text:
Welcome to St. Michael Catholic Church Website
ST. MICHAEL is a Catholic Christian parish nestled in the Paradise Hills community of San Diego. It was established under the Diocese of San Diego in 1957. It is blessed with members that are dedicated to the Greater Glory of God with their worship, ministries and Apostolic activities in the community.
Currently, there are approximately 3200 registered parishioners, from single members to families, to extended families. These members are made up by a diversity of cultural origins and backgrounds. The faith community enjoys a rich traditional and devotional practices that all of these cultures have to offer, thereby confirming the Universal Church that is so defined in our Catholic faith.
We invite and welcome any visitors that come our way and we are eager to accept new members to our St. Michael Community. If you wish to become a registered parishioners, please print and fill out a Registration Form and mail it back to us, or just visit our office.
St. Michael... Pray for us.


text:
"The Old Testament does communicate to us and it was written for us, and for all humankind. But it was not written to us. It was written to Israel. It is God's revelation of Himself to Israel and secondarily through Israel to everyone else".
It is a rising notion that when we read the Scriptures we must remember we are reading ancient Jewish documents. Popular writer and theologian, N.T. Wright recently noted, "
"Twentieth-century scholorship has atleast one great advantage over its predecessors…it has been realized that Jesus must be understood in His Jewish context".
At the advice of many leaders within the Preterist Movement I finally had the opportunity to read and finish John Walton's book, The Lost World of Genesis One.
After reading I am not sure that John Walton is a preterist but it was encouraging that he sees the importance of what is called "audience relevance". As John Walton notes, "The most respectful reading we can give to the text, the reading most faithful to the face value of the text- and the most "literal" understanding, if you will- is the one that comes from their world not ours".
As I have allowed myself to investigate what is called "Covenant Creationism" I have sought to be intellectually honest. As I begin reading the Bible from the beginning there are a couple contextually issues I run across. The first issue would be the covenantal term "heaven and earth" which is used throughout the Scriptures to speak of God's covenant with His covenant people- i.e. Dueteronomy chapter 31, Jeremiah 31, and Revelation 21. Another issue I run across is the context- Genesis is compiled by Moses as part of the Torah. Was the Torah revealed to all the nations? God revealed his truth and promises to Israel- not the other nations (Psalm 147:19 ;Romans 9:4-5; Romans 15:8-13). The "other nations" or Gentiles would come in as a result of the work of Jesus Christ- first to the Jew, then to the Gentile (Romans 1:16).
When looked at through this lens we can explain the focus on Israel that we read from the founding of the tribes of Israel onward. Simply put, the Biblical message is about how God fulfilled His covenant with Israel. Many proponents of Fulfilled Bible prophecy see this at "the end" but fail to be consistent in regard to the beginnings. I have had the opportunity to speak with Jeff Vaughn, one of the co-authors of Beyond Creation Science, and I asked him "who were those in Adam". He began to explain the ancient city/state covenants and how most ancient civilizations would have identified themselves by their deity- i.e. Rome= Romulus. Adamites would have been no different leading us into what is called preadamism. Recognizing the Biblical account of "Adam" as the story of the beginning of covenant- Adam being the first covenant man.
One of the thoughts I have had fairly recently is that of the land of Nod. Who was Abel afraid of when he said:
"Behold, you have driven me this day from the face of the ground; and from Your face I will be hidden, and I will be a vagrant and a wanderer on the earth, and whoever finds me will kill me (Gensis 4:14)".
So who exactly was going to find Cain and kill him in the land of Nod? Consider that is we take this story to be the literal creation story we have Adam, Eve, and Cain…? Where did his wife come from?
This leads us into the preadamite conversation- where they people created before Adam? I personally believe so. I believe the Biblical account of Adam was a creation story- the historical creation of God's covenant with Adam and through that lineage. So…did the people in the land of Nod have a god? Jeff Vaughn answered this recently by saying:
"My guess is that they certainly did, but it would be impossible to prove. Is it possible to determine who the patron of the ancient city of Enoch was? The patron god of Enoch could have been the patron god of the inhabitants of Nod. However, they could have replaced their old god when they founded that city".
Getting through this discussion is so complicated because as Walton notes in his book,
"Rather than translating the culture, we need to try to enter the culture". It's a complicated thing to lose all of our cultural paradigms and be willing to be led by understanding another culture. For example, John Walton is asking us to consider the Genesis creation account in light of other Ancient Near Eastern (ANE) creation accounts.
"Comparing the ancient cultures to one another will help us see those common threads even as we become aware of the disnctions that separated thenm from one another"
Does anyone ever ask why we accept the Old Testament creation account over the Book of the Dead or other creation stories? I would imagine half the populace are not even aware of other creation accounts.
The following quotes from John Walton's book demonstrate the vital need for us to consider understanding the Israelite culture and how THEY would have understood the creation account and challenge our preconcieved notions.
"For the Israelites, Genesis 1 offered explanations of their view or origins and operations, in the same way that mythologies served in the rest of the ancient world and that science serves our western culture. It represents what the Israelites truly believed about how it works, though it is not presented as their own ideas, but as revelations from God".
"Some Christians approach the text of Genesis as if it has modern science embedded in it or it dictates what modern science should look like. This approach to the text of Genesis 1 is called "concordism", as it seeks to give a modern scientific explanation for the details in the text. This represents one attempt to "translate" the culture and text for the modern reader. The problem is, we cannot translate their cosmology to our cosmology, nor should we".
"The ancients would never dream of addressing how things might have come into being without God or what "natural" processes he might have used".
"The Bible's message must not be subjected to cultural imperialism. Its message transcends the culture in which it originated, but the form in which the message was imbedded was fully permeated by the ancient culture".
"In this book I propose that people in the ancient world believed that something existed not by virtue of its material properties, but by virtue of its having a function in an ordered system".
One of the definitions of the term 'ontology' is "a particular theory about the nature of being or the kinds of things that have existence". That is precisely what is being discussed here. What type of ontology is happening in Genesis? How would the ancient Israelites have understood this text?
"In a functional ontology, to bring something into existence would require giving it a function or a role in an ordered system, rather than giving it material properties. Consequently, something could be manufactured physically but still not "exist" if it has not become functional".
What John Walton is seeking to demonstrate is that the Genesis account is using creation imagery in a fashion to explain not necessarily how things came into being but why. This would be referred to as a "functional ontology" and in his book, John Walton seeks to demonstrate this is exactly how the ancients would have understood a creation text. He uses the following illustration:
"As employees we pay little attention to the history of the company we work for. We are more interested in its corporate structure and what responsibility each department has".
An important thing to notice in the text which is hardly possible for those of us who are not fluent in the Hebrew of Genesis would be the verb Bara that is used for the word 'create'. There are 2 words used throughout the Hebrew text that is translated as create. Bara is always used for that which God creates, whereas asah is used to say 'made'.
OT scholar John Walton argues that the Hebrew word "bara" does not mean to create "ex nihilo", but rather it means to give already existing material a function. Eg. in Gen 1:1, "in the beginning God created" is inherently ambiguous; he believes it should say, "when God began to create" and so in verse 2, "the earth was without form" means that the earth always had existed and God was simply working with pre-existing materials.
"If this is not an account of material origins, then Genesis 1 is affirming nothing about the material world. Whether or not there actually are cosmic waters being held back by a solid dome does not matter. That material cosmic geography is simply what was familiar to them and was used to communicate something that is functional in nature".
Dealing with the functional origins rather than the material origins, John Walton also notes:
"…Genesis 1 is not an account of material origins but an account of functional origins, specifically focusing on the functioning of the cosmos as God's temple".
Moshe Wienfield, a former professor of the Bible at Hebrew University of Jerusalem, explained Genesis as a 'temple text'. Utilizing the ancient understanding of deity and how the deity rests in the temple, John Walton demonstrates that the 7 day rest denotes creation as a 'temple inaguration'. The following links have more information about this topic specifically:
The "cosmic temple inaguration view" has validity to it when looked at as an Ancient Near East text and especially in light of what the Jewish historian Josephus had to say:
"However, this proportion of the measures of the tabernacle proved to be an imitation of the system of the world: for that third part thereof which was within the four pillars, to which the priests were not admitted, is, as it were, a Heaven peculiar to God…" Josephus, Antiquities, Book 3, Chapter 6, Paragraph 4, Section 123).
"When Moses distinguished the tabernacle into three parts, and allowed two of them to the priests as a place accessible to the common, he denoted the land and the sea, these being of general access to all; but he set apart the third division for God, because heaven is inaccessible to men" Josephus, Antiquities, Book 3, Chapter 7, Paragraph 7, Section 181).
As proper "audience relevance" would note:
"I believe if we are going to interpret the text according to its face value, we need to read it as the ancient author would have intended and as the ancient audience would have heard it".
John Walton isn't afraid to be challenged either as he writes:
"One of the most common questions about this view comes from those who are struggling with the worldview shift from material orientation to functional orientation (a difficult jump for all of us). In a last effort to cling to a material perspective, they ask, why can't it be both?".
His answer actually blew my mind since this is a question I myself have heard many people ask.
"The comfort of our traditional worldview is an insufficient basis for such a conclusion. We must be led by the text. A material interest cannot be assumed by default, it must be demonstrated, and we must ask ourselves why we are so interested in seeing the account in material terms…"
He then accounts the facts that the nature of the verb bara which is used to express "create" in Genesis is functional, the context of Genesis itself is functional, the cultural context of Ancient Near Eastern writings is functional, and clearly when we read Josephus we see the understanding during the time of Jesus Christ was functional- NOT CONCERNED WITH MATERIAL CREATION!
"As a result, it is difficult to sustain a case that the account is interested in material origins if one does not already come with that presupposition".
And just to again make the point clear:
"Viewing Genesis 1 as an account of functional origins of the cosmos as temple does not in any way suggest or imply that God was uninvolved in material origins- it only contents that Genesis 1 is not that story. To the author and audience of Genesis, material origins were simply not a priority".
The fact is that in ancient civilication it would have been unthinkable that the deity (in this case the God of Israel) was uninvolved in the creation of all material things- therefore there would have been no need to stress an account of those things. As I have become accumstomed to saying- the Bible was not written to atheists to prove the things about God. Rather the Bible is the historical documentation of how and why God fulfilled His covenant relationship with Israel. Long live FULFILLED ESCHATOLOGY.
Here are a couple ending quotes from John Walton's book that I thought to share:
"…the Bible upholds the idea that God is responsible for all origins (functional, material, or otherwise), if the Bible does not offer an account of material origins we are free to consider contemporary explanations of origins on their own merits, as long as God is seen as ultimately responsible".
"…it is much more important to say that God has made everything work rather than being content to say that God made the physical stuff. The purpose, teleology (which is the most important part), is located and observed in the functional, not the material".
"I have proposed that the most careful, responsible reading of the text will proceed with the understanding that it is ancient literature, not modern science".
So still you ask? "Wny can't Genesis 1 be both functional and material?
"Theoretically it could be both. But assuming that we simply must have a material account if we are going to say anything meaningful is cultural imperialism. We cannot demand that the text speak to us in our terms. Just as we cannot demand a material account, we cannot assume a material account just because that is most natural to us and answers the questions we most desire to ask. We must look to the text to inform us of its perspective. In my judgment, there is little in the text that commends it as material account and much that speaks against it".
I hope this review helps. Below I will include a couple more links to further your studies on this matter.
Blessings in Christ,
Pastor Michael Miano

