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And the vision of all is become unto you as the words of a book that is sealed, which men deliver to one that is learned, saying, Read this, I pray thee: and he saith, I cannot; for it is sealed: And the book is delivered to him that is not learned, saying, Read this, I pray thee: and he saith, I am not learned (Isaiah 29:11-12).
According to scriptures, the destiny of the redeemed is like a book made up of chapters, which opens up one chapter after another by applied revelation. As it is written: But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord (2 Corinthians 3:18; see also Proverbs 4:18).
We also discover from scriptures that every encounter with the Word is an encounter with destiny. God's agenda is according to God's capacity and God has no match among men. No one has the capacity to deliver a divine plan except God. Therefore, the chapters in the race of our destiny are only accessible by encounters with the Word.
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We understand from the Word that every child of God has a glorious destiny in Christ because redemption is a call to glory and virtue. Therefore, we are not permitted to be victims of shame and reproach. Jesus was reproached for our sakes, consequently, we don't have to bear reproach anymore (Romans 8:29-30; 2 Peter 1:3).
We also have an enviable destiny in redemption. Concerning Isaac, the Bible records: And the man waxed great, and went forward, and grew until he became very great: For he had possession of flocks, and possessions of herds, and great store of servants: and the Philistines envied him (Genesis 26:13-14).
The Bible further says: Now we, brethren, as Isaac was, are the children of promise (Galatians 4:28).
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Thus, just like Isaac, we are ordained to be envied and not to be pitied.
Furthermore, we understand that every child of God carries greater potentials than all the Old Testament saints. Jesus said concerning John: Verily I say unto you, Among them that are born of women there hath not risen a greater than John the Baptist: notwithstanding he that is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he (Matthew 11:11).
That means, every child of God carries greater potentials in Christ than all the Old Testament giants such as Abraham, Moses, Nehemiah, Daniel, Joseph, Solomon, etc. In fact, Jesus said: "The queen of the south shall rise up in the judgment with this generation, and shall condemn it: for she came from the uttermost parts of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon; and, behold, a greater than Solomon is here" (Matthew 12:42).
Inside every believer is a greater than Solomon potential. That is a pointer to the amazing potentials that redemption has deposited into our lives. All we need is insight to know our worth in redemption and take responsibility to see these potentials translate to realities in our lives.
Moreover, every child of God is ordained as a pacesetter and a trail blazer. This means we are ordained as record breakers and new record setters. According to scriptures, we are the salt of the earth, the light of the world and cities set on hills that cannot be hidden. Salt is said to be a major base of all pharmaceutical products and salt deficiency affects the body's health dangerously. Thus, we are preservatives of the dying world; so, the world will always need us. That means, we are not burdens but blessings to our generation. All we need is to keep loving God and we won't stop being wonders to our world. The Bible says: …Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him (1 Corinthians 2:9; see also Matthew 5:13-14).
We are also ordained kings and priests to reign on the earth. . "…And hast made us unto our God kings and priests: and we shall reign on the earth" (Revelation 5:9-10).
That means, we belong to a royal family and we are not permitted to be peasants on the earth.
But to have Encounter with Destiny, One must:
❖ Be Spiritual: It takes a spiritual mind to move from one level of glory to another. In other words, we must be spiritual to have an encounter with destiny or we will be stagnated in life. It is impossible to access God's plan with carnality because His plans are spiritual and only the spiritually minded can access them (Romans 8:6; 1 Corinthians 2:14; Isaiah 55:8).
❖ Be Prayerful: More often than not, encounters with destiny emanates from the prayer altar. That means, the altar of prayer is the altar of new chapters to God's people. Thus, the more prayerful we are, the greater our access to the things of the Spirit of God (Genesis 32:24-28; Jeremiah 33:3; 1 Corinthians 4:9-10).
❖ Be Spiritually Sensitive: Every word from above opens a new chapter to a man's life. This is why it is important to be spiritually sensitive so that we can hear from heaven from time to time, as God can speak to us at anytime and anywhere (Galatians 5:25; Revelation 1:10).
❖ Be God loving and Kingdom Advancement Passionate: Every lover of God changes levels without sweat. It is impossible to seek first God's Kingdom and not end up as a first class citizen of the earth. Every time we carry the affairs of the Kingdom in our hearts, we keep doing well in life and everything that others are 'dying' to get will be added to us in the process. Moreover, when it is in our hearts to keep promoting God's Kingdom, He will keep changing our story (1 Kings 8:17-18; 1 Chronicles 29:3-6; Matthew 6:33; Romans 8:28; Philippians 1:21).
However, to see destiny fulfilled, one must remain steadfast in the faith because no 'off and on' believer has a future. We must, therefore, keep obeying God, as consistency is the rule of the game and every new chapter in our lives must meet us on duty (Matthew 24:13, 45-46; Romans 4:17-21; Hebrews 6:12, 10:38).
On the other hand, it is important to understand that we also require divine wisdom to encounter destiny. We understand from scriptures that divine wisdom, which is from above, is superior to all other kinds of wisdom. As it is written: "But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, and easy to be intreated, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality, and without [email protected] (James 3:17; see also Proverbs 3:17).
Let's recognise that divine wisdom engenders mighty works, which makes men exclaim. For instance, concerning Daniel, the Bible says: "There is a man in thy kingdom, in whom is the spirit of the holy gods; and in the days of thy father light and understanding and wisdom, like the wisdom of the gods, was found in him; whom the king Nebuchadnezzar thy father, the king, I say, thy father, made master of the magicians, astrologers, Chaldeans, and soothsayers" (Daniel 5:11; see also Mark 6:2; Matthew 13:54).
By reason of divine wisdom at work in Daniel, King Nebuchadnezzar made him the master over the magicians and all others, because he excelled far above them. Also, the four Hebrew boys were said to be ten times better than their colleagues. The Bible records: "In all matters of wisdom and understanding, that the king inquired of them, he found them ten times better than all the magicians and astrologers that were in all his realm" (Daniel 1:20).
Furthermore, Solomon was said to be wiser than all men, including the 'biggest brains' of his days. As it is written: "…there came of all people to hear the wisdom of Solomon, from all kings of the earth, which had heard of his wisdom" (1 Kings 4:34).
The above biblical examples unveil men who engaged divine wisdom towards every situation that confronted them and in return, they encountered destiny. Thus, divine wisdom, which is superior to all other kinds of wisdom, has the capacity to make us stars on the earth, if only we commit to meeting the demands of operating therein.
But, what does access to the wisdom from above demand?
❖ Tireless commitment to the study of the Word: God's Word is the conveyor of the wisdom of God; it is God's wisdom in print. Jesus referred to the Word as the wisdom of God. As it is written: "Therefore also said the wisdom of God, I will send them prophets and apostles, and some of them they shall slay and persecute" (Luke 11:49).
When we hold the content of the Bible dear to our hearts, we will be as smart as the angels of God. Hence, our commitment to the study of the Word empowers us to operate in the realm of divine wisdom (2 Peter 3:15, 16; 2 Timothy 4:13).
❖ Joy and Rejoicing: It takes joy and rejoicing to access God's presence. That's why the devil continues to depress believers in order to block our access to the wisdom of God which will pave the way out of any predicament. The Bible says: "Thou wilt shew me the path of life: in thy presence is fulness of joy; at thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore" (Psalms 16:11; see also Psalms 100:4; Philippians 4:4).
Joseph was among the most excited slaves in captivity. In fact, Potiphar's wife preferred him to her depressed husband. Also, while in prison, he was the joy of the prisoners; he cheered up other inmates, even as a prisoner sentenced unjustly. Joseph was never depressed and as a result, he had unusual access to the wisdom from above (Genesis 39:7-8, 40:6 & 8).
Those who are always joyful are not without challenges; they are only smarter than their challenges. The devil will rob us of the best in life if he can succeed in keeping us depressed. The fact is, we cannot be oppressed until we are depressed; because depression is the bait that facilitates oppression. It is, therefore, important to remain joyful so as to maintain our access to divine wisdom (Isaiah 12:3; 2 Corinthians 12:7; 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18).
❖ Impartation of the Spirit of wisdom: Joshua was filled with the Spirit of wisdom because Moses laid his hand on him. However, impartation does not only come by laying on of hands, it also comes through prophetic declarations (Deuteronomy 34:9; Ezekiel 2:2; 1 Timothy 4:14).
But, to keep the flow of divine wisdom, one must continue to acknowledge God as the source. Every time we don't give glory to God for His great acts in our lives, He turns the blessings into a curse. This is why we must keep acknowledging God as the source of the wisdom and understanding that is at work in our lives in order to sustain the flow. When we stop acknowledging God as the source, the fountain dries up. Thus, God must be given all the glory for every winning insight that comes our way. God will always resist the proud and give more grace to the humble. Our pride should therefore be in God, Who did it and not in our skill or strength (Jeremiah 9:23-24; Malachi 2:2-3; James 9:23-24).
In conclusion, the Bible which is the Word of God, is God's wisdom bank and remember, every encounter with the Word is an encounter with destiny. Thus, it is impossible to flow in divine wisdom and encounter new chapters in destiny without a genuine commitment to the words of Scripture. Therefore, as we commit to the study of God's Word and apply ourselves to our findings, I pray that we will begin to walk in divine wisdom, culminating in encounters with destiny in Jesus' name! Remain ever blessed!
Jesus is Lord!
For Enquiries, contact:
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ASSURE Educational Services
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European startup Spotify today rolled out a new feature that lets users see which songs their friends are listening to most.
The music-streaming service, which came under attack from popstar sensation Taylor Swift recently over music royalties, already allows users to see what their friends are listening to but the new "Top Tracks in your Network" feature allows people to see the songs their friends have listened to most over the last week.
"Top Tracks in Your Network is a new chart showing the most played songs among the people you follow," wrote Spotify's on the company's website today. "The more popular a song is with your friends, the higher it is up the chart. Refreshed daily, the new chart can be found in the Browse section under Top Lists. A drop down list of the people listening to the song can be found next to the track details."
The feature has been integrated across artist and album pages too so that users can see which of their friends have listened to a particular artist or album when they are browsing through Spotify's ever-expanding music catalogue.
It's available today on iOS and Android in Browse->Top Tracks, and will arrive on desktop soon.
Those users who want to keep their guilty pleasures a secret can choose to listen to Spotify tracks in a "private session".
The new feature comes shortly after Spotify announced it is teaming up with fast growing companies like Uber and Shazam, allowing users to stream their playlists through the stereo in their cab via the Spotify app and allowing Shazam users to have all their Shazams automatically added to a Spotify playlist, or choose a specific playlist to add tracks to.

