text:
An original song written about the hypocrisy of war and religion.
The Four Horsemen Of The Apocalypse
They're on their way
Not recommended for bedtime reading
Soundtrack "Sympathy For The Devil" by The Rolling Stones.
I'm two beers and a shot past midnight as I make my way down a rainy street on a dying Sunday. I pass an old rundown house that's still wearing it's Christmas lights in late March. What a sad and pathetic sight. But after all, everyday down here feels as morose as the day after Christmas. I stroll past a group of bums huddled together under a tiny bus-stop shelter. They aren't sad, they throw their heads back and laugh and hack deep husky coughs. I watch as they pass their generic cigarette around and count their beggars change to buy another bottle. This is socialism at its best.
I score a couple of rocks from a big black dude who's street name is killer. He has sleepy red eyes and a bulge under his leather coat that corroborates how he'd acquired his nick name. Killer is an evolutionary capitalist, his philosophy is that the big fish eat the little fish. He wears a face that says "Don't fuck with me". This corner is his domain and if you know what's good for you, you won't question his Province.
I lean against the wall of the damp alley and light my pipe. I smell and taste that familiar chemical flavor I'd been craving. I'd promised myself that this would be my last time and that tomorrow I'd straighten up and start writing my great American novel. Man, when I'm high I can feel a million stories exploding through veins. I'd love to write some of this shit down, but I've pawned my computer, my phone————-my soul.
The devil keeps my redemption locked up in a cage down in that fiery netherworld. Salvation is a hard thing to come by when the key to it is held by my worst enemy—– that enemy being me. You see, the devil isn't in the drug, it isn't in the guy who sell's me the shit, it's in the bullshit I feed myself. We all have our devils and demons, but some of us just feed our's better than others. I've gone from believing I'm the master of the beast to realizing that I'm his slave in a freak-show.
I've decided that today will be the day I stand up and face the devil and his cadre of demons. I'm going down into the belly of the beast to do battle. It won't be as simple as one battle, it will be a lifelong war. Satan has the high ground, he can give me extreme earthly pleasures. He will make me feel like I'm right and the world is wrong. He'll support my victim mentality. But there's a high price to paid for unearned luxury.
There are only three types of people who dare trespass into the belly of the beast. They're either holy men, madmen or those who have come to the stark realization that it's either fight for redemption or dive into those eternal flames. I'm in the latter group, I've used up all my excuses and burnt all my bridges. I'd worn out all my friends and family and squandered whatever potential I once possessed. I'm done waiting on someone or something to come and save me. Salvation is a personal quest.
Some go into the belly of the beast and never resurface. Some go there and resurface as a Bodhisattva. And then there are those who lose their mind in search of their soul. But if you're gonna go down there, you gotta go all the way and you gotta go it alone. No one can save you from yourself——–but yourself.
Hell is knowing that you're a fraud, it's hating yourself for becoming the worst possible version of what might have been. It's intentionally pushing everyone away who cares about you because it hurts too much to have others care about something you've long ago given up on My god, I'm fucked up——but here I am again, in the alley, siting on the curb with my feet in the gutter. Damn, it's so hard to believe I can do better when I feel worthless. Hating everyone and everything made my addiction bearable, these dark emotions fueled my self destruction. Self hatred has robbed me of my most potent of tools; love and courage. When I descend into that inferno I will need love to be my sword and courage my armor. I'm tired of being ashamed——-tired of being sick, tired of being what I've become.
I'm on a dark stairway that's slippery from the blood of broken hearts. Above there's a chandelier constructed of sun bleached bones. There's a chorus of horrifying screams and god forsaken moans from the other lost souls. In the background an organ plays its mournful dirge. I tentatively push open the squeaky gates causing a flock of bats to take flight. The beating of their wings startles me.
There is a heaviness in the air, it feels as if this place is the center of gravity for all of the worlds unforgiven sins. I make my way down a candle lit corridor. It opens up into a cavernous cathedral of horrors. From the ceiling there swings decaying corpses with their red bulging eyes dislodged from their sockets. Drooling zombies rush about with dozens of hypodermic needles stuck in their arms. A goole hunches over a withering body as he repeatedly stabs at it and then licks the blood from his knife. In the shadows ragged figures fornicate with half goat, half human creatures. This is not only the theater of the absurd, it's a chamber of pure evil. Above me flying beast with bat wings screech and rain spit down on me. The air is filled with an over powering oder of rotting flesh. Creatures in chains with putrid breath scream out asking for mercy as they are being led by demons into a lake of fire. From the lake comes the revolting smell of singed hair and burnt flesh.
Every fiber of my being is telling me to turn around and bolt back up the stairs to a place of green fields, where I might negotiate for forgiveness and pray for the rarest of commodities——-a second chance. Sitting upon a throne on a high riser sits Lucifer the prince of darkness. His eyes are red like burning coals, where his feet should be there are hoofs. He amuses himself with an anaconda as it curls and constricts around his arms and neck. He bites into an apple and offers me a sinister grin. He stretches out his hand and asks in a deep throaty voice "How about a nibble? You look like a lover of forbidden fruit." I nervously shake my head no. He stands up and yells in a death metal scream "What the fuck do you want?" I try to speak but my mouth is to dry to form a word. "Speak up you little bastard, a good servant should never makes his master wait."
I muster all my courage and manage to speak in a squeaky voice "I've come to take my soul back." He throws his head back and laughs. "You've got a fucking short memory. You signed the fucking contract. You traded your soul for all those little goddamn things you said you wanted, desired, needed." My fear was beginning to lean towards anger. "You never gave me shit. You used me." He looked me straight in the eye and laughed."You struck a deal with the devil, what did you think you'd get, honesty, integrity? You're gonna get what you fucking deserve, an eternal timeshare in hell." He removed his purple robe and spread a pair of huge black wings. "Do you like my wings? I can give you wings just like these. All you have to do is to continue to do my bidding. Just keep being as bad and evil as you have been and someday you'll have dominion over all this darkness." He offers me a mocking thunderous laugh.
"I don't want your wings. I don't want your darkness. I want my soul back. Our contract is void because you never gave me any of the things I bargained for." He gives a snide little snicker as one of his minions fly to his side and hands him a paper. "Here is your contract. Now let's take a little gander at what you traded your sour for. Number one. You asked for ecstasy and I gave you crack—check. Number two. You asked for a loyal family. I gave you a group of gang bangers made up of thief's, thugs and murders—— check. Number three. You asked for a profession. I made you a thief to support your drug habit—–check. Four. You asked for unrestricted sex with many. I made you a prostitute to support your drug habit——check. Number five. You asked for freedom. I gave you the street and homelessness—–check. Number six. You asked for a purpose. I made you an addict—– check." "You tricked me. You twisted my words and made a fool of me." "No shit, I'm the devil and that's what I fucking do. I break hearts, I steal souls, I tear apart families and friendships. I'm a destroyer of hope, a revoker of faith. And now it's fucking time for you to pay up ass hole."
I stammered, "What about love? What about self respect? Why can't you give me those things?" He just shook his head, "I can't give you what you've never asked for. Those are things only you can give yourself. You should've read the small print kid." He points to the backside of the contact where there's an extremely small line of written words. In a mocking voice satan reads from the contract. "By signing this contract I agree to no longer love myself. I agree to shed myself of all integrity and self respect. I will be an instrument of hate and loath everyone, everything——including myself." He stretched out his wings in a show of power. "Something you dumb shit mortals never seem to understand is that if you don't love and respect yourself, then how the fuck can you ever love or respect anyone else."
He straightens the gold pentagram around his neck. "I have power over many things, but I have no dominion over love and ones self worth——those things are god given. I deal in the transitory sins such as desire, vanity, money, greed, drugs, pride, alcohol, sex, power and possessions. These are the tools that make it easy for me to enslave mortals such as you. These bargaining chips are extensions of the seven deadly sins, also known as the cardinal sins spoken of in Revelations. It never ceases to amaze me—–what evil mortals will do for such petty prizes."