subset: commoncrawl


text:
the weather has been mild, and I still have all of these flowers blooming.
And I'm NOT going to THANK Patti Beck for these flowers because you are not supposed to thank someone when they give you plants. It's bad luck or something, I don't know. But all of these flowers came from her, and they were in itty bitty little cups back in June.
Have a great weekend everyone!
Cindy Bee


text:
WhatsApp Publicizes Free Enterprise App, Will Cost Big Enterprises TechCrunch
Fast technological developments, rising competition and elevated buyer expectations have made a marketer's job tougher than ever earlier than. Generally, it takes a bit greater than a kick of the tires to evaluate a used automotive. With some primary diagnostic gear and mechanical know-how, nonetheless, used-car inspectors will help steer shoppers away from "lemons." Creating a roster of appreciative clients places you on the street to referrals-and success.
IBM prospects just like the Australian Bureau of Statistics, which acquired a refund from IBM for botching an internet census with naïve security advice, may not agree. Nor could advertising giant WPP, which has a colossal outsourcing cope with IBM however nonetheless succumbed to the NotPetya malware and skilled weeks of disruption because of this.
Every component, or configuration item, that must be managed to supply an IT service, is contained in your CMDB. At any given time, you want assurance your information is accurate. BMC Atrium CMDB supplies an entire, correct, and up-to-date view of the people, processes, and applied sciences that make up your business and IT environments.
Business has never been clearer for window washers. Grab your bucket, squeegee, and glass-cleaning answer, and rap on the dirty windows of native businesses and residences alike. Add repeat prospects, and you'll quickly be on a profitable streak.
Gartner's maturity model reveals that amongst Infrastructure & Operations personnel, the present rating on the maturity scale (stages embrace: Awareness, Committed, Proactive, Service Aligned, Enterprise Associate) is 2.35 out of a doable 5. That means that majority of IT organization haven't but achieved a service-aligned view of their operations.… Read More..Read More →


text: Part III of James O'Keefe's look at the criminal machinations of the Democrats. Bob Creamer, the convicted felon husband of Democrat Congresswoman Jan Schakowsky, head of Democracy Partners, and a visitor to the Obama White House 342 times, in this video talks about how Hillary Clinton personally signed off on the sending of agents in Donald Duck costumes to Trump rallies to highlight Trump's refusal to release his tax returns. Coordination between Creamer's organization and the Clinton campaign would be illegal. Go here to view part 1 of the series, and here to view part 2.


text:
Last Monday, Attorney General Eric Holder made a bold move regarding the now extinct "war on terror". Making an apparent 180° on his own stance towards looking back at Bush-era controversies, Holder appointed a special prosecutor to investigate alleged abuse of terror suspects. In April of this year, Mr. Holder said, "It would be unfair to prosecute dedicated men and women working to protect America for conduct that was sanctioned in advance by the Justice Department." (more…)
Archive for August, 2009
The CIA vs. Eric Holder; Rogue Agent
Posted in Interrogation, Military and Defense, Obama, tagged ACLU, CIA, DOJ, eric holder, Investigation, John McCain, Leon Panetta, national defense, Obama, War on Terror on August 31, 2009| 10 Comments »
Quick Hits
Posted in Democrats, Health Care, Interrogation, tagged Andrew Sullivan, Bob Dole, Charlie Rangel, Chris Wallace, Dick Cheney, Fox News Sunday, Health Care, healthcare, hypocrisy, Interrogation, tax cheat, The Atlantic, torture, Wall Street Journal, Washington Post on August 31, 2009| Leave a Comment »
A few times per week, around noon time we will post a few op-ed pieces from newspapers, mainstream websites, or elsewhere from the blogosphere: (more…)
The Politicizing and Anti-Politicizing in the Death of Ted Kennedy
Posted in Democrats, Health Care, Republicans, tagged Democrats, Edward Kennedy, Health Care, healthcare, Republicans, Sean Hannity on August 28, 2009| 4 Comments »
Yesterday before heading home, I was reading a few articles on liberal blogs and saw a lot of sentiment towards the effect of "we should pass this Health Care bill in the name of Ted Kennedy" or "Republicans should get on the bandwagon and honor Ted Kennedy". Senator Byrd and other colleagues asked for the bill to be renamed in his honor hours after the announcement was made. For the most part I think the coverage of Kennedy's passing has been respectful on both sides. But reading these sites soured my mood about where this topic was heading. I mean, Ive been called a racist, pig-headed, and un-American for not supporting the still yet undefined Health Bill…I really don't feel like adding "disrespectful to the dead" to that list. (more…)
Quick Hits: Edward "Ted" Kennedy Memorial Edition
Posted in Democrats, Obituaries, Quick Hits, tagged Edward Kennedy on August 26, 2009| 2 Comments »
A few times per week, around noon time we will post a few op-ed pieces from newspapers, mainstream websites, or elsewhere from the blogosphere: (more…)
Budget Update: If You Lose $2 Trillion in a Weekend, Does it Make a Sound?
Posted in economy, Obama, tagged budget deficit, CBO, Congressional Budget Office, deficit, economy, New York Times, Obama, Reuters, Warren Buffett on August 24, 2009| Leave a Comment »
You know how the government likes to make sure it keeps bad news out of the headlines by casually dropping the information on a Friday afternoon? Well last Friday was one of those bad-news-lets-keep-it-out-of-the-24-hour-news-cycle days. Then today, the White House took their gamesmenship to a championship level by releasing CIA documents and appointing an independent investigator to investigate past interrogation techniques. Interrogation is catnip to cable news pundits. Combined these two tried & true tactics have provided an A+ diversion for the Obama administration to add 27% to the federal deficit projection without raising any significant questions from the general public. It's getting damn near cartoon-ish. (more…)
Quick Hits – Vol. III
Posted in Quick Hits, tagged Detroit, healthcare, NYTimes, Usain Bolt, Weekly Standard, White Liberals on August 24, 2009| Leave a Comment »
A few times per week, around noon time we will post a few op-ed pieces from newspapers, mainstream websites, or elsewhere from the blogosphere: (more…)


text:
Badaga Community
Welcome to Badaga community forum
For Those Who want to study Engineering in Tamilnadu
View next topic
View previous topic
Badaga Community Forum Index
Nilgiris Issues
Frequent poster
Joined: 31 Dec 1998
Posts: 131
Posted: Mon Oct 08, 2007 4:10 am
In the last few years, due to mushrooming growth of Engineering Colleges in Tamilnadu [ One must aptly call it Engineering Certificate Shops ], several Badagas [ students of TN in general ] are turning their pocket inside out to get admitted to every possible college. At the end of 4 years several have realised they they have reached no where near getting a decent job.
The Colleges need, MARKS or Money and More Money to get the desired Branch. The Govt only advertises action against colleges but it is only an eyewash. Several students Pay large money to ordinary Colleges where the admission office tell them make believe story and publish unrealistic pictures.
Several parents opts colleges nearby their places, ignoring their ability to provide their wards a quality education and Job.
It is definitely the individuals choice to choose the Institute of their preferences. However, to make good choice of institutute one needs to collect informations about several colleges which is not possible.
Look at the following results.
1. One ECE Engineer roam for 1 year for a job and finally settle for Rs 3,500/-
2. Another Engineer Jobless for 1-1/2 years and go to other states with help of relatives and finally settle for Rs 3,750/ - salary
3. Another one Jobless for 7 years and go to bank as Clerk
4. Several of them after Engineering gets to Call Centre & Medical transcriptions.
5. Few resort to Railways job.
6. One ME graduate is Jobless so far [ 7 months ] and still searching.
7. One gets job for 4000/ at Coimbatore & Moved to Madya pradesh for Rs 6,000/-
8. Sevaral of them joining bad colleges because they do not know about good colleges.
9. Sevaral wants the college quite near to their residence rather than quality.
These are only known few.
Having freinds in Engineering Colleges as faculty and my own experience in One of the Colleges and collecting details from Anna University web site in the last 5 years, I am willing to give options available to badaga Students aspiring to be Engneers. The Choice however rests with individual.
Thoses who are interested may contact me by e-mail
or by phone.
It will also be wise, if badaga Assoctioan at ooty & Chennai arranges such sessions at Ooty, from experts in various fields so that lot of badaga's are benefitted.
Devarajan Mathan-
Occasional poster
Joined: 22 Apr 2002
Posts: 32
Posted: Mon Dec 10, 2007 11:10 pm
very good point Mathan, The people who have good knowledge of the colleges
in tamilnadu should come forward and let the members know which are the good
colleges in Tamilnadu, where one gets good education. So that It will spread through
the members to several badagas.( I have seen the badaga parents asking for
suggesstions from the people who are in good positions ) .
Atleast the members shold suggest the good colleges they know ,
so that we have a collection of good colleges.
-Anandhakumar MB
Frequent poster
Joined: 31 Dec 1998
Posts: 131
Posted: Mon Dec 10, 2007 11:35 pm
Brother Anandakumar MB [ aka - andik_bellie]
Thanks for your posting reply. It would be unethical to publish names of the collegs in this web site, since it will be read by other members also, and there could be issues of ethics and legal complications.
I am however, willing to offer this information for the benefit of Badaga Parents and aspiring Engineering Students, so that they may decide in favour of certain good colleges in TN - especially Zone 1 - Chennai & Zone 7 - Coimbatore, based on my personal experience and details coleected from Anna University website.
Pl feel free to call me any time on 94861-75360. If need be with the help of needy members we can organize sessions at Badaga association at Ooty, Coimbatore etc.
The informations are from statistics published in the Anna University and Website of Individual colleges which bulk majority of the parents / students are not aware.
Good Luck to one and all again.
Devarajan Mathan-
Display posts from previous:
All Posts
1 Day
7 Days
2 Weeks
1 Month
3 Months
6 Months
1 Year
Oldest First
Newest First
Badaga Community Forum Index
Nilgiris Issues
Jump to:
Select a forum
General Discussion
Website Issues
Badaga Community
Nilgiris Issues
General Topics
View next topic
View previous topic
post new topics in this forum
reply to topics in this forum
edit your posts in this forum
delete your posts in this forum
vote in polls in this forum
Powered by
All times are GMT - 7 Hours


