text: Share: Comments Print November 3, 2012 at 7:00 AM In Seattle, conservative voters an ideological minority Posted by Lauren LeMieux Kyle Curtis peers over the sign that often brings him disapproving looks from liberal onlookers. Credit: Lauren LeMieux / UW Election Eye. SEATTLE — For Kyle Curtis, president of the University of Washington College Republicans, it is nearly impossible to show support for his chosen presidential candidate. "I can't tell you how hard it is to get a Mitt Romney sign in this state," Curtis said. Curtis did find a sign, but he also found confrontation. While holding the blue-and-red Mitt Romney poster on campus he got a disproving reaction from a passerby. "He glared at us, then he took a few steps back," Curtis said. "He was like, 'You're kidding me. You're actually going to vote for Mitt Romney?' and then I was like 'Yes.'" Curtis and the man discussed their points of view and parted on good terms. But the skirmish illustrates how difficult it can be for a conservative living in a liberal area. The sky might be grey in Seattle but there is plenty of blue in the voting population. Washington state has voted for the Democratic Party candidate in every presidential election consecutively from 1988-2008. Curtis predicts Washington voters will do the same thing in the 2012 election. "It's the look," said Curtis. "The look is something we always get." That look is especially prevalent on the UW campus, where students typically lean to the left. The College Republicans struggle to gain a foothold on campus. "One day we even had donuts and it was still hard to get people," said Curtis. "For a campus that seems to be open to diversity, it definitely lacks [that value] when it comes to accepting conservatives." Some of the democratically oriented students at UW, such as Jacob Thorpe, a political science major, are skeptical. "Try being a liberal in the south," said Thorpe. "Just because most people don't agree with you doesn't mean you're being oppressed." Oppressed or not, conservatives in the city of Seattle are outnumbered. Curtis and College Republicans took this fact into consideration earlier in the year when deciding how to prepare for the election season. "With a state that's already going to vote blue, are we going to put those efforts toward Romney, or toward our governor's race?" He said of the group's decision to focus energy on the governor's race. "However, we're all voting Romney, and we support Romney." Many conservatives in the Emerald City don't only feel outnumbered but also unaccepted. Mike Stall, a 33-year-old member of the King County Young Republicans, said that a lot of people join the organization because "they just needed to be around some people who would just be nice to them, even though they voted for Bush or they thought capitalism was a good thing." Republicans in Seattle often feel adrift in a sea of blue. Credit: Lauren LeMieux / UW Election Eye. "It's kind of sad that we would have a city that pushes you to that, but at least there is a relief. So in that sense I'm happy," said Stall. Stall explained how a lot of members come to the group with stories of liberals who targeted them personally because of their conservative views. Lauren Pettine, a 20-year-old UW student, was criticized via tumblr because of her conservative beliefs. "I have had people send me nasty messages being like, 'You have the most horrible perspective; you're all wrong,'" Pettine said. She eventually created a new blog to specifically address only politics, so that backlash against her views wouldn't be directed towards her personal account. Pettine explained that people often jump to conclusions about her beliefs because of her association with the Republican Party. People often assume she opposes Referendum 74, when in fact she supports gay marriage. "I was baptized in a Christian church by a gay priest, so I'm all for it," said Pettine. And Pettine says that most young republicans think very differently than the older generation of conservatives. "The national progression is to be like, well I'm fiscally conservative but I'm not socially conservative," Pettine explained. Despite the fact that Pettine doesn't agree with all of Romney's social views she will join Curtis in voting for him November 6. Comments | More in Culture, Local, State | Topics: blue voters, conservatives, Republicans


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Reading Matters
WNBA offers dinner, writers, books
This year's Bibliofeast offers a line-up of authors, books and a dinner at Maggiano's Little Italy in SouthPark.
The event, 6-9 p.m., Oct. 12, is sponsored by the Charlotte chapter of the Women's National Book Association, a group that supports reading, writing, independent booksellers and libraries.
This year's lineup includes Elise Blackwell ("The Lower Quarter"); Nina de Gramont ("The Last September"); Sarah Kennedy ("The King's Sisters: Book Three of the Cross and Crown Series"); and Hank Phillippi Ryan ("What You See"). Also on hand will be former Raleigh News & Observer book columnist and critic Peder Zane ("Off the Books: On Literature and Culture").
Cost is $50 for WNBA members and $60 for non-members. Tickets are available by credit card at http://wnba-charlotte.org/wnba/calendar/bibliofeast-tickets/ or at Park Road Books, 4139 Park Road by cash or check or credit card.
Deadline for tickets: Friday, Oct. 9.

subset: commoncrawl


text: An estimated 260 people had been killed and hundreds others were injured by Syrian security activists in Homs on Saturday, according to opposition leaders in the country. "They're ready to kill us all," said Homs resident Abu Abdo Alhomsy. Activists said that the army used tanks, mortars and machine guns in the Khaldiyeh neighborhood, in what was believed to be an attack launched in retaliation after the opposition group Free Syrian Army attacked the government checkpoints and killed an estimated 10 soldiers. Reports were hard to get out of the city, and the Syrian government denied the high death toll. Meanwhile, the United Nations Security Council will meet on Saturday in New York to discuss Syria—and could vote on a draft resolution that would pressure the government to end the deadly crackdown.


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You are currently browsing the category archive for the 'Human Psychology' category.
Via facebook my friend and yours JDRyan posted a link to the UK Guardian piece "Haiti and the Rules of Generosity: Why do people give generously to earthquake victims, but not to prevent the much larger number of deaths caused by poverty?". As JD said in his facebook posting, a good question (not to mention a long-winded article title, something which I support).
The answer, something I've eluded to and spoken to quite often here, is liberalism. Specifically, in a society in which even those who do not benefit at all by the dominate economic systems and relations have internalized the logic of said system, an authentic and meaningful challenge to the status quo is exceedingly difficult. At its most glaring, liberals feel compelled more by a desire to maintain a system in which their basic needs are met (never mind whether or not they're met in an efficient or healthy manner) than any genuine desire for social justice, equality, or fairness and thus syphon resources to aid the spectacle rather than towards any serious effort to combat the socio-economic conditions which contributed to said spectacle, let alone towards meaningful systemic changes which could elevate real suffering.
The piece rightfully notes the role the mass media plays, and above I intentionally used the word "spectacle" for just this reason. As the Guardian piece points out,
Media saturation obviously makes a critical difference. Scenes from Hurricane Katrina, the Asian tsunami, and now the Haitian earthquake were shown over and over again on all television news broadcasts…. The daily deaths of children in poor countries from diarrhoea, measles, and malaria are part of the background of the world we live in, and so are not news at all.
Which, of course is insane. To say (and frighteningly enough, to say rightfully) that the daily deaths of children due to easily curable diseases and conditions is "not news at all" is to point out that in modern society our experience is not one of authentic human relationships to each other, but rather of relationships through images and representations of life itself.
Which brings us to Guy Debord's The Society of the Spectacle. In that incredibly important work, Debord points out a modern society in which authentic social life is increasingly replaced by its mere representation. Through a confluence of the State, advanced capitalism, and the mass media of each our lives cease to be authentic human experiences, our relationships cease to be between each other, but instead all is replaced by images and the mere representation of actual experiences and relationships. From the surprisingly articulate wikipedia post on it:
In his analysis of the spectacular society, Debord notes that quality of life is impoverished, with such lack of authenticity, human perceptions are affected, and there's also a degradation of knowledge, with the hindering of critical thought. Debord analyzes the use of knowledge to assuage reality: the spectacle obfuscates the past, imploding it with the future into an undifferentiated mass, a type of never ending present; in this way the spectacle prevents individuals from realizing that the society of spectacle is only a moment in history (time), one that can be overturned through revolution.
Indeed. Because in general we lack the knowledge to understand the causes (global capitalism, class divisions, colonialism) of poverty we lack an awareness of the means to alleviate such problems and human suffering; with no clear solution to systemic problems we gravitate towards the momentary tragedy instead- the spectacular images of which we are bombarded with by the mass media, furthering our own anxiety's over the suffering of others in what we might call the last remnants of our instinctual drive for authentic, meaningful human relations.
As per the thinking of Peter Kropotkin over 100 years ago, as well as that of contemporary integral theorists today, UC-Berkley gives us this:
Researchers at the University of California, Berkeley, are challenging long-held beliefs that human beings are wired to be selfish. In a wide range of studies, social scientists are amassing a growing body of evidence to show we are evolving to become more compassionate and collaborative in our quest to survive and thrive.
In contrast to "every man for himself" interpretations of Charles Darwin's theory of evolution by natural selection, Dacher Keltner, a UC Berkeley psychologist and author of "Born to be Good: The Science of a Meaningful Life," and his fellow social scientists are building the case that humans are successful as a species precisely because of our nurturing, altruistic and compassionate traits.
They call it "survival of the kindest."
"Because of our very vulnerable offspring, the fundamental task for human survival and gene replication is to take care of others," said Keltner, co-director of UC Berkeley's Greater Good Science Center. "Human beings have survived as a species because we have evolved the capacities to care for those in need and to cooperate. As Darwin long ago surmised, sympathy is our strongest instinct."
In the most recent issue of Science, biologist Samuel Bowles of the Santa Fe Institute in New Mexico offers research that suggests not only what many integral thinkers already understand in a broader sense, but indeed what set Russian anarchist Peter Kropotkin apart from the crowd way back in the Nineteenth Century: that social conditions play a role in our individual evolution and may be responsible, over time, for developments in consciousness such as the advent of human altruism. From the UK Independent:
Samuel Bowles, of the Santa Fe Institute in New Mexico, said: "Warfare was sufficiently common and lethal among our ancestors to favour the evolution of what I call parochial altruism, a predisposition to be co-operative towards group members and hostile towards outsiders.
"Biologists and economists have doubted that a genetic predisposition to behave altruistically – to help others at a cost to oneself – could evolve, excepting the help extended to close genetic relatives."
In his study, published in the journal Science, Dr Bowles takes on the proponents of the selfish-gene theory of human evolution by suggesting that natural selection worked on groups of people co-operating together, rather than just individuals.
Ruth Mace, an anthropologist at University College London, said Dr Bowles' study went against the accepted idea of the selfish-gene theory which long ago rejected the proposal that natural selection worked at the level of the group rather than the individual.
"Recent literature on social evolution has reopened the debate, arguing that in some circumstances group selection might be important, especially in a cultural species like humans," she said.
What was that? Hard-wired to cooperate? Mark that as a point for socialism and real (left) libertarianism and one difficult blow for capitalism.
People aren't greedy by nature folks- we're greedy because of want and social dis-order. The absurd notion of a social species which by nature is anti-social (individually greedy to the detriment of the larger group) is poppy-cock. And now science is making its way around to reiterating what Peter Kropotkin already observed and wrote about around 150 years ago.
A great piece is up at the TC IMC by someone named Kirk James Murphy, MD (he says in the piece he's a psychiatrist). His point, I think, is well taken and worth the quick read. Most of it is reprinted bellow, the entire thing is here.
"Jason was tased seven times on the street, while completely unresisting. We just heard from him-he's still pulling copper out of his hip from the taser gun, has a long, deep laceration in his leg that is still untreated, was beaten up badly and has a black eye, a hurt mouth and many lacerations, but says he's doing great. Elliot Hughes, a sweet, nineteen year old who came to our day camp, was badly beaten when the cops knocked him off his bicycle. They stepped on his chest, and he was coughing blood all night but received no medical treatment.The guards were calling him 'Princess' and making homophobic remarks. We heard from Jason that last night, Elliot was making noises to protest not receiving any food for more than twelve hours. Twelve officers entered his cell. Screams were heard for over five minutes. He was tasered three times, maced, and beaten, then removed and the men were told he was being taken to a restraint chair." [Starhawk]
To put it bluntly, uniformed "law" enforcement in St. Paul and Ramsey County:
- torture with electroshock weapons (Tasers)
- torture with chemical weapons
- stomp on a young man's chest
- cruelly (perhaps fatally) deny medical care to a victim spitting up blood (the fancy medical name is hemoptysis) from thoracic trauma
- respond to calls for food with torture by beating, Taser, and chemical weapons: the same chemical weapons known to cause respiratory arrest and death in victims with pulmonary disease. "Spitting up blood" is a symptom of pulmonary disease so severe as to require emergency medical evaluation.
- then tie up the victim in "restraint chairs" known to exacerbate pre-existing breathing difficulties in some victims of thoracic trauma.
The Ramsey County Jail officials did this in plain earshot of other detainees: that's a pretty strong sign they don't see anything to hide. Which—when one's been doing the same thing over and over for years—is a common assumption.
Does the torture inflicted on Elliot Hughes sound strange and alien to you? Not me. In the mid-90's the Humboldt County Sheriffplanned and carried out torture of three groups of non-violent forest activists by painting their eyes with the chemical weapon known as "pepper spray". The "law" enforcement officers who did this thought it was such a good idea they made training videos. Those training videos, when they hit national news, provoked immediate revulsion, and helped turn public opinion against the brutal "policing" then the norm in California's "Deep North". Ultimately, the forest protectors won their Federal civil suit against their torturers.
After I wrote articles about that use of chemical weapons for torture of restrained detainees (the forest defenders were locked to one another, to huge machines, or to one another around a large stump), I was deluged by requests from attorneys in the forested counties along the coast of northern California and central/southern Oregon. They all described clients who — while already restrained — were repeatedly sprayed with chemical weapons ("mace" or "pepper spray" or "tear gas"). Over and over, the attorneys reported the victims were tortured in this manner to punish speech: their clients had said something the "law" enforcement officers didn't like.
Apparently a great many people who go to work in uniform with guns on their belts have such sensitive dispositions that when they hear speech they find disagreeable, they need to skip the charges, trial, jury, and judge: so they can torture the speaker with fists, electroshock weapons, and chemical weapons.
The first attorney to call me represented a client with permanent brain damage. He'd suffered lack of oxygen to the brain due to respiratory arrest. He suffered the respiratory arrest when the notoriously brutal Josephine County Sheriffs bravely strapped him into a "restraint" chair and repeatedly attacked him with chemical weapons.
Just as Ramsey County Jail "law" enforcement officials did to Elliot Hughes last night.
I couldn't help the attorneys: they needed forensic pulmonologists and neurologists, not a psychiatrist.
Over at Strange Blue Planet, a site I recently came across thanks to the really good leftlibertarian.org ("Left libertarian views from around the web"), there's a very intriguing piece which argues that all of human society as we know it in a collective pathological state of Stockholm Syndrome. As I've been trying to work on my own personal tendency to be entirely brash with my judgments- far too often entirely writing off or enthusiastically embracing one idea or another- I'm going to say that there are aspects of the article that I agree with and some that I'm not so sure about, but it's certainly an interesting read and the piece's author just may be onto something.
Read Stockholm Syndrome Society here.