He spread his wings and circled around before landing in front of me. He encroaches into my space. "I'll give you back your soul under one condition. You must deliver to me a man who rivals my evil, possesses my hate and has the power to deceive and divide humanity. I need such a man to lead my apocalypse. Do you accept my challenge?" I allowed myself to show some bravado as I stared straight into his eyes. "I know of such a man. He worships all the things you have to offer. He'll gleefully exchange eternal damnation for your earthly pleasures. He will mount and lead the charge of the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse." Satan nodded in confirmation. "So be it! I will provide whatever is needed to make this monumental deal a sucess." He grimaced showing his yellow fangs and exhaled a ball of fire that singed my eyebrows and hair.
I awoke face down in a dumpster. In a daze I stumbled out of the alley. Had I awoken from a nightmare or was this vision a drug induced hallucination? There lingered the smell of burnt hair in the air and the soles of my boots left a trail of bloody footprints. I knew then and there that I'd struck a deal with the devil and this would be my final chance to redeem my soul.
I opened my wallet to find it stuffed with hundred dollar bills. I went to the most expensive tailor in New Your and purchased the finest suit that money can buy. I then went to a spa to have my hair styled, a shave and a manicure. I placed both my hands on my briefcase and summoned the credentials I would need to close this deal. I looked in the mirror and was amazed at my transformation. If you can judge a book by its cover, then I resembled a wind swept hero on the cover of a cheap pulp fiction paperback.
I sat in the back seat of my chauffeured limousine as it made its way down 5th avenue towards midtown I opened my briefcase and retrieved a cellphone with the number of my contact preprogramed. I pressed the dial button and waited for someone to answer. From the other end there came a stern and impatient voice, "Hello." When I responded l was surprised to hear my voice come out with a thick Russian accent "Hello, I think you know who I am. I'm your handler from the East. I was hoping that you'd be available for a discrete meeting? And, if you are available, I'd like to introduce you to the greatest deal maker of all time." I knew that this comment would set a hook in his ego. From the other end of the phone there came a gasp. "Bullshit! Everybody knows that I'm the greatest dealmaker that's ever lived. Who the hell is this person you're speaking of, and what does he have to offer me?" "He has anything and everything that you'd ever desire, at a basement price. In fact, he's willing to take matters deeper than the basement." He responded "I'm a busy man, so this had better not be a waste of my fucking time. I'll meet with you and your so called deal maker. I'll show you both who's the greatest deal maker of all time. I'll let security and my secretary know to allow you and your Monty Hall impersonator into my tower."
I felt that little head rush that comes when taking an elevator to the the upper floors. The elevator stops at the thirteenth floor and in walks an immaculately dressed Lucifer. He tips his hat and offers up a sinister smile "Thirteen is my favorite number." I press the button for the top floor. The elevator doors opens and we're escorted into a large office. Behind the dark oak desk is a huge floor to ceiling window with a panoramic view of New York city's skyline. One might even mistake this grand office as heavens vestibule.
"Please have a seat" He gestures for us to take a seat in the leather chairs facing his desk. "So, my Russian friend here say's that you want to offer me one hell of a deal?" The devil nod's and begins "Yes, I think you and I have much in common and many similar interests and aspirations. You are also a man of wealth and taste who possesses great intelligence. You alone are the only one who has the capacity to rule this floundering world." I sit back and watch as he sets the hook ever deeper into his narcissistic soul. "I have the power to make all of your dreams come true." Feigning disinterest, he leans back in his desk chair and begins to clean beneath his fingernails with a pewter letter opener with the initials "DT" carved into the handle. "And in exchange for this what do want from me?" "I will get to that, but first let me tell you of all the things I can lay at your feet."
"I will make you the most powerful man in the world. I'll give you authority over the largest and best equipped army ever assembled. I'm offering you the power to destroy your enemies with the push of one button. I will give you the ability to make your followers believe your lies as if they were indisputable truths. I will rain down on you billions and billions of dollars. As for women, I will make it possible for you to lay down with Playboy centerfolds and Porn Stars. I will make you more famous than the pope and you will be worshiped like the greatest of pop stars. You will be famous with your name and face plastered on every magazine, TV news program and newspaper. You will have every material comfort that any man might ever ask for. I offer you these things because I know that you are a man of discriminating taste and know the virtues of fame and fortune."
He places his letter opener on the desk and folds his arms. "You have my attention. But what is it you want from me?" "What I require from you is written within this contract." He motions for me to open the briefcase and provide him with a contract. "I've taken the liberty to draw up a cursory contract itemizing the minor concessions you need to provide in exchange for all the gifts, pleasures and powers I will bestow upon you."
"Let me read to you the paltry stipulations required on your part. You must turn your back on those who've trusted in you. You will side with the East cover the west and in doing so you'll solidify your earthly power. You will use your orator skills to deceive and manipulate the masses with lies and falsehoods. You must use all your powers to sew divisiveness. You will exploit the diversity in individuals and cultures to fan the flames of hatred. You will build walls to separate countries and foster mistrust. You must be willing to separate families and cage children. You will turn people against one another by promoting fear and hatred. Through fear and hatred you will create friction between faiths, nationalities, races, gender, political affiliations and ideologies. You will take credit for the rising stock-market making the rich richer, while the less fortunate die due to the lack of shelter, food and water. As chaos rages around you, you shall retreat to your castles and send out inflammatory rhetoric fueling your fires of divisiveness and hate. Many are called but few are chosen, and because of your greatest, you are the chosen one." The hook has been set, the line now drawn taut and all that was left to do was reel him in.
He unfolds his arms and clasps his hands together. "This sounds like a reasonable deal, but what about those who are close to me? I must be provided with an assurance that I will have the power to pardon them from all earthly laws." "Yes of course. I will also allow you the power to pardon yourself of earthly laws. You will have dominion over all earthly laws because you will be above the law. If this meets with your satisfaction all you need to do is sign right here on this doted line."
He takes a golden pen from his pocket and reaches out for the contract. Satan shakes his head and takes the pen from him and hands him the pewter letter opener. "I'm sorry my friend, but I'll require that signature in blood." He takes the letter opener and grimaces as he pierces the tip of his finger. He then smiles "Sir, you drive a hard bargain but I'm the only one who's truly mastered the art of the deal." He pushes back his orangish hair to reveal a set of stubby horns. "As you can see I've acquired my horns. I can't wait to earn my wings."
In order to retrieve my soul I headed back down into the belly of the beast. "I've fulfilled my obligation and I'm here to retrieve my soul." The devil gives me a little smirk and responds "I've been thinking about you and was hoping that perhaps we might work a new deal. I remember you once saying something about wanting to write the great American novel. I could maybe help you out with that." I defiantly shake my head no. He continued "Imagine having your novel being number one on the New York Times best sellers list. I can arrange that. In addition, how about having your novel recommended reading by Oprah's book club? I can make that happen too. Maybe we could arrange to have that novel turned into to a screen play and a winner of numerous Oscars. You're so talented and gifted, it's only right that you receive some recognition and compentsation for all your hard-work." I could feel my chest begin to swell with the thought of attaining all of these accolades. "I've taken the liberty of drawing up this little arrangement and it awaits your signature." I take the contract and pen in my hand and stare at the dotted line. I take a deep breath and hesitate. I pick the contract up and tear it into pieces. "I'll take my soul back now—–and as for you—–you can go to hell!"
The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse
Although some interpretations differ, in most accounts, the four riders are seen as symbolizing Conquest, War, Famine, and Death, respectively.
The seven deadly sins or cardinal sins.
The seven capital sins, also commonly referred to as the seven deadly sins or cardinal sins, are pride, greed (or covetousness), lust, anger, gluttony, envy and sloth. These are thought to be the sins to which human nature is most susceptible, and they are said to be the origins of other sins.
A Child's Rain
Soundtrack "Bird On A Wire" by Joe Bonamassa.