subset: commoncrawl


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Communication Quotes and Sayings
Wise men speak because they have something to say; fools because they have to say something.
– Plato
Good relationships don't just happen, it takes time and patience. Communication is the best keyword.
One word could fix the world, Communication
I know that you believe that you understood what you think I said, but I am not sure you realize that what you heard is not what I meant.
Speak when you are angry and you will make the best speech you'll ever regret.
Any problem, big or small, within a family, always seems to start with bad communication. Someone isn't listening.
Assumptions are the termites of relationships. Communication saves relationships
– Henry Winkler
The biggest communication problem is we do not listen to understand. We listen to reply.
Kind words can be short and easy to speak, but their echoes are truly endless.
– Mother Teresa
Five minutes of communication can save a year's worth of turmoil and misunderstanding.
– Joyce Meyer
Most of the successful people I've known are the ones who do more listening than talking.
Silence is one great art of conversation.
– William Hazlitt
The single biggest problem in communication is the illusion that it has taken place.
– George Bernard Shaw
Communication works for those who work at it.
– John Powell
Communication and Trust are two main ingredients for a successful RELATIONSHIP
Effective communication is built on the cement of trust. And trust is based on trustworthiness, not politics.
– Steven R. Covey
The basic building block of good communications is the feeling that every human being is unique and of value
I speak to everyone in the same way, whether he is the garbage man or the president of the university.
– Albert Einstein
I have an answering machine in my car. It says, 'I'm home now. But leave a message and I'll call when I'm out.
Every criticism, judgment, diagnosis, and expression of anger is the tragic expression of an unmet need.
– Marshall Rosenberg
Your ability to communicate
is an important tool in your pursuit of your goals,
whether it is with your family,
your co-workers or your clients and customers.
– Leslie C.
The more we elaborate our means of communication,
the less we communicate.
– John Boynton Priestley
We never listen when we are eager to speak.
– François de La Rochefoucauld
Communication is the solvent of all problems, therefore communication skills are the foundation for personal development.
— Peter Shepherd
He who knows, does not speak.
He who speaks, does not know.
– Lao Tzu
Effective communication also requires a mutual understanding of needs, wants and desires.
– Kirk Hazlett
Communicate in a respectful manner – Don't just tell your team members what you want, but explain to them why.
– Jeffrey Morales
Make sure to communicate your idea quickly and keep it straight to the point.
– Paul Bailey
But good healthy communication is impossible without openness, honesty, and vulnerability.
– Paul Kendall
Each person's life is lived as a series of conversations.
– Deborah Tannen


text: I am setting up my full display and then staging a production workshop of mobiles. The aim is to create about a dozen new mobiles. I love to bounce off the creativity an energy of the patrons to our various shows. Montrose has long been a center of creativity and intelligence in Houston culture.


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Greetings to all from Afghanistan.
I am settling in for my months of task and toil, after a trip which was at times both exasperating and thrilling.
With the hours that I will be keeping during my service here, I hope I will have the time to keep my blogging up. At least I have access to Blogger this time, even if the connection is fairly slow.
In the mean time, enjoy a snapshot from my first convoy across this ancient land....
PS - It is getting hot here, and even hotter in Iraq. Please consider going to Soldiers Angels and buying/donating some 'Cooling Scarfs' for the troops. I already have one, and know that many who don't would really appreciate them..... CF out....
Greetings from Afghanistan
Posted by Charlie Foxtrot at 2:29 PM
Labels: Afghanistan, Deployment, War
3 comments:
- David M said...
The Thunder Run has linked to this post in the blog post From the Front: 06/03/2008 News and Personal dispatches from the front lines.
- June 3, 2008 at 2:17 PM
- cat said...
Hey at least you guys don't have to travel by camel. lol! "sir my camel won't start.." :) Hey keep cool with the coming heat
- June 3, 2008 at 3:07 PM
- bytestyle12 said...
This is a perfect time to say that you affected me with your perfect story related to this good postPontiac G6 Air Conditioner Compressor
- February 10, 2012 at 7:29 AM
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text:
By Matt Purple
Washington foreign policy gurus still can't get over the idea that we ought to be bombing Syrian dictator Bashar al-Assad. Now, like clockwork, another piece has appeared in the New York Times urging aggression against the Syrian regime, this one by Dennis Ross and Andrew Tabler.
According to Ross and Tabler, if Assad doesn't comply with a recent accord struck with Russia that restricts his actions, the United States should "punish the Syrian government for violating the truce by using drones and cruise missiles" to take out sensitive regime targets in areas without a Russian military presence. This, they assert, "should persuade [Russia] to make Mr. Assad behave."
Let's start with the speciousness of their incentive. Assad's regime has been under endless international pressure. It's been threatened militarily by the United States. By 2015, it had lost 83 percent of its former territory. And yet it kept on fighting without any indication it intends to "behave." The one time Assad did comply with American demands was when Russia stepped in and brokered a deal over his chemical weapons, which is probably why Ross and Tabler think Moscow can bend him now. But Assad is in a much stronger position today and he knows the United States must prioritize fighting terrorism over toppling him. So why should he give in to even the most precisely calibrated of threats?
Assad has, as Alexander Cockburn once wrote of Christopher Hitchens, "sloshed his way across his own personal Rubicon." He's reduced his civil war to a choice of total victory or ultimate destruction. There is no going back for him, which is why threats of pinprick Western bombings have failed to sway his behavior. Give it another try—follow Ross's and Tablum's advice—and he'll most likely remain noncompliant, too close to taking Aleppo to stop now. That will mean we'll have to continue bombing, and the mission creep will drag us deeper into a civil war in which we have no compelling option or interest.
John Dickinson's advice that "experience must be our only guide" isn't half-bad when applied to foreign policy. So in America's experience, what will happen if we follow this course and bomb Assad? The deposal of both Saddam Hussein and Moammar Gaddafi ripped open vacuums in Iraq and Libya respectively, and extremist militias were happy to fill the voids. Ross and Tabler aren't suggesting toppling Assad, of course, or even severely damaging him, but given the formidable jihadist presence in Syria that's in many cases proximate to Assad's forces, their plan could still end up allowing our enemies to advance.
That means not just the Islamic State, but also al-Nusra, the jihad syndicate that severed its ties with al-Qaeda last month for PR purposes, but hasn't changed any of its aims. To wit: Nusra wants to establish Sharia law in Syria and destroy groups it regards as apostates. It's collaborated with the Khorasan group of western Syria that observers believe is plotting an attack on the American homeland. It's toyed with the idea of declaring its own emirate to rival the Islamic State. It differs from ISIS only in that it's more insidious, ingratiating itself to the Syrian people by setting up food drives and avoiding public displays of brutality—at least for now.
The bomb-bomb-bomb-Assad crowd counters that our options aren't limited to the regime, al-Nusra, and ISIS. There's a fourth alternative to fill any vacuum created by a weakened Assad: nationalist rebels from groups like the Free Syrian Army. The problem is that many of these brigades have already surrendered, and those that remain tend to lag behind the jihadists in training and equipment. This has compelled more moderate rebels to fight alongside the extremists, creating an overlap that's difficult to pull apart.
The Syrian expert Charles Lister writes: "In fact, while rarely acknowledged explicitly in public, the vast majority of the Syrian insurgency has coordinated closely with Al-Qaeda since mid-2012—and to great effect on the battlefield." Today, al-Nusra is at the heart of the rebellion. That means Assad's loss will be the gain of our real enemy, a former franchise of the group that attacked us on 9/11. Russia knows we can't allow this and thus won't enfeeble the regime too greatly, making any threat signaled by bombing somewhat empty.
One more problem: Congress has never approved any authorization for the use of military force against Syria. That makes the action Ross and Tabler are suggesting unlawful. They're right to deplore Assad's brutality and a political solution is still worth pursuing. But no accord is worth an illegal and ineffective military strike that risks the expansion of a vicious jihad gang.
Matt Purple is a fellow at Defense Priorities.
This piece was originally published by Reason on August 10, 2016. Read more HERE.


