text:
Junior Project Manager
- Recruiter
- Tarsh Partnership
- Location
- London (Central), London (Greater)
- Salary
- £30,000 plus benefits
- Posted
- 11 Sep 2018
- Closes
- 09 Oct 2018
- Ref
- Job Discipline
- Account Management, Digital
- Experience Level
- Executive
- Sectors
- Agency, Professional Services
- Contract Type
- Permanent
- Hours
- Full Time
Junior Project Manager
£30,000 plus benefits
Based: London
The major player in the world of recruitment website development is looking to expand its account management team. Working with major names within the industry you will be expected to deliver products and services on time and to budget. High levels of client satisfaction are essential and you will drive this by building strong relationships and delivering not simply outstanding websites but appropriate and tailored digital marketing campaigns.
Our Ideal Candidate
We're looking for very strong planning and project management skills – those classic basic elements you'd expect in any account management position! You'll also have a consultative approach – offering alternative solutions and making informed decisions for clients. A naturally easy and fluent communication style is essential and ultimately the ability to drive increased business for the agency – both through the nurturing of long lasting client relationships and promotion additional services. A passion for the online / digital world is essential. Knowledge of the recruitment marketing world would also go a long way...
Client Profile
Based in the City this website design business has been at the forefront of the recruitment industry's drive towards its current dominant online channel focus. Growing at an impressive rate they blend digital expertise with technical acumen their clients (both recruitment consultancies and major blue chip organisations) and maximise their exposure online and delivering e-commerce strategies that are entirely results driven. This is a friendly and relaxed atmosphere and a company that is constantly looking to innovate and move forward.
The Tarsh Partnership is committed to finding the right roles for talented candidates. We are a leading name in marketing recruitment and have significant marketing recruitment experience working with brand management, communications, category management and insight / research specialists. If you would like to discuss this role, or any other roles that might be suitable, please e-mail or call one of the team now on 020 7849 6875.
If you don't feel this role is quite right for you but think you know someone who might be suitable do please pass this advert on. We do offer a recommend a friend scheme and you could receive £200 of John Lewis vouchers should your recommended friend be offered and accept the role.
Similar jobs


text:
Unlike some species, the highly adaptable and intelligent raccoon thrives in human-developed areas. Unfortunately, because of this ability to flourish in environments as diverse as urban cities and the untouched wilderness, the small mammal is often blamed for wildlife-human conflicts. Raccoons are omnivorous and will eat most foods, which is typically the cause of the conflict. Simple steps, such as securing trashcans and feeding companion animals indoors, usually prevent the problem from occurring in the first place.
When raccoons are already present, sometimes homeowners merely need to mildly harass the animals using techniques such as placing a bright flashlight or loud radio in the den site, and then seal any entrances to get them to move on and stay out. However, in the spring and summer, it is necessary to make sure the raccoons leave with their young in tow. With some patience and a bit of research on humane, non-lethal methods for dealing with a particular species, it is not difficult to solve wildlife-human conflicts (see story pages 10-13).
Photo by Martin Woike/Foto Natura/Minden Pictures

subset: commoncrawl


text:
The Secret of the Marathon, Intent To Run
Every fall, I watch my newsfeed blow up with articles about the marathon. Headlines like, "What I Wish I Knew Before My First Marathon" or I see people sharing this gem, "Every Mistake I Made Before My First Marathon" accompanied with captions of their own fears and doubts.
It's hard to explain what it's like to watch complete strangers share what they take away from your stories and experiences. Nine times out of ten, it's empowering. But every so often, I just want to give someone a hug or shake them until they admit that they believe in themselves.
To all my marathoners, I want to talk to you. Before you fall down a black hole of marathon stories and articles, know this; There's only one secret to the marathon. You just have to want it.
Yes, you have to do the work. Sure, there are videos and articles out there about people who ran a marathon with little or possible no training. Remember that Buzzfeed article about the woman who ran a Boston Marathon qualifying time in something like 4 weeks? I'm not going to link to it because it still rubs me the wrong way. There are incredible athletes out there who are superhuman. I'm not one of them and I reckon you aren't either.
But I'm glad I'm not a super athlete who can pull a marathon out of my ass. The reason I run marathons is because of the magic and transformation that happens in the training. It's incredible to see and experience how setting out to accomplish something you're convinced is impossible can change your life.
I've run eight marathons now with finishing times ranging everywhere from 5 hours and 34 minutes down to 3 hours and 41 minutes and regardless of how fast or slow you go, the hardest part about running a marathon is training for a marathon. So if you're approaching race day and bursting into tears whenever anyone asks you how you're feeling, trust me when I say that the hardest part is behind you.
But that doesn't mean that race day isn't going to kick your ass and test you. It will. Running a marathon is really, really, really f*king hard. LIKE REALLY F*CKING HARD. I call it the best worst-day of your life because you'll experience pain, fatigue, doubt, joy, and pride like you've never felt in your life. Running a marathon will push you to your breaking point and then ask you what you've got left.
There really is only one secret to the marathon, you have to want it really f*cking badly. Whether you're running from or towards something, it doesn't matter, it just has to compel you.
It's impossible to know what kind of day you're in for. The gun may go off and you may feel like you're flying. Or you may look up at mile two and feel crippling dread. Good day, great day, terrible day, or OK day, you have to f*cking want to get to that finish line because the marathon is going to test you.
It's hard not to get caught up in finishing times. I know how important those milestones can be. But regardless of what your A, B, C, or D goals are, remind yourself that showing up to the starting line and then getting to the finish line is a success in and of itself.
No one runs a marathon just because. Every single person who shows up to that starting line has been to hell and back again. They're running with purpose. They have intent. So when everything hurts and you feel like you're not going to make it, remind yourself what you're running from or towards. Look around and remember that no one is fighting alone. You're all fighting together.
Marathoners don't just survive, they thrive.
You can and you will.
You just have to want it.
Kick ass, take names.


text:
Used 2008 Porsche911 Carrera 4S Convertible
- Stock: P1398
- Odometer
- 34,178 miles
- Fuel Economy
- 17.0/25.0 mpg City/Hwy
- Exterior Color
- Black
- Interior Color
- Other
- Body/Seating
- Convertible/4 seats
- Drivetrain
- all-wheel drive
- Engine
- 3.8L H-6 cyl
Porsche 911
Highlighted Features
- Leather upholstery
- Automatic temperature control
- Power convertible roof
- Rain sensing wipers
- Headlight cleaning
- High intensity discharge headlights
- Split folding rear seat
- Perimeter/approach lights
Detailed Specifications
KBB.com Consumer Reviews
- 5.0
Great Car
By Vince on Wednesday, December 17, 2008I owned a '67 912 back in the 70's and it was a great handling car, but with minimal power. Much as I loved my first Porsche, my new 2007 Carrera exceeds all expectations I had about owning a new 911. The handling, the styling, the comfort and the feeling of mastery of the road can't be beat. And my fully-loaded base model gives me all the power I need, so I didn't think getting an "S" model for an additional $10K, in order to shave 2/10 of a second from my 0-60 was a worthwhile investment.
- 5.0
Must drive, performance, excitement and quality
By Mark on Friday, November 11, 2011This is the fourth 911 I owned. The 1977 'S' was a blast but a little uncivilized with propensity to oversteer. The first(1999) water cooled 996 was great but underpowered at 290 hp. A 2004 cab with a bump to 320 was the best car I owned until now. The 997 3.8l is incredible. It has torque and a push in your back that is relentless. It holds the road with confidence. Even over 150 mph there is no concern if driven prudently(much advised). Interior fit and finish is good. Bose is outstanding. A few squeeks with sport suspension engaged but a small tradeoff. If you want a better ride turn sport mode off! Decent mileage at 23mpg on mostly hiway. Highly recommend this vehicle. Wonder about the updates for 2009 and the 'new 911' for 2012......
- 5.0
Beautiful car that is fun to drive.
By Porsche Fan on Sunday, August 05, 2012I have been a Porsche fan for years. Owned 1985 944 until I purchased 2009 preowned 911. Incredible driving experience! On the open road I put on my favorite tunes and go into a zone. Great power and handling. With all of that power and speed you get very good gas mileage.
Apply for Financing, or SUBMIT our MAKE AN INQUIRY form to get started!
New Arrivals
2017 Porsche 911 Carrera Cabri…
- Please Call
- Cabriolet
- Other Exterior
- 3.0L H-6 cyl Engine


text:
Found on Level 5 of the Royal Festival Hall, the Poetry Library is a must visit for everyone. Housing a huge collection of poetry from 1912 to the present day, it's a poetry lover's paradise!
If you go, make sure you take the 'yellow' lift. Not only does it have a poem for you to read, it sings to you as you go up and down!
Outside the library is a fantastic poetry den to be explored. With books to share, little desks to sit at and blackboards on which to create your own masterpieces, it's the perfect place to inspire poets of the future!
I went to have a look at children's poetry, but couldn't resist a wander round the whole library. What a treat!
The children's section was crammed full of wonderful anthologies, selections, collections and works of a whole range of poets- many well known, some I was not familiar with. Lots to look at and choose from.
I was also pleased to notice how many children were in the library, enjoying the books on offer.
The purpose of my visit was to try to find some suggestions for the poetry category of our award. I have a list of titles to investigate, but we are still seeking suggestions for our long list. If anyone has any ideas, please email them to us!
You can find out more about The Poetry Library and the work it does on its website: http://www.poetrylibrary.org.uk/


text:
Just how extravagant is Johnny Depp? It took a lawsuit to reveal the ostentatious lifestyle that Johnny, 53, has been leading. According to reports, the court case came about when Depp sued his former business partners, LA-based management consultancy The Management Group, for "gross misconduct" that had caused him to lose tens of millions of dollars. The company responded by counter suing Depp for US$40mil (S$56.5mil), for alleged breach of contract and promissory fraud. Court documents revealed the actor's "profligate spending", which included:
- A monthly US$30,000 ($42,400) wine tab.
- A portfolio of 14 properties worth US$75mil ($10.6mil).
- A US$18mil ($25.4mil) yacht.
- Splashing US$3mil ($4.2mil) to launch a special cannon containing the late American author and journo Hunter S Thompson's ashes over Aspen, Colorado.
The company also reportedly accused Depp for being "responsible for his own financial waste", and demanded that he pay a US$5mil loan that they said was never fully repaid. Suing the company, its reps claimed, was Depp's way of delaying his repayment. And let's not forget Depp owes a hefty US$7 million settlement sum to ex-wife Amber Heard after their bitter divorce last year. So will we see Johnny Depp working in more movies than usual this year? After all, 2017 is not turning out to be a huat year for him.