I run my hand along the rough red brick wall. If you could touch truth, this is what it would feel like, if you could wear yesterday, it would fit like this. Brick buildings never age, unlike most things, they never grow old, they are the silent sentinels keeping watch at eternities gate. Time is in the raindrop that erodes away the mightiest of mountains one patient drop at a time—-We never seem to notice the passage of time until one day the mountain is gone.
Brick and mortar merges man's creative life-force with natures unfaltering power to endure. ——Such walls keep some things out and other things in——-it all depends on what side of the wall you find yourself falling or standing——
I envision all of those perfect rust colored bricks meticulously hand laid, so even, so artfully composed——-the craftsman's sweat droplets mixed in the slurry and forever embedded within the cured cement—–blood, sweat and tears, like long lost fossils hidden between the layers of time.
Long after another generation's life-story has been told and then consigned to oblivion, these edifices remain as statues to a forgotten past—— bricks like memories, one stacked upon the other—— one timeless moment entombed within a dying eternity.————-Tell me this? Why the brevity of life, we're here then gone, everything and everyone just passing through, my grip on the ephemeral is slipping, the impermanence of it all has me chasing tomorrows horizon on this lonely highway.
Skyscrapers are impressive because of their hight. But there is no romance in their architecture. Their birth pushed out into loveless cement forms and fitted together with the support of I-beams. The spaces we live in define our culture. Our cities are gray, cold and crowded with despair, boxes within boxes, where men while away their lives in cubicles, sucking recirculated air, no songbirds cooing outside the tinted windows, only the ever present monotonous hum of air conditioners—–there's no place to hide from those harsh florissant lights, the computer screen is our window to the world, the feel of cool damp grass no longer beneath our feet——it's a landscape of migraines, mind-games and lost virtues. All the symmetrical lines make the few remaining trees and plants seem out of place.
All the old buildings in my hometown are constructed of stubborn bricks. There is grandeur in those old buildings, the church with its pious stained-glass windows, the honorable courthouse and contemplative library. These buildings of stone reminds us of our need for safety, shelter and community. I feel holy when standing in the ancient brick church with it's towering steeple—-it pierces the heavens like a hypodermic needle, injecting god's blue sky with silent prayers.
The first time I saw rain, I asked my mother what it was, this water falling from the sky. And she said it's rain. I thought a child's thought, how wondrous, this thing called rain, water falling from the sky cleansing the streets and sweetly scenting the world. Who'd of thought up such a phenomenal thing?
The rain made all the old red bricks appear new again. Everyone was in a hurry to escape the rain, but I stayed outside to enjoy this spectacle of water falling from the sky. I stood there with hands outstretched, head tilted back, mouth open, tasting rain, feeling rain.
I once asked my mother about the tiny specks of light twinkling in the night sky. She said they are stars and that there are billions and billions of them—- they are like our sun, but millions of light years away. She said some of these stars have already burned themselves out and we are looking at light from their past. I thought a child's thought, these things called stars are even more mysterious than rain. I sat on the porch staring up at the Milky Way galaxy—–Rain and stars, how unbelievable yet beautiful.
Maybe this is what Buddha contemplated while meditating under his Bodie Tree. At peace with oneself and the universe, walking the middle path of love between the yen and the yang——intertwined with everything yet separate…….Insignificant and small, yet omnipotent and omniscient———wandering between the birth and death of each moment———Nirvana——-
Paint Me A Picture Green and Blue
If love were a color, it would be green——like the traffic light that screams GO!—like the grass that's always greener on the other-side, green like a twenty dollar bill earned the hard way—– leaving you one blistered heart, its in that sweet scent of sappy pine needles in early June, rare like a four leaf clover, it's in her emerald flecked eyes, like the squirt from a lime after a shot of Cuervo——–but never the color of envy—–
My love is blue, like the deepest part of the ocean, like the sound of Muddy Water's graveled voice singing "You Shook Me", as wide open as a cloudless Summer sky, it's the blue that flickers at the tip of a campfire flame, it's in the bluish colored veins showing through her ivory skinned neck, a river of life rushing from her quaking heart, her body like a little factory producing beauty, it's hiding within a cold azure tiki drink—-it'll kick your ass like a stiff right hook to the soul.
Time is transparent, you can't see it as it passes through you. I remember all the little things in my wake, the big things are chapters in a book I've reread a thousand times. I never tire of my memories, even though they can sometimes leave me sad and nostalgic, the fleetingness of time sifting though an hour glass, grains of sand like moments slipping by—-slipping away.
I once thought that if I talked faster, lived faster that I'd get more living out of life. But no, I got it all wrong, it's exactly the opposite, the slower I live, the more of life I absorb. I also once thought that the harder I prayed, the more god would turn my wants and desires into reality. But, God doesn't care about my hopes and dreams, what concerns him more, is how I walk through the fire, how I carry myself—–do I cower in fear? Do I hold another fire-walker's sweaty palm? Do I piss on the coals? Is the heat an oven to melt sandwiches of gram-cracker, marshmallow and chocolate into S'mores? How do you make your way across the coals—–doing your tip toed river dance while passing through….Cause were all just passing through…..Dancing on the sharp edged blade between chance and fate…..
Paint me a picture green and blue.
Vitamin L Is Newly Discovered Miracle Drug
Soundtrack "Shower the People" by James Taylor.
I feel myself falling apart, cracking up, dissolving into mist. Age seems to have made me uncomfortable with all I once felt to be inevitable——I've come to believe anything is possible if I only open myself to it.
The things that once kept me in orbit around my identity have lost their gravity. My career, relationships, friendships, possessions and money have lost value. This isn't a mid-life crisis, it's more about wanting to see what's behind the movie screen—-what's real, what's illusion, who really know's me, who do I really know——-it's not a depression—-it's a compression. It's life closing in on me———something is slipping away, time is running out——I'm teetering between shadow and substance. I'm calling this deaf-mute universe out. Is love a bluff? Is god a fairy-tale? Is truth attainable——-What becomes of us all?
Unimaginable things seep from beneath my consciousness. I drift through deserted cities. I float above dreamscapes of forgotten worlds. From the corner of my mind there arise the faces of lost lovers from past lives . There's a sweet sadness to it all—–not knowing what becomes of us all.
I've decided to let go of all meaning and purpose and simply accept that—"What is "is", and what ain't, "ain't"—That's my hillbilly Zen koan. It's the letting go of all the things I've fought and struggled to hold onto in a desperate desire to give "me" a connection to this odyssey called life——-the harder I've tried to grasp friendship and love, the more they've slipped away. The things that once made sense have fallen by the wayside, what once mattered no longer matters. I feel myself moving past, through and beyond all physical trappings.
I need a best friend, a girl to love and a faithful dog——I suppose one out of three ain't bad.. Don't people realize that we all crave appreciation, complements and a feeling of being special to someone. We all need to be held, loved and told how valued we are. If those closest to us fail to do these things, then who will? Yet we seldom do. It's no wonder friends become estranged and lovers settle for tepid routine over burning passion.
I'm no longer gonna be the complementer, the conversation mover or the open ear to those that have nothing to offer me in return. Maybe that's mean, vengeful and petty, but my time has grown to precious and my universe to small to make room for emotional hermits.
I once had a best friend who showed no interested in my writing or my music projects. It was a foreign land he choose not to visit. I'd wait for him to say something complementary or maybe offer an insightful comment about a line or two I'd written——- but he never did— How can you claim to be someones closest friend, and yet never book passage into their world. Our relationship became one dimensional. I'd listen to his stories and encourage him when he was down. I was inquisitive and attentive to his travails. I'd complement his victories, support his dreams and find ways to ease his worries. One day I stopped returning his phone calls. He left me several messages asking why I never returned his calls——go figure?
My simple recipe for a lasting friendship is simple, show an interest in their soul-hood, be attentive to their heart-fullness (two simple steps)———Amongst all the meaningless bullshit you may share; compassion is the duct tape that will hold your relationships together. Through all of life's peril, it's the simple gestures of empathy and kindness that keep the paths of companionship parallel.
