text:
Many banks are reeling from the no-money-down borrowers who reneged on their home loans, but it's business as usual for Hudson City Bancorp, the CEO said.
Ron Hermance, who also serves as chairman and president, lends money the old-school way: He finds credit-worthy clients who can pay the loan back. (Yeah, imagine that.) And he never bothered with purely speculative markets like Florida and California either. He stuck with what he knew best – the New Jersey, New York and Connecticut areas Hudson City serves.
"It's nothing different than what we've been doing for the past 10-15 years," Hermance told Cramer during the CEO's visit to Mad Money. "But in this kind of environment, of course, it looks special."
Maybe. But Hermance's clientele isn't your normal borrower, it seems. The average down payment paid to Hudson City in 2007 was 41% of the home price, far more than the 10% or 20% – or even less – that other banks demand. "No one is going to walk away from a home when they put down 40%," Cramer said.
Hermance admitted his strict lending rules mean that people could get better leverage from other banks, "but you'll never get better pricing," he said. Those higher deposit and lower mortgage rates are a direct result of Hudson City's efficient business execution. While other banks spend 55 cents of overhead costs to generate a dollar of revenue, HCBK needs only a quarter to make the same amount.
Hudson City's in a great position to steal market share, Hermance said, but there's still "so much room to grow in our own footprint right now." So he's keeping his focus on the Northeast. He said he won't consider a new market unless it meets the Hudson City demographic: "high income and good real estate."
Questions for Cramer? firstname.lastname@example.com
Questions, comments, suggestions for the Mad Money website? firstname.lastname@example.com


text:
The Important of Conducting a Business Like a Business
When in business do as business' do is an important idea for a person entering business to grasp and act on. As an accountant with a growing tax practice people retain my service to prepare returns and many times represent them before the IRS. Usually after not conducting their profit motivated activity like a business. A recent tax case illustrates the importance of acting like a business as a business.
A Mr. Boneparte, an employee of the NY and New Jersey Port Authority claimed on his federal tax return to be a professional gambler. The treatment of gambling losses for a professional gambler is to deduct the losses to the extent of winnings directly from the winnings. Much as a merchant deducts the cost of goods sold from the sales proceeds from those goods. Casual gamblers deduct the losses as a miscellaneous expense subject to the 2% floor on Schedule A to the extent of winnings. The ability to deduct the losses directly from the winnings has huge tax implications. Primarily a lower Adjusted Gross Income (AGI), a number used in many critical tests for various credits and deductions and for a self-employed person a lower SE tax.
When the losses are deducted subject to the 2% floor on Schedule A AGI is higher and the deduction may not be used if less than the standard deduction leading to a higher tax on total income.
The Tax Court looked at the facts of Mr. Boneparte's return and relevant law and ruled the taxpayer was not a professional gambler. The court's questioned if Mr. Boneparte had as an objective of being a gambler a profit motive. A profit motive is evidence partly by the fact the taxpayer maintains complete and accurate books and records. (Reg. §1.1832(b)(1))
Central to the Tax Court's ruling was Mr. Boneparte's failure to keep complete and accurate records of his gambling activities. Mr. Boneparte maintained a running total of winnings and losses in his head. He did not record where, when, and the amount of each wager or each day of gambling activity. The handwritten notes he provided to the auditor were created while the audit was in progress. Part of the complete and accurate records requirement is that the records be contemporaneous to the activity meaning "originating, arising, or being formed or made at the same time; marked by characteristics compatible with such origin." (Merriam –Webster) A classic example is the receipt showing the name of the vendor, the date and time, the amount paid or received.
Mr. Boneparte could not demonstrate he had a profit motive in being a gambler and lost the deduction of his losses directly against his winnings. Keep the receipts, keep books showing a detailed accounting of income and expenses using those receipts.

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Thursday, June 30, 2011
Tuesday, June 28, 2011
Raging Fire Moves Closer To Los Alamos
I returned to Taos yesterday afternoon. This fire started Sunday afternoon, and as of this afternoon, they estimate it's up to at least 61,000 acres. There are several other fires here in NM; we are having a horrid drought year and have had high winds for months and months.
We aren't near any of the fires, although the air quality is poor because of them. I feel so sorry for the citizens of Los Alamos...many lost their homes eleven years ago, the last big fire that struck them. At least this time everyone was prepared, and evacuations went smoothly. The local area shelters are taking as many animals as they can, and in addition to temporary shelters for evacuees, I hear there are hotels and motels offering special rates for those who wish to stay there, instead. I love the way New Mexicans step in to help others when times get tough.
I returned to Taos yesterday afternoon. This fire started Sunday afternoon, and as of this afternoon, they estimate it's up to at least 61,000 acres. There are several other fires here in NM; we are having a horrid drought year and have had high winds for months and months.
We aren't near any of the fires, although the air quality is poor because of them. I feel so sorry for the citizens of Los Alamos...many lost their homes eleven years ago, the last big fire that struck them. At least this time everyone was prepared, and evacuations went smoothly. The local area shelters are taking as many animals as they can, and in addition to temporary shelters for evacuees, I hear there are hotels and motels offering special rates for those who wish to stay there, instead. I love the way New Mexicans step in to help others when times get tough.
Posted by Taos Sunflower at 7:48 PM 6 comments:
Sunday, June 26, 2011
The Wrecking Crew
Back to my getaway last weekend. When I arrived, I was greeted by Nelson, the
That evening was the big event: a screening of a film called The Wrecking Crew, a documentary about the group of studio musicians who became THE go-to musicians for much of the most important music of the 60s, 70s, and upward. If you are a musician, a musician at heart, or lover of music, please check out their website. They are touring this film on a donation only basis, trying to raise enough money to purchase the music rights so that they may eventually take this film to the public in movie theatres, sell the DVDs, CDs, etc. It is an important piece of music history, woven together with interviews and archival footage. I hope I get to see it again one day.
Thanks Laurie and Charles, for making this possible for me. I love your world.
P.S. Fond regards to Valerie.
Posted by Taos Sunflower at 10:15 AM No comments:
Friday, June 24, 2011
Busy times
|Man's way
|Nature's way
There have been a lot of good things happening the last weeks. Last weekend, I was invited to visit my niece and her husband in Ojai...which is a very special part of the world, just north of Los Angeles and inland a bit from Ventura beach. I decided to take the Amtrak, save myself the trouble of driving, and have all those quiet hours on the train to relax and enjoy the view. More on the train ride later; my visit will be my next posting...I have something I want to share with music lovers and musicians at that time.
As I was waiting to board my outbound train last Thursday morning, I couldn't help but notice the juxtaposition of man vs. nature in the layers of the earth cut to accommodate the lowering of the tracks and the ramp up to the station.
On approach to the big Los Angeles station, we wound through some areas that conjured lots of memories from my youth, among them the old Sears tower building where my mom worked. On boring summer afternoons, when mom was working there, I would sometimes take several bus connections from our home to go hang out there until she got off work. It is just mind blowing today to think of how dangerous that would be for a pre-teen girl to do such a thing. Ah...the fifties. There were some good things about them, I just have to scratch hard to remember sometimes.
And then...the El Pato building. Don't remember it as a kid, but hey, I couldn't help but take a photo...the food of my people, as I like to joke. Yum.
So back to the train ride: I won't bore you with the entire story but let me say that people using their cell phones in public have really become a nuisance, in my humble opinion. I had a guy across the isle from me, conducting all his business on his cell phone, using it on speaker phone...and that is only part of the story. I have decided I won't take public transportation again without ear plugs or noise cancellation headphones, lest you end up reading about me going postal and hurting someone!
Posted by Taos Sunflower at 10:55 AM 2 comments:
Monday, June 13, 2011
More about Sue
I did my last posting about the Sunbonnet Sue blocks and then sent the link to it to Deb Rowden, telling her I'd love it if she or someone she knows would like to have these blocks.
Here's her reply:
Lawrence, Kansas is no place to send Sunbonnet Sue blocks! We do terrible
things to them (see this blog entry:
send them only if you dare!
So here's where you find out what a sick sense of humor I have, in case you hadn't already guessed. I hit the link and before I knew it, I was laughing so loud the neighbors probably thought I had finally lost my last marbles. In her posting is another link to a quilt index. I went there and laughed more...and more...until my sides ached. Truth be known, I find Sunbonnet Sue annoying, at best, so to discover someone else shared my feelings and took it to a next level really made this day!
Thanks to Deb for letting me share her posting and this photo, which I copied from her blog without asking.
I think my Sunbonnet Sue blocks are now headed for the chopping blocks...or is it cutting boards...LOL... of some of those wickedly talented quilters in Lawrence, Kansas.
Posted by Taos Sunflower at 4:49 PM No comments:
Saturday, June 11, 2011
Preserving little pieces of our histories
About ten years ago, I worked part time in the little mercantile in Arroyo Seco. I "rescued" some old, hand pieced, quilt tops, along with many hand pieced blocks that had never been assembled into a quilt. I'm guessing, from the fabrics, that most of them are from the 30s and 40s.
One of the tops I rescued had been pieced onto papers from the Daily Oklahoman (1942). I didn't realize it until I got it home and unfolded it...it had just been in a small wad, shoved in a shelf, and I knew it needed to be taken home. All these years later, I have finally found the perfect home for it...and sent it to Deb Rowden, in Kansas, whose blog I've followed most of this past year. I couldn't be more delighted.
What's next? I have a set of 22 of these hand made Sunbonnet Sue blocks. Judging from the fabric, they may be the same era. I am going to find a perfect home for them, as well...and keep these historical items in the hands of those who appreciate them.
I had to laugh this week when I saw that Cathy at Orange Sink was musing about what to do with some blocks that are so similar, they might have come from the same maker. I guess it's spring cleaning time, for sure!
Posted by Taos Sunflower at 4:58 PM 2 comments:
Thursday, June 9, 2011
Stopping to smell the flowers
Somehow these last three weeks here in California have not given me enough good quality time with my grandson. A couple of days ago, we walked around our neighborhood. There are so many flowers blooming at this time of year that it's hard to go far without the scent of flowers in the air. The colors are wild and wonderful. We love stopping to discuss plant names, colors, and bugs. I feel so fortunate to have the opportunity to view all these things with fresh eyes...those of a child.
Posted by Taos Sunflower at 8:15 AM 7 comments:
Sunday, June 5, 2011
A great read
Everyone couple of years, I remember how much I love listening to unabridged audio books while I do my hand work. This week it was "The Help"...a best seller by Kathryn Stockett (Penguin Audio). It's been out at least a couple of years, so perhaps you've already read it.
One of the last of the Oprah shows was one celebrating the 50th anniversary of the Freedom Riders and their efforts to break the back of segregation. Her studio was filled with as many of those brave people as she could locate. There were many first hand accounts of their actions, along with old videos and a discussion of how those protestors were well schooled in non-violence before embarking on this journey. One young black man, who had escaped a burning bus, had been severely beaten by a white man. Oprah's show actually reunited these men, and gave the attacker a chance to apologize. It was a powerful hour. While I lived through this time period, I admit to being a very self-absorbed teenager, and because matters of world news were never discussed in our household (not much of anything was), my knowledge of these events comes from things I've seen or read. Once again, I was blown away by the ugliness of prejudice.
Fast forward to this week...if you haven't read it, "The Help" is a fictional slice of life as a black domestic in Jackson, Mississippi during the sixties. I didn't grow up in the south, nor were we a family of the means to even consider hired "help"...so this book was not only an eye opener for me about life with household help, it was yet another indictment of how people could treat each other, in the worst sorts of ways, through the veil of prejudice and ignorance. It was also uplifting, and I found myself laughing out loud more than once. The movie is going to be released on August 12, and after seeing the trailers on line, it looks like they've done a good job with it (although I almost always prefer a book to the movie). If you haven't read the book...I highly recommend it. In fact, the readers on this audio (which is 15 CDs) were so perfect, it's even hard for me to imagine having read it in print, something I would rarely say.
What do 15 CDs equal in terms of handwork? Lots of hand quilting on my blue and white quilt, and a decent start on this Karen Kahle pattern called "Sentimental". It was a great break from the reality of everyday life; and now, to find my next "read".
Posted by Taos Sunflower at 10:53 AM 6 comments:
Subscribe to: Posts (Atom)


