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JS: Freud argues that religious feelings and sentiments--and especially the need for an all- protective father--are the reasons why people seem to believe in supernatural beings and engage in religious practices. He thinks religion is the result of infantile helplessness. Is that all there is to the story of religion? Is Freud missing something? Was Marx also correct to diagnose religion as 'the opium of the people.' I am persuaded by these thinkers and they have helped me to overcome any need for religion at all. But I sometimes wonder if both Freud and Marx were being too reductive in their thinking. Were they both missing something important about spirituality? Or did they happily demolish religion and get us beyond our pathetic addiction to its comforting hallucinations?
ZA: Marx's analysis of religion is extremely enlightening. The 'opium' metaphor reflects the manner in which religion numbs the suffering of the oppressed classes under an unequal economic system. By equating poverty with virtuousness and establishing the social order as divinely appointed, religion creates false consciousness which pushes individuals to accept their social position, by equating suffering with virtue, and action for social change with blasphemy. Marx saw the Church as an institution that supported and perpetuated the economic structure of a society, with religious changes occurring in response to economic ones, such as the Protestant Reformation arising as a response to movements away from feudalism, which would eventually create a capitalist economy.
However, I find the Marxist model a little simplistic, and would turn to Weber's work, The Protestant Ethic and the Spirit of Capitalism, for more answers. Weber claims that religion sowed the seeds of capitalism, with Calvinist values such as hard work and profit facilitating its development. Religion's influence on the economy was also seen in India, with the caste system's impact on societal relations shaping how people traded and worked together. Both Weber and Marx make strong arguments on religion's relationship to the economy, yet come to opposite conclusions. However, I feel as if the link between the two entities is a little less binary than the two thinkers present it, and thus would favour a combination of both models, in which there is a mutually constructive relationship between cultural belief systems and the mode of production, both shaping each other rather than there being one determining factor.
Freud's explanation of religion's function on a more personal level is very convincing, yet is reductive in that its analysis is mostly based around Abrahamic faiths. Polytheistic religions possess a range of deities, many of which have multiple functions and qualities other than offering Freud's paternal protection. Often the characteristics possessed by these gods mirror socially constructed ideals, such as war or victory, or human characteristics that are deemed desirable, like beauty or wisdom. The Palaeolithic figurine, 'The Venus of Willendorf' is thought to be representative of a mother goddess, with fertility being an extremely desirable human characteristic during this early period, where miscarriage and infertility were common. 'The Venus' exemplifies humanity's need to nurture and glorify the qualities we deem valuable, possibly indicating some of the motivations for religion today.
Nietzsche's analysis of Dionysus and Apollo as the two major forces in both Greek culture and human nature illustrates just how often deities may closely reflect humanity. This may suggest that religious worship can be a form of self-fulfilment, as by worshipping the characteristics that we aspire to possess, we are able to reflect on our own human nature and cultivate a balance of these traits within ourselves. Even the Abrahamic God can be viewed as an expression of the most ideal, perfect qualities humans wish to possess. Religion is often used to explain why things happen, and the prevalence of this question throughout human thought reflects just how important knowing why is to us. By worshipping an omniscient figure who simultaneously knows why and is the reason why, we are not just finding an answer to all of life's questions, but also glorifying the very quality of omniscience which we so desire to possess.
JS: A rich and lavish smorgasbord of insights and ideas. I scarcely know where first to apply the tongs. I think you are right to show the reductiveness of Freud's theory, and also right to suggest the other ways that religion reflects human desires, fantasies and needs. But the fact remain that we are the source of all religious phenomena. I wonder if you know this short meditation by William Blake from The Marriage of Heaven and Hell.
The ancient Poets animated all sensible objects with Gods or Geniuses, calling them by the names and adorning them with the properties of woods, rivers, mountains, lakes, cities, nations, and whatever their enlarged and numerous senses could perceive. And particularly they studied the genius of each city and country, placing it under its mental deity. Till a system was formed, which some took advantage of and enslaved the vulgar by attempting to realize or abstract the mental deities from their objects: thus began Priesthood. Choosing forms of worship from poetic tales. And at length they pronounced that the Gods had ordered such things. Thus men forgot that All deities reside in the human breast.
The poet thus prefigures Marx, Freud, and Weber and their various ways of characterizing the systems of religious and the motives underlying them. I think one of the most liberating and intelligent things I've ever read is presented in the simple sentence: "Choosing forms of worship from poetic tales." People would eventually nobly slaughter one another to advance those forms of worship. Indeed, we are now living in a time when killing in the name of one's God is waiting for us on the streets of London as we decorously consume our chateaubriands near Borough Market. But what if people never did choose forms of worship from poetic tales? Why were the poetic tales not enough to satisfy us? What could be more satisfying than a poetic tale, or a piquant myth, or a deified river? How can we explain the often disastrous 'choosing' of worship based on a simple tale? I wonder how the world would be different had that transformation never happened.
ZA: Blake argues that religion originated from humans filling objects with meaning from the world around them, until the deities they had bestowed upon these objects were appropriated by a system of more organised religion, alienating these gods from their human origin. However, regarding your last question, it is interesting to see how even faiths that are more humanistic, such as Buddhism and Confucianism, still possess the status and function of a religion. In light of these cases, the history of religion is more effectively viewed through a structural functionalist lens, rather than by focusing on its origins.
Confucius believed that the basis for a stable social order was found in the rituals and values of Zhou religion, but removed these aspects from their original context, and positioned them in a more atheistic, ethical frame. The function of this appropriation was to preserve tradition and order as the Zhou Dynasty collapsed, with Confucius seeing his philosophy as a tool to serve humanity rather than an objective truth, such as in monotheistic religions. Nonetheless, Confucianism serves many of the core purposes of religions in other societies – reinforcing a strict social hierarchy, traditions, and morals. Under Confucius's ethical system, people must act according to their relationship to others (most importantly, relationships between fathers and sons – an interesting parallel to Christianity) just as those in a theistic society are constricted by their relationship with religious figureheads, and the deities themselves.
However, it is interesting that Confucianism, with its strict rules, and lack of spirituality or willingness to answer fundamental philosophical questions, is rarely searched for when those living in East Asia find themselves in need of personal comfort. They more often seek solace in Buddhism (or Christianity, which is growing in popularity in the region), illustrating just how important the personal function of religion is, as well as its purpose in society. Religion's ability not only to console individual struggles, but also to answer the larger, more terrifying questions of the universe, is perhaps what draws so many towards it. For the individual, one of the most enchanting aspects of religion is the role of personal ritual in providing a sense of individual peace and satisfaction, such as in prayer or the repetition of a mantra.
Nevertheless, the purpose of ritual differs when it comes to ones of a more social nature. We enact many forms of personal ritual on a day-to-day basis, but not all of these possess the same all consuming, miraculous power as engaging in group ritualistic experiences. Durkheim stated that religious ritual encourages social cohesion and solidarity, possessing a functional role within society as well as a personal one. On this premise, it is arguable that the ability of ritual to empower and encourage cooperation is not confined to religious spheres– if you have ever attended a birthday party, or been amongst a group of avid football supporters convening over pre-match drinks, this is obvious. But what is so appealing about religious worship that makes it so much more pervasive than non-theistic rituals? Perhaps, it is religion's ability to exert an iron grip over society, in contrast to other subjects of ritual. Durkheim argued that group experiences of religious ritual helped to form a barrier between the common rabble and the sacred figure being worshipped, separating the figure from the powerless masses and thus giving it greater power over and within society. However, Durkheim claimed that this division was in fact illusory. To him, religion was society: the nameless, faceless force that we perceive to be a deity is actually the overwhelming power of ourselves as a social group. Perhaps Blake was right, therefore, to remind us of religion's human origins, as it appears that these have had a considerable impact upon its function.
JS: I think any religion that promises an afterlife—and they all do, not coincidentally—is going to be enormously appealing because mortality is such an awful prospect. Social cohesion and church picnics are merely a pleasant bonus in the here-and-now. But is not the big prize the certainty of an immortal life in some heaven or other, or in some reincarnated body, or in whatever other form that delivers us into a new and possibly deathless life? The moral or ethical codes established by a given religion or philosophy are a way of making this life rather less chaotic and Hobbesian until we reach that plateau where everyone is affable, has a nice glow, is playing the harp, and suddenly has perfect pitch. Religions are a sweet deal, in other words.
It's a shame, in some ways, that science and rationality have made religions so perfectly unbelievable. Darwin, Marx, Nietzsche and Freud all nailed the coffin shut on God. It's difficult to calculate the loss and gain from such a thorough killing of God. Most people now rarely worship anything except what Shakespeare so intelligently called 'the visible god'—that is, money. But at least money exists. But how far are we better off worshipping something so venal? Who can say? I imagine you can.
ZA: Money dominates societies, determining our social relationships, opportunities, desires, and even our lifespans. It appears to have overwhelming control over our existence, and thus its accumulation is the purpose of most people's day-to-day activities. Why do thousands work alienating, underpaid jobs in the dimly lit caverns of an Amazon warehouse? Why did Joe Keller send out faulty airplane parts, despite the possible consequences? Why was Mrs Bennet so desperate for her daughters to marry? Money.
Despite its importance, I disagree with your premise that we now have turned our attention to the 'worship' of money. Does capital's iron grip on our survival make its attention equivalent to the worship of God? Though the two share similarities, the world of finance is fundamentally different to that of religion. Shakespeare was right to say that money is the 'visible god' – corporeal, man-made, and lacking the fundamental qualities of a deity. Though money provides the means for a person to dominate the human realm, a god promises immortality of the soul in the afterlife. The former is a means to access power, and to acquire qualities that may even appear 'god-like', such as social influence and greater freedom to do as one wishes. Thus, money is a tool which one may use to achieve self-fulfilment on Earth, whereas God represents a more powerful metaphysical, epistemological and ethical role. Money is merely a useful tool for human exchange (never mind the huge social consequences of it), but God is where existence, morality, and the ultimate goal of life are derived from. Hence, our 'worship' of money cannot be equivalent to that of God.