text:
Posts Tagged 'creative'
August 5, 2011
How Much Pie Do You Want?
The other day I bought half a pie from the Lion House Bakery which has wonderful pies! The raspberry cream pie had a custard style base so my family didn't like it, except for me. No problem! I enjoyed it and took the last piece to my mom.
So what if my family would have wanted some of that pie and I ate it all anyway? What if I was Read more


text:
Coverage of large public events usually make up the bulk of posts on this here blog, but many of you have griped to the Militant, going, "Yo Militant, I dug the article on the event this past weekend, but how come you don't announce it in advance?" Okay, just a few of you. Alright, it's just the Militant wondering about this since he is his own worst critic.
Anyway, one of the reasons is to maintain the Militant's anonymity by reducing the chances of him being found in public. But then, these are large public events, in excess of a thousand people, so finding out who the Militant is would be like finding the proverbial needle in a haystack.
As you may or may not know, the month of May Or May Not is the Month of Militancy! So here's a trifecta of events where the Militant may or may not attend...but you definitely should!
Friday, May Or May Not 9 - Midnight Ridazz: The 'Jedi Mind Trick' Ride: The Militant used to live for MR, but riding around with a bunch of drunk hipsters on their brakeless, fixed wheel velocycles got old and the Militant found solace in the more cerebral, more manageably-sized Ride-Arc rides. But still, like it or not, the Militant is a part of this bicycling community and among the annoying types he does spot some of his operatives as well as some unexpected familiar faces. Besides, it's a Star Wars theme and the Militant may or may not whip out his Boba Fett costume for the ride. The ride meets at 9:30 p.m. at Olvera Street and begins around 10-ish. Take the (M) Red, Purple or Gold lines there (Union Station), or just ride. May The Forks Be With You.
Saturday, May Or May Not 10 - National Train Day Los Angeles: The National Rail Passenger Corporation, otherwise known as Amtrak, has dubbed May 10 as "National Train Day" to commemorate the May Or May Not 10, 1869 anniversary of the Transcontinental Railroad at Promontory Point, Utah and to drum up support for rail travel nationwide (not hard to do as gas has reached $4 a gallon and American rail travel has already increased 15% in 2007). Locally, the celebration will take place at the Los Angeles Union Passenger Terminal, otherwise known as Union Station. The celebration includes life-size and model train exhibits, contests, booths, kids activities and everything else to satisfy your inner rail geek. Amtrak will also offer 25% off of train travel to its California destinations that day, which is cool, but would prevent one from enjoying the events of the day as well. Oh well, you might be able to ride Amtrak or Metrolink to the other NTD celebrations that day at the Anaheim, Irvine, Santa Ana, San Juan Capistrano and Van Nuys stations. Take the (M) Red, Purple or Gold lines (Union Station, duh!). All aboard!
Friday-Sunday, May Or May Not 9-12 - The City of Compton's 120th Anniversary Celebration: The Hub City is celebrating its 120th birthday with a big bash at its city hall (pictured above). Music entertainment includes Lowrider (featuring original members of the classic Angeleno band WAR), Confunckshun, Mikki Howard and Tierra. Food, games and fun for the whole family will be offered. The event concludes with a fireworks display on Sunday night. And the event is FREE (well you might have to pay for summa dat food and games and rides and such). Now, the Militant already knows what you're whinin': "Ack!!! I'm not going to Compton! It's sooooo dangerous! Gang members will open fire on me right away and the homeless will eat my bullet-riddled carcass before it falls to the crackpipe-littered ground!" Oh, puh-lease. As someone who's actually been there, Compton's a very different place than what you may or may not have heard on news reports or rap tunes. And the Compton Civic Center area is really no different than any other smaller city center in Southern California. In fact, the city that gave birth to Duke Snider and Venus and Serena Williams is rapidly shedding its gangsta image (more on this later). Seriously, check it out. Take the (M) Blue Line there (Compton Station); City Hall is right across the tracks.
Have a Militant weekend, folks!
Friday, May 9, 2008
Militant Activities This Weekend!
Commandeered by Militant Angeleno @ 12:23 AM
Labels: Bicycle Rides, Compton, Downtown Los Angeles, Eventz, Metro Rail, Milestones, Transportation
1 comment:
Yo Militant, regarding Compton. I think is more perception than reality. Of course like any city it has its shares of trouble, but in reality its not as it is portrayed on tv or in the minds of most people. I live in Compton now and must say I have been pleasantly surprised. It is trying to move upward and if its residents collectively took pride in it, it would me a model of transformation for other paces. I might check it out, I already had other prior commitments for the week-end.
- May 9, 2008 at 9:58 AM
Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom)


text:
Whoops Bunny Melamine Set review
Olivia just turned 3 and loves to have her very own plates/cups/bowls etc. to eat with. If I foolishly try to offer her food in a dish that is not HERS than she will steadfastly refuse to eat it. So there. When I was introduced to Whoops Bunny I was delighted to find this adorable melamine set...
The folks at Whoops Bunny sent us a set to try out and Olivia absolutely loves her new Munchin' Hand Set! I love how colourful the hands are. I also love how non-breakable they are :) They are the perfect size for Olivia's little hands. We gave Olivia her snack tonight and she insisted on using HER bowl. It was very cute!
The set contains no lead, BHP or formaldehyde and they are dishwasher safe. I also really appreciated that the set came packaged in a super cute recyclable cardboard box.
Whoops Bunny also has other great products like stationary, Eco Steel Drink Bottles, All Natural Make-Up Sticks, Wallets, Coin Purses, Key Chains, Rain Jackets and boots, Hair accessories, and even Kids Aprons and Chef's Hat. There is a gift for every child at Whoops Bunny!


text:
inspiration for inflexible nerds.
Thursday, August 19 2004
Any coding standard which insists on syntactic clarity at the expense of algorithmic clarity should be rewritten. If your employer fires you for using this trick, tell them that repeatedly as the security staff drag you out of the building. — Simon Tatham.
And my favourite of all time, The Abigail Oath, named after the terrifying Abigail of comp.lang.perl fame.
I am hired because I know what I am doing, not because I will do whatever I am told is a good idea. This might cost me bonuses, raises, promotions, and may even label me as "undesirable" by places I don't want to work at anyway, but I don't care.
I will not compromise my own principles and judgement without putting up a fight. Of course, I won't always win, and I will sometimes be forced to do things I don't agree with, but if I am my objections will be known, and if I am shown to be right and problems later develop, I will shout "I told you so!" repeatedly, laugh hysterically, and do a small dance or jig as appropriate to my heritage.
Responses: No comments Tags: management ⋅ words to live by


text: Digital Burt Bacharach Composes Touching Hal David Tribute By Richard Horgan|September 4, 2012 Share By Richard Horgan|September 4, 2012 Share There's no better way to remember the late songwriter Hal David (pictured) than through the eyes and ears of the composer who worked closely with him for all those years. Burt Bacharach's fond reminiscences, posted online last night and adorning the front page of today's LA Times Calendar section, wonderfully capture the pair's professional highs and lows.Bacharach begins by mentioning some early collaborations that never saw the light of radio day. He then takes responsibility for their major falling out: The big bump — a disagreement that arose during the failed attempt to remake the film Lost Horizon as a musical — was most unfortunate. Hal and I didn't speak for 10 years except through our lawyers, and I will take the count for that one — my fault. What we might have written in those 10 years we'll never know. David passed away in Los Angeles on Saturday at age 91 of complications from a stroke. RIP.[Photo of David at his October 14, 2011 Hollywood Walk of Fame induction ceremony: Featureflash/Shutterstock.com] Share http://adweek.it/2kMFgxM copy Adweek Adweek