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Address:303 N Gold StCentralia, WA 98531Map & Directions
Website: http://centralia.salvationarmy.org/
Services: Limited rent assistance.
Eligibility: Low income adults residing in Lewis County who are at risk of an eviction notice.
Address:713 N Tower AveCentralia, WA 98531Map & Directions
Website: http://www.hrclewiscounty.com
Services: Provides rental and utility assistance for people who would otherwise lose their housing.
Participants are also offered case management services.
Also, if the Housing Resource Center is not able to help directly, they may also help with a housing search or other appropriate referrals to agencies.
Eligibility: Individuals and families who are at risk of losing their housing.
Address:10140 US-12Rochester, WA 98579Map & Directions
Website: http://www.roofcommunityservices.org
Services: On-site community resources (Utilities assistance, gas vouchers, etc).
Rental/mortgage assistance may be available.
Call in advance to check on funding and to schedule an appointment.
Offered in Spanish when Spanish-speaking staff are present.
Eligibility: Rochester area residents in extreme need. Must meet general income guidelines.
Address:139 Spencer RdToledo, WA 98591Map & Directions
Website: http://www.svdpusa.org/
Services: Provides limited financial assistance for things like rent or utilities.
Sometimes a gas voucher may be available for an appointment.
All services are donation and volunteer based. Also partners with other organizations in the community.
Serves the Toledo, Winlock, Vader, Napavine, Morton and Mossyrock areas of Lewis County.
Conference volunteers are from the local church, but services are not provided at the church.
Unable to help with furniture, household items or clothing.
Eligibility: Residents in Toledo, Winlock, Vader, Napavine, Morton and Mossyrock.
Address:1202 Black Lake Blvd SW # BOlympia, WA 98502Map & Directions
Website: http://www.FamilyESS.org
Services: Links grandparents and other relative caregivers to:
- support groups,
- resources,
- provides education,
- increases access and
- offers case management along with financial support.
Financial support is in the form of:
- rental and utility assistance,
- funds for purchases of bedding, furniture,
- clothing,
- food,
- car repairs,
- gas/bus vouchers and
- medications for the child.
Emergency aid is available for those who qualify. Please contact the Kinship Navigator.
Eligibility: Low income family members raising a relative child(ren) under the age of 18 and are residents of Thurston, Mason or Lewis County.
Address:824 5th Ave SEOlympia, WA 98501Map & Directions
Website: http://olympia.salvationarmynw.org
Services: Provides limited rental assistance to residents in Lacey, Olympia and Tumwater who have an eviction notice. As funds available.
Emergency funds are available through the efforts of several local churches that set aside funds for families living in the community that are in need or emergency assistance. Assistance depends on available funds.
Eligibility: Must have an eviction notice and live in Lacey, Olympia or Tumwater.
Address:412 Lilly Rd NEOlympia, WA 98506Map & Directions
Website: http://www.co.thurston.wa.us/health/ssveteran/
Services: Helps eligible veterans or family members with housing services including rent, mortgage, and shelter; as well as limited utilities (water or garbage), limited food and resource referral.
Eligibility: Meet the definition of veteran.
Resident of Washington State six months prior to application.
Resident of Thurston County 31 days prior to application.
Meet low income criteria.
Address:3600 Ruddell Rd SELacey, WA 98503Map & Directions
Website: http://www.walegion.org/
Services: Provides immediate assistance to service personnel and families whose lives have been directly affected by Operation Iraqi Freedom and America�s war on terror.
Can provide financial assistance for needs such as:
- Rent
- Utilities
- Child care
- Car repair
Refers callers to their local post, who then contacts the servicemember or family to see how assistance can be provided locally.
Assists the family in applying for Temporary Financial Assistance if minor children are in the home.
Active duty military and their immediate family OR
Any veteran possessing an up-to-date membership in the American Legion.
No child is considered eligible for Temporary Financial Assistance until a complete investigation is conducted at the post or department level.
A legitimate family need is determined; and all other available assistance resources have been utilized or exhausted.
Address:1639 10th AveLongview, WA 98632Map & Directions
Website: http://www.longview.salvationarmynw.org
Services: Provides food boxes with a 3-day food supply. Provides hot lunches and personal care items such as soap and shampoo. Provides limited rent assistance of up to $300 when funding is available.
Eligibility: Rent assistance: Must have a 3-day pay or vacate notice.
Food box: Must meet USDA income guidelines; individuals and households can access food boxes 4 times per year and must be 30 days between visits.
Address:1520 A Commerce AveLongview, WA 98632Map & Directions
Website: http://www.LowerColumbiaCAP.org
Services: Offers short-term financial assistance with move in costs, rent, and case management services. Rental assistance recipients will pay a gradually increasing share of rent until the household is paying for their full housing costs. Program pay also provide utility assistance to participants on a case-by-case basis.
Eligibility: Individuals and/or households with children experiencing homelessness.


text:
Canadian, you say? Ten Canadian Artists Who Have Shaped 2017.
When I'm not listening to smooth jazz in the background, I listen to CBC. Most of the talk shows are interesting and at times brilliant. I get so much enjoyment out of The Influencers and The Debaters. I do turn it off when Trump is the topic, or some similar topic, but that's just me. I can't seem to take the insanity and negativity of those stories.
I was happy to come upon this article "10 Canadian artists who shaped 2017"... Artists artists everywhere and we have so many exceptional ones in our beautiful country. If you haven't seen or read about the list, I offer the link here: cbc.ca/radio/q/features/10-canadian-artists-who-shaped-2017


text:
What we do
We identify the principles at play in a project and tease them out to arrive at a design where substance informs the style. This allows the creation of a garden that is unique for our client's needs and for their site.
Our gardens provide a multi-sensory experience, connecting people with nature via liveable and functional spaces, designed for our clients' lives and the way they aspire to interact with their outdoor environment.
Inspired by natural materials, such as ethically sourced stone and timber, we design customised features and structures: steps, decking, paving, pools, pergolas, walls and sheds. Also we work with local artists to create unique sculptural pieces.
We make apt plant selections to create plantscapes rich in texture and rhythm to suit the soil and water capacity of the site.
How we do it
The design process for your project may include all or some of the following steps, depending on scope and complexity.
We spend time with you at your property to formulate a brief that encapsulates your needs and wants, and assess the constraints and opportunities of the site.
Concept Design
We respond to the information from the design brief consultation and the site to create a vision for the project. We provide drawings and other imagery to help you to see what is possible.
Detailed Documentation
The highly detailed working plans are the crucial link that enable the ideas of the concept stage to be turned into a living, breathing landscape. This stage may include plans for irrigation, lighting, planting and 3D imagery as required.
We will obtain quotations from two or three companies and write a tender report based on their submissions. We then proceed with your chosen contractor.
Design Implementation
Once hardscaping has been completed, the Mechanism team will implement the soft landscaping. We will make sure the soil quality has been improved and then lovingly and skilfully plant hand-selected plants that we have sourced from excellent local nurseries.
Garden Maintenance
We also love to assist you with your ongoing maintenance schedule. Whether you'd like a schedule to follow yourself or need more hands-on assistance, we'd love to discuss an option that's right for you.
Who we are
Mechanism Landscape Design came about after Emma and Matthew completed the Graduate Certificate in Garden Design at University of Melbourne, Burnley Campus. They are a complementary team, bringing together Emma's architecture and design training and Matthew's lifelong experience of observing the design potential of plants.
Emma Dry
Emma trained as an architect at the University of Western Australia, which included a semester of study in Sri Lanka focusing on the work of Geoffrey Bawa. As a child, Emma's fascination with her grandfather's garden in Perth sparked an ongoing love for nature and gardening. Her move toward landscape design has been a natural progression. Her focus as an architect has never 'stopped at the door'; she has always been interested in the whole site and the connection between the building and the landscape. Additional studies in permaculture, garden design, and horticulture have strengthened this connection. Her ongoing explorations into the possibilities of geometry and vernacular architecture are central to her designs.
Matthew Henry
After studying with Andrew Laidlaw at Burnley campus, University of Melbourne, Matthew was inspired to abandon his twenty year career as a teacher and follow his lifelong obsession with horticulture and garden design. His private garden in South Gippsland has been open as part of the Australian Open Garden Scheme. He is secretary of Luscombe Street Community Garden. Matthew looks at how plants are elemental in a design: how they can convey the personal story of the client; how they provide amenity and bring about aesthetic cohesion in conjunction with architectural features and hardscaping.


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Monday 6.30-8pm Trapeze and Aerial Hoop
Please note that the classes on 2nd September and 9th September will be 15 minutes earlier, 6.15pm to 7.45pm.
About the Classes
Deborah has 20 years of aerial experience as a teacher, performer and director. See Urban Angels Aerial.
"UAC Aerial class was amazing yesterday, felt so much more creatively confident and learnt some new moves, massive thank you to Deborah, who is a fantastic teacher.
Deborah has taught extensively at circus centres throughout the UK.
Cardigan Centre, 145 – 149 Cardigan Road, Leeds LS6 1LJ.
Please book as the classes are very popular and it is important to maintain a low student to teacher ratio.
Please wear stretchy leggings and a long-sleeved snug fitting top or leotard plus a bottle of water.
Deborah is also available to teach 1 to 1


text:
Tohfa-e-dil de du ya de du chand taare
Janam din pe tujhe kya du yeh puche mujh se saare
Zindagi tere naam kar du bhi toh kam ha
Daaman mein bhar du har pal khushi ka mein tumhare
Please accept these birthday flowers
Filled with love, from random showers
Thought of u, when I picked them out
Grown and nourished, from a tiny sprout.
Wishing you a day of fun
Filled with joy, out in the sun.
It's your birthday, don't be a nun
Deal with boredom with a shun.
Smiles and laughter, joy and cheer
New happiness that stays throughout the year
Hope ur birthday brings all these and more
Filling life with surprise and joys galore!
Birthdays are for fun
Enjoy a sticky bun
I'm glad u r my mate
Hope ur birthdays great.
Enjoy a sticky bun
I'm glad u r my mate
Hope ur birthdays great.


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Do you believe in the S.F.D?/
Because I do. In the strongest of terms, let me own this belief with my loving arms wrapping around the Shitty First Draft.
Good work doesn't pop out of the Universe fully formed. I can't think of an author who sits down to write and creates nirvana on the page.
Here's some perspective gleaned from a google search:
- When surveyed, authors said it takes multiple drafts to make a book readable
Tolkien took 12 years to write Lord of the Rings (best books ever!!!)
Margaret Mitchell wrote Gone with the Wind for 10 years
JK Rowling took 5 years writing the first Harry Potter and planning 6 more
If you are expecting some kind of magic to drop out of the sky, land on your head, and give you a beautiful piece of writing meant to wow the world, I'll wait for you to land back in reality.
This leads us back to the S.F.D. Its importance lingers as paramount in learning to love the writing you do. You need to accept the multi-draft concept.
In acceptance comes the freedom to let loose when writing your first draft.
Personally, I fast draft. I take a month or two, write as fast as possible and get the bones of my story down. Edit's come later. My first draft contains the ideas I will expand on, but now I have a frame for all the emotions, grammar and theme.
Other writers tend to edit as they go. They have a full first draft, but it takes longer. There are still more drafts to come, but they have already built everything.
Some writers are faster than others. Nora Roberts and Stephen King come to mind. Both write daily adhering to the belief writing is like a sport, you need muscles to up your game.
I lean towards daily writing as well. My fast drafts happen in a couple thousand words a day clip. I don't think, re-read, edit, or go back for a dropped comma. I will even skip a character's name if I don't have it yet. I go. It's the ultimate sprint. GET THE STORY ON PAPER PRONTO!
The S.F.D. isn't a free pass for sloppy. I would never send my first draft to a reader, contest, or even let my handsome guy see it. No, it's a skeleton waiting to be dressed. Not for consumption.
If you are a perfectionist, the S.F.D. will circumvent your inability to stop nitpicking adverbs, that, it, and any other pet peeves you may have. You will no longer be intimidated by the blinking cursor. Just sit down, and do it already!
I don't care if you write your first draft on pencil and paper, typewriter, journal form, or in 5 languages at a time. I guarantee you, the story you have in your head and heart needs to be told. Don't worry, just go with the flow.
Nobody bypasses the S.F.D. You will learn to love it like losing your virginity. Your eyes open to a whole new world through feeling, touching and tasting. You know next time will be better. No longer afraid, you start to explore.
But you can't get there unless you drop your pants.


