text:
Interview with Designer Alissa Dinallo
Today we have the pleasure of talking with Australian Book Designer Alissa Dinallo. In 2015 she won Young Designer of the Year at the Australia Book Design Awards and in 2016, she won in the Best Design Independent category. Take a look at the beautiful catalog for the Awards.
Her experience includes in-house work for Penguin Random House and Allen & Unwin, as well as working independently.
I asked this award winning designer a few questions.
Out of all the work you've done, what is your favorite book design and could you say a few words on why?
I have lots of favourite books, each of them I love for different reasons. Most recently my faves are All Is Given which is an illustrated mosaic. I loved the design from the very first cover rough I drew, and luckily so did the editor. It's always so nice to work on a book when everyone is so pleased with the design. I also loved working on La Dolce Vita, an Italian cookbook which was an excellent opportunity for me to explore my love for Italian design and culture (being Italian myself). Another all time fave is Inexperience.
What is your latest book cover design?
Yesterday I sent a book to print called Outback Elvis. A really fun book to work on about a festival in an outback Australian town called Parkes, that celebrates all things Elvis.
Also, I see listed that you have a boutique press. Is BookEating Press an active venture?
It is an active venture, but no projects running at the moment.
Are you involved in any projects you'd like us to know about?
I am on the Australian Book Design Association committee, who are constantly showcasing amazing Australian Book Design and hosting a variety of events. Everyone should definitely check out ABDA
What influences you most? Color? Line? Do you prefer working with abstract designs or figurative language?
For me, influence comes from a manuscript. The style of book will inspire what kind of approach I take for my designs (abstract, literal, figurative). I am also a typography geek so I am constantly inspired by cool and wacky letterforms.
I have to say I loved the fusion of subject matter and form in the design of Memory Makes Us for which you won the 2016 Best Designed Independent Book Award with Zoe Sadokierski and Gemma Warriner. Where does your interest in typography come from? And what considerations guide your use of it?
I think an interest in type stems from having to work with it every single day. When you see someone else doing something cool or different with letterforms, it is incredibly inspiring. I'm always looking for new ways to push the boundaries with typography. There is also something quite therapeutic about hand drawing letterforms, I'm constantly drawing letters (for fun) on my desk or my hands or where ever! In terms of my guidelines, typography is always serving a purpose and as a designer you need to understand that purpose completely and serve that purpose properly.
How has your design process changed over time?
I have become a lot more methodical with my process. I have learnt the importance of visual and contextual research and will always factor in plenty of time for this.
Do you design book covers that are purely for on-line consumption? If so, do you use the same principles for that medium as for hard copies?
I rarely design purely for online consumption, but when I do I like to keep it simple. Consumption of media online is quick and instant, people have short attention spans on-screen and I like to make sure I take this into consideration.
In your opinion, what are the challenges of modern book design?
When working as a commercial book designer, the challenges you face are usually to do with printing. A lot of books I work on adhere to a strict budget, and you need to design to get the best out of that. You can't rely on embossing, gold foil or special paper stocks to lift your designs.
With respect to current trends in book cover design, what would you like to see more of? Less of?
New stuff! I love seeing designers approach book design in weird and clever ways. Its always so inspiring. Less of? I'm not sure! Movie-poster re-release covers?
Karen Faris is a Rochester, NY based writer. More about her work can be found at www.karenfaris.com


text:
About Pietzki
Oh wow, there may not be as much investment in art eh?
So what investment exactly are you talking about? I'm sure that government and community funding for the arts would continue as always, seeing as that's usually not motivated by commercial concerns. Oh, but maybe lady Gaga will have to cut the budget for her shows by what - 10%? In other words by a million or so? What a sad sad day for the arts community!
In all honesty - I do see your point, but I don't think it's a good one. For one, you say that lack of copyright would turn artistic performances into a hobby rather than a profession, and that artists would only get paid for shows - well guess what? That's just what's involved in making your art into your profession! If you want to make millions of your artwork then you can't expect to write a few songs and live off it for the rest of your life.. Let's put these words into perspective - the big artists (and let's face it - they're the one's who really benefit from the current copyright laws) make millions from each show!
Less draconian copyright laws will hardly hurt artists trying to make a living, but it will hurt those trying to make millions, and that's why they (and the record labels) are trying their best to hold on to the existing laws.
And this doesn't just apply to the music industry..
Good onya for having such a balanced attitude about this issue Mike.. I definitely wouldn't be happy about this situation if it was my work being used in this way!
And in regards to the whole debate that ensued: so the guy may have the right to copyright the compilation under U.S. law - I'm an aussie so I wouldn't know, and really don't care (instert southpark clip here) - but let's just put legality aside for a moment, because nowhere in the article did it say that techdirt was going to sue or even considering suing over this. All the article said was that Mike wasn't exactly happy about Evans attempting to lock down content that wasn't his to begin with. So, it may be legal, but is it fair? After all, the law is ideally supposed to ensure fairness, isn't it?
(Oh, please do nominate any of the flame-comments below for editor's choice "most insightful comment")

subset: commoncrawl


text:
FTN Copper Trackside Cables - NR/PS/TEL/00015 (formerly RT/E/PS/00015)
Applications Overview
We supply the full range of Network Rail-approved Fixed Telephone Network (FTN) copper trackside cable manufactured in accordance with NR/PS/TEL/00015.
Our FTN copper trackside cable is widely used in rail telecoms applications as well as elsewhere in the transport industry. It is suitable for installation in trackside concrete cable troughing or buried duct routes. Direct burial installations are possible using the Armoured Copper Trackside cable variations. This range is also available with a Low Smoke Zero Halogen (LSZH) outersheath making it suitable for installations in areas where smoke and toxic fumes may cause a threat to life and equipment.
FTN Copper Trackside cable - NR/PS/TEL/00015 - Construction
|PE Armoured
|LSZH Armoured
|PADS reference
|0.63mm: 6/168001, 6/168002, 6/168003, 6/168004, 6/168005, 6/168006, 6/168007, 6/168008
0.90mm: 6/168051, 6/168052, 6/168053, 6/168054, 6/168055, 6/168056, 6/168057, 6/168058
|0.63mm: 6/168011, 6/168012, 6/168013, 6/168014, 6/168015, 6/168016, 6/168017, 6/168018
0.90mm: 6/168061, 6/168062, 6/168063, 6/168064, 6/168065, 6/168066, 6/168067, 6/168068
|0.63mm: 6/168021, 6/168022, 6/168023, 6/168024, 6/168025, 6/168026, 6/168027, 6/168028
0.90mm: 6/168071, 6/168072, 6/168073, 6/168074, 6/168075, 6/168076, 6/168077, 6/168078
|0.63mm: 6/168031, 6/168032, 6/168033, 6/168034, 6/168035, 6/168036, 6/168037, 6/168038
0.90mm: 6/168081, 6/168082, 6/168083, 6/168084, 6/168085, 6/168086, 6/168087, 6/168088
|Solid copper (Class 1)
|Polyethylene (PE) Type 03
|Water blocking compound
|Petroleum jelly
|Impregnated paper and/or non-hygroscopic tape
|Moisture barrier
|Aluminium/polymer tape (Al/P)
|Corrugated steel / polymer laminate tape
|Corrugated steel / polymer laminate tape
|Polyethylene (PE) Type 03C
|Low Smoke Zero Halogen (LSZH)
These cables were previously known as RT/E/PS/00015.
FTN Copper trackside cable selection
As the foremost supplier of FTN copper trackside cables, our technical engineers have a wealth of experience providing technical support with the cables, their accessories, and applications. Please contact us to discuss your cable requirements and the rail specific innovative solutions we offer.
Range of Cables
Cable Standards and Approvals
Call Sales on +44 (0)20 7241 8787
Click to Email Us We will reply within 3 hours
Technical Hotline +44 (0)20 7241 8500
The Cable Lab®
UKAS-accredited specialist cable testing laboratory
The Cable Lab® our in-house cable testing facility, is UKAS-accredited to ISO 17025, which is the single most important standard for calibration and testing laboratories around the world. Accreditation to this international standard demonstrates our laboratory's technical competence and the accuracy of its results.
For our customers, it means peace of mind. They can have full confidence in the quality of our products and can demonstrate due diligence in selecting their cable supplier.
Our customers can also rely on the Cable Lab's services for an independent, objective and comprehensive quality assessment of cables procured from third parties.
About Eland Cables
Established in 1975, Eland Cables is a supplier of power, data, instrumentation and control cables and cable accessories to the world's most demanding industries and to some of its most prestigious projects. Our reputation is built on an unswerving focus on quality, technical expertise and customer service.
Our focus on quality has resulted in our in-house specialist cable testing facility securing the ISO 17025 accreditation. This certifies the competence, impartiality and performance capability of our laboratory and its evaluations. In turn, it means peace of mind for our customers with regard to the quality of the cables they source from us.
Our highly-qualified technical team is on hand to provide technical support with all aspects of cable selection, technical specification, regulatory requirements, and bespoke cable design and manufacture.
We are a key contributor to projects in over 100 countries every year, adding value through comprehensive technical support, reliable logistics, innovative solutions, and a customer-centric approach.


text:
Six squares
For Henry's birthday we got a few temporary Star Wars tattoos. He added a BB8 and a stormtrooper to each of his forearms and ran about believing in the magic of birthday parties and saving the rebel army. This morning his little tattoos were starting to rub off evidence of a good time and the morning after his soirée. Disappointed the pictures were not permanent, we chatted a little bit about tattoos and what they are and why people get them. Henry knew his Uncle Andy had tattoos and we tried to remember them all and their meaning together. Then he exclaimed, "you have triangles." And I do. In the way way back of the highlander I said that, "I waited until I was a grown-up to decide if I wanted something on my body forever and ever. I chose three little triangles because they represent you, Owen, and daddy. And you three are the most important humans to me in the whole world." Thinking quietly Henry said for his fifth birthday he would like to get six squares for his six ladies: mommy, Mema, Mom-mom, Alyza, Bella, and daisy. That is just about the cutest thing ever.