text:
When it comes to minimally invasive treatments, Micro-needling Collagen Induction therapy with the Dermaroller® is clinically proven and is perhaps the most successful treatment available for the common signs and symptoms of aging such as wrinkles, loss of skin volume, and crêpey skin. The Dermaroller® micro-needling treatment even targets the epidermis in such a way that it is clinically proven to minimize scars and stretch marks. Dermaroller® therapy triggers the body's spontaneous healing process, stimulating cell proliferation and causing the formation of new collagen. This results in a thicker, suppler, cellular matrix. Results: visibly younger looking skin.
It's a treatment whereby a device with small needles is pushed or rolled over your face and neck area to create controlled punctures, which force your skin into repair mode.When your skin starts repairing itself it turbocharges your body's natural ability to produce collagen and elastin, which provides that firm plumpness.
The number of sessions depends on the skin condition and the results you are trying to achieve, but typically you will need 3-5 treatments in 4-6 week intervals with maintenance treatments every 6-9 months
PROOF: The image shows a biopsy of the epidermis before and after micro-needling therapy. Significant new collagen (died purple) has been generated, 6 weeks after a single treatment.
The Benefits of Micro Needling:
- Reduce wrinkles
- Tighten and tone
- Treat scars and stretch marks
- Improve texture and thickness
Why Dermaroller®:
Dermaroller® is the original micro-needling toolDermaroller® is approved by Health CanadaThe Dermaroller® is a certified medical deviceThe Dermaroller®'s superior design gets results with a minimal amount of penetration force required, offering a safer and more comfortable treatmentThe Dermaroller® does not damage tissue; it's designed to trigger cell proliferation in a minimally invasive mannerDermaroller® therapy is scientifically backed and micro-needling results are clinically provenThe Dermaroller® concept is one of the most innovative concepts in skin improvement in recent years, with continuing research to discover more medical benefitsThe Dermaroller® is suitable for all skin typesThe Dermaroller® is suitable for all scare depthsThe Dermaroller® can be used on almost all skin areas, except for mucous membrane and the eyes. Areas around the eye should be treated with caution. However, micro-needling is contraindicated in patients with a history of keloids.The Dermaroller® provides visible results after a single treatment and results improve with subsequent treatments (3-6 treatment sessions are typically recommended; 6-8 treatments for scarring)
- Face $300
- Neck $250
- Face & Neck $500
- Décolletage $375
- Face & Neck & Décolletage $800
Purchase 3 treatments 15% off


text:
Determining how much commercial fire insurance you require for your business in Hickory is as simple as sitting down with our experienced professionals.
Commercial Fire Insurance in Hickory – When it comes to building the best commercial property insurance, there is one important component that you'll want to be sure of – fire protection. While you certainly hope that you never experience a fire at your place of business, knowing that you have the best possible coverage for this type of incident is critical. At First Security Insurance, we can help you incorporate the commercial fire insurance coverage that you need for any type of damaging event at your business in Hickory, North Carolina.
Commercial fire insurance is considered an extension of your general insurance policy in the state of North Carolina, and the type of commercial fire insurance you need will depend on the type of business you operate. For example, if you operate a commercial kitchen, you may want more extensive coverage for property loss and kitchen restoration, whereas a commercial warehouse may need premises and materials insurance coverage.
Determining how much commercial fire insurance you require is as simple as sitting down with our experienced professionals at First Security Insurance. We have extensive knowledge of the insurance requirements for businesses in the Hickory, North Carolina area, and will help you develop the policy that makes the most sense.
At First Security Insurance, we are committed to helping you build great protections for your business from top to bottom. Contact us today to discuss your current commercial fire insurance policy or to begin building the commercial insurance coverage that meets your needs. We look forward to working with you!
At First Security Insurance, we offer commercial fire insurance to companies in Hickory, Lenoir, Morganton, Newton, Conover, Lincolnton, Catawba, Boone, Blowing Rock, and Mooresville, North Carolina.


text:
Myeongdong is truly a shopping heaven for all: The district is famous for the abundant cosmetics shops, departmental stores, and more! BY WONG MEI QING
Category: South Korea
1 Day in South Korea: See Nami Island, Petite France, and Garden of Morning Calm
Whether you're a K-Pop fan or a nature lover, you'll love these three popular attractions! BY WONG MEI QING
Read More "1 Day in South Korea: See Nami Island, Petite France, and Garden of Morning Calm"
DMZ Tour: The Closest You Can Get to North Korea
… Without actually setting foot in the country, that is. With the Demilitarised Zone (DMZ), tourists can peek into North Korea and more. BY WONG MEI QING
Read More "DMZ Tour: The Closest You Can Get to North Korea "
Airport Special: Seoul-Incheon International Airport
Why spend your layover time sipping coffee when you can paint traditional Korean fans and go makeup shopping? BY NATHALIE WUTHRICH
Read More "Airport Special: Seoul-Incheon International Airport"
South Korea: Top 5 Wedding Photo Shoot Spots
Get hitched to oppa in style, and have your wedding photos taken in the beautiful South Korea! Here are five picturesque spots to consider. BY MISTICAL LOW
South Korea: Shopping Guide for Men
Sure, Seoul is a makeup heaven, but if you think it's a shopping mecca only women can enjoy, you're wrong! Here's a shopping list for the guys. BY MISTICAL LOW
5 Things you Didn't Know About Plastic Surgery in South Korea
Here are 5 truths you probably didn't know about the Plastic Surgery Capital of the World, South Korea. BY ELYSHA L & EUGENIA L
Read More "5 Things you Didn't Know About Plastic Surgery in South Korea"


text:
Robert Aubrey, teacher and conductor, has provided musical experiences in both the public schools and at the college and university levels for the past forty years. His degrees are in music education with emphases in classroom teaching, studio voice, conducting, and stage works. He has taught in a variety of settings in Oklahoma, Kansas, Missouri, Indiana, New York, and Mississippi. At the University of Mississippi, where he has been a member of the music faculty for the past twelve years, his recent opera performances include Carmen, Suor Angelica, Gianni Schicchi, The Ballad of Baby Doe, Tartuffe, The Magic Flute, The Marriage of Figaro, Cosi fan tutte, The Merry Wives of Windsor, Street Scene, Die Fledermaus, Too Many Sopranos, La Perichole,and many of the comic operas of Gilbert and Sullivan. Dr. Aubrey's recent musical theatre contributions include The King and I, Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dream Coat, Man of La Mancha, How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying, Company, Anything Goes, Chicago, and Cabaret. Aubrey is also the principal conductor for the Oxford Shakespeare festival.
Dr. Robert H. Aubrey
Instructional Assistant Professor of Music
233 Music Building