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The Browns (2-2) defeated the Cincinnati Bengals (2-2) 17-6 in an AFC North showdown at FirstEnergy Stadium. Below is our game day blog.
End game: Browns 17, Bengals 6
The Browns took a commanding 17-6 lead with under five minutes remaining in the game on a Hoyer 1-yard touchdown pass to Chris Ogbonnaya. That drive was highlighted by a high-arching pass to Jordan for 31 yards and the final touchdown was set up by a 9-yard run by Willis McGahee from the 10-yard line. The Browns then sealed the game with an interception by Buster Skrine, who came down with a pass intended for Tyler Eifert and defended by D�Qwell Jackson. Skrine later made another fine play on fourth-and-4 to break Dalton�s pass and turn the ball over again. Hoyer finished the game 25-of-38 passing for 269 yards, two touchdowns and no interceptions. Jordan had 91 yards and a touchdown on 10 catches. Josh Gordon caught four passes for 71 yards. Willis McGahee ran for 46 yards on 15 carries.�
End 3Q: Browns 10, Bengals 6
Cornerback Chris Owens came around the edge and sacked Andy Dalton, and in the process forced and recovered a fumble to give the Browns the ball at the Bengals� 47-yard line. The Browns couldn�t do anything with the great field position, though. On the second drive of the quarter, the Browns faltered at the Bengals� 20-yard line and Billy Cundiff, who missed two field goals earlier and then slipped while warming up for the third kick, nailed a 51-yarder to put the Browns up 10-3. The Bengals then put together a 10-play, 62-yard drive capped by Nugent�s 43-yard field goal to make it 10-6.
End 2Q: Browns 7, Bengals 3
The Bengals put together two quality drives but only came away with three points. Early in the second quarter Mike Nugent brought the score to 7-3 with a 25-yard field goal. Later, facing a fouth-and-1 at the Browns� 7-yard line, defensive end Desmond Bryant stuffed BenJarvus Green-Ellis behind the line of scrimmage to force a turnover on downs. Barkevious Mingo also blew up a blocker on that play. In between those two drives, Browns kicker Billy Cundiff missed a 37-yard field goal wide left. Josh Gordon also made a terrific play on that drive in which he reached back over the head of Bengals cornerback Adam Jones and made the catch for a 33-yard gain. As the second quarter wond down, Hoyer completed four passes to Cameron to give Cundiff a chance, who missed a 49-yard field goal wide right as time expired. He�s 0-2 kicking field goals today.��
End 1Q: Browns 7, Bengals 0�
The Browns took the lead late in the first quarter when Brian Hoyer hit Jordan Cameron near the inside pylon for a 2-yard touchdown pass. Cameron had Bengals safety Taylor Mays draped over him but still made the catch. That capped a 12-play, 95-yard drive in which Hoyer was 6-of-6 passing for 74 yards. Just before the quarter ended, Barkevious Mingo, making his first career NFL start, sacked Andy Dalton and then took down Giovani Bernard for a 2-yard loss on back-to-back plays.�
Pregame notes
Links to stories from this morning: 1. Former Browns quarterback Bernie Kosar charged with DUI, speeding this morning. 2. Browns planning to release RB Montario Hardesty from IR, NFL Network reports.
Inactives: Browns ��Quarterback Brandon Weeden (sprained right thumb), outside linebacker Quentin Groves (high-ankle sprain), offensive lineman Martin Wallace, right guard Shawn Lauvao (high-ankle sprain), tight end Keavon Milton, defensive end Billy Winn (strained quadriceps) and outside linebacker Jabaal Sheard (left knee sprain). Notes: Rookie outside linebacker Barkevious Mingo will make his first career NFL Start in place of Sheard, whose streak of 35 consecutive starts will be snapped today. In three games in a reserve role, Mingo has tallied two sacks. Lauvao is inactive despite practicing all week and being listed as questionable entering today with a high ankle sprain. Billy Cundiff, who was also listed as questionable (strained right quadriceps), will play although he didn't kick in practice until Friday. Bengals � Free safety Reggie Nelson (hamstring), cornerback Leon Hall (hamstring), cornerback Dre Kirkpatrick (hamstring), running back Rex Burkhead, guard Mike Pollak (knee), guard Tanner Hawkinson and defensive end Margus Hunt.�
Lineup changes: Browns � Oniel Cousins will start at right guard for Lauvao. And rookie Barkevious Mingo will start for Sheard.�Bengals � Adam Jones will start at cornerback for Hall and Taylor Mays will start at free safety in place of Nelson.
Ryan Lewis� top storylines: 1. Browns quarterback Brian Hoyer, a North Olmsted native and St. Ignatius High School graduate,� is making his third career start. Last week against Vikings, Hoyer was 30-of-54 for 321 yards and threw three touchdowns and three interceptions. He faces a much tougher test Sunday against a stingy Bengals defense. With 300 yards passing, Hoyer would become the first Browns quarterback since Brain Sipe in 1980 with back-to-back 300-yard games. 2. Running back Willis McGahee ran for only 9 yards on eight carries last week but could see a bigger role now that he has a week of practice under his belt. It�s unclear how much of the load he�ll be able to carry. Chris Ogbonnaya and Bobby Rainey could split carries with McGahee. 3. Rookie outside linebacker Barkevious Mingo could get his first career NFL start Sunday, as starting linebacker Jabaal Sheard is nursing a left knee that he sprained while recovering a fumble against the Vikings. Sheard did not participate in practice Thursday. Mingo already has two sacks and six tackles this season in limited action. 4. Sunday brings the return of James Harrison to Cleveland, the former Steelers linebacker who in the past knocked former Browns Joshua Cribbs, Mohamed Massaquoi and Colt McCoy unconscious. Harrison signed with the Bengals this offseason but has only one tackle through three games. Bengals defensive coordinator Mike Zimmer said last week: �He�ll be an impact.� 5. The Browns have done well against the run this season, slowing down the likes of Ray Rice of the Ravens and Adrian Peterson of the Vikings. The Browns face a two-pronged rushing attack this week in BenJarvus Green-Ellis and rookie Giovani Bernard. Bernard is an emerging weapon for the Bengals who has scored three touchdowns in two games and could see his role expanded.
Links to preview stories via Ohio.com: 1. Browns rookie Barkevious Mingo to battle his role model: Bengals Pro Bowler Andrew Whitworth. 2. Browns vs. Bengals key matchup: Cornerback Joe Haden vs. wide receiver A.J. Green. 3. Five numbers to know for Sunday. 4. How they rank on offense and defense. 5. Quote of the week. 6. Predictions from Nate Ulrich, Marla Ridenour and Ryan Lewis. 7. Browns quarterback Brandon Weeden unsure of job status as he takes step on comeback trail. 8. Browns notebook: Rookie outside linebacker Barkevious Mingo expected to make first NFL start Sunday. 9. Browns� Willis McGahee expects �dramatic improvement� in rushing attack Sunday. 10. Browns notebook: Guard Shawn Lauvao eager to move past ankle injury, driving mishap.