text:
Career Advice
Voice Of HR
Voice of HR is a monthly contest where in you, the HR, can participate and share your ideas, inputs and insights on the burning issues in the Human Resource space.
Post your article for any of the following topics-
- - Why HR policies need to change with the times?
- - Rumours: Ignore or treat them as information?
Transcript of chat on Performance Management
Transcript of chat with Dhruv Desai (Sr. VP Human Resource & Leadership Academy), Angel Broking
Gaurav: Once an employee enters a certain role in an organisation, over a period of time, he/she understands that they can do better in some other vertical too. Do organisations, in such cases, shift such employees in relevant areas to boost their performance?
DhruvDesai: It's the job of the line manager and the HR business partner to measure the relevant competencies of the incumbent and place them in the best job fit. Also, it is their responsibility to make such moves flexible as well as widely accepted in the organisation.
Rahul: At a senior management level (AVP and above), many a times, the job description is not well-defined. How can one cope with that?
DhruvDesai: Consider this as an opportunity to create a job description. Meet with the 360 degree stakeholders of this role profile and understand the day to day workings of this incumbent and contribution s/he makes to the organisation. This when validated by the stakeholders can be a good way to have first draft JD for the top management. You can also consider looking at the balance scorecard as base on which senior management's job description can be formed, although the first method is still preferable.
Abeerala: I am part of a global wellness company. How important wellness is for companies in the financial services industry in India?
DhruvDesai: Balance and wellness is most important for any people business as people are the only real assets for the financial services firms besides their brand. To have long and productive career its important that employees look after this balance and organisations encourage and sustain the long term balance and wellness of the employees or else "the steam would be lost before the victory is achieved."
Krunal: What is more important for employee performance - feedback or feed forward?
DhruvDesai: Feed forward is feedback for the future and we all know that past cannot be changed thus, feedback beyond a certain point is waste and thus feed forward is more profound and relevant for development and growth.
Rahul: If we look at the day-to-day task it mostly deals with MISs, but when it comes to the impact on revenues,, it's quite difficult to justify how much of amount have been impacted with your role.
DhruvDesai: If we look at roles such MIS it impacts decision making and if it's not done than it impacts the company future performance. Thus it is most important!
Create Job Alerts
Get best matched jobs on your email.
No registration required


text:
Has been developing in C# for 8+ years. Including MVC, Webforms, WPF, console and Windows Service applications. Primarily in .NET 4.0 and above
Has been both a team member and lead architect for various MVC 4 and 5 applications
More recent applications have involved taking advantage of ASPNET Web API. Our AngularJS applications made heavy use of these
Has worked primarily with SQL Server. Entity Framework with Code First Migrations has been used for the last two years with great success
Developed and architected multiple N-tier applications. From small websites to large SPA used across 9 countries
Has been developing JQuery enabled websites through out his career
Recent apps have been development as SPA with AngularJS. Including a large multi national application
Designs clean and well formed HTML using LESS, bootstrap, HTML5 and CSS3 standards
Has followed the Agile Scrum process. Following 2 weeks sprints and iterative development, continuous integration and regular deployments
Recently has been refactoring some parts of our system to use CQRS. Denormalizing data to improve applicaiton performance
Has started looking into DDD to improve system architecture and increase the system relevance to the end user
NHibernate has been used on a couple of personal projects
Designing a system that will truely meet the clients requirements takes planning and thought. One system does not meet everyone's needs.
If a system can not be tested there is little assurance it will always work as required. Unit testing is the first step in assuring this quality. Integration and smoke testing also helps ensure quality.
A system is nothing if it can not be deployed and used by the end client. Automated and repeatable deployments are vital.
If a system's interface is not well designed it makes little difference how well it performs as the user will struggle and probably give up using it.
It is not good enough to produce CRUD interfaces. Users should be guided through the application. Each action having a purpose, guiding the user intuitively to their end goal.
Websites come in various forms; blogs, a point of contact for a person or business, an online shop front through to managing a business' end to end process. Choosing which form to use is important.
A website application can manage many things. They can provide real functionality, improve a users experience and improve a business' progress.
People also underestimate the time they spend debugging. They underestimate how much time they can spend chasing a long bug. With testing, I know straight away when I added a bug. That lets me fix the bug immediately, before it can crawl off and hide. There are few things more frustrating or time wasting than debugging. Wouldn't it be a hell of a lot quicker if we just didn't create the bugs in the first place?
Transparency is valuable, but while many things can be made transparent in distributed objects, performance isn't usually one of them.
An idea isn't worth that much. It's the execution of the idea that has value. If you can't convince one other person that this is something to devote your life to, then it's not worth it.
Listen to your customers, not your competitors
There's a subtle reason that programmers always want to throw away the code and start over. The reason is that they think the old code is a mess. And here is the interesting observation: they are probably wrong. The reason that they think the old code is a mess is because of a cardinal, fundamental law of programming: It's harder to read code than to write it.


text:
Hardware/Software Requirements
Q: Do I need to purchase software and user licenses for each user in my office to use EMR-Bear?
A: No. EMR-Bear is Software as a Service (SaaS). Just like the Websites we now use for accessing free email or for doing our online banking, EMR-Bear is a Web-based service that you can access securely using a unique username and password and requires nothing more than a computer with Internet access and a Web browser. We recommend Chrome as the web browser.
Q: What hardware do I need to use EMR-Bear from my computer?
A: With EMR-Bear, there is no need to purchase special hardware – even when taking advantage of features like electronic prescriptions. All you need is a computer with Internet access.
Subscriptions, Charges, and Account Management
Q: How much do software upgrades cost and how often do I have to pay for them?
A: Zero and never! As a subscriber to EMR-Bear, you will always have access to the latest version of the software. And because behavioral health is a constantly-changing field, we will continually improve upon EMR-Bear with the goal of making the system as efficient, comprehensive, and easy-to-use as possible.
Q: Will I be able to get reimbursed with stimulus funds if I subscribe to EMR-Bear?
A: The HITECH Act gives incentive payments for "eligible professionals" for implementation of a certified Electronic Health Record. EMR-Bear is certification ready and meets current stimulus package reimbursement criteria by offering the following functionality: 1) Electronic Prescription capabilities; 2) Electronic exchange of health records among providers; and 3) Ability to submit clinical quality measures. Learn more about the HITECH Act here.
Q: What happens if I want to cancel my subscription?
A: If you decided to end your subscription with EMR-Bear, we will work with you to provide to you your client data and documentation in a way that will be most helpful to you. This may mean providing that data to you on an external drive for accessing data as needed, it may mean allowing you to continue to log into your system on a "read-only" basis, or it may mean providing your data to you in a format that will allow you to input it into a new system.


text:
Heather Bambrick & Friends
Saturday, July 30, 2 pm
Sponsored by Elieff-Emery Group of Companies, metaphorhome, World's Finest Chocolate
"High standards" with a great Canadian jazz songstress Heather is a consummate entertainer, bringing audiences to their feet at some of the country's most prestigious music festivals, jazz clubs, and concert halls. Her live shows are a combination of timeless songs, brilliant musicianship, and Heather's unique sense of humour – all adding up to pure entertainment. For this, and more, she's been named "Female Vocalist of the Year" at Canada's National Jazz Awards. Heather is in demand as a vocalist, voice actor, broadcaster,
and educator. She has worked with a vast array of artists, including Phil Nimmons, Kenny Wheeler, Fred Hirsch, Gene DiNovi, Guido Basso, Lea Delaria, Anne Hampton Callaway, John Lamb, Carol Welsman, Jackie Richardson, Denzal Sinclaire, Ian Shaw, as well as the late Rob McConnell and Peter Appleyard.
All prices include tax
- $42 Adult
- $40 Senior
- $15 Student & Under 30
- $5 Youth (18 & Under)


text:
'A moody masterpiece' -The Ransom Note
Allmusic.com (US) - "Perhaps the strongest full-length electronic release from Denmark since Trentemøller's The Last Resort"
Dazed & Confused (UK) - "Each track is a bang on the Krona"
Nylon Magazine (US) - "Darkly emotional stuff with echoes of Bowie, Joy Division & Nick Cave"
Artrocker (US) - "…couldn't ask for anything better - and we mean that sincerely"
Time Out NYC (US) - "Wherever that Utopia is, just hope Bjørke hangs out there a while longer—it seems to suit him…"
DJ Mag (UK) - "playful, intricate, uplifting…"
Clash (UK)- "Sophisticated…the guests are the cherry on top of this chilly outing"
Beatportal.com (US)- "Kasper Bjørke could become one of the year's biggest indie-dance crossover success stories. Keep an eye on him"
Dmcupdate.com (US) - "…stays in the mind for a long time after just the first listen" 5/5 (essential)
Selected Danish press:
5/6 Gaffa
5/6 Mode Magasinet
4/6 Politiken
4/6 Urban
4/6 Soundvenue / MetroXpress
4/6 Euroman
Selected International press quotes for the debut album "In Gumbo" (2007):
"Cinematic, immersive synth disco that sounds like a million dollars... could be this season´s House Of Jealous Lovers, for the new italo youth"
(Vice magazine, UK) 8/10
"An adventurous, dark and moody record with plenty of sophisticated and welldeveloped ideas"
(Future Music / UK)
"Maybe it´s this combination of organic Lindstrøm sounds, DFA playfullness and Get Physical club approach that I'm totally celebrating this record. I already knew that Kasper's a great DJ... now I'm happy to have found out he's a fantastic producer as well.
(Lodown Magazine / GER) 9/10
"Filled with epic tracks and huge mixes, it is quite clear why this artist is famed throughout the world."
(BPM Magazine / US)
"A truly complete album with depth and character".
(Palms Out Sounds, US)


text:
Loving the crew at Beachworks Shops!!
The Element Eden family of designers and our advocate Amy Purdy, all got to meet up with the in-store crew of Beachworks this week for dinner, prizes and talk of the recent Holiday line and upcoming Spring line of 2011!! What a fun crew, thanks for coming to see us at the office Beachworks!!
Check it out: Beachworks


