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Solitary Saturday17 Nov 2007 | Diary, Personal | 1 comment
17 November 2007, Saturday
Summarized Journal:
– Woke up quite early
– Still no water yet
(Bloody pipe burst in Jalan University on Wednesday caused some water pressure issue. Read about this news here:
http://thestar.com.my/metro/story.asp?file=/2007/11/16/central/19484612&sec=central )
– Can't pass morning motion at home, other wise no water to flush.
– Dad went to office first to pass his motion
– Mum and Maria decided to tag along to office to do some cleaning
– Darling went out with Siew Ching to treat their hair at Meng Sing's place
– I passed motion in office
– Chatted with Anthony Tan Ban Hiap
– Had Yong Tau Foo lunch at 12pm something, Mum bought
– We went home around 1:45pm
– Water is finally here
– Played hellgate : london until crashed
– Posted in hellgate : london forums
– Went out at 4:30pm to fetch darling back
– Drove Darling to CIMB Bank to withdraw money
– Siew Ching arrived to pick up Lee Meng and Darling
– I went back home
– Played Enemy Territory : Quake Wars
– 11:30pm Darling came back
– Bed time, sleep, Zzz…


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A few nights ago I went to dinner with some friends and we talked a lot about books our kids were reading and enjoying. It was fun to hear all the titles and series that were out there being enjoyed by all types of readers.
One Mom talked about how her child never read and absolutely hated Harry Potter (WHAT?!?!). Another Mom talked about how her son would rather read more technical books, another child was into animal stories and one child that hates fantasy! (WHAT ?!?!)
But one thing is for sure ----- a good story is a good story!
Thanks to my friend Jamie, who took this picture of some of her kids favorites! We are planning on reading some of these titles this summer! Maybe you can too!
If you have some recommendations or comments on any of the Titles above ---- please comment! :)

subset: commoncrawl


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The quote attributed to Sir Winston Churchill is an interesting one. They say he may not have said it, however it does provoke discussion about having enemies. If you take a stand on an issue, there will be those who will try to bring you down. Churchill had many enemies on the battlefield, in the British parliament and even in his own cabinet. Winston Churchill had a bulldog spirit he did have low moments in his life but he refused to give up and give in – he famously said 'never, never, never give up,' and another quote attributed to Britain's war time Prime Minister: 'If you are going through hell, keep going!' He always took the fight to the enemy. Allen Packwood of the Churchill Archives at the University of Cambridge in the United Kingdom noted:
"Churchill led from the front in his willingness to take real risks to implement an aggressive policy, he was prepared to denude Britain of armour, and to transport it by the quicker, but more hazardous, Mediterranean route. Where he differed from those around him was in the intensity of his desire to engage the enemy. For him it was never just about defence. Victory depended on taking the fight to the enemy on the ground. "
We come across people who try to bring us down, make us stumble and fall – sometimes even through entrapment. An enemy might violate your fundamental human rights, bring pain and distress to your friends and family, even involve your own children, smear you behind your back, go to great lengths to bring you down, some brazenly use bribery and corruption. There are those who say the only way to stop your enemy is take the fight to them, meet fire with fire, hire lawyers and sue them for compensation. The media is awash with indictments before grand juries, court injunctions, in the United States – in the United Kingdom a few years ago, a huge phone hacking, email and voice mail hacking scandal even brought down a British newspaper who were forced to close down, with millions given out in compensation to people who had been illegally and unlawfully hacked. There are times whenever people resort to evil, it has a 'boomerang effect,' however much you try to do things behind your victims back and think you can get away with it – what goes around, comes around. No one is above the law.
The Scriptures talk about a Day of Reckoning – Judgement Day – Ecclesiastes 12:14 says: "for God will bring every deed into judgement, including every hidden thing, whether it is good or evil. " Romans Chapter 2 verse 16 talks about that final day: This will take place on the day when God judges people's secrets through Jesus Christ, as my gospel declares." Your enemy would do well to digest Romans Chapter 2!
Psalm 23 reveals that 'he prepares a table in the presence of my enemies.' It doesn't say 'he prepares a table in the absence of my enemies.' This is the ultimate rebuke to your enemies – they will have to stand and watch from the very edges of society as you eat in the King's presence, you will enjoy the favour of the Lord and your enemies will not be able to do one thing about it.
So why did Jesus have to take on so much suffering at the hands of his enemies? Here's a view from the gotquestions.org website: "Jesus suffered severely throughout His trials, torture, and crucifixion (Matthew 27; Mark 15; Luke 23; John 19). His suffering was physical: Isaiah 52:14 declares, "There were many who were appalled at Him—His appearance was so disfigured beyond that of any man and his form marred beyond human likeness." His suffering was emotional: "All the disciples deserted him and fled" (Matthew 26:56). His suffering was spiritual: "God made him who had no sin to be sin for us" (2 Corinthians 5:21). Jesus had the weight of the sins of the entire world on Him (1 John 2:2). It was sin that caused Jesus to cry out, "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?" (Matthew 27:46). Jesus' brutal physical suffering was augmented by His having to bear the guilt of our sins and die to pay our penalty (Romans 5:8).
Isaiah predicted Jesus' suffering: "He was despised and rejected by men, a man of sorrows, and familiar with suffering. Like one from whom men hide their faces he was despised, and we esteemed him not. But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon him, and by his wounds we are healed" (Isaiah 53:3, 5). This passage specifies the reason for Jesus' suffering: "for our transgressions," for our healing, and to bring us peace.
Jesus told His disciples that His suffering was certain: "The Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders, the chief priests and the teachers of the law, and he must be killed and on the third day be raised to life" (Luke 9:22; cf. 17:25). Note the word must—He must suffer, and He must be killed. The suffering of Christ was God's plan for the salvation of the world. "
So what did Jesus do when he was faced with an onslaught from enemies all around him? He forgave. That was the simple message – forgive. Did he have lawyers at his trial, were there character witnesses to vouch for him – absolutely none. The enemies of Jesus targeted the weakest link in his inner circle. Who was the weakest link? Judas. The keeper of the purse. What was his weakness? The love of money. He is called a thief in John Chapter 12 verse 6: "He did not say this because he cared about the poor but because he was a thief; as keeper of the money bag, he used to help himself to what was put into it. " How did they persuade him to betray Jesus? They bribed him, used corruption, gave him 30 pieces of silver. Give us a sign, kiss him on the cheek they said. Peter denied him three times before the cock crowed thrice. The disciples fled. Jesus was tortured, his face disfigured, a crown of thorns placed brutally on his head, he was physically and verbally abused, spat upon, whipped, battered, bruised, dehydrated, exhausted. And yet he forgave. Great leaders show mercy.
Peter asked Jesus about forgiveness: Then Peter came to Jesus and asked, "Lord, how many times shall I forgive my brother or sister who sins against me? Up to seven times?" Jesus answered, "I tell you, not seven times, but seventy-seven times." (Matthew: Chapter 18, verses 21-22). In that chapter Jesus teaches us that we are to forgive our brother from our heart. Now learning to forgive can be very hard. How can you forgive someone who has been trying to destroy you and your family – out of sheer spite, hatred, anger, jealousy and has, say, tried to harm your children? Jesus on the cross forgave the robber, forgave all those who had committed those terrible crimes against him – even though it did not excuse their actions. Jesus taught, "If you forgive others their transgressions, your heavenly Father will forgive you." (Matthew: Chapter 6:14). Even after the Resurrection, Jesus told his disciples: "Receive the Holy Spirit. Whose sins you forgive are forgiven them." (John Chapter 20: verses 22, 23). Jesus had a such a deep forgiveness ministry.
The life, the death, the resurrection, the teachings and the forgiveness ministry of Jesus has resonated with so many down the centuries. The Guardian newspaper of Great Britain noted:" If you think religion belongs to the past and we live in a new age of reason, you need to check out the facts: 84% of the world's population identifies with a religious group. Members of this demographic are generally younger and produce more children than those who have no religious affiliation, so the world is getting more religious, not less – although there are significant geographical variations. According to 2015 figures, Christians form the biggest religious group by some margin, with 2.3 billion adherents or 31.2% of the total world population of 7.3 billion."
Martin Luther King famously said: 'We must develop and maintain the capacity to forgive. He who is devoid of the power to forgive is devoid of the power to love. There is some good in the worst of us and some evil in the best of us. When we discover this, we are less prone to hate our enemies.'
Richard Branson recently shared on social media the words of a lady from Igniting Change who said: 'People who are inflicting the most pain (on others) are in the most pain themselves.' These people who do you wrong could be in terrible torment within themselves. Pray for your enemies, forgive them and bless them, their children and their children's children.
Even from a personal perspective, there was a time in my life when I had serious disagreements with my father. It caused so much bitterness inside me. I just didn't want to talk to him. Then came the realisation that life was too short, God was asking me to forgive him and I needed to seek forgiveness too. So I went and met him, I told him how much I loved him and said: 'Father, forgive me.' There was a radical transformation in that precious moment, between a Father and a Son.
My father was 75 years old at the time. After that incredible breakthrough in our relationship, whenever I telephoned him to say I coming to visit him, he would walk up the road and stay near some bollards, waiting for me. The passage of time had mellowed him. When he saw me, he put his arms around me and hugged me, tears rolling down our faces. This was unconditional love. Later that year, my father passed away and I was glad there had been a breakthrough – I was able to celebrate his life at a service of thanksgiving and thank God for that act of forgiveness. When I think of him now I think of him with so much love – the bitterness, the anger has melted away.
He said love your enemies – here is a clip from Mel Gibson's 'The Passion of the Christ." When you forgive you don't keep any bitterness, hatred, anger inside of you. It doesn't eat into your soul, crippling your mind and your heart. Forgiveness brings release, freedom. You let go of the angst, that heavy burden will be lifted from you. It will set you free from the shackles of a bitter heart. Forgiveness is a very powerful tool and it releases God's favour and blessings.
Ivan Corea
Quotations from the Bible from the New International Version.
Reference to Christ's suffering courtesy of gotquestions.org
Reference from the Guardian article:"Religion: why faith is becoming more and more popular." Published in August 2018.
Clips from YouTube courtesy of the Passion of the Christ film.