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The president of the country's largest labor union, Lily Eskelsen García of the National Education Association, told delegates at her organization's annual gathering that they would not work with the Trump administration because the president and Education Secretary Betsy DeVos could not be trusted to do what is in the best interests of children.
Eskelsen García just addressed the 96th NEA Representative Assembly meeting in Boston, accusing President Trump of residing "at the dangerous intersection of arrogance and ignorance" and labeled DeVos as "the queen of for-profit privatization of public education." She said in part:
Let me say this to all of you as clearly as I can, so that even if you disagree with me, you understand what is in my heart: I will not allow the National Education Association to be used by Donald Trump or Betsy DeVos. I do not trust their motives. I do not believe their alternative facts. I see no reason to assume they will do what is best for our students and their families. There will be no photo-op.
We will find common ground with many Republicans and many Democrats on many issues. We will not find common ground with an administration that is cruel and callous to our children and their families. And I don't just judge them by their words; I judge them by their actions.
Neither the Education Department nor the White House responded to queries for a reaction to the speech.
It's no surprise that Eskelsen García, who became president of the union in 2014, would attack Trump and DeVos. The NEA in January launched an effort to persuade enough senators not to confirm DeVos, a Michigan billionaire who has disparaged traditional public education, as Trump's education secretary. At the time, Eskelsen García said:
"Betsy DeVos is not qualified, and even more than unqualified, Betsy DeVos is an actual danger to students — especially our most vulnerable students. She has made a career trying to destroy neighborhood public schools, the very cornerstone of what's made our nation so strong."
DeVos, as controversial as any of Trump's Cabinet picks, was confirmed by the Senate only after Mike Pence became the first vice president in history to break a tie for a Cabinet secretary.
[Teachers unions mount campaign against Betsy DeVos, Trump's education pick]
Eskelsen García has a history of being blunt. During the Obama administration, she attacked school reforms pushed by Education Secretary Arne Duncan, saying in a speech at the 2014 annual NEA gathering, "Stop the stupid. And I'll try really hard to make that diplomatic." At that convention, NEA delegates voted on a resolution calling for Duncan to resign after years of protesting his reforms, including standardized-test-based accountability and the expansion of charter schools.
In 2015, she apologized for using what parents of children with special needs said were disparaging remarks about students with disabilities, saying that she had said them in a failed attempt "to be clever and funny" while reciting a long list of teachers' responsibilities. She wrote on her blog: "Open mouth. Insert foot. That's what I did. Epic fail. . . . I apologize."
Now the NEA and Eskelsen García are strongly opposing the agenda of Trump and DeVos, who have made expanding alternatives to public education their chief education priority.
Here's Eskelsen García's speech as prepared for delivery July 2:
So … I promised short speeches, so let's get right to it.
The world has changed since last we met. I think our last RA [Representative Assembly] was 413 years ago. Doesn't it seem like a lifetime has gone by in the last few months?
And we've got a lot to talk about.
We've got to fiercely look into the face of our current reality and a White House that believes in alternative facts. There are corporate billionaires who — for their own profit — have tried to dismantle environmental protections, consumer protections, worker rights, civil rights, the right of every blessed child to have a quality public school — those same corporate billionaires and their cronies who are now the cabinet secretaries of departments they vowed to destroy.
We have a president who resides at the dangerous intersection of arrogance and ignorance and travels with a moral compass that always points to his own self-interest.
It was in his interest and not the interest of schoolchildren that he nominated a woman who had never worked or volunteered or even stepped inside a public school to be his Secretary of Education. He chose a billionaire — the queen of for-profit privatization of public education — Betsy DeVos.
Were you quiet about that? I think not. We asked you to act, to make some phone calls to your senators to tell them what you thought of this nominee. We're usually pretty happy when we get 100,000 messages. We got one and half million. And she failed to win a majority of the Senate she needed for her confirmation, having been rejected by members of both political parties. We forced the Vice President, for the first time ever on a cabinet nomination, to schlep up to the Capitol and break the tie. That is not a small thing.
I received an invitation from Betsy DeVos to meet. I responded by writing back and told her that before we talked about meeting, I needed to hear the answers to the questions that she refused to answer at her Senate confirmation hearing. And I made it easy. These are all True/False questions. Yes or No.
I'm going to let you all know her answers just as soon as she gets back to me. But in a profoundly disturbing way, we've already received them, haven't we?
One of the first acts of the Trump/DeVos administration was to rescind the Office of Civil Rights letter that the Obama administration sent to districts clearly stating that they were legally responsible for protecting our transgendered students from discrimination. This administration gave a green light to the despicable, intentional, institutional humiliation of a vulnerable population of students. So, her answer is "no." She will not protect ALL our students.
Let me tell you that for me this is not partisan. I'm from Utah. When I left my state and the Democratic Party didn't have a quorum. I have worked and played well with Republican legislators and governors. I know how to find common ground with people who will never agree with me on lots of things that are really important to me. But I can usually find something to bring us together. Because whether you're Republican, Democrat or of some other party, we might disagree on how to get there — but in my experience, most people — most people — want something good for kids and their families, even if they have bad ideas about how to do it. They don't have bad intentions. I get that we need to find ways to use our influence wherever we can.
I need to say that, because there have been plenty of people — people I know and love in my own family; people in this very room — who've pulled me aside and told me — in very patient and respectful ways (most of the time) — that even if all I just said about this president and this secretary of education were true, that the election is over and we have to find ways to cooperate with this administration.
Let me say this to all of you as clearly as I can, so that even if you disagree with me, you understand what is in my heart: I will not allow the National Education Association to be used by Donald Trump or Betsy DeVos. I do not trust their motives. I do not believe their alternative facts. I see no reason to assume they will do what is best for our students and their families. There will be no photo-op.
We will find common ground with many Republicans and many Democrats on many issues. We will not find common ground with an administration that is cruel and callous to our children and their families. And I don't just judge them by their words; I judge them by their actions.[soundcloud.com] By their works shall ye know them.
Look at their budget. Now there's a piece of … work. I have 10 BILLION reasons not to trust them. One reason for every dollar they cut from programs that lifted up our struggling students — cuts to after-school programs; cuts to special education; to student loans and college work study; to Head Start, to Historically Black Colleges and American Indian education programs; community schools and magnet schools and gifted programs and arts programs all cut, cuts to children's health care; cuts to food for hungry families — and what did they increase using the money cut from children? — a brand new shiny private school voucher program for schools that are allowed to discriminate and over-promise and under-deliver and not be held accountable for the public dollars they take away from public schools.
I was venting to my neighbor. She said: Lily, it's bad, but don't worry. I don't believe he really means it. It's just a place to begin bargaining.
Maya Angelou wisely said: "When someone shows you who they are, believe them the first time."
We know who Donald Trump and Betsy DeVos are. They show us every day. And I believe them. They show us every time we watch the news. By the way, how many of you can hardly stand to watch the evening news anymore?
Good lord, I stopped turning on the TV news. Which is ironic, because for many years, current events was how I began my day with my sixth graders.
Every morning, my kids could get extra credit if they reported on an article they read in this thing called a "newspaper". Remember "news"? Remember "paper"? Good times.
They had to summarize it; explain what was happening; give an opinion. Then the class got to give their own opinions. And they got to ask their own questions. (In my class you got a jelly bean for a good answer. You got two jelly beans for a good question — and all my kids had cavities. Now, THAT would be a fun measurement on a teacher evaluation.)
But my kids knew what question would get them three jelly beans.
Soon or later, someone would ask: So, are we going to do something about it? Ah!
There's a blood shortage. Should we put on a blood drive? Yes!
A nice man named Barney Clark is in the hospital at the University of Utah receiving the first artificial heart. Should we send him valentines shaped like actual human hearts with right and left ventricles? (Yes! But that was actually a little creepy.)
Cars are parked illegally in the handicapped parking spaces. Should we throw rotten eggs at them? No. No we should not.
Sometimes the answer was no. But mostly, the answer was yes. Yes. We are going to do something about it.
In this room, we're many things. We're Democrats and Republicans and Independents. We're bus drivers and teachers and secretaries, adjunct faculty and public service employees and librarians and nurses and college students and retired educators. We are young and old and gay and straight and men and women of every race, religion and ethnicity. And I know guests who have entered this Assembly amazed at how diverse we are, and how we still manage to debate and disagree and respect and even love each other.
But I understand what brings us together. We come into this room unafraid of facing the brutal reality. We never kid ourselves. But we listen to each other. We form our opinions. We ask a lot of questions and the most important one is: Are we going to do something about it?
Now, you don't wait for the NEA Representative Assembly to act. Not all the fights are in Congress. Back home, all year long, you've been using the power of our collective voice to fight and to win.
Arkansas, Colorado, Maine, Minnesota, Nebraska, Nevada, Tennessee, Texas and Virginia — you protected your students by beating back vouchers at your state capital this year. You won!
When the governor in Georgia pushed a ballot initiative to give the state power to takeover local schools, the Georgia Association of Educators led the fight and the public said: No thank you. You won!
In ruby-red South Dakota, the mighty South Dakota Education Association did the impossible and brought together Republicans and Democrats to do a good thing: to raise needed taxes and get more money to starved public schools. You won!
And right here in Massachusetts, the MTA with an amazing coalition of true believers in public education fought back an initiative on unaccountable charter expansion — and you won!
Now I could go on and on and on and on about the amazing work of every state in this room, but I promised you a short speech. So I want to leave you with this:
We can win. We have power. And they know it. So, we stand in a dangerous place. We stand between a profiteer and his profits. They're going to hit us with everything they've got because we are a threat to them. They will try to take away your freedom to organize. They will try to take away your freedom to negotiate with a collective voice. They will try to silence us because when we win, the entire community wins. Working people who don't even have access to a union win, because we're there to fight for their kids' schools and affordable college and affordable health care; for their Social Security and Medicare; for a living wage and the ability to support our families. So they want us stopped.
Our opponents know that a lot of us are retiring, and so they will pour alternative facts into the ears of the new generation of educators and those in public service with lies about who we are.
But they won't succeed. Because we know in our bones who we are. And we will tell every new colleague the truth about who we are: We are the members of the National Education Association. We are the voice of education professionals. Our work is fundamental to the nation, and we accept the profound trust that is placed in us.
This is not a drill. We will be fearless. We will hold strong. We will focus on growing even stronger — defending our students, our families and our communities;
We know who we are and we know the power of our mission:
That we welcome every blessed child.
No matter what shape they come to us.
No matter the color of their skin.
No matter the language they speak.
No matter where they find God.
We take them all.
We love them all.
And we give the world
The mothers and the fathers and the
Thinkers and the builders
And the artists and the dreamers.
We give the world the American Dream.
We give the world the future.
Hermanos y Hermanas — esa es la democracia.
This is what democracy looks like in the house of the National Education Association.
Be fearless. Be P\proud. Be warriors.
Ya es tiempo.
Go. Fight. Win.