I once had a lover who grew loveless. We tolerated one another, we'd forgotten how to please one another. If you truly love someone, you know the things that please them and conversely, you know the things that piss them off. My recipe for an enduring love affair is simple—— Do the things that please that person and don't do the things that piss them off (two simple steps).
Deprived of vitamin L (love) all living things die. Studies have shown that babies who've been neglected fail to thrive. Without love they curl up into a little ball and silently pass away. Love is as essential to our survival as air and food. Babies need to be rocked, caressed and softly spoken to. They need to know that when they cry out someone will come to comfort them. It saddens me to know that there are adults who've given up on love. They've given up on affection—-they no longer reach out for someone to hold—–they've stopped calling out to be comforted. Inside they're literally "dying" to be loved.
What are we waiting for? Life is brief and it's later than we realize——Anything is possible if we only open ourselves to it——Kick down the door, dynamite the debris, let your light shine into someones lonely bubble———Love is the only passport needed to enter another's world—-"Shower the people you love with love, show them the way that you feel." James Taylor.
Feeding The Lion
For Haley and Taylor.
Soundtrack "It's For You" by Pat Matheny
So ya wanna be a writer. Writing takes enormous courage, at least for those who dare to stand in the center-ring and call themselves the master of ceremonies. When I say master of ceremonies, I mean standing in the center-ring with a chair in one hand and a whip in the other—–cracking that whip as you attempt to tame language, coaxing those unruly words to jump through rings of fire. It's being honest and pure——it's as insufferable as siphoning ink from an anemic soul. To go to such places you must first face down who you are or who you thought you were–you must be prepared to shine a light on your blind spots and shake hands with your darkest shadows. What's in there? What's way deep down inside me, that thing I've carried with me from the womb, that shameless thing that's a part of me like a birth mark in the shape of original sin. If you can go that far down then you've earned the privilege to call yourself the zoo keeper of words. You have fed the lion, but you have not tamed him. Beauty, danger and fear are the bars that cage our confessions. A long lost friend once told me "Where the beauty of the soul is, there's always danger."
The next step is to put your head in that lions mouth. Choose honesty over insecurity. Allow space for venerability, don't be anonymous——be outrageous, be original not a trend chaser, be forthright rather than pious and vain——take no-ones word other than your own, search everywhere for yourself and then let it all go, unleash your restrained emotions and when all the stiff mannequins misunderstand you, tell them to fuck off———it'll be scary, but it'll make you feel awake and alive—–trust that it will be worth it. Your words are your weapons, surrender is your shield. Make shit happen, even if you have to make shit up as you go along, walk the high-wire, be a fire eater, play the clown, don't be afraid to make mistakes, it's how you'll learn to orchestrate your circus. Be persistent, have tenacity, be a seeker. Be good to yourself, be kind to others, smile, even when you don't feel like it—-take the body and the mind will follow. .
Life is a beautiful thing——-people like you make this so.
Bad Decisions
Soundtrack by Coldplay "Sky Full Of Stars".
Stories and dreams. We all have them, but having someone to tell them to is as close as some of us may ever get to giving them form. Putting such flimsy notions into words and trusting someone with them is such a dangerous propositions. We've all been misunderstood and laughed at——-betrayed when least expected, hurt by those most trusted. So we retreat further into adulthood, into becoming conventional and bland. But I never felt that way towards you, cause you allowed me to believe in glory and grace——in fact, you encouraged my groping wishes to wake and be given life, with you I could be an astronaut, free to explore my outer and inner space. I could be a Zen warrior, or a pale version of a cool-ass bluesman, you gave me the swagger of a pirate, the bravado of a rodeo clown——with you, I became wide open and fearless, featureless….. liberated and limitless…….You offered a love that never expires, a timeless space where there is no room for regret or remorse….
They say that the starlight we see is millions of light years old and in fact, some of those stars we hold as real have long ago flamed out. They implode or explode or wink off into the blackness like a dream or story that never reaches its surface. As stars bleed light, so it is for the lonely who hemorrhage hope. You and I float hand in hand above this blue marble, wearing nothing but our smiles— and it's all so beautiful from a distance.
Where you're from, isn't who ya are, but it shapes what you become. And when we were young, all we wanted to do was get out of this place that we thought made us lonely and small (but we didn't even know what loneliness could feel like—— as foolish as comparing a paper cut to a severed soul) and now we can only go back there in memory or dreams====and if you can still share a memory or a dream with someone——then you can understand that it's not so bad losing this battle with time.
And don't let them tell you that time is a river, no——-, it's like that glassed in machine on the boardwalk where taffy is stretched, pulled and folded back into itself——It will pull the caps off your teeth, stick to the roof of your mouth like peanut butter, it will adhere to the sole of your shoe, eventually becoming a wad of molasses covered in dirt, making you limp, causing each step forward to feel more like a stumble……
I'd once heard it said that "Bad decisions make for great stories". To me, that's the most Christian thing ever spoken. Truer than any condemning bible quote, more real than any evangelic sermon intended to save my other gummed up soul. We're here to make mistakes, to fuck up, to work it out and fuck it up all over again. So don't feel so bad, it's what were here to do—–
You're the worst decision I ever made, but god we have such great stories to share————-


text:
Connect to Innovate – Frequently asked questions
- About the Connect to Innovate Program
- About the Application Process and Funding
- For Consumers and Communities
About the Connect to Innovate Program
What is the Connect to Innovate program?
The Connect to Innovate program will invest $500 million by 2021, to bring high-speed Internet service to rural and remote communities in Canada.
Program funds are primarily directed to new backbone infrastructure to build connections to institutions like schools, hospitals and First Nations band offices. Backbone infrastructure is often fibre optic-based, but can be comprised of a range of technologies including microwave, wireless and satellite service. Building this infrastructure is the modern equivalent of building roads or railway spurs into rural and remote areas, connecting them to the global economy.
Although the focus of the program is on new backbone infrastructure, during extensive consultations stakeholders identified additional needs that warrant eligibility. As such, eligibility included backbone capacity upgrades and resiliency, as well as last-mile infrastructure projects to households and businesses.
Who could apply?
Connect to Innovate was flexible in terms of who could apply—essentially any entity other than individuals was able to submit an application. Other federal entities (including Crown corporations) were also excluded from applying to this program.
The applicant had to identify who would build, own and operate the network, as well as who would manage the project. If the entity making an application to the program did not itself have a track record in operating Internet infrastructure, it would be asked to demonstrate in its application that appropriate resources with experience deploying and operating Internet infrastructure were part of the project team/contracted resources.
Why is the Government providing funding to bring high-speed Internet for Canadians in rural and remote communities?
Canadians need access to high-speed Internet to fully participate in our economy, democracy and way of life.
In many rural and remote communities, challenging geography and smaller populations present barriers to private sector investment in building and maintaining high-speed Internet infrastructure. In order to ensure Canadians in rural and remote communities have adequate access to high-speed Internet service, Connect to Innovate is supporting primarily new backbone infrastructure. In addition, eligibility will include backbone capacity upgrades and resiliency, as well as last-mile infrastructure projects to households and businesses where there are persistent connectivity gaps and a demonstrated need.
Who was consulted prior to developing this program?
Innovation Science and Economic Development Canada conducted extensive consultations throughout the spring and summer 2016 on the new program. Representatives from all of the provinces and territories—often multiple ministries—municipalities, private sector service providers, not-for-profit and industry organizations, and other federal departments and agencies were consulted.
During consultations, there was a consensus among the majority of provinces, territories, municipalities, and Internet Service Providers that this program should support backbone infrastructure, since many identified a lack of this type of infrastructure as a key barrier to Internet enhancement and expansion in rural and remote areas.
A smaller but important number of stakeholders identified that additional needs warrant eligibility, including backbone upgrades and resiliency as well as last-mile infrastructure to households and businesses.