text:
The Bump says the term "lightning crotch" refers to sudden intense pains that occur in the crotch and lower abdomen during pregnancy. The Bump attributes these pains to either the baby repositioning itself or to early Braxton Hicks contractions. WebMD, however, attributes pain with these characteristics to round ligament pain.
WebMD says that during pregnancy the ligaments that support the uterus get stretched. Pain from the stretching tends to occur suddenly, lasting only a few seconds or minutes. Often the pain is felt in the crotch area. Usually moving, such as standing up or rolling over, will trigger the sudden sharp pain of round ligaments stretching.


text:
Microsoft's Quest for Interoperability and Open Standards - 0 views
Gary Edwards on 09 Apr 09Interesting article discussing the many ways Microsoft is using to improve the public perception that they are serious about interoperability and open formats, protocols and interfaces. Rocketman attended the recent ISO SC34 meeting in Prague and agrees that Microsoft has indeed put on a new public face filled with cooperation, compliance and unheard of sincerity.
He also says, "Don't be fooled!!!"
There is a big difference between participation in vendor consortia and government sponsored public standards efforts, and, actual implementation at the product level. Looking at how Microsoft products implement open standards, my take is that they have decided on a policy of end user choice. Their applications offer on the one hand the choice of aging, near irrelevant and often crippled open standards. And on the other, the option of very rich and feature filled but proprietary formats, protocols and interfaces that integrate across the entire Microsoft platform of desktop, devices and servers. For instance; IE8 supports 1998 HTML-CSS, but not the advanced ACiD-3 "HTML+" used by WebKit, Firefox, Opera and near every device or smartphone operating at the edge of the Web. (HTML+ = HTML5, CSS4, SVG/Canvas, JS, JS Libs).
But they do offer advanced .NET-WPF proprietary alternative to Open Web HTML+. These include XAML, Silverlight, XPS, LINQ, Smart Tags, and OOXML. Very nice.
"When an open source advocate, open standards advocate, or, well, pretty much anyone that competes with Microsoft (news, site) sees an extended hand from the software giant toward better interoperability, they tend to look and see if the other hand's holding a spiked club.
Even so, the Redmond, WA company continues to push the message that it has seen the light regarding open standards and interoperability...."


text:
Log in
Latest topics
Top posting users this week
Our Affiliates
Thank you for visiting the Realm of Zero, you can show your appreciation and support of future development by Donating. Visit the Store after Donating!
Aerin Vae, the Soul Demon
Page 1 of 1 • Share
Aerin Vae, the Soul Demon
- Aerin Vae #1:
- Aerin Vae #2:
Age: 200
Origin/Home: The Fae
Gender: Male
Deity: Demon
Sexual Orientation: Bisexual
Race: Demon
Background/History: Aerin was the son of a queen in a faraway land known as the Fae. His father was a demon and his mother was a fairy. His father had married the queen and had become a prince, thus was his goal. Once he had made an heir and that heir was 4 years old, he betrayed the queen and assassinated her in her sleep. Following this, his father began to draw his fairy powers away from him, using it to stay in the fae without being banished. After years of bring hidden away, Aerin began to hate himself - and his life in general. His magic weakened in synchronisation with his soul and his wings turned dark.
However, one night, a voice spoke out to him from the darkness. Commanding him to kill his father. He refused outright, but two months later, when the voice reappeared, he couldn't resist the urge to be free from this prison. He burst through the dungeon and stabbed his father through the heart. He heard the ominous laugh of the voice and a black fog flew into him through his arm. He retaliated, but it was no use. It crept up his body and into his soul, changing him. He rose the next day with more power than he could hold. He obliterated the castle without harming the civilians and swept through the kingdom, destroying anything that would interfere with him. However, after a short time, the council of Faye acted on him, and locked him into a cave with ancient magic, where he resided for 55 years. He absorbed the power of this realm and read about where he planned to travel to. And, when the spell waned, he burst out, and into a place known as Zero, dragging remnants of the kingdom with him.
Personality: Aerin is claustrophobic after being trapped in the cave for 55 years. He loves humanity in all it's different shapes and sizes and knows a great deal about them. He tends to get depressed often over things other's would see as small - though. He also longs for a family to replace the one he had never had, and hopes that their relationships will hold them together. He is also very intelligent, although it mightn't seem like it. However, if he Is threatened, he will destroy all those who oppose him.
Likes: Sweet things, learning things, humanity in all it's forms, animals, open areas, the oceans and skies.
Dislikes: Violence
Mate/spouse/lover: None
Aithet Aithet's Companions and Weapon Aithet's Power
Aerin Vae
- Admin
- Posts : 101
Join date : 2015-07-05
Persona Character
Deity: Deity of Nature, Terra
Race: Elf
Stat Chart:
Stat Chart Score Strength dab Speed dab Agility bad Endurance dab Toughness Find the odd one out
Re: Aerin Vae, the Soul Demon
- Admin
- Posts : 369
Join date : 2015-05-17
Age : 23
Location : ...under your bed...
Persona Character
Deity: Deity of Love, Reiki & Crona
Race: Human
Stat Chart:
Stat Chart Score Strength 3 Speed 3 Agility 3 Endurance 3 Toughness 3
Similar topics
Page 1 of 1
Permissions in this forum:You cannot reply to topics in this forum


text:
Let it go, the ice bucket challenge and the giant mutant spider dog are just some of the viral videos that many will remember 2014 for - and here's a quick recap!
One hundred YouTube creators gathered together from countries all over the world to create a global mashup of some of best viral video moments of the year.
What was your top video moment of the year?
Let us know!


text:
Archive for January, 2018
Card Counting & How Casinos Are Cracking Down on it
Card counting is something which unfortunately for casinos is a regular feature with the game of Blackjack. However, card counting has a much longer history than people think. It was way back in the 1950's when a few sharp minds started to figure out that when the composition of the remaining deck/decks changed then so did the players' chances of winning.
It wasn't however until the mid-60's that the concept of card counting really took off. It took a mathematics genius by the name of Edward Thorp to do that. Thorp wrote perhaps the most influential blackjack book that has ever been written….. "Beat the Dealer". This book created an absolute avalanche of card counters. In fact, the effect was so pronounced that numerous casinos actually changed the rules of the game to combat the counters.
What is Card Counting?
There are many myths surrounding card counting but the biggest one is that card counters memorise every single card that has been dealt. If that were the case, there wouldn't be anywhere near the number of card counters that there have been. Remembering every single card that has been dealt is a feat of memory that is so extraordinary that it is probably only achievable by one in several hundred thousand people at best.
Card counting is much simpler than that. It involves using a counting system where groups of cards are assigned a total and the counter merely keeps track of that total. For example, the simple high-low count classes all cards 2-6 as +1, 7,8,9's are 0 while all tens and aces are -1. The player then keeps the running total. It is the very fabric of blackjack that creates these totals.
For example, the rules of blackjack dictate that the player gets paid 3/2 for a natural (a ten and an ace) which is also known as a "blackjack". The player may also double their original stake on two card totals of 9,10 and 11. So this means that tens and aces are more valuable than the other cards and this is why these totals exist.
Famous Card Counters
Down the years there have been many famous card counters. I myself ran my own blackjack teams between 1998-2002 so I like to think that I know a little about this subject. Some of the best card counters are ones that were never caught and so it is impossible to write about them. However, when it comes to money earned and success at the blackjack tables along with the theoretical evolution of the game then the following names act as a roll of honour within blackjack.
People like Ken Uston, Stanford Wong, Bryce Carlson, Donald Schlesinger, Arnold Snyder, Lance Humble, Lawrence Revere and Peter Griffin stand head and shoulders above the rest. Of course, we could go on and on and mention Edward Thorp himself along with the famous MIT blackjack team that led to the movie "21" with Kevin Spacey in the lead role.
Blackjack Countermeasures
Basically, casinos don't mind card counters on the whole. They know that the average counter isn't skilled enough or subtle enough to get away with it. Knowledge of how to card count isn't enough by itself. The gaming industry has made more money out of the fact that blackjack is a game of skill and card counting is possible than any money that was lost to actual card counters.
However, if you were a card counter and you were betting and winning big then the casino would certainly take action. Tactics like only playing half the shoe and shuffling after dealing say two decks of a four-deck shoe are common. This is because the biggest advantages that card counters have come at the back end of the shoe when the ratio of tens and aces to other cards is at its greatest. Before we expand on this topic, clearly then card counting is very difficult and if not impossible at an online casino.
Another classic casino countermeasure comes in the form of CCTV surveillance along with training dealers in how to spot card counters. Many casinos in Las Vegas and Atlantic City have taken this route. Other casinos don't allow mid-shoe entry. Many card counters stand behind the table and card count without playing and then bet big when the count goes in their favour. To combat this tactic, many casinos only allow players to bet if they were present at the start of the shoe and placing bets.
The final nail in the coffin for card counters came a few years ago with the implementation of electronic shuffling machines. The cards were re-inserted into the automatic shuffler after every round of play thus denying the card counter the valuable knowledge that they need in order to track the cards.
Author bio
Carl Sampson is a fulltime poker player, coach and author. He is also the author of a book on playing professional level blackjack and he ran two separate blackjack teams between 1998-2002.