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National Geographic : 1916 Feb
THE CRADLE OF CIVILIZATION vated fields lay the pasture land, which was all held in common. The fields were covered with a network of canals, which distributed the precious river-water, and the whole system of irrigation was care fully regulated and supervised. KINS-PEOPLE OF THE JEWS Not much later than 4000 B. C. we find the whole land in the power of the representatives of the same Semitic race which has given us Abraham, Moses, and David, and also Mahomet and Islam. The Semitic rule makes its appearance in the person of an impressive and romantic figure, one of the first of the great found ers of world-empires, Shargani-shar-ali, better known as Sargon, King of Akkad. Fortunately we know, with a fair amount of certainty, when he reigned, for the last king of Babylon, Nabuna'id, states that when he laid bare the founda tion-inscription of Naram-Sin, son of Sargon, in the temple of Shamash, at Sippara, he was informed that Naram Sin had reigned 3,200 years before his time. This fixes Naram-Sin at about 3750 B. C. and Sargon about 3800 B. C., so that he belongs to about the time of the rise of settled government in Egypt. A GARDENER BECOMES KING Apparently, like many of the great men of history, he was of humble and obscure birth. The Chronicle of Kish states that "at Akkad, Sharrukin, the gardener, warder of the temple of Zamama, be came king." But, whatever his origin, the impression which he made on follow ing ages was great and lasting. When men looked back to the beginnings, they saw the figure of Sargon standing, great and vague, the first man who really counted in their history; and they hon ored him accordingly. One of the greatest of Assyrian con querors called himself Sargon also, after this early king, and around the name of the first unifier of the land there grew up a legend which presents a curious paral lel to the story of the infancy of Moses. The Assyrian scribes of the eighth cen tury B. C. make him relate the story of his early days, as follows: "Sargon, the powerful king, King of Akkad, am I. My mother was of low degree, my father I did not know. The brother of my father dwelt in the moun tain. My city was Azupirani, situate on the bank of the Euphrates. My humble mother conceived me; in secret she brought me forth. She placed me in a basket-boat of rushes; with pitch she closed my door. She gave me over to the river, which did not rise over me. The river bore me along; to Akki, the irri gator, it carried me. Akki, the irrigator, . . . brought me to land. Akki, the irrigator, reared me as his own son. Akki, the irrigator, appointed me his gardener. While I was gardener, Ishtar looked on me with love. (Forty ?)-four years I ruled the kingdom." This gardener-king was evidently a man of genius and force. Not only did he unite Babylonia under his rule, but he carried his conquests westward to the Mediterranean, north and east to Ar menia and Elam, and south to Arabia and the islands of the Persian Gulf. His do ings were held up as the model for all subsequent kings, and if the omens in any reign were the same as those under which the great Sargon of Akkad had gone forth to victory, any king of Babylon or Assyria would march out, confident that success was certain. About 2300 B. C. there rises another great figure, one of the men who mold human history and keep the world mov ing onward-a man also who, if some scholars are right, came into close con tact with Abraham, and, great as he was, found the contact not at all to his ad vantage. In Genesis xiv we read how "Amra phel, King of Shinar; Arioch, King of Ellasar; Chedorlaomer,King of Elam, and Tidal, King of Goiim," made war on the kings of Sodom and Gomorrah, who had rebelled against their overlord Chedor laomer; how Abraham's nephew, Lot, was captured by them, and how the Patriarch rescued Lot and defeated the invaders. Now these kings may possibly be identi fied with actual kings of the time. Tidal, King of Goiim, may be Thargal of Gu tium; Arioch of Ellasar may be Rim-Sin 137
1916 Mar
1916 Jan
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Protect Your Business (From Those You Trust).
Read all about the September 2017 data breach that hit Coca-Cola, exposing 8,000 employees' personal data. How'd it happen? A former employee simply walked out the door with an external hard drive.
Q: Do you take the security of your physical assets and data more seriously than Coke did?
Sure hope so.
At Trestle Networks, we work closely with our Managed Security and Managed WiFi (powered by Mojo Networks) customers to secure their infrastructure and lockdown access to sensitive data, while ensuring 24x7 PCI DSS 3.2 compliance. Contact me to learn more and visit www.trestlenetworks.com today.


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Eight Clouds Rising 9pm and Angel Sanctuary 2am on Animax
SoliduS_AlphA Abusayafsucks! PEx Veteran ⭐⭐
anyone seen this ad on animax,they will play Angel Sanctuary 2am,atleast animax is making ways to show anime stuff which are not available to other cable networks,sabagay napalabas na yan sa ibang cable pero mas accessible na sya,I know alot of you may have watched them before,even MS Gundam,marami na nakapanood but now mas may chance na mapanood sila ng mga tao.
highwind Member PExer2 am lang ba yung sked niya? ano to? hentai ba to?
CSMeekai Whatever!!! PExerit gets played 9 pm then replayed at 2 am the following day. bale, 5 hours later after it was first played, it gets played again.
napanood ko kagabi...
Eight Cloud Rising ay Yakumo Tatsu,dating pinalabas na sa Animax yan nung May o June yata(nung english subs pa sila noon).Kaya hindi nila nadub sa english dahil OAV lang siya(mga 50 Minutes lang).Yung Angel Sanctuary ay medyo violent kaya sa oras na yan na lang pinalabas.
mukhang_anime Member PExerAngel Sanctuary as I know it there is a very romantic brother-sister relationship...I think that's the reason why that is shown in that time schedule
Incest daw(mahigpit kasi ang mga taga Singapore) at may cuts rin naman ang Angel Sanctuary nung pinalabas siya sa Animax ha.


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TruckMonkey.com is a website that providing all types of car parts and car accessories from all top brand name at best price. When you visit TruckMonkey.com you will find their products that separate into many categories such as Body Part, Bras and Hood Protectors, Bumper, Brush, Grille Guards, Exterior Lighting, Grille, Light Bar and Accessories, Mud Flap, Side Steps and Nerf Bars, Tonneau Cover, Travel Accessories, Winches and Accessories, Wiper and Washer, Body Styling, Car Cover, Mirror, Plow Mount, Truck Bed, Window, Tire, Wheel, Suspension, Steering, Specialty Merchandise, Performance, Engine, Drivetrain and many more. At TruckMonkey.com you can also enjoy receive Free Shipping on all order. Not only providing free shipping for you buy TruckMonkey.com also giving away Truck Monkey Promo Code for you which you can apply Truck Monkey Promo Code after you finish adding your select items into your shopping cart and during your checkout process you will see a box to enter Truck Monkey Promo Code to save your money up to $25 Off. If you have any question or problem about order products from their website which you can contact their customer support directly at 1-888-844-0653.
Relate Post: Truck Monkey Promo Code


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Small Group Training
Training in a small group not only makes Personal Training really cheap, it can make your workouts a lot more fun and motivating. We're not a crowded Gym where you're just another number, our groups are small and personal so you and your new found team mates can get fitter and leaner each and every week together. Don't worry if you think you'll be the most out of shape in the group, odds are you won't be; our best success story started at 170 kg, and is now 70 kg! But if you are, it is a small group so your Personal Trainer is able to cater each and every session to your specific goals, needs, injuries or limitations. And if you are the fittest it the group, remember it's a small group so there's nowhere to hide!
We Train Groups Melbourne Wide
We're not a Gym where you'll be stuck in an impersonal group with the rest of the Gym watching and judging your workout. We train all types of groups anywhere you like Melbourne wide. Why not share a session with your husband or wife and your children, it's a cost effective way to get fit as a family and set a great example for the kids. Or you could round up a bunch of workmates for a weekly after work session – it's a great team building idea and a corporate Personal Training program is typically tax deductable. As we don't charge any extra for small groups, it's also fine to mix and match who is at each session, so long as we know someone will be there.