Will this be a permanent program?
No, Connect to Innovate is a five-year program to stimulate economic activity, while supporting longer-term innovation objectives. Consequently, approved projects must be completed by March 31, 2021. Costs incurred after that date will not be eligible for funding under the program.
How is Connect to Innovate aligned with the CRTC's decision on broadband Internet access?
The Connect to Innovate program aims to extend broadband access to currently unserved and underserved communities across Canada. The program is focused on investing in backbone networks—the digital highways that carry traffic between communities.
By focusing on backbone, Innovation, Science, and Economic Development (ISED) has designed a program that can complement the continued expansion of last mile networks, whether that's through private sector investment, programs from other levels of government, or as a result of regulatory decisions. The CRTC's decision notes its own efforts are complementary to the government's Innovation Agenda and broadband investments.
Connect to Innovate's target for last-mile projects is only 5 Megabits per second. Why is ISED's target lower than the CRTC's target?
There are still some Canadian households that do not have access to 5 Megabits per second (Mbps). To ensure that these households have an opportunity to participate in Connect to Innovate, given their particularly challenging circumstances, these households are eligible for last-mile funding under the program. However, this speed is a minimum threshold, and last-mile applications were assessed against other applications on their proposed download speed to households, among other criteria.
How did Connect to Innovate achieve value for money?
The Connect to Innovate program supports better Internet connectivity in some of the most underserved communities in some of the most challenging rural and remote areas of Canada.
Connect to Innovate will provide significant value for money in its targets, communities served, funds leveraged and kilometers covered.
The program will connect 900 communities across Canada, three times the program's original target. Of the 900 communities, 190 are Indigenous communities, some in the direst need of better high speed Internet.
By partnering with provinces, territories, municipalities, Indigenous groups and the private sector, Connect to Innovate is doubling the Government of Canada's investment.
In total, Connect to Innovate projects will leverage $1 billion in improved connectivity.
The Connect to Innovate investment will stretch over 19,500 kilometers of fibre — including some of the most rugged and challenging terrain in Canada, where the private sector is not investing.
About the Application Process and Funding
What is the deadline for applications?
The Connect to Innovate program was launched by the Minister of Innovation, Science, and Economic Development on December 15, 2016.
The intake for application submissions is now closed and no further intake is expected.
Will project selection be carried out the same way in each province and territory?
The Connect to Innovate program launch coincided with a call for project applications to a national, competitive process. As the Eligibility Map illustrates, there are communities and areas in need of high-speed Internet infrastructure in every province and territory.
As such, there were no pre-determined regional allocations. Connect to Innovate received project proposals from every province and territory to expand and enhance high-speed Internet service for Canadians and will ensure a national allocation of funds.
What types of projects were eligible under the Connect to Innovate?
The program supports projects that are expected to be substantially completed by March 31, 2021. There are five different eligible backbone and last-mile project types, but a variety of possible combinations, including a hybrid of both backbone and last-mile infrastructure projects.
However, at least one of the following categories described below of backbone and last-mile infrastructure projects were required:
- New backbone: Program funding is primarily directed to communities identified by Innovation Science and Economic Development Canada as lacking a backbone connection of 1 Gigabit per second (Gbps).
- Backbone upgrade: Communities which have at least a 1 Gbps backbone connection were considered eligible for upgrades if the applicant could clearly demonstrate a capacity constraint.
- Network resiliency: Network resiliency projects were projects where a new fibre backbone route is deployed to provide an alternate data path, increasing network reliability and resiliency for all users.
- New last-mile: Projects proposing to connect households or businesses that lack service at speeds of 5 Mbps download and 1 Mbps upload were eligible in completely underserved areas.
- Partially served last-mile: Areas were considered partially or completely served at speeds of 5 Mbps download and 1 Mbps upload. Projects proposing to connect households or businesses that remained underserved in these areas were eligible if the applicant could clearly demonstrate these households or businesses did not have access to speeds of 5 Mbps download and 1 Mbps upload.
When will the decision for federal funding of project proposals be made?
The intake for applications closed on April 20, 2017. Applications were screened for eligibility and assessed by Innovation, Science, and Economic Development officials. Successful applications will be selected by the Minister. Subsequently, the announcement of funding recipients began in late summer 2017.
How will project selection work?
The Connect to Innovate program launch coincided with a call for project applications to a national, competitive process.
Applications were screened against eligibility criteria, and then assessed on their essential criteria in the categories of technology and planning and management. Those that passed these two initial stages of screening and assessment would be 'screened in' to the program. Applications were then assessed against a series of comparative criteria in the categories of community benefits and partners and costs. This comparative assessment will inform the selection of projects by the Minister of Innovation, Science and Economic Development. Taken together, the Minister must ensure projects provide a good regional distribution, allow the program to reach a sufficient number of communities, and do not exceed available resources.
Once projects are selected, what are the next steps?
Once projects are selected, they are considered to be conditionally approved, pending a due diligence process and the negotiation of contribution agreements between the Minister of Innovation, Science and Economic Development and eligible recipients. ISED started signing contribution agreements.
What are the anticipated benefits of this program?
Connect to Innovate drives transformative change by bringing high-speed Internet service into rural and remote communities, allowing public institutions such as medical facilities, schools and First Nation band offices to deliver cutting-edge services while providing access to digital tools for residents and businesses.
While in practice the benefits will vary from project to project, the example below provides an idea of the types of services a 1 Gbps capacity backbone infrastructure could provide to a rural or remote community of 500 residents:
- Connections to 200 households or businesses at 12 Mbps;
- Dedicated capacity to a medium-size business or important regional employer;
- Dedicated capacity for the delivery of cutting edge remote services at two (2) public institutions; and
- A modern 4G mobile network within the community.
Residents, business owners and professionals can benefit from access to a full suite of modern digital tools and services, encouraging entrepreneurship and propelling business competitiveness through e-commerce, cloud computing and marketing; improving employment and career prospects through education and training; and improving health and education outcomes through tele-medicine and tele-learning, all while reducing or even eliminating the need for long distance travel to urban areas.
What are the funding contributions and limits?
The Connect to Innovate program recognizes the significant upfront costs associated with building, operating and maintaining backbone and last-mile infrastructure and networks in underserved rural and remote communities. The program provides contributions toward the total eligible costs of projects, to a set maximum percentage; there are no pre-set award values under the program.
The program operates on a cost-sharing basis. Typically the maximum amount of funding that an applicant could request for new backbone and new last-mile was up to 75% of the total eligible costs. For satellite-dependent and remote communities, the program contribution limit for new backbone projects could be up to 90 percent of eligible backbone costs.
The program provides up to 50 percent of eligible costs for all projects that propose backbone resiliency or capacity upgrades and partially served last-mile.
Total government assistance for all projects, including federal, provincial/territorial and municipal, does not exceed 100 percent of eligible costs.
What qualifies as an anchor institution?
The Connect to Innovate program broadly defines an anchor institution as facilities that serve a public function.
In practice this could be a school, a medical facility, a library, a First Nations band office, a community centre, a post office or other anchors around which a community is formed.
Connecting an anchor institution is an essential criterion of the program; therefore, backbone infrastructure projects must connect at least one anchor institution. During the assessment phase, the number and type of anchor institutions were also taken into consideration as a comparative criterion; the more anchors that were connected to a proposed project, the more favourably the project application were viewed.
Will the program support the deployment of cell service?
The focus of the Connect to Innovate program continues to be expanding and enhancing high-speed internet to rural and remote communities through backbone infrastructure projects.
Many backbone projects to be supported by the program will encourage further private sector-led investment in local last mile and cellular service for households, businesses and Canadians.
The program does not support costs associated with deploying a network whose sole use is cellular telephone service.
However, cellular technology continues to be considered an eligible last-mile technology to connect underserved households to high-speed internet in areas that do not have access to internet at speeds of 5/1 Mbps.
Will there be multiple intakes for the program?
Application intake is currently closed and further intakes for this program are not anticipated.