text: Fizz may get a little jealous if she finds out that I like butterflies too. Colin posted these photos on his blog yesterday and I couldn't resist downloading them. He got several great shots of this beautiful Red Admiral, but these two are my favorites. I decide to place them together in this design. Thanks Colin, for sharing your interesting world with us!


text:
Beacon Business Bank
Our Vision & Mission
Beacon Business Bank (formerly known as Trans Pacific National Bank) will be the premier independent community bank in the San Francisco Bay Area providing personalized relationship-based financial services to successful people, their families, and their businesses.
The Mission
It is Beacon Business Bank's mission to be a responsive, efficient, and responsible financial services company, well known for high-quality financial solutions and personalized relationship-based service. Products and services will be provided to businesses, their owners, employees, and families within our targeted markets, while meeting the goals of stockholders, providing our staff with a challenging and rewarding working environment, in addition to being an asset to the communities we serve.
Send Message to listing owner
Beacon Business Bank


text:
Smore Magazine: Ignite Her Brilliance
Stretch Goal #1: UNLOCKED !!!
Every print issue of Smore will now include a pullout POSTER, a beautiful piece of science and art worthy of being framed and hung on your walls.
Smore is a new kind of science magazine created so that curious girls everywhere continue to stay interested in science and grow up to be confident, brilliant and successful women in science and technology. This magazine is targeted to girls ages 7-12 but appeals to all interested in science.
"It's not hard for a young girl to name her favorite music or film star, but having a strong presence of real life STEM role models will no doubt have a profound effect on their identity and choices."
"Getting Smore will cost you more than the average magazine subscription but keep in mind that the magazine will be ad-free, removing yet another pitfall into the kind of messages girls are being sent."
"It's beautiful, interesting, and sure to be a big hit with tween girls!
"We love how engaging Smore's content is for a younger audience. We believe comic-style magazine articles can make a huge difference by making science relevant for kids!"
"Celebrating The Intelligence of Millennial Girls With Smore's Kickstarter Campaign"
Many young girls fail to see any role models in their areas of interest.
Smore wants children to be inspired by the articles they read and communicate their thoughts and ideas to us so we can share them with other fellow readers through Smore Club. So, we are not only creating a community of subscribers but a community of creative thinkers and innovators of tomorrow that learn and grow together.
From interesting stories behind famous scientists of the past to hot new scientific breakthroughs happening right now to cool, ripping edge innovations that are on the way; SMORE will cover it all.
We are asking for your support to help spread the news about Smore. Support us by sharing this page. And in return, we give you the complete PDF of "Meet the Mushroom Messengers" article from Issue 1. Not only do you get to read the fun article but you get a good feeling knowing you are making it possible for others to learn about this magazine!
You can add additional items to your pledge by choosing from the add-ons below and increase your total pledge by the amount indicated for each add-on.
Smore was created from a passion for empowering young girls to follow their dreams with confidence. And Smore wants to provide this empowering content free from distracting marketing messages. So please help us make ad-free Smore possible. If you help fund this project we will have enough to cover the following costs:
1. Pay our writers and graphic artists
2. Pay our print and digital publishers
3. Interview and photograph women in STEM for the cover feature.
3. Hire a copyeditor
4. Pay Kickstarter fees
This Kickstarter campaign will help raise funds to bring Smore to life after which we will continue to grow the community of Smore subscribers until it becomes a self-sustaining publication. You can help us in a big way to grow our readership by sharing the magazine with friends, family, colleagues and encouraging them to subscribe too.
Risks and challenges
Engaging content, amazing illustrations and a reliable publication and distribution system are key factors for our magazine.
As a scientist and a small business owner of a children's science enrichment program, I believe I possess the required skills and experience to be able to create and communicate topics that are engaging, fun and educational for children. I have also picked some of the most passionate and experienced writers and illustrators as part of the team. So each issue of this magazine is sure to reflect that labor of love.
Most of the articles in the first issue of Smore are complete. A few sections remain to be illustrated that will be finished following the successful completion of the Kickstarter campaign. The topics and content for the remaining 5 issues are already outlined. We have identified internationally established digital and print publishers for the magazine.
We are fully prepared to handle the creation of this magazine and we are confident that you will love SMORE.Learn about accountability on Kickstarter
Funding period
- (31 days)


text:
Quiety Receives A Standing Ovation On Opening Night At The Lyric
Quietly, received a standing ovation on its opening night at the Lyric Theatre in Belfast and deservedly so.
Owen McCafferty is a very well respected playwright having premiered at the Abbey Theatre in Dublin in 2012 followed by a successful Edinburgh Festival Fringe.
It was a refreshing look at the theme of reconciliation centred around the Troubles with a tight cast of three running without an interval for the full length adding to its dramatic flow. The raw energy of two ordinary people caught up and suffering in the Troubles is well demonstrated in the tense brooding character of Jimmy played by Patrick O'Kane who always seemed on the verge of direct violence as a response to his personal grief, his unfinished business.
Jimmy had lost his father in a pub bombing along with five others while they were watching Poland play Northern Ireland in the World Cup. The UVF bomber, Ian (Declan Conlon) was the same age as Jimmy, 16 years old, 36 years ago. The exchange between the two is witnessed by the Polish barman, a soccer buff.
Both characters had lived with the trauma for 36 years and were now processing it through this tense meeting in the bar. Both struggle through their own subjectivities to determine the truth of what happened. But in the end can there be real reconciliation of just a quiet realisation of each others positions? This resonates the core issue of the truth and reconciliation process currently in the public spotlight.
As the action unfolds, Jimmy says: "being sorry has no meaning – i don't know what sorry is – is it you saying if you had to do it al again you wouldn't"
Ian: "… now as a man – ian gibson feels that he did as a sixteen-year-old kid was wrong – and wasn't worth it."
Jimmy: "if I believed in god I'd say it's him that deals in right and wrong.
Ian " i didn't have to come here."
Jimmy: "yes you did."
Ian: "maybe it's just about talking
Jimmy: talking
Ian: "and listening."
Interestingly, the set was a fresh relatively modern bar scene, the older bar having been destroyed in the bomb blast. There is too a poignant verbal 'in your face' dialogue, keeping the Belfast humour and the action at its best.
The play ends after Ian and Jimmy leave and the Polish barman grabs his baseball bat when a mob outside shouts racist abuse at Poles reminding the audience that Ian and Jimmy may have 'reconciled' but the wider society has endemic sectarian problems to deal with still.
Quietly runs on the Danske Bank Stage at the Lyric from Tues 8 to Sun 13 April, including Sat matinee at 2.30pm and Sun matinee at 1.30pm. Tickets range from £10 – £22.
Please check the Lyric website for info on post-show talks, performance times, and to book:
or contact the Box Office on (028) 9038 1081.


text:
The middle ear
What is the middle ear? The middle ear is the part of the ear between the eardrum and the oval window. The middle ear transmits sound from the outer ear to the inner ear. The middle ear consists of three bones: the hammer (malleus), the anvil (incus) and the stirrup (stapes), the oval window, the round window and the Eustrachian tube.
The bones of the middle ear
The eardrum is very thin, measures approximately 8-10 mm in diameter and is stretched by means of small muscles. The pressure from sound waves makes the eardrum vibrate.
The vibrations are transmitted further into the ear via three bones in the middle ear: the hammer (malleus), the anvil (incus) and the stirrup (stapes). These three bones form a kind of bridge, and the stirrup, which is the last bone that sounds reach, is connected to the oval window.
The oval window
What is the oval window? The oval window is a membrane covering the entrance to the cochlea in the inner ear. When the eardrum vibrates, the sound waves travel via the hammer and anvil to the stirrup and then on to the oval window.
When the sound waves are transmitted from the eardrum to the oval window, the middle ear is functioning as an acoustic transformer amplifying the sound waves before they move on into the inner ear. The pressure of the sound waves on the oval window is some 20 times higher than on the eardrum.
The pressure is increased due to the difference in size between the relatively large surface of the eardrum and the smaller surface of the oval window. The same principle applies when a person wearing a shoe with a sharp stiletto heel steps on your foot: The small surface of the heel causes much more pain than a flat shoe with a larger surface would.
The round window
The round window in the middle ear vibrates in opposite phase to vibrations entering the inner ear through the oval window. In doing so, it allows fluid in the cochlea to move.
The Eustachian tube
What is the Eustachian tube? The Eustachian tube is also found in the middle ear, and connects the ear with the rearmost part of the palate. The Eustachian tube's function is to equalise the air pressure on both sides of the eardrum, ensuring that pressure does not build up in the ear. The tube opens when you swallow, thus equalising the air pressure inside and outside the ear.
In most cases the pressure is equalised automatically, but if this does not occur, it can be brought about by making an energetic swallowing action. The swallowing action will force the tube connecting the palate with the ear to open, thus equalising the pressure.
Built-up pressure in the ear may occur in situations where the pressure on the inside of the eardrum is different from that on the outside of the eardrum. If the pressure is not equalised, a pressure will build up on the eardrum, preventing it from vibrating properly. The limited vibration results in a slight reduction in hearing ability. A large difference in pressure will cause discomfort and even slight pain. Built-up pressure in the ear will often occur in situations where the pressure keeps changing, for example when flying or driving in mountainous areas.
Read more
Please use our articles
You are very welcome to quote or use our articles. The only condition is that you provide a direct link to the specific article you use on the page where you quote us.
Unfortunately you cannot use our pictures, as we do not have the copyright, but only have the right to use them on our website.