Nevertheless, it is fair to say that both money and God are alike in that neither of them are real. Both are part of our cultural imaginations, with money, like God, only being functional due to our faith in it. This has been seen most clearly in how even paper currency has become increasingly irrelevant in our society, with the use of credit cards meaning that money has been reduced to a few ones and zeroes on a computer. Yet it is far easier to have no faith in God than in money, despite religion's enticing promise of an afterlife. Imagine trying to obtain the five loaves and two fish, when you have no belief in the monetary value assigned to them, or to the coins you are meant to buy them with. Thus, faith in money is necessary for survival, whereas in modern society, atheism is unlikely to make you perish of starvation. It is interesting that we have come to value money so much over religion, and this appears to speak to the differing roles played by God and money within society. Most civilisations have made use symbolic objects to facilitate exchange, and some have argued that organised religion is actually a result of the use of currency, rather than a completely separate entity. Early forms of currency were, like today, symbolic, and therefore people needed to have faith in their value to allow transactions to run smoothly. Therefore, to guarantee the value of these symbols, governments were formed, who needed a justification for their right to rule: religion. This suggests that money has ultimately played the more important role in our society, determining the function of both government, and organised religion's theocratic role within it. But what happens when people begin to lose faith? We have seen the upturn of supposedly divinely appointed social structures throughout history, and rarely has this lead to money being devalued. Perhaps theocratic elements of government played a role in legitimising early currencies, but this has often been irrelevant in the course of more recent historical events. I am not certain that I fully agree with the theory, as (just as you have mentioned) there are more appeals to religion than its functional role.
We have spoken of the way in which religion may have been the servant of money, but more intriguing is the conflict between the two. Especially for those without access to it, capital is seen as cold, callous, and unobtainable, in contrast to the omnibenevolent God who loves all his (puny, needy and grovelling) children. The ultimate goal of worshipping the Christian deity is of course eternal life, something that is obtainable to all no matter what their financial restrictions are. In fact, God favours those without money, with the Bible touting values such as humility, modesty, and pity, the slave morality promoted in resentment against the master morality (cunning, nobility, self worth) of Roman oppressors. The accumulation of wealth usually associated with the master is made equivalent to greed, selfishness, and impiety-- money is the ultimate distraction from God. The fight for attention between the two has impacted upon society ever since the rise of organised religion, sometimes even existing within religious institutions. From indulgences to corrupt evangelists such as Benny Hinn, it is obvious that the social construct of money still has agency within the supposedly absolute world of religion. Is it the nature of organised religion to become corrupted with ungodly, self-interested human influence? Though it offers metaphysical comfort, to what extent are we merely manipulated into belief in a system that mostly benefits the powerful?
JS: The obscenely-wealthy Catholic Church is the best example, perhaps, of what you are describing. Imagine John or Jesus or Paul walking into St. Peter's in Rome. What would be their reactions? Would they have 'Protestant' or 'Baptist' reactions? Would they be thrilled by the ornate magnificence of the Basilica (or Cathedral) or would they not be able to stop throwing up? But are other world/ly religions as guilty (and gilty) as the Catholics when it comes to ostentation and a fascination with power? How about Judaism, or Islam, or Buddhism? Is Christianity particularly good at welding the invisible God and the visible god together? If so, why? Certainly Weber thought so and believed that Protestants were particularly adept at making a religious work ethic go hand-in-glove with the spirit of capitalism. But is that what Martin Luther had in mind when he nailed his 95 theses to the door of the church in Wittenberg? The mountebanks and tele-evangelists on TV are merely the worst of a bad lot but one wonders if they are the epitome rather than a parody of Christianity. Who is in a position to say?
ZA: I feel that in many cases, it is difficult to judge how guilty any one faith is in its thirst for authority. When religions become the dominating force in a society, they are often reduced to mere vessels through which power is exerted over the masses. It is not a coincidence that many religions are centred on an omnipotent, monotheistic deity, surrounded by angelic messenger figures. This closely mirrors the hierarchy of Pope and Bishops, of Caliph and Imams, legitimising the structured power of religious institutions. Though the episcopal structure is partly based upon scripture, it fulfils another role, as a means to divide, conquer, and control, extremely effectively. The development of Church hierarchy since the origins of Christianity illustrates the coercive role that the clergy play(ed) in society. By not allowing women to be ordained, the Church Fathers ensured that their pawns would always be well respected within society, and thus more effective figures of authority. Now, as the fight against the patriarchy surges forward, the Anglican Church have ordained many women, and even encouraged them to take on religious roles. This helps to preserve the Church's status, as female led congregations are often more populous than those led by men.
Though historically, the Catholic Church was notoriously corrupt, and abused by many in order to gain power, the religion is perhaps best thought of as a political movement that was legitimised by faith, rather than a religion exploited by the ambitious. By the time that the Middle Ages were in full swing, the Catholic Church had unquestionable authority over Western Europe, functioning almost as an imperial entity, far above the power the monarchs of small, warring kingdoms. It was the only universal establishment across the west of the continent, churches operating as a propaganda machine to maintain faith in such a sprawling institution. Of course, the spiritual role of the Catholic Church cannot be underestimated, but largely its function was that of a political entity. The way in which the rise of Protestantism plunged Europe into brutal international and civil conflict is a testament to this. The Thirty Years War, for example, broke out due to the squabble between Protestant and Catholic monarchs, wishing to exert political control over certain Germanic regions. The conflict broke out as a primarily religious affair, but soon progressed into war over which power would rule Europe, the religious aspect of the fight being fundamentally interlinked with its political side.
Religious empire was not merely a European phenomenon. Despite the Catholic Church exercising considerable power over Western Europe, perhaps a clearer example of the intermingling of religion and power is seen in the Caliphate. True, it is notable that Islam was of a more political nature from its origins. Muhammad was a military leader as well as a prophet, and the role of the Caliph closely integrated religious and political authority. Nonetheless, the Caliphate functioned in a manner that was fairly similar to the Catholic Church, both being institutions that spread their divinely legitimated rule across the land, not only in the hopes of exercising authority over these conquered regions, but also to spread their religions.
Interestingly, in the Crusades we see direct conflict between the two institutions, both sides believing that their cause was legitimised by God. Yet the plundering of the Eastern Mediterranean also had political motives – the first Crusade, to unite Europe in a common goal, the fourth to destroy the enemies of Catholicism, consolidating the religion's power. Many historians have viewed the Crusades as proto-colonialist endeavours, while others, noting the rise of Islamic fundamentalism, have painted them in a more favourable light.
The idealised historical interpretations of the Caliphate in the Middle East has led to some groups, such as ISIS, to fight for the establishment of a modern day Caliphate, often through harsh, militaristic means.
It is important to examine why such an increase in violent religious sentiment has occurred. I feel that in part, Western imperialism has had a role in breeding such a problem. After the fall of the Ottoman Empire, many areas of the Middle East that were not already under European influence, became British and French mandates. The borders created forced conflicting ethnic and religious groups into single countries, and when European empires went into decline, these fundamentally flawed nation states were forced to operate as independent entities. In more recent history, destruction caused by years of war, drought, and displacement of large civilian populations have greatly worsened the situations.
More, significantly, we have a shocking history of ignoring and facilitating Islamic fundamentalism in the pursuit of our own interests. In the case of Saudi Arabia, where the West takes a blind eye to their religious conservatism, long list of human rights atrocities, and likely orchestration of 9/11, we forget our own 'liberal values' for the acquisition of oil. Similarly, Tony Blair proceeded to ignore warnings that the 2003 invasion of Iraq would only worsen terrorism, and went to war anyway. With both interior and exterior forces pushing the Middle East to crisis point, the phenomenon of Islamic fundamentalism can be seen as a 'foxhole' situation. Desperation causes people to turn to religion, and thus the idea of a militant, imperial religious institution may seem appealing. In an era of climate change, growing corporate plutocracy, and frosty foreign relations, why is religion falling apart at such a rapid pace in the West? Religious belief is not solely based on desperation, as we have discussed earlier, but why have these poor circumstances not prevented the decline of Christian faith?
JS: I think that's an excellent question. My first thought is that the West has simply enjoyed too much rich, healthy scepticism and doubt to recline in the soft upholstery of religious dogma and piety. Add to that the achievement of Darwin, Marx, Nietzsche, and Freud and it is no surprise that Christian faith had to decline in the last 150 years, no matter how unpropitious one's circumstances. Having said that, in lesser-developed nations various forms of religious faith and zealotry are taking hold precisely because there is still a sturdy connection between desperation and faith.
I think the West's sometimes arrogant presence in the Middle East is regrettable unless you think that in 200 years more democracies and fewer theocracies will be flourishing there because Western powers more or less gracelessly planted them. Is this a case of kicking the Islamic hornet's nest or would Islam have grown and flourished in any case because of demographics, birth rates, and its own expansionist ambitions? It is also difficult to discern how may religions are vessels for power or pure instantiations of authority and power. How can that be determined in any specific case? I am reminded of the old adage: hate the sin, not the sinner. But sometimes one cannot slip a piece of paper between them.
ZA: I agree that there are many societal differences between the West and the Middle East, which have facilitated an increase in the Islamic faith. The growing size of the region's population, due to improved medical standards and urbanisation, has naturally led to Islam becoming a more populous world religion. However, the increase in fundamentalist Islam is more of a political issue (in part, relating to Western actions in the Middle East) than a direct result of the faith's growth. Hatred of the West created a dislike of secular, capitalist societies amongst certain groups. Thus, a move towards theocracy was deemed necessary in order to reclaim Islamic unity, strength, and identity.
Nonetheless, it is unfair to say that Islam and democracy are entirely incompatible. Developments in the Middle East since 2010 have shown that, amongst some groups, desire for democracy and religious tolerance are significant forces. The Arab Spring indicated a swerve in public opinion towards democratic government, and were at first believed to signify the future decline of fundamentalism in the region. However, the sectarian movements, civil wars, and rise of ISIS occurring afterwards suggest that democracy, at least in the Western 'liberal' form, is far off. Revolutions rarely, if ever, achieve what they set out to. In multiple nations that modified their governments after the Arab Spring, apostasy is still punishable by death, and one authoritarian regime has merely been replaced by another. The case of Syria illustrates how such pro-democracy protests spiralled into civil war, owing to intergroup conflict, ruthless oppression, and presence of fundamentalist forces. While theocratic groups in the Middle East are obviously more zealous, people fighting for democracy are not staunch disclaimers of Islam either. In many cases, the atheism of democratic groups is in reaction to conservative, authoritarian Islamist movements, anger towards the conservative dimension of the religion leading to its rejection altogether. It is therefore arguable that it is not the nature of Islam which makes democracy so difficult to access, but the huge instability in the region.
The case of the Middle East highlights religion's role as a political movement against perceived threats to society, legitimated by the religious faith of its followers, and the divine will of God. Thus we return to its value in facilitating social cohesion and unity, in the consensus of a common belief. In this dialogue we have also discussed religion's human origins, and its personal, economic, and hierarchical function. Ultimately, it can thus be said that religion's fundamental purpose is to organise the confusing and inexplicable existence of the human race. It has had an overwhelming role in coordinating our survival, whether this be by dictating our beliefs about ourselves and the universe, or providing well organised, productive societies. Yet as our civilisations have become more stable and secure, and our understanding of the world has developed, religion has become less necessary. Nonetheless, we can never doubt its role in shaping our current reality. Religion is not to be brushed off as blind, desperate belief, but should be recognised as a major cog in the machine of human existence.