text:
Folly Farm wins Fairtrade Gold Award!
Folly Farm Centre has received a Gold Award at the South West Fairtrade Business Awards, in a packed ceremony on Friday 6 March at the Watershed in Bristol. Leading Bristol business Aardman Animations partnered with the Fairtrade heroes at Divine Chocolate to present the awards, concluding a Fairtrade Fortnight in the region.
The 150 business leaders who attended thoroughly enjoyed hearing from Sophi Trancell, Managing Director of Divine Chocolate and Laura Daniel, Licensing Manager at Aardman on their business collaboration on the Shaun the Sheep Fairtrade Easter Egg, demonstrating how incorporating Fairtrade into a business has massive impacts on farmers in developing countries. Many were seen sporting their Shaun the Sheep headbands as they left the event!
Folly Farm's conference centre supports Fairtrade, not only to show commitment to fairness by ensuring a fair price is paid to producers but also to strengthen the Centre's commitment to the natural environment. When producers receive a fair price for their goods their income increases meaning they can afford to consider environmental farming methods. Being managed by Avon Wildlife Trust, environmental sustainability is an important factor to the Centre. As well as a range of eco features at the venue, all profits from conferences are gift-aided back to the Trust, to protect local wildlife.
Centre Director Andrew Lund-Yates said: "We are delighted to be awarded gold. We proudly support Fairtrade by using Fairtrade products in our conference centre. It promotes fair business and helps the environment too, which is fundamental to our ethos."
Now in their third year, the Awards reward businesses that demonstrate commitment to using and promoting Fairtrade. This year there was a 40% increase in applications and a 100% increase in Gold Award winners, demonstrating an impressive level of commitment amongst South West businesses to fair and ethical trade.
Image credit: Jon Craig


text:
In the past, there has been many gimmicks used during proposals that has trended and became viral all over the social media world. Despite these numerous gimmicks, people still tend to show off their creative nature by improvising and making their own proposal a unique one.
Just like this man who took the standard of proposals to an entirely new level!
In a video posted by the Facebook page, Viral Sach, a man and a woman was first seen standing side by side in the middle of a football field. The woman was seen wearing a blindfold before the man instructed her to take off the blindfold.
Also seen in the video were a few people behind the couple and a giant gift box in front of the girl. The girl was holding on to the ribbon that can instantly unfold what was inside the giant gift box.
After saying a few more words to the girl, the guy then finally instructs her to let go of the ribbon.
At first, it was just pink balloons that sprung out of the box. Surprisingly, in the middle of the box is a pink colored car. The girl simply can't contain her surprised expression and she was even more surprised when the guy suddenly went down on his knees, produced a ring and popped the question.
The girl immediately gave her sweet YES to the guy without any hesitation.
The whole video was just too full of love and happiness and we wish that these too will be present all throughout the remaining journey of the soon to be wed couple.
Watch Video:


text:
Lines 1-5
The poet directly asserts that the acquaintance to whom the poem is about once actively sought his company, yet now avoids him. The acquaintance had formerly been exposed in his chamber, and presented as a mild, disciplined and docile character; but is now unpredictable and has forgotten their former intimacy. The relationship has been unsafe for the acquaintance on occasion.
Lines 6-9
The danger has been in being close to the poet, eating together. The change now sees the acquaintance looking further abroad in search of new interests. The poet is grateful that this was not the situation in the past; the relationship has been at least twenty times better.
Lines 10-14
Wearing thin clothing, after a pleasant show, 'her' loose dress fell from her shoulders. She took the poet in her arms and kissed him tenderly. She then asked him directly if he was happy.
Lines 15-17
He recalls that this was not a dream as he was fully awake. He next notes that everything has now changed because of his mild nature, to a cruel situation of his abandonment.
Lines 18-21
He is now released from her for decency's sake, and she is released to allow a new encounter. However, he questions, has he has been treated badly, what is the reader's view? What is 'she' now worthy of?
The poem employs the technique of rime royal, used most notably by Geoffrey Chaucer. The technique consists of a seven-line structure, using iambic pentameter with the rhyme scheme ABABBCC. There are two ways in which the septet is structured: the tercet and two couplets (ABA, BB, CC) and the quatrain and tercet (ABAB, BCC). 'They Flee From Me' uses both structures within its 21 lines: the tercet and couplets in lines 1-7 and the quatrain and tercet for lines 8-14 and 15-21. The poem presents three key ideas which are enhanced by this structure: that the poet is now rejected, that he was once favored and that there is a question as to how his lover should fare now she has abandoned him.
Lines 1-7
The poet begins in direct fashion, showing a paradox within the first line. 'They' now run from him, who formerly sought him out. The image of the 'naked foot' implies an intimate liaison, and the verb 'stalking' suggests that the visitor was the instigator of the association. Line 3 explains that this association was set in the poet's room, adding to the tone of intimacy and secrecy in the relationship.
In line 3, the former acquaintance used to be calm, obedient and tame, but line 4 explains they are now uncontrollable and have forgotten the past. This second contrast of the past and the present emphasizes the dramatic change in the relationship. Line 5 expresses that the subject has taken risk to be with the poet.
The unnatural division between the poet and his lady is further highlighted by lines 5 and 6; which are connected by enjambment, then line 6 is divided within itself through the caesura. These techniques reflect the unconventional union and the poet's distress at the end of it.
The image of taking bread may refer to the act of Holy Communion, or implies an intimacy in the sharing of bread with close associates. There is also a suggestion of deference to the poet. After the caesura, the seemingly obedient and loyal partner is roaming, actively searching for new attractions. It is implied that the variety and frequency of the new liaisons is what the lady seeks, not just a new partner; which suggests a licentiousness in the lady.
Lines 8-14
The poet expresses a bitter resignation that at least he has experienced a situation better than his present state. Fortune is personified as the benefactor of his earlier happiness; the poet is suggesting that the past joys were the product of luck, as opposed to love or deliberate action. His recollection is an occasion 'Twenty times better' when he recalls the lady, after a show for him in flimsy dress, held him and kissed him and asked if she was giving him pleasure. It seems at this time she was devoted to him, which makes the change in situation more intense.
Lines 15-21
Caesura is used again in line 15; where he asserts that the past, and this experience, was not a dream. Now though, it appears that the liaison was a dream as the relationship is 'turn'd'. He blames his own manner: that of mildness, gentility and propriety, for the end of the affair, and he feels the harsh effects of the rejection.
The poet's expression that he has released his lover to move on communicates an initial tone of acquiescence. However, the final lines of the poem show the real resentment and anger that the poet has in being rejected and left behind. He appeals directly to his audience, asking for their view as to what response her actions and behavior warrant.
It is possible to see the poem as a reflection on his liaison with Anne Boleyn before her union and marriage to Henry VIII. However, the tone of anger and frustration at being forsaken for another could apply equally well to Wyatt's first marriage as he separated from his wife due to her adultery. The relationship could also be a metaphor for the courtly relations, platonic and romantic, which were born and died with dangerous haste.


text:
"Brooke Davis touchingly and comically re-invented the autobiographical cabaret hour by appropriating mostly familiar songs in a partly new context...her set was a finely tuned (pun intended) flashback to an in-order rendering of the thirty years it took her to finally arrive in the big city to work. Her dream was deferred, but it was always there."
— Robert Windeler, Bistro Awards
Menopause the Musical
"Ms. Davis is like an alchemist's combination of the dry humor and depth of Allison Janney; the bubbly warmth of Judy Kaye; the vaudevillian silliness of Jo Anne Worley; and the elegance and vulnerability of Barbara Harris. Her voice is a pure, youthful mezzo mix, which rises with ease to clear high notes, and becomes warm and clarinet-like in the low register."
—Rob Hartmann, StageBuzz
Vanishing Point
"Brooke Davis as Aimee Semple McPherson cut a formidable figure as the evangelist, strong and assured. She was also excellent in scenes with the character's mother and other important figures in her life, demonstrating the public vs. private person. She was vocally strong."
—William S. Oser, Talkin' Broadway
Menopause the Musical
"Davis is absolutely hilarious... a terrific voice... and broad comedy delivered by Davis (Earth Mother)."
—St. Louis Post-Dispatch
The Little Hours
"Davis excels as 'Diary'...offering a finely tuned contrasting performance..."
—The Star-Ledger
Beyond Therapy
"The exception is Brooke Davis as Charlotte, the hilariously over-the-edge therapist with a brain that frequently short-circuits ...Davis steals the show!"
—Arizona Daily Star
Mrs California
"And then there is Davis, who shines so brightly in the underwritten role of Mrs. Modesto. 'Mrs. California is never more winning than when Davis is front and center. Her bold, vulnerable performance is a beauty."
—Arizona Daily Star


text:
WMPeople offers a unique insight into the lives of West Midlands Police officers and staff. Many are involved in a whole host of projects, initiatives and hobbies that the public rarely get to hear about.
Click on a person below to find out more about the work they do at West Midlands Police:
- Katie Hudson
- Inspector Rachel Crump
- DC Michelle Ohren
- Chief Superintendent Jayne Meir
- Andrea Danks
- DC Catherine Dell
- Cześć, nazywam się Sergeant Alex Sobolewski
- Detective Sergeant Rich Cook
- Sergeant Marina Dain
- PC Khizra Dhindsa
- Detective Chief Inspector Ian Bamber
- PC Andrea Reynolds
- PC Nicola Sephton
- Special Constable Dan Perager
- Andy Shanks
- Vince Jones
- Phil Southan
- Andy Price


text:
Grove Family Library Celebration
- on 02.02.11
- Events, General, Other Authors
- Comments Off
This Thursday, February 3rd, 2011, the Grove Family Library in Chambersburg, PA, will be hosting an Author's Night from from 6-8 PM to celebrate the library's 5th anniversary. On hand will be me, fellow SusquehannaWriters Cate Masters & Ken Gibble, Dody Meyers, Eileen Graham, and that great lady who always has a recipe for a good mystery, Valerie Malmont.
Stop in for our panel on how to get published. Feel free to chat with the authors, and pick up that next great book to warm you up on these cold winter nights.
See you there!!!


text:
After we took offense to its cover last month, Lui magazine attempts to make it up to us with the release of the March 2015 cover. The raunchy French title tapped Natasha Poly, who follows the likes of Kate Moss, Gisele Bündchen and Laetitia Casta who've each previously flaunted their stuff for the magazine. This time around, we see Natasha going topless (obviously), while perched on a stylish chair as she's captured by Luigi & Iango. We had better be treated to a cover story because we're left wanting more!
Our forum members tell it like it is inside the thread. "Interesting… Can't wait to see more," enthused fashionlover2001 once the cover surfaced, getting us off on a positive note.
"Wowsa, I usually show love for the men but I'm Poly-amorous for this striking cover!" Aedlacir noted, who's clearly an admirer.
The magazine managed to impress A.D.C., who complimented, "A return to form for Lui, finally." Looks like the mag hit a home run with this one.
MON was also quick to congratulate: "Even though it's nude, it doesn't look like something for a porn calendar. Finally."
"Nice. Lui is coming out with some of the best covers these days," added ALAUU.
Forum member zacatecas570 showed his support. "She's unstoppable! Go Natasha Poly!" he encouraged.
"This cover is INSANE! Natasha looks fierce!" mcmarket posted, sharing the same sentiments.
Will you be rushing to the newsstand for a copy of Lui? Share your opinion and let us know here.