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Wendy Berliner
joint chief executive, Education Media Centre; co-author Great Minds and How to Grow Them
Wendy Berliner is an award-winning education journalist who initially came to London to report for the Times Educational Supplement, which she subsequently edited. She's been education correspondent of the Guardian, a news editor there and most recently editorial head of its 17 online professional networks – including the Guardian Teacher Network, which she launched, the Guardian Higher Education Network and Guardian Students. Her editorial team won the prestigious Content Team of the Year award in the 2016 British Media Awards. She's also worked at the Independent where she set up and edited a weekly education section and higher education magazines for students and parents. She has had a career-long interest in education research and is now joint chief executive of the Education Media Centre, a charity that works to increase public understanding of research.
Wendy has always been intrigued why some children, particularly the disadvantaged, don't do well at school and how to put that right, and has followed emerging research throughout her career. In 2011, she joined GEMS Education in Dubai as the world's first parental engagement director, where she developed a programme with teachers and experts that successfully brought parents to the heart of the learning process. She has co-authored a book for parents on high performance learning published this summer. She is also co-author, with Deborah Eyre, of Great Minds and How to Grow Them (Routledge, 2017).
Follow Wendy on Twitter @WendyBerliner
Sunday 29 October, 17:30 Frobisher 1-3
Can cognitive science save education?


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Bill 168 Training - Beat the Compliance Deadline/
It's not too late! Book a Bill 168 classroom awareness session for your organization. Excel Thru Learning will deliver a two hour session on site using a senior facilitator at your location to ensure minimum impact on your employee's schedules and maximum return for your expectations.
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- Creating a Respectful Workplace
- Act as a Force for Change
Call us now to beat the June 15th deadline!
Toronto Head Office: (905) 789-1467
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Chick Corea & Herbie Hancock/
By Anya Whitlock
Artist: Chick Corea & Herbie Hancock
Date / Venue: Saturday May 30th - Civic Theatre, Auckland
The Civic is always a glorious venue to see live music and coming in to open curtains, 2 synthesizers and 2 beautiful grand pianos- one Yamaha and one Steinway facing each other with a ultramarine blue backdrop of light was a unique and eerie experience. Herbie Hancock and Chick Corea came out to a warm reception which was followed with some pretty awkward warm up chat. Yeah you're each others biggest fans, yes you're both legends, but we're laughing because we're polite not because you're funny. Holy shit I hope the performance is better than the audience participation.
Herbie kicked off the concert slowly. Piano notes dropping into oceans of sound reminded me of watching rain forming puddles in slow motion. I was soon in awe of the excessive amounts of genius before me.
These two virtuosos take music to the far reaches of where it's possible to push an instrument to. Just mind boggling, intricate, wild, alive, bold, often dissonant and not always pleasant, because it pushes the aural experience past what is normal and comfortable. Much of the 1st half was reminiscent of Debussy in terms of melody and tone which was a great reminder of how vast these musicians depth of knowledge of many musical forms outside jazz is.
Both Herbie and Chick got on the synths after another much more successful audience interaction interlude. Herbie had some pretty awesome samples up his sleeves- snippets of gospel singers wailing, sexy oooos and ahhhhs and some pretty cool bass sounds. I could have listened to him on the synth all night, but Chick kept butting in with far less cool twiddles- more straight and less funky on this apparatus, although his light touch and ease with even the most complicated melodies saved this portion of the concert for me.
The old jazz standard 'Green Dolphin Street' which was immortalized by Miles Davis in 1958 was a beautiful tribute as both musicians had played with Miles in the past. They then broke into a melodic, varied and very enjoyable version of Hancock's hit 'Cantaloupe Island'. Both were playing the pianos and it was a treat to hear this classic being deconstructed by expert hands into a journey of syncopated cascading harmonies.
Herbie Hancock's composition 'Maiden Voyage' was eerie and wondrous. Yielding lilting melodies being accompanied by expansive synth tones. The performance was well crafted and effortless, transitioning into much faster and more complex sections then relaxing back into Andante with ease. Many times throughout the performance I was reminded that the piano (at its fundament) is a string and percussion instrument. They both lent forward and plucked strings inside the grand piano as well as creating new sounds by holding the strings and still banging the keys.
For the encore we got to do bit of singing along to Chick Corea's 'Spain' which Chick kicked off by dividing the audience to sing a 5 part harmony. The Synergy between these 2 musicians was incredible and the concert was a once-in-a-lifetime event. Well they did say they wanted to come back, but they are in their mid 70s...


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Dear Readers,
At least I think "Readers" should still be plural. I'm pretty sure my wife is still reading. Oh well, I'm future proofing.
Anyways, my wife and I were talking on the way back from aforementioned meeting. She said to me, voice dripping with envy to a degree I'm definitely not exaggerating, "Inspiration doesn't strike me as easily as it does you."
My response, "Striking is apt phrasing. Inspiration has me backed into a corner, so punch drunk that I don't know what idea to write next"
Which explains why I got up in the middle of the night to write (#writenaked #nakediswrite) a story about a tabletop campaign I played when I was thirteen. I then proceeded to make a mock book cover that ended up being far too serious for such a goofy story. I should have been adding to my novel. But it is coming. Also, no regrets.
That project, Tales from the Tabletop, will be a continuous addition to my blog. It will, however, likely undergo a name change. Turns out that name's taken and I've heard horror stories about innocent mistakes turned into awful lawsuits.
Which is also why you have the picture above instead of (scratch that, I think fair use wins me this one) one taken from Cool Hand Luke (because that's immediately where I wanted to go when I said "punch drunk").
Oh, and McTavern's is/was taken. A real bar that had some issues or whatever. Drugs are bad, m'kay? (I felt inclined to leave a positive message for our children)
But McTavern's is what we called it in our game as kids, so that's what I'm going to call it now.
As for Tales from the Tabletop, I'm just going to go ahead and claim its new name so I don't have to worry about it being snatched up while I try and fail to summon the necessary clever required for a good name.
Ready? Here it is…
Fucking Tales from the Fucking Tabletop
That's right. It wasn't taken. Now it is. Don't touch. I'll sue you. Also stay away from…
Fucked on a Tabletop
I actually kind of like that. Should I go ahead and dirty up the short stories?
While I decide, any name utilizing "the deed" and "tabletops" is off limits to the rest of you.
This actually segues nicely into our next topic.
Naked Writing
I'm sure I've spoken of my inclination before this post. I'm attempting to start a movement. When I wake in the night to write, it is always bare ass naked.
Well, I noticed something interesting on this fine night. Something I had failed to consider.
We pulled up to our house and I saw that the light was on in my study, blinds open as they always were (I like to look at the world when I'm procrastinating).
So, apparently, the back of my desk (pressed right up against the window) doesn't come down as far as I thought. It leaves a perfect frame for my sword (I won't bother you with discussion of sword variety).
This frame is perfectly visible all the way out to our road. Now I think I understand why the neighbors are so awkward and quiet around me. I had thought it must have been something I said.
Now for the News
Let's wrap this up. Author's meeting. Love it every time, even though it means being social.
We hope to have a website up within a month.
We hope to have a magazine in two. It will start small, but we hope to build it up fairly well. Its subject matter will pertain to arts (including events, musicians, artists) and our writers, specifically in the North Texas area. I do believe including Dallas and its surrounding areas. We are based out of Denison. It will be made available in print and online.
I'm looking forward to making my contribution to it in whatever form that may be (likely not including obscenity or speak of southern appendages… sounded better when it came into my mind… legs are southern appendages… I was referring to the whole sword metaphor).
Alright, hope you enjoyed. Asher, signing off.
(I'm just gonna cycle through farewells until I find my way. That wasn't it.)