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Dates: March 21, April 4, May 2, May 16, May 30, June 13, 2020
Times: Saturdays 8:30am-5:00pm
Location: Massachusetts Museum of Contemporary Art, 1040 Mass MoCA Way, North Adams, MA 01247
The RETELL Sheltered English Immersion (SEI) Teacher Endorsement Course offered atThe Reading Institute will provide Massachusetts teachers with research- based teaching strategies for teaching vocabulary, comprehension, reading, and writing to English Language Learners.
Attention Administrators:
Take this course and be administrator endorsed.
Here is how it works:
1) Apply for both the teacher and the administrator endorsement.
2) The teacher endorsement is granted upon completion of the teacher course.
3) The administrator endorsement is granted by holding the teacher endorsement.
Note: This does not work the other way around. Taking the admin course does not help someone earn a teacher endorsement.


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About Cari Quinn & Taryn Elliott
Hi, and welcome to our website! We're USA TODAY bestselling writing duo Cari Quinn and Taryn Elliott! We've been writing together for a lifetime – wait, no it's really been only a handful of years, but we have a lot of fun!
Pssst … for sexy reads that don't fit into our regular catalog, be sure to check out the website of our alter ego Taryn Quinn!
Cari Quinn Bio
USA Today bestselling author Cari Quinn grew up wanting to be a singer more than anything else. When she realized she probably wouldn't be hired as the opening act for the Foo Fighters, she stopped singing and started writing. Now she happily writes about rock stars, MMA fighters, suited heroes, bodyguards and everything in between. And she blasts her music as loud as the neighbors can stand, because hey, she'll always be a rock star in her own head.
Taryn Elliott Bio
USA Today Bestselling author Taryn Elliott is a music freak who loves everything about telling stories. She has way too many ideas rattling around in her head, but music almost always ends up in the story somehow. She's extremely lucky to have a job that allows her to slip into the shoes of musicians, actors, business women, tycoons, bodyguards, chefs, bakers, carpenters, inventors, bartenders, wine makers, artists, and so many more characters to come. Talk about living the dream!


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- Home
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- Papua New Guinea
- Glass-Packed Master Roast: Papua New Guinea
New packaging technique for ultimate freshness, better than vacuum pack!
Our second Glass-Packed coffee, organic wild-grown Papua New Guinea coffee is a truly exceptional bean with a great story to go with it (see below). This year's crop blew us away with its richness and layered complexity, and our special Harlequin roast captures the full range of the beans' potential. It really deserves the glass treatment.
Strong, durable Ball Mason jar packed with 8 oz or 12 oz Harlequin Papua New Guinea whole bean coffee. Great gift!
See below for more details about the packaging and the coffee.
More Information
About Glass-Packing
This is no mere gimmick: it's a true innovation in coffee packaging.
Mason jars are made with thick, tough glass and have a two-part lid that allows internal pressures to escape through the lid; that's what makes them work for canning. It also makes them ideal for freshly roasted coffee. Here's why:
Immediately after roasting, coffee gives off a significant amount of carbon dioxide as a result of the roasting process. We pack the fresh beans into the jar while still warm and put the lids on "fingertip tight" as though we were canning, so the gas can expand and escape. The constant outgassing pushes all the oxygen out of the jar. The next day, when the coffee's outgassing has slowed and the jar is 100% oxygen-free, we tighten the lid to lock the freshness inside. The Mason jar lid thus acts like a one-way valve, as the internal pressure prevents any oxygen from coming in. When you open the jar, you'll hear a hiss as the pressure inside the jar is released, almost like opening a soda.
Keeping the coffee under pressure protects that just-roasted essence, which would otherwise be lost during its final outgassing. Plus, we all know everything tastes better in glass!
The jar is beautifully presented, with a full-color label and an insert with the history and description of the coffee inside. The fabric covering the lid is a square of jute burlap cut from a genuine coffee sack for maximum awesomeness. And, of course, the jar itself is useful and infinitely re-usable. An excellent gift!
About Papua New Guinea coffee
This exciting coffee grows wild in the mountains of Papua New Guinea's Morombe province, at altitudes ranging from 3,000 to 6,000 feet. Because they are wild-grown, they receive no artificial treatments, making them the ultimate in organic coffee. As of 2016, we have independent certification that the coffee is absolutely pure and free of any trace of chemicals.
The taste is stunning. Exceptionally low-acid, richly aromatic, and full-bodied, with notes of chocolate and fruit. These beans are descendants of the same stock as Blue Mountain and share its smoothness and drinkability. As soon as we tasted this coffee, we knew we had to have it. But it gets better--this coffee is saving lives.
The only way to get this coffee out of the heart of the jungle is via bush pilots, who must use grass-strip airfields now that tsunamis have knocked out roads in the area. Because of this inaccessibility, the locals cannot easily trade for medical or other supplies, nor can they sell their coffee on the commodities market. With no buyers, the precious coffee was rotting on the tree!
Highlands Summit Coffee and their bush pilots are changing these peoples' lives by bringing in badly needed supplies, medicine, money, food, and education, including training new pilots--a vitally important and highly paid career that can improve the quality of life in a pilot's entire village. Highlands Summit also pays a premium price for the coffee, too. But because we buy directly from them, we can offer this truly exceptional coffee for a very reasonable price.
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Brazil's Poços de Caldas
There is no other terroir in the world similar to the unique microclimate of Poços de Caldas, which is angled perfectly toward the sun. Poços de Caldas receives sharply divided day and night periods that begin with early morning sun full-on till 4 pm. The soil is enriched by volcanic minerals and rainforest humus. Learn more and browse Brazilian Volcano Coffees here.


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Normally I reserve a Self Saucing Chocolate Pudding for a cold winter night but decided this week will be an exception. I just love it when you break into these puddings and you have a lava like eruption of Chocolate sauce ooze over the plate. I like Self Saucing Chocolate Pudding with a good Vanilla ice-cream and Raspberries. But it also works wonderfully with thick whipped cream.
- 60 g butter
- 1/2 cup Milk
- 1 teaspoon Vanilla essence
- 1 egg
- 3/4 cup caster sugar
- 1 cup self raising flour
- 3 tablespoons cocoa
- 3/4 cup packed cup brown sugar
- 2 cups boiling water
- Ice cream, raspberries and dusted cocoa to serve
- Preheat oven to 180c.
- Grease a 6 cup capacity baking dish.
- Melt the butter with the milk in a small saucepan.
- Add the vanilla, caster sugar and 2 tablespoons of cocoa.
- Mix well and pour into the baking dish.
- Combine the brown sugar and remaining 1 tablespoon of the cocoa in a bowl with 2 cups of boiling water.
- Stir until the sugar is dissolved, and pour carefully over the back of a spoon over the batter.
- Bake for 35 to 40 minutes until the top is firm.
- Dust with cocoa and serve with fresh raspberries and ice.cream
- enjoy.


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Lionel Richie proud of his timeless hits
- Bang Showbiz
- 12 July 2013
Lionel Richie is proud his romantic tracks are such timeless hits and is over the moon his songs are still proving a big hit at weddings
Lionel Richie is proud his romantic tracks have become timeless hits.
The 64-year-old singer worried about becoming a "laughing stock" with some of his material from 70s and 80s, and never expected his songs to still be relevant and such big wedding hits.
He told the Daily Star newspaper: "Any year you sing 'Endless Love', it works.
"I do big business in weddings, between 'Truly', 'Endless Love' and 'Three Times A Lady'. I mean, I have the words 'I love you' sewn up.
"I wasn't really conscious of the songs being so timeless when I wrote them.
"Right in the middle of 'Three Times A Lady', disco was happening so I was afraid if it was ever going to work. Lasting forever? I wasn't worried about that, because I thought I was in danger of being the laughing stock of the music business."
Lionel released an album of country versions of his tracks for his last album, vows to return to his R&B roots on the next, and has been stockpiling ideas ready for recording.
He explained: "I needed to fill up the well before going back to writing songs, I had to have some more life experiences. So now that it's been five years of life-changing experiences, you see things differently.
"I'm a granddaddy, and there's some songs I want to write about that. I have to dig into my soul to write about these things."