text:
CoMMon Ground Cooperative is Now Accepting New Clients!
Contact us to learn more about our focused-ABA package options:
Package A 2 BCBA hours, 3 RBT hours
Package B 2 BCBA hours, 6 RBT hours
Package C 4 BCBA hours, 8 RBT Hours
We also offer Consultation BCBA hours to individuals and groups.
As a founding principle, CGC is open to accommodating the specific needs and circumstances of families. Please feel free to contact our team with questions, comments, or suggestions. Every action we take as a company is in furtherance of Common Ground Cooperative's purpose of providing the highest-quality educational, behavioral, and social-emotional supports to children with a foundation in ABA.
To speak with us directly regarding service hours, consultation, or questions, feel free to call our office at 615.352.1247
Follow us on Twitter @CGCNashville
Like us on Facebook: www.Facebook.com/CGCNashville


text:
What's Old is New, Again.
Terrence Burns ©2017
It's been a while; I've been busy with LA 2024 and our quest to host the 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games. As the debate for the 2024/2028 Games heats up with two great potential Host Cities vying for the honor, the IOC continue to review and consider a new approach to bidding on and hosting the Games. I thought I'd share my thoughts and recommendations that I sent to the IOC back in 2014, for their then-new Olympic Agenda 2020 process. In light of recent events, it makes for interesting reading.
May 2014
Thank you for the opportunity to present my thoughts pertaining to the Agenda 2020 Committee on Bidding for the Olympic Games.
I began my Olympic "life" as a sponsor, managing Delta Air Lines' sponsorship program for the Atlanta Games. After the 1996 Games, I joined Meridian Management SA, the IOC's then new marketing agency where I was responsible for managing the marketing relationships with the TOP Partners and helping to institute a first-ever brand management program.
After leaving Meridian in 2000, I've had the opportunity to work on many Olympic bids as an advisor, among them Beijing, Vancouver, Sochi, PeyongChang and the Russia 2018 FIFA World Cup. I also worked on many bids that were not successful such as Moscow 2012, Doha 2016, Rome/Baku/Madrid 2020 (that may be a record, by the way, for one campaign) and Lviv 2022. One often learns more by losing than by winning.
For bids, I have traditionally worked on the image, marketing, communications, and branding areas, which included the presentations to the Olympic Family and global sports community. Sometimes, although rarely, we work on the technical plans. For a variety of reasons both personal and professional, I have never engaged in lobbying IOC members on behalf of bid clients.
Rightly or wrongly, because of my background and experience, I tend to view virtually everything that happens in the Olympic Movement through the lens of "brand management". Much has been said and written about the foundation of the Olympic Movement, which to me is the athlete.
There are, however many other important moving parts such as IOC Members, National Federations, International Federations and of course National Olympic Committees. I believe that there is one item often missing from the list: Bid Cities. Without bid cities, there would be no Host Cities. Thus, in my mind, Bid Cities also have a place at the heart of the Olympic brand; they are the seedlings of the Olympic forest.
Olympic bid cities are the "canaries in the coal mine" of the Olympic Movement. The number and "quality" of bid cities is a direct indicator of the future health of the Games. I say future because there seems to be a cycle (or two) delay in how the future bid cycle reacts to the current economic situation due to the seven-year timeframe between bidding and becoming an OCOG.
As economic pressure increases on cities, regions, and nations (as it has since 2008/2009), coupled with a seemingly never-ending escalation in size, scope, demands, amenities and costs of Games editions, we are finally seeing negative responses to the perceived cost/benefit analysis for hosting the Olympic Games.
Looking ahead
Bid Cities as Brand Ambassadors
First and foremost I firmly believe that Bid Cities competing to host the Olympic Games present a tremendous yet undervalued brand opportunity for the Movement. Bid City campaigns take place virtually every month of every year regardless of the timing of an Olympic cycle. The opportunity to "generate good news" (and what could be better than a city and its citizens yearning to host the Olympic Games?) year-round is self-evident.
Imagine the 2012 race, when the Movement had New York, Paris, London, Moscow and Madrid pursuing the Games. What a communications opportunity for the Olympic brand!
Unfortunately, the IOC's highly constrictive rules on bid city promotion preclude virtually any brand benefit to the Movement from a bid cycle campaign.
I am not advocating letting the bid cities do as they please, what I am advocating is that the IOC use them and the race as branding and communications opportunities. A healthy field of bid city candidates with the proper promotion and communications activities helps to create positive news about the Olympic Games – and will encourage future bids.
-The IOC team should craft a global communications and promotional framework that includes all bid cities' activities aligned with the existing Olympic calendar
-The IOC brand and communications team should meet with bidding cities (potential and current) early in the process and explain the program their roles in it and what is trying to be achieved
-The Olympic Movement should look for creative opportunities for bid cities to promote themselves within a set of standard parameters that generates parity for all cities, yet creates the greatest opportunity for news and content for the Movement
-The IOC needs to take the lead on a true, unbiased economic study of past Games but it cannot only be economic; it should attempt to track and measure progress across a variety of measurements including, quality of life, health, brand image, education, etc. Too often opponents of bidding have an array of negative reports and studies purporting to illustrate the "waste" of hosting an Olympic Games. Some of the data is, unfortunately, accurate; however, the Movement needs to engage in this debate honestly and with data of its own.
Planning for Future Host Cities
Per my recent post, I believe that the IOC has entered a new era of brand stewardship and the bid process can no longer just be a "game of chance" around parameters that can be manipulated.
I am not advocating a systemic process whereby the IOC chooses a city ahead of time. I believe the Movement still needs the "thrill and excitement" of a real bid city campaign, but the cities should be chosen and prepared ahead of time, prior to bidding.
I believe the IOC should review and identify where and when they believe the Games should be held over the next four bid cycles based upon the needs of the IOC, the IFs and NOCs and global sport. This review should include:
- Where in the world the Games can help develop sport (such as emerging economies)
- Where do the Games have to be every ten years or so to keep the brand relevant in the first-world economies, and
- What is the true risk basis for each city and its bid (sophisticated financial and political risk analysis tools exist in the private sector that the IOC should use instead of asking bid city to provide what is most likely, inflated or exaggerated data)
The IOC should then make a list of the global regions where they desire to see the Games hosted. In these regions, they should then make a list of cities/nations "most likely and most desirable for the Olympic brand to succeed", and implement a long-term plan to assist those cities and nations to be prepared to bid when the time comes.
-This means fully engaging the public and private sectors early on in the process
-This means that teams of IOC experts, IOC members, and former OCOG executives should visit the potential bid cities with advice, encouragement and above all, facts about bidding for and hosting the Games
-This means laying the groundwork by helping create a rational, long-term venue development (use of existing facilities, more temporary facilities, only new facilities as a last resort) plan tied to their city's long-term municipal or regional planning.
-This means setting criteria that must be met in order to bid for a Games, e.g., 70+% of the needed venues must exist or be in process with fully transparent funding models in place; the city/country must have hosted a certain amount of world championships/cups to illustrate operational competence ability; the potential host nation and NOC have a desirable record as it pertains to anti-doping; the public and private funding discussions and responsibilities should be fully agreed to in writing ahead of bidding; etc.
-This means asking the bid cities to address the "Fundamental Principles of Olympism" per the Olympic Charter in their bid applications, point by point
-This means implementing a communications plan foundation around the potential bid to illustrate the "what's in it for me" rationale to the general population and local, regional and federal governments.
-This means engaging the National Olympic Committees to be part of this process and every National Federation
-This means utilizing former Host Cities and their leadership as case studies and, never allowing a member of the Movement to denigrate a former Host City (as is often done with Atlanta, for example). That is unprofessional and self-defeating – former Host Cities are also still part of the "franchise" and should be treated accordingly. It is also insulting to the thousands of Volunteers who gave the Movement months and months of their personal time for the Games, and to the citizens who supported the bid, the Games and welcomed the world with open arms.
-This means making International Federations a working partner in the process. To be honest, and I've been there, in the past many IFs placed inordinate demands and expectations on Bid Cities. And Bid Cities being Bid Cities have no choice but to try to comply in order to attempt to obtain votes. This process is upside down and it leads to ever-increasing and often illogical venue commitments. I understand that many IFs want gleaming new, state-of-the-art venues at every Games, but that is just not sustainable and in the end, it is not good for sport because it inevitably leads to White Elephants, which scares away future potential Bid Cities.
Whose Brand is it?
The IOC has to take control of the image and reputation of the Olympic brand. During and after the Slake Lake City Bid scandal, I worked on the IOC crisis team that helped made the decision that the OCOG or Games brand should be the "hero" brand in all Olympic communications activities because, essentially, the brand image of the IOC itself was in serious trouble. This made sense at the time, but no longer. The IOC's image and reputation cannot be left up to others to define (Germans and Norwegians claim they like the Winter Games – just not the IOC!); the IOC must define its own image and reputation going forward.
The Games are too complex, too expensive and too subject to geopolitical machinations for the brand to be left in the hands of amateurs (Organizing Committees, and I use the world amateurs in the most respectful manner possible) every two years. The IOC cannot leave "success" up to a group of well-intentioned people who have never done it before – and only in seven short years. And, I mean "success" in a context that is far beyond the 17-day hosting of the Games.
If we want healthier bid cities in the future, we need to ensure that once chosen, Organizing Committees are great sources of news about progress and are a brand investment in the Movement. A thriving and healthy Organizing Committee preparing for the Games creates a positive media environment and helps stimulate interest in hosting the Games instead of fear of hosting the Games.
Is "Great Sport" Enough to define Success?
I think that the IOC can no longer afford to say "sport was great, so the Games were a success". Because of costs and investment, it has become more complex than that in the eyes of those outside the Olympic Movement – the Olympic Movement is no longer the sole target market for appraisal of success or failure. Many more variables are now at play.
Look at Sochi and Rio, for examples. For Sochi, the venues were perfect and sport on the field of play was successful by virtually any measure. But in the end, what did the negative reports leading up to Sochi cost the Olympic brand? Well for starters, we know negative media reports around Sochi (again, real or imagined) have cost us two, possibly three European first-world capitals as bid cities in the 2022 race.
I would state unequivocally that this is NOT Russia or Sochi's fault. They did what they said they were going to do. They built a city for the Winter Games. It is the IOC's responsibility or should have been, to "manage the world's expectations" about the Sochi Games. It would have been, and still is, easy to say "No single Games is a perfect example for future Games. The expenditures made by the Russian government to host the Sochi 2014 Winter Games made sense for Russia, and we thank them for a tremendous Winter Games. But we do not, by any means, expect similar investments by future bid cities going forward."
We cannot hide behind the shield of sports success as the sole arbiter of an Olympic Games' effectiveness. The Games have to make sense for local communities.
-National brand building as the sole source of hosting an Olympic Games "isn't good enough". Potential bid cities must illustrate the value of their bids beyond their own borders – not just with words, but also with deeds years ahead of time from their bids.
-Rewarding desired behavior. As an example, look at the 2018 Winter Games race. When appraising the technical plans of Munich and PyeongChang, there was no "bonus weighting" applied to Munich's creative use of existing venues or its world-class environmental plans. From the IOC's members' perspectives (the people who vote) it appeared as if the Munich and PyeongChang technical plans were both of equal value, when in fact, Munich's was much more visionary and one could argue better for the Movement at the time. The IOC selection criteria must be more objective with quantitative metrics and it should be willing to give "credit" (enhanced value) to cities that put forth responsible, prudent plans instead of being impressed (or blinded) by expensive new building projects.
In closing, allow me to summarize:
- Bid Cities can and should be key pieces of the IOC's overall global communications strategy – let them compete more openly, yet under control of a strategic IOC communications plan designed to achieve objectives
- The IOC should alter the Bid City selection process by 1) looking 20 years into the future to determine where and when the Movement would like to see the Games hosted, and 2) identifying potential cities far in advance and helping them "get prepared" to bid
- The IOC should consider more stringent criteria (such as existing venues, experience, etc.) that must be met before allowing a city to bid
- Allow the "bid city race" to continue (it generates media interest and excitement – or should), knowing that the Movement has prepared cities whose plans are predicated on the IOC and the Movement needs, rather than left to chance, or worse.
- The IOC needs to implement a communications program (not just PR) to take control of its own image and reputation. This can be done in concert with OCOG brands but the IOC has to control its own reputation destiny
- If the IOC doesn't want bids that are based on theory and fiction, then stop rewarding them. Given credit and praise (openly) to cities who provide thoughtful, affordable, responsible plans to host the Games.
- The IOC needs to be more involved with the operational success of the OCOG. True functional matter experts in Games operations and planning, Sport, Sectary, Branding and marketing communications, Sponsorship, etc. should work alongside the OCOG
- As to member visits, I think that is up the IOC Members themselves to debate and discuss. But I do think it is unusual (and perhaps ill-advised) to ask one hundred-plus people to make a multi-billion dollar decision without ever having seen the city.
Thank you again for this remarkable opportunity to share some of my views with you and your colleagues in Lausanne; please know that all my observations and suggestions are my own, and they reflect my complete respect for the Olympic ideals. Every day I wake up and am so thankful that I have the chance to be a (small) part of the Olympic Movement. Thank you for all that you do to make that happen.
Terrence Burns
So, that's was my point of view three years ago. It remains so, today. Time will tell if these ideas and concepts have any impact on the 2024/2028 decision, or beyond. I hope so. If so, you read it here first. Thanks as always.