text:
Dr. Avnish Jolly:Stanford Researchers Analyze IVF (In Vitro Fertilization) Case Trials. The Stanford researchers analyzed 665 IVF trials conducted at the university in 2005. Dr. Mylene Yao emphasized the study is one more way scientists pinpoint when IVF is most likely to work.
According to a study released last Tuesday by Stanford University researchers said they are one step closer to accurately predicting if IVF will result in pregnancy. The study, published in the Public Library of Science Journal, identifies factors that will indicate with 70 percent accuracy the chances of pregnancy after a single round of IVF.
IVF is a process by which eggs and sperm are clinically combined to create viable embryos that are then transferred into the uterus. Anywhere from 18 percent to 45 percent of IVF treatments, on women using their own eggs, result in pregnancy, according to the Society for Assisted Reproductive Technology.
Stanford researchers isolated four factors out of 30 to better predict pregnancy outcomes: the total number of embryos developed during fertilization; both the number of fully developed and undeveloped embryos; and a hormone test.
But the scientists' method only tells parents who've already undergone one round of IVF if the treatment likely worked, said Dr. Mylene Yao, the lead researcher on the study and a Stanford assistant professor of obstetrics and gynecology. What the method doesn't predict is the parents' chances of a pregnancy should they try IVF again, assuming the first attempt failed.
The researchers are now analyzing a large set of birth data from another study. Both studies will help them develop a method that predicts the odds of a pregnancy, and hopefully a live birth, in subsequent IVF treatments, Yao said.
"Ultimately, we want to be able to give patients more personalized and evidence-based information to help them decide whether they want to have IVF treatment if their first (treatment) does not result in a baby," Yao said.
For the most part, scientists already know to look at both undeveloped and developed embryos, said Dr. Susan Willman, an endocrinologist with the Reproductive Science Center of the San Francisco Bay Area. What the study does is calculate an actual probability, the first time she had read of one.
The trend in endocrinology research is to develop tests that predict the likelihood of pregnancy before fertility treatments begin, Willman said. Research is also focused on determining which embryos are healthiest to transfer.


text:
Finnish traditions on Christmas Eve with family. Done.
Seafood lunch on Christmas Day with family and friends. Done.
Kids' excitement and joy with new toys.
A bit of shopping.
A bit more of sewing and ideas.
All done.
This view is from our couch. In a horizontal position.
Afternoon naps and no rush. The best thing.


text:
with Gensan Run Club, Apollo, Doc Rizaldy and Anthony Karl
The run to Sinawal Hills and back covering 14km was draining but we had great fun since we had a new recruit to the trail and we tried a new trail crossing a stream.
Able to keep up with the boys' pace most of the time made me more proud. My reflectorized running gear made the fun all safe and enjoyable.
Monday, October 31, 2011
The Running Wackos
Posted by Ruz at 8:01 PM
Labels: fashion , GenSan , GenSan Run Club , recreation


text:
Good morning to you all, Nappy-Headed Friends! Show Rocka can't be here this morning because he may or may not still be in a Pennsylvania titty bar.
Your favorite stripper LOVES NappyHeadedBros.com. Hi Show Rocka!
I sure hope he is. But anyway, if he were here, he'd be writing a blog that started off something like this:
Eeeeeeeeewwwwwwwww!!! Yuck! Gross! It's disgusting! Deplorable!
Yes it is. I'm sure you know by now, but in case you don't, Pleasure P, formerly of the group of nut ass coons, Pretty Ricky, has been accused of being a child molester by the daughter of his lawyer, via Twitter, because he's been behind on his lawyer fees.
You may think we abuse the word 'coon' on this blog, but if you've EVER seen Pretty Ricky perform in any context or seen them on video, you CANNOT refute the title. Ever.
SKERRRRRRRT!!! HHHWhat?!?!?! (Lil Jon voice)
You mean to tell me the ONLY normal-looking guy in the group, the ONLY one who if you saw him, you could feasibly describe as the kind of guy who might consider himself a pretty boy, the ONLY one who can sing, and who kept all their singles afloat by distracting from the IGNORANT and often poorly constructed rhymes in the songs...you mean to tell me HE'S the pedophile?
Oh shit. Looks sure can be deceiving. Cuz I would've put money down that the dude with the weird shape-up was the front-runner for the child molester prize, followed by the one with the dreds. But apparently he tried to kick it to Keyshia Cole's mom, so I guess he's on the other end of the spectrum. But I digress.
I still can't get over it. I mean, LOOK at these NIGGAS!
You mean to tell me that at first glance you'd rather have your kids around these three....
...than around this one?
Well apparently that's the case. And I'm sure you've already read countless other blogs going in on this dude, saying things like P stands for Pedophile, or "Who are you REALLY talking to On The Hotline?" Or they might publicly condemn him to death and quickly denounce him as a disgusting human being.
And they might be right about all of that. Cuz this is no typical case of "black entertainer run-in with the law." This is the one thing that everyone on the planet, from choir boys and girl scouts to murderers and rapists, all agree is one of the most sinisterly vile acts on the planet. He's allegedly been convicted of molesting his 3 and 4 year old niece and nephew when he was 17. UUUUUUUGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHH!!! It's just the WORST.
But there's something else in this story that I think tends to go over-looked, or at least has been so far. And that is this, ladies and gentlemen:
Laura Goldstein is f***ing up. The daughter of the alleged attorney of Pleasure P, Anthony Goldstein, proceeded to air him out on Twitter. See below.
And there it is. Ether to his life. And maybe it's better that no one ever in life leaves their kid around the guy, but did shorty really need to go about it like that? Cuz here's the problem:
1) Your dad is about to be disbarred for violating attorney-client privilege, for telling you about this in the first place. That's right, no more lawyer license for Daddy, thanks to his dumb ass little girl. You REALLY ain't getting your money now, sweetie. And Anthony, next time a celebrity case is in your hands (which will be NEVER), don't go popping off to your stupid, self-important daughter and her Twitter account. Thanks. (But do follow us at twitter.com/nappyheadedbros)
2) Who the fuck are YOU? Again, I fully denounce this dude's actions, and he may or may not have received the right amount of counseling (cuz does a child molester ever really recover?), but you young lady have taken it upon yourself of robbing someone of a remotely normal life, you're fucked up for that one.
2a) But it's also valid to say "fuck him, he robbed those kids of normal lives by violating them, he gets what he deserves."
3) What an awkward time to be named Pleasure P!!!!! (you know I had to re-lighten things) Oh God, how painfully ironic. How hilariously terrible and awful to be named Pleasure P and be associated with pedophilia. You know he's gotta change his name now. Like, it was a borderline creepy name to start with, but DAMN! Now it just makes you wanna use hand sanitizer. He's gotta change it to something completely innocuous (look it up!) like "Jeff The Accountant," or "Prudent P," or "Librarian." Because "Everyday Normal Guy," quite frankly, is already taken. By this guy...
Please youtube this man.
At the end of the day, all I know is this. Somewhere, right now, Chris Brown is laughing his ass off.
C4 2 Ya Door, and I can transform ya.
Ya Dig?!
PS: Read the whole story here: http://theurbandaily.com/music/pleasure-p-allegedly-loves-the-kids/


text:
The Miley Cyrus transformation is now complete (we think) and she's officially a fully fledged punk rocker.
She has the tattoos, the chains, the combat boots, the camouflaged army jacket, the cross necklace, the nose ring and THAT spikey hair.
All that's missing are some safety pins and a poster about feminism - but they're probably in her shopping bag.
It's hard to believe that she was once a Disney princess, drowning in hair extensions, sequins, lip gloss and innocence.
On her trip in New York, Miley didn't bother wasting her time seeing the Empire State Building or the Statue of Liberty.
Instead, she joined her close friend Cheyne Thomas (you remember him - the one she was caught cuddling up to in a pool in Miami) explored the Punk neighbourhood of New York. Ooh, how edgy.
They shopped at Manic Panic, a store in St Marks Place in the East Village, which is said to be the birth place of punk rock.
It's properly cool and all of the famous types like Cyndi Lauper and legendary David Bowie visited the shop which is one of the first in America to wear the style.
But Miley might need a time check because she dressed more like a singer from the 80s than a chart topping pop star.
It makes a change to see pictures of Miley taken by paparazzi instead of just on her iPhone and eventually uploaded to Twitter.
But any 'haters' should twice before criticising her new look because this rebel is feisty.
She tweeted: 'opinions are like a**holes - everybody has one. Love my hair. Feel so happy, pretty and free.'
If we were Chris Hemworth we'd be watch out ... at this rate Miley will pierce his ears and stud all his clothes while he's sleeping.


text:
Read this article to know about the Stream of Consciousness in English Literature.
Definition of Stream of Consciousness
In English Literature, Stream of Consciousness is a narrative device used by the novelist to make the reader know thoughts and feelings of the characters present in the novel. As it focuses on the inner feeling of the characters, Stream of Consciousness is often known as internal monologue though both the terms have slightly different meaning.
In Internal Monologue, the thoughts and feelings of the characters are often presented using logical progression from one idea to the other, whereas in Stream of Consciousness, the actual experience of thinking is presented in all its chaos and distress
Origin of the Term
The term was coined by William James in 1890 in his The Principles of Psychology He used this term to explain the free flow of thoughts. According to him "it is nothing jointed; it flows. A 'river' or a 'stream' is the metaphors by which it is most naturally described. In talking of it hereafter, let's call it the stream of thought, consciousness, or subjective life."
This term was first used by the novelist May Sinclair in a literary context while discussing Dorothy Richardson's novels. However, it was three novelists Dorthy Richardson, Virginia Woolf and James Joyce who used this concept in their works.
- The stream of Consciousness is characterised by ample of thoughts and images. The technique lacks punctuation and associative leaps.
- This technique is different from Dramatic Monologue and Soliloquy as in the latter the speaker addresses another person or audience whereas, in the former, the thoughts remain the mind of the character.
- Dramatic Monologue and Soliloquy is associated with the poetry whereas Stream of Consciousness is associated with the novel.
- Today it has also been used in drama and movies.
- It emerged during early twentieth-century modernist movement.