How are eligible communities defined?
For the purposes of the program, eligible communities are defined as the following:
An eligible rural community is defined as a named place with a population of less than 30,000 residents and that is 2 km or more from the nearest 1 Gbps Point of presence on a backbone network.
An eligible remote community is a community that meets the definition of a rural community and does not have year-round road access and/or is included on the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission's (CRTC) list of communities dependent on satellite for telecommunications services (Table 11.4).
How does this program ensure the Internet service it is supporting is affordable for Canadians?
Potential applicants applying for support to deploy a last-mile network for households and businesses had to provide the following information in their application:
The monthly service price, any one-time fees related to service, and any overage charges related to exceeding a monthly data cap of 45 GB.
Under our competitive call for applications, this pricing information was used to assess the strength of one application compared to other application, which encouraged an applicant to provide the best market price it could for residential and business internet users.
If an applicant partners with another entity, such as an ISP, to deliver the Internet services proposed in an application, what kind of partnership does the program consider valid?
If an eligible applicant is awarded funding under the Connect to Innovate program, the applicant will enter into a contribution agreement with the Crown. Under that agreement the successful applicant (now the recipient) would be obligated to fulfil certain obligations, namely the completion of the project as set out in the statement of work, meet certain reporting requirements, be subject to maintain proper record keeping, etc.
In terms of what the recipient should expect from their partners, it would be whatever is necessary for the recipient to fulfill their commitments to the Crown.
For example, if the recipient enters into a contract with an Internet Service Provider to build, operate, and maintain the network, that ISP must provide all the necessary documentation to the recipient to ensure it is able to fulfill its commitment to the Crown to provide substantiating costing documents to submit claims for reimbursements.
For a new organization, there are many costs involved with launching Internet service. Are any of these costs eligible?
The Connect to Innovate program covers capital expenditure costs to design and to build or upgrade an existing network. Costs to establish an internet service provider (e.g., buildings, office supplies, vehicles, etc.), training for staff, business operations (e.g., tools) and to maintain the network are not covered by Connect to Innovate.
In spring of 2019 Connect to Innovate received additional funding. How will this be used?
The CTI top-up funding announced in Budget 2019 is being used to fund applications from an existing and already assessed pool of high-quality, but not yet selected, CTI applications. Some CTI projects selected for the program's top-up funding have been announced, with further announcements to come.
I recently received a rejection letter. What does this mean?
The Connect to Innovate program has selected its recipients from among a pool of successful applications. At this time, all of the CTI funding has been allocated and no further projects will be selected under this program.
Visit the Get Connected portal to learn more about other available sources of funding, including the Universal Broadband Fund, to be launched in the coming months.
For Consumers and Communities
Can I get improved Internet service at home through Connect to Innovate?
Many Internet infrastructure projects to be funded under Connect to Innovate will result in improved residential, business, and institutional high-speed Internet service.
If a project is announced in your area, you are advised to contact the project recipient or Internet Service Provider who can provide further details about the project as it relates to your specific area, household or community.
If you do not have access to high-speed Internet or are unsatisfied with your current Internet service, you may wish to contact the Internet service providers that offer services in your area to determine if or when high-speed Internet will be available to you.
I do not have access to high-speed Internet but my area is not on your eligibility map. Can I still get access to high-speed Internet service through Connect to Innovate?
Even if Internet service providers are providing high-speed Internet service in your area, they may not provide coverage to 100 percent of households in that area. If you do not have access to high-speed Internet, you may wish to contact the Internet service providers that offer services in your area to determine if or when high-speed Internet will be available to you. To see which ISPs currently provide service in your area, enter your address in our National Broadband Internet Service Availability Map.
How can I make a complaint about my Internet service provider (ISP) or Internet service?
If you are interested in improvements to your Internet service, we suggest raising these issues with your Internet service provider first to see if they can be resolved. ISPs are ultimately responsible for the equipment they offer, their billing and marketing practices, their quality of service and customer relations. If you have issues with your ISP, you should contact their customer service lines and escalate your concerns up to the manager level (if necessary).
Switch Internet Service Providers:
You are free to switch Internet service providers.
Make a complaint:
You may wish to bring your concerns to the attention of the Commissioner for Complaints for Telecommunications Services (CCTS), an independent organization that has been established to provide consumers and small businesses with recourse when they are unable to resolve disagreements with their telecommunications service providers. For more information concerning the CCTS, including how to file a complaint, please visit the CCTS website at www.ccts-cprst.ca/en/complaints/guide.
The CCTS can also be reached toll-free at 1-888-221-1687, or by mail at P.O. Box 81088, Ottawa, Ontario K1P 1B1.
If your issue falls outside of the mandate of the CCTS, you may wish to contact the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC)
Consumer Support
- In Canada toll-free: 1-877-249-CRTC (2782)
- In Canada toll-free TTY line: 1-877-909-CRTC (2782)
- Date modified:

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Whether it's for a 1 day private adventure, a week long hut Backcountry Ski adventure, or a remote ski mountaineering objective the AAA guides are here to organize and guide you through the experience of a life time. AAA is a full service guiding company, employing ACMG/IFMGA guides who are certified to work in any terrain or discipline.
AAA is splitboard friendly, Jeff Bullock owner and lead guide has been splitboarding since 1995, that makes him sound old but he still loves it! For more complex objectives a premium may be applied, this will be discussed during the booking process.
- ACMG / IFMGA mountain guide
- Transportation
- Food
Clothing List:
- Skis, 160 - 185cm mid-fat to fat ski with rocker tip for powder and spring snow
- Splitboard
- Climbing skins
- Ski Poles/ split boarders too
- Ski boots / snowboard boots
- Avalanche beacon with fresh batteries
- Snow shovel
- Avalanche probe
- Daypack, 35-45 L
- Sunglasses and ski goggles
- water bottle
- Sun block & lip cream
- Pocket knife
- Headlamp with fresh batteries
- Small Blister & 1st-Aid Kit
- -7 sleeping bag, if staying in hut or hostel
- Camera
- Personal Toilet Items
- If tour is glaciated:
- Lightweight climbing harness for glacier travel,
- 3 locking carabiners, 2 non locking carabiners
- 2 4-6 m long 6mm cord, 1 sewn sling
- Polypro underwear (top & bottom)
- Warm pants (nylon blend, insulated or fleece)
- Warm shirts (not cotton)
- Medium weight fleece sweater
- Fleece Jacket
- Light insulated jacket or vest
- Waterproof jacket with hood (Gore-Tex or nylon)
- Waterproof pants (Gore-Tex or nylon, with side zippers)
- Socks x 2
- Wool or fleece hat
- Waterproof ski gloves or mitts
- Neck tube / balaclava
- Sunhat
- Casual clothing to wear in the hut, t-shirt
- ACMG / IFMGA mountain guide


text:
With a career commencing at the age of just 18, Brooke Fraser has clocked up a remarkable number of achievements, including over 16 Platinum Album sales discs and over 245,000 album sales in New Zealand alone and 700,000 worldwide, making her one of New Zealand's most-loved artists of the past decade.
Her 2003 debut album 'What To Do With Daylight' was an eight-times platinum success story in her native New Zealand that earned Brooke her first pair of New Zealand Music 'Tui' Awards and saw her share the stage with artists like David Bowie, opening on his New Zealand tour in 2004.
The title track to her 2006 follow-up album 'Albertine' celebrated her passion for Africa while the songs spread further across the airwaves. Radio stations in Australia and America were in the thrall of 'Shadowfeet.' An Editors Choice at iTunes in the US helped Albertine climb as high as #5 on the charts and the album clocked up five times platinum sales in New Zealand, matching her debut effort's gold sales in Australia. With the album title track winning New Zealand's prestigious songwriting award, the APRA Silver Scroll and a further three Tui's at the NZ Music Awards.