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According to The Hollywood Reporter, Walking Dead producer Gale Anne Hurd has picked up the rights to Relic and The Cabinet Of Curiosities, two books in the Special Agent Pendergast series by Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child. The books are about an FBI agent named Aloysius X.L. Pendergast who does FBI-like things like solving crimes and investigating mysteries, two concepts that are pretty hard to come by in television. He also really hates museums. Hurd's adaptation will be called Pendergast, and while it's unclear how many of Preston and Child's books are on the table, it sounds like the show will mostly follow the plot of Cabinet Of Curiosities. Basically, it involves Pendergast using his FBI skills and hatred of museums to solve a murder in New York City that mirrors a "century-old mystery" with "links to his own family's dark past."
Pendergast is being developed at Spike TV, so that network can now add "hatred of museums" to its "shows for men" ethos.

subset: commoncrawl


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Inflation causes Depressions. The solution is stable money, which Hayek sees guaranteed by competing money (a gold standard no longer being possible, in his opinion). Fascinating dialog, and our theories of where to go forward should start here.
Hayek's one sentence statement about the destructive effects of inflation bode very ill for us today. The giant inflationary bubble economy of the last 20 years has left us a legacy of massive restructuring that needs to occur. America has been artificially held high by the status of the dollar as reserve currency, enabling our entire debt- and deficit-based economic-governmental structure.
Hazlett: How does inflation cause unemployment?
Hayek: By drawing people into jobs which exist only because the relative demand for the particular things is temporarily increased, and these employments must disappear as soon as the increase in the quantity of money ceases.
Hazlett: Yet, if the United States, for example, went through a period of temporarily high unemployment--say we have double the current rate of unemployment for one to two years--wouldn't all the automatic income-maintenance programs, such as unemployment insurance, welfare, etc., run up such an enormous bill as to bankrupt the federal government, which already runs a deficit of S50 billion or $60 billion in a so-called recovery period?
Hayek: Yes, they probably would. There would be an enormous political struggle on the question of whether social-security benefits ought to be adapted to inflation or cut down. I don't think that you can effect a permanent cure without a substantial alteration of the social-security system.
Hayek: Yes, they do occasionallv. The trouble is, in the mechanical system what forces politicians is the gold standard. The gold standard, even if it were nominally adopted now, would never work because people are not willing to play by the rules of the game. The rules of the game that the gold standard requires [say] that if you have an unfavorable balance of trade, you contract your currency. That's what no government can do--they'd rather go off the gold standard. In fact, I'm con- vinced that if we restored the gold standard now, within six months the first country would be off it and, within three years. it would completely disappear.
The gold standard was based on what was essentially an irrational superstition. As long as people believed there was no salvation but the gold standard, the thing could work. That illusion or superstition has been lost. We now can never successfully run a gold standard. I wish we could. Its largely as a result of this that I have been thinking of alternatives.
Hazlett: You have, at various times, championed a commodity-reserve monetary system and competition in the money supply. Are these practical alternatives to a govemment con- trolled central banking system?
Hayek: Yes. I have been convinced that while the idea of the commodity-reserve system is a good one, practically it is unmanageable. The idea of accumulating actual stocks of com- modities as reserves is so complex and impractical that it just cannot be done.
Then I came to the conclusion that the necessity of actual redemption of the real commodities is only necessary if you have to place a discipline on an authority which otherwise has no interest in keeping its currency stable. If you place the issue of money in the hands of firms whose business depends upon their success in keeping the money they issue stable, the situation changes completely. In that case, there is no necessity of depending upon their obligation to redeem in commoditei: it depends on the fact that they must so regulate the supply of their money that the public will accept the money for its stability. This is better than anything else.
From an interview in 1977.
My Timeline for the Coming Real Estate Crash!
2 hours ago


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|Marta Urbanska and the Master
Tuesday, 17 June 2014
Valerie King's Krakow 1
The group, minus Peter Murray and the Purves, met the extraordinary Polish architect, Marta Urbanska, in the cellar of Hotel Niebieski. She told tales of Polish history, including Bolislav the Bashful and St Kinga.....
Posted by Jaki at 6/17/2014 05:00:00 pm No comments:
Thursday, 12 June 2014
The selection of this year's New City Building Award
The nominated selection Team of the Master, Paul Finch, Peter Murray, Richard Saxon, Matt Loosely and the Clerk visited seven projects completed in the last twelve months (and two which were completed in 2012) across the City, on a beautiful day. At the end, discussion was had over who the winner of our award should be and Paul Finch has kindly written up an Assessment for the Company. The Award will be announced and a presentation made at the Election Court dinner on the 22nd July 2014.
Posted by Abbé Henri Proust at 6/12/2014 01:13:00 pm No comments:
Labels: New City Architecture Awards
Wednesday, 4 June 2014
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Apartment for sale in Brera in Palazzo del 1600Milan Milan Brera - Moscova - Turati
In a historic Milanese building, whose construction dates back, as evidenced by the plaque placed on the main entrance to 1620 and also used as accommodation for the artists of the Teatro alla Scala, completely renovated in 2009, by a famous Milanese architecture studio , which, wisely carried out a conservative restoration of all the common parts and all the apartments, succeeding in creating elements of rupture, including the new glass and steel walkways to replace the old galleries, something not common in historic buildings, mixed with restoration of period features including wood paneling, rounded walls, elevator, etc., we offer a 133 square meter apartment for sale on the first floor of the building. Thanks to the thickness of the perimeter walls of 60 cm there is an excellent acoustic insulation and this also makes it possible to never let the temperature go down during the winter below 20 °. The property enjoys a triple exposure, has a "horseshoe" shape, the living room, equipped with two light points, has a southern exposure, which allows you to enjoy natural light throughout the day and overlooks a well-kept garden curated by a well-known stylist, next to it we find the fully equipped custom-made kitchen and also has two windows overlooking the inner courtyard. Another hallway, furnished with wardrobe, precedes the first double bedroom with en suite bathroom, like the second double bedroom also equipped with internal service. A third guest bathroom with laundry completes the indoor unit. The interior finishes including oak flooring throughout the house, ivory marmorino on all walls and Roman travertine in the services, make this property refined and elegant as it lends itself to any choice of color for the desired furniture. The triple glazed windows guarantee further peace inside the unit. Heating and cooling are centralized with the fankoil system but with a meter, so only the actual consumption is paid. Arrangement of volumetric and perimeter alarm system. Property also sold completely furnished or empty. Free to the deed, to see, asking price 1.350.000,00
Energy Class: kWh/m2
- Condictions: Renovated
- Heating: Central
- Floor: 1 - plans building 5
- Kitchen: Habitable
- Furnished: Furnished
- Terrace: No
- Balcony: No
- Year Built: 1620
- Lift:
- Air conditioner:
- Alarm:
- Air-Conditioned
- Security door
- Kitchen
- Alarm System
Floor Plans
- Type
- Sale
- Category
- Apartments
- Destination
- Residential
- City
- Milan
- Town
- Milan
- locality
- Brera - Moscova - Turati
- area
- 135 sqm
- Rooms
- 3
- Bedrooms
- 2
- Bathrooms
- 3
- Monthly condo
- € 500 included of Water and Heating