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Defense Secretary Jim Mattis is on the defensive, and reportedly has not been included in President Trump's recent major decisions.
Mattis was not aware beforehand of Trump's plans to leave the internationally agreed Iran nuclear deal, end military drills in South Korea or start a space-focused branch of the armed forces, according to NBC.
The longtime military man had been seen as a moderating force in the administration, and had taken actions such as slowing down a ban on transgender troops.
Current and former officials told NBC, however, that the commander-in-chief believes his cabinet member — whom he used to affectionately refer to as "Mad Dog" — looks down on him. They were also reportedly split over the appointment of hard-line National Security Adviser John Bolton and Secretary of State Pompeo.
Officials told the network that the two were never particularly close, but that a previous habit of multiple phone calls a day is now over.
It is not clear if they lack of closeness has impacted recent decision as Mattis had been seen, along with former Secretary of State Rex Tillerson, as persuading Trump to stay in the Iran deal.
Mattis reportedly learned of the end of the U.S. part in the deal from a colleague.
The secretary was also surprised by the "Space Force" announcement, which came after he had written to Congress in October that he was opposed to the creation of a new force when the military is trying to save money.


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Dear Parent/Guardian,
Over the past few days, there has been a very public discussion about the Enhancing Equity Task Force's draft recommendations.
This Task Force was created because things need to change in our system to improve learning outcomes for all students and address disparities that impact our students.
I think you would agree that it is essential that the TDSB ensure equitable learning environments for each and every student. This means ensuring that all students have access – the same access – to learning, opportunities, resources and tools to succeed while keeping our high standard of excellence for all students.
After consulting with students, staff, parents and community members over the past year, the Task Force identified that some disparities exist between and within our schools and, while benefitting some students, may have inadvertently resulted in inequity for others.
The draft recommendations are not final and we invite your input on the recommendations. To be sure we get your feedback we have extended the consultation deadline to November 20. Your voice will help shape the recommendations that will be presented to the Board in December and, will ultimately make the TDSB a better place for all students.
One recommendation proposes phasing out specialized schools, such as a school for the Arts. I do not believe the Board has any intention of closing specialized schools so we have clarified the recommendation by removing the reference to phasing out specialized schools and will, in the revised document, focus on improving access to them.
Parents have also been concerned that specialized programs – such as TOPS or International Baccalaureate – would be phased out from within schools. This was not part of the recommendation and these programs will continue. What is clear is that the TDSB needs to find ways to expand the opportunities that these schools and programs offer.
Changes need to happen to ensure each and every student can achieve high academic achievement and success in school.
If you have not already, please review the Task Force report and recommendations and send us your thoughts and opinions. We value your input to make this happen. Please be sure to provide your comments through our online form so they are sent directly to the Task Force.
The draft recommendations will be available online for feedback until November 20, 2017.
Thank you,
John Malloy,
Director of Education


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Challenges facing people with blindness or visual impairment in Sierra Leone, including barriers to full social inclusion.Source: AfriCAN
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Because so much social behavior is learned through observation, children with blindness or visual impairments need some assistance to find their place in the social world. In this section you will find suggestions to help their children make friends, play with others, develop a sense of autonomy, and learn how to interact and reciprocate. This section also presents information on behavior problems and their interventions.
Challenges facing people with blindness or visual impairment in Sierra Leone, including barriers to full social inclusion.Source: AfriCAN
The AFB Senior Site has information on numerous topics, such as Understanding Vision Loss, Changing Your Home, and Daily Living.Source: American Foundation for the Blind (AFB)
The American Camp Association is a community of camp professionals who ensure the quality of camp programs. As a leading authority in child development, the ACA works to preserve, promote, and improve the camp experience.Source: American Camp Association
Sighted guide techniques with illustrations. A PDF is also available.Source: Community Eye Health Journal
Authors Perla and Ducret explain how the design of an O&M program for students with multiple disabilities should start with understanding the child's most basic needs, such as communication, safety, independence, and consistency.Source: International Council for Education of People with Visual Impairment (ICEVI)
A primer on Large Print standards and practices.Source: The Council of Citizens with Low Vision International (an Affiliate of the American Council of the Blind)
Source: Camp Abilities


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Peperomia Screenprint
Peperomia Screenprint
Handsome Peperomia, with his shiny shiny leaves! He is used to treat everything from fevers to colic and does it all looking well sharp. This 3 layer screen print is hand pulled and the green is a gradient so each one is unique.
You'll be doing good by greening up your walls as 10% of each sale goes to the amazing peeps at Peace Direct who work with local people to stop war destroying lives.
It is a limited edition screen print with a run of 200. It measures 210mm x 297mm (A4) and will be numbered, signed and shipped in a card-backed envelope to make it's way to you safe and sound.
As each screen print is pulled by my own two hands, there are some natural variations. Colours may vary slightly from those shown on your monitor. Frame and props are not included.


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Eagle River robotics team wins state championship
A team of students from Eagle River High School claimed a state robotics championship Saturday, Feb. 2 at the Wells Fargo Center in Anchorage.
The school's "Phantom Wolves" team of Andre Gutierrez, Samantha Gutierrez, Gage Cullings, Sophia Padilla, Isaac Jennings and Tyler Jennings combined with a squad of robot builders from Thunder Mountain High to claim first place at the Alaska FIRST Tech Challenge state championship. The victory was the first for the Phantom Wolves and the fourth for an Eagle River team in the past six years.
The winning team formed an alliance during the elimination rounds of the tournament, said coach Matthew Prnka. The Phantom Wolves also won the competition's Think Award (best engineering notebook) and the Promote Award for creating the most compelling one-minute video public service announcement promoting science, technology, engineering and math.
Three teams competed this year from Eagle River, including the Nuclear Wolves and the Cyber Wolves (Lilly Pixley, Orry Snyder and Ethan Hudson).
The Nuclear Wolves team of Keith Sellers, Hunter Penax, Carter Penaz, Sebastian Tunley, Mark von Luhrte and Greg Talotta finished second in the Promote Award competition and won the Connect Award for being the team that most "aggressively seeks and recruits engineers and explores the opportunities available in the world of engineering, science and technology. The Nuclear Wolves also took third in the Inspire Award competition, which is judged on which teams best embody the "challenge" of the FIRST Tech Challenge program.
Unfortunately for the local team, only the Thunder Mountain team will advance to the FIRST Regionals in Washington. According to team coach Matthew Prnka, only the alliance captains advance to Regionals. This is the first time in four years an Eagle River team has not advanced to the Regional or World finals.
CORRECTION: This story has been updated to clarify that the Phantom Wolves will not travel to the regional competition.


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Primus Nursing is a professional recruitment agency that specialises in Nursing for the healthcare industry. We aim to provide high calibre candidates to suit your needs as we know from experience that you may face some challenges where you need a healthcare professional to assist you.
We work closely with NHS and private healthcare sector and we are able to provide a temporary, permanent and contract basis for nursing and healthcare assistant roles in a wide range of job opportunities from hospitals, A&E, theatres, Intensive care unit, mental health nursing at home, 1-2-1 support care workers, midwifery and other locations were nurses and healthcare assistants are needed.
The job role of a new business consultant will ultimately be to source new clients within the healthcare industry to provide recruitment consultancy services to. This will involve cold calling and networking for new clients and candidates. You will be responsible for building and managing your own protfolio of clients and responding to their recruitment needs offering a 360 degree recruitment service from advertising jobs to managing offers of employment. The role is very customer focussed so you will need to provide a second to none customer service experience to both clients and candidates. The role will include working outside standard hours and attending events as required.
To apply for this position please enter your email address below and a member of the team will be in touch. If you have not yet registered you will be required to do so in the next step.


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Actors sometimes are put to immense embarrassment in the name of interviews and that is really annoying for the guests as well as the viewers. But this senior journalist who interviewed the Subrahmanyapuram actor Sumanth has crossed that line and ended the interview in a very uncomfortable way.
As the interview was coming to an end the well known senior journalist stepped into personal questions asking about how his partner less life is, and pushed the actor into an uncomfortable zone taking the topic until his sex life.
But surprisingly, Sumanth faced the immensely annoying queries like a thug and zipped the interviewer who left no stone unturned to extract the private information from the single divorced man. Well, it was not at all an attitude that one expects from a senior journo like him.


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hello again,
here are some of favorites from nikki and sean's wedding. i had a wicked time and i totally felt like a guest, thanks so much!!
wedding details:
ceremony: nikki's parents beautiful backyard in carp
reception: absinthe cafe & resto bar
officiant: lynne & keith langille of exceptional ceremonies in ottawa
photographer: derrick rice(me) of derrick rice photography


text: A transactional workflow, CPROP's platform allows total transparency for all parties involved in a real estate transaction. As mentioned before, the traditional process of communication is headed by the agent. All parties rely on the agent to be available and accurate with information. Using the CPROP platform, parties are able to communicate with others involved in the transaction and update information in real time.Read More


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The purpose of the combined program is to:Confirm that a candidate has sufficient knowledge and understanding of Change Management to work as an informed member of a team working on an organizational change initiative. Ensure the candidate has sufficient understanding of how to apply and tailor Change Management process and function in a given organizational change situation. As a successful Practitioner, candidate will be able to start applying the Change Management approaches and techniques to a real change initiative.
There are no prerequisites for this course.
4.5 Days/Lecture & Lab
This qualification is aimed at individuals who are involved in change initiatives who require a working knowledge of the key principles of change management, who need to know the terminology used and some of the theory behind the practice. It is also the Introduction to the higher level Practitioner qualification and therefore includes all those who are the target audience for that qualification.