Flags, released in 2010 opened the international floodgates for Brooke with the release of her worldwide smash hit, Something In The Water. The infectiously charming single hit platinum in Germany and New Zealand and Gold in Italy. Also reaching the Top 10 in Austria and Switzerland, Top 20 in Holland and Belgium, and held the top spot on the BBC Radio 2 playlist in the UK as well as being the ninth most played track of 2011 on the German airwaves. 'Something in the Water' propelled Flags to triple platinum album sales in her home country, Gold again in Australia, and also reached #6 in the German top 10 Album charts, peaking at #59 on the Billboard Hot 100 in the USA.
Touring relentlessly across Europe, North America and Australasia, Brooke performed to packed out crowds, sharing not just the hits but her legendary dry wit and warm stage presence, filling the rooms with laughter as she twisted her natural New Zealand vowel sounds around her odd pronouncements in foreign languages.
Four years on from the release of 'Flags' it was Brooke's musical evolution that was one of the most exciting musical discoveries of 2014, with the release of her fourth studio album Brutal Romantic. Producing a work that sets Fraser's strong melodies against an altogether different palette than fans may be used to, singles 'Kings & Queens' and 'Magical Machine' brilliantly highlight her talent for thoughtful hooks and charming pop songs.
Written over 18 months, collecting fragments in New York, Los Angeles, Sydney, Stockholm, a garage in Maida Vale and an 18th century barn conversion on the island of Gotland in the Baltic Sea, Fraser ultimately landed on the doorstep of co-producer David Kosten (Bat For Lashes, Everything Everything). The duo crafted this album in Kosten's West London studio through the early months of 2014, venturing to the cavernous Abbey Road to record Brutal Romantic's epic orchestral moments.
June 2015 saw Brooke complete her touring cycle for the album, having visited North America, Australia, parts of Asia and Europe before finishing up in New Zealand. Receiving rave reviews from the likes of the AU Review who referred to Brooke's performance as "a super stunning and perfect experience," with the Seattle Music News also commenting that Brooke, "has so much electronic soul."
November 2016 saw the release of 'A Sides,' a compilation album that brought together fourteen singles from Brooke's fourteen-year career, along with a brand new single, 'Therapy,' recorded with Joel Little in Los Angeles, her first recording since the birth of her first daughter, Dylan Wilde.
Following the birth of her second daughter, Rooney in 2017, Brooke has been busy collating her back-catalogue of demos and unreleased material, as she prepares to release 'B-Sides,' a follow up to the cherished 'A-Sides' collection.


text:
Benefits Offered By Cosmetic Training Courses For Nurses
The field of aesthetic practice offer vast canvas of opportunities for doctors, GPs as well as nurses. Especially for the nurses it is very easy to make transition to a cosmetic or aesthetic nurse because of having good set of transferable skills. The only thing which it takes is to have an aesthetic eye, motivation and to take a cosmetic training for nurses to move from mainstream nursing to aesthetic nursing. Having training in cosmetic courses can benefit nurses in many different ways far better than their general nursing practice.
Potential advantages of getting cosmetic nurse training course
• Most of the aesthetic nurses are paid on hourly basis. The number of hours they work at aesthetic facility or clinic, they are paid accordingly. This by investing in cosmetic training for nurses, you can expect to earn far more than you invest and much more than you earn by working as general nurse.
• There have been many changes in the NHS system. In the past medical profession was considered to be well-paid in NHS but the changes in the system of pension has eliminated the benefits. So if you learn new skills of aesthetic treatments it will help towards increasing your income stream as well as pension funds which you can save for future.
• As the changing scene of NHS and changes in the employment structuring, more and more nurses are now approaching cosmetic training for nurses. These changes have lead to the reduction in patient contact time, increase in targets and deadlines to meet. The element of patient contact and proper treatment planning seem to be missing in NHS treatments which is diverting nurses towards aesthetic practice.
Working as cosmetic nurse, gives freedom of time spent with the patients, have proper discussion about treatments and to plan the treatments accordingly with positive expectations about the outcomes which elevates patient's satisfaction rates as well as satisfaction of the cosmetic nurses.
• According to the statistics of American Aesthetic Nursing Association (AANA), there has been 830% rise in the field of non-surgical aesthetic medicine during the period of 1997-2007 and this is still on rise. This means more freedom and independence of working as aesthetic nurse as a primary care provider and administering many of the non-surgical aesthetic treatment procedures without supervision after you get cosmetic training for nurses.
• Cosmetic nurses often work independently, conducting discussion with the patients about their conditions, suggesting appropriate treatment procedures and creating their treatment plans. They can also perform the aesthetic treatments like injectable treatments such as Botox and dermal fillers, chemical skin peel treatments, laser treatments, skin ablation, electrolysis etc. So training as a cosmetic nurse gives you an independent role as a cosmetic nurse practitioner which you can enjoy life long.
• The field of medical aesthetics is very interesting and exciting which is ever evolving with new and better techniques and treatments emerging every now and then. It offers lots of diversity which never makes it monotonous.
Thus, training as cosmetic nurse holds host of benefits in the long run.


text:
Wizards' Bench Is The Catalyst in Pivotal Win over T-Wolves
Coming into their game against Minnesota, all the talk was about the Wizards' struggles in finishing games, their perpetual lack of bench production and Scott Brooks' refusal to alter his rotation. The Wizards flipped the script against the Timberwolves, with the starters (except for Otto Porter) struggling mightily, the bench playing out of their minds, Brooks adjusting his rotations based on the flow of the game and the Wizards hitting two clutch shots in the final minute.
Washington started about as sluggish as possible, getting down double digits in the first five minutes of the game, and a lot of that had to do with a struggling Bradley Beal. Beal had by far his worst game of the season, finishing with just eight points on 2-for-11 shooting. He took his normal array of elbow jumpers and dribble drives to the basket, but all of his shots came up short. Instead of Beal forcing the issue and jacking up more shots, he played within the offense and allowed the ball to flow to the open man, and his teammates picked up the slack.
Otto Porter had one of his better games of the season, and he did it by staying aggressive and confident in his shot. Porter scored 22 points on 8-for-18 shooting from the field, including 4-for-8 from behind the arc. The most impressive aspect of Porter's game was his assertiveness in the clutch. Otto came into tonight having only shot 1-for-3 from the field in clutch situations on the entire season. As Scott Brooks alluded after the game, the team made a concerted effort to get Otto the ball in the fourth quarter: "It's been well documented that we need to get him more looks in the fourth quarter."
The Wizards ran two plays for Otto Porter at the end of the game, and he converted on both attempts. The first was an in-bounds play with 58.6 seconds left in the game and the Wizards trailing 89-87. Mahinmi set a pick for Otto under the basket and he popped free from Andrew Wiggins, catching the ball on the left block with Wiggins on his back. Otto muscled his way into the paint, threw a quick pump fake to freeze Karl Anthony Towns, then softly lofted the ball over Wiggins' outstretched hand for the bucket.
The second one came with 30 seconds remaining and the score tied 89-89, Mahinmi set a slightly moving screen on Jimmy Butler at the top of key and Otto caught a pass from Beal beyond the three-point line. Porter took one dribble to his right and nailed a smooth 20-foot jumper over Towns' outstretched hand for the game-winner.
Oh, Kelly pic.twitter.com/dgOlHFwhHX
— Sports Illustrated (@SInow) November 29, 2017
Brooks Pushes the Right Buttons With His Bench Rotation
[Photo from @WashWizards]
The catalyst to Washington's win has to be the Wizards bench, which outscored the Timberwolves 49-11. The bench played so well that it forced Brooks to trust key bench contributors to close out the game instead of the underperforming starters. Ian Mahinmi played maybe his best game of the season and earned the trust of Brooks to play the entire fourth quarter by using his length to not only slow down Towns on the offensive end, but also to create a presence on the offensive glass in key situations to create invaluable second chance opportunities. After allowing 30 points to the Wolves in the first quarter, the Wizards only allowed 59 points over the course of the final three quarters.