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Oral history interview with William Francis Lambert [Sound Recording 1]
- Item
- 1980-07-14
Tape 1, Side 1. In the interview, he discusses his family history, childhood in Portland, YMCA Spirit Lake Boy's Camp (1913 - 1916) working in timber and railroad industries etc. William Francis Lambert's family came to the Oregon in 1844. He was born to W.T. and Adele H. Lambert in Jan. 2, 1902. He attended Northwestern College of Law. In his adult life, he acted as Multnomah County Treasurer, 1936-48 and vice-president of First National Bank, 1948-50.
Lambert, William Francis


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These are all the News & Announcements posted on Wednesday, 4 June, 2014.
Lunch 'n Learn
The Friends of the Logan Library and the Logan Library present:
Lunch 'n Learn (You bring the lunch, well bring the learning)
Thursdays, 12:00-1:00 p.m., Jim Bridger room
[Please note new day and room]
Garden Series
June 5: Involving Children in Gardening
June 12: Wildlife Conservation in Your Backyard
June 19: Gardening for Butterflies, Birds and Bees
June 26: Edible Landscaping
July 10: Basic Garden Design
Posted By Logan Library at 9:25 PM in Category:Events
Link directly to this article.
The Latest News!
Oct 16, 2018
» Community Book Discussion Oct 10, 2018
» The Dead Awaken Oct 5, 2018
» Library Closed Columbus Day


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Wholesale jewelry refers to jewelry deals that are made in large stock lots at wholesale prices. Wholesale jewelry is sold mainly to jewelry resellers.
Wholesale jewelry suppliers need to be equipped to cater to demands of a large number of pieces of a single design or pattern. Wholesale jewelry suppliers need to place emphasis on efficiency rather than on creativity. The creativity part gets over when once a piece is designed. After it is selected by a jewelry reseller, the supplier should be able to supply the requisitioned number of pieces within a particular time frame.
The procedure for making each piece will need as much of attention to detail as the first piece was given. Jewelry is chosen mostly for its looks. So no compromises can be made in the production line.
Wholesale jewelry suppliers can either manufacture the jewelry on their own or source it from jewelry designers. However, several designers market their pieces themselves, functioning as wholesale jewelry suppliers. Either way strict quality control measures are a must.
Wholesale jewelry suppliers can even function from their homes. However, for doing so there are few factors that need to be considered. As wholesale jewelry suppliers deal in large stock lots, they will need to store large quantities of raw material. They should also consider earmarking adequate storage space for finished goods.
A ready supply of basic tools and supplies should be maintained to ensure that the manufacturing process is carried on smoothly. A ready supply of chains, links, bead bands, hoops, loops, clasps, certain commonly used precious and semi precious stones and the like should be kept ready for use. The working area should be prepared in a way that aids the manufacturing process of jewelry pieces.
Wholesale jewelry suppliers get into agreements with their buyers that specify the line of action to be taken on returns of unsold jewelry pieces and faulty or below par jewelry. So, due care should be exercised during the manufacturing process to turn out quality pieces.
Wholesale Jewelry provides detailed information on Wholesale Jewelry, Wholesale Body Jewelry, Wholesale Fashion Jewelry, Wholesale Costume Jewelry and more. Wholesale Jewelry is affiliated with Wholesale Body Jewelry Bulk.
Source: www.articlecity.com


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Quest for Infamy was released yesterday July 10th. If you were a kickstarter backer or pre-ordered the game and haven't yet received your key, you can use Humble Bundle's Key Resender. If you haven't yet purchased the game, you can pick it up at GOG.com, Steam, Humble Bundle, Phoenix Online Store, Desura, and Green Man Gaming.
Quest for Infamy Released
By Derek Wood|2018-06-04T10:13:39-06:00July 11th, 2014|Infamous Quests, Quest for Infamy, General|0 Comments
About the Author: Derek Wood
Designer of EVGA Precision and MSI Afterburner Skins. Author of Sierra Classics Launcher. Fan of Adventure games.
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The I35 LC is the result of a custom laminated construction technique that Bill Collings and his R&D team developed in pursuit of the best tonal qualities of vintage semi-hollow guitar design. When crafting instruments designed to be used electrically at higher volumes, the resonant qualities of a guitar need a high degree of focus to achieve some of the classic semi-hollow guitar tones. The I35 LC is the first of a line of laminate instruments designed to respond acoustically in perfect harmony with their electronics. Custom crafted in house for each guitar, the Collings laminate line has provided another unique way for us to voice our instruments for superior response and tone. The I35 LC features a custom laminate maple top, sides and back and an all mahogany neck. The I35 LC is among our most articulate and versatile electric models.SPECS
- Aged crackle lacquer finish and aged hardware
- 3-Ply Black Pickguard
- Faded Cherry Finish
- Select figured maple semi-hollow laminate body & mahogany neck
- Inset maple center block
- Aged white top/back binding
- Slim contour F-holes
- High gloss nitrocellulose lacquer finish
- Unbound "Haircut" headstock
- 15 degree headstock angle
- Rosewood or ebony peghead overlay with inlaid Collings logo
- Rosewood fingerboard
- Long mortise and tenon neck joint w/contoured heel
- 22 frets, neck joins the body at the 19th fret
- Medium-Fat "C" neck shape
- 12" Fingerboard radius
- 1 11/16" Bone nut
- 24 7/8" Scale Length
- Medium 18% nickel-silver fretwire
- Mother of pearl dot fingerboard inlays
- Fully adjustable truss rod
- Cream pickup rings and Amber top hat knobs
- Dual Lollar standard Imperial humbuckers
- 1950's Style wiring scheme
- CTS 500K pots and Xicon caps
- Switchcraft toggle switch and output jack
- Tonepros AVR-II bridge and tailpiece
- Nickel Gotoh SG301 tuners w/ vintage-style buttons 1:18 ratio
- Collings deluxe hardshell case by Ameritage
Following checkout you will receive a Paypal invoice if your order is in stock or readily available with the manufacturer. Your Paypal account , credit card or debit card will not be charged if your order is not in stock or available with the manufacturer. In stock orders are shipped within 1-2 business days (FEDEX tracking details provided). Un-stocked orders require a special order from the manufacturer and ship within 7-10 business days. You will not receive a Paypal invoice to complete payment if your order is on backorder or unavailable with the manufacturer for shipment.
The includes a 1 Year return to base warranty. This warranty applies to all equipment which has developed a manufacturer defect during application. Please contact us to confirm the availability and lowest price for any product. For quotes and price matching requests, contact us and include the competing website address.
|Sealed / New
|HKD Price
|Insured Value
|Free Shipping
|Hong Kong
Contact us for stock availability , price quotes , expedited shipping quotes or to arrange a return of your (for the full purchase price of ). You may return most new, unopened items within 30 days of delivery for a full refund. AudioBuy Hong Kong are very proud to carry a large selection of gear. You demand quality, reliability, and innovative design from your gear, and we're here to help you find exactly what you need. We're glad to answer any questions you have and you can always depend on AudioBuy to give you the best possible value on musical instruments and accessories with responsive customer service.
Online orders are confirmed in stock and ready to ship before payment is completed. orders ship FEDEX and will require signature upon delivery. Orders are typically delivered within 4-5 business days following dispatch. Fedex tracking details are provided for all orders.
Hong Kong is a free port and does not levy any duty on imports (or exports). There is also no sales tax or other import charges. The total delivered price for delivery to Hong Kong will be . Detailed information on import declaration procedures and import restrictions can be found at the Hong Kong Customs website.
- Buy products with confidence.
- Ships to most locations in Hong Kong including Kowloon , Tsuen Wan and Yuen Long.
- Return to base repair or replacement (1 Year return to base).
- Contact AudioBuy Hong Kong for detailed information about our warranty terms and conditions.


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A Historic Day: Indian And Pakistani Cricket Fans Are United For Today's INDvENG Cricket Match
These historic cricket matches are ones that unite even the worst of enemies and that is exactly what the ICC Cricket World Cup 2019 is doing at today's India Vs England match.
The two frenemy countries have been gybing at each other since their divide in 1947 and are now joining hands to support today's match against England.
This match has given birth to ENDLESS tweets and memes on Twitter and read on till the end to find out how India losing or winning affects Pakistan's position in the ICC league.
Today is your lucky day, this image can only be seen once in a lifetime
OK… incoming GOOSEBUMPS alert!
Spirits are running real HIGH on Twitter today
YAAS the most entertaining camaraderie
WINNER winner Chicken dinner! This one will have you in TEARS!!
A lot depends on tonight's match
The secret to the intense support hahaa
The fight to qualify is ON
To break down tonight's match, if in the result that India wins the match against England, Pakistan will have a better chance to qualify for the semi-finals. Although, if England wins tonight's game against India then in that case Pakistan has to beat Bangladesh in their next match to mark their place in the semi-finals.
FOR England, if they either win tonight's match against India or against New Zealand later this week, then one of the two – Pakistan or Bangladesh could still advance.
For INDIA if they win any of the three upcoming matches, against England, Bangladesh or Sri Lanka then this will 10000% put them in the knockout stage.
Although it they were to lose all three of the matches, and Pakistan won the remaining game against Bangladesh, they would be level on points.