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Ballet BC opened its season this past week with Program 1, featuring three ballets with distinctly different styles. One of these ballets was an internationally acclaimed work from iconic choreographer William Forsythe. The second piece was a world premiere, set to the music of Jimi Hendrix. The third – and strongest – piece was a gorgeous remount of a ballet originally set on the company in 2011. It's no surprise then that this piece, Petite Cérémonie, fits the company like a glove, and was likely the most memorable ballet of the night among audiences.
Overall, Program 1 was a great start to Ballet BC's season, and dancer Patrick Kilbane stood out for his excellent showmanship in all three pieces. Kudos also to two members of Ballet BC's Emerging Artist company, Miriam Gittens and Zenon Zubyk, who had featured moments in the show and nailed them.
Enemy in the Figure
Choreographer: William Forsythe
Enemy in the Figure is one of William Forsythe's most innovative works, and it's great to see his ingenuity interpreted by Ballet BC. The company works hard to do justice to Forsythe's intricate and demanding (both physically and emotionally) work. Exceedingly quick and sharp, this piece is like a ticking time bomb with a constant sense of urgency, and Ballet BC demonstrated it had the hustle to deliver this piece.
When the curtain rises, we see a female dancer in a white leotard dancing and posing on the floor, stage left. She's lit by a portable floodlight in front of her, and there's another female dancer in black behind her, influencing the dancer in white's movements. In the shadows of stage left, we see a figure in the dark dancing against a diagonal panel. A few moments later, we see another dark figure on the opposite side. In the centre of all this action, there's a white panel placed across the stage – a wall entrapping the dancers.
Gradually, dancers hurry on stage, all in a frenzied state – some dressed in all white, others in all black. The choreography is frantic, and the company does a great job of rising to the challenge of tackling this frantic choreography, while still finishing moves and hitting the details. Parker Finley impresses with her strong athleticism. Brandon Alley does a great job of using the natural fluidity he has in his movement to adapt to Forsythe's style. Alley is always quite athletic in his ability, and this aspect lends itself well to this piece.
I enjoyed trying to analyze the meaning behind the concept, as the dancers increasingly appeared to be wearing a mix of white and black, and wearing the same frills and costume elements that other dancers wore earlier. While this is going on, there's constant movement of the flood lights onstage (I think there were two), and the creation of shadows and different lighting effects on the dancers.
The piece ties nicely at the end, and although I didn't quite get everything that happened, I was entertained by Enemy in the Figure and thought Ballet BC's interpretation was very exciting.
To this day
Choreographer: Emily Molnar in collaboration with the artists of Ballet BC
To this day is set to the music of Jimi Hendrix, and is choreographed by Ballet BC's artistic director, Emily Molnar, in collaboration with the company. And while I've always loved the quirkiness and creativity in Molnar's work, I didn't feel this one lived up to her usual standard. Granted, this was a world premiere and there may be further development ahead for this piece. Overall, I felt there were some nice moments, but it took me a long time to get into it and even by the end, I never felt I could relate to the piece.
The first quarter of the piece doesn't quite work for me. One by one, the cast perform individual choreography to the guitar music. Personally, I had a difficult time understanding how the choreography fit with the music. And there wasn't anything really anything driving my interest until a comedic partnering bit later on that included Miriam Gittens jumping onto her partner's shoulders in what results in a clever, nicely done lift.
From that point on, the piece started to draw me in, and there's a nice duet section later on with two men whose energetic attack to their choreography was great to see – and I noticed it was very clean as well, which was impressive.
I believe it was Zenon Zubyk who has a delightful comedic solo, in which he exudes incredible energy and fluidity in his movements (at times he's loose as spaghetti). That was definitely fun to watch. And the entire cast dances really well. But the piece didn't really leave me feeling anything. Part of it could also be that I couldn't connect with the music either.
Petite Cérémonie
Choreographer: Medhi Walerski
Petite Cérémonie showcases Ballet BC at its best and should be considered a signature showpiece for the company. Needless to say, this piece was definitely the strongest of the evening. The dancers seem very comfortable with this style of choreography and they delivered it with excellent strength, artistry and personality.
Petite Cérémonie is already interesting before it begins. The curtain rises abruptly a good five minutes before the piece actually starts, and all the innerworkings of the stage – stage lights, production team members walking around, etc. – are fully exposed, as if to say, "we're about to strip everything down and have an open, transparent conversation".
The first dancer to take the stage is the always entertaining Gilbert Small. He begins a simple choreographic phrase at centre stage and is soon joined by the rest of the dancers as they enter from different directions, including walking down the aisles of the theatre and climbing onstage. The dancers look stunning in their costumes, designed by Linda Chow – the women in simple black evening dresses and the men in classic black suits.
The piece has an essence of elegance mixed with quirkiness. There are moments when the dancers clump together in tight formations that remind me of "Rich Man's Frug" in Bob Fosse's Sweet Charity. One female dancer performs an interesting solo to "Blue Moon". And there's a collection of vignettes where couples do peculiar duets while the rest of the company sit on little boxes on both sides of the stage and observe.
There's an amazing moment when dancer Peter Smida starts to juggle (he does an excellent job!), while speaking. The dutiful Zenon Zubyk comes out holding a boom microphone (I think that's what they're called…it's a microphone at the end of a long-reaching extension) so we can hear Smida as he starts going on about how men's brains are made up of different boxes that help them deal with different aspects of life. He argues that men can only do one thing at a time (as he's juggling), and that women's brains are different, in that their brains are wired so that everything is interconnected.
The program notes for Petite Cérémonie indicate that the piece is about "A group of people searching for the right space, the perfect balance. Men and women," and revolves around what "life in a box" means. I think the struggle for men and women to find common ground in relationships is pretty clear in this piece, and the "life in a box" theme is also evident; the dancers later drive their individual boxes around the stage and use the boxes as focal points for their choreography.
Kudos to choreographer Medhi Walerski, who also doubles as scenic designer of this piece. Along with the help of Bonnie Beecher's lighting design, there's a cool section involving the shadows of some of the female dancers projected onto the scrim at the back of the stage, making this piece even more intriguing.
And despite the quirky and humorous nature of this piece, the dancers still exude a sense of urgency as the climax draws near; there's a genuine passion that develops that I felt was absent until this point in the evening. The final section of Petite Cérémonie is danced to Vivaldi's Four Seasons and it's an exquisite, climatic finale to the piece, with dancer Patrick Kilbane leading the company in fine form.
I've seen the National Ballet of Canada, Royal Winnipeg Ballet, and Alberta Ballet perform, and I personally feel that one of the things that sets Ballet BC apart from these companies is the personalities of its dancers. And this piece allows the dancers' personalities to really shine through. Petite Cérémonie really brings out the best in Ballet BC. And the everything is packaged together elegantly. It was a pleasure to see Ballet BC presented in such fine form.
Ballet BC's Program 1 was presented at the Queen Elizabeth Theatre from November 1-3. For upcoming performances, visit Ballet BC's website.


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Red Printed Bare Shoulder Slit Back Casual RomperSKU: 019511
DescriptionRompers are totally trending this season and we want you to get in style! This summer romper features printed design, V neck, bare shoulder, sexy slit back with adjustable ties, elastic waistband, and loose fit. Pair this romper with your favorite sandals for the perfect casual look!
Fabric: Cotton
Neckline: Bare Shoulder
Sleeve Length: Short Sleeve
Embellishment: Slit
Pattern: Graphic
Waistline: High Waist
Size Chart(Inch) S M L XL Bust 34.6 36.2 37.8 39.4 Hip 41.7 43.3 44.9 46.5 Length 29.9 30.3 30.7 31.1 Waist 25.2 26.8 28.3 29.9 Size Chart(CM) S M L XL Bust 88 92 96 100 Hip 106 110 114 118 Length 76 77 78 79 Waist 64 68 72 76
The dimensions data from the measurement of the product, "click here" to see the measuring methods details, and allow 1-2cm (0.4-0.8") differences due to manual measurement, thanks.
Actual fabric colors may vary slightly from online colors due to variations in screen color settings.
30 Days Return + Shipping PolicyShipping & Delivery
Receiving time = Processing time + Shipping time
Note: In orders with more than one item, the processing time will be based on the item with the longest processing time.
We will prepare your order after it have verified. Such as: strict quality control, arrange the suitable carriers.Return Policy
Return within 30 days from the delivered date.
1. Items received within 30 days from the delivered date.
2. Items received unused, undamaged and in original package.


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All Films.All Above Board.NOW INCLUDES TV SHOWS & TV LISTINGS
Five directors and an all-star cast spoof the James Bond films in this comedy, very loosely based on Ian Fleming's first Bond novel. Sir James Bond (David Niven) is about to retire, but is called into battle with the evil organisation S.M.E.R.S.H. after the assassination of 'M' (John Huston). Bond's bungling nephew Jimmy (Woody Allen) becomes involved, and chaos ensues when Bond calls in other 007s to assist (including Peter Sellers, Terence Cooper and Ursula Andress, who starred in the first genuine Bond outing, 'Dr No').


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Great Sports books (that we've read)
Sporting Books : Some of the best
This may seem like an blatant attempt to pick up commissions from Amazon but we were actually going to run this piece anyway. So again if you are aghast at the fact we link to Amazon, feel free not to click and use google instead.
This is not a definitive list ( we will add to it) and we will review books as they come in on a regular basis but these are some favourites of The Sporting Blog team. There will be books we haven't read, don't go crazy if your top sports book is not here, but do comment and we'll get round to reading it.
This is one of the great football books. A series of interview transcripts spanning Cruyffs entire career as a player and manager. You won't think about the sport in the same way after reading this.
For all cricket fans or players this is an eye opener, but even if you are no fan of cricket the story of hard work, perseverance and downright aggression is inspirational.
Michael Lewis opens the lid on Billy Beane and his remarkable 2002 Oakland A's. The book has been so successful that the title is now a watch word for data driven decision making in all sports.
This very candid account portrays a picture of an honest, decent and fragile human being who also happened to be one of the best tennis players of all time. A lesson also in how not to do parenting in sport! Or would Andre disagree?
Olympic Gold & Silver in Tennis, a 147 break in Snooker, a century at Lords & Captain of England's Football team... amongst numerous other unbelievable achievements. Max Woosnam was a genuine sporting genius.


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I have just added an "etsy" shop to my list of ventures. Click the link over there, on the left of this blog page, to visit my online shop. I will be posting some of my prints, greeting cards (featuring my watercolors) and a few small original watercolor studies (that will only be shown on etsy).
Also, just to let you know that the limited edition giclee print, "Vintage Number 2" shown at left is now framed at Margot's Gallery and Frame in downtown Oxford, Michigan. It is slated to be hung in a local restaurant. I think the black mat, wood frame with matching fillet looks so very classy...traditional! I have the original framed in a metal frame with a white mat, and it looks more contemporary. It is amazing how the framing and mat can change the look of a piece of artwork.
If you are interested in one of the Wine Series paintings, visit my website for more information by clicking here. I have limited edition prints, which are selling quickly, and a few originals are still available. Thanks for visiting!
Friday, May 23, 2008
New Shopping Site
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State-owned company, Polish Aviation Group (PGL), submitted a request to the Office of Competition and Consumer Protection in regards to the acquisition and direct control of LOT Polish Airlines, LOT Aircraft Maintenance Services and LS Airport Services.
PGL aims to consolidate selected assets in the aviation market, with all three companies becoming entities controlled by the Group effective sometime in fall 2018, according to Rafal Milczarski, the president of LOT and chairman of PGL.
Polish Aviation Group was established in January 2018 as a joint stock company with a capital of US$288 million.