text:
One Voice AS was founded in 2006 in response to the 2004 Asian Tsunami. Its ambition was to assist the Norwegian authorities when dealing with disasters and crises that had the potential to affect citizens and assets both at home and abroad. Since then, we have supported the Norwegian Government's crisis support unit in a number of notable incidents including the bombing of Government premises in Oslo and the murders on the island of Utøya on 22 nd July 2011.
Since expanding our customer base to the public sector, we are proud to have helped improve Norway's preparedness for incidents on land, sea and in the air. Our flagship product, CIM, enables organisations across a multitude of industries to take care of its values and reputation before, during and after an incident. Current customers include Total, Vanttenfall, easyJet, Thomas Cook, BP and multiple levels of government both in Scandinavia and further afield.
Our first international contract was signed in 2007 but it was several years before we secured another. As of 2017, CIM is used in over 100 countries and can boast in excess of 700 clients, something which is a testament to the flexible and truly scalable nature of the solution.
In 2015 we expanded onto the global market by partnering with Control Risks Group. We were selected as their preferred supplier of emergency support tools after they had completed 'an extensive global search for a best in class system'. Together we have developed 'Crisis Resilience Online (CRO) – Powered by CIM' This product has been well received on the international market and has contributed to the continued growth of One Voice.
It was only natural that we looked to capitalise on this international reach and in 2017, One Voice's international office was opened in London. The acquisition of AIControlPoint provided the team, resources and market presence to support the company's international growth and the future looks bright for what started life as a small, entrepreneurial software company in Trondheim.
One Voice's management system is certified within the two ISO standards 9001 and 27001, and Cyber Essentials.
Your Information Security – a Top Priority for One Voice


text:
best engagement photos/
Best engagement photos | how to get yours
With all the details and decisions involved in planning a wedding, why would anyone just wing it with the engagement photos? Believe it or not, there are some things you can and should consider when doing and engagement shoot. As a great example of that, we should view Yen and Adam, who did everything right.
1. Be photogenic.
I'm not telling you to be pretty - be photogenic. Being pleasing to the camera begins with authenticity. When meeting with a 2015 Bride and groom recently, the groom made a comment about how everyone in my book was attractive - and that they weren't quite like them. I noted how I never shoot models, everyone walks in to a shoot on the same page. I believe everyone is photogenic and as Yen and Adam can show you, it's really their inner beauty that making them look so stunning in these photos. Their poise, confidence, relationship and that sparkle in their eyes are just a few of the things that make these images some of the best engagement photos. Don't think "selfies"; think "this is a moment with the person I love".
2. Incorporate meaningful pieces in your wardrobe.
Wondering what to wear for your engagement session? I often recommend couples go to their closets before they go shopping. Wear something that is special to you. Put on your go-to outfit that you always feel great in. Wear something that will tell a story in fifty years. Yen has several pieces she wore, including one of her wedding dresses that is both sentimental and unique. Their wardrobe is more then simply a trendy outfit they recently purchased.
3. Be up for anything.
Photographing in the snow looks romantic and all - but actually doing it is a lot colder and more uncomfortable than these photos show. Yen and Adam really fought to get relaxed and forget about the cold to bring out these amazing snowy engagement photographs. While photographing inside of Union Station, I told them we just would run outside and do a few images. After seeing how beautiful it was I asked them to stick it out longer despite the cold. They did. Obviously, it was worth it.
4. This is fun.
Let's be honest, at first, being photographed can be an uncomfortable thing. If you prepare well, it doesn't have to be. Spare the time you would spend warming up to the camera and prepare yourself to have a lot of fun. You get to dress up, have someone tell you how great you look for an hour and do something really special with your fiancé. Make a night of it. Get drinks before and go out to a nice dinner after.
5. Why do engagement photos?
Ah. "We'll have enough pictures of us at the wedding", you may think. "What will we do with the engagement photos?" This is a real thought and concern for many couples. Why even take engagement photos? I argue that if you have amazing engagement photos like these, the possibilities are endless. No, you may not want a huge close-up photo of you smiling at the camera to hang on your walls forever. If you have meaningful, artistic engagement photos like these - hanging the images on your wall forever is a pleasure. To get the best engagement photos - keep in mind that not all photographers are the same. Look for the best engagement photographer to tell your story. These photos will last forever. You're creating an heirloom.
Yen and Adam's photos were taken at the newly remodeled Union Station. As an engagement photographer Downtown Denver, this is one of the best spots to photograph. We live in such a great city.


text:
Cost: $30
Led by Rachel Carreras-Tibold
Rebozos will be available for purchase at the workshop!
Rebozo Technique and Use of Essential Oils as Comfort Measures in Pregnancy and Labor.
Learn how the rebozo and essential oils can provide comfort with ailments in pregnancy. Methods to provide comfort in labor and promote a more efficient birth will also be demonstrated. The rebozo is a special Mexican cloth, which is viewed as very sacred in the Mexican culture. When combined, the rebozo and essential oils can be a very powerful way to promote a postive and calm pregnancy and birth experience.


text:
Another monthly "Patch Tuesday" just passed by and, like many folks, I updated all my systems to include these updates. I also awoke Wednesday and Thursday to machines that had been rebooted because Windows patched itself and rebooted the computer. In both cases, I was upset as I had open documents that I had not saved. To make this easier, many software packages are going to background updating with no notice to users. I question if this is really better for users.
Everyone knows about software updates thanks to Microsoft and their Windows/Microsoft Update system. Starting out with the "Windows Update" website with Windows 95, the updates were delivered via the internet. Later versions of Windows had more integration with the Update service to the point of the current incarnation of Windows Update built into Windows 7 and soon to be released Windows 8. Microsoft gives the user many levels of customization around the update process. One option, set as the recommended standard by Microsoft, is to install critical updates and reboot after the installation. This has caused issues for many users where the computer is rebooted without letting the user know. Users have complained about losing data .
This has cause Microsoft to provide deep customizations around their updates to ensure no data loss.
Windows 8 changes this again. Having gone through a few months of patches with my Windows 8 installations, both Customer Preview and Release Preview, I prefer the new updater. Windows 8 performs the monthly patching using the Windows/Microsoft Update process as before. Users can customize this experience but the reboot is the key difference. Windows 8 gives the user notification that they should reboot within the next 3 days before it is automatically done. Finally, Microsoft is on the right path! The only thing better Microsoft can do is figure out to apply the updates without requiring reboots. As the Windows NT Core becomes more and more modular, this should be easier to do. Only the core elements would require the reboot while all subsystems could be restarted with new code.
Now, take a look at how Adobe, Mozilla and Google are doing their updates. Almost all of them have changed how they are doing their updates for their main products: Flash for Adobe, Firefox for Mozilla, and Chrome for Google. Their most current versions, as well as earlier versions of Chrome, are now setup to automatically download and install updates. If the default settings are used, all of them do this without notifying the user that there is a change. The only way to find the current version is to look in the package's "About this product" page or screen. I have not yet heard of issues with this process but a major concern is what happens if a bad release happens? Users would be confused as to why their computer wasn't working. A good example of this was Cisco's firmware update of Linksys E2700, E3500 and E4500 in late June. The update forced users to no longer use a local administrative system but a cloud-based system. There were issues with the cloud-based system and what information it tracked. With no other way to manage their routers, users are given no choice all cause by automatic updates. Cisco has reversed this but it is impacting their perception by users as many are not happy and some even returning their units.
As a manager of IT services, this concern is my biggest concern and makes me unwilling to support products that update automatically in the background. Within a managed environment, unannounced changes cause many problems. Microsoft created its monthly patching update cycle that is has around this design for enterprise environments. It is truly built around IT management systems. The updates are announced upon their delivery and allows IT teams to review and determine their risks for the organization. It also allows for testing cycles and deployment systems managed by the IT teams. The new unannounced automated updates do not allow for this.
With this movement to unannounced automated changes, some in the tech world think this change as the best thing for users. One argument is that it is good for developers as products keep improving, mentioning that it is similar to how web applications can be upgraded without user intervention. This is a bad comparison as web applications can be fully tested and conformed to "standards". Applications installed on a users' computer are more difficult. Did the software publisher check it in all configurations? This is much easier in controlled platforms like Apple's iOS and Mac OS X. With Microsoft's Windows platform and Linux based operating systems, this cannot be done easily. In one way, the fact that Microsoft can make Windows work on so many different configurations working with the hardware providers is absolutely amazing. I would suspect that Adobe, Mozilla and Google do not do this sort of in-depth testing.
I can see automatic unannounced updates for consumer users being a positive thing but personally do not like it at all. I have told Adobe to inform me of updates of Flash instead of just installing it. I am using a version of Firefox that does not have this automatic update when I need to use Firefox and have stayed on IE mostly for my personal use. To my dismay, Microsoft is now going to start performing automatic updates like Chrome and Firefox. My hope is that they offer a manage system for IT teams to control this process. Having worked at Microsoft, I wonder what the internal IT teams there think of this automatic update process.
Further automating the update process will make more users up-to-date and improve the overall security of the internet. Microsoft showed this with the move to the monthly patch process. Currently, statistics from security sources like Kaspersky Lab show a major shift in malware writers from attacking Windows directly to using other software as the attack vector, the most popular being Adobe Flash and Oracle/Sun Java. This opens up the malware folks to infecting more than just Windows, but Apple Mac and mobile devices like iOS and Google Android. The response to these threats is to do automated updates of those attack vectors. This helps users and increases security on the internet, but Microsoft has shown that a standard cadence can work. Adobe did try a standard cadence for updates to its products but has not been able to keep to a cadence due to the severity of their security issues being patched as of late. Instead of trying to make it work, they are moving to the models popularized by Google and, then, Mozilla.
The downside to all of this is the platform for upgrades. Every product seems to need to make its own product for monitoring for and applying new updates. Google and Mozilla both now install their own updater service that runs on the computer all the time and with administrative privileges. That is the only way for a service to run and install code without user intervention. My IT "spidey senses" go on high alert any time I hear this. Right now, on many home computers, there are most likely 5-10 updater services of some sort running. One solution is to have the operating system provide a standard mechanism for this sort of updating. Another is to use the task scheduling system of the operating system to schedule checks for updates. One great opportunity is the CoApp project headed up by Garrett Serack (@fearthecowboy) with many contributors. This could be a single updater that all the packages could use for their updates. Some sort of standardized and single point for updates would make users' systems run cleaner and happier.
The issue of unpatched systems on the internet is a major one for all of the computing world but especially for IT teams and their configuration management. In my review of ITIL/ITSM management philosophies, the configuration management part is the most critical aspect. Controlling change is how an IT team keeps a company running. It is the one area that most IT teams do not do well and it shows. If the push is to these unannounced automatic updates for web browsers and more companies use web tools to run their companies, how will they verify that all the web tools are going to work with each update? Will they see more Helpdesk calls from users confused when sites and tools don't work? What do you think?