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Godzilla celebrated his 60th anniversary in style this weekend as the king of the monsters topped the domestic box office.
According to Variety, "Godzilla" brought in an estimated $93.2 million in North America, the largest May opening weekend for a Warner Bros. film ever. $38.5 million of that was on Friday, the biggest opening day for a film in 2014 thus far.
The new film made more than double the opening weekend of Roland Emmerich's "Godzilla," which brought in $44 million when it opened in 1998 and went on to gross a little more than $136 million domestically and $242 million worldwide.
According to Metacritic, "Godzilla" has received "generally favorable reviews," ranking a "62" on the site. In her review of the film, SPINOFF ONLINE's Josie Campbell said, "While the 2014 'Godzilla' is fun and leagues better than the 1998 version, it lacks the charm and excitement of the classic 1950s and '60s monster films it references. One can only hope the inevitable sequel will be placed in more decisive hands."
Last week's No. 1 film "Neighbors" dropped to No. 2 in its second weekend, bringing in another estimated $25.9 million for a domestic total of $91.5 million. "Amazing Spider-Man 2" landed at No. 3 with an estimated $16.8 million, bringing its domestic total to $172 million. "Million Dollar Arm," which stars Jon Hamm as a sports agent recruiting baseball players from India, opened to an estimated $10.5 million.


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about jula paper co.
is founded on the principle that clean, classic design will still be popular in twenty years.
That true style is timeless, and that snail mail will live on forever.
That less is more, and that there is always beauty in the details.
That good design doesn't need to break the bank, and that pretty paper is just a small part of a much bigger story.
Your story...
ABOUT JiLL
I'm a self-taught designer, who has always had a passion for paper. I was the little girl who doodled in her notebooks and was fascinated with my mini filofax. Now, twenty-some-odd years later, I feel pretty darn lucky to design for some incredible couples and families, and look at pretty paper every day. I'm also the founder + editor behind Red Oak Weddings, a modern wedding blog for couples in New York, New Jersey + Pennsylvania.
I'm a mom, and a wife, and believe that there is nothing as important as those two roles. While you won't find much of my family shared here, know that they're inspiration behind this business and the reason I get to follow my dreams.
let's work together
From babies to birthday to everything bridal, or maybe you're looking for a designer to help elevate you're business....
Take a look around, and don't ever hesitate to reach out with any questions!


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What to do on a Sunday afternoon? Let's ride bikes to Broad Ripple and watch some ducks swim down the canal. What???
BRVA sponsors the Canal Duck Race. I know this race was around last year, but not sure how long it's history is. I remember seeing signs, and since we were in town this year, we hopped on our bikes and headed down the Monon. 30 minutes later, we run into this guy! They even have a mascot!
So we sponsor some ducks and grabbed some seats at Flatwater to wait for the race to start. We hear the count down and then heeeeeeeeeeere they come!
Did I mention they are rubber ducks?! Go ducks 1707, 1708, 1709, 1710, 1711, and 1712!!
It was absolutely hilarious and adorable at the same time. All these families were out crowding the Canal and enjoying the great weather.
This guy may have had the best job. Chuckin' ducks back into the canal that got caught on the rocks.
Panorama shot of the madness. It was so hilarious. Must definitely take part again next year!
After the race, you can pick up your ducks and take them home. We did. We wanted to show them what clean water looked like… Hello pool! I could hear the duckies going "Ahhhhhh blue water!"


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Episode 8 of Intersexions tackles the highly sensitive issue of gender based violence (GBV), zeroing in more especially on the rape of lesbians. Termed "corrective rape," this is a phenomenon in which men rape people they presume or know to be lesbians in order to "convert" them to heterosexuality.
Lorraine, Bontle's cousin from episode 7 is a role model doing outstanding work with the poor and vulnerable in her community. A lesbian, her openness regarding her sexual orientation attracts the ire of some residents in her township. When she intervenes to stop a bullying incident by some local layabouts, she angers the dangerous Madoda, who does not forgive easily. Plotting the right moment to get his revenge, Madoda and his friends accost Lorraine late at night while walking alone and beat her badly and rape her. They also threaten that if she tells the police then they will also rape her partner.
Although some members of the community witness the crime, none of them come forward to testify against the thugs. The episode traces Lorraine's journey to recovery, her fears of contracting HIV and the dread of her endangering her partner's life if she reports to the police. Fighting in her corner however is a hardy police officer determined to bring to book Lorraine's attackers and rapists.
A brave victim, a sexist bully, a good cop and a community unable to respect sexual preference remain at odds until eventually, common sense and justice reigns over ignorance and fear. Solidarity overcomes fear and witnesses come forward. Madoda and his thugs get arrested.
JHHESA managing director, Richard Delate says the underlying message of episode 8 is "Zero tolerance to all forms of rape." Central to the anti-GBV message is also the help available to rape victims through the Prevention and treatment of HIV after rape, a drug which sould be administered 72 hours of sexual assault or suspicion of exposure to HIV. It is called post exposure prophylaxis or (PEP).
Key Facts about Post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP):
1. Must start immediately within 72 hrs of rape.
2. Must have HIV test first, if negative continue ARVs for 28 days.
3. Must get emergency contraception/ 'morning after' pill to prevent pregnancy.
4. Must get antibiotics to prevent other STIs.
5. Must continue counselling.
6. Re-test for HIV after 6 weeks.
N.B Do not need to report case to the police to get PEP!
"In the face of escalating cases of GBV, it is shocking to note that there remains some pockets of society who believe rape is permissible. The continued rape and violence in this country contravenes basic human rights as outlined by the United Nations which states among many other rights that every human being is born free and equal and has the right to life and safety," Delate concludes.
Episode 8 of Intersexions was screened on SABC1 at 8.30pm on 2nd April 2013.


text: We regularly have horses and shares in horses for sale. If you would like advice and assistance in purchasing a racehorse please get in touch. If we do not currently have anything that meets your needs, our wide range of contacts means we can often find the horse of your dreams through a private sale or at public auctions throughout the year.


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Democratic Senator Chris Coons of Delaware released a statement accusing White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer of mischaracterizing comments he made earlier this month about potential collusion between Russian officials and the Trump campaign.
Coons, a member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, told Fox News on March 5 that he while had "no hard evidence of collusion" between the campaign and the Russians, "I think what hard evidence there may be will be discovered either through a full release of President Trump's financial interests and concerns and taxes, or the intercepts that I believe our intelligence community and FBI have of conversations between and among Russian officials."
During a White House press briefing on Monday, however, Spicer only quoted Coons as saying "there is no evidence of collusion."
Coons wrote that he was "disappointed" that Spicer "today mischaracterized" his comments, adding that "there is quite a bit of circumstantial evidence that suggests collusion may have occurred."
"For Mr. Spicer's sake, let me be clear once again: Though I have not seen specific evidence of collusion between the Trump campaign and Russian officials, there is quite a bit of circumstantial evidence that suggests collusion may have occurred, including confirmation just this morning that the FBI is investigating potential collusion between the campaign and Russian officials," Coons said.
FBI Director James Comey confirmed during a House Intelligence Committee hearing on Monday that an investigation into Russia's election-related meddling "included" an examination of contacts between Trump associates and Russia during the campaign.
"I have been authorized by the Department of Justice to confirm that the FBI is investigating Russia's interference in the US election," Comey said, which "includes whether there was any coordination between the campaign and Russian efforts. This will also include an assessment of whether any crimes were committed. I can not say more about whose conduct we are investigating."
Coons, in his statement, added that the "firings of Campaign Manager Paul Manafort and National Security Advisor General Michael Flynn over troubling ties to Russia to the President's refusal to release his tax returns and his unfounded accusation that he was 'wire tapped' by President Obama, President Trump and his team have refused every opportunity to allay concerns of inappropriate Russian ties. Indeed, they have fostered those concerns, knowingly or not."
"Mr. Spicer would do well to quote me accurately and fully in the future," Coons wrote.
Comey also disputed on Monday Trump's explosive claim that Obama had wiretapped him, saying there was "no evidence to support" that accusation.
"No individual can direct electronic surveillance of anyone," Comey said, adding that "no president could" unilaterally order a wiretap of anyone.
"We don't have any evidence or information that supports those tweets," he said.
The White House said on Monday that Trump would not withdraw his allegations.


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As we approach the month of August I am reminded it will soon be time to return to school. Which reminds me of Ms. Mary's Preschool restarting soon, and Elijah Mantle's back to school shoe drive and the program year for Sunday school and the church restarting with Homecoming Sunday September 18th.
This month Elijah's Mantle Ministry is reminding us about the shoe drive on August 6th. They moved the date from the third Saturday to the first Saturday of the month in response to many schools opening mid-August. We especially need a lot of extra help the morning of the 6th so please sign up to help that morning or set up for it the day before. Thank you to all who have helped, donated shoes, socks, or funds for this worthy cause.
Remember the office hours when Charles is in are 9-12 Monday–Friday. I continue to take Friday as my day off but I am often in the other afternoons as well as the mornings but call first so I'm in when you come. I take some communions out and have meetings certain days. Please consider using the Prayer Garden for some of your quiet time and prayer time. It is beautiful and quite peaceful especially at this time of year.
A huge thank you to the Vestry, especially the subcommittee that researched and supervised the installation of our new front windows—they are lovely and work well. So far we have covered the cost of 7 of the 12 windows and we continue to take donations to honor or commemorate those of your choosing. There will be a memorial plaque on the wall with the donors. Those who choose to give a whole window will have an individual plaque near your chosen window.
I have been in major planning mode for the rest of the Pentecost and Advent Seasons. For a peek at the upcoming classes and events in the upcoming months please take a look at the "Save the Date" List later in this newsletter. Please have a wonderful, safe and blessed time the rest of your summer. Take some time to pray and let's all pray for peace and an end to the violence we have seen this summer.


