Showcase, including Break Away (2014), Follow Your Heart (2016) and The Bow (2017). He danced Pas de Deux from Krzysztof Pastor's In Light and Shadow with Liu Miaomiao at the International Ballet Festival of Havana in 2014 and won second prize at the Taoli Cup Dance Competition in 2009.
Mellifluous - Forrest Rain Oliveros x Chloe HoInspired from Forrest Rain Oliveros' familiar tunes and melodies and mixed with Chloe Ho's visual concepts, Mellifluous will showcase a creative and exciting choreography.
Born in Tennessee, US, Forrest Rain Oliveros trained at Ballet Tennessee, Ellison Ballet and The Ailey School in the US. He danced with Charlotte Ballet and other companies before joining Hong Kong Ballet as a member of the Corps de Ballet in 2017.
Monolith - Jonathan Spigner x Tsang Man Fu MatthewIncorporating visual artist Tsang Man Fu Matthew's sculptures and videos, Jonathan Spigner's Monolith explores what we allow and deny or want and need from others –everyday humanity and social constructs.
Born in South Carolina, US, Jonathan Spigner trained at the South Carolina Governor's School of Arts and Humanities and at Académie Princesse Grace in Monte Carlo. He joined Hong Kong Ballet as a member of the Corps de Ballet in 2010 and was named Coryphée in 2014. He assumed the additional role of Pilates Instructor for the Company in 2017.
Hong Kong visual artist Tsang Man Fu Matthew completed both his BFA in 2008 and MFA in 2016 at RMIT University in Australia. His works investigate the relationship between time, change, process and materiality, using natural materials, including wood, ice and charcoal, that go through various processes like burning, melting and freezing and are presented as installations, videos, photographs or sculptural objects. Tsang has been a lecturer at Hong Kong Art School since 2012. His works are regularly exhibited in Hong Kong and Australia and collected by private patrons. His work was recently exhibited at Harbour Art Sculpture Park (2018).
*The concept and ideas of the works were conceived and developed during the Creation for Freespace: Choreographer and Composer Lab programme co-partnered with West Kowloon. The composer and live music for this performance were commissioned and funded by West Kowloon.
#With kind permission of Hong Kong Dance Company
Joint Promotional OfferPre or Post Ballet Dining Options at InterContinental Hong Kong
Ticket holders of this programme can enjoy 15% off food & beverage in all restaurants and bars at InterContinental Hong Kong before or after performance upon presentation of their tickets on the performance date. For details, please call 2313 2323 for details.
Ticket Discounts
|50% off
|Full-time students, senior citizens, people with disabilities and the minder
(Limited tickets for students and senior citizens available on a first-come, first-served basis. This discount cannot be used in conjunction with other discounts.)
|15% off
|Friends of Hong Kong Ballet
|10% off
|CCDC Dance Inspirations Card holders, Members of Chung Ying Theatre's Energy Fun Club Plus, Friends of HKCO, Friends of HKDC Prestige Members, HK Phil Club Bravo members, Members of HKRep Pals, Zuni's Friends, Fringe Club Members, Hong Kong Arts Administrators Association members, HKBU Foundation members and Hong Kong Dance Alliance members.
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The swan song of a noir master finally gets its due. GBH, the late Ted Lewis' final and some say greatest (I might argue for another) novel, is finally getting its day in court and the critics are placing it where it belongs, in the cannon, among the pulp and noir greats.
So here's what's being said:
NPR's FRESH AIR — "Gangsters, Goons, and 'Grievous Bodily Harm' in Ted Lewis' London"
NPR Fresh Air critic John Powers writes that, "At his best, [Lewis] achieves something only a handful of crime writers ever do — the chilling sense of cosmic fatality that links noir anti-heroes to the likes of Oedipus and Macbeth" and of Lewis' celebrated, claustrophobic, and brutal Get Carter he writes, "Get Carter is one of the best-ever fictional portraits of a small, industrial English city with its tawdry shops, dingy rooming houses, and suffocating air of decline from something that wasn't that great to begin with."
You can listen to the whole piece on Lewis HERE.
Simple and to the point, BookPage dubs GBH: "Lewis' masterpiece."
THE LIFE SENTENCE — "The Grievous Life of Ted Lewis"
Lisa Levy's brilliant new crime and mystery fiction focused website published a wonderful, and thorough, piece on Lewis and GBH by Brian Greene, which among other things, says: "While [Get Carter] will likely always be the most noted of Ted Lewis's nine novels, GBH, the final book Lewis published, is his masterwork."
That rest can be read HERE.
THE BARNES & NOBLE REVIEW — "Ted Lewis and His Kitchen Sink Thrillers"
The online literary review of the nation's largest brick & mortar bookstore chain, and the company where I had my first book related job, ran a terrific review by Charles Taylor about the Carter Trilogy and GBH. Taylor pulls no punches: "Lewis remains a sharp social anatomist of the hopelessness and soul-sucking dinginess of his era. Starting with [Get Carter], Lewis sketched the horror of a Britain where home was the kitchen sink, the sodden bar towel, the decrepit industrial landscape."
You can read the rest of Charles Taylor's review HERE.
And hopefully there's more to come!


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Navy Tie Front Dress & Hot Pink Sandals
I got this dress last spring from the Gap, I loved it so much I also got it in light blue. It is a faux wrap dress that is very versatile. You can tie it low, high like I have it, in the center or on the side. It is so fun. It is very light weight and perfect for my climate in the spring and summer. Of course I had to add my pink sandals from Target to give the look a kick! Big hooped earrings and my tan bag completed the outfit. Not sure what's going on with my hair but I was so excited to need sunglasses for this shoot. Spring really is in the air!
Has spring sprung in your neck of the woods?
It's that time of year when I start using self tanners. By far my favorite is the Jergens brand. It works perfectly and is reasonably priced. I have used it for years. Click here to see their whole line. My favorite is the Natural Glow Firming Daily Moisturizer here. I use this daily. This year I have added the Instant Sun Sunless Tanning Mouse to give myself a kick start and I love it. I use it when I want immediate and extra color. See it here. I use the Deep Bronze color. (This is not an advertisement, just sharing what I like to use.)
Thanks for stopping by!