text:
To celebrate our 1 year anniversary, come try our new dishes and try your luck at our golden egg event! For more info on our golden egg event, visit us on Facebook or WeChat!
The event starts on July 1st and ends July 27th, feel free to drop by and ask questions whenever!


text:
Jos Drew is an osteopath. Six years ago, she set up Nurture Your Health, an osteopathic and complementary health clinic. Jos treats patients of all ages, from new born babies through to adults.
What inspired you to set up your business?
I lead a nomadic lifestyle and have spent time in Africa and the Middle East supporting my husband in his job. Fortunately I have always been able to make the most of these opportunities but it was always hard leaving places in the UK I had enjoyed working in each time we had to pack up for the next posting. Closing down clinics that I had built from scratch and saying goodbye to patients who had become loyal to me and how I work was extremely hard. Before we set out for our last posting I set myself the challenge that by the time we came back I would have a business plan for my ideal clinic. And one that could function without me in it if we went on a posting again. My light bulb moment came when I was sat by a pool watching my children – NOT supping gin! I can promise you it was not exotic. I realised my approach to caring for my patients was like a parent nurturing their children. I wanted the best for them. I wanted a place where a patient who, say, suffers with headaches, could choose which therapist they felt drawn to the most or have a multidisciplinary team approach to their needs.
What makes your clinic special and where are you based?
We are now based in Petersfield town centre. When I first set up I rented two rooms in a business park in Froxfield. I loved it. The views were amazing and the sheep in the field opposite were very entertaining. Every time a new patient walked through the door and looked out of the windows you could see them be struck by the view of open sky and green space and their breathing would deepen without them even realising. The space was very simple, nothing flash, but it was a place where parents could come with their children and not worry that they had to be quiet, that they could play. In fact, my toy box was a great incentive for kids to be happy, to come and play patiently whilst their parents were treated, or be distracted by when they were treated. I think the coffee machine helped, too, for the adults. In time, with success came the need to move. I collaborated with friends and colleagues and moved in to town. I think the biggest surprise in my career so far was what the impact of moving into a town location. The phone rang off the hook. My numbers doubled in the first month. I had not realised that even though I loved my rural location, not everyone else did!
How do you use social media to help promote your business?
Social media has had a profound effect on the the growth of my business. To be honest I am not one for much self promotion. But the word of mouth effect is magnified by how people use social media, I think, in particular Facebook. I'm also on Twitter and Instagram. The amount of times I've seen someone pose a question for a recommendation for an osteopath or help with a particular issue and that person has found me is very humbling.
What's the best piece of advice you have been given?
"Just do it, have a go and see what happens!"
What has been your greatest challenge?
Hmmm, this is an interesting and on-going one. Becoming injured myself. I am usually pretty resourceful and can find a solution to any problem. But this has made me realise there are some things that you just have to be patient with and let it take its course. It's not the end of the world either. Fortunately new ideas are taking shape.
How do you switch off?
Dog walks with my mad springer spaniel.
Where do you go on holiday?
My favourite places to holiday are ones that mean you can be outside, with and observing nature. South Africa has been my highlight so far. But when my shoulder can cope with going out on a rib I want to go seal and dolphin watching off the Scottish Highland coastline.
What lesson do you wish you had learnt at school?
Time management. I'm getting better but it's not my strong point.
What app/website/twitter account (other than your own!) would you recommend?
osteobiz. Gilly Woodhouse who runs Osteobiz is passionate about osteopaths and helping us spread the word about what we do. Her son was very poorly when he was little and she saw first hand how much osteopathy helped his recovery.
Where do you see yourself/your company in five years' time?
In light of my injury I'm taking a break from treating all ages and I'm going to focus on developing my cranial and paediatric skills. I would love to set up a specific children's clinic one day. Hopefully in five years' time I will be back to doing more of the big hands on stuff again, but if not, that's fine. Fortunately there is so much more to osteopathy than the clicking and clunking. I'm also developing an idea of how I can support other osteopaths run their clinics.


text:
Dancing to Oum Kalthoum Songs
Last night in class we danced to the beautiful song Alf Leyla wi Leyla (A Thousand and One Nights). This is a classic song originally performed by Egypt's most beloved singer, Oum Kalthoum. We danced mostly to the intro but when the part with the lyrics came, we talked about how we dance to that. We don't do too much, because the lyrics are the star.
This is a clip that I mentioned of the Egyptian dancer Dandash dancing to the same song. She is dancing mostly to the lyrics part here. This is a very subtle performance!
I am going to share another clip, this is Dina dancing to another Oum Kalthoum song, Sirt El Hob (The Topic of Love). I like this one because it flashes to the audience and you can hear them singing the words! It gives a taste for how much this music and words mean to the audience, and why as dancers we need to respect it.
And just one, this is Dina again dancing to Hobi Eh (What is Love?), again by Oum Kalthoum originally.
In this version of the song, the singing is represented by the oud. Notice in all of these clips, the lyrics are not sung, but the dancer and the audience still all know what they are and let them take the front seat. She does not travel, spin like crazy or do anything too flashy when the singing starts.
Clearly, to dance this way you need to understand what the song means. As foreign dancers, we have a lot of research to do!
There is a very good article about this on the Gilded Serpent by the Egyptian singer and band leader Safaa Farid. In it he says,
I hope that helps a little. We are so lucky here in the Bay Area that we have live Arabic bands who actually play these songs and we get to dance to them. It is a beautiful tradition that we get to be a small part of, and there is always so much to look forward to learning.
Happy dancing!!
xo Alisa Greer


text: This year( only our fifth year selling Christmas trees), nearly 1000 families will visit and purchase their Premium Frasier Fir Christmas tree from Pgh Garden. It's not hard to believe since our largest tree(over 10ft) sells for only $50. We have a huge selection from $25-$50. We also continue to provide the highest quality Christmas plants like Poinsettias, Cactus, Cedar trees, and many others. Our wreaths, cemetery cones and crosses of pine are second to none. Or if you feel creative yourself, we carry a huge selection of live greens. Stop by and see for yourself!!!!


text:
We are so excited for our third live show held in New York! We will be interviewing the incredible entrepreneurs Mitchell Caplan, Scott Williams and Katrin Zimmermann. The event will be hosted by the fabulous team at Makovsky PR and Communications.
The event will be live on our Facebook Page, and there will be some limited tickets for the live audience. Send us an email if you would like to join us.
6pm (GMT-5). Friday 8th February 2019
At Makovsky PR and Communications NYC.