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10 of the funniest pet fails ever
Posted on 17 September 2015
If only our pets knew how funny they are
Before you peruse our gallery of some of our favourite pets caught in situations some would certainly rather forget, let's get one thing straight. No animals were hurt in the making of this list. As long as we all turn a blind eye to the dents in their pride of course.
1. Plastic garden chairs really get Billy's goat…
Source: smatterist.com
2. Hammy needs to face up to it. Her favourite cardboard tube just doesn't fit anymore…
3. Don't you love the way cats are always so calm and in control?
Source: digmydog.org
4. Is this dog cute? Yes. Fluffy? Yes. Stupid? Absolutely
5. Oi! That was my carrot!
Source: bajiroo.com
6. Bet this parrot feels like a right turkey…
7. Just hanging around…nothing to see here folks!
Source: lazerhorse.org
8. Did you know ferrets could fly… oops! I meant parrots
9. The cat told me it would be fun…
Source: vhavets.com
10. Of course, we had to save the cutest until last…
SunLife offers a range of straightforward and affordable products including over 50s life insurance, funeral plans, equity release, pet insurance, car insurance, home insurance, ISAs and Will writing services.


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PANAMA CITY � Basketball in the Panhandle Conference already is getting interesting, and the conference schedule isn�t even two weeks old.
PANAMA CITY � Basketball in the Panhandle Conference already is getting interesting, and the conference schedule isn�t even two weeks old.
The Gulf Coast men�s squad will try to deliver another staggering blow to Northwest Florida State when the two teams square off in Niceville Wednesday at 7:30 p.m. The women�s teams from the two schools tip off at 5:30 p.m.
The Commodores (13-6 overall, 1-1 conference) earned their first Panhandle win last Wednesday at home against Tallahassee. NWF State (16-2, 1-1) suffered its first loss, falling at Pensacola in a stunning 65-61 defeat for the top-ranked team in the country.
GC now is tied for third in the Panhandle with the Raiders, a half-game behind Pensacola and one game behind first-place Chipola. Only two teams will advance to the state tournament at the end of the regular season.
The Commodores are ninth in the FCSAA poll updated Tuesday, and NWF State is second.
The GC women (17-1, 1-1) can pull into a tie for second place in the conference with a win at NWF State (15-2, 2-0).
The Lady Commodores are ranked fourth in the country and collected their first conference win by pulling away in the second half of a victory over Tallahassee. NWF State is ranked 13th nationally and one spot behind Gulf Coast in third in the state poll released Tuesday.


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It's OK…I have a Liebster.
I'm am so excited to share something new with my readers! I was nominated for a Liebster Award! If you are unfamiliar with a Liebster Award, and I'm sure 99% of you are, that's ok. It's basically an award given by bloggers to other bloggers as a way to show… View Post


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March 15, 2013
"Fancy trying that new Turkish place on Narborough Road?" asks Cockney Rob. "Looks like the places in Dalston".
Being a South Londoner by extraction the food cultures of the East End are a bit of a mystery to me, but Cockney Rob knows and enjoys his food and something tells me the Turkish restaurants in Dalston are good ones. So yes, I did fancy trying.
The North end of Narborough Road is a fascinating place which seems to pulse with every new shift in the complex ethnic and cultural jigsaw of our city. In recent years it's been Eastern Europeans who have made the running. In recent months it seems the Turkish community has reached lift-off, and now in the space of a few yards we've got a first class cafe which I've lauded here several times, in the shape of Yesim, and now two proper grill restaurants – Istanbul and Sultan.
We tried Sultan, by the Hinckley Rd junction, next to what sadly is probably best known as "the bomb site". Approaching it the signs were good – it was busy and bright and there was the most wonderful smoky, barbecue grill aroma wafting into the street. If it hadn't have been for the bitter March weather you could have been walking by the Bosphurus not the Soar [not really, obviously, but you take my point]. It's not licensed but the sweetly fragrant Turkish tea we're offered sets a mood. There's a satisfying buzz around the place – a couple of big groups, some families, some couples and it's the kind of kaleidoscopically diverse clientele that would give Nick Griffin nightmares (that's if he can sleep at night). Me, Cockney Rob and ermm, let's call him Countesthorpe Mikey, get stuck into a selection of six meze – and they are all rather wonderful. Beautifully dressed sharp and tangy feta cheese and a sweetly delicious aubergine and pepper stew were my highlights, but there was also really well-made hummous, dolmades, cacik and potato salad. The warm sesame bread was so good we ordered more.
The mains are mainly kebabs – nothing too fancy here, grilled and spiced meats with rice – or chips – and a nice fresh, colourful, crunchy salad. Mikey had skewers of garlicky minced chicken beyti, I had the lamb beyti, and Rob the yoghurtlu adana kofte. The later came on chunks of bread which were delicously soggy with yoghurt and sauce, which for us was a shame because we'd earlier over-indulged with bread. We also had a side of really great chargilled onions in a slightly sweet and sour dressing.
I've had several friends return from visits to Istanbul recently and all have enthused about the friendliness of the Turks and the welcome and service here was lovely – informal but friendly and attentive. It's not fine dining, but it is good quality, enjoyable food served in a quite stylish room to what seemed an enthusiastic clientele and at perfectly reasonable prices.
Good to know that when the tourists from Dalston arrive to see our King from the Car Park, they'll be able to eat as well as at home.
4 Responses to "Sultan"
March 15, 2013 at 6:56 pm
[…] "Fancy trying that new Turkish place on Narborough Road?" asks Cockney Rob. "Looks like the places in Dalston". Being a South Londoner by extraction the food cultures of the East End are a bit of… […]
March 27, 2013 at 2:05 pm
[…] "Fancy trying that new Turkish place on Narborough Road?" asks Cockney Rob. "Looks like the places in Dalston". […]
April 6, 2013 at 8:12 pm
Thanks for this recommendation. I have enjoyed "Istanbul" previously after the match, but this place is even better!
January 21, 2014 at 10:50 pm
[…] over flames. Similar venues have popped up around Narborough Road (I've already praised Sultan) but this is on Highfields Street, just five minutes from my home and it's lovely. […]


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Armagh Metropolis, Banbridge And Craigavon Borough Council Banbridge Leisure Centre
When you cease to think about it, humankind has always enjoyed some kind of leisure and recreation, so the historical past of leisure and recreation goes back a very great distance. At each of the leisure centres we supply enjoyable swimming periods on Saturday and Sunday, and on day-after-day of the varsity holidays. Recognised as being among the prime leisure facilities in the province, it has one thing to go well with all ages and pursuits. Against the exclusiveness of the paradigm of work as effort, leisure is the situation of considering things in a celebrating spirit.
However, jousting tournaments, looking tournaments, and the earliest types of chess, checkers, and other games developed during this time. Please be aware as a consequence of important employees training Banbridge Leisure Centre will operate reduced opening hours on Thursday 15 December 2016. For full details of the areas and actions accessible to hire please contact Newmarket Leisure Centre on 01638 782500.
If the Industrial Revolution helped create the history of leisure and recreation, the 20th century helped cement it. Staff demanded shorter working hours, paid vacations and holidays, and weekends off, resulting in even more leisure time for the world's workforce.
Stress management – the delicate stress of leisure activity can cut back overall detrimental stress by contributing to leisure. This historical past of leisure and recreation goes far again in time, however leisure and recreation actually took off when the Industrial Revolution hit Nice Britain in the 1700s. Machines mechanized the manufacture of material and fibers, and this in the end led to more leisure time for the workers. Optimistic life-style development – contributing to society, social interaction, growth of leaders, being part of organized sports all encourage good lifetime activities. For first time users, kind in your e-mail handle registered to your account and click on the 'forgotten your pin' button. Full particulars of each the Leisure Pool and 25m Pool opening occasions can be found on the Leisure Pool and 25m Pool net page.


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I'm Really Fucking Supported By The Universe (And So Are You!)
Oh man, it's been a day.
I started out by going to teach my first yoga class at a new studio. I was a bit nervous but I stayed true to my practice and my teachings and it went really well!
Then my Mom picked me up and we drove an hour and a half to pick up my new-to-me car. Again, I was nervous. Buying a car, let alone a used one, is very far out of my comfort zone. But, Tyler did his research, we had done all we could to test it and check it out, we got good vibes from the men running the shop and decided to go for it. (That was two weeks ago though, sorry, I'm getting off track). So today! Mom drove me to pick it up and that also went really well!
Mom was meeting friends in another town so I continued home on my own. I was listening to an audiobook talking all about pursuing your dreams, finding your passion etc etc.
All of a sudden I feel my throat start to tighten. "Ugh" I think. This damn throat chakra. Every time I think I've cleared it, it gets all clogged up again. "Wonder what it is this time…" my conversation with myself continues.
Today also happens to be the one year anniversary of my Nanna passing away. It's upon this realization (that I had of course realized earlier in the day but not really acknowledge because I was busy being nervous about teaching a yoga class and buying a used car in another city) it hits me. I wasn't there. I wasn't there for Nanna. Even bigger: I wasn't there for my Mom!
When my Nanna passed away, I was living on the beaches of Cambodia. I was living on an island without internet access at the time she died. My Mom had no way of telling me. We knew Nanna wasn't well and had been staying in touch across the globe as much as possible. Tyler and I had flights booked to go about a week from this time and had considered moving our flights up a few days and decided against it. But when Nanna died, I wasn't accessible.
One day I was able to call my Mom and she told me the news. I took a moment to cry then bought a round of Angkor's (the best Cambodian beer) and went to float in a tube in the ocean with my friends. A week later we came home and were able to be at the funeral. But that's not what mattered. Today I felt that guilt… I wasn't there for my loved ones when they needed me. My Mom watched her Mom die…. and she couldn't get a hold of me to tell me that she loved me… until almost 2 days later.
All of this hit me while I was driving. Naturally I started balling. I turned off the audiobook ("I can't listen to you right now!") and let all the emotions flow through me. I yelled a few times and really let. it. go. I said "I'm sorry!… I'M SORRY!!!".
And then I thought, "wow I'm so happy I get to attend tonight's moon ceremony as a student".
Umm…Light bulb! Ding! Ring the bell! Honk the horn!
It's a fucking new moon.
If you've been following me for any time now, you likely know that a) I love the moon. b) I follow the moon cycles. c) this thing guides me like no other.
Today. New yoga class. New car. Out of my comfort zone. Anniversary of Nanna's passing. New moon.
Yeah. It's time to dive into the unknown, acknowledge and release this guilt I have, the grief I'm still holding on to.
By this time I'm laughing. And crying. And still driving. On one of the busiest highways in the world. And rather than saying "I'm sorry", I start to say "Thank you!"
This is NOT a coincidence. This happens to me a lot. The moon. It's my guide. The universe. It's supporting me.
And it's supporting you too.
Watch for the signs. See them. Greet them. Feel them. Feel them hard. Cry. Yell. Laugh. Cry. And breathe.