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The Life of Andrew Jackson
"Superb professional history that moves boldly beyond the scholar's monograph to make the American past alive and exciting for the general reader." —Arthur Schlesinger, Jr.
[Remini] has produced a wonderful portrait, rich in detail, of a fascinating and important man and an authoritative . . . . account of his role in American History." —New York Times Book Review
The classic one-volume abridgement of the definitive, three-volume, National Book Award-winning biography of Andrew Jackson from esteemed historian Robert V. Remini.
Product Details
|HarperCollins Publishers
|Publication date:
|P.S. Series
|Sales rank:
|Product dimensions:
|5.20(w) x 7.90(h) x 1.30(d)
About the Author
Robert V. Remini is professor of history emeritus and research professor of humanities emeritus at the University of Illinois at Chicago and historian of the United States House of Representatives. He is the winner of the National Book Award for the third volume of his study of Andrew Jackson, and he lives in Wilmette, Illinois.
Read an Excerpt
Chapter One
Boy from the Waxhaw District
It was not half an hour before dawn, January 8, 1815. A thick mist rolled from the murky waters of the Mississippi River and covered the ground separating two armies facing each other. Slowly, as the light of the new day spread across the plain, the mist gradually thinned and drifted away, revealing the British army, in magnificent array, stretched across two-thirds of the open field. A short distance in front of them and crouched behind an open ditch, American militiamen, sharpshooters, frontiersmen, pirates, blacks, army regulars, and others, waited for the attack to begin, their guns pointed straight ahead.
Then, with a screech, a Congreve rocket rose from one flank of the British army, followed by a second that ascended from the other flank. They signaled the beginning of the Battle of New Orleans.
Displaying superb military discipline, the army of redcoats charged forward. The Americans saw them and cheered. They had been waiting for hours for this moment and could scarcely contain their excitement and joy. Their guns trained on the brightly colored targets before them. Trigger fingers tensed. Suddenly the entire American line was illuminated with a devastating blaze of fire. A battalion band in the background struck up "Yankee Doodle" as artillery, rifles, and small arms emptied into the faces of the oncoming British. The initial roar of defiance no sooner echoed away than another thundering rebuke smashed into the scarlet ranks. And with each volley, dozens of redcoats crumbled to the ground.
"Fire! Fire!" ordered General William Carroll to the Tennessee and Kentucky sharpshooters. And it was executed with deadly precision. Not hurriedly or excitedly but calmly and deliberately. Hardly a shot was wasted by the skilled marksmen as row after row of American riflemen shattered the advancing column. One British officer said he never saw a more destructive fire poured upon a single line of men. Every shot seemed to find its mark; scores of soldiers pitched to the ground, many of them falling on top of one another.
Then it happened. The advancing troops lost their nerve and the column halted. "The horror before them was too great to be withstood." They could no longer face the "flashing and roaring hell" in front of them. They recoiled and began a general retreat.
The commanding officer of the British army, Lieutenant General Sir Edward Michael Pakenham, saw his men halt and turn around and he rode forward from his position in the rear to stop them. "For shame, for shame," he screamed at them, "recollect that you are British soldiers. This is the road you ought to take," he admonished as he pointed to the fiery furnaces before them.
A shower of lead balls from the sharpshooters behind the ditch greeted Pakenham's call to advance. One shattered his right arm, another killed his horse. Mounting an aide's pony, Pakenham pursued the retreating column with cries to halt and reform their line.
They heard him. Once out of range of the fierce American rifles their spirits surged again. They advanced once more. At the same time a column of 900 Highlanders off to the left side of the line were ordered to cross the field and help their comrades. The tartan-trousered Highlanders followed an oblique route to the right while the once-fleeing column headed back toward the ditch.
But the ditch saw what was happening and responded instantly. Round, grape, musketry, rifle, and buckshot raked the entire length of the Highlanders' line. The carnage was frightful. And once the British column returned within rifle range the mud ditch barked its command to halt. Round after round smashed into the British ranks. One thirty-two-pounder, loaded to the muzzle with musket balls, crashed into the head of the column at point-blank range and leveled it to the ground, some 200 men killed or wounded in this single salvo. In the fire General Pakenham was struck several times. One bullet ripped open his thigh, killed his horse, and threw both to the ground. As his aides started to lift him, a second shot struck him in the groin and Pakenham instantly lost consciousness. He was carried to the rear out of gun range and propped up under an oak tree in the center of the field. Within minutes Lieutenant General Sir Edward Pakenham died.
The brave Highlanders halted not one hundred yards from the ditch, taking round after round from the Americans until more than 500 of them lay on the ground. At last they too turned and fled in horror and dismay. The British army lay shattered on the field.
The Americans stopped firing when the redcoats retreated out of range. Then word was passed down the line to cease fire. The men rested on their arms. The entire assault had taken hardly more than two hours, the principal attack lasting only thirty minutes.
General Jackson walked slowly down the line with his staff, stopping at the center of each command to congratulate the men on their bravery and skill. Then, the entire line suddenly burst forth with loud and prolonged cheers for their General. Jackson nodded and gestured his appreciation. The cheering continued for many minutes.
But when the Americans scaled the parapet they had built behind their ditch and wandered around the battlefield, their smiles and happy countenances vanished as they gazed upon the horror stretched out...
Table of Contents
Preface ix
Chronology of Jackson's Life, 1767-1845 xi
Genealogy of the Jackson Family xv
1 Boy from the Waxhaw District 1
2 Frontiersman and Lawyer 14
3 Congressman Jackson 28
4 The Duel 42
5 Old Hickory 55
6 The Creek War 68
7 The Battle of New Orleans 86
8 Indian Removal 105
9 The First Seminole War 116
10 Governor Jackson 129
11 An Era of Corruption 137
12 "Jackson and Reform" 157
13 The First People's Inaugural 172
14 The Reform Begins 183
15 Political Upheaval 190
16 Return to Reform 208
17 The Bank War Begins 220
18 Jackson and the Union 233
19 The Union Preserved 244
20 "The Grand Triumphal Tour" 252
21 Panic! 261
22 The End of the Bank 272
23 The Hermitage Fire 278
24 Jacksonian Diplomacy 283
25 Jacksonian Democracy 295
26 Texas 309
27 Life in the White House 315
28 Farewell 327
29 Retirement 336
30 The Silver Jubilee 342
31 "We Must Regain Texas" 346
32 "We Will All Meet in Heaven" 354
Notes 361
Bibliography 397
Index 399
Maps and Floor Plans
The Creek Campaign, 1813-1814 76
Route of British Invasion 94
Battle of New Orleans, January 8, 1815 98
Indian Removal-Southern Tribes 107
First Seminole War, 1818 123
Hermitage, First Floor 300
Hermitage, Second Floor 301
The White House, 1833, Main Floor 318
The White House, 1833, Second Story 319
Customer Reviews
Average Review
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
America is replete with larger than life characters who seem to characterize the American spirit. Andrew Jackson is encapsulated and described in vivid detail in Robert Remini's biography of the 7th president. A true gauge of the effectiveness of a biography is how well balanced the author treats his subject. Remini does largely succeeds in making Jackson a real person. This is not glowing hagiography nor hatchet piece. His temper, duels as well as his bullying of the Indians are not glossed over but given fair treatment and shown to be character flaws. Jackson, like many men of his era, sought battlefield glory. That glory was able to get him on the national stage and eventually to the presidency. Conversely, his strengths are also revealed; most telling is his loving devotion to his wife Rachel. While the actual events surrounding his courtship and marriage to the former Rachel Donelson are shadowed by controversy, what is not in dispute is the fact that their relationship that was real and loving. Rachel's premature death in 1828 (shortly after his election as president) had a lasting effect on him. Her piety made a difference in his life to the point he eventually became a member of the Presbyterian Church after his term in the White House. Remini does an excellent job of placing Jackson's candidacies, elections and term of office within its proper, historical context. Seen as having been robbed by John Quincy Adams and Henry Clay and their "corrupt bargain" which fueled his populist campaign in 1828. His efforts to return the American government to the people and avoid the creation of a permanent ruling aristocracy can provide encouragement to those fighting that same battle today. The book shows both the successes and failure of the Jackson administration. The latter can be seen in his woeful appointment of members of his cabinet. However, his triumphs, most notably the abolition of the Bank of the United States, are chronicled and extolled without cheerleading. Trying to tell the story of a man who was soldier, lawyer, general, representative, governor, senator and president can make for a long story. The author originally had 3 volumes dedicated to his subject; his reducing it down to one volume was a wise decision for the benefit of arm chair historians such as myself. BOTTOM LINE: "The Life of Andrew Jackson" is a life worth reading about.
I'd recommend this book to anyone interested in early American history. Andrew Jackson was a polarizing figure who had earned the respect of everyone including his military and political enemies. The man was fearless and extremely confident and it is amazing how much he had experienced in his life. He was a soldier in the American Revolutionary War who later became a victorious general in the War of 1812. His intuition served him well and was one of the many qualities that made him a great leader. Other remarkable accomplishments include serving as a U.S. Senator, successful lawyer, judge, and serving two terms as President of the United States. The book touches on numerous historic events in America from the Revolutionary Era to the period of James K. Polk's presidency at the time of Andrew Jackson's death. The author did a great job at describing Andrew Jackson's character and while reading the book I occasionally caught myself chuckling over the boldness of some of Jackson's statements and actions.
I would definitely recommend this abridged version of Andrew Jackson by Remini. The books did a wonderful job of Jackson's rise in status. I personally would have liked to have read more about his Indian policy, or at least equivalent to the amount of time spent on his banking policy. That being said Remini has book devoted to Jackson's policy toward Indians. This is a great book for those interested in learning the about the character of Andrew Jackson. After reading this book I find myself fascinated with his character. I would attribute my spawned love and fascination for Jackson to this book and since reading it I have purchased Remini's three book set, Fathers and children(Jackson's Indian Policy)- By Rogin, and A Being so Gentle (Jackson and Rachel)- by Brady. Hope this review encourages you to buy this book.
This biography was one of the most detailed and informative biographies I have ever read. It has in-depth descriptions of all of "ol Hickory's" achievements including his successful military leadership in stopping the British from advancing towards New Orleans. It also tells of his faults such as his excessive gambling and drinking, his ill willed temper, and his famous duels. The way the book Jacksons military career starting during the American Revolution with being held captive and slashed severely with a sword and the deaths of his whole immediate family due to war related causes. This led to his immense hatred towards the British. Jackson also served in the War of 1812 and the first Seminole war. Both of which he commanded American forces including Tennessee militia and volunteers. Jackson was also a major part of the creation of the state of Tennessee. He was the first congressman for Tennessee; he was in the House of Representatives and also the senate. After serving in the senate he later moved on to being Governor of Florida then on to chairman of the Senate Committee on Military affairs. This led up to his presidency from 1829-1837. Jackson was adamant about keeping the union together. When all the hostility in the South happened about seceding from the union, he was outraged. Jackson was also against the national bank and ended it by vetoing its 1832 re-charter and withdrawing US funds. The only thing I didn't like about this book was how it will go off on tangents about people who Jackson had encounters with. Some of these tangents were really long and I felt that they were unnecessary. One of the most intriguing parts of this book was the controversy of Jackson's marriage to Rachel Donelson Robards; she was previously married and divorced but the finalization was delayed. Their first marriage in 1790 was not legal, so they remarried in 1794 legally after the divorce was finalized. What sets Jackson apart from the rest of the Presidents was his dueling. Jackson partook in 13 duels; he killed one man Charles Dickinson after Dickinson shot him in the ribs. The bullet lodged in Jackson's ribs was so close to his heart that it couldn't be safely removed. This is a must read for people who are history buffs or just love American history. This biography gave me an insight to one of the greatest American leaders this country has ever had. After reading this biography, I now know why Andrew Jackson is on the twenty-dollar bill.
The best one volume book on Jackson that I've read. I was never totally keen on Jackson until reading this book. By looking at his life and the times, he now is one of my favorite people in U.S. history. A great study in his character.