text:
Gears of War 4 (2016) opens with a formless efficiency. As First Minister Jinn broadcasts a speech commemorating the people lost in the war of prior games, the player is shuffled from body to body, firefight to firefight, as they witness the events leading up to the present peace from nameless (now) dead eyes. It is a tone that could have easily defined Gears 4 – anonymous soldiers fighting a constantly evolving enemy, where individual lives and stories are sacrificed in the name of an ambiguous "greater good." This is the war familiar to games, a cold machine wherein a life is no more useful than the number it can take, and it would have been easy for the newly formed Coalition (the new caretakers to the Gears of War series, following Epic Games' departure) to rely on this familiarity to carry their first game through to launch. But this intro is deceptive, being not a statement of tone but one of purpose. You are not, as it turns out, fighting as an anonymous cog in the machine of war – you're fighting against that very machine itself.
Gears 4 is a direct sequel to 2011's Gears of War 3, wherein the series spanning enemy The Locust were finally eradicated and some sort of peace established for those who survived. In Gears 4 this peace has dissolved into a battle against a totalitarian government and those still fighting for their freedom. It's a civil war of ideologies rather than one between species, but what is a stake for many remains the same: the right to their own life. Gears has always had a hazy antiestablishment sentiment, but traditionally that has materialized as little more than a middle finger to the closest person in charge before going AWOL. In that respect, Gears 4 is considerably more nuanced, with the motivations of each side being foundational to the game's plot and setting, while also simply requiring more consideration than past games made room for. The COG (a military unit now mostly responsible for keeping the peace) is stuffy and bureaucratic, but it is also safe and established, unlike the resistance which allows for individual freedom but may simply be leading the dwindling population into the wilderness to die.
It is unfortunate that Gears 4 doesn't spend much time after the first few hours considering the positions of its two factions, but at the very least it serves to establish a dichotomy which informs the entire game: old vs. new, freedom vs. safety, family vs. self. That last one is the most important, as more than politics and philosophy, Gears 4 is about family. Like everything Gears has ever attempted, Gears 4 isn't subtle about its symbolism, positioning every plot point around saving a family member or finding an old friend while reinforcing this through team-driven design and a need to rely on each other to have any chance of making it through. Again, it is not subtle, but in the context of Gears 4's relentless barrage of explosions and gore it comes across as unexpectedly intimate.
Past Gears games have focused on the connection between squadmates, but wherein Gears 1-3 were an ode to brothers in arms, Gears 4 is bluntly subdued. The people you are fighting with are not only your family, they are all that is left of humanity. You will fight through thousands of robots and alien abominations, but a human face is a rarity to be treasured, and when someone is lost that loss becomes a weight that must be carried. That you will often be literally picked up off the ground by teammates is both a gameplay convenience, but also reinforces the weight that each character carries with them. Everyone has to survive or the mission is a failure regardless of outcome, preventing would-be lone wolfs from abandoning their squad to try to go it alone. You cannot afford to lose anyone else, not even for a second.
Some have speculated that this is the era of pop culture dads, to which Gears 4 contributes a greying, even more disenfranchised Marcus Fenix, father of paper-thin protagonist JD Fenix and owner of many, many guns. Marcus has been the series' impersonal, no-nonsense face since game one, which makes it all the more surprising to find him now retired, broken, and empty and alone as his late wife's mansion where he remains, waiting to die. He is still a massive wall of muscle with the voice of a drill-sergeant chain smoker, but he is also just a man, something he has never been or been allowed to be in past games. He is tired of war, of the COG, or the circles everyone is running in hoping that they'll be the ones to finally break out. And it's hard to blame him. Three games deep and Gears is feeling a bit crusty around the edges. The spectacle is fading, the path is well trodden, and the heroes a little dimmer than they were last time we saw them. Had Gears 4 attempted to simply repeat the achievements of past games, it would have been as lifeless as the realization that Gears, like every modern videogame franchise, will continue on indefinitely whether it ought to or not until, inevitably, it fails to produce and is unceremoniously taken behind the shed to be forgotten.
Gears 4's achievements are in its intimacy and understanding of its history. Much of the game finds you in cramped, isolated corridors, fighting things you don't understand for reasons you haven't had time to process. It's not a war so much as an attempt to crawl out of an abyss, alive for one more day. Gears has never felt as hopeless and frightening as Gears 4, nor has it ever recognized its characters' mortality as effectively. It is one thing to watch a hundred grey soldiers die. It is another to see a son holding his father, beating his chest, screaming for him to come back. Gears 4 is the story of individuals, not armies, who are given both the space to breathe and cause for you to want them to. I can't say Gears 4's cast is exceedingly well developed beyond being simply very likable, but when so much is on the line that turns out to be just about enough.
Gears 4's last few acts, unfortunately, try far too hard to repeat and surpass the bombast of prior games, replacing tight spaces and terrifying encounters with giant battlefields and absurd setpieces as it ramps up to the least climactic conclusion of any game in the series. The road to get there is also paved in some of the worst boss fights of the last few years – big, overly produced throwbacks to 2005 era game design with a hideous reliance on quick-time events. Gears has always had bad boss fights, but that Gears 4 inherited all of the problems of past games despite a new developer comes as doubly disappointing.
It is probably worth recognizing somewhere the difficulty The Coalition would have had as new developers of one of last generation's most beloved series, but I'm not sure here is the place to do it. They've done a masterful job bringing the series into the present, and the changes in tone and narrative structure are more than just welcome – they were absolutely necessary. At the same time, few of the problems plaguing Gears since the beginning have been fixed, and now seem even more embedded in a cannon of otherwise exceptional games. That the end of Gears 4 so explicitly doubts the series' new direction is as disappointing for how it affects this game as it is for the future of the series. At some point, The Coalition will have to step out of the shadow of its predecessors, and when they do I hope they trust that explosions can only go so far.


text:
When my sister called to tell me she was pregnant nine months ago, I had a little bit of a crisis. Not because I feel like I should be having kids, but because I realized I am actually old enough to HAVE kids without people assuming I was once a tragic, knocked-up teenager. When I got off the phone with my sister, I realized that even if I had waited until I was in my 20s, I could have a 7-year-old child right now, which is crazy. For proof, I offer this: It's 6:30 p.m. on a Sunday as I type this and I am still in the pajamas I put on Saturday night. Today my meals have consisted of a frozen Totino's pizza and a cookie-dipped Drumstick. I should not be allowed to be in charge of another person's life, is what I am saying, since I am apparently on board with giving myself adult-onset diabetes and looking like an "after" shot on the Faces of Meth website as I sit on the pulled-out sofa bed watching X Files DVDs for seven hours straight. That last sentence was a gift to the Internet: Try reading that without immediately feeling better about your life choices. Even you, Paris Hilton.
Even after meeting my nephew two weeks ago and witnessing my sister and her husband display their awesome parenting skills, it still seems surreal that my sister and I are old enough to be doing this. It feels like just yesterday that I stole her diary, saw an unsavory entry about how she suspected I was reading it, and then proceeded to scrawl, "I DO NOT READ YOUR DIARY YOU JERK!" with a marker across her accusations.
Nobody was surprised I did not grow up to be a genius.
And speaking of surprises, I was shocked at my response to holding the little dude. I was prepared to love him because, duh, he's my nephew, but I was not prepared to tear up when he scrunched up his little face because his tummy hurt. Or to tear up thinking about him going off to his first day of school. That's right. The kid is two weeks old and I am worrying about an event a good five years away. That I will probably not even witness. WHO AM I. And then when I saw him wrapped up in the neon blanket I crocheted for him I almost died:
I did tear up one other time on the trip, but that was because we went to this burger place where you can order a cheeseburger with doughnuts for buns:
I know what you're thinking, and yes, it was totally worth having to explain the track marks on my arms from mainlining Pepto Bismol for three days after this meal. I did take that night as an opportunity to explain to little Joshua about gas pains, and about how if he's scrunching his face up to cry because of a little milk indigestion he had better toughen up because there is a whole host of delicious foods out there in the world just waiting to give him diarrhea.
I think my sister might be glad I live 1,200 miles away.


text:
Boutiques, corset shops, online stores, all the retail outlets, both digital and those with commercial places are going after the Super Hero craze, which actually hurt the stores by allowing buyers to find cheap deals online. Comic book shops, Target, Kmart, Walmart, everybody with a buyer interested in dressing up for the new release of Batman, Superman or Flash TV Show, each store fell victim to cell phone apps that allowed shoppers to find cheaper clothes on Amazon.com. I interviewed corset shops. They couldn't compare in price. They started renting out half of their retail space to bands playing music each night. Plus all the retail items for sale as super hero costumes were the same, so models began shopping at crafts stores to make their own homemade heroes. Each model wanted to be unique. I began making my own costumes.
Super Girl Hero


text:
To load the filament into the Extruder for the Afinia 3D printer, we opened up the Afinia 3D Software and selected Initialize in the 3D Print menu. This command can also be executed on the front of the 3D printer base.
When the toggle switch on the front of the printer base is pushed or the Initialize option is chosen in the software, the printer gives 4 beeps and the light on the base blinks from red to green. The platform positions itself and when initializing is completed another beep is heard.
Next, we selected Maintenance from the 3D Print menu. Then we clicked on the Extrude button. The light on the front of the base blinked rapidly red and green. The Afinia 3D printer beeped once. It took the nozzle about 3 minutes to heat up to 260º C and then a VERY long stream of ABS extruded from the nozzle. We used the tweezers (included in the accessories pack) to remove the extruded filament from the nozzle.
Note: If the filament does not extrude, then it needs to be pushed farther into the hole just above the fan.
At this point we clicked on the New Spool button. A dialog box gave the option to specify what type of filament was being used, ABS or PLA, and also the amount of filament on the spool. On the new spool we found a sticker indicating that it contained 700 grams of filament. We input this number into the box that was provided and clicked OK.
Note: Each time the printer completes a project, a dialog box will indicate the weight of the spool so that calculations can be made as to whether there is enough filament left to print any given project that is loaded into the software.
Note: When removing a spool to change color, note the weight of the spool at the top of the Maintenance Screen. Record the weight of the spool on a sticky note and attach to the inside of the spool. Then when a previously used spool is placed back on the printer, the correct weight can be entered into the box (3D Printer/Maintenance/NewSpool) and correct calculations will continue.


text:
Paddle-a-thon 2018 includes a variety of activities for families, kids and other adventurers. Everyone is encouraged to participate in the river experience and to celebrate at the Party from 12-4. There will be food, music by the Orville Giddings Trio, refreshments from Ipswich Ale, and a variety of local groups including NK&C and Coast to Coast Paddle. Party admission for non-paddlers is $25 per person (lunch, ice cream and 1 drink ticket).
Social Paddle - 4 mile group paddle from the party and back
Grand Wenham Canal Race - A fun, 2-mile competition for all types of watercraft
Paddle to the Party - Put in anywhere on the 40 mile long river and meet in Topsfield
Registration opens March 16
More information and to register: https://www.ipswichriver.org/paddle-thon-2018/