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Dissent of the Day (Title borrowed from Andrew Sullivan)
In response to my previous link: Family Insights: It's Not Enough to Want It, a reader writes:
"It's easy to judge people when you're on top of your game. I hope none of the people you reference in this blog ever reads it. Things aren't always so black and white."
Ouch. But totally true.
I was not trying to be judgmental; I was just noticing differences in people and their orientations towards weight. I do know people who simply don't care (and, in many ways, they seem happier than those of us who do). I also, however, know people who care but who don't do anything about it (and they, in many ways, seem the least happy). I also know people, family members included, who are unhappy with their weight, yet have real physical limitations that prevent them from achieving their goals. I also, however, know several people, again, family members included, who have mental blocks that prevent them from achieving their goals. Or time commitments. I also know people — myself, included — who are compulsive (maybe to a ridiculous degree) about food and exercise and therefore have made calorie counting and exercise as an important part of their lives as going to work, paying bills, or cleaning the cat box.
Part of the question — for me — is why do some people care about their weight and others not? Why do some people who care do nothing, while others at least attempt to do something?
The point that I was trying to make (to myself and to whoever that might be reading) is that if you want something — anything, whether it's related to weight or not — you have to 1) have a clear and specific goal, 2) have a compelling reason and 3) take massive and sustained action.
I'd also like to note that I don't consider myself to be at the top of my game. I have crap days like everyone else. I eat junk, I stress eat, and I'd love to be able to run five miles or do a single pull up. The reason I started this blog was to chronicle my ups and downs and to share my thoughts and reflections on weight, fitness, and maintenance with other people who are doing the same. It was also to keep me honest and to remind myself of what I know is true.
I apologize if my previous post was offensive. The anecdote about my cousin was only used as a set up for something that I think is absolutely essential for meeting goals, whatever they may be. It was a reminder to myself as much as it was for anyone else.
3 comments so far
[…] to a dissent from a reader, it's also occurred to me to add that you don't have to want […]
Hi. I found you through a link from a comment on my blog (thanks for linking me, BTW).
I spent yesterday morning going through some of my old journals from years past, looking for clues, and one of the things I discovered is that the more things change, the more they stay the same. That is to say, I have tried to lose weight my entire life. I wanted to lose it pretty darn badly. My efforts were sometimes misguided, but they were serious and sincere, and they always ultimately failed.
I don't know what made the difference this time, that I could lose 130 pounds and more or less keep it off. Did I want it more than I had before? Not necessarily. I suspect that, after all this time, I finally figured out what worked for me, what was sustainable, and what I was *willing to do* on an ongoing basis.
We can't get inside other people's heads, so to say that someone else doesn't want it enough … well, that does come across as insulting, even though you didn't mean it to be. I think your clarification makes much more sense, especially the massive and sustained action part.
Best of luck to you!


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It is a scientifically proven fact that Retrievers are the most happiest Dogs of all times! They are carriers of happy vibes therefore have a very strong 'chi' - an ancient Chinese term for energy. Their presence will perk up a dull room and fill it with laughter and love.
Although a look at those deep dark eyes is enough to melt an iceberg, here are 10 reasons that will prove why all dog lovers should get a Retriever at least once!
1. Emotional anchor thy name is a Retriever- According to researchers at American Psychological Association, people who own Labrador or Golden Retrievers are happier, socially extrovert and are more self-assured than the general public.
2. Happy gym - Be it taking your Lab or Goldie for a morning walk or an evening stroll, there is never a lazy moment for a dog parent and therefore they are healthier. Count on them to get you the leash before your alarm rings!
3. Best fans of your Food - Family detests your cooking? These love balls will clear the tiniest scrap off their plates in seconds! Oh what ego-boosters!!
4. League of extra-ordinary stress-busters- Believe us, just on elook into those big, kind eyes and the most saintliest of a face will prove to be a greater stress buster than anything else in this world!
5. Dogsmatrimony.com? - These big mush-balls are so social that they will pull people towards themselves..err you too! Therefore, the chances of you meeting your soulmate while taking your dog out for a walk are higher than sitting at home ;)
6. Home Tutor – Your children can learn a lot from your dog. From being a compassionate human being to being responsible for someone else from a young age. Retrievers are very patient around kids and treat them like their own pups! Awww!
7. Loneliness no more - Right from the time you wake to being your cuddle bear in the night, your Labbie is the only one who will never tire away from your awesome company…ever! (Well, won't even send you to the Loo alone!)
8. A Perfect Shoulder - Your Goldie boy will never be able to see you in distress; it'll depresses him too. You can always count on him to cheer you up in their own little innocent ways.
9. They are the Cutest Puppies EVER!!- Look at that face? Can you resist a kiss?
10. A loyal friend for life - People will come and go from your life but this fluffball is deal of a lifetime. If they could, they would accompany you to the afterlife just to be with you! That is the loyalty of a Retriever!
Dogs and humans share a bond that can never experience with other people. They spend a lifetime in observing their parents and adjusting themselves to the ways of their parents. Need we give you more reasons to adopt a soul so pure?
spot where pets are always sniffing each other's butt
(and the cutest, aww-dorable, funniest, informative
stories, pictures, launches & videos)
Views and Articles are not endorsed by DogSpot.in. DogSpot does not assume responsibility or liability for any Comment or for any claims, damages, or losses resulting from any use of the Site or the materials contained therein. All contributions and Articles are owned by DogSpot.in.


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We are an embodiment of our thoughts. Whilst external factors do have influence over what we think, how we construe those external factors, is the most important part of our thought process. I've written extensively on how failure has driven many to success, well, affirmations premise on the same principle - we can't control what happens in our life but we can control our reaction to those circumstances, it's all down to our thinking. Life truly stems from our thoughts - we are what we think and affirmations help us to craft the life we want.
Why affirmations offer so much value
Affirmations help to purify and clarify our thoughts so that we stay aligned with our internal values. Affirmations are very powerful and actually restructure the dynamic of our brains because they raise the level of positive hormones in our brain and create "positive thought" neurons (http://www.arlenetaylor.org/brain-care/953-affirmation). This process creates, new, positive thinking channels allowing us to permanently change the way in which we think, for the better. The word affirmation comes from the Latin affirmare, originally meaning "to make steady, strengthen."
Why we should practice self-affirmation
Affirmations strengthen us by helping us to believe in the potential of an action we desire to manifest. By saying our dreams and aspirations aloud in our heads, we instantly feel empowered and reassured by our own words. This is because we actively discount other (conscious or unconscious) negative thoughts or doubts we have attached to our goals and we finally allow ourselves to truly believe our dreams can and will become a reality. Affirmations are proven methods of self-improvement, not only do they re-wire our brain, as discussed, but they play a crucial role in crafting our future. Thinking positively and ultimately believing in yourself opens you to a world of opportunities, one that could easily be closed, with a more negative mindset.
15 of the most impactful affirmations
So, on days when you feel clouded or bogged down because things may not be going your way, here are the most impactful thought affirmations to help you instantly change your mindset, for the long-term;
1) I am superior to negative thoughts and ill-intentioned actions
2) My ability to conquer my challenges is limitless; my potential to succeed is infinite
3) I acknowledge my own self-worth; I have no need for external validation
4) I am confident and I can handle any obstacle thrown in front of me
5) I am calm, peaceful and want the best for everyone around me
6) I am right where I am meant to be in my life, I trust in my path
7) I am intelligent and capable of accomplishing anything I desire
8) My positive attitude, confidence and hard work naturally brings me to new opportunities
9) I am grateful for everything I have in my life
10) I always make other people feel important when I am around them
11) I accept people for who they are and believe they are doing their best
12) I attract success easily into my life
13) My thoughts are filled with positivity and my life is plentiful with prosperity
14) Though these times are difficult, they are only a short phase of life
15) Today, I wake up with strength in my heart and clarity in my mind
For more about affirmations and how they can benefit your life read this comprehensive blog here for affirmations for every area of life read here