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Ever wanted to host a wine tasting at home? (video) »
Tara O'Leary shows you how to kick off the evening, easily
How to host a wine tasting at home
Surprise your friends with a wine tasting at your own house. Tara Devon O'Leary goes through different themes and walks you through the procedures of hosting your very own tasting with some very helpful tips.
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Hello everyone! I hope you are having a good time. I must say I feel very inspired at the moment. I am back to the North of France, where I spend a lot of time photographing flowers from the forest and from my parent's garden. I just come back from two days spent in the South of France, in a little village called Pernes les fontaine, where I attended a Styling master class called Joyeuse Clique in the concept store "la maison pernoise". Here are some snapshots of this beautiful location very well curated by Lau and Leo, two passionate interior architects, who created a very personal and unique store. You can see more pictures of the Session in my Facebook album. The workshop was given by the incredibly talented and very kind stylist Anouk Brands. Her motto is "look deeply", but Anouk also has the ability to talk and listen deeply. On the second day of the workshop, Anouk gave us a hand printed message on a piece of linen. The message was: KEEP IT SIMPLE BUT BEAUTIFUL. That pretty much sums up those two days and her approach of styling.
DAY 1: BE HERE AND NOW: The task of her first day, was to create all together a Kinfolk style table.
"Kinfolk is a growing community of artists, writers, designers, photographers, cooks and others who are interested in creating small gatherings and finding new things to cook, make and do. We understand that coming together to share great food and casual conversation can make us feel balanced, grounded and energized.
Kinfok is the journal where we share ideas about low-key, back-to-basics entertaining. Every element of the magazine—the features, the photography and the general aesthetic—mirrors the way we feel entertaining should be: comfortable, slow, fun and engaging. The magazine brings together our interest in art and design with our love for spending time with our favorite people." {kinfolk Website}
The dinner was not an official kinfolk dinner, but a natural style dinner inspired by the kinfolk tables. We styled it with props from the maison pernoise as well as things we found in the nature.
That is how we worked: After a theoretical session explaining the kinfolk movement, each of us gathered some props in the shop and in the nature, to create a little vignette with what could fit to decorate a kinfolk table according to us: The keywords were: SEASONAL, SIMPLE, SLOW, NATURAL, PURE, RECYCLED. We then had a look all together at the props we wanted to keep or not and why and then styled the table.
As you can imagine, my focus was on the flower decoration. A lot of the small bouquets were made with wild flowers we found in the background of the store or with branches of cherry and quince trees we picked in Lau's beautiful backyard. We also had some mini olive trees to remind us of the provence.
The dinner was cooked by the food truck Mistral Gagnant. The food was simple and delicious. All the recipes came from the Kinfolk Table cookbook.
The dinner was served for 50 people in the backyard of the maison pernoise under the stars with candle lights, and it was just incredible!
DAY 2: Moodboards and personal branding On the second day, it was more about showing your personality through your styling and styling from the heart. We could also use the props from the maison pernoise for some moodboard exercises. Here are some snapshots of the Joyeuse Clique at work:
Here is the moodboard I created for madame love, inspired by the keywords, that symbolise my brand: GREY, FLOWERS, ANIMALS, CREATIVITY. I think that will help me take my blog in the right direction. I am really happy with how it turned out.
Here are some of my favourite vignettes created by some of the Joyeuse Clique bloggers.
Sources: from left to right and from top to bottom
1. Karin from BODIE and FOU* 2. Valérie from Atelier rue verte 3. Iris from propos déco 4. CEZ from Méchant Design