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en The Effect of Swedish Massage on Glycohemoglobin in Children with Diabetes Mellitus پژوهشي Original Research Articles
Objectives: Diabetes mellitus (DM) is the most common endocrine disease in children. Massage therapy can improve glucose metabolism in DM. This study was conducted to determine the effect of Swedish massage on the Glycohemoglobin (HbA1c) in children with DM.

Methods: This study was an semi-experimental (clinical trial) conducted on thirty-six children, 6-12 years old with (DM), recruited from a clinic of the Qom City, Iran. They were randomly assigned to intervention and control groups (18 patients in each group). Swedish massage was performed for fifteen minutes, three times weekly, for three months in intervention group. The HbA1c was evaluated before and after intervention in the two groups.

Results: The average ages of children in the intervention and control groups were 9.05(±1.55) and 9.83(±2.03) years respectively. There was statistically no significant difference in Glycohemoglobin before intervention between two groups (P=0.491), but the Glycohemoglobin was lower significantly in intervention group in comparison with control group after intervention (P<0.0001).

Discussion: Massage therapy can be an assisted treatment in children with DM reducing the drug consumption by patients for the control of DM.
 Diabetes mellitus, Swedish massage, Glycohemoglobin (HbA1c), Children 16 20 http://irj.uswr.ac.ir/browse.php?a_code=A-10-1-56&slc_lang=en&sid=1 Zahra Kashaninia 180031947532846009994 180031947532846009994 Yes Department of Nursing, University of Social Welfare and Rehabilitation Sciences, Tehran, Iran. Akram Abedinipoor 180031947532846009995 180031947532846009995 No Department of Nursing, Faculty of Nursing and Midwifery, Qom University of Medical Sciences, Qom, Iran. Samaneh Hosainzadeh 180031947532846009996 180031947532846009996 No Tarbiat Modares University, Tehran, Iran. Firoozeh Sajedi 180031947532846009997 180031947532846009997 No Pediatric Neurorehabilitation Research Center, University of Social Welfare and Rehabilitation Sciences, Tehran, Iran.


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Take the elegance level at holiday parties up a notch with this French inspired make-ahead cheese spread. A blend of goat cheese, cream cheese, rosemary, and honey, it's crowned with store bought fig jam. Serve it with fancy crackers or toasted baguette slices.
How to Make It
Step 1
Process first 5 ingredients in a food processor until smooth, stopping to scrape down sides.
Step 2
Spoon cheese mixture into a lightly greased 1 1/2-cup mold lined with plastic wrap. Cover and chill 2 hours.
Step 3
Invert chilled cheese mixture onto a serving dish; discard plastic wrap. Spoon fig preserves over cheese. Garnish, if desired. Serve with crackers, toasted French bread slices, or bagel chips.


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Vic Firth Signature Series - Matt Garstka Drum Sticks
Sale Price $10.99
Corps master Signature Marching Snare Sticks are turned in hickory for strength and power. Each model was conceived through extensive discussion and research with the finest percussion instructors. The designs are a reflection of their musical requirements in terms of balance, feel, and sound color. In hickory, with a unique barrel tip and long taper for quick rebound and added control. Length: 17 Diameter .710


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Fred Cunningham Serves as Town Hall Panelist addressing Advancement of Women in Law
Fred Cunningham, a Shareholder at Domnick Cunningham & Whalen, served on a distinguished panel of local leaders gathered for a town hall discussion on the "Advancement of Women in Law" at the Main Courthouse in West Palm Beach today. The panel consisted of Judge Sheree Cunningham, Judge Daliah Weiss, Judge Jessica Ticktin, Fred Cunningham, Nicole Atkinson, Sia Baker-Barnes and Katherine Kiziah. The Palm Beach County Bar Association and The Palm Beach County Chapter of the Florida Association of Women Lawyers hosted the event to inspire discussion on how women can grow and succeed in the law firm setting and to encourage women seeking opportunities on the bench.
Mr. Cunningham is a Board Certified Civil Trial Lawyer with almost 30 years of courtroom experience and a distinguished record of leadership. As a leading trial attorney in bad faith litigation, he has earned a reputation for resolving complex cases, and his record of success is evidenced by close to $400 million in settlements and verdicts. As a community leader, he has served as President of both the Palm Beach County Justice Association and the Florida Justice Association as well as Past President of the North County Section of Palm Beach County Bar Association.


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Contents (2000 - 557)Skip to content
Environmental Planning and Assessment Regulation 2000
Historical version for 1 March 2010 to 25 March 2010 (accessed 15 August 2020 at 12:56) Current version
Part 4 Division 1A Clause 25G
25G Director-General to facilitate public inspection of relevant planning agreements
(1) The Director-General must keep a planning agreement register.(2) The Director-General must record in the register a short description of any planning agreement (including any amendment) entered into by the Minister, including the date the agreement was entered into, the names of the parties and the land to which it applies.(3) The Director-General must make the following available for public inspection (free of charge) during the ordinary office hours of the Department:(a) the planning agreement register kept by the Director-General,(b) copies of all planning agreements (including amendments) to which the Minister is a party,(c) copies of the explanatory notes relating to those agreements or amendments.


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Powered by talented influencers
Creators are the most important assets on TikTok. You should leverage their expertise to stay relevant now, and in the future.
Own creators
The creators are trained by our internal team on creating content for your type of company.
Down to earth
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Creativity first
You can get real creative is you're working with creators and are a short video first company.
Maximised ROI
We always offer a minimum return for all our collaboration because we know what works.


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Good, all-around excellent experience
March 5, 2019
My experience with Newlook Body Works was positive. Dan made sure he stayed in touch with us, and he kept his appointments. He did the job within the time frame promised, and he was agreeable to every suggestion. He did excellent, quality work. The repainting he did on my car looked fabulous. He was pleasant and eager to please, and a real "go-getter". I hopefully won't ever have to use them again, but if I need bodywork done again, I will go to Newlook. - Customer Lobby


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NDA download admit card
Hello sir I want to download the admit card of NDA Exam so please provide me procedure to download this admission letter.
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Re: NDA download admit card
UPSC conducts NDA exam in August and April month every year. Candidates can download the admit card for this exam from the official website.
Process to download admit card
The candidates must keep in mind the following instructions while downloading their admit card to make it a smooth affair:
Visit the official website of UPSC
Find the link of the admit card from the recent notification tab
Fill the information asked in the columns such as registration no. and password details.
Download the e-admit card and keep it safe
NDA Admit Card– Information Enclosed
The following information with regard to the candidates will be enclosed in the NDA Admit Card:
The NAME of the candidate
Date of Birth of candidate
Photograph of the candidate
Name of the Test venue
Address of the test venue
Date of examination
Timing of the examination
Instructions list
Important instructions
The candidates must bring the NDA Admit Card with themselves at the test venue and must produce when asked by the invigilator.
They must not bring any electronic gadget like mobile phones, pagers, calculators, tablets with them and anyone found with these items shall be treated as exam offenders and will be given to police for further probation.
The candidates must also be in possession of the items required for the test and will not be allowed to move out of the examination hall ponce the examination gets started.
The candidates should note that, along with their e-admit card, they are also required to take an alternative identification card like driving license, voter id card etc. ad produce it at the time of invigilation.
Important date:
Online form submission date start on 3rd Jan 2016 and close on 29th Jan 2016.
Exam will be held on: expected on 19th, April 2016
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New library rooms expand study options for different learning styles
September 22, 2017
Trying to finish those last five pages of textbook reading before your next class in a crowded library is a daunting task. The silent study room and collaborative learning lab are an effort to make the library more inclusive to all types of learners.
According to head librarian Alida Hanson, a vocal group of students and parents had been asking for a silent study room in the library.
"The noise level was rising in the main part of the library because students like to talk while working collaboratively," Hanson said. "When I tried to lower the noise, I saw that there was not one person making the room loud, just a lot of people at a talking at in a reasonable tone about their work. There was clearly a need for a silent study room." The room offers students a place to focus on their work with no distractions with a strictly enforced silence policy.
""Students and teachers both use the silent study room. The carpeting absorbs the sound so it feels like the room is totally soundproof," Hanson said.
Students have been taking advantage of the productive environment of the silent study room.
"I like it because other people aren't talking. It's nice because it's easy to focus on work with no distractions," senior Sarah Gottbetter said.
Other students have found it a great place to work with friends without getting distracted or off topic.
"The room is very relaxing and quiet, and it's easy to focus even with a lot of friends around," freshman Maggie Donahue said.
Another addition to the library is the collaborative learning lab which replaced the computer lab.
"All of the computers are gone and are replaced by desks with wheels. Classes can rearrange the room easily into whatever formation works best," Hanson said. "It's a great space to work collaboratively."
The lab can accommodate two full classes and has a projector for students to present or for classes to watch movies.
""Two weeks ago, Mr. Parker identified the collaborative room as a site for testing for students with IEP and extended time to keep tests secure," Hanson said.
The library had originally planned for one major renovation in the near future, but opted to make small changes over time.
"The silent study room and collaborative learning lab are an effort to accommodate all types of workers in our community," Hanson said.