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Embraer and SkyWest, Inc. Sign Contract for Nine E175 Jets
Jan 31, 2019, 17:20 ET
SÃO JOSÉ DOS CAMPOS, Brazil, Jan. 31, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Embraer and SkyWest, Inc. have signed a firm order for nine E175 jets, with deliveries expected to begin in 2019. The order has a value of USD 422 million, based on current list prices, and was already included in Embraer's 2018 fourth-quarter backlog. SkyWest Airlines will operate all nine E175s, featuring a 76-seat configuration.
"Since 2013, SkyWest has purchased a total of 158 E175s, including these nine, in order to expand their large existing fleet of Embraer aircraft," said Charlie Hillis, Vice President, Sales & Marketing, North America, Embraer Commercial Aviation. "We are extremely proud of their ongoing support for the E-Jets program and the fact that the E175 continues to outperform in North America. Without a doubt, the E175 has become the backbone of the regional aviation market in the U.S."
"We're pleased to continue adding new E175 aircraft under long-term contract to our increasingly efficient, agile and flexible fleet," said SkyWest Chief Executive Officer and President Chip Childs. "We appreciate Embraer's strong partnership and remain impressed with the Embraer product."
Including this new contract, Embraer has sold more than 565 E175s to airlines in North America, since January 2013, earning more than 80% of all orders in this 70-76-seat jet segment.
SkyWest, Inc. is a premier regional airline company and the holding company of SkyWest Airlines. SkyWest holds a long history with Embraer as early customers for the Embraer EMB 120 Brasilia turboprop aircraft.
Since entering revenue service, the E-Jets family has received more than 1,800 orders and over 1,500 aircraft have been delivered. Today, E-Jets are flying in the fleet of 70 customers in 50 countries. The versatile 70 to 150-seat family is flying with low-cost airlines as well as with regional and mainline carriers.
Follow us on Twitter: @Embraer
About SkyWest, Inc.
Based in St. George, Utah, SkyWest, Inc. is the holding company for two scheduled passenger airline operations and an aircraft leasing company with more than 17,000 employees. SkyWest provides commercial air service in cities throughout North America with more than 2,500 daily flights carrying approximately 50 million passengers annually. SkyWest Airlines operates through partnerships with United Airlines ("United"), Delta Air Lines ("Delta"), American Airlines ("American") and Alaska Airlines.
About Embraer
Embraer is a global company headquartered in Brazil with businesses in commercial and executive aviation, defense & security. The company designs, develops, manufactures and markets aircraft and systems, providing customer support and services.
Since it was founded in 1969, Embraer has delivered more than 8,000 aircraft. About every 10 seconds an aircraft manufactured by Embraer takes off somewhere in the world, transporting over 145 million passengers a year.
Embraer is the leading manufacturer of commercial jets up to 150 seats. The company maintains industrial units, offices, service and parts distribution centers, among other activities, across the Americas, Africa, Asia and Europe.
Headquarters (Brazil)
Corporate Communications
Cell: +55 12 98152 4845
Tel.: +55 11 3841 6085
North America
Alyssa Ten Eyck
Cell: +1 954 383 0460
Tel.: +1 954 359 3847
Europe, Middle East and Africa
Guy Douglas
Cell: +31 (0)657120121
Tell: +31 (0)202158109
Mirage Zhong
Cell: +86 185 1378 5180
Tel.: +86 10 6598 9988
Asia Pacific
Nilma Missir-Boissac
Cell: +65 9012 8428
Tel.: +65 6305 9955
SOURCE Embraer S.A.


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Southern Ladies' Luncheon: The Art of Preparation & Presentation
I was raised in the deep South and have always appreciated true Southern Hospitality. Recently, I was in my home town and enjoyed helping my mom put a "Southern ladies' luncheon" together for a very special guest. It gave us a chance to enjoy decorating, cooking, arranging and preparing for our event which is something we both love doing. Our gathering was small but consisted of a group of mothers and daughters who'd been friends for over 45 years.
Entertaining for any party, lunch, or dinner, doesn't have to be complicated but a few small special touches can make all the difference. It's those little touches I've always appreciated, and as our lives get busier and busier, it's nice to take a little extra time making the presentation special.
Our table was decorated with two simple flower arrangements. We found some pretty tulips at Trader Joe's and loved the beauty and color of these flowers but there was only one bunch of these tulips left! Knowing we'd need two arrangements for our table of nine, I found some boxwood to use as a filler in our arrangements. This would be perfect for our two containers—ceramic pots—and what an easy but effective display these tulips made on our table!
We had fun gathering linens and china for our lunch. We've enjoyed collecting these things for years and between the two of us we have quite a collection from flea markets and antique stores! We also found the cutest little ceramic "place markers" that Mom had made years ago. With a little sprig of rosemary, and the names written with an erasable marker, these were the perfect added touch to each place setting. The menu was simple, beginning with pink lemonade when our guests arrived, followed by chicken salad, sour cream muffins and a lemon mousse for dessert. The best part, however, was visiting with long-time friends who seem like family.
Before our guests departed I presented everyone a handmade card I'd made using a special collection of fabric and lace scraps that were given to me by our guest of honor, Charlotte. She had recently sent me a collection of remnants from heirloom sewing projects that she'd made over the years and I've been using these things in a variety of projects. See instructions for making Charlotte's lace card project here, where I demonstrate ways to recycle lovely bits and pieces from the past. It's so easy to use small pieces of lace, fabric, paper and buttons to create an extra-special favor for extra-special friends!
You might also enjoy Wine & Words: Women's Book Club night, and other entertaining and recipe posts.


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International Youth Day is held on August 12th of every year to celebrate the achievements of the world's youth and to encourage their participation in positive contributions to society. It is also a day to reflect on the challenges facing youth today, and what progress we are making in British Columbia to address them.
Read more »
The Ministry of Children and Family Development (MCFD) has announced that it will be expanding the screening of families participating in the Child in the Home of a Relative (CIHR) program to include those families accepted prior to December 2007.
I am pleased and deeply encouraged that the Ministry is taking this step to help ensure the safety and well-being of all children and youth in the CIHR program.
I am so pleased that May 23–29, 2011 has been declared "B.C. Child and Youth in Care Week." It gives us all the opportunity to reflect on the lives, the hopes and the futures of the more than 8,300 children and youth in B.C. who are in the care of government.
The UN Convention on the Rights of the Child establishes the right of children and youth to be protected from all forms of physical or mental violence, injury, abuse, neglect, or exploitation. As the Representative for Children and Youth, the convention is the basis of my work towards helping children and youth live in safer communities and families, free from harm and injury.
November 20th is National Child Day. The date celebrates the occasion when Canada adopted the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC).
Over the years, I have had the privilege of meeting many adoptive parents and the young people to whom they have given second chances and new lives.
In honour of Foster Family month, I offer my personal thanks to B.C's foster parents, for their hard work and dedication to the young people they are helping.
There is a great proverb that says "one generation plants the trees, another gets the shade". Know that the work you are doing to support and strengthen the lives of the children in your care is an investment that will result in a stronger and more resilient group of adolescents and adults, who will be better equipped to deal with life's challenges.
Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD) Awareness Day is an important part of the push to end this preventable disability. It is absolutely essential to increase awareness of FASD, of the danger of alcohol consumption during pregnancy, and of the need to support children with FASD.
In spite of society's increasing knowledge about its effects, children continue to be born after being exposed to high amounts of alcohol while in the womb.
The Representative for Children and Youth welcomes many of the changes reflected in the White Paper on Family Relations Act Reform released on July 19, 2010. Changes that support hearing the views of children and youth in decisions that will affect their lives and better protection for children who are victims of domestic violence are necessary to create a rigorous system in B.C.
In honour of Adoption Awareness month, I wish to thank our province's adoptive families for the commitment they have made to some of our most vulnerable children. The stability you provide for your children paves the way for them to become the successful contributing members of society they deserve to be.


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Here you'll find a composite list of
ethically minded clothing companies.
If you want to add a shop to this list (or notice a mistake!), please contact me at email@example.com. I'm always looking to share about new shops that are passionate about
changing the fashion culture.
ethical fashion | shop directory
Here you'll find a composite list of


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Fusce tincidunt, arcu vel semper mollis.
PTCB's Annual Progress Report highlights the headway PTCB made in 2013 to meet the demands of a changing healthcare system while advancing patient care and safety. PTCB focused on supporting pharmacists as their roles evolved and expanded, and we honored the achievements of exceptional CPhTs who made a difference in their workplaces every day. During the year, the total number of PTCB certifications granted exceeded the half-million mark. The report includes by-the-numbers information on involvement and engagement by employers, educators, CPhTs, and other stakeholders in PTCB programs and activities.
View the online report.