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June Artist Spotlight - Teresa Cox/
Q: What medium do you use in your own art, Teresa, and which do you use in your teaching?
A: I'm a painter and sometimes also use paper collage in my work. I like the odd photograph, magazine and handmade papers.
With teaching I use a wide range of media. Paints, drawing materials-markers, pencils, pastels and inks, construction papers and collage. I like using photography in lessons which allow the students to explore their own personality and identity. A few of my favorite 3-D lessons use armature and handmade translucent paper for sculptural hats and drawing and constructing architectural facades and buildings inspired by world cultures. Mural painting is always a great community project.
Q: How do you describe your painting style/genre?
A: Fictional landscape. I'm interested in a skewed and dramatized vision somewhere between the familiar/figurative and the mysterious/abstract.
Q: What age groups do you work with?
A: All ages but I have a particular fondness for K-6 and older adult workshops.
Q: What does being a COMPAS artist mean to you?
A: I'm proud to work with an organization like COMPAS that believes in artists and in the power of the arts to foster healthy, meaningful and inspired lives. As a residency artist I have repeatedly witnessed the creative growth in students as they work through the earliest stage of a project into more original ideas and expressions. I can spend a tremendous amount of time working alone in my studio and a COMPAS residency is the complete opposite of that. I love going into a school or hospital or community center knowing that my skills are translatable into working with very diverse populations.
Q: By the end of a week with you, what are 3 things you hope most students have learned?
A: Everyone is creative and art is really about thinking, communicating and problem solving-it's about so much more than drawing with a pencil (although that's cool too).
Creating comes with work and some discomfort. Solving repeated creative challenges pays off with a more disciplined, engaged and expressive mind.
The field of new ideas is fertile with beautiful mistakes.
Q: How does teaching your craft affect your own work?
A: In the classroom there is always a limit on time so when teaching and lesson planning I try to distill things to what seems most essential. I use this thinking in my personal work and it helps me to focus and edit ideas. Lesson planning and research also takes me into directions that I might not have explored-my current collage work really evolved out of regularly using it in some favorite lessons and liking the randomness of overlapping materials. Some of the flushed out lesson examples also become visual notes for future material and process ideas back in the studio.
Q: Will you share a piece of advice for aspiring painters/artists?
A: Not advice for anyone but I can share what helps me in my process. I've found it's important to maintain a sense of progression and engagement with the work I'm doing. I set-up challenges for myself and try to push past the familiar through research and studio time. Right now that's happening by working on both small and large scale paintings (8' x 5') and creating a drawing-a-day for 2013. I also like to read local and national reviews and get out to see exhibitions of other artists work as much as possible.
Q: What else do you have going on?
A: This Spring I received a State Arts Board Initiative Grant to develop new work. I'm also finishing a piece for a show in New York and paintings for my annual Open Studio Show and an exhibition in Minneapolis this fall. I'm looking forward to my Summer Studio Classes starting the week of June 24th for 8-12 year olds. We'll be taking advantage of the summer weather by working outside while experimenting and working on drawing, painting and inventive building projects.