text:
Because McLean's estranged wife, Eleanor, had married the polygamous Pratt, the story made headlines across the nation as a sort of sensational morality tale. The Chicago Weekly Ledger summed up the tone of coverage this way: "McLean is almost canonized as a hero for the deed. Pratt is treated as would be the death of a beast of prey." Among the few editorials written in defense of Pratt was one by Eleanor herself, which was widely reprinted—but typically with caustic and derisive editorial commentary.
I'm more saddened than surprised that the nineteenth-century press celebrated an unrepentant and unprosecuted murderer and ignored the counter-narrative offered by his former wife. But because we now claim to value evidence over blanket prejudice, due process over lynch law, and because we now feel an ethical commitment to acknowledge the perspectives of the marginalized, I thought twenty-first century coverage of my great-great-great-grandfather's murder would be more nuanced.
I was wrong. Here's Alex Pareene, a senior political writer for Salon, responding (in an article that says it provides "everything you need to know" about Romney's Mormonism) to a brief passage in Turnaround where Mitt Romney dares to speak highly of our shared ancestor's tenacity during the settling of the Salt Lake Valley:
Romney doesn't add — and why should he? — that Pratt was murdered in 1857, by the husband of a woman he took as one of his 'plural wives.' (His ninth.) Pratt was in San Francisco proselytizing and promoting polygamy. The woman converted and eloped with Pratt, then pretended to renounce Mormonism in order to get her children from her parents, where her estranged husband had sent them. The husband tracked Pratt from California to Arkansas, and shot him dead when it became clear that he could not have Pratt jailed.If there's anything in that description that distinguishes 2012 from 1857, I missed it. Pratt's murder is still narrated as a direct consequence of his deviant practice of polygamy. Eleanor still reads as practically brainwashed and deeply immoral. And we still have a poor, tenacious husband who practically had to kill Pratt when the impotent American legal system failed to bring him justice.
In a way, perhaps, I should feel honored. A century and a half after his death, my ancestor is still controversial enough to draw an implicit endorsement for extra-legal violence in a publication as prominent and nominally civilized as Salon. But I don't feel honored. I feel let down and deliberately ignored. Because unlike the nineteenth-century editors whose Mormon-shaming he parrots, Pareene has access to an Oxford University Press biography of Pratt and a trove of online documents which would complicate the convenient image of a scheming woman and an evil polygamist who ruin an innocent man's life. And unlike his ideological predecessors, Pareene has no reason to accept Hector McLean's well-documented persistent brutality as normal.
The real story of Pratt's death is a story of domestic abuse, of everyday oppression, and of American complicity in violence. It's a story about how the institutional critiques we're still so proud of can leave us morally tone-deaf in our evaluations of individual people. And apparently, it's a story America still needs to hear.
This is how it goes.
In 1841, 23-year-old Eleanor McComb married Hector McLean in Greenville, Louisiana. But by 1844, she'd become exhausted with McLean's alcoholism and abuse and was desperate enough to flee their home. Given the honor culture of their time and place, it's probably not surprising that her father and brothers encouraged her to reconcile—apparently exerting significant pressure in the process. But historical context doesn't negate emotional trauma. In a surviving letter from Eleanor to Hector during this period, you can almost feel her sense of despondence and entrapment:
Dear Hector:
Having used every persuation in my power to no effect, I see but three alternatives all ending in misery if not in crime. First, to live a victum of the vice to which you have became a prey 2nd to seek a home among strangers, or shall the smoothe current of the Mississippi be the last page that any may read of my "Ill Fate?"
Your Wife.
E.J. McLean
In response to her letter, Hector promised to change. And then he promised to change again in 1849 or 1850, said a change of scene would help him reform when they left for the booming port of San Francisco. He even tried out different religious services with her, sharing her first encounter with the Latter-day Saints, or Mormons, in 1851.
But he didn't change. When she told him she wanted to be baptized into the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, he threatened her with a sword cane. When he caught her singing from a Latter-day Saint hymnbook one Sunday, he burned the book, beat her severely, then threw her out of the house and locked her out for the night. In May of 1854, he temporarily relented and even gave her his permission to officially join the Church. But after her baptism, he turned controlling again.
While it makes a great story to have Parley P. Pratt converting Eleanor McLean through his mesmerizing Mormon preaching, Pratt didn't actually arrive in San Francisco until July of 1854, two or three years after Eleanor's initial self-identification with the Mormon community and six weeks after her formal baptism. At that point, Hector McLean was attempting to have his wife institutionalized by presenting her deviant Mormon faith as a product of mental illness: Pratt's first significant involvement in Eleanor's life was helping her avoid the all-too-plausible nineteenth-century fate of forced hospitalization on the basis of her husband's word and doctors' religious prejudice.
But the crisis that finally allowed Eleanor to leave Hector for good didn't come until January 1855. In his brief description of events, Alex Pareene neglects to mention that Hector McLean sent his children to New Orleans before Eleanor left him or married Pratt. He also neglects to mention that Hector sent away the children without consulting or informing his wife in advance, or that his motive was to "protect" children who had lived their whole lives with their father's alcoholism and abuse from their mother's Mormonism. And, in his eagerness to present Eleanor as at fault, Pareene fails to mention that the children were aged seven to twelve at the time their father sent them, unescorted, on a ship to Nicauragua with a transfer ticket to take them the rest of the way to Eleanor's parents in New Orleans.
When Eleanor insisted on trying to catch up with her children, McLean locked her in her room. She screamed for hours before he lost his nerve and let her out.
Over Hector's objections, and with financial support from the Mormon community, Eleanor left San Francisco for New Orleans two weeks later. But her father, likely scandalized both by her newfound faith and by her second public break with her husband, refused to allow her to take the children. After several months and serious health problems, she left New Orleans and her children with a promise to return. She then emigrated to Utah with the next pioneer company. She would never return to San Francisco or attempt to reconcile with Hector McLean again.
Though she hadn't obtained a formal, legal divorce—which may not have been possible over such great distances in that era in any case, and was likely not her priority during the two weeks when she prepared to follow her children back through Nicaragua to her parents' home—she went by her maiden name, McComb, in Utah, and considered herself single. And at the time, her failure to legally terminate a relationship was not unusual. People often left one state or territory and simply started over in another.
In September 1855, Eleanor applied for a position as schoolteacher for the many young children in Parley P. Pratt's large, polygamous family and was hired. On 14 November 1855, she married Pratt, who she saw as an extremely kind, stable, and loving man. She was 37 years old.
Now, there are all kinds of ethical, economic, emotional, and other complications with a system of polygamous marriage. But we make a mistake, I think, when we project any structural critique over every individual involved, because reality is even messier than any of the systems that shape it. And when I look at the individuals, it's difficult for me to believe that Eleanor was better off as a single wife of Hector McLean than as a plural wife of Parley P. Pratt. Which makes it irresponsible, I feel, to rewrite this individual story to conform to a pre-set evils-of-polygamy message.
It was December of 1856 when Eleanor returned to New Orleans, lied to her father about her current religious and marital status, and ran away with her children. While Eleanor and the children hid in Texas for the winter, planning to meet up with Parley and a Mormon emigration party to cross the plains when spring came, Eleanor's incensed father alerted McLean, who left San Francisco to take back the children—and to take vengeance on Pratt.
Hector McLean made no secret of his hunt for Pratt. Indeed, the project of premeditated murder may have been the only way he saw to save face in a culture that expected men to keep their wives and female relatives in line and under control. Being vocal about his goal was also the only way to make it achievable: McLean needed a lot of help to track down a man who knew he was being hunted in the vastness of nineteenth century America.
And plenty of help is what McLean got. An article in the New Orleans Bulletin using McLean's story as an example of the horrors of Mormonism was widely reprinted and made it easier for McLean to gather information about the whereabouts of his wife and her "seducer" from sympathetic readers. A dozen of McLean's old friends gathered to help with the search and to, in his words, "aid me should the government not take any notice of my grievances." Other sympathizers helped McLean intercept at least one of Pratt's letters. And even after McLean had found Eleanor and taken the children by force, he was able to persuade a sympathetic militia officer to arrest Eleanor—and Pratt, though he hadn't been with Eleanor and the children—on a charge of stealing the children's clothes.
A hearing supposedly centered on $10 worth of children's clothing is not ordinarily a major community event, but the trial of Eleanor and Parley P. Pratt drew, in McLean's estimation, "about five hundred spectators." Though he was privately advised that he lacked the evidence to convict the accused of anything, McLean focused his efforts on the crowd. Ever the controlling husband, he apparently complained about Eleanor's presence in the same room with him and "the officers of the court paid such deference to my feelings that they dismissed Eleanor before calling upon me to testify." With Eleanor gone, McLean "exceeded any previous effort of my life at relating to others the burden of my soul's anguish" and "was kindly permitted to implicate the scoundrel in court, Parley Parker Pratt, as the principal cause of all my sorrows" until "the crowd were about making a move to lay hold of him and tear him to pieces." When Pratt stood to respond to the accusations, McLean drew a pistol and pointed it at him, but was restrained by a court officer, who told him "you cannot do that in court."
Today, of course, McLean would have been promptly arrested and Pratt carefully protected. But no one did anything further to restrain McLean, and all the court did to protect Pratt was to adjourn early to head off mob violence that night and to release him and his horse at 8 o'clock in the morning instead of calling him back into court.
Pratt fled, but it wasn't long before McLean, riding a borrowed horse and accompanied by a posse of his friends, caught up with him near the home of a local blacksmith. The blacksmith spent an hour alerting the neighborhood about the attack in his yard before anyone went into the thicket where Pratt had been dragged and found that he was not yet dead. Though Pratt named McLean as his killer before he died, a local jury ruled that he "came to his death by the hand of some unknown person."
On 9 July 1857, less than two months after the supposedly unsolved murder, this statement of McLean's was published in the San Francisco newspaper Alta California:
I killed him! I am not able to say how you will view the act, but I look upon it as the best act of my life. My duty to myself demanded it; my duty to my children, demanded it; my duty to my relations, demanded it; and my duty to society, demanded it. And the people of West Arkansas agree with me in this view of the commission of the deed.#
Let's take one more look at Alex Pareene's narrative of events as published in Salon:
Romney doesn't add — and why should he? — that Pratt was murdered in 1857, by the husband of a woman he took as one of his 'plural wives.' (His ninth.) Pratt was in San Francisco proselytizing and promoting polygamy. The woman converted and eloped with Pratt, then pretended to renounce Mormonism in order to get her children from her parents, where her estranged husband had sent them. The husband tracked Pratt from California to Arkansas, and shot him dead when it became clear that he could not have Pratt jailed.Pareene's version is certainly simpler than the one I've told. His later explanation that early Mormons were persecuted because "they stole dudes' wives" is simpler still—and therefore likely to retain its place in the American mind. But for Eleanor's sake, I hope that a few of us will be able to think of early Mormon women not as property for a man like Pratt to steal, but as the intelligent, independent women they typically were—women who made choices that may seem strange to us, but made sense to them. I hope that after a century and a half of having her perspective erased from most tellings of her story, we are finally able to listen to what Eleanor Pratt told Judge John B. Ogden in the Arkansas court where she stood formally accused of stealing her own children's clothes and unofficially accused of ruining Hector McLean's otherwise blissful domestic life:
No Sir, it was not Mormonism that desolated McLean's home–but that spirit that comes in bottles prepared his heart and him for deeds of desperation and at last he found a pretext in my religion, that was unpopular, and upon this ground he might treat his family with personal violence,–thrust his wife into the street and lock the doors–send his children, while yet infants upon the high seas to go many thousands of miles without one friend they had ever seen. And now it is no marvel that he is prepared to tell a lie and swear to it–imprison innocent persons, and drag them before an excited populace in a land where mob law bid defiance to the Constitutional government and the Civil Courts. I have no hope of justice in this land Sir.Times have changed. It is no longer in fashion to expect abused women to stand by their partners or become social outcasts. Mormons in twenty-first America can largely take their rights to due process for granted. And people speak up when confessed killers go unprosecuted.
But am I expecting too much if I say that times don't seem to have changed enough? Is it too much to ask now for religious Mormons or Muslims or any other marginalized faith group to get a fair and respectful hearing in the court of public opinion?
A note on sources:
Historical information in this article is drawn from the following three sources:
Givens, Terryl and Matthew Grow. Parley P. Pratt: the Apostle Paul of Mormonism. Oxford University Press, 2011. 361-390. (Previews available through Amazon or Google Books)
Pratt, Steve. "Eleanor McLean and the Murder of Parley P. Pratt." Jared Pratt Family Association: http://jared.pratt-family.org/parley_histories/parley-death-stephen-pratt.html
"The Killing of Parley P. Pratt—Letter from Mr. McLean" Alta California, 9 July 1847. Transcript available at: http://www.sidneyrigdon.com/dbroadhu/CA/misccal1.htm#070957
The version of history I am taking issue with comes from:
Pareene, Alex. "The Book of Mitt." Salon.com, 6 May 2012: www.salon.com/2012/05/06/the_book_of_mitt/
A note on this article:
I finished this piece on 9 May (three days after Pareene's piece was published) and submitted it to places like Slate, Politico, The Morning News, and even Salon. Nobody picked it up. There are plenty of reasons, of course, not to take a piece. But I wonder whether sincere discussions are simply harder to have than flippant, derisive ones these days. Which seems problematic in the long term....