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If you look up the word "nostalgia," you will find that it consists of two Greek roots, nostos for "return home," and algos for "pain." It's the longing for home, once considered a disease, homesickness, as home spreads from origin and structure (house), to the inhabitations, the rises and declines of its members, to loss, and memory, and finally to the fields whereon the home sat and which will remain fields when home and the memory of it are gone. Robert Fanning's Our Sudden Museum offers some preliminaries (dedications to family members, memorial dedications to father, brother, and sister; epigraphs from that bearded dreamer Gaston Bachelard and another from Morrissey, whose "Girlfriend in a Coma" helped get us through the '80s) before getting down to the real business of confronting emptiness. You would think such confrontations were mere floor exercises for a poet, whose own memories come so acutely detailed that it's like Dr. Johnson kicking that rock, as if to say take that, absence! And in just such a richly negative way, absence becomes a thing, its custodian, memory. But if memory is important to the poet, it also finds that absence is working behind the scenes to make sure it doesn't forget to whittle away at memory too. Hence, poems.
This collection, the poet's third, confronts loss right away and its emblem, the empty house, the "Heart—home: a whole and hollow //drum." The here, now, gone, now metaphysic drives the collection, but it doesn't overwhelm it. In the first place, there is none of the too-customary faux sonata form partitioning into sections, but there is the feeling that the confrontation with nothingness is better served where there is invention, and even a good deal of playfulness. I wouldn't be surprised to find several of the poems here plastered on the inner wall of the subway in New York, the kind often obscured either by depressing ads for for-profit colleges or hangers at rush hour. There is plenty of room to stretch, thematically and formally. I was delighted to find both a sonnet and a triolet here, for example, and the sense is that Fanning's preference is for form and informing both. And yet, because loss is the opening gambit and the house, once filled with presences, is now filled with memory and speculation, the growing arc of the reader's impression lands with the command to let go, which is also to say, let be. The house is a sudden museum, as are the poems, and we are advised to let go, finally, of all. But why you might ask? What about do not go gentle? The brother, a suicide, didn't. But you let go to make a place, as the appearance of a child implies:
This home's a sudden museum.
From the living room, I hear our daughter
knock a glass thing over and giggle.
I move to save the breakables from wreckage
then remember: nothing can now be ruined.
We're the guests of someone gone.
("Staying the Night")
As the poet said, every elegy is a self-portrait. There are several elegies to the brother. In the first, we are led into the presence of such poems as Merwin's "On the Anniversary of My Death," where we know that day is coming and will be for others an anniversary, but meanwhile we find ourselves blind to the warning signs, so to speak, that lie about. As he writes in "Our Footfalls" "How in beating time we lived/ despite a hum we couldn't hear,/ despite the silence we'd become." And in "The Beam":
Would that you had heard
as it must have creaked
one winter night while you crossed
your living room floor.
In "The Boy Who Taught Me How to Whistle," the warning takes the form of a silent and heavy bell, and the brother, now deceased, is its immobile clapper. This is a horrifying and yet rich image: there is nothing to summon, nothing to announce, the bell is a tomb:
My Brother, my snap-necked loon,
my slack-jaw goner, my stone epiglottis,
my brother now hung in your new dark womb,
a stopped clapper in an iron bell.
The quiet innocence of learning to whistle ends in a paralyzed silence. By the same token, the Scout's prowess in learning to tie knots ends in a noose, but now the noose not only fits the condemned, but widens the circle of inclusion:
In the lore of knots, the Hangman's Noose
was wound thirteen times and placed
behind the left ear of the condemned.
The Elizabethans call it a collar.
Every art has its language.
How much you knew of this dialect,
our master of tangles and coils,
the lashing, the skein, the sinnet,
the hundreds in the Book of Knots.
Here's something you didn't know
about your last knot. We hang too.
Untie us. Untie us. Untie us.
("The Book of Knots")
The wish to be untied presages the letting go of the final poem, just as in "Cuttings," where "The wind will take what we forget/ to sweep. And cannot keep." And yet Fanning's book makes a case for good-natured play, warmth, and fellow-feeling. After all, letting go is not the same as whatever. Many things that come to seem inevitable have their roots in chance. Chance is also the forking path, which may be, now that I think about it, the opening for imagination, for what didn't happen, but could have. A case in point is "The House We Almost Bought":
Passing the house we almost bought
I look through its windows at the man
I almost was, with his wife, who's almost
glad. The children who were almost ours
are almost asleep in rooms they almost had.
I almost wonder if he sees me pass, then wonder
what he is about to almost say, as if I'm someone
he almost knows, or could almost be,
which is almost true. He almost is.
Almost, you might say, is one of the key words of imaginary, an invitation to meditate on the virtual, the alternate, and the wish. This important area of subjectivity can also claim larger satisfactions, one of the most important of which is the quality of our humanity. Lest you think I'm going soft on you here, consider the robust, yet wistful defense of non-purposive activities in "Poem to a Transcendent Composed Before the Arrival of the Singularity":
Enumerate this, Robot: the slow helix
of a falling leaf, the threads of September's
going light. See if you can learn to savor
as we did, the notes from Billie Holliday's
midnight throat, the moon's pink flutter
floating from Nick Drake's guitar.
But know what counted for us most
was the untranslatable data found here
in the blown scrap of this poem and a million
others, slapped against chain fences
on the edges of our long forgotten fields.
The future is ripe for subversion, and Ray Kurzweil will be upping his vitamin intake after this retaliation against the AI Machine. As for alternatives to that future, consider going to the gym and finding the slouching, smoking, ironic sots of the suicide squad (Dylan Thomas, Anne Sexton, John Berryman, and Hart Crane) arrayed like Harpies in a tree, as he works out:
Dylan sips scotch
and leers. John and Anne, doing shots,
shout: feel the burn. I head for the lockers,
make a fatal choice to check my progress.
Old hearts are too heavy for the scale, says Crane.
And I sink at the sight of my weight: the same.
("Poets at the Gym")
Similarly—and subversively—he smiles as nature pushes back at the spectacle of Buddhist monks going about the business of eliminating earthly desire:
Soon, in lotus, though outwardly here,
they disappear, each monk burrowing breath
by breath beneath the body's topsoil, bound
toward the roof of suffering to exterminate
desire and the infestation of need. Meanwhile,
up from the deep heart of a mound in the field
beyond the temple, the buried invisible
army thrashes, barbed mandibles gnashing
upward, advancing toward a needle's eye
of light and air.
("Buddhist Temple Ravaged by Ants")
That life is subversive all by itself seems to be the point, and you can take that high, as in elegy, or low, as in a Tate-Lux-Knott acknowledgment of the onmipresence of absurdity in the daily routine. There are fissures in the most carefully planned edifices. One of Fanning's central images, in poems themselves patterned with chinks, is of the house whose ever-present cracks shrink and widen with the seasons:
Putting our son to bed, the tiny fractures in his ceiling
What lightning could do to the tree
outside his room. That network of branches.
The veins beneath his pale flesh. The fort lightning?
My therapist asks. No, I said: fork lightning. Am I
the load-bearing wall Did I say that out loud?
You need to get on your knees to see the fulf
between each plank. Just say a little prayer my mother says.
The spine is central command the doctor says.
Lean one way long enough and your body will let you know.
("Of Bricks and Vertebrae")
Fanning has a lot of the chops of his mentor, the late Thomas Lux. You will find, for example, that a poem like "Limbo's Babies, Softly Falling" brings up Lux's poem "God Particles." The thing is to invent and then imagine the details with enough fervor that, even if you're making it up as you go, it's as good as any slice of so-called reality, a word that Nabokov warned us should always be clamped in quotation marks anyway. Here, the Vatican's release of the souls of unsaved babies in Limbo (a sticking point for many), has wonderfully absurd consequences.
Until, with one stroke of his pen, gallant
in his robe, Pope Benedict declared these babies
would no longer be in Limbo. At the moment of this edict
Limbo's floor and walls evaporated—whoosh—and the souls
of Limbo's babies began to fall, fall feather-light, down,
down through the spheres, through clouds and soft rain,
some settling in streams, some in beds of long grasses,
others gently rocking in treetops. And all across the earth,
grieving mothers and ghosts of grieving mothers came out
into the fields, their arms outstretched, weeping with elation
ready to catch and cradle them, and before God comes
to snatch them back, to carry them, their dead ones, home.
Several of the most appealing poems in Our Sudden Museum are short bursts of carefully prepared but seemingly jotted expressions of banality and desire. My favorite of these is "Old Postcard," and it's short enough I'll quote it in full:
Old Postcard
I was here.
It was beautiful.
This is where I walked.
You should see this place.
This was the birthplace
of a lot of really important people.
I didn't have enough time.
I saw everything I loved.
I loved everything I saw.
I will try to carry it all home
with me. I hope I don't forget
everything. I am running out
of space now.
The art of artlessness takes a keen talent to secure, but Fanning's work finds this among its capacities. The more I read this collection the more I found myself thinking that for all his exposure of the cracks in the structure, he believes in structures and knows how to make them yield their qualities to the reader's attention, often cumulatively, sometimes tentatively, always finding the right resonances. Artistry is also a kind of courtesy, and for all the death and darkness, the emptiness before which we teeter, these poems also offer their courtesies in their variety and ability to build, even when the occasion is destruction. It feels civilized and quietly cultured, certainly not in a hoity-toity way, but in this he pays a compliment to the reader, as if to say we're in this together. So if that is not the basis for the mutual recognition of a commonweal made through words, I don't know what is. In "Light on Her Bare Shoulders" he admits,
my mind unwinds and runs,
unspooling light's unruly way,
to caves I'll darkly question
should my mouth get its say.
Which gets us back to nostalgia. Yes, we long for home, and saying so is not to succumb to sentimentality. Ask Elizabeth Bishop: it was her whole theme. Just the same, central to our desire to be homing in is the knowledge we come to, just as we come to our own houses, poems, and beliefs. The judgment that has been rendered against every stay still leaves us a move, but it is an important one, for it seems to remove the iron of tragedy and gravity and replaces these with something more dignified than weight, something he doesn't mind calling "transcendent." In the final poem in this fine collection, this transcendence merges with a litany, almost, but not quite, a song.
Of the season, let go. Of the ache to shape and make meaning,
let go. Of the hand in the dark, moss and worm, the awful gnaw.
Of the docked tongue, the root-clenched heart. Let go trunk mold,
branch rot. Of the green shoot that sprouts through your death,
being born, let go. Of the changing light—the euphonious chorus
of children, let go. Of your mother's hand, your father's laughter.
Of what has happened to us.
("What is Written on the Leaves")