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Meet the Girls Series | BELDIN
My name is Beldine, a 15 year old determined girl. I graduated from primary school at (SHOFCO's Kibera School for Girls) and I am looking forward to joining secondary school in July at Westover, Connecticut. I am so excited and cannot wait to explore the world as a Girl on Fire. I am most delighted about making new friends and trying out new things. I feel elephants are closest to my heart. I love them because of their amazing behavior. I enjoy watching them in their environment. I even got thrilled when our Girls on Fire organization adopted an elephant called Kamok. From that I learnt to be responsible and to take care of my environment. I get hurt when people poach elephants for easy and quick cash.
My philosophy is: respect to others is respect for oneself. I love singing, drawing and reading series like Hunger Games which talk about a Girl on Fire who followed her dreams. I enjoy going for leadership camps which give me opportunities to interact with the girls that have no opportunity like me. I also enjoy putting a smile on other people's faces by teaching them on how to speak about themselves. It is always my joy to see them grow from being shy to confident girls.
I aspire to be a professor in linguistics so as to unite my country. I would like to change the tribalism mentality and embark on rebuilding my country, Kenya. I will devote most of my time in being an advocate for girls, especially in Eastern part of Kenya because it has girls who are forced into early marriages and hence denied a chance to go to school.
I really got interested in this after visiting Samburu with the Girls on Fire organization and hearing about their life stories. I empathize and sympathize with them and since then I have always yearned to help them. I believe that if I have a gift for showing kindness to others then I should do it without any reservation, a Girl on Fire!


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Untitled page from my large sketchbook project, acrylic and charcoal on paper, 30'x 20", copyright 2014 David Limrite
"It all comes from you. If anything is to have value it must come from you."
~Fritz Scholder, Artist
If you are in the process of re-connecting with your creativity, or if you are trying to establish a regular painting schedule, or if you are struggling with procrastination, inspiration or motivation…
…I have one thought for you to consider:
Start from where you are right now. And look forward.
Remember, the goal is to be creating.
There is no purpose in looking to the past. Nothing that has happened in the past matters at all. What is important is what you do today and from this day forward. There is no point in re-living past choices, decisions, failures, excuses, guilt, distractions, procrastinations, etc.
Take control of your creativity by forgetting about the past, setting up an area where you can create (if you do not already have one), establishing a reasonable, regular painting schedule, and finding a subject matter, idea or technique that excites you. And then begin. Start right now. Today.
Try to stick to your painting schedule no matter what. Manage distractions and interruptions as best as you can.
Have fun. Build momentum.
And most importantly, do not allow anything in your past prevent you from re-connecting with your creativity.


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Climbing The McMountain
If you've ever given someone a once-over and thought, 'Easy work.' Do yourself a favor and remember: no, it won't be.
There is an element to this video so base, it speaks with more volume than Conor McGregor ever could with his mouth (which is saying something — no pun intended).
The Mountain (real name: Hafþór Júlíus Björnsson) is comically large compared to McGregor. His traps are the size of McGregor's head. And The Mountain is in jeans. You can imagine the scenario: he shows up on an invitation from some friend who works at the gym, thinking he'd get to chat with The Notorious One. Word gets to McGregor, 'Dis 'er guy was de Mountain on Game e' Trones.' To which McGregor lifts an eyebrow, 'Is dat roight? Big fella, you wan to go a round er what?' So of course The Mountain tears his shirt off like Hulk Hogan and walks out onto the mats thinking he'd rip McGregor's arms off and use them as clubs to beat him to death. It's all a little playful at first then graduates to competitive quicker than a McGregor left. The Mountain can barely do a thing. McGregor makes the Mountain quit.
This video dispels the many myths about fighting yet confirms a basic truth, a universal truth even. Size and strength cannot win outright. Training and technique are superior. The time invested in learning the game trumps everything. Somewhere, Malcolm Gladwell is smiling.
If you have ever been on a sports team — or in a competitive sports environment of any kind — you likely have listened to a tough guy claim they could beat a professional boxer/fighter/ninja. More than arbitrary, such a claim is foolish.
I worked for a professional football team. A UFC card was coming to town so everyone had fighting on the brain. It was a time where every playful challenge was taken, where all of our former college wrestlers were dropping their teammates with low singles in the weight room. These play scraps were always in good fun and ended in laughter, one player's ego bruised but hardly dented.
Except, there was player whose playful challenges evolved very quickly from a tongue-in-cheek, 'I could go two minutes with Thiago Alves!' to a dead serious, 'Man, I'd kill anyone under 155!' Initially, as rapid changes in tone go, this was taken by everyone in the room with a laugh. He was just talking shit, after all. Except he insisted.
'Seriously, you've got to be stupid to think some 155er would handle me.'
Now, this player had a decent platform to stand on. He was 6'1", 205. He was athletic, capable of dunking a basketball with ease. He'd hit the weight room like a maniac since the season before and come back a chiseled Adonis.
Here is where that logic always falls apart. This player caught footballs for a living. If he had been, say, a defensive player, the leap of faith was easier; he would have been an aggressive player whose job description involved inflicted punishment on opponents. But no, he was a receiver. Hell, he was a deep threat, too, and wasn't much of a blocker so he couldn't make the argument he was physical by nature.
The idea he would be competitive against someone like Dominick Cruz or TJ Dillashaw is laughable at best, moderately insulting, and delusional at worst.
'Dude, they're trained to hurt other people.'
'F*ck, so what? I'd just grab the midget up against a cage and that would be it.'
'And what would you do once you had him there?'
'Hit him — f*ck, what do you think?'
I'm roughly the same size as Conor McGregor. I'm also one-hundredth the talent and likely trained one-thousandth the same amount of time. My guard is pretty terrible and that's about all I have going for me. McGregor would paste me. He'd throw, I estimate, one punch. Actually, no, it would probably look a lot like the Five Point Palm Exploding Heart technique from Kill Bill. He'd dash in, touch me with his fingertips and that'd be it. A few steps later, fight over. Also my life.
And if I fought The Mountain? It would go a little something like this.
We can always rely on The Notorious One to put things in perspective. After all, he only tells the truth (as he tells us). Putting a giant on his knees — literally — is about as much perspective one needs to be reminded: if someone says they're a trained fighter, trust them and walk away.


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4 Alcohol and Drug Rehab Centers in Kailua Kona, Hawaii
Kailua Kona is a small, charming city on the west coast of the island of Hawaii. Nearby attraction include the Honua'ula Forest Reserve, Kaloko Honokohau National Historic Park and Old Kona Airport Marine Life Conservation District. Temperatures range from 70F to 85F and the city gets mostly light rain, in many cases no more than an inch of rainfall per month.
Treatment Options
Hawaii Island Recovery offers the most treatment options. It provides special treatment plans for gays, lesbians, those with HIV/AIDS, women, men, pregnant and postpartum women, senior citizens, and Christians. Additionally, it offers court-ordered treatments for DUI/DWI offenders and other offenders. Hawaii Island Recovery offers residential long-term inpatient treatment, outpatient counseling, inpatient partial hospitalization, day treatment, and work programs.
Lokahi Treatment Centers also offer top notch assistance and therapy. These centers specialize in providing outpatient treatment and offer programs for men, women, individuals who need dual diagnosis, teenagers, and DUI/DWI offenders.
The Big Island Substance Abuse Council School Based Program offers help for intermediate and high school students. It provides outpatient counseling to meet the needs of young people who are struggling to overcome an alcohol or drug addiction.
Travel Information
If you are visiting Kailua Kona to seek treatment or to visit a loved one who is getting treatment, you will most likely want to arrive at Kona International Airport, located in the heart of the city. Affordable hotels in town with a good review rating include Uncle Billy's Kona Bay Hotel, Kona Seaside Hotel, Royal Kona Resort, and Royal Sea Cliff Kona.
Finding Employment
If you are getting outpatient counseling and/or are looking for work options for when you finish your treatment, then you will find that Kona has much to offer. Plenty of job opportunities can be found on the many job source sites online or in newspaper classified ads, and work options range from pet grooming to construction work, to working in social services.
If you enjoy living in a small city by the beach, Kailua Kona is a great place to be. It also offers multiple rehab options to enable you to get help with an addiction and overcome it for good. All you need to do is check out the various rehab centers, see which one is best for you personally and then sign up for treatment. Subsequently, you can find employment fairly easily and earn a decent or even lucrative salary.
Find a Rehab Center in Kailua Kona, Hawaii
Big Island Substance Abuse Council School Based Prog/Kealakehe Inter Sch
- Adolescents (teen) addiction treatment
- Outpatient counseling treatment
Big Island Substance Abuse Council School Based Program/Kealakehe HS
- Adolescents (teen) addiction treatment
- Outpatient counseling treatment
Hawaii Island Recovery
- Dual diagnosis treatment (Persons with co-occurring mental and substance abuse disorders)
- Addiction treatment for persons with HIV/AIDS
- Addiction treatment for gays and lesbians
- Addiction treatment for seniors/older adults
- Addiction treatment for pregnant/postpartum women
- Addiction treatment for women
- Addiction treatment for men
- Court ordered alcohol treatment for DUI/DWI offenders
- Court ordered addiction treatment
- Addiction treatment for Christians
- Outpatient counseling treatment
- Inpatient partial hospitalization/day treatment/work programs
- Residential long-term inpatient treatment (60, 90, 120 days)
Lokahi Treatment Centers Kona Office/Hillside Plaza
- Adolescents (teen) addiction treatment
- Dual diagnosis treatment (Persons with co-occurring mental and substance abuse disorders)
- Addiction treatment for women
- Addiction treatment for men
- Court ordered alcohol treatment for DUI/DWI offenders
- Court ordered addiction treatment
- Outpatient counseling treatment
- Holistic rehabilitation treatment, alternative treatment
**The facilities and organizations mentioned in this article are not affiliated with RehabCenter.net
Click here to view our Treatment Center Inclusion Policy


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Today, a few businessmen find themselves as blessed persons since they can build their organizations economically since you will find innovative engineering and strategies they've compared to older times where they're no business advisors or prepared to put in business models.
Innovation has become the actual inspiration to get a business to improve every product, service and sometimes maybe direction they've. If you're the manager, provide chances for everyone to think of unique and creative thoughts founded on the purchaser's view. You can browse https://innovation360.com/ to opt for best innovation consultants.
If you're simply focusing your thoughts onto one, divert them since there would be the so-called receptive invention to look for brand new ideas and technologies. Research what your company might do to own a meeting direction creation.
Integrate invention to the provider civilization. Come together smoothly through open cooperation between partners, employees, providers & first and foremost costumers since it's the safest approach to raise profit and also to acquire equilibrium.
Direction shouldn't be conducted by the pioneer. It ought to be an indication of responsibility and also you have to know about what she or he has to do.
A smart company direction benefits mostly from interactive programming, video conferencing, together with communications, and also other ways of managing gear for simple access and smooth functioning setting for everybody.
Building a culture of the invention during direction creation is significantly more compared to thoughts. It has to be steady, manageable and predictable. This will only take effect should you treat additional capacities on your coping.