text:
2019 Priority Highlights
Based upon member consensus during our past Permanent Council meetings and our guiding strategic plan, the G4 Alliance has identified and launched several overarching priorities in 2019.
1. Increasing the visibility and prioritization of surgical care as part of the global public health agenda (WHO, UN, World Bank, etc.), as well as regional and national health agendas, via advocacy events, informational campaigns, and calls to action
Global Surgical Accountability Framework: as a result of the successful WHO campaign to keep surgery on the global agenda, 2019 will feature report-backs from WHO Member States on Resolution 68.15 - a critical milestone for measuring progress towards our 2030 goal. 2019 will also bring an opportunity to collaborate with the UHC community at the WHA and UNGA to ensure that global surgery is represented as a key strategy for achieving UHC!
2. Launching a robust Surgery in UHC campaign, working with partners and members to achieve common goals and strengthen existing efforts.
At the close of 2018, the G4 Alliance was honored to become an official member of UHC2030 alongside multilateral agencies such as WHO, UNDP, UNFPA, UNICEF, ILO, UNAIDS, the World Bank, and the African Development Bank, representing the only organization advocating for surgical care as a key component of UHC. This is especially significant because this year, at the 2019 UN General Assembly, there will be the first High-Level Meeting (HLM) on UHC and a resulting declaration on country commitments to Universal Health Coverage. The G4 Alliance has launched an official working group to support advocacy for the inclusion of language on safe surgical and anaesthesia care in alignment with Resolution 68.15. Stay tuned for updates on how G4 members can formally engage in this platform.
3. Continuing and expanding support and advocacy for National Surgical, Obstetric, and Anaesthesia Planning through our member organizations and global network.
2018 was a year of great momentum for National Surgical Planning. Country leaders are recognizing the critical need for strong surgical systems as part of national health plans, and they are making commitments and taking action. In 2019, the G4 Alliance will continue to support and advocate for National Surgical Planning - and, through our member organizations working on the ground, support the next steps to ensure successful implementation.
4. Facilitating the progress of expert working groups launched at the G4 Alliance December PC Meeting
A full list of working groups, priorities, and opportunities to come—watch your inboxes!
5. Leveraging our partnerships and common goals to create joint campaigns and action opportunities
The Sustainable Development Goals and the Universal Health Coverage movement have made it clear: we cannot work in isolation. Surgical conditions are inextricably linked to health issues including maternal health, NCDs, and cancer prevention and treatment. Delivering safe surgery requires empowered health workers at every level, effective WASH systems, and reliable infrastructure and supply chains. To truly bring change to neglected surgical patients, we must join with partners across a variety of health and development sectors.


text:
U.S. Soccer will host a Fantasy Camp in Los Angeles, Calif. January 26-29, 2018. This is the first men's camp to be hosted at the U.S. Soccer National Training Center in Carson.
The program mirrors the U.S. Men's National Team's January Camp experience, providing the opportunity for participants to live and train like the senior National Team. Camp includes:
- Daily training sessions at the National Training Center, with a former U.S. National Team Coach and featured former U.S. MNT players
- Official U.S. Soccer Hotel accommodations
- All meals, including a team meal room featuring U.S. MNT menus
- Behind-the-scenes access to the National Training Center and Federation activities
- Custom U.S. Soccer jersey, training apparel, gifts and more
- Team meetings, video analysis and opportunities to demo high-performance equipment
- Honorary one-year membership in the Supporters Circle of the Development Fund
- Ground transportation, including airport transfers if needed
Fantasy Camps are special fundraisers to support the U.S. Soccer Development Fund. Since launching in 2015, Fantasy Camps have raised $250,000 to help support programs developing world-class players, coaches and National Teams, including need based scholarships for talented young players in the U.S. Soccer Development Academy.
The U.S. Soccer Fantasy Camp is open to men of all skill levels age 21 and above. Participation is made possible through a $3,3995 donation to the U.S. Soccer Development Fund. Approximately 50% of your donation is tax deductible.
Space is very limited for the Camp with a roster size comparable to that of a National Team and filled on a first-come, first-serve basis. Contact email@example.com for more information.


text:
Babies, babies, babies. I swear I could have a million. Buuuuuut then they start sassing you and throwing tantrums so big you had no idea could come out of something so small, and I quickly change my tune. ;) If only they stayed teeny tiny with that newborn smell, you know that smell, it's heaven I tell ya!
Meet Baby Brewer


text:
Dan Bigg, Co-founder of the Chicago Recovery Alliance Photo credit: Nigel Brunsdon
Remembering Dan Bigg
I have just been notified of the death of Dan Bigg. He was an amazing and gentle man, but tenacious on the subject of harm reduction. He taught me the phrases, "All lives are worth saving" and "Any positive change." I wouldn't be who I am without his guidance, patience, and friendship. Below is an excerpt from my book, "Coming to Harm Reduction Kicking & Screaming: Looking for Harm Reduction in a 12-Step World"
Please consider a donation to the Chicago Recovery Alliance in Dan's name which you can access here: www.anypositivechange.org. Thank you!
Dan Bigg
Harm Reduction Oldtimer
I came to harm reduction because I had a personal dissonance between what was being done in addiction treatment and what we knew should be done. Between a family experience with addiction and what happened in the 1980s with the outbreak of HIV infections and AIDS, my dissonance was encouraged. I was in graduate school at the time. HIV came and with it came a motivation to do things differently in addiction treatment and HIV prevention. I got involved with the HIV/AIDS prevention movement from the very beginning, and the end result was a chance - an opening - to do things differently.
With a number of other individuals, I started a support group called HIVIES – HIV Information, Education, and Support - in the late 1980's. Perry Tilleraas (Editor's Note: author, Circle of Hope: Our Stories of AIDS, Addiction, and Recovery; HarperCollins, 1990) in Minneapolis was doing something parallel at the time, which they called the Minnesota Recovery Alliance, or MRA. At MRA, they were dealing with traditional recovery issues and HIV transmission through male-to-male sex: in other words gay-friendly recovery issues. Unheard of at that time! By the way, Perry also wrote a little book in the Hazelden-published series of daily meditations for people in recovery called Daily Meditations for All of Us Living with AIDS. He also wrote a book for HIVIES about self-support as most of the people in HIVIES were involved, or had been, in 12-Step recovery groups. Almost all of them also had very negative reactions to those groups.
Basically, HIVIES folks said that when they brought up issues of sexuality in AA, members told them that these were "outside issues." [Editor's note: according to AA traditions, members agree to talk about subjects only as they relate to their alcoholism. This is because AA tradition states that "AA has no opinion on outside issues" so that it will not be drawn into controversy. See the AA book Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions for more.] Their sexuality brought up medical issues and those were outside issues - and AA in 1984, '85 and '86 couldn't see a connection between alcohol and HIV or AIDS. Every week we in HIVIES gathered; it was a powerful experience. I think gathering and sharing like we were doing in HIVIES is also the secret to one's finding success in 12-Step groups, too, as long as they're not punitive, manipulative or controlling. The idea of getting together with like-minded people is incredibly powerful, and this is true whether the issue is alcoholism or living well with HIV: it's that you're gathered with another warm body and they understand you in ways that most others do not, and you can talk about issues that are generally cloaked in shame and pathology. In HIVIES, we didn't discriminate, which meant anyone was free to come and share anything about themselves that they felt was important. No one would tell them "that's not related to your recovery" because we had learned that everything in our lives was related to recovery. Unfortunately this wasn't the case in AA although some specialty subgroup 12-Step meetings did begin to occur, such as meetings only for women or only for men or only for gay people.
The HIVIES groups, in general, produced a lot of friendships. The work gave meaning to my life, academically and career-wise. When I first went from the addiction world into the HIV treatment world, I attended all the HIV/AIDS conferences for which I was allowed time off. I think it was in 1985 at a conference on AIDS: I'm sitting there, trying to see this connection between addiction and HIV/AIDS. I wasn't used to feeling professionally out-of-place, but there were just amazingly few addiction colleagues in the HIV/AIDS world at that time. The speakers were talking about PCP, and I was struggling to piece it together - what did PCP, the drug, have to do with AIDS? Finally I embarrassingly asked the man next to me, "Why do they keep talking about angel dust?" [Editor's note: angel dust is another name for PCP or phencyclidine, a powerful hallucinogenic drug.] He looked at me like I was insane! Finally, I pieced it together: they were talking about pneumocystis pneumonia – nicknamed "PCP" in the HIV/AIDS world! I realized I had a lot to learn! There were a lot of challenges then, but the real challenging pieces, ironically, still exist today. Overcoming the stigmatization of the disease of HIV and AIDS took much longer than anyone thought it would but, eventually, it happened. There was an incredible amount of acceptance that took place a couple of decades ago with AIDS; sadly, I can't say the same has been true with drug issues.
It is more than a little distressing that this same level of acceptance around drug issues has still not happened. In the face of death, you would think many more people would be talking about this issue, too. I started working for the Illinois Alcohol and Drug Dependency Outpatient AIDS Project with Bella Celan, a wonderful lady. I was 26 years old and Bella was a refuge from Nazi Germany, and she moved up here due to a friendship she had developed with a professor at Northwestern University [Editor's note: Evanston, IL]. It was a wonderful time. Bella and I were doing this work together, and one of the things I wanted to do was a survey of methadone treatment programs to see how people had dealt with the HIV pandemic. My caseload at the AIDS project was showing more and more people infected with HIV. This was in 1985, and we had a research project with Emory University in Atlanta that said on intake we would ask if people were interested in having their blood tested for AIDS. Nearly everyone was interested and so got tested. Six weeks after intake, the lab slip would come back with the results: HTL-3 antibody positive or negative, so we learned about people's HIV status right at the starting point, when it first impacted people. We also began to incorporate their status into their methadone treatment plans.
I remember this Puerto Rican man saying to me, "How can this be? I've never had sex with a man at all." I had to say I didn't know – because we didn't know back then that people could and were contracting HIV from drug use and not only gay sex - and then later, of course, we found out that his injection practices very clearly put him in line with being at risk for contracting HIV. We were just on the cusp of awareness of HIV. This combination of HIV treatment with addiction treatment became a sort of sad reprieve in the storm of punishment and incarceration and repression, of brutal and ineffective drug treatment; the wave of calm was, ironically, HIV. All of a sudden, people were taking a step back to consider whether they were willing to have any compassion – for either HIV suffers or drug users - and redefine their professional roles in terms of whether they had any empathy for these clients. It was a fascinating and powerful time in drug treatment.
After leaving the position at the AIDS project, I found an internship, which was required for my counseling education (I had recently begun my studies in drug and alcohol counseling towards certification). I went to Cook County Hospital [Editor's note: Chicago, IL] with a goal of learning how to combine my work experiences in psychology, HIV and drug use into something useful for the patients there. HIV, mental health challenges, and drug use were certainly issues that existed in big ways in Chicago's Cook County Hospital, so I felt confident that this internship would be enlightening, to see how Cook County was dealing with them. However, I found out very quickly that just because those issues existed, it didn't mean that hospital workers were dealing with them. I saw that there was very little chance of combining these important patient issues for a host of reasons, one of which was that the man in charge of the drug treatment portion of the hospital was going around acting like a preacher, coming in with flowing robes to proselytize the masses! The typical outside aversion to addiction treatment is still the quasi-religious nature of much of it and, after seeing him, I could certainly see why.
So, after working in various aspects of addiction treatment – inpatient, outpatient, substitution and drug-free - since 1980, I just never felt that we were treating patients the way we would like to be treated if we were patients. These were all difficult situations for me. It seemed as though treating people with respect was seen as less-than-helpful, or even in conflict with these treatment programs. We have learned in recent years, because of Miller [Editor's note: William R. Miller, co-author, Motivational Interviewing] and others, that these confrontational methods are just bullshit. Even with William L. White [Editor's note: a well-known speaker, author and prominent historian on treatment and recovery who lives in the Chicago area; author, Slaying the Dragon: A History of Addiction Treatment and Recovery in America.] living here in our neighborhood in Chicago, people still think that harm reduction is for people who are too pathetic to change.
We know what works, what actually helps people make changes in their lives but instead treatment providers act like police, not trusted professionals. The question is, "Is there room in our treatment programs for a cost-effective, humane treatment program that is effective without any of the harassment that is such a part of the current system?" We've shown that a harm reduction program can be both cost-effective and easily integrated into traditional treatment, yet we still aren't able to even say the words "harm reduction" and obtain Federal funding. In the UK, providers are free to prescribe heroin, but very few do probably due to a fear of harassment. Here in the States, we don't even have that option available to doctors, even if doctors felt it was medically necessary.
It was only through the combination of HIV and drug use that I became motivated to advocate for change in drug treatment and prevention. There were only about a dozen of us - through HIVIES again - that were interested in some combination treatment, with Perry Tilleraas as the catalyst. Most of us were there for support-type issues: we were there to get support and to give support. We were amazed to think that this idea for treatment that we had "hatched" in HIVIES could really be something that could actually come into practice; we were all just talking about this over coffee! A lot of people were not satisfied with just this idea of support though. One analogy was that "people are falling off the cliff so what are you going to do?" Someone said, "Why don't we put up a fence to keep people from falling?" The end result was to ask if a group like HIVIES was necessary for people to survive. We decided to meet to talk about it. There was a restaurant in Chicago called Ann Sathers and its owner, Tom Tunney, was very generous, giving us and so many people space. So Tom said, "As long as you guys need it, I'm happy to provide sweet rolls and coffee and give you this room."
At that first meeting, it was magic: we were a no-nonsense group and a magical combination of people. Again everyone was touched, in one way or another, by either drugs or HIV, or both. There were people in that room that night who were intellectually gifted and there were those who were emotional sayers of the times. This was the first time we had people from both drugs and HIV together, and it was the first time that we had people asking if such a group was necessary. Actually somewhere during the process, I called the folks in Minneapolis (MRA) and asked what they would think about our using the name Chicago Recovery Alliance, and they said they'd be really honored by it; they were thrilled. And so, CRA was born, as was the first support group in Chicago for people with drug and HIV problems.
As to the question of whether a group like this was needed, we all said, "Yes, absolutely!" We agreed that our one unifying belief was that the group had to be action-related - it couldn't be just another meeting. The power of this positive change was equalized; it was respectful and allowed people to define for themselves what was a positive change. Really, there was no alternative to this meeting at the time. Many people today think that it is their ministrations that are curing people, despite all the evidence to the contrary. This alternative, CRA, put the idea of recovery in each person's lap: recovery became personal. There is something so sane about that. But it required something that is both the crux and the challenge in addiction treatment today: it requires that we hear people. And we need to not get in their way. We also began to see that the best guide to getting people interested in some kind of recovery was to present as many options for recovery as possible. We began to see that as professionals, that's our job: remove obstacles so people can recover themselves. That is such a huge thing. George Vaillant, who wrote The Natural History of Alcoholism, should be in this discussion. He said effective treatment isn't the curative efforts of anyone other than the clients themselves. Those are the results of his longitudinal studies.[i] And I've certainly seen this to be true in my professional work.
So, for me harm reduction is the practice of providing as many options for positive change as one can. In our case, it is about assisting the reduction of drug-related harm, but it doesn't have to be. Harm reduction can be anything in any field that reduces harm to the individual or society. For example, many people are killed each year in the US due to automobile accidents. Yet we don't outlaw cars. Instead, we opt for laws and training to help people remember to wear seat belts, shoulder restraints, and to simply drive defensively. That's harm reduction, both for the individual and for society at large. In addiction treatment, we have the ability to help people reduce the harm to their lives from their behavior and gain access to that assistance by working collaboratively toward any positive end. Both the topic and the intensity of the treatment must be determined entirely by the person seeking help. Also, we need to be providing this engagement through a reflective feedback system, an alliance to facilitate any positive change as defined by the people themselves.
Bill Miller might call this a "bouquet of options." What I'd say is that the quantity of those options is also important. To me, this idea of the options we give to clients is rather like setting out selections on a banquet table: we need to think of all the people who are coming to eat, not just the vegetarians or such. So, someone may want a little taste of the mashed potatoes, and someone else may want a whole plate of it, and someone else wants none at all. We need to offer something for everyone, for all different tastes. You can also make multiple trips to the banquet table, so treatment needs to be open-ended with the understanding that it's also okay to throw out the whole plate and start fresh. What's really important is that the clients, like the buffet eaters, make their own selections. So many programs are basically serving up food on your plate for you, rather than just guiding you to the table and showing you the options. That guiding toward any positive change is harm reduction, and that's what real treatment – and treatment professionals - should be doing.
Dan Bigg was the Director of Chicago Recovery Alliance (CRA), a no-threshold harm reduction information and needle exchange organization in Chicago, IL. See www.anypositivechange.org for more information.
[i] Exact quotation: "Neither the efforts of dedicated clinicians nor the individual's own willpower
appear to be able to cure an alcoholic's conditioned habit at a given time. Our task is to provide emergency medical care, shelter, detoxification, and understanding until self-healing takes place." George Vaillant, The Natural History of Alcoholism, 1983, p314-5.