The big Frenchman was key to slowing down the Wolves because of his mobility on hedges and the ability to get back to the paint and make Towns shoot over the top of his length, without fouling. Ian only had two points, but he finished with a game high plus/minus of plus-18 to go along with eight rebounds and two blocked shots. This is the guy that the Wizards envisioned playing in their rotation when they inked him to a 4 year, $64 million contract last off-season, and if he can continue to play like this, it will provide a big boost to a team that desperately needs a big presence down low.
Mahinmi wasn't the only bench player who prospered in this game. Mike Scott, Kelly Oubre, Jodie Meeks and Tomas Satoransky all shined in their respective roles. Scott, who received DNP's in three of the last five games, gave the team a much needed boost offensively by working in the mid-post and also converting on a big three-pointer that tied the game with three minutes left. Coach Brooks went with Scott over Markieff Morris, who once again struggled mightily and is still trying to get into a groove this season after missing the first few weeks of the year due to sports hernia surgery.
Oubre led all bench scorers with 16 points and did it with a lot of crafty finishes around the basket, as his three-point shot was not falling all night. Brooks has mentioned all season that he wants Oubre's bread and butter to be on the defensive end, and tonight he brought it. Oubre did a fantastic job defending both Jimmy Butler and Andrew Wiggins, keeping his hands high and his feet on the ground when both players tried to hit him with their array of moves.
Meeks got the bench rolling with three early 3-pointers and ended the night with 12 points, all from behind the arc.
Satoransky played his best game of the season and showed how his size and versatility can provide a spark to the Wizards bench that Tim Frazier simply cannot provide at this juncture. The #FreeSato movement is alive and well after Tomas scored seven points to go along with five rebounds and six assists. Satoransky was more effective than Frazier because he stayed aggressive on the offensive end and took his game to the Wolves defense instead of being timid on the perimeter.
The Wolves had begun to give Frazier the "Tony Allen" treatment by having his man sag so far off of him that it seemed as if the Wizards were playing four-on-five on offense. Satoransky was able to beat his defenders off the dribble and get into the teeth of the defense, and once there, use his advanced passing skills to find the open man. Knowing how loyal Scott Brooks is to his usual rotation, this Sato love will probably be a one-off, but with how poorly Frazier has played this season, maybe it shouldn't be.
This win was clearly a pivotal one for the Wizards as they showed a mental toughness that has been absent since the playoffs last season. Scott Brooks showed that he can in fact be flexible with his rotations and maybe, just maybe, his undying faith in Ian Mahinmi will pay dividends.


text:
At the International Furniture Fair, which ended Sunday, the Italian company Magis showed a stylized plastic puppy that is a signature of the Finnish designer Eero Aarnio. In the new version, though, it had Dalmatian-like markings. Gesturing at reinvention — and only barely at that — the speckled dog summed up the malaise haunting the biggest and most influential trade fair in the furniture industry.
Yrjö Kukkapuro 80th birthday anniversary
Eero Aarnio at NTV Moscow
Duck Timer for Alessi
At Helsinki-Vantaa Airport, the Finnair Lounge. Lounge of the Year 2012. Swan Lamps and Ball Chairs Design by Eero Aarnio.
Eero Aarnio`s latest, The Peacock
The master Eero Aarnio creates his first piece for VONDOM. It is without doubt a unique element for its amusing and symbolic design, Peacock Collection. Just as its creator describes, the peacocks were part of his childhood, even though their country of origin is very far from Finland. Eero´s home was very close to the Helsinki zoo, which is located on an island where the peacocks, which were imported from India, were free to roam freely since they could not fly away due to their bad flying skills.
The Peacocks in the zoo both fascinated and scared Eero, because when they fanned their tails they were bigger than him. Such memories are the inspiration of the creation of this new planter with much symbolism for Eero which naturally named "Peacock", thus emerging their ¨ beak to beak ¨ with this figure of his childhood. VONDOM admires the iconic and timeless creations of Eero Aarnio. To VONDOM, he is a real master of the plastic spirit, together with him we could turn his memories into a unique piece to be shared and to be enjoyed.
Shop in Helsinki
Gallery Bulevardi 7 and Design & Art Management Finland have made an agreement on the distributorship of Modern Historic 1900 – Collection.
Modern Historic 1900 – Collection and the accompanying book "Furniture of the Finnish masters – stories, tales and atmospheres" illustrating the collection, originate in similar passion and willpower to what is behind the greatest achievements in design.
Both the collection and the book came into being by the efforts of Mr Antti J. Kallio and they represent a collection of Finnish furniture with background tales that differ from most usually told. "I have always had an almost childlike belief in the idea that the creative drive of people engaged mainly in the field of art can also manifest itself in something beyond their first love – why not in designing furniture?", says Mr Kallio.
Modern Historic 1900 – Collection includes furniture that has never been produced previously. Now these numbered pieces of furniture produced to order will be for sale in the heart of Helsinki – the Boulevard.
The selected designers of the collection are masters with great reputation: Akseli Gallen-Kallela, Jean Sibelius, Aulis Bolmstedt, Oiva Kallio, Kimmo Kaivanto, Timo Sarpaneva, Kimmo Pyykkö, Yrjö Kukkapuro, Eero Aarnio and Björn Weckström.
"We are very proud to be able to present the unique pieces of furniture designed by our national masters. This furniture adds significantly to the concept of Finnish Design. We are convinced that we will attract buyers and collectors also from abroad and thus export will have our special focus", says the owner of Gallery Bulevardi 7, Mr Jarmo Haapalainen. He continues: "We are now able to offer high-end furniture to our quality-conscious customers who treasure the history of Finnish design and we believe that these extraordinary pieces will become design icons to Finland's already internationally recognized reputation in design".
The opening will be on 17 January, 2013 at 18 in Gallery Bulevardi 7.


text:
# of watchers: 36
|Wiki-page rating
2006-09-20 [Dil*]: I love the 3 small pieces at the bottom! especially the little red guy! I love him!
2006-10-06 [Creedence]: awesome drawings and models!!
2006-10-08 [poetry in despair]: Wonderful sculptures by the way I noticed something " Jeff Goldblume watches you poo" hahha I love it
2006-10-10 [Doom Walker]: actualy its altered... "jeff goldblume is watching you jerk it."
2006-10-11 [Take off your clothes. ♥]: Your art reminds me of the sculptures they have in their house on beetlejuice.. love it.
2006-10-26 [Creedence]: i must say my favorite is the eye-ball hand thingy :P
2006-10-30 [++Boo{I Will Always Love You}]: HAHA! PUDGY INSENCE BURNING PENGUINS! YEE. What?... I have my own fun thank u very much... lol, it still cracks me up tho...
2006-11-14 [forbidden]: Your sculptures are Tim Burton-esque
2007-05-24 [.Toxic Valentine.]: forbidden is right ... they do have alot of character! you really are a talented artist.
2007-06-19 [Vampire Kitty_311]: bomb girl is still my fav.
2007-07-14 [Avatar15]: What an amazing name for an art wiki. Haha, I really like your work. Very creative, and well done.
2007-08-18 [call 4 vampires]: Your a very creative person.
My favorites are: Mute, Broken Angel, and Giant.
2007-09-02 [NuclearHobbit]: Weird.... But very very good
2007-09-03 [Blakkduv]: Nice work
2007-12-01 [Radioactive Flea]: Nice work, very Beetlejuice. Really like the fetus on the string.
2008-05-09 [Cyrano meets Merso]: wow,haven't been here in a while,whats up?
Nice nice,i sence that there is more stuff you haven't uploaded?
2008-09-24 [nehirwen]: Nice new stuff!
2008-09-25 [Witchyra]: i really like the turtle the blade faerie and the green eye!
2008-10-08 [Witchyra]: I always enjoy new things here. =) Nice pic of Josh =)
2008-10-09 [Darth Jacein]: your tutrles head reminds me of that weird face thing on youtube
2009-02-23 [the simphany tree]: wow neato!
|Show these comments on your site