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Note: I'm far too disorganized to keep a full CV on the go. Fortunately, it's almost 30 years since I last had to apply for a job. Besides, who wants to scrutinize every teeny strand of someone else's navel fluff? Here are the basics, culled from a single page bio - honest! - which I do update fairly regularly. But I've probably forgotten something.
Personal details
Full name: Aidan George Foster-Carter
Born: London, 7 November 1947
Citizenship: British
Ethnicity: Anglo-Irish
Family status: Divorced. One son, born 1979
Address: 17 Birklands Road, Shipley, West Yorkshire, BD18 3BY, UK
Tel: [+44] (0)1274 588586
Fax: [+44] (0)1274 773663
Mobile: [+44] (0)7970 741307
Email: email@example.com
Website: www.aidanfc.net
1960-65: Eton College. A-levels: Latin, Greek, Ancient History,
French, Economics (grades A, A, A, A, C; also S-level grade 1 for
the first four)
1966-69: Balliol College, Oxford. BA (Hons) in Philosophy, Politics & Economics. Viva'd at length for a 1st; result II:1
1969-71: Hull University. PhD study in Sociology; thesis on Marxist development theory (unfinished)
Employment: universities
1971-72: Lecturer in Sociology, University of Hull
1972-74: ditto, University of Dar-es-Salaam, Tanzania
1974-97: Lecturer - from 1985, Senior Lecturer - in Sociology, University of Leeds
1997 - : Honorary Senior Research Fellow in Sociology and Modern Korea, Leeds
1985: visiting Associate Professor of Sociology, University of California at Santa Cruz.
Courses on Third World development, Korea, comparative sociology,nationalism, research methodology, social trends and movements. Also Open University, adult classes, and in four prisons
Phd/DPhils for Oxford, Cambridge, LSE, Sussex, et al; plus universities in Australia, Holland and Sweden. Also MA and BA courses at Sussex and East Anglia
Employment: regular freelance
All involve writing about Korea, unless otherwise stated
1983-: Economist Intelligence Unit: quarterly Country Reports and Forecasts on North and (most of) South Korea; Country Profiles on N Korea; regular shorter articles for Business Asia and Viewswire
1987-: Oxford Analytica: writing regular briefs on Korea; speaker at annual business conference
1990-: Europa Publications: updating Korea sections in annual survey The Far East and Australasia
1994-: Enterprise LSE: short articles on Korea for Asian Regional Markets (IDEAglobal.com)
2000-: CSIS-Pacific Forum: Overviews of North Korea and north-south ties for Comparative Connections (quarterly online journal)
Sep 2000-: Asia Times Online (Bangkok): weekly Pyongyang Watch column
2001-: Asia Intelligence Ltd (AsiaInt): Articles on Korea, as commissioned
1993-97: Author of monthly business/policy report to blue chip clients published in Seoul, successively as Korea Countdown (Merit Consulting, 93-95) and North Korea Report (Breen & Gustaveson, 95-97)
1990- 2000: MENAS Associates: quarterly comments and reviews on Korea, for clients in the energy and insurance fields
2000-01: eCountries: Regular articles on Korea, until it dotbombed
1992-2000: Updates Conferences, E Conferences: chairing and speaking at large A-level student day conferences, on various subjects, all over the UK
In last 5-6 years alone, various one-off reports, retainers, and other commissions for:
BHP, British Aerospace, British Gas, Caltex, Coca-Cola, Rio Tinto, Unilever, et al
International bodies:
UNHCR (three times), UNICEF
Risk assessors, insurers, lawyers & Co:
Control Risks, Hiscox, Herbert Smith
Banks, investment houses, & Co: EBRD, Jardine Fleming, UBS, Newton
The Sociology of Development Causeway Press 1985; also in Malay, and ? Bengali
Korea's Coming Reunification EIU 1992
North Korea after Kim Il-sung EIU 1994
Several dozen academic papers, book chapters, etc, on development and/or Korea;
Some translated into German, Italian, Spanish, Turkish and Japanese, as well as Korean.
Also dozens of shorter pieces of analysis/journalism, mainly on
Korea, for inter alios:
Global: Economist, Financial Times, International Herald Tribune
Asia: Asiaweek (r.i.p.), Asian Wall Street Journal, Far Eastern Economic Review
Korea: Korea Herald, Hankook Ilbo; various government and one-off publications
UK: Sunday Times, Guardian, Independent, Scotsman, Evening Standard, Prospect, New Statesman, Marie-Claire (yes really)
Europe: various newspapers in Germany, Belgium, and Netherlands
Guest lectures, visits & Co
South Korea (19), US (13), Japan (6), Netherlands (6), Singapore (4), Germany (4), Sweden (3), North Korea, Hong Kong, Denmark, France, Norway, Switzerland (all 2); Canada, China, Latvia, Macau, Turkey.
In US:
Institute for International Economics, United States Institute of Peace, Pacific Forum-CSIS, Allied Social Science Associations, et al. Universities: Columbia, Yale, MIT, UCLA, UC Santa Barbara, Washington, Hawaii, SUNY Binghamton, et al
In Korea:
too many to list, but including:
Korea Development Institute
Korean Institute for National Unification
Institute of Foreign Affairs and National Security
Academy of Korean Studies
Korean Chamber of Commerce and Industry
Universities: Seoul National, Yonsei, Korea, Chungang, Dong-A, Choson, et al
Met Kim Dae-jung 4 times, including for 2 days discussing unification issues in 1993
In UK:
again too numerous to list, but including:
Confederation of British Industry
Department of Trade and Industry
Foreign and Commonwealth Office (including Wilton Park)
International Institute of Strategic Studies
Royal Institute of International Affairs (Chatham House)
Royal College of Defence Studies (annual lecture)
Royal United Services Institute
Universities: Oxford, Cambridge, LSE, SOAS, Manchester, and many more.
Frequent commentary on Korea for BBC World Service radio and TV; also for radio in Austria, France, Germany, and Netherlands, plus occasionally for 6-7 more countries.
Presented Nightwaves (BBC Radio 3 arts magazine programme) three times in 1995-96.
Other interests
Mainly musical: at age 17 set all Shakespeare's songs for guitar; in 1970s played semi-professionally in northern clubs and East African hotels. Occasional satirical cabaret.
Other joys: my son, concerts, poetry, walks rural and urban, food and drink, travel, good fellowship.
To continue to be introduced as "Britain's leading Korea-watcher".
(BBC Radio 4).
To increase understanding of Korea, help preserve its peace, and promote reunification.
To travel by train from Pusan to Paris.
Aidan Foster-CarterFebruary 2002