text:
400 Guests...
Including US and International legislators, Ambassadors for Peace, leaders from UPF, ACLC, The Washington Times Foundation, WFWP, and FFWPU will attend the International Leaders Conference (ILC). ILC is comprised of the Sunhak Peace Prize recipients announcement and the first U.S. meeting of International Association for Parliamentarians for Peace (IAPP). True Mother is expected to be at the ILC.
Nov. 28 - Dec. 1, 2016


text:
El Cochecito (1959)
Directed by Marco FerreriGenres - Comedy | Sub-Genres - Black Comedy, Crime Comedy, Domestic Comedy | Run Time - 81 min. | Countries - Spain |
Share on
Synopsis by Eleanor Mannikka
This was one of the first feature-length films for director Marco Ferreri, known for his interest in the grotesque, macabre, and darkly satirical side of life. In this black comedy, an elderly old man who lives with his mean-spirited, insensitive family, enjoys a happier side of life with an invalid friend of his who gets around on a special, adapted motorbike. After seeing that similarly impaired people are using the same conveyances, the man develops a yearning for one of the special bikes himself. But when he goes to his family with his wish, they all respond in the negative -- and none too kindly. His solution is murderous, though definitely lucrative.
bicycle, family, murder, poison, elderly, friendship, handicap, large-family


text:
The Creative Exchange
Circle Group Media along with The JSB Project and Kenyan Based Circle Group Entertainment would like to sponsor a group of gifted high school graduate students into a creative/art program. This program will offer artistically gifted students from lower income/rural Kenya an opportunity to study, harness and practice through a vocational curriculum at a school facility based in Nairobi, Kenya quarterly.
Phase 1
For the first year we would like to qualify a total of 12 outstanding students to the program. They will be the best suited candidates for the program based on outstanding academic and characteristic performance. The students complete the program with a portfolio that they can use for presentation to universities, possible sponsors, future employers as well as experience.
Total Students Per Quarter-12
Through out various school districts in the Nairobi area we shall conduct a search for all the gifted students who shall take a test in order to qualify for the program.
Phase 2
Through this program our organization will be responsible for sponsoring these students annually towards their studies. Our intention is to become a consistent contributor to the creative arts as a whole in this region and other places. We would provide everything from a facility, equipment including room and boarding for our students during the time of their studies.
2 Months
The students will be exposed to a curriculum that will enhance their knowledge base of digital media. Upon completing the program the students will have the capacity to write, produce and edit audio/visual content.
The Exchange
We seek to partner with other local and foreign based institutions, educators and organizations that will assit us in seing this vision through.
The Creative Exchange
Make a contribution to the community and society as a whole through the arts while naturing the best in future talent.
5 year Objective
500 Students Graduated
Our Objective in the next 5 years is to have a total of 50-100 students graduating per year.


text:
Contact Us
If you'd like to discuss any of our product, projects, or would like to request specs and details, or schedule a meeting, feel to to email us using the form below or call us. We look forward to hearing from you.
Our Office
109 Dupont Street
Toronto, ON
email: firstname.lastname@example.com
phone: (905) 764-0452


text:
marion courtille
Forgetting that leather is leather, Marion Courtille translates traditional methods of woodworking to leather. These objects are turned, carved, laminated and joined like wood to create tactile and innovative forms.
Guided by her trust in her material, there is a certain organic quality in Courtille's creative approach. She says that her inspirations aren't really "precise"; instead being formed by the sensation she feels when, for example, she admires a masterpiece.