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The once booming London property market has been slowing for some time now, leading to the north being the more impressive in terms of growth.
Areas of London in which luxury flats are concentrated are expected to be hit the hardest due to the Brexit vote. Manchester and Birmingham are projected to be the new high growth areas in the country.
Nitesh Patel of Halifax says that:
"Affordability issues suggest that price growth will continue to remain low. [But] outside London, there are few signs of significant stresses."
UK house price growth of 14% over the next 5 years has been forceasted by estate agents Savills, with London expected to grow at half that rate. The north west of engand is expected to grow 18% during the same period.
Wandsworth in London was a particularly poor performing area in terms of prices, with a fall of 15% recorded. This contrasts sharply with current hot-spot Blackburn which grew 16.4%.
The disparity between London and the rest of the country in terms of house prices is stark, at £484,000 for the average home in London compared with £244,000 elsewhere. The average house in London costs 9 times average earnings compared with 5 times in the rest of the country.
The property boom in London was in part fuelled by a lack of suitable properties, which does not seem to be the case in Blackburn.
The figures recently published by Your Move, showed that London's housing market continues to fall. A glut of luxury property developments may struggle to sell as it has been argued that the demand is no longer there. John King of Andrew Scott Robertson says that:
"The rest of the year is going to be tough, I don't see a recovery until 2021,".
Are you thinking of making a move this year? Our Mortgage team here at Westminster Wealth can ensure that you receive the most suitable mortgage for your personal circumstances, needs and objectives. Contact us today.
Your home may be repossessed if you do not keep up repayments on your mortgage.
Our charges are usually between £395 and £995 depending on the type and amount of borrowing required and individual circumstances.
North-South Property Divide Shrinks
The once booming London property market has been slowing for some time now, leading to the north being the more impressive in terms of growth.


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- Release date of movie : 2015-08-07
- Companies of movie : Studio Pierrot,
- Countries of movie : Japan,
- Language of movie : 日本語,
- Durationof movie : 100 Min
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Full Streaming Boruto: Naruto the Movie in Top Video Format with movie synopsis "Boruto is the son of the 7th Hokage Naruto who completely rejects his father. Behind this, he has feelings of wanting to surpass Naruto, who is respected as a hero. He ends up meeting his father's friend Sasuke, and requests to become... his apprentice!? The curtain on the story of the new generation written by Masashi Kishimoto rises!" in best look. Download full Boruto: Naruto the Movie in HD Format by clicking the button above.
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The ABC Of Affiliate Marketing
People will snatch up your cool offers, and earlier than you recognize it you will be retiring to an island retreat someplace. I've just finished organising an amazon affiliate web site that's about art supplies (I do not thoughts giving out the niche – take it, it is easy pickings) as a result of the objects are usually not expensive, and acquired with different associated objects. Email Marketing là 1 trong những phương pháp Marketing Online hiệu quả được rất nhiều Marketer ưa dùng. A third get together, or affiliate, acts as part of a digital gross sales staff by inserting adverts and links on their website, which can direct guests to the house web page of an established retailer.
Thousands of various e-companies function affiliate applications: E.g. barnes&nobale, dell,1-800-flowers, rackspace managed hosting etc. Michelle currently makes around $a hundred and twenty,000 monthly from affiliate marketing alone and has been featured in Forbes and various other publications, so she knows exactly what she is talking about. Amazon starts you off with a 4{e901b354ce8c6b62034fd0a58928895ce6a91247f07254d293a1af5036d1bfab} fee charge, which will get larger when you sell extra merchandise.
Their affiliate managers are really good as properly and will information you as to what you must do to make a profitable affiliate scheme for what you are promoting. There are dozens of holidays, equivalent to Halloween, Easter, St. Patrick's Day and Valentine's Day that may produce extra gross sales, if the advice and hyperlinks are well timed and interesting.
Hiện nay có khá nhiều công cụ giúp bạn làm Email Marketing tốt, và GetRespone là 1 sự lựa chọn rất tuyệt vời dành cho bạn. Amazon doesn't care that merchandise are put in the incorrect class which in part is because Amazon could not allow a seller to use sure categories that are really the appropriate ones for the products being offered by vendor. Here are three programs which have captured the eye of a lot of people, merely due to their stability and reliability.
Affiliate advertising just isn't with out certain dangers and challenges primarily kind unethical affiliates and the adverse perceptions online customers have about tracking applied sciences. Amazon Associates could be worthwhile due to the excessive quantity of people who store on Amazon; nonetheless, other on-line affiliate applications give larger commissions.


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(PRWEB) October 05, 2015
Logos Biosystems announced that the X-CLARITY™ Tissue Clearing System has been placed in Histomics, the histology core facility at the Brain and Spine Institute (Institut du Cerveau et de la Moelle Epinière - ICM) located in Pitié-Salpêtrière Hospital, the largest hospital in France and one of the largest in Europe.
The ICM is a neuroscience research institution dedicated to developing practical solutions for patients suffering from brain and spinal cord disorders. Its unique location brings doctors, research scientists, and patients together, ensuring that discoveries on the bench can quickly enhance the health and wellness of patients, while harvesting a wealth of scientific data. The X-CLARITY™ Tissue Clearing System was purchased to support multiple projects within the ICM by providing a fast and simple solution for studying whole samples without the need to section.
"The X-CLARITY™ allows us to perform rapid, efficient and standardized clearing of mouse and human brain tissue," said Annick Prigent and Benoît Delatour, the operational and scientific managers of the ICM Histomics core facility. "Access to the X-CLARITY™ technology will undoubtedly help the ICM research teams to better understand the 3D organization of protein assemblies and organelles in tissues."
CLARITY is a tissue clearing method developed by scientists at Stanford University that produces structurally sound and transparent whole tissues ready for multiple rounds of antibody labeling and imaging. The method has opened up a world of possibilities, from tracing neural circuitry to exploring the relationship between structure and function with a global perspective.
Logos Biosystems licensed and independently developed the CLARITY technology to make significant improvements for tissue clearing speed, efficiency, and reproducibility.
The X-CLARITY™ Tissue Clearing System from Logos Biosystems is an all-in-one, easy-to-use solution for electrophoretic tissue clearing. Its unique design accelerates the removal of lipids from tissues in a highly efficient manner.
About Logos Biosystems
Logos Biosystems is a South Korean biotech company dedicated to the development and commercialization of innovative technologies to support life science research worldwide. Logos Biosystems has been developing and producing automated cell imaging systems since its founding in 2008.
For more information, visit http://www.logosbio.com
Eunice Sung
Investors: Il Hyung Kim
About ICM
The Institut du Cerveau et de la Moelle épinière – ICM (Brain & Spine Institute) – is an international brain and spinal cord research center whose innovative concept and structure make it the only institute of its kind in the world. The ICM brings patients, doctors, and researchers together with the aim of rapidly developing treatments for disorders of the nervous system and enabling patients to benefit from them as quickly as possible. The best scientists from all backgrounds and countries come together at the institute to perform leading-edge research in this area. To help researchers advance in their work and give patients tangible reasons for hope, we must all play a role: government agencies, corporate actors, and individuals. No one can afford to idly stand by, because this fight is vital to every one of us.
For more information, visit http://www.icm-institute.org
Agathe Gioli-Viot
Scientific: Benoît Delatour/Annick Prigent