text:
Born in Tuscany , Marti (Martina) began working as tourist guide during summer holidays since she was a young girl. Her strong propensity for interpersonal relationships let her deepen her studies of foreign languages and increase her experience in sales and marketing for several Italian wine companies.
Martina Batzu, CEO of Wine Weddings and More


text:
Personal Banking
Small Business Banking
Commercial Banking
Private Client Group
Personal Financial Services
For the quickest answer, search previously asked questions below. Chances are, others have asked a similar question and there's already an answer waiting for you. If you can't find a match, ask a new question and our team members will answer.
Raymond, Brooklyn
January 24, 2015 03:45:01 PM
1 Response
In reply to Raymond, Brooklyn
Good afternoon, Raymond. Thanks for visiting us today on TD Helps. We're happy to assist you with your check copy request.
You may request a check copy by calling us 24/7 at 888-751-9000, sending us a secure message via online banking, or stopping by a local TD Bank store. We'll go over all the options in details with you.
To send a secure message you must first logon to your TD Bank online profile. You can do so by clicking here: http://bit.ly/1eaISlq. On the left hand side, you should see an option to "Send a Secure Message" located in the "Message Center."
If you have not enrolled in online banking and wish to enroll for your personal accounts, you may use our self-service option by visiting http://bit.ly/1lU2qfY to begin the enrollment process. In order to do so, you will need your account number, TD Bank ATM or Debit Card number, your Social Security Number and your email address. Once at the page, please select "Personal" from the drop down box. When you select continue, you will have to read and accept the Online Banking Service Agreement. Then you will be asked to enter your personal information including the items mentioned earlier and to create a user name and password. Finally you will be asked to create three security questions. When you finish the enrollment process, you will have immediate access to your account(s).
If you do not have the required information to set up for Online Banking or you need assistance enrolling, you may contact us 24/7 at the number provided above to speak with a Banking Specialist. Upon proper account verification, we would be happy to help get you started.
If you are enrolled for our BusinessDirect online banking, you may use this link to logon http://bit.ly/1rvBmq8 and send a secure message.
Just in case if you are looking to enroll for TD Bank BusinessDirect and you have your debit card, follow this link: http://bit.ly/1dl2HX6. Once you're at the "Sign Up for TD Bank BusinessDirect" page, please complete the application. You will need your Business Taxpayer Identification Number, account number, ATM/Debit card number, the business name, and your e-mail address. When you are finished with the application, you will receive an e-mail confirmation within 2 business days that contains your User ID and password. In case you don't have a debit card or would like to have immediate access to online banking, you could visit your local TD Bank Store for help. For hours and locations near you, check out: http://bit.ly/TDStores
If the check copy is being mailed to your address on file, it normally takes 7-10 business days for delivery. If you stop by your local TD Bank Store during lobby hours for a check copy, you should be able to obtain it while you are there.
Thanks again for writing to TD Helps, Raymond. Let us know if you have any other questions and have a wonderful day.
LiShu R, Mount Laurel
January 24, 2015 03:46:08 PM


text:
A pair of astronauts floated outside the International Space Station Wednesday to once again try to remove a faulty – but crucial – coolant pump during the second in a series of complicated spacewalks to replace the device.
NASA astronauts Douglas Wheelock and Tracy Caldwell Dyson ventured outside the space station at 8:27 a.m. EDT (1227 GMT) on what they expect to be a six-hour job to remove the disabled pump, which is about the size of a kitchen oven.
"Sunlight – sunlight coming out," Wheelock said as he looked out of the station's open hatch just before stepping out to begin the spacewalk.
"Wow, that's nice and bright," Dyson responded.
"Beautiful," Wheelock said.
The astronauts tried to remove the ammonia coolant pump during a Saturday spacewalk, but a jammed hose – and later an unacceptable ammonia leak – stalled their efforts. [Graphic: Space Station's Cooling System Problem Explained]
During this spacewalk, Wheelock and Caldwell Dyson will close two valves in hoses upstream of the pump in an attempt to stop the leak. They'll also vent any remaining ammonia coolant overboard before removing the last of four ammonia hoses from the faulty pump.
The International Space Station uses liquid ammonia to cool its onboard systems by transporting waste heat to a network of radiators mounted to its main truss.
Spacewalking astronauts take care to avoid exposure to the ammonia while working outside and have lengthy decontamination protocols to clean their spacesuits when they do see leaks in order to avoid bringing the toxic chemical inside.
The faulty ammonia pump failed July 31, knocking out half of the space station's cooling system and forcing astronauts to turn off some experiments and systems, as well as leave others without backups, in order to prevent the station from overheating. A tripped circuit breaker, likely caused by a power spike, caused the malfunction, station managers have said.
There are two main cooling system loops – Loop A and Loop B. The failed pump is in Loop A, while the other cooling loop remains operational.
Wheelock and Caldwell Tyson don't plan on completing their space station repairs during Wednesday's spacewalk. That comes on Sunday, when the astronauts plan to perform a third spacewalk to retrieve a spare pump from a storage platform and install it in the old pump's place, station officials have said.
The failed ammonia pump is located on the station's right side truss and will be replaced with one of four spare pumps stored at the orbiting lab.
Each pump weighs 780 pounds (353 kg) and is 5 1/2 feet long (1.6 meters) by 4 feet wide (1.2 meters). They are about 3 feet (almost 1 meter) tall.
- Graphic: Inside and Out: The International Space Station
- FAQ: International Space Station Cooling System Pump Failure
- Record-Setting Spacewalk at Space Station Falls Short on Repairs
NASA is broadcasting the International Space Station spacewalk repairs live from space on NASA TV. Click here for space station mission updates and SPACE.com's NASA TV feed.


text: How To Windows How to Change Windows Sleep Settings Control when your Windows PC sleeps Share Pin Email Print alexmillos / Getty Images Windows Guides & Tutorials Customizing File & Folder Management Users & Accounts Drivers & Hardware Drive Management System & Security Basics Installing & Upgrading Tips & Tricks Key Concepts by Joli Ballew Microsoft MVP, Lynda.com trainer, Microsoft Press author, and college professor. Updated May 22, 2019 Almost all electronic devices go into some form of low power mode after a specific, predetermined period of inactivity. This feature is often intended to improve battery life or secure the device, as is the case with mobile phones and tablet computers, but the technology can also be used to prevent internal parts from wearing out sooner than they should. For example, smart TVs often turn on a screen saver to prevent image burn-in on the screen. Just like these devices, you've likely noticed that your computer goes dark after a specific amount of time, too. Most of the time, the computer goes to "sleep." If you find yourself having to wake your computer from sleep more than you'd like, or you'd like it to go to sleep sooner, you can change the preconfigured, factory settings. This article is aimed at folks running Windows 10, 8.1 and 7. If you have a Mac, check out this great article about changing sleep settings for the Mac. To Change Sleep Settings on Any Windows Computer, Select a Power Plan All Windows computers offer three power plans, and they each have different settings for when the computer sleeps. The three plans are Power Saver, Balanced, and High Performance. One way to quickly change Sleep settings it to choose one of these plans. The Power Saver plan puts the computer to sleep the fastest, which is a great option for laptop users who want to get the most out of their battery or those simply trying to save electricity. Balanced is the default and is often the best option for general users, as it is neither too restrictive or too limiting. High Performance leaves the computer active the longest before it goes to sleep. This setting will result in the battery draining more quickly if left as the default. To select a new Power Plan and apply its default Sleep settings: Right-click the Network icon on the Taskbar.Select Power Options. In the resulting window, click the arrow by Show Additional Plans to see the High Performance option.To see the default settings for any plan, click Change Plan Settings next to the Power Plan you are considering. Then, click Cancel to return to the Power Options window. Repeat as desired.Select the Power Plan to apply. Although you can make changes to the Power Plan using the method described here, we think it's easier (and a best practice) for Windows 8.1 and Windows 10 users to learn to make the changes in Settings, which is detailed next. Change Sleep Settings in Windows 10 To change Sleep settings on a Windows 10 computer using Settings: Click the Start button in the bottom left corner of the screen.Type "Sleep" and select Power & Sleep Settings, which will likely be the first option.Click the arrow by the drop-down lists to configure the settings exactly as you want. Click the X in the top right corner of this window to close it. On laptops, you can make changes based on whether the device is plugged in or on battery power. Desktop computers only offer Sleep options for when the computer is plugged in though because they do not have batteries. Change Sleep Settings in Windows 8 and Windows 8.1 Windows 8 and Windows 8.1 computers offer a Start screen. To get to this screen tap the Windows key on the keyboard. Once at the Start screen: Type "Sleep".In the results, select Power and sleep settings.Select the desired options from the resulting lists to apply them. Change Sleep Settings in Windows 7 Windows 7 doesn't offer a Settings area like Windows 8, 8.1, and Windows 10. All changes are made in Control Panel, including those for Power and Sleep. Open Control Panel by clicking the Start button and then Control Panel. Once in Control Panel: Click the Power Options icon.Select the desired Power Plan and then click Change Plan Settings.Use the lists to apply the desired settings and click Save Changes.Close Control Panel by clicking the X in the top right corner of the window. Continue Reading