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Ericsson will provide VNPT with Ericsson Engine Access Ramp and digital switching platform AXE 810 using the latest software. The Ericsson solution meets both the current requirements of VNPT as well as those of next generation multi-service applications.
The project consists of the rollout of 140,000 new local lines for the remote and low-telephone-penetration areas of Vietnam's 10 central provinces.
When the project is completed in 2005, VNPT will be able to offer people in these areas access to advanced telephone services. Furthermore, the ISDN features in the system will provide VNPT with a platform for service applications such as e-learning and distant healthcare, which are of great use and social benefit for the people in these remote and rural areas.
"We are very honored to have been selected to build this important network for the 10 central provinces," said Gunnar Wenneberg, general manager of Ericsson Vietnam. "With Ericsson's cutting edge technology and our global and local experience, we are fully committed to support VNPT in their mission to bring quality communication services to more and more Vietnamese people, contributing to the industrialization and modernization of Vietnam."
The expansion is being carried out as part of the Central Vietnam Rural Telecom Network project, a communication development project financed by a loan to Vietnam from the Japan Bank for International Cooperation (JBIC).


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- President Donald Trump's longtime lawyer Michael Cohen has revamped his legal strategy.
- Cohen is making it seem as if he will turn on his old boss.
- Experts are confounded by the strategy.
There has been a dramatic shift in President Donald Trump's longtime lawyer Michael Cohen's legal strategy, and experts are confounded about the exact aim of his latest manoeuvring.
Cohen has gone from virtual silence to suddenly sounding as if he is ready to turn on the president at a moment's notice. Gone are the days when Cohen sought to appear as close to Trump as possible; he said in an interview with ABC's George Stephanopoulos last week that his family "and this country" have his "first loyalty."
Soon, Cohen will split with his legal team at McDermott Will & Emery and have his defence guided by Guy Petrillo, a partner at Petrillo Klein & Boxer who has extensive experience in the Southern District of New York and is the kind of lawyer a person would choose if they were seeking to cut a deal with prosecutors, experts told Business Insider. Cohen has also brought on Lanny Davis, notable for his work as a lawyer and representative for President Bill Clinton during the Monica Lewinsky scandal.
Cohen, who worked for Trump over the past decade, is the focus of an investigation into whether he committed campaign-finance violations, bank fraud, wire fraud, illegal lobbying, or other crimes. The FBI raided his home, office, and hotel room in April, seizing roughly 4 million documents.
In distancing himself from Trump, Cohen has criticised the administration's "zero tolerance" immigration policy, hinted through his friends that he might cooperate with the government and provide information about the president, and caused a dizzying news cycle after being photographed with Tom Arnold, an outspoken anti-Trump comedian.
'Cohen's shown such awful judgment on every front that it's hard to read what he's doing and why'
The entire strategy has left experts puzzled.
"Cohen's shown such awful judgment on every front that it's hard to read what he's doing and why, because you can't attribute smart manoeuvring to him," Ken White, a criminal-defence attorney, told Business Insider, adding, however, that he believes hiring Petrillo and Davis "shows an uptick in" Cohen "not being a total idiot."
Davis' hiring, however, has befuddled others. A former federal prosecutor, who requested anonymity to speak candidly on the matter, said it was puzzling.
"Ordinarily, a federal prosecutor does not want potential cooperators to do anything to create publicity," the former federal prosecutor said. "At this point, Lanny Davis is in the business of legal crisis PR, not providing nuts-and-bolts legal advice."
The person listed a few possibilities for what Cohen could be doing.
"It is possible that Michael Cohen hired Lanny Davis solely to push Donald Trump's buttons," they said. "It is possible that Michael Cohen is doing things that are counterproductive to his eventually being accepted as a cooperator. It is also possible that Michael Cohen has been bluffing to try to get Donald Trump and the Trump Organisation to pay his legal bills, so that he can afford to continue an active defence."
The strategy has opened the door to renewed speculation that Cohen may not have much information on Trump to offer the government. Maybe he's bluffing in hopes of a pardon or, as the former federal prosecutor said, to have Trump pay his legal bills.
During this stretch, Trump has distanced himself from Cohen as well, suggesting the investigation has far more to do with Cohen's business dealings than anything Cohen did for the president. Rudy Giuliani, Trump's personal attorney, has repeatedly said that nothing in the Cohen investigation will prove damaging to the president.
But Cohen has intricate knowledge of the $US130,000 hush-money payment made to Stormy Daniels, an adult-film actress whose real name is Stephanie Clifford, weeks before the 2016 presidential election in exchange for her silence about her allegation that she had an affair with Trump in 2006 – something Trump denies.
Cohen was involved in a similar arrangement for Karen McDougal, a former Playboy model who also says she had an affair with Trump. And Cohen had a central role in the failed Trump Tower Moscow project, a venture that was in the works during the presidential campaign.
"We can't be sure yet either way whether he has damaging stuff about the president (that is, more damaging than the president of the United States reimbursing his fixer for paying hush money to a porn star, which apparently we're cool with as a baseline)," White said. "The media glare and the distorting impact of presidential politics makes this one very hard to analyse."
Sources close to Cohen are signalling that he has something damaging on Trump – but others aren't so sure
As Cohen has changed up his strategy, sources close to him have seemingly been tripping over one another in signalling to the press that Cohen does have damaging information and will soon reveal it.
Some told CNN this week that Cohen had a strong parallel to John Dean, the White House counsel to President Richard Nixon who testified against the president during the Watergate proceedings. They told the outlet that Cohen had a message for Giuliani and Trump: "The truth is not you or your client's friend."
Meanwhile, the strategy has been met with some level of condemnation from both Giuliani and Michael Avenatti, Daniels' attorney. After Davis attacked Giuliani on Twitter on Monday and suggested his followers "stay tuned," hinting at Cohen bombshells, Giuliani and Avenatti fired back, albeit for different reasons.
In a text-message exchange with Business Insider, Giuliani criticised Davis' past work for Clinton and said he didn't "get" why Cohen would hire "a flak caught lying in the past as a 'lawyer'?????"
Avenatti took issued with Davis hinting at there being more to come from Cohen.
"Stay tuned?" Avenatti tweeted. "This isn't some game or opp to tease for a reality show. This is serious business. If Cohen has info, he needs to share it NOW with the American people. He can't standby while more damage is done & then later claim he's a hero because he cut a plea to save himself."
Cohen shouldn't appear so eager to cut a deal
Renato Mariotti, a former federal prosecutor who's now a partner at Thompson Coburn, told Business Insider that if Cohen does indeed have nothing to offer prosecutors, Trump's fixer "has made a mistake by appearing so eager to cut a deal."
"He is not going to get a deal unless he can provide substantial assistance to prosecutors," Mariotti said. "Cohen's recent actions don't make much sense. Even if he has something important to offer, he should not appear so eager to get a deal and shouldn't be saying so much in public."
The only way Cohen's recent manoeuvring does make sense, Mariotti said, is if Cohen is angling "for a pardon and doesn't believe that a private message from his lawyer could get through to Trump."
He continued: "It's more likely that Cohen is just making another foolish move."
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Santa is coming to Homer's run!!!
He has kindly taken time out of his busy December schedule to visit us. He has tasked some elves to bring cameras equipment. So put on your holiday best, grab the whole family, and come join us.
Pictures with Santa Paws are free. Donations always welcome.


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Dubai Parks's Future Expansion with New Name
The theme park operator said its new name would show ambitions beyond its first attraction in Jebel Ali
Dubai Parks and Resorts has officially rebranded to DXB Entertainments as part of longer term plans to pursue opportunities beyond its upcoming attraction near Jebel Ali.
The company will now be traded using the DXBE code following the rebranding, which was approved by shareholders in June.
In a release it said its short-term focus would continue to be developing Legoland, Bollywood and Hollywood themed parks, set to open at the end of next month, as well as a 4th Six Flags park planned for Y 2019.
Beyond this though, the company will "pursue additional ventures and opportunities to grow and diversify".
"We have a long term vision to redefine the leisure and entertainment industry in the region and, as DXB Entertainments, we have plans to expand our portfolio of amazing family attractions and experiences. We believe there is great potential in the region for future growth of the entertainment industry and we want to be at the forefront, spearheading this expansion," said chief executive Raed Kajoor Al Nuaimi.
"Changing our corporate name to DXB Entertainments is a clear statement of our ambition for growth beyond our existing theme park destination. Our new name differentiates our corporate entity from Dubai Parks and Resorts, and puts us on a firm footing for future expansion and ventures."
Under the plans, chief destination officer Vinit Shah will take the role of chief business development and strategy officer. His previous role will be filled by a VP of Marketing.
One possible area of expansion could be Six Flags theme parks in the other 6 GCC countries, with DXB Entertainments' parent Meraas holding exclusive rights within the Gulf region.
Robert Anderson
Paul Ebeling, Editor
Paul Ebeling
Latest posts by Paul Ebeling (see all)
- Asia: Gold, Crude Oil, Stocks, Commodities and Currency Pairs - September 16, 2019
- Commentary: Paul Ebeling on Wall Street - September 16, 2019
- Bahrain is the Top Middle East Destination for Expats - September 16, 2019