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Burke SkiMo
First off, the return home after last week's hut trip was nothing short of awesome. Sometimes skiing abundant powder or steep terrain will jade you for a a couple weeks but that wasn't the case, especially with all the snow we've had on the east coast recently. This allowed for some excellent skiing on Mount Washington as well as ideal conditions for the Burke SkiMo race. Race report after catching up on the midweek activities.
On Tuesday Alex Leich and I headed up Mount Washington and worked our way to the edge of the snowfields just before sunset. We were short on time and played it safe working our way down Left Gully, Little Headwall (still pretty thick and open water), and the Sherbie. It's exciting to see how much snow is up there and we're lined up for a promising April, May, June??
And to top it off, we scored legit powder in Gulf of Slides on Friday. We = David Crothers of Julbo and CJ Congrove. It was unexpected since the winds were going pretty good but somehow the snow wasn't really wind affected except up higher on the ridge. We made a few laps and really couldn't believe how good mid-winter conditions can get here in the high alpine of the White Mountains. It's really all about timing because the conditions are day to day, hour to hour. Some photos from that outing:
Ok, and now the race report!
Burke was my first SkiMo race. You can read about it here. I didn't really know what I was doing or have a clue about the course. This year I was much more prepared and relaxed. SkiMo has taken the back burner since I returned from Idaho which is reflective of the great ski conditions we've had. Last year I spent a lot of time lapping the resorts just to get on snow. That said, I was still excited for the race and to get a nice leg & lung burning effort.
Hilary and I made the 2 hour drive over and arrived at 9am, love the 10am start. We caught up with friends and registered then dialed in our gear. I had mounted her up some race skis the night before and she finally has some lighter touring boots so she was poised for a good race. A short warm up to make sure gear was good and a critical last minute bathroom break and we were at the start. The course was the same as last year with less mandatory boot pack on the first climb.
I took a spot at the front of the start line and we were off. To my surprise, I was passed by at least 10 people which caught me off guard. I guess I have zero speed on the flats. The next minute was spent battling back towards the front because heading into the single track there's limited passing opportunities and it's easy to get gapped by the leaders as a result. This brings up another thought - who was fast? The mix of new Canadians, Vermonters, and the OG NE Rando crew it was hard to tell if this was just people going out too fast or if this was a super fit crew. Turns out they were FIT because we never slowed and continued to push the pace and close gaps. I had a few mishaps in the woods including snagging a tip, popping out of a binding after the booter section, and a couple other slips. I think it's equal parts rust and not having the right poles - I should have at least got some backcountry nordic poles for this race! Instead I used backcountry poles with tips that weren't very sharp and baskets that got in the way. Too lazy and cheap to replace my broken ones from the beginning of the season but I could have easily ordered something from Fischer.
Heading into the woods I was probably in 7th place. I worked my way to 3rd and held that to the top of the mountain. On the first descent I took it conservative, knowing that we had a lot of race left but I did manage to catch up to Ian Clarke (2nd place at the time) and Ed Warren who lead the entire first climb. Damn, I didn't even realize it was him. We reached the unmarked transition zone all around the same time and I was a bit too casual getting my skins back on as Ian was gone and Ed not far behind. I hurried after and was impressed that Ian put a 30s gap on us right off the bat. Fortunately we were able to reel him in during the boot and I also was able to pass Ed who slipped in the mixed conditions (either ice or powder on crust). When we transitioned back to skinning I had some ice in my toe inserts and had issues getting my skis back on, Ed passed me back and then we continued back up trying to catch Ian.
At the top Ed and Ian had put a little gap on me but I pushed the descent and was able to catch them at the bottom transition. I had a much smoother experience here but they both seemed to have a little extra gear and put a healthy gap on me right out of the gate. I didn't have much gas at this point and just worked on the climb. We started to lap a couple of the back-of-the-packers but I wasn't closing the gap on Ed or Ian who were now 20 and 40 seconds up on me respectively. I looked behind me and saw Milan in his goddamn jeans not far behind but far enough that I could relax a little. At this point I was just planning on enjoying the descent and not blowing up, I had a good race going so don't crash and burn now. BUT as I was skating to the East Bowl descent I noticed that only one of my heal pins wasn't in. There must have been ice still in my toe inserts causing the misalignment of my boot. I stopped and switched skis and it didn't make things much better but I had wasted enough time at this point. I just took it easy and enjoyed the groomer descent.
I finished a couple minutes behind Ian and Ed who had great races. The course was FAST and you can't me making mistakes and expect to do well at a race this competitive. I would have liked to had better conditioning for the race but I was healthy and had plenty of skiing in this season. My endurance is great, just need to get some speed back. Looking forward to get a few more races in this winter!


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Open Again!
We've returned from London and everything is back in full swing here. Since our return it has been beastly hot here in Wisconsin, so I took it upon myself to do some much needed renovations on the Elizabeth's Flowers website.
The Paper Making Kits page is finally in catalog form, so you don't have to scroll down several miles to see each of the paper making kits we have available. It's much neater now, and less cluttered. Now, if I could only get my basement to look that way!
In celebration of this, and in order to encourage you to take a look for yourself, I am offering $5.00 off any order or more on elizabeths-flowers.com, for the next 25 customers, using the code: makepaper


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AC Milan vs Barcelona:
Tuesday, October 22, 2013 2:45 PM EDT - 6:45 pm (GMT) & 12:15 am (IST)
Stadio Giuseppe Meazza (San Siro)
Stadio Giuseppe Meazza (San Siro)
Referee: F. Brych
In the Serie A, AC Milan have only posted eleven points after eight matches with just a plus one goal difference. So things aren't going great for them, but they won on the weekend as a build up for this one, beating Udinese 1-0. Anywya, they're already 13 points off the pace-setters Roma who have made a sensational start to the season. Still, injuries mean the Rossoneri will not be at full strength in the toughest fixture of the Group Stage.
Balotelli is expected to miss the match with injury. Daniele Bonera, Mattia De Sciglio, Giampaolo Pazzini (all knee) and Stephan El Shaarawy (foot) are also set to miss the clash as Milan's injury woes persist. Christian Abbiati suffered physical problems ahead of the encounter with Udinese and look likely skip this one as well. Gabriel started in Abbiati's absence, but as he's not in the Champions League list, Marco Amelia is set to start in goal.
The Blaugrana failed to win for the first time under their new manager on Saturday as they drew 0-0 with Osasuna, the first time in 64 Liga fixtures they have drawn a blank. It has been a comfortable win over Ajax and then a late victory over Celtic which has given Barca two wins from two in the UCL group.
Manager Gerardo Martino has an almost full squad to choose from. If there is anything that Barça should worry about, this is Jordi Alba's injury.Carles Puyol is likely to continue at centre-back, having made his first appearance since last season's 4-0 win over Milan at Osasuna on Saturday. Neymar and Lionel Messi will be flanked by Alexis Sanchez, meaning Pedro will be pushed to the bench.
Possible line-ups:
Milan (4-3-3): Amelia; Abate, Zapata, Mexes, Constant; Montolivo, De Jong, Muntari; Birsa, Matri, Robinho.
Barcellona (4-3-3): Valdes; Dani Alves, Puyol, Piquè, Adriano; Xavi, Busquets, Iniesta; Sanchez, Messi, Neymar.


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FIOANH is a not-for-profit association. Our mission focuses on improving firefighter safety through training and education. While we are not a labor organization or IAFF affiliate, we would like to extend our gratitude to ProFirefighter.com and Unions-America.com for their support of our mission in hosting our website.
Fireground Leadership Seminar
Featuring Capt. Mike Dugan, FDNY Ladder Co. 123 (Retired)
Date: Wednesday, March 23, 2016
0830-1630 hours
Location: Primex
46 Donovan Street
Concord, NH
Cost: $85.00 per student; includes lunch
Application Deadline: March 18, 2016 Maximum: 60 students
Synopsis: This full-day seminar will feature two topics fireground leadership topics:
Ventilation for Today's Fire Buildings
Does your department have a ventilation-specific standard operating procedure to address controlling fire behavior? This session will include a discussion of the effects of ventilation practices and the problems presented by contemporary building construction. Strategies to coordinate ventilation will be presented that will assist in gaining control of building construction-related fire behavior to enable entry for search and fire attack.
Leadership to Avoid Fire Service Injuries and Deaths
This session is intended for all members of the fire service, as real leadership can be executed from any rank. The presentation will focus on learning from others' past failures and decision making practices to avoid repeating critical fireground mistakes that have resulted in injuries and deaths.
Don't miss out… REGISTER ONLINE TODAY!
Lead Instructor: Michael M. Dugan was a 27 year veteran of the FDNY, retiring as Captain of Ladder Co. 123 in Crown Heights, Brooklyn in 2011. Capt. Dugan previously served in Ladder Co. 42 in the South Bronx and Ladder Co. 43 in Brooklyn, where he was awarded the 1992 James Gordon Bennett and 1993 Dr. Harry Archer medals for bravery. Capt. Dugan has been largely involved in fire service education, developing programs for the FDNY and as a lead instructor at Firehouse Expo and FDIC, and as a regular author and contributing editor for both Firehouse and Fire Engineering magazines. He specializes in topics related to truck company operations, building construction, and size-up.