text:
Full Spectrum Infrared Sauna
As of September 1, 2016, we have moved to our new location at 577 Main St. Lewiston!
We are excited to announce that Revelation Massage now has two full spectrum Sunlighten saunas!
First time full sprectrum infrared sauna sessions are just $20! Program range between 30-45 minutes.
CLICK HERE to fill out your New Client Paperwork from home.CLICK HERE to watch the introductory video from home.
CLICK HERE to reserve your full spectrum infrared sauna today.
Relax in our personal, state-of-the-art Sunlighten full spectrum infrared saunas and reach your health goals faster. Incorporating near-, mid-, and far- infrared wavelengths allow you to customize your session to fit your wellness goals, whether it's cell health and skin rejuvenation, pain relief, weight loss, detoxification or heart health. Added benefits include a deep sense of relaxation, anti-aging on a cellular level, athletic muscle recovery, immune enhancement, and boosting the body's own ability to heal itself.
Also, be sure to ask us about our 3-Pack Series Package.
Sauna FAQ
Q: Why has Revelation Massage chosen to use Sunlighten Full Spectrum Infrared Saunas?
A: Sunlighten saunas use infrared heat instead of hot rocks or steam used in traditional saunas. Traditional saunas heat the air at extremely high temperatures which can make the experience unbearably hot and difficult to breathe. Because infrared heats the body directly instead of simply heating the air, infrared saunas are seven times more effective for detoxification. In a Sunlighten sauna, you will experience the deepest, most detoxifying sweat of your life.
Q: What is Infrared?
A: Infrared light (experienced as heat) is the invisible part of the sun's spectrum with the ability to penetrate human tissue, giving a soothing, natural warmth. It is naturally occurring from the sun and is the basis for Sunlighten sauna therapy. Sunlighten's infrared technology is 95-99% efficient at heating the body directly rather than simply heating the air. It is proven to raise the core body temperature to produce a deep detoxifying sweat at the cellular level where the majority of toxins reside. Using the sauna helps to remove impurities from your cells, specifically the cells inside our fat where our body stores waste and harmful toxins such as cholesterol and heavy metals. When used properly, the Sunlighten infrared sauna will help provide a lifetime of healthful living.
Q: How safe is infrared?
A: Infrared heat is completely safe and healthy for all living things. You can be exposed to infrared light for hours without the risk of burning. Infrared is a naturally occurring output of the sun but does not contain the harmful UV rays associated with unprotected sunlight. In fact, infrared heat is so safe, it is used in hospitals to warm newborn infants.
Q: How long is a Sunlighten Sauna treatment?
A: You can choose between 6 wellness treatments. They range in length from 30 min - 45 min in length.
Q: What are the 6 wellness treatments that I can choose from?
A: They are as follows -
- Cardio - (45 min) Starts at a high intensity to increase heart rate and cardiac output then lowers to sustain heart rate level. Circulation increases to promote healthy blood pressure. Sunlighten's Solocarbon heaters have been clinically proven to reduce both systolic and diastolic blood pressure.
- Detoxification - (37 min) Starts at a high intensity to increase the body's core temperature then reduces to a low, comfortable intensity level. IR combination improves vascular access flow to reach toxins at the cellular level. A Sunlighten sauna generates a sweat 7x more detoxifying than a traditional sauna.
- Pain Relief - (30 min) An IR blend provides natural pain relief by reducing inflammation and swelling while near IR LEDs penetrate the tissue to promote cellular repair at a medium, constant intensity. Researchers have found therapeutic benefits to back, neck and arthritis pain from continuous use of infrared heat therapy.
- Relaxation - (40 min) Far-infrared induces deep relaxation as it relieves muscle tension at a low, comfortable intensity promoting overall stress reduction with regular use.
- Weight Loss - (30 min) Starts at a high intensity to stimulate the cardiovascular system then reduces to a medium level. As the body works to cool itself, there is an increase in heart rate, cardiac output and metabolic rate similar to exercise. A 30 min infrared sauna session can burn up to 600 calories.
- Anti-Aging - (30 min) A low constant intensity level penetrates tissue to help with various skin concerns. Near IR LEDs improve overall skin tone, elasticity, and firmness promoting anti-aging benefits. The skin's appearance improves as pores open from the deeper sweat induces by the Sunlighten.
Q: Will I shower after my sauna?
A: No, you will not shower directly after the sauna. The intention is to allow your body to naturally cool itself after the sauna. This allows the calorie burn, detoxification, and circulatory support to continue for up to 30 min after your session ends.
Q: Can Sunlighten Sauna help with athletic recovery?
A: Using clinical-grade heating technology, Sunlighten saunas generate infrared heat that penetrates deep into your body, promoting circulation and helping your muscles with lactic recovery. It also helps to alleviate aches and pains. After just a 30 min session.
Q: Why do we call it a Full Spectrum Infrared Sauna?
A: The Solocarbon® Full Spectrum heating elements are unique patent-pending technology that provides near, mid and far infrared at optimal wavelengths based on 56 clinical studies. With high power infrared proven 99% effective across all wavelengths and advanced LED technology delivering true near infrared heat, Solocarbon® Full Spectrum is the ultimate sauna experience.
Q: What Are The Benefits of Near Infrared?
Near-infrared waves have a shorter frequency range with the ability to penetrate the epidermis layer of the skin making it optimal for skin rejuvenation and wound healing. Advanced LEDs provide true near infrared at a consistent output. Others may claim, but without Sunlighten's proprietary LED technology, it simply is not possible.
Q: What Are The Benefits of Mid Infrared?
Mid-infrared wavelengths are mid-range and are beneficial for increasing circulation that mirrors the benefits of a passive cardiovascular workout. Regular infrared sauna use in the mid-infrared range has been shown to significantly stimulate blood flow, even after the sauna session is completed.
Q: What Are The Benefits of Far Infrared?
Far infrared have the longest frequency and can penetrate deep into human tissue increasing the body's core temperature resulting in a deep, detoxifying sweat from the cellular level of the skin where many toxins are housed.
Q: Is gratuity standard with this type of service?
Gratuity is graciously accepted for the person who turns over the room. Tip envelopes are available or you can leave it with the front desk.


text:
High back seating
Rather than create meeting rooms, one popular solution is to use high back seating or other upholstered products to help create quieter touch down meeting points. These still give a degree of privacy without the formality of a meeting room. These ranges are usually modular in design and there are too many variations to suitably display here. If you need help with finding the correct product and layout for your space then please contact us.
If more privacy is required for the area you are planning then have a look at the meeting bays section or the meeting pods.


text:
On July 27, the R/V Roger Revelle departed Newport, OR to begin VISIONS'17, a 32-day mission to replace and maintain elements of the Cabled Array off the coasts of Oregon and Washington.
Tag Archives | Cruise
OOI Endurance Array team sets sail on fall O&M cruise
On Sunday Sept. 18, the R/V Atlantis set sail off the coast of Oregon and Washington for a 17-day Operations and Maintenance cruise of the OOI Coastal Endurance Array. During this cruise, the OOI team led by Oregon State University (OSU) will recover and redeploy six surface moorings as well as the Washington Offshore Profiler Mooring […]
VISIONS'16 OOI Cabled Array Maintenance Cruise Begins
On July 10, the R/V Sikuliaq left dock at the University of Washington to begin VISIONS'16, a 39-day mission to replace and maintain elements of the Cabled Array off the coasts of Oregon and Washington. Led by Chief Scientist Deb Kelley, this is the second Operations and Maintenance cruise for the Cabled Array implementing organization, […]
Welcome Aboard the R/V Neil Armstrong
Welcome the newest member of the nation's research vessel fleet, the R/V Neil Armstrong! Christened after the legendary explorer Neil Armstrong, the new ship will seek to follow his legacy of exploration and scientific discovery. Capable of ranging up to 11,500 nautical miles, the Neil Armstrong is 238 feet long, is equipped with two full-sized […]
Successful Turn of the Irminger Sea Array
The 2015 Irminger Sea Array cruise marked the first "turn" (recovery & reinstallation) of the moorings and gliders as well as a first look at the data collected during the first year.
2015 Cabled Array Cruise, A Success for OOI Infrastructure and Scientific Discovery
The 2015 Cabled Array cruise marked the completion of installation at the Cabled Array, provided a first look at the April 2015 Axial eruption site, and led to the discovery of a new seep site on the continental slope. On August 7th, the OOI Cabled Array team, along with 21 students and the remotely operated […]
Station Papa Array Annual Maintenance and Profiling Glider Deployment
The Ocean Observatories Initiative (OOI) team in June 2015 conducted deployment and scheduled maintenance activities for the global component of the OOI infrastructure located in the Station Papa site, in the Gulf of Alaska.
Deployment of the Final Ocean Buoy at the Endurance Array
On June 2nd, an OOI team led by Oregon State University set out on a cruise to deploy the final ocean buoy of the Endurance Array on OSU's R/V Pacific Storm.
Pioneer Array Mooring Deployments and AUV Testing
An OOI team, led by Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI), conducted the fourth phase of infrastructure deployment for the Pioneer Array during 28 April – 14 May on the R/V Atlantis.
[OOI IN THE NEWS] The Oregonian – OSU drops final ocean buoy off Newport, OR
Researchers from Oregon State University hit the Pacific waters Tuesday to drop the area's final piece of a more than 10-year initiative.


text:
Challenges that Cannabis Business Owners Face When (Trying) to Expand Nationally
You can't ship across state lines, it is nearly impossible to get federally-issued patent, and coordinating with other industry operators to develop licensing agreements is tough. Which is why there are only a handful of companies in the cannabis industry that have products in multiple states. So we were thrilled to invite the CEO, Lynn Honderd, of one of these companies: Mary's Medicinals.
This week's CannaPod review might surprise you. Ruby Red Eye tells us all about Goldleaf's newly released "Jotter" journals. There are two types: one for the grower and one for the patient. These luxury-looking planners get nothing but 5-star reviews where users can track their processes and effects using charts and graphs specifically made for each audience.
Our news for the week covers: The first country to sell marijuana in pharmacies (Uruguay!), a filed patent for a cannabis-based eating disorder treatment and a task force within a subcommittee was called by Sessions to review cannabis laws. He says that he thinks we will all find that there is a lot more violence around the use of marijuana than we thing...but at CannaPod, we think he is the one in for a pretty big surprise. If you want to see the articles we used for the news this week, you can check them out in our program.


text:
HANNA Winery & Vineyards offers two great wine clubs: HANNA Flagship and HANNA Elite. Both of our wine clubs offer fabulous HANNA wines with great benefits. It's just a matter of deciding which one is best for you.
Our Flagship tier is what put HANNA on the map. These wines are well crafted, delicious, and accessible. Our famous Sauvignon Blanc leads our flagship, along with HANNA Russian River Chardonnay and Pinot Noir, and Alexander Valley Cabernet Sauvignon and Malbec. HANNA Two Ranch Red and Rose showcase our blending prowess from our Sonoma vineyards. While Flagship shipments mainly showcase wines from our original label, shipments may also include a Reserve or Bismark selection.
For the connoisseur & collector, this club features the option to customize each case selection. Choose your favorites from among HANNA's Flagship, Reserve, Elias and Bismark offerings. Customization notifications will be sent via email a minimum of 30 days in advance. If you have not customized your case within 30 days of receiving your first notification, you will be shipped a pre-selected case of primarily Reserve and Bismark wines ranging from $500-$600, plus shipping and applicable taxes.
Do you like White Wines? Join our Elite White club! Customize your case twice a year, with a $200 case minimum. If you have not customized your case within 30 days of receiving your first notification, you will be shipped a pre-selected case ranging from $200 – $300.