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Campus Collusion
Review Questions for Test Preparation
Vascular Disorders
Medical Surgical Nursing
Review Online for Free
Lies about Study Techniques: Believe them at your own risk.
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________ are usually referred to as spider veins and are very small, visible vessels that appear
red or purple.
What is the most common symptom of varicose veins?
Ache or pain after prolonged standing that is relieved by walking or limb elevation
What tool is the most widely used to identify deep varicose veins?
Duplex ultrasounds
What should a nurse encourage a patient to do after vein ligation surgery?
Take deep breaths to promote venous return to the heart
What is done
after a vein ligation surgery by the nurse?
Encourages deep breathing, elevates leg 15 degrees to prevent edema, apply compression stockings and remove q8 hours for short periods, assesses pulse, temp., cap refill, color, movement, sensation
When should a patient apply compression stockings each day?
While laying down before getting up in the morning
What are the s/s of Chronic Venous
Leathery lower leg, brawny/hemosiderin deposition, edema, stasis dermatitis (eczema), itchiness, warm to the touch
What is the standard treatment for chronic venous
Compression therapy via wraps, Unna boot, stockings, etc.
What type of wound care is required for a venous ulcer?
Moist dressings like hydrocolloid, hydrogels, foams, calcium aginates, gauze moistened with saline, or impregnated gauze
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UAA's Student Union Gallery opened its doors to the public April 15 for an opening reception featuring pieces by UAA art students selected by Alaska juror Keren Lowell. Ceramic pieces and paintings from pen to acrylics to charcoal are on display in the gallery until May 1.
"Toasted Marshmallow Genie Bottle," a small ceramic vial is one of the many pieces in the show. It's placed on a podium in the gallery near the back left-hand corner.
"I really liked its shape and the fact that it was layered with some wood-fire elements and also some glaze. It just made me happy. I've entered plenty of pieces before; I was in the Juried Show last year as well as the Clay Invitational," said Georgia Tolbert, the artist of the piece.
"Beautifully Unsettling," a piece by Victoria LaCroix, depicts a figure in a gas mask with a pink bib and lace intertwined. The ceramic by LaCroix is mounted on the wall of the gallery.
"This piece took me a long time. I can't put an exact time amount. It was off and on. We had a project that was adornment with a figure, so I picked a gas mask and put lace curls on it. It makes something sort of scary and dark into something beautiful. I was in an invitational show last semester, but this is my first piece in the juried show," said LaCroix, an art major with a focus on ceramics.
One of the most popular pieces in the show is a blue and white narwhal covered in hundreds of tiny roses. The piece is mounted on two metal cylinders and is placed in the middle of the gallery. The artist, Carla Aannerud, is a nursing major with a minor in art.
"We had to adorn something that would be out of the ordinary. I started this the beginning of the semester. The whale itself didn't take that long, but there are 300 handmade roses and barnacles. I made the roses petal by petal. I cast the horn out of glass. It took two attempts, though! I had to make a wax model of the horn and then case it in a mixture, then melt the wax out with the steamer. Then I had to melt glass into it. The first attempt didn't work, so overall this project took the better half of the semester, but I really love how it turned out," Aannerud said.
The Juried Show displays art made by UAA students, showcasing the school's unknown and beautiful talents. The show runs until May 1. Gallery hours are Mondays-Thursdays from 9-6 p.m. and Fridays from 9-4 p.m.


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For every generation
Serving and supporting every generation and their communities across Britain for over 250 years.
Sophie: This ad tells the story of a beautiful black stallion and a cute little foal, embarking on an epic journey together.
Charlotte: We follow them as they cross different challenges, different terrains. And we see the relationship that they have together and the way that that changes.
Fay: We want to see this relationship between adult and child, and whilst you may think the older one is always looking after the younger one, actually, just like life, often the younger ones can teach older generations something.
Diarmid: A pretty major scene for us is when the two horses cross the frozen lake. The great thing is that the production design and the small set that they built for the frozen lake was really, really great.
Fay: It's actually amazing to watch how well-trained the horses are - they're just treated so well. But also just the passion of the people who look after them has been incredible.
Wayne: The lead up to the shoot - very important the prep-time, that's where it's won and lost. We used some little youngsters on the shoot, and the horses seemed to really enjoy it.
Charlotte: The horses work as a metaphor to show that Lloyds Bank is by the side of those different generations, whatever journey or next challenge they want to face.
The M-word
Conversations about money can be difficult. Most of us don't feel very comfortable talking about our finances with our loved ones. We try to avoid the conversation, change the subject, or put it off until another time. But sometimes those conversations are the most important ones to have.
Mortgage Video Appointment
Buying a house can be stressful, that's why Lloyds Bank mortgage advisers now offer Mortgage Video Appointments.
Going travelling
Travelling – whether it's a city or career break – should be a time for fun and relaxation. To get the maximum enjoyment, it's important to plan your travels, and your finances, with care.
From budgeting tips and savings accounts to choosing travel insurance, we're here to help you make the most of your adventures.
Important legal information
Lloyds Bank plc. Registered office: 25 Gresham Street, London EC2V 7HN. Registered in England and Wales No. 2065. Lloyds Bank plc is authorised by the Prudential Regulation Authority and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority and the Prudential Regulation Authority under registration number 119278.
Eligible deposits with us are protected by the Financial Services Compensation Scheme (FSCS). We are covered by the Financial Ombudsman Service (FOS).
Telephone calls may be monitored or recorded in case we need to check we have carried out your instructions correctly and to help us improve our quality of service.


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Writing in The New York Post, Charles Hurt noted that conservative Republicans fear John McCain will make a left turn if elected. "He will," they suspect, "return to his lifelong positions as soft on illegal immigration, skeptical of tax cuts and favoring strong federal control over things like campaign financing."
Wow. God forbid that we might stop the insanity of tax cuts for millionaires when we're facing trillions in debt, largely a result of reckless Republican borrowing from countries like China and Saudi Arabia. God forbid that we might have someone "soft" on illegal immigration (that is, someone uneasy about rounding up and deporting 11 million people and turning American into a police state at a cost of hundreds of billions of dollars). And God forbid that we might attempt to address a campaign finance system that is utterly corrupt and corrupting.
Later, McCain was booed at the Conservative Political Action Conference for not being outrageously narrow-minded and homogenous enough. Many in the right wing say they would rather have - gasp! - Hillary Clinton in the White house than allow for the possibility that any nuance whatsoever exists in the Republican Party. Some commentators, in a nice display of their idea of patriotism, said that after Hillary destroys the country, Republicans can win indefinitely after that, so it won't be so bad. Hmm. You mean after she gets us into an optional war, runs up trillions in debt and sits by idly smirking while eco-systems and coastlines face extinction?
Oh wait, that's what the last guy did.
But all of this isn't surprising coming from the right-wing extremists. Though they claim otherwise, their positions are rarely about right and wrong. They're about what wins them elections. In fact, many of the right's policies are directly contrary to the national interest and they hurt America. But in some way, the Republican Party usually benefits from them because the policy either a) hurts Democrats or b) allows the wealthiest to line their own pockets at the people's expense.
It's sad that we have a large portion of a political party that will choose their narrow worldview over the national interest. And, given the ideology of the most venal among them, candidates must vow to sacrifice the future of America in order to win their support. Why? Well, because they're fighting liberals and Democrats!
This became crashingly apparent, if it wasn't already, from the "farewell" speech of Mitt Romney. In disgraceful display of counterfeit patriotism, Romney claimed he was withdrawing from the race for the good of America because of the horrible things that might happen if a Democrat wins in November. Setting aside the pious, petty and obviously phony rationale - everyone knows Romney dropped out because he was such a bogus purveyor of mixed messages that he couldn't even beat a guy who's loathed by the very people that Romney genuflects before - his speech amounted to little more than an egregious display of anti-American partisanship. Oh, but that's what these people love. It's all about hating liberals and Democrats, you see, not about Republican policies that have overextended the nation's military, ignored the health of millions of children and mortgaged the future to China.
Never Miss a Beat.
Get our best delivered to your inbox.
Romney is among the nastiest of those right-wingers who employ what I call the SOL strategy - suppress, obstruct and lie.
It goes like this:
1) Suppress the vote because in fair elections with large turnouts, Republicans can't win. Here's a dirty little secret: most people don't agree with policies that hurt America - even if they do hurt gays or the poor. So, under this part of the strategy, we see such frauds as "voter i.d. cards" that affect only the elderly or the poor - those who are mostly likely to vote Democratic - and that solve a problem that doesn't exist. Or, we see the purging of voter roles (Florida 2000) that remove perfectly eligible voters.
2) Obstruct the passage of legislation that may actually improve the quality of people's lives, even if it is supported by the vast majority of voters. (See SCHIP.) This strategy allows them to argue that "government doesn't work," another lie that allows outsourcing to private industry which almost always proves more costly, less efficient and less accountable than government programs. Sure, there's waste in government; but don't you think there's waste, fraud, greed and criminal activity in private industry? Take a look at the outsourcing for war profiteers in Iraq. The Republicans actually love big government when it allows them to line their own pockets - just don't ask any questions about where the money goes.
3) Lie about their own message; lie about the Democrats'. Romney is a dissembling machine in this area - look at his goodbye speech. He loves to say Democrats want to wave the "white flag of surrender" in Iraq and in the war on terror. Never mind that no Democrat has ever advocated anything of the kind; rather, the fact is, the war on terror has been severely damaged by the war in Iraq - ask any national security specialist, including those in the Bush administration. Republicans employ this strategy on a whole host of issues, from gay marriage to gun control to health care to flag burning. For example, the Republican candidates keep saying Democratic candidates want "socialized medicine." Not even close. They say the Democrats are for gay marriage. Um, no. Some Democrats may support civil unions, but most Democratic candidates do not support gay marriage. Guess who signed the Defense of Marriage Act, which allows states to ignore gay marriages sanctioned in other states? (Hint: it was another person named Clinton.) Another favorite whopper - "Democrats want to take away your guns!" Nope. While some may want to ban, say, assault weapons in schools, nearly all mainstream Democratic candidates support the use of firearms for hunting or protection. Just recently I heard the right-wing's favorite theory about the Clinton campaign - that it was trying to appeal to the racist Democrats in order to stop Sen. Barack Obama. Um, actually, if there was any racial undertone there, it was about trying to make the point that Obama might have problems in the general election because of the racist right-wingers. All of these are classic propaganda devices - create false issues and accuse your opponent of being extreme to hide your own extremism. (When was the last time you saw somebody burn a flag?)
Sigh. One has to admit that the strategy has been successful - successful in electing Republicans. Never mind that America's economy, armed forces, health care, natural resources, educational system, deficits and foreign alliances have all been made worse over the last seven years. That doesn't matter, you see; they believe the country must be destroyed in order to save it - from the Democrats. Guy Reel is an assistant professor of mass communication at Winthrop University. He can be reached at firstname.lastname@example.com


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Mission Ridge Rd
Wenatchee, WA 98801
Event Specific Info
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Izzie's released Spring Eyeshadows and Aegyo Sal appliers for Genus Project mesh heads at the mainstore for Fifty Linden Fridays! Both sets have already been released for other mesh heads before.
The Spring Eyeshadows come in 12 colors with and without eyeliner. The Aegyo Sal set includes eyeliner, eyebags and under eye blush, separately and combined. BakesOnMesh system layers are included with both sets.
Please try a free DEMO before purchasing to make sure they work for you!
You'll find the sets in front of Izzie's mainstore near the FLF Event sign:


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Plain as DayThe poem is supposed to be plain speech. I'm just not sure right now if it's too damned plain. Or if my attempt to turn a few phrases and make a few rhymes has overcome that fact. I'm leaning more to the latter right now though.
Parker River Wildlife Refuge
Two birders from Connecticut
went looking for the Snowy Owl.
And I observed—while on the viewing
platform—as they approached, on the prowl
with tripod, scope, and removable zoom.
I knew my peace had met its doom
and offered them my place, and left
to look for something in the pine.
I wasn't sure exactly what—
or which allusion, countersign,
or signal I should there pursue.
I never got what birders knew—
you go to where the bird has flew;
don't wait for it to come to you.
~Son Rivers 2006
Saturday, January 28, 2006
The Great White Bird Poem
2 comments:
Gosh, about 40 years ago I used to go birding in the Parker River refuge. I did see a snowy owl there. I also remember getting the greatest ice cream on the way back--Golden Guernsey. Yum! But to the poem.Greg, I wonder if you've gone on with this, it is promising. I don't think the speech is too plain--it's mixed, in a way that detract, in tone and also in diction. The opening suggests comedy, but the sestet gets into darker Frost country. Go with that, it's promising! I agree with your sense that the line ending in "doom" sounds forced. "I should there pursue" isn't normal word order and it's fairly formal. Change "went" in the second line to "came." "while on the viewing platform" is prose, nonmetrical and also an explanatory footnote. Can you put yourself on the platform first and then have them come? "I stood as privileged, watching birds,/on a high platform. From my perch/I saw two people on the prowl/ [you didn't know they were from Connecticut until they spoke].
- aum dada said...
Thanks very much for the comments. It's been awhile so I had to go back to the poem and try to remember the spark behind it. You're correct about the comic start. But I guess I'd have to argue for the ungrammatical finish. That brings the poem back to its comic beginnings for me. Not only is the grammar incorrect (kind of some vernacular wisdom), but so is the lesson that could be learned from the birders. For the owl in the poem did come to me.
Anyways, I guess I still would keep the "there pursue" for the same somewhat comic reasons. But I could be swayed on that one. And I still am ambivalent about the "doom," but like it still the same. Maybe because it's so obviously rhyme-induced what with the couplet making its mid-poem intrusion. Following the previous five plain (prosy) lines. Like the poet has suddenly remembered he's writing a poem.
Lastly, I have to disagree with your opinion that "while on the viewing platform" isn't metrical. "While on the viewing" continues the iambic meter from "And I observed" albeit with the feminine ending. "Platform" begins the next line with the trochee followed by the iamb "as they." And I actually wanted the prosy feel, the plain speech.
As for comic and ambiguous. I think the comic comes from the ambiguity. Nothing after all is plain as day.
Again, thanks for the comments. I know I disagreed with most of what you offered, but that's more a reflection of my stubborn intent than the quality of your insight.
Best Regards,


text: A wonderful thing happened in the late eighties: life started to go online! And people often say that the internet never forgets. But did you know that some websites just close down and that all data you put in, gets lost? There is a group of volunteers that have been backing up websites just before they got removed: the Archive Team. Jason 'loudmouth' Scott Sadofsky is founder, historian and mascot of the Archive Team. Since 2009 he and his group of volunteers are making an effort to save your data. Hundreds of websites who tried to collect as much information from people as possible, like Yahoo, Flickr, Hyves and GeoCities and then give you a thirty day notice to quickly download your stuff or else it gets lost are now saved by the group. People, like myself, posted numerous pictures and years of information you want to remember on one of these websites and I didn't have the knowledge on how to download this from my page so my data got lost. But, then there is the Archive Team. They saved it! Why it is important? Well, so much of our cultural experiences nowadays are online, so it's necessary to prevent it from vanishing. When a website decides to shut down, the Archive Team can help by sending in the Archive Warrior. It's an easy to use gadget that can download your data and after that you can upload it to the Internet Archives. The Internet Archives are like a digital library offering free access to books, movies and music and about 426 billion archived web pages. Because of privacy reasons, the Archive Team can only copy web pages that are publicly available. There are a lot of people worldwide helping the Archive Team, by downloading websites and data or lending bandwidth or disk space. Sometimes hundreds of volunteers work on preserving our data. There are downsides of course. If the Archive Team decides to save data from a particular website and your profile or data is public, you have no say in it being preserved. But privacy experts see no concern in the work of the Archive Team. The common response is gratitude, that years of information is being kept and that people have access to their material which they anticipated to be available indefinitely anyways. Here's a tip: I'm a Facebook user. It is unthinkable now, but what if Facebook decided to close down? Years of pictures, memories, chat conversations, messages, replies from my friends on my page would get lost. I want that data to be kept and here you can find how to do so if you want the same!


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So we know data is important, but how do you maintain databases so that they continue to be helpful instead of stressful? Let us help you with some spring cleaning to get you to effective database management.
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Do you have set quality standards and expectations for you data collection? If you don't, you could be losing leads and revenue. Without quality standards, your data's completeness, conformity, accuracy, and integrity could be compromised.


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Catching a glimpse of rigorous evaluation practice: Catherine Collingwood
At the Evaluation Re-visited Conference I was blown away by Patricia Rogers� revelation that the linear cause and effect matrices that have long been taken to describe the theory on which social intervention programmes are based and against which they must be evaluated, are merely a representation of the theory. The matrix is not the theory itself.
As one participant put it �the theory is inside the arrows�. The theory is not self evidently present in the crisp statements contained in the boxes at different levels of objectives within the planning matrix. The theory remains invisible until there has been a social process of working with people to learn together about their reasons for making this choice over that one in the beginning, and this or that adjustment along the way.
It is in the process of understanding together the choices made, that the change theory generating the programme is revealed.� And so a rigorous evaluation practice seeks to evaluate initiatives on their own terms. It means trying to understand intentions and not only plans, choices and not only outputs.
At the moment in this field we call social evaluation, there are no visual representations of dynamically unfolding programme design. Neither do current representations include the �sense making� processes along the journey of the programme�s intervention.
To my mind, striving to make a visual diagram that more fully represents an integration of the planning, unfolding and sense making in each programme intervention, would be rigour in practice.
On a slightly less serious note (although I can tell you it was very serious when we were watching Bafana, Bafana, Cameroon and Ghana!), here in South Africa we have had plenty of opportunity to consider the notions of evaluation, practice and rigour while watching the Soccer (apologies if you call it �football�) World Cup. Many questions came to me, such as: How could you tell if a team has a rigorous practice or not? How would you go about evaluating whether a team is successful or not? Before agreeing to evaluate a soccer team, would you have to know all the in�s and out�s of the game? Does losing mean failure? Was it always the best team that won? Is there such a thing as �soccer best practice� to be used as a soccer evaluation template? Should each team be evaluated against their original game plan � or how well they adapted to the conditions that they met along the way� and so on!!!
And finally, a last soccer question: �What is the role of the ball in soccer?�
And one of my favourite quotes:
��try to love the questions themselves as if they were locked rooms or books written in a very foreign language. Don't search for the answers, which could not be given to you now, because you would not be able to live them. And the point is, to live everything. Live the questions now. Perhaps then, someday far in the future, you will gradually, without even noticing it, live your way into the answer.� (Rainer Maria Rilke: letters to a young poet)
Catherine Collingwood, evaluation consultant
July 22, 2010 11:21
Hi, from one South African Catherine to another…
I find your blogpost really lovely. There are so many things I'd like to respond to. But one point I want to reflect on is your one about visualisation and what is made explicit in our forms of representation or not. I hadn't really picked that up from Patricia's presentation but it is something I have pondered over for many years.
Language (and particularly written language) is such a dominant mode of representation. And because educational systems (in the West/North), particularly, value written language and explicitness so highly, so many of us have come to think that we can make everything explicit and can put it into boxes (which of course is also visual). And that by doing this we capture and represent the world. Of course this is a fallacy. But more so, in this, I believe we lose the ability to think relationally and to think holistically. We end up thinking in terms of parts rather than wholes. One of my favourite academic papers is one by Marilyn Strathern and it is called "The tyranny of transparency", and it grapples with how the representations of things peel away from the realities they are supposed to represent.
You noted that someone made the point about "arrows" being where the substance really lies, but in my view, arrows can also be misleading as they carry the idea of directionality and causality so strongly! It is "what happens in between the boxes" that is important, but finding good ways to represent that will always be a challenge.


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Sarah quilted it for me with a fleur-de-lis design
and the backing is another Bonnie and Camille fabric from their "Happy Go Lucky" range.
I've sewn some more "Cheerio" blocks.
Two more colours to go then I think it's time to sew with some different fabrics. Might cut out a "Star Wars" quilt I have planned.
Wasn't much time for sewing on the weekend - had too much to do around the house and visitors on Saturday night - a little holiday planning.


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02 November 2015
Day 28 / 105 - Owl Pellets
2 comments:
Hey. Are the coloring parts of an owl on that paper?? I'd love to get a copy of that if you can share.ReplyDelete
Carolina Raptor Center Homeschool Days are awesome!!Replies
Hi Suzanne ...Delete
I'm asking around about the owl paper. It seemed to be passed from tutor to tutor. If I locate the original in PDF, I'll let you know.
Thanks for the tip on Homeschool Days at the Carolina Raptor Center. We are eager to check that out. We received our owl pellets from there.
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'Big, freaky, old-time, voodoo style Big Magic.'
Like so many of you, I've caught the Big Magic bug. Consider me especially infected, thanks to this life-changing book, which is so goddam good that it's rendered me practically useless at times; not being able to do much more that attempt to clean my jaw off the floor after being stupefied by the roaring and relevant wisdom of Elizabeth Gilbert.
Big Magic has made the journey to my soul through my headphones three times now. This has turned into somewhat of a religious thing I do when a book is rich with resonance and latent with truth bombs – I flood my being with it until I feel it has become a part of me. I did the same thing with Danielle LaPorte's The Fire Starter Sessions (I reckon I could recite that book word for word to you, no word of a lie). I did it with Michael Singer's The Untethered Soul. I did it with Caroline Myss' Energy Anatomy. And I did it with T. Harv Eker's Secrets Of The Millionaire Mind.
Big Magic has given a big, magical voice to something I've been processing quite deeply this year. Liz, unapologetically and so very eloquently, has, with this book, granted me a very specific and plain old weird type of permission that I didn't even realise I was hoping for.
Permission to NOT make money from my art.
Permission to make money elsewhere.
Permission to keep much of my writing my own.
Permission to indulge in a collaboration with inspiration for no other reason than that it feels GOOD.
This is major, you guys.
Back in January, I said to a friend:
I don't want to ever have to create or launch something because I need money, ever again.
Quite a statement, as I didn't really know what the alternative to that would look or feel like.
These last couple of entrepreneurial years have been rife with just-in-the-nick-of-time launches. Launches of eBooks and online programs and affiliate partnerships and workshops, and of course, my book.
Launches that would enable me to suck in a few sweet sips of the comfort and faith that comes with a) knowing, hey, I just launched something pretty cool, and b) the financial exchange, of course. All of which I'm unutterably grateful for. The process of creating and sharing such projects has been really quite special, and I couldn't be more amazed, really, that I've been able to support myself like this since the age of 25. (Today, I'm narrowing in on 29)
But probably the aspect of entrepreneurship that isn't spoken of all to often, is the fear and uncertainty that can rear itself when you're in between projects. Or, the fear and uncertainty that can rear itself when you're in the midst of working on projects, and you have no idea whether it'll bomb or fly to the moon. (I've experienced a little of both)
There are big, rockstar-like, personal best, record-breaking months.
There are months where I've felt like I've held my breath until the next dollar comes in.
And I honestly came to expect that that's often what comes with living a creative life - particularly a life in which you're blessed to be being paid to express creatively.
But a lot of shit went down this year.
Where once I was a wide open book, I started to feel my pages fold back in on themselves.
Where once I felt as thought I was incredibly prolific – blogging numerous times per week, pumping out digital products, doing All The Things – I started to feel as though I were attempting to retrieve water from a dry well.
Put simply, I could sense how vastly unsustainable this way of making money would become for me, and quickly.
Glen and I were to be launching his organic meal delivery business soon, and that would require a lot of energy and focus. Where was I going to find the grit and juice to create and produce and launch?
What would happen to my business (not my creativity, my business) when I become a mother? I know how I want to parent, and my vision is that that first year doesn't involve much work, at all.
I know I will never stop leaning into that part of me that thrives on writing and philosophising and sharing, but today, if I attach that to income, something doesn't feel congruent.
At the New Moon in January, sitting in our hotel room in Japan, I projected this prayer:
I feel grateful as I effortlessly attract the support and systems that enable me to experience unlimited abundance.
I had no idea of the form or the details, but I certainly knew how I wanted to feel.
A few mere days later, in a move that totally shocked and befuddled me, I placed an online order for some essential oils (I caught a nasty virus in Japan and wanted to support my immune system as best as I could when I returned home), completely oblivious that that purchase would be my prayer becoming manifest.
I've been sharing and educating on those same essential oils for nine months now, and I could never have guessed that I would replace my income in that time; that network marketing of all things would be the 'support and systems that enable me to experience unlimited abundance.'
My creativity - filling back up, being nourished in private moments, still near, still stirring, pouring through me right this very second.
My bank account - on the rise, every month.
My sanity - in tact.
What this all means, is that I can relax a little.
If a book wants to rattle through me, I can allow it to, joyfully, without wishing for it to become a financial saviour of mine.
It means I can offer the teachings of Kundalini Yoga from my heart, with enthusiasm and caring, without worrying about how much or how little I might be 'making' from it.
It means we have the income to support our fledging food business, with a model that is sustainable and has a quality of certainty to it, while Glen and I continue to explore our creativity. Him - cooking. Myself - writing (always), communication (team leadership and conflict resolution), and play.
Some observations:
+ Many, many projects and ideas have abandoned me this year. While they once felt ripe, many have regressed, or moved on. I love how Liz explains 'losing' her novel to her friend, another novelist. 'It jumped out of my consciousness and into the consciousness of Anne Patchett's.' It's an incredible story, this one about her Amazon Jungle book that got away, one that will leave you thinking: WOAH.
+ When I feel into the process of what it would be like to get to work on projects that a) people have asked me to make, or b) things that I once said I would make, there's no mojo in my body. No inspirational life-force. Those ideas don't have prana in them anymore, and I'm left feeling like a wet blanket trying to wring myself out. 'All love becomes help' is a quote that Liz references in the book. THAT'S the place I want to live and create from. I'm not interested in a living a life that's reacting to the Suggestion Box of everyone else's opinions. I want to do what feels good to do, write what wants to be written (or not), launch what feels launch-ready… all because I want to, all so I can experience the process and the love and the growth and uncertainty of it all… without it being directly hinged to my pay cheque.
My shoulders instantly loosen when I contemplate this.
My heart feels happy.
Most importantly, I feel ease wash over me.
What I've seen over the last few years is an absolute movement of women who are 'heart-centred' and 'soul-driven' and 'led by purpose.' We need you to be like that.
But what we must also do, is start acknowledging the fact that you very well may still be broke. In the world that we, as westerners, live in, if you're broke, something's not right. We cannot have a conversation about holistic living and wholeheartedness if that conversation doesn't include taking responsibility for our financial well-being.
Let's not live in fairy-land about this. We need to look after ourselves.
Don't be the person who throws your middle finger up in the air at inspiration because it didn't lead you down the yellow brick road. No pity parties, please. Let's get on with it. Let's ensure that we're getting our basic needs met if we aren't already, and let's keep creating. For ourselves, for the world, it doesn't matter. But let's create without the expectation that our creativity owes us anything. If you're making big moolah from your art, rock on. If you're merely getting your needs met from your art, rock on. If you're not making a dime from your art, get a friggen job, and keep rocking on anyway. And please, for the love of goddess, read Big Magic.
It may just have you crying tears of sweet relief, as it did with me.
Have a beautiful moment,
You're welcome to share this post if it feels good.


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Derek Johnson (Owner July 2015)
I come to you from Pleasant Point, South Canterbury where for 10 Years I ran the Pleasant Point Hotel / Nelly's Resturant. When I came on a family hoilday here I just fell in love with Wanaka so much I decided to come back and purchase Alpine Motel Wanaka and Apartments. Crystal comes to you from Christchurch.
We plan to continue on with the progression of the refurbishment in the units, but I have already completed extensive upgrades – New bathrooms installed in 5 of our largest rooms in June 2017. 4 completely refurbished Superior Studios. All units have had installed Heat-pumps for efficient heating in winter and air conditioning on those hot summer days Wanaka is popular for. Gas hot water has been installed into ALL of our rooms, which means AMAZING shower pressure. Heated Ski Lockers for the Winter season guests and more!
We have also enhanced the childrens playground area, and BBQ outdoor area, as being a family with two children, we want to encourage families to choose to stay with us at Alpine Motel and enjoy the facilities.
We want to extend a warm welcome to all new and returning guests, and we look forward to hosting you and hope to give you a memorable stay.