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2-5 µg is the required amount of genomic DNA for shotgun sequencing on Illumina HiSeq 2500 / MiSeq.
Additional sample material is needed for the preparation and sequencing of LJD libraries with jumping distances of 3 kb, 8 kb, 20 kb and 40 kb. In this case, 5 µg, 15 µg, 30 µg and 50 µg respectively of extra DNA should be provided.
If possible, we would encourage you to submit some more sample material to allow for more intensive QC and repetition in case of failure.


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Putting love into action
At UBC, we strive to put our love of God and love of others into action — becoming a part of God's reconciliation, redemption and healing in the world. Our fellowship serves others through Starkville's Habitat for Humanity, and also through Delta Hands for Hope in Shaw, MS.
We are also are engaged with issues of peace and justice in our world. We advocate for and participate in interfaith dialogue, understanding, and cooperation - specifically among Christians, Muslims, and Jews.
UBC is intentional in its support of those in our fellowship who identify as LGBTQ, whether that means full inclusion in the life of the church, or being visible allies for equality on MSU's campus and in Starkville.


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6 months & up
Babies that do elimination communication (EC), are potty trained early, or are on the smaller side need underwear too! That's why we've created baby 100% organic cotton, breathable, comfortable underwear and boxers!
Babies that do elimination communication (EC), are potty trained early, or are on the smaller side need underwear too! That's why we've created baby 100% organic cotton, breathable, comfortable underwear and boxers!
A single soaker replaces 6 layers of microfiber terry and 12 layers of French terry. The bamboo makes it so incredibly soft that you may just end up using it for your face! The surface stays soft after extended use, unlike how other materials roughen over time. They can be inserted into underwear, trainers, covers, or cloth diapers and be re-used for multiple babies.
Check out our blog that shares thoughts on Elimination Communication, babies, clothes, veganism, and life!
All of our products that are cotton use organic cotton. We lay clothes directly against our children's skin, their largest organ, almost 24 hours a day for most of their lives. Organic cotton is grown from non-GMO seeds and without the intentional use of pesticides and insecticides, which means less chemicals against baby's skin and especially their genitals!
Komfi Baby underwear and clothes are designed to provide families with support on their elimination communication (EC) journey! Many ECed babies are in underwear much earlier than 2 or 3 years of age and families have difficulty finding options for them. Also most baby clothes are designed for infrequent diaper changes and definitely not for potty trips!
Our garments are made sweat-shop labour free in South Korea, the country of co-founder Angie's ethnicity. Angie's mother was born there and worked in the garment industry. Not only has South Korea become a beacon of development in Asia, its people are known for their diligence, tenacity through difficulties, and customer service.
Komfi Baby is committed to not supporting any form of animal cruelty or abuse. We will never offer products made from animal skins, hair, or fur.
Komfi Baby is proud to be a Canadian business located in Quebec. We are grateful for the wonderful opportunities to make a difference in our country.
Komfi Baby was born from the frustrations and needs of a naturally-minded mom who practiced elimination communication (EC) with her baby. It supports her journey of running a business to meet a need and support her family while still providing the level of care and attention she would like to for her family and young children.
Elimination Communication (EC) is the practice of taking baby to eliminate (poop and pee) into a potty or vessel instead of in a diaper to be changed after a period of time. The EC term was coined by Ingrid Bauer, the author of Diaper Free Baby. It has many names such as Natural Infant Hygiene (also coined by Ingrid Bauer), and Baby-led Potty Training. Parents of ECed babies often use cloth diapers (although it's not necessary to use cloth diapers to practice EC) and look for clothes that are suitable for quick potty trips, diaper changes, and increasingly lengthy periods of diaper-free time. They also find their babies potty trained or EC success much earlier than the conventional 2, 3, or even 4 years of age and seek underwear in smaller sizes than widely available.
Below are some resources and links to places you can learn more about EC from!
EC Peesy is a wonderful resource for both Elimination Communication (EC) or potty training. Heidi Avelino, ECing mom and starter of the EC Peesy blog, has compiled many useful articles as well as links to EC-friendly products. She has a useful newsletter relevant to all things EC and potty training! You can follow EC Peesy on Instagram and Facebook as well.
If you're located in Québec, Canada or French-speaking, you'll definitely want to follow HNI Québec! Ariane is a Go Diaper Free Coach as well and holds classes wherever she goes! In French! She also is advocate of zero-waste living. See her intro below and follow her on Facebook as well as Instagram.
"Je m'appelle Ariane et je pratique l'HNI avec mon fils Élie depuis qu'il a 3 mois. L'hygiène naturelle infantile a été une belle découverte qui nous a permis de réduire considérablement notre consommation de couches, lavables comme jetables. L'HNI nous permet aussi de mieux répondre aux besoins de notre bébé."