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Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD)
Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD) has not been found in Florida. The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) is working with the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, hunters, captive cervid owners, landowners, and the public to help keep Florida CWD free.
CWD is a progressive, neurological, debilitating disease that belongs to a family of diseases known as transmissible spongiform encephalopathies (TSEs), which includes bovine encephalopathy (BSE, also called mad cow disease). Like BSE, CWD is believed to be caused by an abnormal protein called a prion. CWD has been found in mule deer, white-tailed deer, black-tailed deer, sika deer, North American elk, and moose.
CWD is a fatal disease.
Clinical signs appear 1.5 to 3 years after exposure and include excessive salivation and grinding of teeth, increased drinking and urination, dramatic loss of weight and body condition, poor hair coat, and head tremors. Infected animals develop odd behaviors including decreased interaction with other animals, listlessness, lowering of the head, blank facial expression, walking in circles, staggering, and standing with a wide stance. Prior to the onset of clinical signs, deer infected with CWD can appear normal and healthy.
Animals become infected when they consume prions in feces, urine, or saliva from an infected animal. Animals may also become infected by ingesting prions present in soil contaminated with the feces or urine of an infected animal. Unlike most TSEs, the prions that cause CWD persist in the environment and may remain infective for years. Crowded conditions on deer farms as well as winter feeding or baiting deer in the wild facilitates transmission. There is no evidence that CWD can be transmitted to livestock or humans.
CWD has been found in captive and/or free-ranging cervids in 26 states (Arkansas, Colorado, Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, New Mexico, New York, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Virginia, West Virginia, Wisconsin, and Wyoming), the Canadian provinces of Alberta, Quebec, and Saskatchewan, and Finland, Norway, Sweden, and South Korea. In the U.S., the core endemic area includes contiguous portions of Wyoming, Colorado, and Nebraska. Even in this core endemic area, the prevalence varies greatly. In some areas of Wyoming, CWD has been found in up to 40% of free-ranging animals, while in others less than 1% are affected. Mississippi, Virginia and West Virginia are the only Southeastern states where CWD has been detected.
The only practical method for diagnosing CWD is by testing brain stem tissue or lymph nodes from dead animals. There is no practical live-animal test.
Control is extremely difficult once CWD becomes established in a natural population. There is no vaccine or treatment for CWD. Because prions persist in the environment, the best chance for eradication is to detect CWD when it moves into a new area and act quickly to prevent more animals from being infected.
FWC educates hunters, landowners and the public about CWD and asks that anyone who sees a sick, abnormally thin deer or finds a deer dead from unknown causes call the toll-free CWD hotline, 866-CWD-WATCH (866-293-9282) to report the location of the animal. FWC asks hunters who harvest a sick or extremely skinny deer to avoid handling it and call the CWD hotline. An FWC biologist can then collect the deer and take it to a lab for necropsy. For early disease detection, FWC collects and tests tissue samples from randomly-selected hunter-killed deer that appear healthy. Since 2002, FWC has tested nearly 13,000 hunter-killed, road-killed, and sick or diseased deer for CWD.
Learn more about the FWC's CWD monitoring program and how hunters can support this effort by donating their deer heads for testing.
Regulations for transporting hunter-harvested deer
To guard against importing CWD from other states, Florida regulates the transportation of hunter-harvested deer, elk and moose from CWD-infected states.
It is illegal to bring into Florida the carcass of any cervid (deer, elk or moose) from 25 states and two Canadian provinces where CWD has been detected. At this time, CWD has been detected in Arkansas, Colorado, Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, New Mexico, New York, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Virginia, West Virginia, Wisconsin, Wyoming, and the Canadian provinces of Alberta, Quebec, and Saskatchewan.
Hunters can bring back de-boned meat from any CWD-affected state, as well as finished taxidermy mounts, hides, skulls, antlers and teeth as long as all soft tissue has been removed. Hunters can also bring back whole, bone-in carcasses and parts harvested in states without CWD.
It is illegal to bring live cervids into Florida, from any state. This rule was put into place in 2013 to further protect Florida's wild and captive deer herds.
Report any illegal cervid importation to 1-888-404-FWCC.
At-a-glance graphic outlining regulations for transporting hunter-harvested deer, elk, moose, caribou and other members of the deer family from CWD-affected states.
Public health and wildlife officials advise hunters to take the following precautions when pursuing or handling deer that may have been exposed to CWD:
- Do not shoot, handle or consume any animal that is acting abnormally or appears to be sick. If you see or harvest an animal that appears sick, call the FWC toll-free CWD hotline, 866-CWD-WATCH (293-9282).
- Wear latex or rubber gloves when field dressing your deer.
- Bone out the meat from your animal. Don't saw through bone and avoid cutting through the brain or spinal cord (backbone).
- Minimize the handling of brain and spinal tissues.
- Wash hands and instruments thoroughly after field dressing is completed.
- Avoid consuming brain, spinal cord, eyes, spleen, tonsils and lymph nodes of harvested animals. (Normal field dressing coupled with boning out a carcass will remove most, if not all, of these body parts. Cutting away all fatty tissue will remove remaining lymph nodes.)
- Avoid consuming the meat from any animal that tests positive for CWD.
- If you have your deer commercially processed, request that your animal be processed individually, with no meat from other animals added to meat from your animal.
Learn more about what you can do by reviewing the following graphics:
Precautions when hunting in a state or province where CWD has been detected.
How hunters can help prevent CWD from entering Florida.
Regulations for transporting hunter-harvested deer, elk, moose, caribou and other members of the deer family from CWD-affected states.
- USDA - Animal and Plant Health Inspection Services
- Chronic Wasting Disease Alliance
- USGS - National Wildlife Health Center
- Map of states and provinces affected by CWD
- How hunters can help prevent CWD from entering Florida
- Regulations for transporting hunter-harvested deer from CWD-affected states
- Precautions when hunting in states where CWD has been detected
- Deer carcass disposal tips


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In modern day terms Brahmacharya is the practice of moderation. Read on to see how it used to be practiced and how we can practice it today.Read More
Though this seems self-explanatory, Asteya is more than refraining from stealing. I prefer to think of it as taking only what we are offered and only using what we need. Read to see how we can practice this every day.Read More
Ahimsa means practicing kindness to all living things– to ourselves, to others and to animals in our every thought and every action. Even negative thoughts can be destructive and damaging.Read More
The Yamas (Conduct and Restraints) are considered the foundation for those following the path of yoga. Read on to learn why they affect our everyday lives and why these next 5 weeks we will be diving deeper into each one!Read More
Yogi Bhajan once said, "the attitude of gratitude is the highest form of yoga." This Thanksgiving, I want to say thank you to all of you for putting that teaching into an experience.Read More
We are connected to everything. Because we are so connected, everything we do matters. The words that we speak to each other and ourselves are going to enact change in our communities. So is what you're saying and portraying honest? And why does it even matter?Read More
In sharing and teaching yoga to others, I believe it is important to acknowledge differences. We all come from different backgrounds. We all have faced different obstacles in life. We may not see eye to eye. But when teaching it is important to bring in ideas that any person can understand. Heart break. Loss. Strength. Discomfort. Being nervous. Being excited. Happiness. We can all relate on those basic levels.Read More


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BBQ Roasted Pumpkin
This perfect fall recipe will be a wonderful addition to your next BBQ. Don't let your pumpkin carving scraps be complete trash, use some of them to make this delicious roasted pumpkin.
Clean, peel and dice your pumpkin. Once diced use a gallon food bad with a zip loc top. Put all the ingredients into the bag, close and shake. Once the pumpkin is evenly coated with all the ingredients spread it onto a baking dish.
Prepare your Mont Alpi BBQ to cook indirectly. To do this, put the two outside burners on and leave the middle burner off. Place the tray onto the middle burner and close the hood. Cook for 20 minutes then open the hood and turn the pumpkin. Close the lid and continue to cook until nicely browned and soft.
You are ready to serve and enjoy!


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My love/hate relationship with this project
I was so surprised when I found this table just before Thanksgiving. It was in rough shape but I was planning to cover it - I just needed table space. We were hosting 30+ people for dinner and I really needed an extra table. I loved the size (and the leaf to make it bigger). I loved the curvy Queen Anne legs.
And, yet, after Thanksgiving, I could not make the table work in my house. I am not sure why. I think it's the curvy legs - but, honestly, no clue. As you can see, the table worked just fine for our dinner! The finish on the table is something I did for myself - think driftwood. It's kind of awesome if you are a beachy/cottage-y person. The chairs are solid and completely reupholstered - despite their distressed look.
For you DIY-er's - the table finish is a combination of sanding, chalk paint, latex paint and a wash of vinegar mixed with steel wool (soak for a day or two). Not necessarily in that order. If you want to try it, I can check my notes and answer questions.