text:
Certain short term medications are more and more frequently being prescribed to people for long periods of time. These types of medications are supposed to be administered on a short term basis and be accompanied with a treatment plan to treat the underlying issues over the long term. However, doctors are commonly prescribing these medications without a treatment plan, to the detriment of their patients who become dependent on these dangerous drugs.
The most frequently misused and overprescribed medications are those that are intended to treat acute anxiety and pain. These medications are not intended to treat to the underlying problems that cause these acute bouts of anxiety and pain. Unfortunately, doctors frequently prescribe these medications without a treatment plan to treat the root issue, causing their patients to become dependent on the drugs themselves while the original cause of the anxiety or pain may be left unaddressed.
Doctor's should not be doing this. This improper administration of medicine can cause very negative, life altering consequences.
If you believe this has happened to you, call The Law Office of Robert L. Starr today at (800) 465-9804. We understand this very sensitive issue and are very eager to help people in this unfortunate situation find a solution and get their life back on track. We will work hard to get you the remedy necessary to take control of your life.
If you would like to see if you have a claim, call The Law Office of Robert L. Starr at (800) 465-9804 for your Free, Confidential Case Evaluation.


text:
History and heart in this one-of-a-kind country home
Highlake House, Ballinaheglish, Co Roscommon: €545,000
Ewoud and Jantje Van Den Berg - known as Ed and Jane to their Irish friends - first came to live in Ireland in the 1970s.
"I remember arriving at Dublin Port off the ferry in the early hours of the morning in 1974," recalls Ed. "We got lost in the city centre and came across a herd of cattle being driven down the street. Those were very different times, and it felt like a very different place."
The couple spent six happy years living near Mullingar with their two daughters, before Ed's parent company called him back to Holland. When it came to the time for him to retire in 2001, though, he and Jane made the decision to return to Ireland.
"The thing about Holland," explains Ed, "is that it's half the size of Ireland and now has a population of 17 million people. It's very crowded. There is nowhere that you can find the complete silence that you have in Ireland. You can always hear roads or radios or people, whereas here there is complete solitude and tranquility."
"'Here' is Highlake House in Ballinaheglish, Co Roscommon, a former Franciscan monastery dating from 1857, which has been home to Ed and Jane since 2001.
It is a fine two-storey, four-bedroom period residence, centrally situated on 20 acres of elevated land. In contrast to other, larger monasteries, Highlake was only ever home to 14 brothers, and its relatively modest scale has adapted well to being used as a private residence.
The foundation stone for Highlake was laid in 1857, when Co Fermanagh man Brother Hugh Farmer was given 40 acres of land by Lord de Freyne. Continuing a monastic tradition that had existed for centuries, the Franciscan monks worked as educators, providing local children with training in farming, horticulture and woodwork, until the last ties with the religious order were severed in the late 1960s when the monastery and nearby school closed, with the monastery being sold to a local farmer keen to acquire the land on which it stood.
In 1996, Highlake was sold to a couple who embarked upon the process of renovation, before coming into the ownership of Ed and Jane in 2001.
"We set about continuing the renovation with a keen eye to the history of the buildings," says Ed.
The work involved the re-plumbing, re-wiring and insulating of the main house, and - after a discovery of dry rot - the virtual re-building of the stable wing, where there are a series of rooms on the first floor above the stables. In the end, the work turned out to be much more extensive than the Van Den Bergs had originally envisaged.
"At one point," says Ed, "I did ask myself what on earth we were doing! But now the house is very liveable. Of course, new owners may want to do more, but it works well as it is and we find it very comfortable."
Among the many unusual features of Highlake House is its private chapel, or Great Hall, with frescoed walls featuring a unique Celtic serpent motif that is an ancient symbol of healing and wisdom, and an altar salvaged by Ed from a church in Holland that was bombed in World War Two.
Ed and Jane hire out the chapel for private ceremonies - weddings, baptisms, blessings and the like - and say that they enjoy sitting there for a quiet half hour on Sundays, listening to chanting on the sound system.
"The acoustics are enormous," says Ed.
Although the chapel is listed, it does not have to be used as a chapel and there is permission for a change of use to a drawing room.
A tower room and bell room date from the 1900s - the bells are set to ring on the hour but can also be rung manually - and a 36sqm double-height studio with a catwalk and large Georgian window facing south to the formal inner yard is where Jane, an artist, likes to paint.
In total, the main house has 277sqm of living space. The living and dining room both have working fireplaces and, adjacent to the kitchen are the pantry, laundry, flower room - every civilised home should have one - and office, ancillary spaces that make the business of living comfortably so much easier.
There are four bedrooms, two of which are en suite; the main bedroom also has a dressing room.
A plethora of outbuildings includes a workshop, store-rooms, barn and stable. An orchard with teahouse extends to over an acre, and there is plenty of room to grow vegetables, keep chickens and achieve a good level of self-sufficiency.
The rest of the land - an 8.8 acre field to the west of the house, a 1.8 acre field to the north and a 3.5 acre field to the east - is rented out for grazing to a local farmer on a month to month basis.
A further 6.7 acres located opposite the main entrance has full planning permission for a four-bedroom bungalow and garage and is available by separate transaction.
Ed and Jane have two daughters, one living in Cavan and the other in Holland, and they are selling Highlake with the intention of buying a smaller house in Ireland and an apartment in Holland, allowing them to have a foot in both camps.
"One of our favourite things to do is to drive on the back roads through Connemara and stop and picnic on the side of the road," says Ed. "Often we never see another person. That's one of the reasons we love Ireland so much."
New owners could of course continue to enjoy Highlake as Ed and Jane have done for the past 17 years, as a private residence, but the property also clearly has the potential to be used as a wedding venue, boutique hotel or guesthouse, or as a base from which to grow an equestrian business or stud farm.
Agent: Sherry FitzGerald P Burke (090) 662 7200
Viewing: Strictly by appointment
Sunday Independent
For Stories Like This and More
Download the Free Farming Independent App
Follow @farm_ireland


text:
6 Day Mom + Wife Devotional Series | It's not a contest.
Topic: Be the First to Make the Move
Challenge of the Day:
Make the move today.
Do something that your spouse wants from you and needs from you,
whether or not he/she has done anything for you. Apologize first if you've gotten into an argument, compliment him/her before he/she compliments you.
Be the first to make that move. Be the bigger person.
Quote of the Day:
"Train up a child in the way he should go; even when he is old he will not depart from it." -- Proverbs 22:6
----- ----- -----
Just like motherhood isn't a contest, marriage isn't a contest either. Just like you shouldn't compare yourself to other moms (especially what you see on social media), you shouldn't compare yourself to your spouse. You shouldn't compare the hard work you've put in vs the hard work your spouse has, the number of dishes you have washed vs what he has washed or the number of "things" you've done for him vs the number of "things" he's done for you.
I believe that this is where marriages begin to spiral out of control.
Just think about this scenario:
What if you were only to provide for your kids when they were nice to you, didn't complain, were polite all day long, did their chores without asking, etc. etc. etc. What if you only drove them to school and sports and fed them when they did all of the things you wanted them to do for you? Would that ever happen? Nope, that just wouldn't fly.
That isn't parenting at all.
You ever heard the phrase, "Lead by example"? Yes, yes you have. When our kids scream, we talk in a calmer tone in hopes that they mimic that. When our kids do the opposite of what they're told, we continue cooking them dinner and hugging them and kissing them and loving them so they can begin to learn grace and love and forgiveness but in marriage, it seems that all of those rules sometimes fly out the window.
When we were first married, we agreed that I would be in charge of the "household stuff." I'd be the one to do the cleaning, the cooking and I'd handle the bills and those were all things I was happy to do. In fact, it made my heart incredibly happy that I was able to provide these things in our marriage. I worked from home, my schedule was super flexible and his wasn't and I was happy to provide those things as his wife.
Then my blogs started to take off, we had a baby and life got a bit more busy, to say the least.
And I felt like I was doing far more than he was. Yes, that is what we had agreed upon together and yes, we didn't ever have a talk about changing those rules but in my mind, he should've realized that I needed more help. And because I was stressed and annoyed and pretty angry at him some days (or most days), I felt that I shouldn't provide him with the things he wanted from me, because he wasn't providing me with the things I wanted from him.
And you'd never guess what he was thinking [ <--- sarcasm]
He was thinking, "Jenn isn't providing me with the things I need and want so I'm not going to provide her with the things she wants or needs." It was an endless cycle. It kept going around and around and around and we got more resentful of each other and annoyed with each other and soon enough, it was up to one of us to break the cycle.
To make a long story short:
Make the Move.
Be the spouse who does something for the other, even when they aren't doing what you want and need from them. This is exactly what you do for your kids -- you lead by example. And I will bet you, the more you do for your spouse, the more they will want to do for you.
Be the first to make that move.
Now scroll on up to the top for today's challenge of the day!
Head up to the top of this post to check out today's challenge and quote of the day and
if you loved this article,
it would mean the world to me if you shared it on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, email
or wherever is your favorite place to share things you love with your friends.
Your support literally supports my family + your support means the world to me.