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Ferrannini, Andrea (2017). 'Participatory Methods and Capability approach: Potential applications and innovative evidence on inequalities and social change' Paper presented at the annual conference of the HDCA, Cape Town 2017.
Participatory methods represent one increasingly diffused way of identifying, exploring and evaluating equality and justice in terms of human well-being, freedom, and development.
Since the 1970s many different participatory approaches to research, policy-making and planning have been put forward. However, it has been only since the 1990s that participatory methods have entered the development mainstream. Since the best-known participatory approach – i.e. Participatory Rural Appraisal (PRA) by Robert Chambers – emerged in the development scene, an increasing variety of participatory tools have been developed, where the outsider (researcher or practitioner) is perceived as a facilitator who encourages and enables local people to express their own reality. Different participatory tools and techniques have been applied in many different studies, practices and in a variety of contexts (Cornwall and Pratt, 2003). However, some applications of participatory approaches in the development mainstream fall short of their original intentions (Frediani, 2007). Participation is sometimes used merely as a tool for achieving pre-set objectives and not as a process to empower groups and individuals to take leadership, envision their futures, and improve their lives (Cornwall, 2000; Cleaver, 2001).
A recognised by several authors (Alkire, 2002; Croker, 2005; Frediani, 2007; Clark et al., forthcoming), the application of participatory methods within the capability approach increases the capacity to capture the diverse, plural, and multidimensional nature of human lives and development experiences, as well as to provide the informational basis of justice in policy-making and implementation. Indeed, participatory methods can be regarded as the principal process by which many evaluative issues may be resolved in relation with the valuable functionings that people have reason to choose for flourishing lives.
According to Frediani (2007), comparisons made between participatory and capability approaches unfold series of similarities: they criticize the income-led definition of poverty; they view people as active agents in the process of change; while emphasizing the need to contextualize the conceptualization of poverty, thus unfolding the local dynamics embedded in the social reality of each particular case of study
On the one side, by moving away from the utilitarian approach of development, the capability approach wrests back participation from its instrumental application. The elaborated evaluative framework of the capability approach provides the participatory literature with a comprehensive and flexible theory of wellbeing that can capture the multiple, complex and dynamic aspects of poverty. In addition, the capability approach enhances the researchers' critical self-awareness, by raising issues such as adaptive preferences, process freedom and agency.
On the other side, participatory methods contribute to the capability approach by offering a variety of thoroughly developed and researched tools and techniques. Participatory methods can adapt to different purposes of studies, unfolding dimensions not only of well-being, but also of the specific factors that constitute well-being; they can capture many aspects and dynamics that influence the transformation of opportunities into achievements; and finally participatory research methods have the potential to expand capabilities by encouraging public debate and stimulating local-level action.
The application of the capability approach through participatory methods thus explicitly aims to tackle the limitations of participatory methods, such as the lack of consensus on targeted participants, partial globalization of development policy analysis, and the lack of analysis of the impacts of power relations on participatory activities.
This panel therefore discusses new potential applications and innovative evidence on the links between participatory methods and the capability approach, especially related to the need of understanding and explaining inequalities and injustices in the social, political, economic and historical arrangements that shape human experiences.
In particular, the general objective of this panel is to illustrate the capacity of participatory methods to capture the issues concerning the practical manifestation of poverty as well as unfold the dynamics influencing the causes of inequalities, by simultaneously encouraging critical engagement along with assessing and challenging structures of subordination.
In order to achieve this objective, the panel includes presentations focused on 4 different policy areas – i.e. environmental management, women's wellbeing, peace-building processes, emancipation and inclusion of people with disabilities – characterised by structural inequalities, where the application of participatory methods affirms itself as a valuable research approach able to directly contribute to empowerment, capability expansion and human development.


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First Oil Reserve Starts Operation
Year:2007 Issue:52
Column: WEEKLY WATCH
Release Date:2007-12-27
Page: 4-9
Full Text:
China said its first national oil reserve base was filled with crude oil on December 19. Located in eastern Zhejiang Province, the base has a planned storage space of 5.2 million cubic meters, said the National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC), China's top economic planning agency.
The commission said the base, built by China's largest oil refiner Sinopec, was accepted after a yearlong trial operation.
China started a state strategic oil reserve base program in 2004 as a way to offset oil supply risks and reduce the impact of fluctuating energy prices worldwide on China' s domestic market for refined oil. The other three oil reserve bases, still under construction, are expected to be in use later this year or next year.


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01223 833555
Many extensions may be simply specified according to the standard requirements of the Building Regulations, but in most cases the requirements of the site or the occupants demand bespoke designs to meet their needs.
This type of project may be our "bread and butter", but in each case we take great care to attend to the necessary details.
Issues that commonly arise include:-
Foundations – these need to be designed to take into account existing structures, nearby trees, drains, site boundaries and changes in ground conditions.
Party Walls and Boundaries – excavation and construction near to site boundaries come into the scope of the Party Wall Act. Please refer to our section on Party Walls.
Roof Structures – the constraints of the site or maybe aesthetic reasons may require a special roof structure to be designed, especially at the junction with the original building. Rooflights, hips and valleys, vaulted ceilings – all must be considered.
Open Plan Living – large openings or the removal of internal walls reduce the inherent stability of a building, and in many cases extensive hidden structures are needed. Careful thought must be applied at the earliest stages of the project in order to realise the aspirations of the design at an affordable cost.


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Tips for a Maternity Session
A maternity session is a celebration of your baby bump and an exciting time of anticipation. It happens once or twice (maybe a few more!) times in your life. Document and celebrate it! We love creating portraits of your pregnancy to help you feel beautiful and remember this special time. But more importantly, we want to create images that your children will look back on and treasure. We put together a few maternity session tips to think about preparing for a successful session. Hope it helps!
Plan Ahead/Timing. Maternity sessions should take place somewhere between 32-36 weeks. Typically the beginning of the third trimester is best. This way you have a little time to reschedule due to weather or sickness. It's also the point when the belly is showing nicely but you haven't quite hit the super uncomfortable stage :) Of course with multiples or other complications adjustments for earlier sessions should be made. We've had a handful of maternity sessions that never happened because the baby arrived early! Don't wait until the last minute to book your session.
Think about Style. Choose a photographer who has a portfolio that you love. Pick maternity images that match your style. Do you prefer artsy studio, lifestyle outdoors, traditional or more fine art? We offer both in studio and outdoor sessions and give our clients the option. While they are both beautiful, they are different, so picking the one that fits your style is something to consider.
Session prep. Your photographer should prepare you with all the information that you need. What to wear? What to bring? At Danielle Sara Photography we always send a comprehensive prep-guide with tips and advice for your session. This is especially helpful if it's your first baby and you've never done this before!
Clothing. Clothing for maternity sessions should be tight-fitting around the belly. Loose and baggy shirts will only hide that adorable belly we are trying to show off! Keep clothing selections simple. Think about adding a pop of color with jewelry or layers. Our studio also has unique maternity gowns available for our clients who want something a little extra special. Opting for a few images with a bare belly or flattering lingerie is always timeless and a beautiful.
Hair and Makeup. We recommend wearing more makeup than you usually do but keeping it true to yourself. Having your makeup and/or hair done by a professional is always a good idea! We are happy to make recommendations for some of our trusted professionals.
Relax. It's natural to tense up when being photographed. If you feel awkward or uncomfortable, stop and take break to breathe and feel your baby moving around inside your belly. Feeling comfortable and connected to your baby and your spouse will always lead to more flattering images overall. It will show in your face and body language and create more natural, beautiful images.
Have fun with it! Incorporating sentimental items or family heirlooms is wonderful! We love to use these items in the upcoming newborn session and future baby sessions to show the progression. Or use your session as a chance to create a "Big Reveal" for your friends and family. We love working with our clients to create truly special images!
Regardless of how tired, "big", and uncomfortable you are, trust that your photographer will make you feel and look absolutely glowing! You will never regret hiring a professional to capture this memorable time for your family!
See some of our favorite maternity sessions HERE and get in touch for more information or to book your session!