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I'm sure everybody does it. We all recall our best and worst years.
The calendar is only capturing numbers that make somehow sense to organize our life around it. And with it, we associate moments, emotions to those dates. All becomes very precise when we actually think about instants that touched us deep both mentally and physically.
For example, 2007 and 2010 will always be associated with my wedding and the birth of my 2 beloved kids. I will always accurately remember what I was doing on June 23rd / September 20th and July 2nd of those specific years. Thinking about it brings me good vibes as I write it now. I think it's now widespread that thinking about positive experiences is good for your health as it releases good relaxing hormones (endorphin) and makes you believe life is worth living. No brainer.
Well, what happens with all the rest of your life? What to do, and how to handle all the bad moments you endured throughout many many years of family, friend tragedies, accidents, broken hearts, professional or competition deceptions, basically of the ugly Life throws at you?
I hope you will all agree that we still have to live with that, no matter what. One option is the suicide, which is actually not an option for those who chose to live anyway.
So back to the question: How to get through all this pain, and be able to handle it without carrying it as a heavy burden for years and years?
Let me mention 2 other years in my life which are far less enjoyable than 2007 & 2010.
2006 is probably the year where I've known the worst physical pain to date (and hopefully till my last day comes). A street fight ended me up with a nasty surgery to repair my "guts". Open belly was no joke, adding to it an infection that made the pain last few more weeks. Feeling weak and barely handling the pain was one thing. Not being able to properly sleep and having nightmares because of the pain was reaching another level of self-dominance. "Dreaming" about sleeping on a nailed bed and actually feeling the real acute pain in my belly was putting me to a dark place I would never imagine to go one day.
Every morning that finally arrived after a long long night was a blessing. At 25 years old, I was happy to get through one more day. Of course, all of this extreme feeling went away after a while, and as the recovery went better and better, I could finally put this in the back of my mind and continue to grow as a man, husband and father.
And 2013 came along…2 more surgeries still in the belly area on my gallbladder and appendix. Those ones added 2 more scars to my look as the 2006 heavy one (mis)lead the future ones to be done via micro-cameras. Once again, pain, doubts, recovery. And of course, I linked all what happened to me recently to this terrible year 2006.
More importantly, I recently realized that 2006 crushed my heart and soul deep inside. I was seeing the sadness and fear in my parents' eyes but I under-estimated my own mental fight to overcome these obstacles. I wouldn't tell it, but I would already make some conclusions in my life on what I would have achieved thus far like I was doing "extras" reaching my 26th birthday only. It was a short term approach that I hated at the time because there was no logical reason for me to think it would end soon, especially after overcoming all of this.
But it's only after going through January and June 2013 during those 2 additional hospital stays that my perception changed for good about everything that was happening to me.
I started to analyze it cold-blooded, like "why does this happen to me? What can I do about it to stop it and finally have the life I would like to have?"
It became clear that I would now get rid of all the things I would consider useless or counter-productive to my progression. To be clear, I remember telling my boss right after my last surgery that I will come back stronger than ever. I truly believed it, not because I want to be the strongest…but because I think I wasted so much time not reaching my full potential. I have the intense belief that I can do great things because of self-discipline, and self-discipline first. This is the big take away from my years of suffering. I discovered that I was sensitive to gluten, and probably my last 2 surgeries were related to this fact. So now I have the choice: Continuing to eat yummy pizzas, bread, pasta and all the thing I used to love and eat everyday, BUT being bloated, have stomachache with risk of high general inflammation increase with all the bad consequences we can read about it. OR I could choose to rethink my diet, and with it, my overall lifestyle.
This is the real question: Are you ready to give up on your daily small satisfaction habits to actually allow yourself to develop to a point you make yourself, and your close ones happier and potentially last longer?
For me, my motivation is very simple: My kids and wife need a strong dad & husband, setting an example, and they need this strong, self-confident dad for a long, long time. I can't afford to leave them too early. So, can I change the things I eat and drink to become that better person everyday? Can I learn new things about how to move better so I can enjoy again to have a strong, agile body after these years of weakness and fear?
HELL YES I CAN, and I DO !!
My main advice for people who could see themselves in that story is:
Use all your pain, bad experiences, suffering, deception, depression, cries, screams, rage…use all of this to your advantage. Analyze what went wrong, be mad about it, don't accept it, whatever ...but don't let it crush you anymore, use it as a weapon the others don't have because they didn't live what you had to go through. Positive vibes as well as negative vibes are here to test you, they come to you and ask you "What are you going to do with me?"
Nobody is pushing, motivating or even forcing me to train as I do now. Actually I'm wrong, I do push, motivate, force myself to do what I feel I have to do to reach my goals described above. And naturally, I can put in practice this utmost motivation because of the unbelievable support from my wife who's doing everything she can to help me grow the way I aim for. This gives me the strength to go on and enable to have this amazing feeling: Knowing that I went through so much mentally and physically that I actually enjoy the discomfort of an intense training session. I know I would not be the same without living through what happened in 2006.
For a long time, I believed I would never be as good as I was before that (no scars, playing football, partying, easy life), but in fact, I am now grateful to all of this. I now accept what happened and embraced to create everyday a better version of myself, all aspects considered (husband, father, son, brother, businessman, "athlete", Movement coach,…)
ScarAbs is dedicated to this quest, focused on this self-discipline mainly through moving better and interacting with people having the same goal. I really hope this community can grow and together we can help others to take advantage of our weaknesses.
Being "tenacious" is the thing I respect & hold dear, and with that, I truly and firmly believe that we are equipped for the life we deserve, for the Good, the Bad and the Ugly.
Thank you;
Jerome, ScarAbs


text: DecalSource 6 Report post Posted July 3, 2018 Dad and uncle's soon to be open brewery is in an old water treatment building. Been making all the vinyl for it over the last few months. Gave me a reason to upgrade from my 16" MC to a 36" SC2. Even reverse weeded to use as stencil to paint the logos onto an old tank he set up in the front. The little water tower is a replica of the town's. That one is about 2" layered, that was fun. 6 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites


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Babe is constructed of oak, hickory and bamboo driftwood. Overlying this structure is a rusted chicken wire skin. Her fins are made of rusted corrugated tin. She is finished with 6 coats of matte polyurethane.


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The other day I sat down with a capable and competent leader. But in spite of her abilities and accomplishments, she didn't see herself as a leader. Her beliefs about herself were holding her back and destroying her leadership.
I asked her to tell me about those beliefs so we could see what was limiting her. Her responses, repeated below, mirror the thoughts of every self-undermining leader I've ever worked with.
How many of these beliefs do you hold?
I wasn't born a leader. Many people believe that to be a great leader you have to be born with certain innate qualities and abilities. The truth: great leadership can be developed and learned by anyone with the willingness and desire to lead.
I don't have the title or position to lead. Even in an age where hierarchy is less important, many people still believe that to make a difference and be a great leader you need an impressive title. Of course, one has nothing to do with each other—you can lead in any position and from wherever you are, whether you're a CEO, a line worker, a volunteer, or even an involved neighbor.
I'm waiting for the right opportunity to lead. If you're waiting to find yourself in the circumstances of a leader, you might be waiting for a long time. Leadership isn't something that happens to you but something you do. Leaders show up and start leading wherever and whenever they are needed.
I need more experience to lead. I've met lots of people who are absolutely capable and competent to lead, but they're wasting their gifts by waiting to mature and have years of experience behind them instead of seizing the moment. Leaders bring value to whatever they do, wherever they are.
After listening to what she had to say, I worked on giving her a new vision of herself, one in which the leader she could become was already within her and all she needed to do was embrace it.
Our belief system is based on how we view the world. Many of the beliefs we cultivate about life date back to childhood, ingrained in us by our parents and other influential adults.
Most of the time, these beliefs serve us well up to a certain point. But eventually some of them become limiting and perhaps even damaging. In adulthood, the beliefs we created as a child no longer work for us as well as they did in the past; they may even end up hurting us.
Too often, though, we automatically accept the things we were taught to believe without questioning. We lose the ability to decipher genuine beliefs from those that are false. And our false beliefs become real when we give them power.
If your beliefs are interfering with your leadership growth, it's time to change your thinking.
That means rewiring and rewriting the beliefs that are holding you back. Don't allow your thoughts to tell you that who you are, is not enough or that what you know is deficient or wrong.
We need to constantly be looking inward, observing our own thoughts and transforming our false beliefs about ourselves into positive affirmations.
Lead from Within: The only way you can begin to embrace who you are meant to be is to stop living on autopilot as a prisoner to your own mind, that is filled with false beliefs.
Additional Reading you might enjoy:
Photo Credit: Getty Images
The post 4 False Beliefs That Will Destroy Your Leadership appeared first on Lolly Daskal.
Original: https://www.lollydaskal.com/leadership/4-false-beliefs-will-destroy-leadership/
By: lollydaskal
Posted: March 27, 2018, 8:23 am