text:
I never played Halo before, but your music version for the menu sounds fantastic.
Shaul Hadar is a professional musician, producer, composer, sound technician and a professional concert pianist with over 26 years of experience. Shaul writes music in any type of musical genre, with an affinity to the movies and games business, but also electronical music and instrumental music. Shaul is also a DJ/Producer, under the alias Counter Point, and releases music constantly at top record labels. Shaul also writes music for documentaries, internet sites, radio, television and every media which needs music and sound effects. Shaul also consults other producers on how to get the most of their musical environment. Shaul is a music teacher for piano, jazz, musical theory and computer based music. Shaul is currently working on writing a lot of music for computer and mobile games.
I never played Halo before, but your music version for the menu sounds fantastic.
Thanks man ,I am happy you liked the music :)
Great music! In it, I can feel the grandeur, heroism, sorrow, and above all, hope! It really matches the halo homefront theme of how the UNSC fleet still try their best and fight to the death, even though they know they are no match against the covenant.
Tempo starting quite a bit early at 43 seconds, but however nice piece. :)
Only registered members can share their thoughts. So come on! Join the community today (totally free - or sign in with your social account on the right) and join in the conversation.
Here is an epic track I wrote to the main menu of Halo: Homefront :)
Have fun!!


text:
My Buddhist friend is traveling to lead a retreat in India, and asked if I had any words about addiction. I ended up writing him 3 e-mails.
Here is the first one:
Addiction is trying to keep the party going, but it's meant to be an infrequent thing. It always hides difficult emotions and thoughts. As a Buddhist there is a specific precept out of 5 to forbid. Avoid the habit because the progression of the disease means you need more and more to not feel bad. It may even take a decade or more. Alcoholism is an equal opportunity obsession and allergy. Anyone can get it, rich or poor. If you aspire to follow the Buddha avoid drugs. Get support if you have a problem, isolation is an aspect of addiction. May you be happy, may you be well my brothers and sisters in India, from America.
Here is the second one:
You asked me to write about addiction for our brothers in the dharma for your next retreat. I dashed off a quick response, that might be short and the one you want to read to them.
I think I also left out another aspect of addiction--delusion that you are not harming anyone. You could also call that magical thinking. The idea that you can drink and that only hurts you is a fallacy. Supporting the industry harms others. Anyone you come in contact with will be adversely affected. Your family most definitely is affected. The fantasy that you work and provide for the family so you deserve a drink is an especially pernicious thought. The idea that others are doing it, so that it is OK is another pernicious thought. The road to recovery, and it's a lifelong journey, is to connect with others who value sobriety. Please reach out to others and commit to sobriety. May you be, happy may you be well.
Here is the third one:
Another thing to remember is that the default reaction is to denounce the alcoholic and suggest that they are morally weak. But the disease model means you treat it the way you would cancer. You bring kindness. What an addict needs is being hugged closer, not pushed away. So find a way to suspend your judgements, and protect yourself from exploitation and your own harm, and be there for your friend with addiction problems. It's only through a solid relationship that you can chip away ever so lightly at the delusion that it's not affecting a person. Consult friends and get support if you are in contact with someone with addiction because it will be hard, frustrating, annoying, challenging and off putting. It becomes a negative feedback loop that leads to more and more isolation. But the buddhist goes against the stream and seeks to cure the suffering of the world. Be like Ksitigarbha, go into the hell realm and help out your brothers and sisters. You are strong enough.
May you be happy, may you be well.


text:
Friday January 8th 2016 7pm to 10pm
"I Didn't Mean to Fall in Love," one of the singles on the upcoming album.
Whiskey & Honey are Phil Greene & Lisa Scott, a songwriting team from Vacaville, California. In addition to writing songs together, they sing and perform in a rockin' country band also called Whiskey & Honey.


text: What Size Should My Replacement Furnace Be? Posted February 29, 2016 What Size Should My Replacement Furnace Be? You've reached the point where it's time for a furnace replacement or perhaps you see this point on the horizon, but how do you decide the size of system you'll need? Selecting the right size is crucial for your system's efficiency and your home's comfort. There's a perfect furnace out there for you and your comfort needs. When replacing your system, bigger isn't always better. Putting in a system that is too large wastes energy and money. A larger system will continuously be warming up and cooling down because it's production will not require it to runas long. This is known as "short cycling" and it increases the wear on your system and in turn hurts the lifespan of your system. An oversized furnace will cost you more money up front and over time. On the other hand, a system that is too small will run too long and can't fully heat your home when the weather gets frigid. An improperly sized system will have to work harder, your energy expenses will be higher and your comfort will suffer because of that. It's very important to talk to an expert that will perform a load calculation and advise you on the best system for your needs. How is Load Calculation Determined? A home's load calculation used to be determined based solely on square footage and was often incorrect. Technology and knowledge have evolved a lot since then. When you're ready for a replacement furnace, one of the experts from Alan Heating Air Conditioning, Inc. will study your home as a whole and then be able to provide an accurate load calculation. Load calculations are made of everything from the construction of your home, amount of insulation, the local climate as well as type and color of your roof, to the number of home occupants – a truly complete assessment of your needs. A properly sized and functioning HVAC system will not only keep you more comfortable, it could also save you money. Adding a replacement furnace is a major decision, which is why we want to make sure your system will meet or exceed all of your needs. We are here to help you along for every step of the way. If you are ready for a furnace replacement or have any questions for the professionals at Alan Heating Air Conditioning, Inc., give us a call at 630-833-1100. Back To Blog


text:
Slave James in Double Trouble
Under normal circumstances, trouble is a bad thing – in this case, I am not sure. Slave James has been securely tied up to the cross of the dungeon in Club K, just waiting to receive whatever punishment Mistress Rebekka Raynor and Mistress Storm will dish out. If you are up to date with UK Mistresses, you will know that these two Mistresses together could very well, be a dangerous mix for the slave. I don´t want to reveal the full concept of this scene, but what I can tell you, is that it include a lot of screams and strange noises for the slave.
Scene Info
Production Year: 2017
Format: mp4
Length: 24:23 min
Size: 1.75 Gb
Click to watch the scene
in lower quality online
Click to download the scene
in HD quality to your device


text:
Houston Experiences
The Heights Food Tour
Discover the historic neighborhoods and the delicious cuisine of the area on a...
Downtown Food Tour
Explore the culinary, cultural and architectural hot spots of Houston on the...
The Chef & The Dish - Private Virtual Cooking Lesson
Master some of the world's most iconic dishes from the comfort of your own...
Houston Pub Crawl Tour
Enjoy a thirst-quenching Pub Crawl as you stroll though Houston's Downtown...
Craft Brewery Tour
Hop in your Polaris cart and enjoy a guided tour to some of the best breweries in...
eGift Card
Unsure what to buy? Choose an egift card and let your recipient pick their perfect gift from over 1,800 experiences nationwide. No expiration, redeem anytime.
25% Off eGift Cards
Houston Date Night
Let Them Choose Their Perfect Date!
Take the guesswork out of gift-giving and let...
Escape Room
Combine a fun social activity with critical thinking and challenging puzzles during...
Houston Tunnel Tour
Escape the Texas heat and explore an amazing underground tunnel system during...
Mural and Instagram Cart Tour
Hop in your Polaris cart and take in views of the local street art that...
Blue Apron Meal Delivery Plan
Enjoy the gift of gourmet, home-cooked meals with this Blue Apron Meal Delivery...
Blue Apron Wine
Receive monthly wine deliveries and enjoy an assortment of diverse and flavorful...
Montrose Neighborhood Food Tour
Visit award-winning eateries while exploring the historic Houston community on the...


text:
I was tagged by Jen to do this meme... I found it quite hard to actually remember what books I've read, which wasn't so helpful!
Rules: Don't take too long to think about it. Fifteen books you've read that will always stick with you. First fifteen you can recall in no more than 15 minutes. Tag friends.
MARIGOLD'S DISCLAIMER: These are books that I still think about a long time after reading them - I'm not guaranteeing quality here!
Because I hate the idea that anyone will work out how I think, I've also jumbled them up so they're not in any particular order.
1. Brideshead Revisited; Evelyn Waugh
2. Mere Christianity; C.S. Lewis
3. The Earth, My Butt, And Other Big Round Things; Carolyn Mackler
4. I'll Take You There; Joyce Carol Oates
5. American Pastoral; Philip Roth
6. The Long Hard Road Out Of Hell; Marilyn Manson
7. We Need To Talk About Kevin; Lionel Shriver
8. Det Jag Inte Säger; Katja Timgren
9. The Jesus Dynasty; James Tabor
10. Pelagia And The Black Monk; Boris Akunin
11. Harry Potter And The Deathly Hallows; J.K. Rowling
12. The B.F.G.; Roald Dahl
13. The Surgeon; Tess Gerritsen
14. The Way Of A Pilgrim; anonymous - currently reading!
15. White Teeth; Zadie Smith
Tagged: Molly and Helen!
I'm just taking a short break from the hysteria of a multi-family evening to recharge my batteries. I feel like I refer to it enough to warrant tattooing the URL on my forehead, but today's post over at Conversion Diary - or rather, an old post that was linked to in today's post - blew me away with the resemblance it bears to something I wrote privately VERY recently. (And a choice quote from a cross-cross-posted post: "Am I really surprised that I don't feel in touch with God when the closest thing I've said to a prayer in the past 24 hours was blurting out the Lord's name when Robert Best got kicked off Project Runway?" Lol.)
Anyway, things have picked up here. I've decided to let myself feel tired and let myself need alone time, instead of battling it. And, surprise surprise, things are much more enjoyable. In fact, it's hard to believe there are only two and a half days left until - savour the sweetness of the word - home. Even as I'm letting go of tension and starting to live in the moment, no matter how Swedish that moment is, I'm still homesick to a weird degree.