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Creating Views and Reports with SQL Server Reporting Services (SSRS) for NAV – Does your AR Aging report run long enough to contribute to YOUR aging? By the time your inventory valuation report runs, has your inventory turned over? Sometimes reports in NAV can be a little slow. One option that might be worth exploring is running these reports in SSRS outside of NAV. Chances are you already own SSRS, so why not use it. Come and learn how to set up SSRS so that your AR aging report run time goes from 45 minutes to 45 seconds. Instructor: Jason Chance – Class offered September 20th, 11:00am to 3:00pm EST
New to Dynamics NAV User – Instructor: Kim Congleton – Class offered May 25th, 11:00am to 3:00pm EST
New to Dynamics NAV Administrator – Instructor: Kim Congleton – Class offered June 15th, 11:00am to 3:00pm EST
Master Records and Data Cleanup in NAV – Have you noticed some odd postings or data in your system related to Customers, Vendors or Items? Do you have a process to review these records for inactivity? With this class, we'll walk through some spring cleaning activities to help you get your master records back under control. Instructor: Amanda Mayer – Class offered August 10th, 11:00am to 3:00pm EST
Build Your Own Dashboard using NAV – Next time your boss asks you for on of those "dashboards", look them squarely in the eye and smile. With the recent changes in Dynamics NAV and other tools it's easier than ever to configure intuitive, attractive, and easy to deliver dashboards that exist right inside your role center. You'll see options and solutions as we walk through some real examples and equip you to be a dashboard star. Instructor: Kerry Rosvold – Class offered September 6th, 11:00am to 3:00pm EST
Using NAV Jobs for Service Companies – As a service company, it's important to be able to see what expenses and resources are being allocated to each job. With this class, you'll learn what key setup and processes are needed to keep your service business running smoothly. Instructor: Amanda Mayer – Class offered November 9th, 11:00am to 3:00pm EST


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I have so much catching up to do! For now, let's start with a run-down of all the new photos in my shop--there are lots! Most of them were taken with the awesome 50mm lens I got for Christmas (thanks, Alex!) In fact, this was one of the very first pictures I took with it on Christmas morning. A wide aperture, manual focus, and Christmas lights created this wonderful abstract bokeh beauty.
Speaking of wonderful new things, Alex and I took advantage of a fabulous end-of-year furniture sale in New Orleans, so naturally I took some pictures on our walk to lunch after our shopping day. We were way too hungry to stand in the crazy-long line for Felix's, but I took a picture of the sign anyway. :)
Then there was a wonderful solitary walk around the neighborhood (with my new lens, of course). I cut my leg tripping over some kind of thorny vine on my way to this field of weeds (or as I prefer to say, wildflowers), but it was worth it. Can you tell how obsessed I am with my new f1.8 capability? Shallow depth of field makes everything look so dreamy, don't you think?
This one's in the backyard. I love how it's hard to tell whether this is a photo or a painting or whether it's a reflection on water or the real thing.
Then.... it got cold. Too cold for leisurely outdoor photography fun. So I resorted to re-visiting old shots that hadn't been edited or listed but deserved to be. My dreams of warmer weather led me to this photo of an umbrella at the beach last summer on the Outer Banks.
And this live oak tree shot from my visit to Oak Alley, also this past summer. These gnarly branches really speak to me.
I hope I can keep the new stuff flowing into the shop at this rate! Stay tuned for some lovely images from (1) the freakish ice storm we had on the coast last month, and (2) my trip to San Antonio!


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We were overjoyed to be chosen as one of two local charities to be supported by the Apprentice & Graduate Association in Derby. Earlier this year the Association held a fundraising ball to benefit both ourselves and our friends at the Tiny Tim Trust. Additional fundraising by the apprentices and graduates followed during the remainder of the year. Last week we were invited to Rolls-Royce to receive a cheque for the Association's fundraising efforts. We received £2914.96 from the team and we've just been informed that an additional £500 is also on its way. We're truly humbled. A huge thank you to all involved. This amount will make a tangible difference to approximately 8 local families living with cancer (*grant applications average out at approximately £400 per family. We don't hand over any money - all items/services are paid for directly by the charity)
Apprentice & Graduate Association fundraising success
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The British Podcast Awards have been created to highlight the best podcasts of the year, made for Great Britain.
Established in 2017, we showcase podcasts and give you, and the media, another reason to talk about your shows and discover new listeners.
The BPAs welcome all podcast makers to enter: from big brands to bedroom publishers, charities to comedians... anyone who is helping to build an industry in which we can all be proud.
This competition has been created with you in mind: the categories reflect the genres that have evolved from the first years of podcasting; the judges are independent and understand the medium, the rules are designed to make it easy to submit and the whole event is affordable to enter.
The British Podcast Awards are here to promote the great work you're doing, encourage listeners to try new shows, and provide a space for producers, presenters, sponsors, platforms, writers and performers to have fun.
Matt Hill (@virtualmatthill) has been making podcasts since 2007. As the head of rethinkaudio he produces shows for a range of publishers, as well as independent series including The Modern Mann, Happy Place and For F1's Sake.
Matt Deegan (@matt) is the Creative Director of the radio and new media firm Folder Media. He's responsible for the children's radio station Fun Kids, is a Director of the multiplex network MuxCo, founded the content company Folder&Co and organises (with James Cridland) the Next Radio conference.


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Looks like you are using an old version of Internet Explorer - Please update your browser
Mothers are an amazing gift from God! Just think, if we didn't have mothers, we wouldn't be around today. So it is an honor and privilege for us to take time to love and dote upon our mothers on the one-of-a kind day we affectionately call Mother's Day.
Mother's Day. It's a special day when we (sons and daughters) might make sure to give our mom a kiss on the cheek, clean up our room, and make sure that our clothes are matching! We might buy our mom flowers or her favorite chocolate (all mothers love chocolate after all) and maybe write a card that conveys our love for her, wishing her a happy day to herself.
Although this is a nice idea and a worthy one, if we pay respect to moms on a designated day, do we walk away from Mother's Day forgetting about our mothers until the next year when we once again recall their value? In our fast-paced schedules, we might not stop to consider the vital role that they play in our lives. It is very possible for us to take for granted the blessing that mothers are, forgetting the love and care that they show us every minute! It's important for us to realize just how much we depend upon our mothers. Let's not forget about their dedicated commitment to our well-being, the encouragement and teaching they provide, and their unwavering love and understanding that they show us even when we make mistakes.
They are the ones who help shape us into the young men and women we are growing up to be. So let's take the time on Mother's day and every other day to express our thanks and gratitude for our moms (Proverbs 31:28; Ephesians 6:2) for being the incredible women that they are, and ultimately, thank God for them—for the impact they have and the role that they play in our lives.
© 2019 Answers in Genesis


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Last week, I thought for about the one kajillionth time that I really ought to be doing some sort of more regular blogging. I've been wanting to for awhile, and it's not just something I feel like I "should" be doing, but something that I think will be good for me. Light & Pine, while primarily focused on my art and my process and my shop, is also still a big part of my life, and my life is full of all sorts of things and inspirations. So I'm going to attempt to do a weekly sharing of some of my favorite things - people, places, internet things, books, cute videos, words - and see where it goes! Tuesdays have always seemed like a strange day of the week to me. It's not quite Monday, but it's still the beginning of the week and it's still a bit of a struggle to get going, at least for me. Maybe this will help, maybe it won't, but we won't know until we try! So heeeeere we go!
And before we get to any of this favorite things business, a very happy International Women's Day to all of you! I would be nothing without all the badass, inspirational, stunning, creative, talented, caring, devoted, and incredible women in my life (and the men who support those women) - here's to celebrating those babes, working towards equality, and smashing the patriarchy everyday.
What Women Find in Friends That They May Not Get From Love by Rebecca Traister, NY Times
Nine Learnings From Nine Years of Brain Pickings by Maria Popova, Brain Pickings (an older piece, but I refound it this week and boy oh BOY is it brilliant, as is all of Brain Pickings)
The Gendered Way We've Learned to Ask Questions Is Terrible for Both Men and Women by Elizabeth Weingarten, Quartz
Furiously Happy by Jenny Lawson (my most recent book I've read and WOW did it make me have all the feels. I cried, I laughed so hard I snorted into my beer, I felt okay being human - an abso-frickin-lutely stunning read about real life.)
(Check out Quartz for a wonderful way to get the news!)
I'm kind of a fan of this whole let's-release-secret-albums plan, and although my hip hop knowledge is pretty limited, Kendrick Lamar's new album is phenomenal on so many levels. If you didn't get a chance to check out his performance at the Grammys, make sure you do now.
I love NPR, I love good live music, and I only wish I had been able to be at the All Songs Considered Sweet Sixteen concert. Two of my favorite sets were by The Suffers, who made me feel alive and empowered and amazing and do some intense seated dancing, and Glen Hansard, who could sing the ABCs on repeat and I'd be gloriously happy, but who chooses to sing his own songs and has my heart forever.
Stop Saying "Sorry" If You Want to Say "Thank You"
To Anyone Who Thinks They're Falling Behind In Life by Jamie Varon, Huffington Post
Don't Think About The Future by Christopher Butler
I recently finished Amanda Palmer's book The Art of Asking, and it absolutely blew me away. If you also struggle with asking or if you need a reminder that you're not the only one who struggles with The Fraud Police or if YOU ARE A HUMAN, please give it a read. Her TED talk is also a great place to start, and if you get a little teary, then RUN and go get the book.
The Internet is a funny, terrifying, beautiful place, and I'm so damn grateful to have met some of the most wonderful humans because of it. I've followed Nora McInerny Purmort's story for awhile, and I have lost track of the times I've read through her blog and cried and been enraged and astonished at this whole life business. The way she crafts her words is stunning and heartwrenching and honest and true, and if you've somehow missed any of her writing, change that NOW. She is so many things and is doing so much good in the world - her work at Still Kickin and her writing and her honesty - and I'm so glad for her voice in my life. She is one of my most favorite Internet Friends, and we got to meet up and become Real Life Friends not too long ago, and her upcoming book is going to BLOW. YOU. AWAY. Preorder it right now. Do it. Stop stalling. The link is right there. Until it comes out, try and satiate your penchant for badass ladies who write about REAL things with anything she writes - here's some to start you off:
I'm A Young Widowed Mom, and I Make People Uncomfortable
My Husband, My Boyfriend, and Me
To badass ladies, dancing while seated and standing, and lots of talk about real life. Happy Tuesday!