text: Search Keyword: Video? 105 results found. Viewing page 1 of 5. Go to page 1 2 3 4 5 Next Join Team NOI in the Walk to Cure Arthritis Newport Orthopedic Institute is proud to support Dr. Dave Shukla as the medical honoree for the 2019 Orange County/Inland Empire Walk to Cure Arthritis. Dr. Shukla specializes in shoulder and elbow conditions, including arthritis conditions. He is ... Read More March is National Athletic Training Month Athletic Trainers (ATs) are an extension of health care within our community. They collaborate with physicians to provide preventative services, emergency care, clinical diagnosis, therapeutic intervention and rehabilitation of injuries and medical ... Read More Rest, Ice, Compression & Elevation - The R.I.C.E. Method When should the R.I.C.E. Method be used? The RICE method is an effective treatment that should be used immediately after an individual suffers from a knee sprain, twisted ankle, or similar sports injury. The RICE method works to relieve pain and ... Read More Dr. Caillouette Discusses Biggest Challenges & Opportunities for Orthopedics in 2019 James T. Caillouette, MD, orthopedic surgeon at Newport Orthopedic Institute was recently interviewed by Becker's Spine Review to discuss the biggest challenges and opportunities facing orthopedic care in 2019. View the full Q&A here. Read More Free Running Workshop with Dr. Ravski & Core Performance PT Join Dr. Emilia Ravski & Core Performance Physical Therapy on Monday November 12 th at 6:30 PM for a FREE running workshop. They will be discussing common running injuries and how to prevent them, as well as proper running mechanics. Whether you ... Read More DEA National Prescription Drug Tack Back Day is Here! Each year, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) hosts the National Prescription Drug Take Back Day. This year, it falls on Saturday October 27 th, from 10:00 AM to 2:00 PM. The initiative promotes the proper disposal of unused or expired ... Read More Hoag Orthopedic Institute to Host "Competing on Value: A View from the Front Lines" on Friday, October 26 Hoag Orthopedics Research, Education, and Community Outreach Program to partner with sponsors Hoag Hospital and Providence St. Joseph Health for educational healthcare event IRVINE, Calif. – Hoag Orthopedic Institute (HOI), one of the largest ... Read More ZIMMER BIOMET AND APPLE COLLABORATE TO LAUNCH MAJOR CLINICAL STUDY DETAILING PATIENT EXPERIENCE AND IMPROVING JOINT REPLACEMENT JOURNEY Hoag Orthopedic Institute is participating in a new clinical study in collaboration with Zimmer Biomet and Apple, which will facilitate a new level of connection between patients and their surgical care teams, which can immediately impact the journey ... Read More Patient Satisfaction Survey 2018 Dear Patients and Friends, At Newport Orthopedic Institute we are always striving to improve the care we give to patients, caregivers and family members. We continue to work and improve upon the overall patient experience to help ensure our patients ... Read More Meet Dr. David Gazzaniga Meet Dr. David Gazzaniga - Becker's Healthcare 's "Orthopedic Surgeon to Know" this week. Did you know Dr. Gazzaniga is the team doctor for the Los Angeles Chargers? Or that he was previously team physician for the New York Jets? We ... Read More 9 Steps to Help Avoid Back Pain | Proper Backpack Fit for Back to School As your kids are heading back to school and you are buying school supplies be sure to give some extra thought to which backpack is best for your child before starting the new school year. Among children between the ages of 11 and 14 years, almost 40% ... Read More 6 Best Exercises to Prevent the Dreaded Hunchback Kyphosis is a common spinal condition that can cause pain and rounding of the upper spine, but what causes it? And why is it increasing in prevalence? Is there anything that can be done to prevent or reverse symptoms? Hoag Orthopedic Institute spine ... Read More How 16 Fruits Boost Your Health Fruits are 'ripe' with health benefits, from improved circulation to joint relief and reduced risks of cardiovascular disease and cancer. Registered dieticians from across the US, including Reema Kanda, RD with Hoag Orthopedic Institute, ... Read More Surgical Trauma Team, Dr Adler & Dr. Lieber Transition effective September 1, 2018 Our Surgical Trauma Team, consisting of Dr. Zachary B. Adler and Dr. Corey M. Lieber, are transitioning from Newport Orthopedic Institute, effective September 1, 2018. In the month of August, they will continue to accommodate office visits at their ... Read More Baby Boomers, Take Note: Chris Evert Describes Her Fitness Regimen Workout strategies can help baby boomers stay fit as they age. Here Dr. Dave Shukla shares some expertise with US News & World Report to help seniors age well and remain active. Read more: ... Read More Angels pitcher Garrett Richards' stem cell treatment failed. That should help dispel the stem cell hype. Are Stem Cell treatments and PRP really ready for prime time? You might be surprised by the answer... Alan Beyer, MD, FACS, executive medical director at Hoag Orthopedic Institute, shares his take on the current status of the science with Michael ... Read More NOI Remains in Contract with Cigna If you are part of Cigna Health Insurance, you may have recently received a letter stating that Newport Orthopedic Institute was no longer in network with Cigna. If so, the letter is in reference to an old tax-ID number, and will not affect the care ... Read More Dr. Michael Gordon to Teach "Advanced Techniques in Less Invasive Spine Surgery" On July 20th, some of the top spine surgeons will be gathering in Las Vegas to teach a course in Advanced Techniques in Less Invasive Spine Surgery. Newport Orthopedic Institute is please that Dr. Michael Gordon will be one of five physicians to ... Read More Dr. Alan Beyer Receives Lifetime Achievement Award |Hoag Hospital Foundation Alan H. Beyer, MD was honored with a Lifetime Achievement Award on Tuesday, June 5 th at the 5 th Annual Physician Campaign Leadership Group (PCLG) Celebration hosted by the Hoag Hospital Foundation. Not only does Dr. Beyer practice orthopedic ... Read More A Letter from Dr. Gausewitz On July 1, 2018, I will be leaving the practice of orthopedic surgery. I have greatly enjoyed participating in your orthopedic care and will miss the challenges and interactions with the many wonderful patients I have seen over the years. But it is ... Read More Can CBD Products Improve Your Fitness Results? ONCE RESERVED FOR dispensaries, cannabis products are becoming increasingly mainstream. Popping up on supermarket and health store shelves as well as holistic wellness websites, CBD oils, tinctures and salves promise major health benefits. The latest ... Read More The effect of footwear on the management of pain caused by disorders of the knee joint Andy Gerken, MD, foot and ankle specialist with Hoag Orthopedic Institute, Newport Beach, CA, noted that athletic shoes are the easiest to work with in terms of foot function when trying to reduce pain. "A rigid insole to prevent bending ... Read More Dr. Nassif Medical Honoree for the Walk to Cure Arthritis - May 20th SUNDAY, MAY 20, 2018 Did you know that Arthritis affects more than 50 million Americans, including 300,000 children? The Walk to Cure Arthritis is the Arthritis Foundation's signature event that helps to unite communities across the nation to ... Read More Blue Shield of California Dropping Viscosupplementation Coverage 6/1/18 April 10 th, 2018 In the past year, Blue Shield of California (BSC) has begun the process of dropping their coverage of viscosupplements (intraarticular hyaluronic acid injections) for osteoarthritis of the knee. As of June 1 st, 2018, patients ... Read More NOI Partners with Newport Harbor High School Newport Orthopedic Institute is proud to announce a partnership with Newport Harbor High School! Our Human Performance & Sports Medicine department will be providing full time Certified Athletic Training for the Sailors' Athletic Program. We ... Read More 105 results found. Viewing page 1 of 5. Go to page 1 2 3 4 5 Next


text:
"I am equally passionate about fashion and textiles as I am about sustainability. My journey has essentially been to try and make sense of how these two concepts can coexist."
- Clara Vuletich, 2016
These are the words of my dear friend and collaborator, Clara Vuletich and lead us into a wonderful in-depth interview recently posted at Intent Journal for which I have supplied the photographic portrait. Clara's journey is one well worth hooking into - she has much depth to her investigation of the environmental damage and misery caused through fashion's business activity and her conclusion is that the answer to our woes lies in creativity, innovation and collaboration. What a positive approach to a dire situation! You can listen to a recent TED talk that Clara gave to hear more about her ideas around these principles for sustainability and fashion.
Intent Journal is a fantastic new discovery for me. It features wonderful long-form interviews with people who dedicate their lives to exploring the purpose, impact, craftsmanship, longevity and lifecycle in the fashion and textiles industry. There are some wonderful profiles featuring people who value the story behind our clothing. Be sure to carve out a little time for this one - it is not one of those online spaces that caters to the 3 second concentration span. This project has some substance, as do the ideas explored within it!
Em x


text:
We had an outstanding COAL (Church Officer and Leaders) training in the North! Excellent preaching and presentation on Millennials in Ministry by our plenary speaker Rev. Dr. Brianna Parker. Dr. Parker gave us some powerful, challenging, and on target insights and teaching about Millennials.
Participants were also challenged by the excellent presentations from all our five focus training sessions. Our Focus Training Leaders prepared our participants to strengthen their leadership capacities in order to serve with excellence in their churches and their local communities.
But if you missed COAL North, you still have another opportunity to be prepared and strengthen to serve! COAL South will be held this coming Saturday, March 11 at First Baptist Church of Hightstown. Our speaker will be Mr. Ngwedla Paul Msiza, President of the Baptist World Alliance, who will be speaking and teaching on Justice and the Gospel!
Our focus training opportunities will include three new ones: Church Budgeting, Becoming a Station of Hope, and Cross-cultural Leadership. Plus an encore presentation from three of our workshops held at COAL North: Creative Bible Studies and New Church Development Panels: When the New is Not So New and A Welcoming Space.
Go to our link https://www.abcnj.net/coal-2017/introduction/ and register today! We can't wait to see you!