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The JetShear Technology Platform Has the Potential to Significantly Reduce GHG Emissions
SHERBROOKE, QC--(Marketwired - August 10, 2016) - Fractal Systems Inc. ("Fractal" or the "Company") announced today that ClimateCHECK, a leading Canadian environmental consulting firm, has completed a wells-to-refinery greenhouse gas ("GHG") assessment (the "Assessment") of the potential GHG emission reductions associated with SAGD dilbit when employing Fractal's Enhanced JetShear technology ("Enhanced JetShear™ "), one of the technologies under its innovative JetShear technology platform ("JetShear™ "). Based on the findings of the Assessment, it is estimated that significant GHG reduction could be achieved by oil sands producers utilizing Enhanced JetShear in their operations, which can also improve the sustainability of their projects.
ClimateCHECK determined that Fractal's Enhanced JetShear could potentially reduce GHG emissions from 5.4% to 11%, depending on the transportation mode, by removing 55% of the diluent from the system. The Assessment illustrates that in addition to cost savings and increased infrastructure utilization, employing the Enhanced JetShear could also result in a significant reduction in the GHG emissions associated with the production, processing and transportation of diluent in North America.
Fractal engaged ClimateCHECK to perform the Assessment according to the System of Measurement and Reporting for Technologies ("SMART") used by Sustainable Technology Development Canada ("SDTC"). The Assessment compared a typical Canadian SAGD-sourced dilbit with a SAGD project that is integrated with Enhanced JetShear to determine the wells-to-refinery GHG impacts.
Canada and other countries are legislating policies to limit GHG emissions and improve efficiencies. New technologies and approaches will be required to manage sustainable growth in the oil sands for the benefit of Canada, North America and the world. Fractal's Enhanced JetShear technology can play a vital role in the continuous improvement in the GHG footprint associated with oil sands development.
About Fractal
Fractal Systems Inc. is a private Canadian company with offices in Calgary, Alberta and Sherbrooke, Quebec. Fractal is engaged in the business of partially upgrading heavy oil and bitumen, by applying proprietary technology that has significant cost advantage over alternatives. The company will be active in manufacturing & licensing systems to oil producers and mid-stream companies.
Jetshear™, Fractal's first technology, has been successfully field demonstrated in Canada. The technology dramatically reduces the viscosity of heavy oil and bitumen allowing the oil to move more freely in pipelines for transportation. This result provides the owner or transporter of the oil to significantly reduce their costs and environmental footprint associated with moving it to market. Enhanced JetShear™ and the Acid Reduction Process™ ("ARP™ ") platform are currently being demonstrated in the field and are the focus of a $3.7 million SDTC grant announced in March 2015. Using these two technologies is a new approach that allows for further reductions in the diluent required.
About SDTC
On behalf of the Government of Canada, SDTC helps bring Canadian clean technologies closer to market, readying them for growth and export markets. Through its SD Tech Fund™, SDTC helps companies through the critical juncture when capital and scaling costs become challenges and the risk profile deters other investors. The SDTC portfolio is currently comprised of 269 clean technology projects with a total value of $2.5 billion, of which over $1.8 billion is leveraged primarily from the private-sector.
About ClimateCHECK
Founded in 2007, ClimateCHECK has delivered a wide range of services to hundreds of companies across nearly all sectors including global emissions inventories, international capacity building, due diligence for innovative clean tech projects, and supporting corporate leaders on climate change and sustainability.
Contact Information:
Joe Gasca
Fractal Systems Inc.
Cdn 1.403.910.1180


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Romp Around the World
We spent Sunday afternoon in Amsterdam. (I'm speaking metaphorically of course, and in a few days I'll stop with the Holland/Italy/Iceland analogies. But right now it's a coping mechanism, so bear with me.)
We attended the Romp for Research, a fundraiser to raise money for Down Syndrome cognition research. It had been on the calendar for weeks, but when I woke up Sunday morning it was the last thing I felt like doing. While Jamie and I are feeling much better about Geoffrey's diagnosis, we're still processing a lot, and this past week I've had many afternoons when I've had to slip into the bathroom so the kids can't see me in the midst of a crying jag.
We were about to walk out the door when I realized Johanna had pulled her shoes off. Jamie snapped at me—a comment fairly innocuous like "why couldn't you have realized this earlier" and something in me just broke and the next thing I knew I was curled up on a heap on the floor, crying. Teddy ran over to me in a panic. "Mommy? Mommy" he kept asking anxiously. Then he started bawling.
"Will you stop it?" Jamie hissed at me. "Not in front of them." And then, "why are you getting so upset over all this? It's not such a big deal."
I knew what he meant, of course. Compared to some of the issues we've had to deal with with Jo Jo, Geoffrey's vision loss is not such a big deal. We have talked to plenty of people over the last few days, all with amazing stories of individuals with albinism who grow up to be computer geniuses or Ivy League university professors or drive cars at 150 miles around a racetrack even though they're legally blind (okay, I'll admit, that last bit of information freaked me out).
But it's just one more setback, one more roadblock on a street that seems these days to be under permanent construction. My father's cancer has returned and he's now undergoing grueling radiation and chemotherapy. Jamie's father is in the hospital recovering from a brutal spinal surgery. We've both just been through so frigging much.
The next thing I knew we were screaming at each other and Johanna and Teddy were looking back and forth at the two of us with pale, scared faces. Then we both broke down, and collapsed onto each other. In the midst of the kissing and hugging and the "I love yous" I realized that I finally had my partner back. The man I married five years ago, my soul mate and the one I adore more than anything. We've shut each other out, recently, with all the drama going on. We've had to make so much time for everyone else in our lives we forgot to make time for each other.
We won't lose that, now. I feel confident of that.
I still didn't want to go to the Romp. As crazy as it may sound, I wasn't sure that I wanted to go to an event where I would be reminded everywhere I turned that my daughter had Down Syndrome. When we're at home, she's just Jo Jo, a typical three year old flitting around the house dancing with her scarves. I craved an afternoon with just us, our family, where we wouldn't have to think about Holland or Iceland or any other foreign country but just the five of us, playing on the swings and chasing the dog.
But everyone was dressed and ready, so we went.
It turned out to be absolutely the right decision.
The Romp was at Asphalt Green, in Manhattan, on a large playing field filled with families. Some of the parents there had kids with Down Syndrome, some were just there to support friends. There was a bounce castle and a baseball game and tons of music so Jo Jo could twirl around the grass pretending to sing along to Katy Perry.
Sometimes I feel uncomfortable around other parents who have children with Down Syndrome. It's not that I don't like them—I do—but it's just that we come from such different backgrounds. Many of the mothers are much more religious than I am. They talk often about faith, and how a divine power sent them their children, and when something bad happens they talk about prayer and belief in God and how everything happens for a reason. I just don't feel the same way. I'm agnostic, for one, and I don't believe God sent me Johanna, or Teddy, or Geoffrey, because he was trying to tell me something. I think at the end of the day it just boils down to which way the genetic dice rolls.
And while most of the time I'm okay with the fact that Jo Jo has Down Syndrome, there are days when I wish she didn't have it. That I could have my Jo Jo, without her extra chromosome. That's definitely not an easy thing to admit.
But wandering around the field with my three kids, talking to other parents, and watching Teddy and Jo Jo play with the other children, I felt at home. Comfortable. I was with a group of people who seemed to feel the exact same way I did, that they loved their children beyond belief, but were committed to finding treatments not because they wanted to "cure" them or because they viewed Down Syndrome as a disease, but because, like Jamie and I, they simply want a better life for their children. And as I watched Jo Jo pirouette around the field, I realized quite simply that she wouldn't be the Jo Jo I adore if she didn't have 47 chromosomes.
While we were there we ran into my friend Tricia, who has a five year old son, Ryan, with Down Syndrome. Tricia had emailed me a few days earlier, about one of her sister's best friends from college who has albinism, but I hadn't really processed it in the haze of everything else going on. But as fate would have it, her sister Marianne was there, and we spent some time talking about her friend, a computer whiz who recently launched his own mega successful company. "He's one of the brightest guys I know," she told me. "He can do anything he sets his mind to."
It was just another success story of many I've been hearing recently about individuals with albinism. Somehow, the vision loss just doesn't seem to stop them from doing anything and everything they want to do.
As I watched Jo Jo and Teddy slide around in a pile of brightly colored balls,I suddenly felt optimistic again. Optimistic that twenty years from now, there will be drug treatments that not only help my daughter reach her cognitive potential, but also help stave off debilitating afflictions that affect some people with Down Syndrome later in life, such as Alzheimer's. Optimistic that in twenty years, Geoffrey will be a junior in college and excelling in anything he sets his mind to, whether it's European history or rowing crew. Optimism that Teddy will gain so much from having two siblings with unique needs that in two decades he'll decide to pursue a career where he makes positive change in the world.
And, ultimately, optimism that I can mother three small children, all of whom have individual demanding needs, and do a halfway decent job of it.
Suddenly Geoffrey , who was in the Bjorn, tilted his head back so he was looking straight at me. It took me a moment to realize that he was actually making eye contact. He smiled, a huge, gurgly, babyish smile that made his eyes crinkle up.
It was a moment I'd been waiting for, for so long, that moment when my baby would look straight at me and smile because he was seeing his mother, and it was happening right here at the Romp for Research.
As skeptical as I am about faith, I guess I have to take that as some kind of a divine sign.


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South Shore Conservatory
location on Google Maps.
in new tab.
on social media.
At South Shore Conservatory, bringing people together through the arts is our passion. For more than 45 years we have inspired people on the South Shore and beyond to embrace music, drama and dance. SSC strives to make the arts accessible to all, removing barriers to participation, and welcoming everyone in, regardless of ability or circumstances. From the youngest students in our children's music classes and arts-based preschool and kindergarten, to students of all ages enrolled in individual music lessons, ensembles, or our palette of Arts for a Creative Life adult programs, we have something for everyone.
Beyond music, our arts offerings include drama classes, musical theatre, dance and ballet classes, music therapy and a variety Jazz/Rock/Pop Department programs. In addition, SSC's Creative Arts Therapies programs provides avenues for self-expression, inspiration, and hope, supporting the mental, emotional, and physical health of some of our community's more fragile members. Through Community Partnerships, SSC reaches out to communities where the arts are less accessible, and brings the arts right to their doorstep.
If you're looking for first-rate concerts and performances, there is always something to enjoy at either of our state-of-the-art facilities in Duxbury and Hingham. Discover what is here for you!


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KW films' first production "Stand Clear of the Closing Doors" is close to completion. The idea has always been to submit the finished film to festivals - not only in Switzerland, but also in other European countries and the United States. After we started post-production at the end of 2015 I started looking into the possibilities for festival entries in spring 2016. While modesty may be the policy in my personal life, it certainly isn't when it comes to film making. So seeing as we might be able to reach the deadline for Cannes Short Film Corner 2016 there was no doubt in my mind that this would have to be the first festival to submit the film to. Now my team and I are working hard to meet that deadline. We are cutting it very close, though, so keep your fingers crossed!
Yes, we Cannes!
Source: www.cannescourtmetrage.com/en/


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It has been delicately made by our trustee artist in Jingdezhen, that since over one thousand years is the most famous Chinese district for the china handmade manufacturing.
This gaiwan assures a proper brew preparation, due to a perfect manufacturing and material choice that doesn't affect the tea leaves natural flavor.
It is not only handmade, but also selected among others from the same batch to assure the highest standard of the brew, and a pleasurable tea-making.
The red Gaiwan color is a mix of blue, purple and red. The final tonality may be different from one to the other, according to small variations of the hand-crafting.
It is named Junhong, that is a peculiar red variation associated with the far away sky color in the sunset, the red going in a nightime blue.