text:
Culinary Wednesday
January 2, 2013 - Kristy MacKaben
After weeks of gluttony, we are trying to return to the healthy track. I won't utter the word resolution, but let's just say we're trying to get back to eating normal and not ending every meal with Christmas cookies. Tonight was my first attempt at a fairly nutritious meal: Chicken and Artichokes with wine sauce, courtesy of Better Homes and Gardens. Ingredients: 1/4 cup flour, 1/2 teaspoon dried sage, 1/4 teaspoon salt, 1/2 teaspoon pepper, four skinless chicken breasts, two cups sliced fresh mushrooms, two cans artichoke hearts, 1/3 cup white wine, 1/3 cup chicken broth, parmesan cheese. Directions: In a shallow dish, stir together flour, sage, salt and pepper. Reserve one tablespoon of the flour mixture. Coat chicken with remaining flour mixture. In a skillet, cook chicken in olive oil until no longer pink. Remove chicken from skillet, cover and keep warm. Cook mushrooms and artichokes in olive oil. In a bowl, stir together flour mixture, wine, broth and salt. Add wine mixture to skillet. Cook and stir until thick and bubbly. Pour sauce over chicken and serve with fettuccine. Enjoy!
Article Comments
No comments posted for this article.
Post a Comment
You must first login before you can comment.


text:
About ONLA
News & Jobs
Oklahoma Grows Conference & Trade Show
Edmond Conference Center
Schedule & Events
Here & Now There & Then
Find A Member
The Mission of the Association shall be to advance the Nursery, Greenhouse and Landscape
Industry through Networking, Education, Scholarship, Industry Promotion and Certification
with a strong, healthy and sustainable organization.
Ninety-three years ago a group of nurserymen in Oklahoma formed our association. Since then the nursery industry has changed dynamically to encompass wholesale nurseries and greenhouse operations, retail nurseries and greenhouse operations, landscape services from designing to building to maintaining, vegetable production, wineries, florists, cut flower, interior-scape, hardscape and turf industry and all companies that supply and service the green industry. The association has worked at broadening and enhancing its services, education, and fellowship to include all facets of the green industry in our great state.
The Oklahoma Nursery and Landscape Association is dedicated to bettering your business by means of education, political outreach, networking, environmental stewardship and fellowship. We hope that no matter what aspect of the green industry you are in, you will find the acceptance and excellent resources needed to help you and fulfill your business needs.
ONLA Board of Directors
President (2017-2019)
Monty Glenn Marcum
Marcum's Nursery
1st Vice President (2017-2019)
Haldor Howard
OSU-Oklahoma City
2nd Vice President (2017-2019)
Jeff Campbell
Winfield United
Director (2013-present)
Richard Frank
Frank's Landscape
Director (2015-present)
Jeanetta Cooper
Director (2015-present)
Mike Schnelle
Oklahoma State University
Director (2015-present)
John Whitworth
Spring Creek Nursery
Director (2017-present)
Rebekah Ebbs
Urban Lawn & Landscape
Director (2017-present)
Brandon Bull
Whitetail Tree Farm
Past President (2017-2019)
Crystal Sizemore
Crystal Creations
Executive Director (2018-present)
Summer Maser
Green Industry Professional of the Year Award Recipients
Each year the ONLA Board of Directors chooses two ONLA members (one male and one female) to receive the Green Industry Professional of the Year Award. These individuals embody excellence in the green industry through their actions, leadership and example. They are nominated and chosen by the Board of Directors and receive the award during the annual ONLA Convention and Trade Show, held each year.
2018 Recipients: Chris Ferris & Casey Hentges
Chris Ferris from Southwood Landscape and Garden Center of Tulsa
Casey Hentges, host of Oklahoma Gardening
2017 Recipients: Susan Brammeier & Monty Marcum
Monty Marcum from Marcum's Nursery of Goldsby, Oklahoma City, Norman and Ardmore
Susan Brammeier from Southwood Landscape and Garden Center of Tulsa
2016 Recipients: Julia Laughlin & Mark West
Mark West from Cedar Valley Nurseries of Ada
Julia Laughlin from Belle Verde Gardens of Choctaw
2015 Recipients: Tabitha West & Randy Davis
Randy Davis from Greenleaf Nursery Company of Park Hill
West from Cedar Valley Nurseries of Ada
2016 Recipients: Julia Laughlin & Mark West
Julia Laughlin from Belle Verde Gardens of Choctaw.
Mark West from Cedar Valley Nurseries of Ada.
2014 Recipients: Bob Martin & Lori Steffey
Bob Martin from Martinbird Tree Farm of Tuttle
Lori Steffey from Greenleaf Nursery Company of Park Hill
2013 Recipients: Janet Latham & Allan Storjohann
Both recently retired from Myriad Botanical Gardens, Janet Latham is owner of Latham's Landscape of Oklahoma City.
Allan Storjohann is the voice of the Gardening Show on Cox Radio Tulsa, KRMG.
2012 Recipients: Cindy Townsend & Rodd Moesel
Cindy Townsend from TLC Garden Center of Oklahoma City
Rodd Moesel from American Plant Products and Services of Oklahoma City
Landscaper of the Year Award Winners
During the ONLA Convention and Trade Show, we hold the Landscaper Games. Several landscaping teams compete for the title as they design and build their landscape with limited time and materials. Only one team walks away as the champion, taking home the title, a trophy and cash.
team be the next Landscaper of the Year? Join us at the 2017 show and find out!
2016 Recipients: TLC Garden Centers
TLC Garden Centers held on to their title for a second year. The format stayed the same from 2015, but the "twist" was a little different. One team member was taken "off the job" to visit all of the trade show exhibitors looking for answers to 15 questions ranging from plant ID to chemical makeup of various pesticides to parts of a tree.
50% of the score was based on judge's scoring, 25% was based on the question and answer "twist" and the final 25% by attendee voting. Congratulations, TLC!
2015 Recipients: TLC Garden Centers
The teams had two hours to plan and execute their plan, while dealing with two "twists": a 30-minute Plant ID test and an irrigation system addition during the last ten minutes.
Judges and convention attendees had a hand in choosing the winner, the team from TLC Garden Centers in Oklahoma City.
One member of the team was last year's winner, Wendy (Johnston) Simmons.
2014 Recipient: Wendy Johnston
In our first year of the competition, Wabi Sabi West of Edmond was represented by three competitors. They began the games with Plant ID followed by paver design, wall building, irrigation installation and finally patio design.
Wendy Johnston bettered her workmates to win the title!
Association Memberships
ONLA is a member or an associate of the following organizations
American Hort
The national horticulture industry association, which began on January 1, 2014 as the merging of the American Nursery & Landscape Association and OFA, the Association of Horticultural Professionals.
The Western Nursery and Landscape Association represents businesses in the states of Iowa, Kansas, Missouri, Nebraska and Oklahoma.
The Southern Nursery Association encompasses the states of the southeastern regional of the United States, including Oklahoma.
ONLA enjoys reciprocal memberships with several other associations
TNLA: Texas Nursery and Landscape Association
AGIA: Arkansas Green Industry Association
KNLA: Kansas Nursery and Landscape Association
IPPCA: International Professional Pond Companies Association
The constitution and by-laws of the Oklahoma Nursery
and Landscape Association. Written in 2008,
amended in 2013 and again in 2015.
ONLA's Anti-Trust Policy which states the
organization's stance regarding complaince with
Federal and State Anti-Trust Laws
view Constitution & By-Laws
view Anti-Trust Policy
Information from Oklahoma Department of Agriculture, Food and Forestry: contact information for the Environmental Services & Horticulture Section, Plant Protection Nursery Inspectors map, and Pesticide Inspection information
Large-format .jpg graphic of the ONLA logo that
members are invited to add to their website, email signatures, letterhead, or other items to show your membership with the organization.
ODAFF link
download ONLA logo