text:
Find Game Rules to board games, card games, dice games & more!
Game Rules
Welcome to Game Rules, where you can find detailed yet succinct explanations of the most popular games in the world! We have travelled all over in search of the most popular card games, board games, dice games and their rules. Here you'll find games you didn't know existed, as well as well-known and obscure variations on how to play classic favourites such as Poker and Rummy. It's incredible the number of variations that can exist for one game, where the rules of the game can vary drastically, depending on where you are in the world.
Find Games Rules by Category
If you prefer to find game rules by category, click on a category below
In addition to game rules, we are also creating what will soon be to be the number one blog space and forum for gamers around the world, with interesting and relevant articles for all types of gamers. Check out this article on Lodden Thinks! We've tried our best to compile game rules into an easy to digest format that is easy to comprehend. We've broken up each game rule article into logical sections so that if you just need a quick reference to a rule you might be fuzzy on, you won't have to trudge through the whole article to find what you're looking for. We are always adding new and exciting game rules to the site so that you can spice up your next Game Night! We are constantly looking to expanding the site and improve upon existing content for our users, so your feedback is encouraged and welcomed. We are thrilled that you've visited us today. Now let the Games Begin!
Here at GameRules.com we've got games for everyone of all ages! Click on a category to find games that meet your desired criteria. You will find an impressive variety of Casino Games, Family Games, Kids, Games, Drinking Games, and more! Pick from classics such as Spades, Rummy, and Bridge. Or spice up your usual play by playing a variation on a classic such as Chinese or Russian Poker. You also have the ability to rate a game and help others discover new, awesome games. We are always adding more and more games every week, so check back often!
More Popular Games 2019
There are many types of games. In addition to listing the best game rules, we also aim to provide links to the best gambling portals around the world. Some of them provide players with thousands of free casino games like online slots (SlotsUp.com), where you can play any game without spending a dime. At new casinos such as Casino
About GameRules.com
GameRules.com is managed by a couple of friends that love to play games and have game nights. When searching online for a website that collects all possible games and the rules we saw that such site was missing. We have spent many hours
Contribution and Feedback
GameRules.com was founded in 2015 and with the goal to create the best one-stop shop for all game rules in the world. We mostly focus on card games and board games but the goal is to continue expanding the content and fields. If you would like to contribute to our website with content, links, feedback or anything else. Please feel free to contact us. We are very happy to communicate and listen to our readers. In the end, this website is for you.


text:
"Putting the Mother Back in Mother Church": A Review of Put the Blame on Eve: What Women Must Overcome to Feel Worthy, Melinda J. Rising, PhD (Larson Publications, 2010; larsonpublications.com). ISBN: 978-1-936012-47-3
Put the Blame on Eve is a survey of two at-first-glance distinct histories that have actually developed on parallel tracks—Christianity and Women's Rights, and the book is organized accordingly. The first part is a thoroughly researched and fascinating history of the creation and codification of Christianity and women's ill treatment at the hands of the Church's founding fathers in their historical and persistent (mis)representations of Eve, Mary Mater, and Mary Magdalene. The second part is a report on the state of women's status in modern society using the results from focus groups and Federal government departments and other reports.
Rising's treatment of the subject evolves from three primary sources: Joseph Campbell, Elaine Pagels, and Paul Johnson. Campbell's work on the usurpation of the Goddess's prevalence in early cultures by the patriarchal priest classes of various religions is perhaps best stated in his Power of Myth interviews with Bill Moyers a few years before his death. Pagels and Johnson are well known for their scholarly works on religion and history.
Rising covers a great deal of historical ground in a concise, engaging manner and isn't afraid to interject an edgy editorial comment every now and again along the way. It'd be all but impossible in this review to cover in any kind of detail the many psychological, physiological, philosophical, and theological components that went into the suppression of the Bible's best-known women and the distortion of such epic events as The Fall of Eden, the Virgin Birth, and the reconstitution of Mary Magdalene from chief among Jesus' advisors to Rehabilitated Whore.
Some of the Big Bad Wolves in all of this are the Emperor Constantine, St. Augustine, and Thomas Aquinas. If we keep in mind that Constantine was controlled by his mother Helena and killed his wife in a boiling bath for accusing his first-born son of trying to seduce her (factoids that do not appear in the book) and that Augustine was a recovering sex addict (which does appear in the book), it quickly becomes clear that the founding fathers of the Church were projecting their own weaknesses onto the fairer sex. Although seen as pillars of early Church thought, both Augustine and Aquinas were far off in their conceptions of the nature of the Soul and consequently pushed forth the view that women were far inferior to men.
At the heart of it all is one word, three letters: SEX. Hence Eve as Temptress, Mary Mater as Virgin, and Mary Magdalene as Whore. These pointedly conceived and cruelly marketed roles thrust upon these women are, sadly, the obstacle course with which modern women still must contend. Regardless of their very different politics, both Sarah Palin and Hilary Clinton were judged more on their looks and dress than they were on their politics, and every gesture and emotional response they make is microscopically dissected to a degree far surpassing that of their male counterparts. Although they are not referenced in the book, biologist Rachel Carson and ethologist Jane Goodall were treated abysmally by colleagues and dismissed by the press as nothing but "hysterical" women who had no business in the Sciences.
Rising takes us through the Albigensian Crusade, the Inquisition, and the global Witch Hunts, all of which did further damage to the position of women. It's hard to remain calm reading these accounts of rampant power in the guise of Divine mandate.
Some of the more disturbing remnants of these patriarchal ploys is the continued ban on women's ordination in the Catholic Church and the current Pope's decision to put attempts at instating women priests on the same level as sexual abuse of children.
Rising's recounting of the Women's Movement from its beginnings in the mid-1800s through modern times is another excellently presented historical survey that covers the major subjects of Suffrage and birth control/abortion, and brings to light the differing philosophies that began pitting women against women in their fight for equal rights—an ongoing rift that now includes the Stay at Home Mom versus the Career Woman.
The final chapter is a "Report Card and Prognosis for the Future," drawing on statistics and reports from various governmental departments and human services organizations. In a nutshell, progress is being made, but there is still a ways to go. The so-called Glass Ceiling and large disparities in pay for the same work between men and women are still major issues that bleed into all other areas of life.
Rising ends the book with many recommendations for continuing the fight for equal rights for women. This is the practical, hands-on portion of the book and there are plenty of important ideas.
No book is perfect, so I feel it fair to point out the following: there is one major editing error, where AIDS is spelled out as Acquired Immune Disease [instead of Deficiency] Syndrome. Also, and more importantly, it is clear by the end that this book is targeted overwhelmingly toward women. That's kind of like preaching to the choir. Although there is so much excellent information here that women should of course read it, it is really the males of the species that would most benefit from seeing where Church, political, and sociological policies have led us all.
Friday, December 31, 2010
"Putting the Mother Back in Mother Church": A Review of Put the Blame on Eve: What Women Must Overcome to Feel Worthy
"Putting the Mother Back in Mother Church": A Review of Put the Blame on Eve: What Women Must Overcome to Feel Worthy, Melinda J. Rising, PhD (Larson Publications, 2010; larsonpublications.com). ISBN: 978-1-936012-47-3
Posted by Joey Madia at 11:45 AM 0 comments
Labels: book reviews, Eve, Inquisition, Joey Madia, Mary Magdalene, Mary Mater, Melinda Rising, New Mystics, witch trials, women's rights, women's studies
Thursday, December 2, 2010
Music Made New: A Review of Cover Stories: A Euphictional Anthology (2010, coverstoriesbook.com)
A couple of quick bits of business, and we're off.
1. Euphiction is a new genre wherein authors create "literary covers" of songs. Although many writers have probably been doing this very thing for years, it is formalized by name in this anthology for the first time.
2. I edited the stories by N. Pendleton that appear in this collection. I can take no credit for the success of the stories, or the immense talent of their author. I merely cleaned up the edges… he did all the work.
This excellent collection¬—"100 stories, 10 authors, 1 new genre" (plus an intro by Mike Dawson and an Afterword by Sean P. Murray¬) hints at the future of the short story. Longer, but just as visually rich, as flash fiction, these euphicational stories seek to reproduce the compressed narrative structure of the songs on which they were based.
They read quickly and make a wide arc from '80s genre homage and fun-poking to deep, dark, and seedy. Most of the authors offer a microcosm of the larger variety, showing off their dexterity and range, as a good band will in a 10-cut album. Others know their strengths and stick to their time signature and key throughout their 10 tales. Either way, the variety of Voices and Perspectives across the 100 stories is impressive.
Each author is provided a space for "Liner Notes," revealing the source material (in most cases; some authors were denied copyright for titles or other use, which is unfortunate), their relationship to it, and their reasons for undertaking the project. To their credit, all of the authors bring a humor and lightness to their Liner Notes; if this is the face of the new generation of short story writers, the field is in capable, humble hands.
Some of my favorite stories were Simon Neil's "A Present," about a train of Muslims heading from India to Pakistan; Derrek Carriveau's "Papillon," concerning a teenage wedding; Christian A. Dumais' "You Know I'd Never Leave You" about a man who births a baby and "A Hundred Fireflies Outside," which de- and reconstructs teen slasher/romance flicks (an important piece due to its representing the partial face of post-postmodern literature); "Killing the Past," "Let Your Mouth Tell the Story," and "Quarters," all by A. C. Noia; "Infinity," "Beauty," "Wildness" and "Home," all by Derek Handley; "Listen, It Won't Rain When I Die," by Matt Gamble; and N. Pendleton's "Untitled Track 006—Genre Unknown" and "Untitled Track 009—Genre Unknown," the latter of which is a reworked excerpt from a (hopefully) forthcoming novel that will set new parameters for what fiction can and should be in the twenty-first century [and just because I'm editing said novel doesn't make this statement any less true].
As I mentioned in the opening, the creation of Art from other Art is not a new endeavor—in my writing classes I use visual art and film soundtracks as prompts, and poets often pay homage to other poets and poems in their work. I also collaborated recently with a visual artist, writing a series of poems based on her highly symbolic and abstract paintings—some of which were originally inspired by pieces of music or poems (which may also have been inspired by works other works of art), so we have a continuum here that opens up endless possibilities and exciting new realms grounded in older traditions.
At least one author in Cover Stories, Derrek Carriveau, mentions a similar situation. Jack London's short story "Martin Eden" provides the title to a Twilight Singers song on Blackberry Belle, which in turn influenced the author to write some stories. Other writers also mention writing to music in the past, and Matt Gamble confesses to scrapping his original artist/album when the stories were finished and seeking out a better "fit" for them.
Keeping in mind this situating of the writer in a much larger continuum of Art, Cover Stories provides several things: a new genre; a fertile field of inspiration from which other artists—painters, musicians, other writers—can draw inspiration; and several hours of excellent reading.
How many books can say as much?
Posted by Joey Madia at 11:53 AM 0 comments
Labels: book reviews, Christian Dumais, euphiction, Joey Madia, N. Pendleton, New Mystics Reviews, short stories