text:
Click here to subscribe to SWANews, or to manage your current subscription. Adventure gaming news from around the Northeast delivered right to your email box.
Confict of Heroes Tournament - April 12 2014 - Online Registration Page - Brought to you by the Schenectady Wargamers Assoc
Registration for the SWA's Conflict of Heroes tournament is now closed.
The tournament went off successfully on April 12, 2014.
To see an after-action report, please click here.
Thank you for your interest. We hope to see you at our future adventure gaming events.
- 2160 reads


text:
We were created for relationship. Relationship with God and with each other. I have had my fair share of difficult relationships and the Lord has kept me and taught me through each one. I pray that my testimony helps you in your relationships and encourages you to cultivate life-giving friendships and love-filled relationships.Read More
Discover The Marriage Mission Statement. This resource will help you and your spouse to create a thriving marriage. A Marriage Mission Statement is a wonderful way to chart where you are going, and to create a strong future. Plus a 27 page E-Book downloadable for FREE at the end of this article!Read More
Get ready for the best year of your family's life with a Family Mission Statement. This mission statement is designed to walk you through creating a vision and purpose for your family. Find out WHY you need a family mission statement, how to create one, and the simple steps to take to give yourself a mission! PLUS, Download our FREE 27 Page workbook to walk you through the process!Read More
Life gets busy, and if we aren't careful, our marriages will suffer in the middle of endless to-do-lists, kids, obligations, and work. In this article, I want to share three major mistakes I made as a newlywed wife, how I fixed them, and the five things you can tell your husband every day that will change your marriage for the better!Read More
A Bible Study on The Church at Philippi and what they can teach us about healthy relationships.Read More
If you are single, married, dating, parenting kids, a devoted friend, a boss, a coworker . . . The Five Love Languages, by Gary Chapman can help you foster healthier more meaningful relationships.Read More
Learn how to cultivate life-giving relationships and build stronger marriages, families, and friendships in this new year.Read More
A routine well visit to the doctor's office had me feeling like a terrible mother. I failed my son. I wasn't doing all the things the way every other Mom does all the things. And then God spoke to me, "You will never fit into societies mold and neither will your son. I made you both to break the mold." This is for all the Mom's who feel defeated, not worthy, and struggling with this thing called motherhood. There is hope.Read More
I thought I knew everything about my son, but when I started asking him these questions, I found his little seven-year-old heart and heard what was in his spirit.Read More


text:
Kennedy Commotion- Meet John "Jack" Kennedy Schlossberg, the 24-year-old grandson of President John F. Kennedy. He's not just handsome—along with his sisters Tatiana and Rose, Jack is heir to a $300 million fortune. Although he's been vague about his political ambitions—"stay tuned," he typically says—he has told friends that he's interested in entering into the "family business."
Hostess with the Mostess- Both sides of the aisle and pals from NYC, Southampton and Palm Beach came together at the christening of Hilary Geary Ross and Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross' new house in Washington, honoring their dashing interior designer Scott Snyder.
Take My Nose…Please- Jackie Hoffman, who costarred in the campy FX series Feud, has a new starring role in Joan Kron's Take My Nose…Please! The film explores the relationship between women in comedy and plastic surgery (think Joan Rivers).
Breakfast at Tiffany's, and Dinner at Lincoln Center- The Philharmonic screened Breakfast at Tiffany's with a full orchestra and a large chorus performing Henry Mancini's Academy Award-winning score.
"The Sexiest Bar in Town"- The Campbell Apartment in Grand Central Station has long been a secret spot for the stars, welcoming everyone from Frank Sinatra to George Clooney. Proprietor Scott Gerber brought in interior designer Randy Kemper to refurbish the space that has been rechristened the Campbell.


text:
Foundation for Inner Peace, 1983. 88 pages. More about A COURSE IN MIRACLES, VOLUME THREE: MANUAL FOR TEACHERS
Foundation for Inner Peace, 1983. 88 pages. More about A COURSE IN MIRACLES, VOLUME THREE: MANUAL FOR TEACHERS
San Francisco: Far West Editions, 2000. First edition. Contents include Gurdjieff and the Metaphysics of Human Relationship by Jacob Needleman, Beyond Beauty: A Interview with Paul Renard, The Presence of Life by Mary Stein, From the Mat to the Street by Richard Hodges, Hadji Gholamreza Rahimpour of Shiraz by James... More about MATERIAL FOR THOUGHT. NO. 15
Chronicle, 1994. The Little Wisdom Library; Three volumes in slip-case in dust jackets. More about MEDIEVAL WISDOML ALCHEMY, CHIVALRY, MYSTICISM
Darton,Longman & Todd, 1977. 160 pages. More about HERMITAGE WITHIN: SPIRITUALITY OF THE DESERT
Philadelphia: John C. Winston, 1920. First edition. 177 pages. More about THE SEVENTH SEAL
Prosveta, 1989. Third edition. Collection Izvor No. 213; 152 pages. More about MAN'S TWO NATURES, HUMAN AND DIVINE
Prosveta, 1989. Second edition. Collection Izvor No. 222; 205 pages. More about MAN'S TWO NATURES, HUMAN AND DIVINE
Editions Prosveta, 1975. 15 pages. More about THE QUESTION OF PERSONALITY
Boston: Shambhala, 2006. 313 Pages. More about BRILLIANCY; The Essence of Intelligence
Sounds True, 2009. Audio CD set; Six CDs; 7 3/4 hours running time. More about THE DIAMOND APPROACH: A PATH OF INNER DISCOVERY
Boston: Shambhala, 2011. First edition. 378 pages. More about DIAMOND HEART: BOOK FIVE; Inexhaustible Mystery
Berkeley: Diamond Books, 1997. First edition. 370 pages. More about DIAMOND HEART: BOOK FOUR; Indestructible Innocense
Berkeley: Diamond Books, 1990. First edition. 211 pages. More about DIAMOND HEART: BOOK THREE; Being and the Maening of Life
Berkeley: Diamond Books, 1989. First edition. 211 pages. More about DIAMOND HEART: BOOK TWO; The Freedom to Be
York Beach: Weiser, 1984. First edition. 46 pages. More about THE ELIXIR OF ENLIGHTENMENT
York Beach: Weiser, 1998. Two books in one; 195 & 46 pages. More about ESSENCE WITH THE ELIXIR OF ENLIGHTENMENT:; The Diamond Approach to Inner Development
Boston: Shambhala, 2011. First printing. 378 pages. More about INEXHAUSTIBLE MYSTERY: DIAMOND HEART BOOK FIVE
Boston: Shambhala, 2000. 131 Pages. More about LUMINOUS NIGHT'S JOURNEY; An Autobiographical Fragment
New York: Crossroad, 1995. First edition. Presenation copy signed by Deb Whitehouse; 154 pages. More about NEW THOUGHT: A PRACTICAL AMERICAN SPIRITUALITY


text:
Donny brings the case against his roommate, Glenn. Glenn tends to cook quesadillas in their shared New York City apartment several times a week. Donny finds that the smell of peppers and onions is too powerful to handle and wants Glenn to vary his cooking routine. With Guest Bailiff Jean Grae!
Big thanks to our Guest Bailiff Jean Grae for joining us this week! You can find her on Twitter @JeanGreasy.
You can also catch her Church of the Infinite You at Union Hall in Brooklyn every other Sunday at 3pm. The next Church of the Infinite You takes place on December 18th. December 24th will be a Special Blowout Christmas service at 8pm. Jean is working on getting livestream up for that. If you would like to help, you can join her patreon at patreon.com/jeangrae.
Jean's live talk show, The Show Show, returns to Union Hall Wednesday Dec 7th with guests Baratunde Thurston, Aparna Nancherla and a special to-be-announced guest. The show is at 8 pm and will be the first Wednesday of every month.
Tickets for Judge John Hodgman at San Francisco Sketchfest can be found at bit.ly/JUDGMENTBYTHEBAY! Click here for tickets to Maximum Fun's Very Very Fun Day!
We need cases for JJHo at SF Sketchfest and at Very Very Fun Day in Chicago! To submit a case for either live show, visit MaximumFun.org/jjho!
Thank you to Paul Ruh & Tom Brinton for suggesting this week's title! To suggest a title for a future episode, like Judge John Hodgman on Facebook. We regularly put a call for submissions.


text: September 28, 2016 CAFE CATS OF AMSTERDAM September 28, 2016/ Jerry Goldberg Meet the feline stars of the city who live in popular cafes to keep the mice away. Customers find it "gezellig" (cozy) and it's a natural form of pest control. Plus a floating shelter for cats and a cafe where you specifically go to eat with their 8 cats. Cat people rejoice! CLICK PIC ABOVE TO PLAY VIDEO


text:
I fear this could be too little too late? My heart is screaming at my mind, what have you done, she is the one. My head is throbbing fit to burst, but slowly a warm flow is reaching that awful cold place my man logic erupted from. I cannot promise it will not happen again, but my heart now has me firmly in its grasp. It does not want to risk losing you again.
You have had me in agony waiting for your reply. I want you and only you. Your heart is right, ignore your doubts. You can't truly love if you have doubt in your heart. There is no doubt in mine.
I felt so tense opening your reply and so completely overwhelmed by what you said – I keep re-reading to be sure of the implication of your words. I've been so selfish – I do not think I had ever taken in just how deep your feelings for me are. I always hoped but never thought you could feel the same way about me as I do for you. I need you, Erin, I always will.
Your message has brought tears to my eyes. I'm being silly now, aren't I? I just feel so strongly for you.
You are not being silly -our hearts know better than our minds what we are to each other and become so frustrated with us that they are letting our bodies know through tears and aches in need to be relieved places. My body is tingling as I type, my senses so heightened at the thought of your touch, the whole of me so wanting the whole of you.
You are such a romantic – I absolutely love it and everything you have said. I pray once I am in your arms and we are looking into each other's eyes, everything will be perfect for us.
There is not a day you are not in my thoughts – you are a part of me. You are the one who opened up my heart and showed me how to feel. I realise I've made mistakes, that I suffocated you with emotion, that I did not give you room to breathe. I hardly let myself breathe. I know very little but sense and feel so much. You are real and out there somewhere, I am out there too and always will be for you.
You are just unbelievably good at this, aren't you? I so don't understand why you have not been snapped up and appreciated in the way I intend to. Let's just take things slowly, Sam, and you'll not regret it, I promise.
I can only wonder what is so wrong, so sensitive in your life that you need to be so cautious. It's what you mean by slowly, I know. Still, I have your promise and sense it's not given lightly.
I know the onus is on me to change this, and I will as soon as humanly possible. Until then I ask you to please trust your senses, and your well-placed judgement and feelings for me.


text:
Sleeping Dark Legends Dragon Figurine
Our fantasy and gothic dragon range are great entry level collectors items as they are well designed and made but are still great value.
Made from resin each has been individually finished in rich fantasy colours to create an eye-catching decorative figurine.
Dimensions: Height 9cm Width 20cm Depth 9.5cmNOTE....THESE ARE SHIPPED DIRECTLY FROM THE SUPPLIER TO MINIMIZE TIME SPENT IN TRANSIT. SO COLOUR CHOICE IS NOT AN OPTION. IT WILL BE A SURPRISE WHEN IT ARRIVES WITH YOU X