text:
BMW Motorcycle Magazine, Winter 2015 Issue Now Out!
Spanning the world of BMW motorcycles, the Winter issue of BMW Motorcycle Magazine covers the exciting past, present and future of the brand. A new concept bike is launched by BMW Motorrad, the Stunt G310, which gives us a peek into the future toward a small production roadster. It's light, agile and powered by an… Continue Reading »


text:
One of the easiest things to neglect on a vehicle is the tyres that you have.
They are resilient, they can last tens of thousands of miles, and it's easy to forget that you need to change them up here and there.
In fact, think about the vehicle that you own right now. When's the last time that you changed, rotated, or checked the tread on the rubber?
Has it been a while?
Chances are it hasn't been lately, and that's something that could very well cause a great deal of issue down the line.
You may not think about it, but honestly, it's that lack of focus that could cause a disruption in your commute.
But there are some ways that you can avoid getting surprised by a blow out or anything that could cause harm, and that's getting checks, and changes through a reliable resource.
If you live within Wakefield, or the surrounding areas, you can find a reliable source by searching Google for things like, Tyres Wakefield.
Are Tyres That Important When It Comes To Safety?
The reasons why so many people neglect their tyres is because they are resilient.
They can go ten thousand of miles even when nearly bald.
Some people swear by the longevity of the rubber on their tyres, and that's not a bad thing.
That means that manufacturers are putting a lot more focus on what they are building, and that's something that is definitely good.
But there's a tipping point when it comes to the rubber.
If you aren't taking care of the rubber, you are going to be tempting fate, and could end up causing a problem when you least expect it.
Having new options, well aligned, and updated are going to help you keep safe on the open road, especially if you put in a lot of miles commuting a week, or a month.
Saving Money On Petrol
There is an easy way to lose money when you're driving, and that's on spending too much for petrol on a regular basis.
You could be spending a lot and not even know that it's due to the fact that you don't have updated tyres placed on your vehicle.
Most people don't realize this, but it's very important to realize because it's an important factor in how your car drives.
You see, when you have proper alignment, and you have good tread, your vehicle will work with 100% efficiency, and that means that you will spend less petrol when you're commuting, creating a better overall push forward for your automobile.
How can you ensure that your vehicle is running at top efficiency?
Well, you should look online for, Tyres Wakefield, and get into a shop to upgrade, replace, and align your vehicle's rubber.
That will help you get more out of your car, and make sure that you are not left on the side of the road due to a blow out or at a loss of petrol or anything like that.
It's simply an easy thing to work with, and something that you should not dismiss.


text:
Office Project- Before & AfterPosted: December 19, 2018 Filed under: Design Inspiration, My Design Leave a comment
I designed this office space almost 5 years ago and since then I have done quite a few offices. Seriously, I've done more offices now than I ever would have imagined.
I really love creating fresh, modern work spaces for people. Who says your office has to be blah with fluorescent lighting? Not me.
Here are some before & afters of the office I wrapped up this past weekend.
Lobby area BEFORE:
Progress of old flooring ripped up and getting ready for fresh concrete to be stained. I also decided to patch up those two interior windows because they just make the space feel dated.
After closing off the window on the back wall it became a great spot for a feature. Shiplap painted dark gray for the win! Doing a smaller scale desk and hanging pendant lighting over it gives it a clean, fresh, more spacious feel.
The hallway was filled with fluorescent lighting and a blah paint color.
We removed the fluorescent lighting, added my favorite industrial pendants from Ikea, painted the walls a crisp white and the trim a dark gray. I don't have the full after photo for the hallway yet because I am getting some prints framed to hang, but I will add it in later.
Sitting area in the lobby BEFORE!
Simple, functional and not crammed feeling at all. The saddle leather couch really steals the show for me 🙂
Here's the angle looking back from the hallway:
Conference Room BEFORE:
Nothing says let's have a meeting like fluorescent lighting and an interesting shade of brown walls. Haha!
Fresh paint, lighting and stained concrete flooring gave this conference room an entirely new feel!
I wouldn't mind meeting in here now 🙂
Not pictured were 7 individual offices, 2 bathrooms and a space with more cubicle style work areas. I don't have photos of everything to share, but I thought I would share the highlights!
Another fun office project in the books. Working on another one as I type this. Cant wait to share!
Goodbye Garage- Paint it WhitePosted: April 10, 2017 Filed under: My Design, Our House | Tags: before and after, design, garage, Home, home renovation, Interior design, interiors, Paint, progress, renovation, transformation Leave a comment
Today, I am sharing our freshly painted white garage/multi use space..woohoo!!!!
Lets take it wayyyy back to the 'before' of how the garage looked for the last 2 years:
And the trim post from last week to refresh your memory:
And now for some prettyyyyy!!
I decided to go with one of my absolute favorite white paints by Benjamin Moore- White Dove for pretty much every surface except the ceilings are BM- Decorators White. We had these simple desks made and added the gorgeous pendant lighting over each. I love the punch that they add to the space!
Another angle before paint:
After paint:
I wanted the rail and ladder to contrast against the white so I went with a minimax stain in weathered oak and I love how it turned out. The sconces are a simple style in a muted brass.
Another bunk shot, before the rail/ladder/cabinet door:
Angle looking back towards laundry area before:
Door color- BM- Wrought Iron
One more bunk shot before:
I LOVE how it turned out and how fresh and clean it feels now! We said before we started this project that we probably will wonder how we lived without it and that is totally how we feel. It's just so nice to have 500 extra useable square feet!
It may take a while to furnish the space because we need to start focusing our spending on baby girl's nursery, but I am just so pleased with how it looks now freshly painted and clean!!
Thanks for stopping by!
Goodbye Garage- Trim it outPosted: April 3, 2017 Filed under: My Design, Our House | Tags: before and after, design, garage, home renovation, Interior design, interiors, progress, renovation, transformation Leave a comment
Hey guys!
Next up on the garage renovation…trim!!! I loveeeee rooms with added trim detail. It just gives that extra punch that takes a wall from basic to interesting.
There are many different trim styles you can incorporate in a room, but for our space I knew I wanted to do a classic board and batten. Board and batten can be done several ways…half way up a wall, horizontal, square & vertical. Here are a few inspiration photos:
I decided that vertical was the winner for the space. Now for some photos of the trim installed!!
I just love the detail that it adds to the space. We could've just left the drywall and painted it, but I knew that adding the board and batten would really help finish it out and take away any remnant of it feeling like an old garage. Now all it needs is fresh paint!!! My motto for everything…paint it white! Ha.
Can't wait to share photos of the paint and lighting installed. I'll be sharing soon!
Goodbye GaragePosted: March 13, 2017 Filed under: My Design, Our House | Tags: before and after, bonus room, bunk beds, creative space, design, garage, Home, home renovation, Interior design, interiors, progress, renovation, shiplap, transformation Leave a comment
Today, I'm sharing our latest project on our house. The old garage is getting transformed into a "multi-functional creative space"…at least that's what I like to call it. 🙂
When we bought our house the garage was not a useable garage anymore. The previous owner had closed it off, leaving paneling on the exterior of the house.
No bueno. Ha! We knew we were going to be getting the brick painted and wanted to remove the paneling and add a window so that once the house was painted, it would look like it was always part of the house and not an old garage.
Here's how it looks now.
The exterior was complete, but the inside of that previous garage was our laundry room and also straight up junk room.
This is the door inside the house that leads to the garage. We have plans to do a cool antique door here.
Now entering the junk pit…haha! I cringed every time I opened the door to do laundry.
This is how it looked for the 2 years that we've owned the house. It was the "close the door quick, out of sight out of mind" sort of thing.
I had been dreaming of the day when we could get all of the crap cleaned out and turn this old garage into a useable space. Well, with our baby on the way and needing to free up a bedroom for the soon to be nursery, Stephen's music room needed a new home, so now was the time to start on this project. Woohoo!! Thanks baby Carswell 🙂
We hired someone to do the majority of the work, but the first step was cleaning out all of the junk that accumulated over the last 2 years. Once it was cleaned out, the old paneling was ripped out, the ceilings were sanded and new studs, insulation, electrical & drywall were added.
Ahhhh, finally starting to feel like a room!
The wall to the right of the brick is where I knew I wanted some sort of custom built in bed. I threw around the idea of a murphy bed, but ended up going with built in bunk beds.
This is the area for the future bunk beds.
I had a few bunk bed looks I really loved, but ended up landing on this photo for my main inspiration.
I love the simple & clean design, as well as the built in storage of these bunk beds.
Bunk bed progress:
We decided to do a twin bed for the top bunk and a full bed for the bottom bunk for extra sleeping space.
Stephen testing out the bunks. We also added a closet to the left of the brick for Stephen's music gear.
Looking more and more like bunk beds!! Yay! Can't wait for these to get painted.
For the wall where we added the window, I knew I wanted to do floating desks on either side of the window with pendants above each desk. The desks won't be installed until after paint, but here is the window trimmed out and added lighting for the pendant fixtures.
Here's more of a room shot with the added railing to the bunks.
The opposite side of the room is where the washer/dryer is set up. Now, I REALLY wanted to add a full bath, but the plumbing cost was insane so we had to nix that idea pretty quickly :(. Instead, we just framed out a laundry/storage room.
How it looked the last 2 years.
We had that old framing knocked down, centered the washer/dryer under the window and added new insulation and drywall. We also had new stairs built leading back into the kitchen.
Inside of the laundry/storage room. We plan to add some shelving on this wall to better utilize the space.
Now the water heater is out of sight!! Yay!
A few more angles.
Can't wait to continue to share the progress! It has come a long way, and still has a ways to go, but I am super excited about the progress so far.
Thanks for stopping by!
Layering the ExteriorPosted: November 18, 2016 Filed under: My Design, Our House Leave a comment
The exterior of our home has gone through quite a few phases since we bought it.
Here's what the exterior of our house looked like from November (when we bought it) until April when we started making some updates.
Next step was cutting down that tree on the far left, getting a new front door & removing the paneling on the far right and installing a window. We took a few steps in the right direction.
The next BIG update was painting the whole exterior white!!! The existing shutters & gutters came down and everything got painted! WOAH! Big difference
Next up: new dark gutters for contrast, house numbers & light fixture and front door color. It looked like this for almost a year. We knew it needed another layer, but had to wait for our funds to replenish.
As soon as the next Spring rolled around, we had shutters and a pergola made. This is what I had been waiting for…that next layer to make the exterior feel complete.
Shutters up close
Pergola up close
The wood had to stay in its raw state for almost a month for the chemicals to keep it from rotting to soak in. While that was taking place, I was debating about new colors for the front door for a pop of color. I narrowed it down to 2 colors…blue or blush pink.
This was the contender if I went blue: BM Wythe Blue
I love how its a subtle bluish/greenish/grayish, but makes a statement.
After going back and forth for a few days, I asked Stephen his opinion. Surprisingly, he was on board with blush pink…woohoo! Every girls dream 😉
Saying goodbye to beige
And hello to blush 🙂 It's a very subtle blush tone which is perfect!! It's BM- Odessa Pink. I definitely recommend it!
I love how happy it makes our house look and in the Spring it's a nice pairing with the pink tree beside our house. 🙂
After the month of letting the wood cure, it was time for a stain. I knew I wanted something in the gray family.
I'm really pleased with how it turned out!
This is how it's looking these days with the help of Fall leaves 🙂
Why not one more before and after 🙂
There is still A LOT of landscaping that needs to be done, but we are pleased with how far its come.
Thanks for stopping by!
Master Bathroom RemodelPosted: November 6, 2016 Filed under: Design Inspiration, My Design | Tags: bathroom remodel, before and after, design, Home, home renovation, Interior design, interiors, master bathroom, modern, renovation, transformation Leave a comment
Last February, I had the first meeting with my client for a master bath remodel. It was your basic late 90's/early 2000's bathroom. Jacuzzi tub, cubed window, whitewashed cabinets… My client had a great budget and was on board with a full gut of the bathroom. Just what you want to hear as a designer 🙂
After walking through the bathroom and talking with my client about their wish list, the designing began.
Client wishlist: free standing tub, steam shower, his & hers vanities and plenty of storage.
My design wishlist: marble, brass, modern/boho vibe, luxurious, relaxing/spa like
When designing a bathroom, I like to start with the tile first. I found this 8 inch marble hex that I LOVED and knew it was going to be the showpiece of the space. I wanted the hex to cover every wall and I chose a 12×24 ceramic gray tile laid in a herringbone for the floor.
After nailing down all of the tile, next up was the plumbing fixtures and finishes. I went with brass and modern fixtures. After tile & plumbing fixtures, next up was the layout. Since this was a complete gut, I was basically working with a shell so I could pretty much do whatever I wanted with the layout.
Here are a couple of inspiration photos:
Now for some photos of the bathroom…
To the right of the window was the old steam shower:
To the left of the window was her vanity:
The window got quite the facelift. We removed the plantation shutters and added/painted the trim work black to resemble the look of a steel window.
Here's the after:
Her vanity area before:
The cubed window was above the jacuzzi tub which all got ripped out and is now where the new steam shower is.
We closed off the cubed window for the shower and added a small window beside it for more natural light!
His vanity used to be here, with the steam shower to the left of that closet door:
This is how it looks now:
We did a built in for plenty of storage where his vanity used to be and moved his vanity where the steam shower used to be!
Center view:
Her side:
His side:
Now for some detail shots of the shower:
This shower has everything…steam control , aromatherapy, rain head, hand held spray.
Marble and brass…all the heart eyes!!
Side view:
Now for some detail shots of the tub:
I will leave you with one more before and after!
This was such a fun project for me and I can't wait for my next remodel!
Thanks for stopping by!