text:
to Dec 8
Christmas Wedding Dress Clearance Sale
View Event →
Where: Sincerely store
Date/time: Thursday 6th Dec (3-8pm), Friday 7th Dec (10am-5pm) and Saturday 8th Dec (9am-1pm)
Where: Sincerely store
1A, 211 Ben Boyd Rd, Neutral Bay NSW 2089 (upstairs from Home Property Agents)
Cost/bookings: Free - no appointments required
Sale details: All sales are final, no exchanges or refunds. Items are sold as seen. All gowns are samples and have been tried on in the boutique/ and or been to photo shoots/ and or been used at events. First in, best dressed! Most gowns will be between size 8-12 and will start from $1,500 upwards. All gowns need to be paid for in full on the day. T&C's
By popular demand - the $500 rack of gowns will also be featured!
For further details or enquiries please phone 02 9904 5700.


text:
Five threats to City's Europa League dream
Both Manchester City manager Roberto Mancini and club captain Vincent Kompany have spoken this week of their desire to win the Europa League after dropping out of the Champions League.
City were instantly installed as favourites for the competition after their departure from the Champions League was confirmed, and while a certain other Manchester club also joined them in the mix after their own humbling on the grandest stage in European football, who are the clubs Manicni and co must avoid in order to capture City's first European trophy since 1970?
The competition looks as strong as it has been for some time, and GMF is here to round up all the major obstacles City face in their pursuit of silverware.
Paris Saint-Germain
Perhaps one of the only sides alongside Malaga who can match City for financial clout in Europe ever since the arrival of the Qatar Investment Authority, Paris Saint-Germain have similar long-term ambitions to their English counterparts.
The capture of the outrageously talented Javier Pastore from the clutches of Chelsea for €42 million – making him the 7th highest transfer of all time - was a watershed moment in their new incarnation and the addition of Kevin Gameiro, Jeremy Menez and Blaise Matuidi as well as young talents Mamadou Sakho and Clement Chantome coming through makes them a dangerous outfit.
Currently second in Ligue 1 and still unsure of their place in the next round they are still facing the same teething problems that comes with new money, but more names on and off the field should arrive in January – including David Beckham and Rafa Benitez – to give them a helping hand, making them a dangerous opponent.
Can they beat City?: No, PSG are City 12 months ago
Altetico Madrid
As the second favourties for the Europa League behind City, Atletico Madrid have plenty to live up to in the aftermath of Sergio Aguero and Diego Forlan's departure over the summer.
Manager Gregorio Manzano may face the sack thanks to his side's erratic league form but in Europe they have been supreme and put four past Udinese in the group stages to confirm their status as a real threat to Roberto Mancini's men.
Radamel Falcao is an excellent striker who helped Porto and Andre Villas-Boas to the treble last season while he is ably supported by talented youngster Markel Susaeta from midfield. There is talent throughout Ateltico's squad but they must find some semblance of form before they can match City.
Can they beat City: They have a chance, but their form is too erratic
Shorn of their brightest creative spark after Alexis Sanchez switched to Barcelona over the summer, Udinese have shown themselves more than capable of coping without the Chilean speed merchant as they continue to enjoy their best ever start to a Seria A season, picking up eight wins in 13 games to leave them just two points behind Juventus.
Couple his departure with Gokhan Inler joining Napoli over the summer and few would have expected Udinese to be where they are now.
Led by the talismanic Antonio Di Natale the Bianconeri managed to negotiate their way past Inter Milan last week to keep their title challenge on the right tracks, and certainly provided Arsenal with a stern test when they met in the Champions League qualifier earlier in the season.
With the best defensive record in Serie A – an accolade in itself – having shipped just 6 goals in their first 13 league matches, they would surely relish a chance to test themselves against the attacking might of Manchester City.
Can they beat City: Yes, they have the nous and experience
Valencia's financial trouble in recent years has robbed them of some of the greatest talents to emerge from La Liga: David Villa and David Silva have left the Mastalla while Juan Mata followed the talented pair not long after.
They appear to be now on the verge of waking from their slumber led by the goal-scoring exploits of Roberto Soldado and the astute leadership of captain David Albelda, although the absence of injured on-loan starlet Sergio Canales is a real blow to their hopes.
Unai Emery's men have secured a richly deserved draw against Barcelona, narrowly lost to Real Madrid in a game they deserved a lot more from and drew with Chelsea in the Champions League this season to show how dangerous they can be, and their 3rd place in La Liga is certainly not a false position.
Can they beat City: Maybe, They wilted against Chelsea in the second leg and may do so again.
And…..Manchester United
Well, well, well what do we have hear? Fresh from only their third exit at the Champions League group stages in 17 years, Sir Alex Ferguson's outfit join City in the Europa League after their disastrous 2-1 defeat against Basel on Wednesday.
After a start to the season which suggested the new era of swashbuckling talent would sweep aside all before them, it all appears to be falling apart at the seams for Ferguson as he copes with a growing injury list, wayward form, and increasing criticism from former players.
Whether they will focus any of their energy on the Europa League remains to be seen - Ferguson has already admitted he has little time for the Thursday-Sunday-Thursday routine that comes with playing in European football's second-tier competition.
Once the dust has settled on their Champions League exit United may decide the Europa League is a worthwhile endeavour, and if City are their opponents in the latter stages, then they have all the motivation they need to treat the competition seriously.
Can they beat City: Yes, but not on current form.News Now - Sport News


text:
Venous Disease and What are its Causes?
Our venous system is one part of the important network of blood vessels that bring nutrients and oxygen to and from the cells.
Venous disease refers to any disease or injury to the venous system, and can be caused by many factors. The lifestyle of an individual can increase the risk for venous diseases. If a person is obese or a person smokes, drinks excessive amounts of alcohol or eats fatty foods, it can lead to blood thickening and obstruction of the vessels by fatty deposits or plaque formations. Pregnancy as well as medications can also lead to problems of the venous system. Likewise, this system can also be damaged by trauma or illnesses and diseases like diabetes.
Examples of Venous Disease
Varicose veins are considered a venous disease, a condition where superficial veins bulge and can be further increased through pregnancy.
Venous thrombosis is a condition where the vein is occluded by a blood clot and is more common in the legs. There are two types of venous thrombosis – superficial and deep vein thrombosis. Superficial vein thrombosis is the milder of the two, whereas deep vein thrombosis can be life threatening especially if the thrombus is dislodged and travels to major organs like the lungs, heart or brain. In this type of condition, the patient will need anticoagulation medications to keep the blood thin and prevent the formation of blood clots.
Leech Therapy Used in Treating Venous Diseases
Leech therapy has been proven to help patients suffering from venous diseases. It can help reduce the pain and the swelling felt from varicose veins, and can help dissolve blood clots that have formed. But leech therapy is not effective for patients whose venous disease is caused by insufficient valves and inadequate vessel dilation.
The saliva of leeches is known to contain beneficial enzymes. They have anticoagulation properties that help prevent blood from coagulating or thickening. Aside from this, there is also an enzyme that breaks up formed blood clots which can occlude the veins. These two properties function to make the blood thin so that it flows freely in the veins. To further aid in this function, another enzyme acts as a vasodilator to allow better flow of blood.
Leech's saliva also has antibacterial properties, which helps individuals who have open sores complicated by venous disease.
Leech therapy is best used in conjunction with compression stockings, weight management, diet, and exercise.


text:
A republic is a country in which the citizens are sovereign and govern through elected representatives. In a republic, leaders of government are subject to the law like everyone else. Republics thrive when citizens cultivate civic virtue and participate in public affairs.
Encyclopedia Britannica identifies a republic as a system in which members of the citizen body constitute the government and the rule of law applies to all members of society. This makes a republic different from a monarchy, in which a single ruler obtains power from inheritance and arbitrarily governs without being accountable to a higher authority.
The underlying principle of a republic is liberty, and republics use many mechanisms to ensure the freedom of citizens. In addition to elections, republics often employ written constitutions, bills of rights, term limits, separation of powers, checks and balances, and other measures designed to limit the power of government and prevent any one person or group of people from amassing exorbitant power.
Republics are designed to cultivate the virtue of their citizenry; the preservation of a republic greatly depends upon the integrity and involvement of citizens. The Encyclopedia of Philosophy states that some of the most important republican virtues are honesty, duty, education and a commitment to the furtherance of the common good above personal interests.


text:
Nokia E7
Read help info
You can use Wi-Fi for various functions in your phone that require a data connection, such as internet access. Follow these instructions to establish a connection to a Wi-Fi network.
1. Find "WLAN"
2. Select Wi-Fi network
Press the required Wi-Fi network.
Follow the instructions on the display to select security settings, if required.
3. Exit
Email this article to your friend
Required information *


text:
A significant number of readers have requested that I post a detailed discussion of my experiences using the Volumetric weight control plan, so here goes.
About a month and a half ago, I mentioned that I was trying out the Volumetric weight control plan as described in the book with the same title. So far, it's been reasonably successful; I've dropped about eleven pounds in about six weeks, with a big loss the first week, a rebound in the third week, and a steady pound and a half a week loss since then. Better yet, it feels very sustainable, as though I could keep doing it forever and not be lost in a series of cravings or hunger.
I was interested in trying out this plan because my biggest problem isn't choosing healthy foods (I like most vegetables, especially tomatoes and broccoli), but that I tend to eat a lot at one sitting, and thus making a single bad choice is the equivalent of eating a fat bomb. I'm also a large guy – six and a half feet tall – so although I'm somewhat overweight, my frame does hide it somewhat well.
A brief description of how Volumetrics works Volumetrics is a calorie-based diet – that's the primary focus of it. It's mostly concerned about the energy content of food, which is what a calorie describes.
The idea here is to identify portions of foods with a specific caloric content (usually 100 calories or 200 calories) and then eat a specific number of those portions throughout the day. This means identifying base foods that are low in calories and eating them in volume (like tomatoes) while still enjoying foods you like (in small portions).
Here's an example: I love to make homemade pizzas. I make my own dough, slather it with pepperoni and lots of cheese, and then bake it in the oven. The only problem is that I like to eat three slices of the pizza when I'm done, and this turns out to be a health bomb. Volumetrics says go ahead and eat those three slices after you make a few switches: replace the pepperoni with lean canadian bacon, swap out the ordinary mozzarella for low-fat mozzarella (and use a third less cheese), and sprinkle tomato pieces on the pizza to make it more filling (as tomatoes are very low in calories). It's all modular, though – I could go for a cheese and tomato pizza and eat my three pieces, and then still have space for other things.
Another big encouragement of the plan is to drink plenty of water – water is filling and has no calories. So, I could have those pieces of pizza with a big tall glass of water, fill myself up plenty, and be doing just fine.
Exercise The plan strongly encourages an exercise component, again breaking things down into pieces that are worth 100, 150, or 200 calories. Thus, if you do these exercise pieces, you can effectively have a lower calorie day. The exercises vary in impact, from walking two miles in thirty minutes to walking up and down stairs for fifteen minutes. These each burn 150 calories; the book recommends doing at least two of them a day. I've taken to doing the two miles in thirty minutes twice a day, myself, mixing in a few other things on occasion, and I can feel myself getting into better shape.
Advantages I have no problem getting full with this program. That's the big advantage for me – whenever I would try one in the past, I would always get hungry because of the tight restrictions on portions. It also gives me a lot of freedom for cooking at home – basically, I just study the caloric content of all ingredients, figure up how many calories are in the complete thing I'm making, and figure out which portion of it equals 100 calories. This way, I can make choices that allow me to increase the volume but still keep it tasty for me.
Disadvantages If you don't like vegetables, this is going to be a rough one – many vegetables are among the lowest in energy density, which means you can eat all of the tomatoes you wish, but you can't each much sausage. For example, I was craving a bratwurst about a week ago, so in order to keep my day in an appropriate plan, I basically ate like a vegetarian for the other parts of the day. I was completely fine with eating the bratwurst – it was completely appropriate – but this meant lots of additional vegetables.
It also strongly helps if you're willing to cook at home and are also willing to study the labels a bit on stuff and do a bit of basic math. The book comes with a huge number of simple recipes, but you really need to understand how they work to make this plan work, and that requires knowing how to do the math and how to find the information.
Overall, I'm a pretty big fan of this plan, but as I keep doing it, I realize that it's really a regimentation and simplification of good sense about food. It also has a lot in common with budgeting your money – you have to plan a bit to fit in the calories for a given day, and the exercise takes planning, too.


text:
Mont Marin Homes For Sale
The Mont Marin neighborhood is a community of around 550 homes located in the northern part of San Rafael, California. With a land area of 0.999 square miles and a population of around 1,700, Mont Marin sits conveniently between Terra Linda and Marinwood.
With home prices on the rise in Mont Marin, those looking to buy a home should invest quickly. Currently, the average median list price for homes for sale is around $1 million. However, home prices can range anywhere from the low $600s to the high $1 millions. Most homes were built in the 1950s and 1960s and have a split-level or two-story design.
Mont Marin is just 40 minutes from the major hub of San Francisco. It's also very close to downtown San Rafael, which offers a number of shopping and dining amenities, including the Northgate Shopping Mall. In the neighborhood itself, there is a gas station and small shopping complex. Children in the area will attend the Dixie School District, which includes Dixie Elementary School and Miller Creek Middle School.
For those seeking real estate, Mont Marin is a fine choice with its rural landscapes and easy commute times.
Mont Marin Real Estate & Homes - San Rafael, CA
No listings were found matching your search criteria.


text:
'Back Again' out Feb 17
Canadian melodic proggers SLYDE are happy to announce their return with new EP Back Again, due for release on February 17.
In celebration of the news, the band are streaming the first track from the EP, 'Fading' on their Soundcloud...
For fans of Haken, Rush, Dream Theater and more, Slyde are back after a two-year hiatus and a new line-up. Driven by the clean vocals of frontman Nathan Da Silva and the powering keyboards of Sarah Westbrook, Back Again is a fitting return to form from this beguiling four-piece.
Four tracks of virtuosic contrapuntal songwriting exploring the relationship between environmentalism and sci-fi, Back Again is a fantastically entertaining listen. Ear-catching for any fan of technically-minded melodic prog rock, Slyde are a band who before their hiatus played over 150 shows on the Eastern Canadian circuit, including shows with Protest the Hero and at Canadian Music Week (2013), IndieWeek (2011-2013), and Wacken Metal Battle (2013).
For more information:
Back Again tracklisting:
1) Fading
2) Join The Parade
3) Divide
4) Back Again


text:
Softchoice CEO to Discuss 'Moving Business to the Cloud' at #TorontoCloudSummit Hosted by Okta
May 07, 2013, 08:30 ET
Hear perspectives from Silicon Valley cloud executives and front-line IT leaders on the opportunities and implications of business in the cloud
TORONTO, May 7, 2013 /CNW/ - Softchoice today announced that its CEO, David MacDonald (@SoftchoiceDMAC), along with distinguished technology leaders from Okta, Box, ServiceNow and Teknion will participate on a panel discussion at the Toronto Enterprise Summit taking place on Tuesday, May 7. Hosted by Okta, the panel will examine cloud strategies for the modern enterprise, how these strategies are driving unique business value, and how the role of IT will evolve over the next few years. Attendees will also hear first-hand from experienced executives who are upgrading from costly, legacy infrastructure to modern enterprise cloud solutions.
Other panelists include:
- Frederic Kerrest (@fkerrest), co-founder and COO of Okta
- Chris Penner, vice president of Box
- Chris Pope (@Chris_Pope_NOW), senior director of ServiceNow
- John Comacchio, CIO of Teknion
Mr. MacDonald will also specifically touch on the Softchoice experience in bringing the Softchoice Cloud platform to market - the first offering of its kind in North America. Softchoice Cloud enables IT departments to hasten their path to becoming an internal Cloud Services Broker (CSB) by providing simplified sourcing, identity management, enhanced support and an improved end user experience.
Event Details:
When: Tuesday, May 7, 2013
Where: Toronto Trump Hotel, 325 Bay Street
5:30 PM: Registration & Welcome Reception
6:30 PM: Executive Panel with Audience Q&A
7:30 PM: Sponsor Reception
To register, please visit http://www2.okta.com/torontosummit.
Those unable to attend the event in person can join the conversation on Twitter using the #TorontoCloudSummit hashtag. The Softchoice team will also be sharing real-time insights and event highlights from @ITGrok.
About Softchoice
As a leading North American provider of technology solutions and services, Softchoice combines the efficiency and reliability of a national IT supplier with the personal touch and technical expertise of a local solutions provider. Softchoice's holistic approach to technology includes solution design, implementation, asset management and cloud services, as well as access to one of the most comprehensive and cost-effective technology distribution networks in North America. With over 1,200 employees, Softchoice manages the technology needs of thousands of corporate and public sector organizations across the United States and Canada.
Softchoice stock is listed on the Toronto Stock Exchange (TSX) under the trading symbol "SO." The common shares of Softchoice are not registered under the U.S. Securities Act of 1933 and are not publicly traded in the United States.
SOURCE: Softchoice Corporation
For further information:
Media Contact
Eric Gardiner
Manager of Communications
Softchoice Corporation
416-588-9002 x 2358


text:
Certified Corporate Wellness Specialist
4-5 September, Bucharest
Register now and be among the first Romanian professionals to receive an international certification in designing and implementing corporate wellness programs. This is the most complete and trusted corporate & workplace wellness certification on the market and we are the first to organize training sessions in Europe.
Why Become a Specialist in Corporate Wellness?
The Certified Corporate Wellness Specialist® is a certification of expertise offered by the Corporate Health & Wellness Association (CHWA). The certification requires 5 Modules of training/classes that must be completed in-person.
In order to maintain certification after the required training, Certified Corporate Wellness Specialists® must complete five hours per year of continuing education credits to stay up-to-date with industry best-practices and standards.
What You Will Learn
Becoming a Certified Corporate Wellness Specialist® provides you with a competitive edge in the industry by demonstrating to employers and colleagues that you:
- Possess the training and knowledge to successfully implement and manage a wellness program
- Understand best practices in wellness programs
- Comprehend the different types of wellness programs and learn how to tailor one to meet the needs of your specific corporate culture
- Demonstrate that you are up to date with current best practices on an ongoing basis through continuing education credits required for re-certification
- Possess the qualifications and abilities for job promotion and career enhancement
Who Will Benefit from this Certification?
- HR/Benefits Directors or Wellness Managers
- Agents, Brokers and Consultants
- Insurance/Healthcare Industry Professionals
Benefits for Employers/Corporations:
By requiring or covering the cost of certification for your HR staff, you are ensuring that your staff has the most updated wellness policies and that best practices are implemented for your employees. Certified wellness staff can help your organization maintain a competitive edge through higher productivity and a better bottom line due to employee engagement in their health and wellness.
Get Certified In 3 Easy Steps
STEP 1: Register
STEP 2: Participate
Read our comprehensive industry textbook, "Engaging Wellness," as part of the certification curriculum and participate in two weekends of intensive live training.
- Price of certification is 595 euro and includes live training, textbook, exam fee and certification diploma
- Go through each chapter carefully and learn how to design and implement a successful wellness program
- Textbook accounts for roughly 90% percent of the exam questions and is mandatory to pass
STEP 3: Take
5 modules of live training, pass the multiple choice question exam within the specified time frame and write a short project plan that you will then present to the group.
- Participants will be given two opportunities to pass the exam before paying a re-examination fee
- A grade of 75 percent or higher is required.


text:
About Us
"…we had a romantic dream of owning a trullo in Puglia…"
Availability & Rates
Mid Season £795 (€946) pw
Late Mid Season £895 (€1,065) pw
High Season £1,225 (€1,458) pw
Trulli Talily is located in a peaceful, countryside setting…
Following confirmation of availability and cost, an Information Pack is provided with details of how to pay and secure a booking.
Once a booking is secure, a detailed Guest Guide is provided with directions, guidance and maps for the property, local towns and places to visit.
Ostuni, Italy


text:
|Caye Caulker
A Natural Hair and fashion lifestyle blog based in Sonoma County, in the heart of Wine Country. Amber serves up inspiration for winery tourism, vegetarian recipes, style, and skincare.
Belize Photo Journal pt 2
7 comments
- Stephanie - labelleinfrance said...
You're so poetic, Amber! I love this! :)
- February 22, 2012 at 12:57 AM
- Eda. said...
Such gorgeous photographs, looks like you're having an incredible time darling and the photographs are beautiful
Eda ♥
- February 22, 2012 at 1:56 AM
- CC said...
The black & white photo of you is my fav :) xoxo
- February 22, 2012 at 3:08 AM
- Jennifer Fabulous said...
I facebook stalk you, so I've seen most of these. ;)
Here is what you need to do. Start your own photography magazine. Like, seriously. Travel the world and take photos and put them in your magazine. And win a bunch of awards. This needs to happen.
These are seriously ASTOUNDING.
And you mentioned on fb I think about putting more photos on your blog: DO IT! xoxo
- February 22, 2012 at 10:02 AM
- Movies on my Mind said...
Seriously good photos Amber. J-Fab speaks the truth: you've got an eye for images (and a good camera).
With that kinda photographic style, I reckon you could even make our neighbourhood look cool (which will be a seriously tall order).
- February 22, 2012 at 12:54 PM
- Meri said...
wow- these pictures are gorgeous. That little boy is BEAUTIFUL, and I love the spirit of Belize that you've captured. You should work for a travel company because I'm about ready to book a trip!
- February 22, 2012 at 8:25 PM
- Jelisaveta Djukanovic said...
Beautiful! :)
- February 23, 2012 at 1:32 AM
This site uses cookies from Google to deliver its services - Click here for information.


text:
A powerful personal journey to find meaning and life lessons in the words of a wildly popular 13th century poet.
Rumi's inspiring and deceptively simple poems have been called ecstatic, mystical, and devotional. To writer and activist Melody Moezzi, they became a lifeline. In The Rumi Prescription, we follow her path of discovery as she translates Rumi's works for herself - to gain wisdom and insight in the face of a creative and spiritual roadblock. With the help of her father, who is a lifelong fan of Rumi's poetry, she immerses herself in this rich body of work, and discovers a 13th-century prescription for modern life.
Addressing isolation, distraction, depression, fear, and other everyday challenges we face, the book offers a roadmap for living with intention and ease, and embracing love at every turn--despite our deeply divided and chaotic times. Most of all, it presents a vivid reminder that we already have the answers we seek, if we can just slow down to honor them.
Haldol and Hyacinths: A Bipolar Life
Avery / Penguin, 2013.
Melody Moezzi was born to Persian parents at the height of the Islamic Revolution and raised amid a vibrant, loving, and gossipy Iranian diaspora in the American heartland. When at eighteen, she began battling a severe physical illness, her community stepped up, filling her hospital rooms with roses, lilies, and hyacinths.
But when she attempted suicide and was diagnosed with bipolar disorder, there were no flowers. Despite several stays in psychiatric hospitals, bombarded with tranquilizers, mood-stabilizers, and antipsychotics, she was encouraged to keep her illness a secret—by both her family and an increasingly callous and indifferent medical establishment. Refusing to be ashamed, Moezzi became an outspoken advocate, determined to fight the stigma surrounding mental illness and reclaim her life along the way.
Both an irreverent memoir and a rousing call to action, Haldol and Hyacinths is the moving story of a woman who refused to become torn across cultural and social lines. Moezzi reports from the front lines of the no-man's land between sickness and sanity, and the Midwest and the Middle East. A powerful, funny, and poignant narrative told through a unique and fascinating cultural lens, Haldol and Hyacinths is a tribute to the healing power of hope, humor, and acceptance.
I often speak in classrooms and at book clubs via Skype or in person. I'm also happy to help educators building curricula around my books. Contact me for details and check out a curriculum resource here: Haldol and Hyacinths Reading Group / Curriculum Guide (PDF)
Praise for Haldol and Hyacinths
"[Moezzi's] vivid descriptions of being pulled against her will in a swirl of impulsivity, hallucinations, and paranoia are riveting... A poetic portrait of life on the lines of sanity and a mind on the edge of cultures." — Publishers Weekly
"A bold, courageous book by a woman who transforms mental illness into an occasion for activism." — Kirkus
"Melody Moezzi is an amazing writer, sharp and witty and very funny, describing life as a young Iranian woman raised by her family in the American midwest, balancing those two sides of her world and cultures in a pre- and post-9/11 world." — Peter Damien, BookRiot
"[W]hipsmart but whimsical…Moezzi's fierce honesty and comic self deprecation bind together winningly." — Kate Tuttle, The Boston Globe
"A captivating autobiographical account of [Moezzi's] struggle with bipolar disorder." — Brian Mossop, Scientific American MIND
"[A] defiantly frank memoir." — Parade Magazine
"Iranian-American story with a feminist bipolar twist." — Tyler Cowen, New York Times Magazine "One-Sentence Book Review"
"Blistering, brash and irreverant... [Moezzi's] courageous postcard from the edge can't come too soon." — Gina Webb, The Atlanta Journal Constitution
"Intelligent, accurate, entertaining, culturally relevant, and a little sassy... Haldol and Hyacinths is highly recommended, and beyond its story value will prove a useful and educational tool." — Christopher M. Doran, New York Journal of Books
"Moezzi is brutally honest...[and] bitingly funny in her narrative." — Cliff Bellamy, The Herald-Sun
"[A] must-read autobiography... informative and uplifting." — Atiya Hasan, Brown Girl Magazine
"At times moving, usettling, and funny, Moezzi's brash, barely filtered memoir is a fascinating glimpse into a tumultuous mind." — Teresa Weaver, Atlanta Magazine
"Melody Moezzi pulls no punches. A big brain and a big heart inform this courageous and often hilarious memoir which crosses cultures and breaks stigmas—there is, quite simply, nothing like it. Nothing as smart, nothing as frank, nothing as informative." — Lee Smith, author of The Last Girls
"Haldol and Hyacinths is Melody Moezzi's brilliant chronicle of her battle with bipolar disorder . . . a compulsively readable account of one woman's descent into the hell of this insidious illness and a courageous testament of her coping with this tragedy. Moezzi is the newest and perhaps the most important voice in this genre. Those suffering with mental illness and their family members and friends should read this book as soon as possible. Moezzi's story will save lives." — Andy Behrman, author of Electroboy
"A dazzling flower with poisonous thorns, Melody Moezzi's memoir describes formidable, twin conflicting identities. Bipolar, she wrestles frenzied, Hula-Hooping highs and psychotic, suicidal lows. Iranian American, she finds Muslims scarce in the Bible Belt where she grew up, and learns that in Iran, there isn't even a word for 'bipolar.' Her struggle to keep these forces in balance is an immense task, and she tells her story with confidence and a fabulously wry sense of humor." — Ellen Forney, author of Marbles
"Haldol and Hyacinths is like the brawling, big-hearted, and hilarious little sister of Darkness Visible and The Noonday Demon. But Melody Moezzi is no imitator and she doesn't write in anyone's shadow. She stands alone and speaks her brilliant, fierce, inimitable mind, and we're better for it." — Josh Hanagarne, author of The World's Strongest Librarian
"With beautiful grace, sardonic humor and sharp intellect, Melody Moezzi casts a light where there is usually darkness. Haldol and Hyacinths may be a book about an American Muslim woman, but it speaks to the struggle of all people to find peace and calm in their lives and in their families. Melody is a modern day Sylvia Plath—with a happier ending." — Asra Nomani, author of Standing Alone
War on Error: Real Stories of American Muslims
The University of Arkansas Press, 2007.
War on Error brings together the stories of twelve young people, all vastly different but all American, and all Muslim. Their approaches to religion couldn't be more diverse: from a rapper of Korean and Egyptian descent to a bisexual Sudanese American to a converted white woman from Colorado living in Cairo and wearing the hijab. These individuals, whether they were born to the religion or came to it on their own, have made their own decisions about how observant they'll be, whether or not to fast, how often to pray, and what to wear.
Though each story is unique, each is also seen through the searching eyes of Melody Moezzi, herself an American Muslim of Iranian descent. She finds that the people she interviews are horrified that, in a post-9/11 world, they have seen their religion come to be represented, in the minds of many Americans, by terrorism. These thoughtful and articulate individuals represent the truth about the faith and its adherents who are drawn to the logic, compassion, and tolerance they find in Muslim teachings.
Moezzi, ever comfortable with contradiction and nuance, is a likable narrator whose underlying assumption that "faith is greater than dogma" is strengthened as she learns more about her religion and faces her own biases and blind spots. This fresh new voice, combined with the perceptions and experiences of her fellow American Muslims, make for a read that is both illuminating and enjoyable.
Praise for War on Error
Winner of the 2007 Georgia Author of the Year, Creative Nonfiction/Essay Category.
"Engaging and well written." — Publishers Weekly
"Spirited and smart and full of surprises." — The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
"Moezzi writes clearly, passionately, and sincerely, giving the fair-minded reader a sorely needed introduction to American Muslims that defies the scripted questions with unscripted answers." — The Nation
"Moezzi's goal in this book is to remove 'Islam' from the nameless, faceless, Evil Empire association that the religion has become to so many Americans… She succeeds admirably." — Georgia Writers Association
"Melody Moezzi's book is a compelling exploration of the under-represented lives of American Muslims. Written with warmth and grace, these essays humanize a community that is frequently misunderstood at a time when we can ill afford misunderstanding." — Ausma Khan, Editor-in-Chief, Muslim Girl Magazine
"I am fascinated by Moezzi's interviews…They will change forever the way most readers understand Islam." — KLIATT Magazine (starred review)
"These voices should be heard and these stories must be told." — Suzanne Blum, coauthor of Translating Culture: A Rhetoric for Ethnographic Writing in the Composition Classroom


text:
We've got a new challenge today on the Creative Craft Cottage Challenge Blog and this time it's an 'anything goes' challenge. You can find all the details here on the challenge blog.
Our sponsor for this challenge is the wonderful:
For my card I've used part of a digi stamp from All Dressed Up called '3 Little Christmas Girls' - you can find it here in their Etsy shop.