text:
A reader has forwarded us this article by Terence Kivlan from yesterday's Staten Island Advance (brief registration required) on Rep. Vito Fossella's letter to the Belgian Prime Minister protesting the anti-Bush urinal stickers that we noted last week at the time of the president's visit to Brussels: "Belgians get scolding from Vito." Kivlan wrote:
Photo stickers of President Bush and the American flag placed in urinals in some Belgian ministry offices in Brussels right before the president's European tour have Rep. Vito Fossella mighty peeved.
But the lawmaker's ire, expressed to the Belgian prime minister at the Belgian Embassy here, may have been misdirected.
Although Fossella (R-Staten Island/Brooklyn) accused the prime minister of responsibility for the stickers, Serge Wauthier, an embassy spokesman, noted that the Belgian government had condemned the stickers and their placement earlier this week, taking "a very clear position distancing itself from this initiative."
In his letter, addressed to Prime Minister Johan Vande Lanotte, Fossella wrote that "such cheap political humor at the expense of the American flag was beneath a country with such a rich heritage as Belgium."
Wauthier responded that, although he found Fossella's letter very moving, it was up to Belgian Ambassador Frans Van Daele to respond to it, not the prime minister.
The congressman noted that the American flag graces the graves of thousands of American troops who died while liberating Belgium and other European countries from German occupation during World Wars I and II.
He also chided the Belgians for expressing any disagreement they have with U.S. policy on such a childish level.
The stickers, which bear the caption, "Go ahead. P— on me," are said to be a common sight in the public toilets of Belgian schools, youth clubs and pubs.
"Distancing itself from the initiative" is probably not the perfect metaphor to use under the circumstances here. Moreover, "distancing itself from the initiative" seems a little understated in commenting on the behavior involved as well. Are American diplomats abroad this ineffectual speaking on behalf of the United States?


text:
Let Us Help You Get Through December
- Culture
- Life
- Lifestyle
As the end of 2016 looms closer, few of us are either really happy or really sad. Most of us are somewhere in between. And like every typical year, we're assaulted by the same worries: Parties to attend or avoid, next career steps, wondering what life is all about etc.
At the same time, getting bogged down in such thoughts can be pretty pointless if we're just wallowing. So, to help you make the most of what you're feeling, we've curated a selection of our more popular stories from this year, some of which you might have missed and some of which might offer much needed comfort for December.
Whether you love or hate parties, small talk is always hard. But with all the celebrating going on, the last thing you want is to be the person everyone avoids because you just wrap them in this indestructible bubble of awkward silence. So if you won't do this to make others happy, do it for the good karma. Go own that small talk, and come 2017, perhaps you won't have to deal with anymore questions about why you're still single.
2. December is the New January
Most of us are terrified of this time of year because we already know what's next: The delusional crafting of new year resolutions that we never ever honour. The problem with this futile exercise is that we know we don't really mean it. We do it because everyone else is doing it. Or we do it because we somehow think we can miraculously turn our lives around. But instead of optimism, our approach recommends a healthy dose of desperation. Who knows? It just might work for you.
3. This is Home: A Millennial on What It Means to Belong
For those feeling a little pensive, this is a throwback to our piece for Singapore's National Day, where we spent a little time trying to understand what exactly it means to be Singaporean. In a country where we buy into many cultures at once, can we still create our own identity? Even if you're just trying to figure out what it means to be human, this story will hopefully offer some perspective.
4. Why I Never Have Plans on Saturday Nights
At a time of year when there's so much pressure to be outgoing and sociable and everywhere at once, it's normal to feel like you just want to curl up in bed and Netflix your life away. This story is us giving you permission to do just that. Just opt out of everything if you must. Do what makes you happy. Everyone else is making plans? Let them. You have better things to do anyway.
5. On Being Last / Buying Your Way Out of Millennial Job Dissatisfaction
If you're tired of having spent 2016 living up to someone else's expectations, these stories will give you the confidence to not give a shit. Our experiences as human beings are diverse, and we all want different things. Even if all we want is a stable job or to not have to be trendy, no one should judge us for it.
And there you have it. Read these while you're at work, on the bus, or shelve them for a rainy day. Whatever it is, we hope they get you through what tends to be the most chaotic and emotional month of every year.
If there's anything you'd love for us to tackle this holiday season or in the new year, write to us at firstname.lastname@example.com. We want to hear from you!
Leave a Reply
You must be logged in to post a comment.


text:
Martin Wilcox
Melanie Arrowood Wilcox
Publishing Consultants
Publishing in Context, a publishing consultancy run by Martin and Melanie Arrowood Wilcox, helps experts share their knowledge with people who may find it beneficial through publication.
Our approach is collaborative. We help our clients pinpoint their audience, the purpose of their publication, and their authority. This helps us to identify possible publishers or, perhaps, to consider self-publication.
We assist you in the evolution of your ideas into an expert framework, taking the knowledge you have accumulated and developed through research, study, and experience. Using this framework, we then work together on content development through a process we've created that transforms your knowledge for use by defined audiences. We often do this by creating content for your existing or new website.
Because creating a first draft is often the most difficult stage, we developed techniques that facilitate conversation between our clients—as the experts—and us—as the publishing consultants.
If you haven't had time to get all your ideas written down and aren't likely to have the time in the future, or if you find this task to be particularly difficult, we can facilitate the first-draft process by interviewing you and writing what we call a correctable text. This is text you will react to—correcting, augmenting, and eventually taking on as your own. All of the activity related to the first draft is developmental editing, which is the editorial assistance provided to an author before there is a manuscript.
This is an effective beginning to the traditional editorial process, which we believe has six interrelated but distinct stages:
- knowledge verification,
- content development,
- publication development,
- production,
- marketing and promotion, and
- sales and distribution.
The first three have been relatively neglected in recent years, and those are the stages that receive our focus.
Once there is a complete first draft, we can help you by doing substantive editing on the text. Substantive editing involves creating a second draft by putting the manuscript into essential shape—focusing it, harmonizing the material, making sure the terminology is consistent, often moving things around, and making sure it all works. The manuscript will usually pass back and forth at this stage, giving you more opportunities to correct, augment, and make decisions.
When you are satisfied with the second draft, we move on to producing the third and final draft. At this point, we line edit, which involves checking the manuscript for readability and for details of format, accuracy, and completeness. Then you're ready to go ahead with publication—either by submitting your work to a publisher or by self-publishing.
At Publishing in Context we help experts think through
what they know, and we assist them in sharing their
thinking with people who can benefit from their knowledge.
For more information on our services, contact: