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(Posted by Jeff Porten)
Now that I've established my credentials as an unsuccessful writer, I'd like to propose an idea to aid unsuccessful writers everywhereand maybe a few editors and readers to boot.
The problem with being a successful writer boils down to two crucial components:
- You have to write well.
- You have to start a business to sell your writing.
Most would-be writers get the first part but not the second, which is why the frustrated writer commmunity is the world's largest market for voodoo dolls and Jim Beam. It's not enough to craft the most beautiful essay in the English language, if you don't know how to get it to someone who will buy it. Someone who is extraordinarily endowed on only one side of the equation may be able to overcome a failing in the other (and I suspect that this is probably more common with bad writers who are good salesmen), but you need both to really make this a working career. Exhibit A: John Scalzi, whom I think regular readers of the Whatever recognize as being well above-average on both scores.
The problem is that not every good writer has the ability or the inclination to be a good professional writer. The market as it stands allows plenty of good writing to be lostmost of it never being written in the first place. In Neil Gaiman's Sandman series, he postulates a dream library where all the things that were never written are curated. It's a beautiful idea, but also intensely depressing; this is squandering the intellectual wealth of our species. Our writing is a bulwark of our civilization and our legacy for future generations. Engineering the free market to more effectively inspire good writing is one path to improving the lot of humanity.
I'll start with myself as an example of the difficulties of the market. I think I'm reasonably good at this wordsmithing thing, and I start new businesses with the regularity of lunar cycles. The issue is in opportunity cost. Freelance writing pays laughably small sums of money compared to what I make in my regular endeavorsor at least, it does now while I'm still getting started. I have to get to the bottom of my speculative barrel before trying to sell my words becomes the best use of my time.
Or take my buddy Brian Greenberg. We finally convinced him to start a blog, and he comments here on a regular basis. John just called him a smart guy in one of those threads, and it's safe to assume that John's criteria are similar to those of professional editors. But Brian is not self-employed, so he's got even fewer career reasons than I do to write professionally. Plus I'll guess that he knows little about getting into that marketplace and doesn't have the time to learn. So he'll probably sooner start moonlighting in Dixieland jazz (that boy can really swing) than as a freelancer.
That's the author's side. How about the editors? They have it as difficult as we do, because every one of them has to maintain a slush pile, the dreaded mountain of unsolicited proposals that buries every publisher who has even thought of listing in Writer's Market. The worst piece you've ever read in print was the result of culling out the more execrable 99% that came in the mail slot. If they didn't need new writers, acquisitions editors the world over would be using their slush for merry bonfires and toasting marshmallows.
But they need us, because every week or month they need another 50,000 words to fill in the space between the advertising. And most of them, I reckon, are in their line of work because of their love of writing, and truly do care about the quality of what they print. The avalanche of slush makes it that much harder for the truly good undiscovered writers to break out.
The solution, I think, can be found in the sister market to freelancing: book publishing. There the market has created a niche for a creature known as the "literary agent," who acts as a middleman between the publisher and author. Agents are routinely despised as unfair gatekeepers by frustrated writers, but it's simply a fact that they serve a vital purpose connecting good writers with the publishers who need them.
What I'd like to see is a writer's agora: a community of authors, agents, and editors, mostly conducted online, who come together to broker short writing and take the pain out of the business of freelancing.
Here's how I think it would work. Start with the agents, who will most likely come from jobs within the industry, and who will be part-timing here themselves. They'll have experience, they'll have fat Rolodexes, and they'll have a clear understanding of what writing has to be in order to survive as a business.
They begin building a stable of writers, primarily reaching out to the Brians and Jeffs of the world, but possibly also to the Scalzis who want to stretch into new markets. I don't suppose John knows offhand who the English language acquisition editors are in Tokyo, but maybe the Japanese are dying to learn more about astronomy and indie bands. The authors would either be invited or auditioned; unpublished writers are welcome, but only if they convince the agents with the quality of their work.
The editors will come of their own accord. A hunger for talent will find itand the fat Rolodexes are there to get the ball rolling.
What follows is Internet dating for the literary set. Authors could query at will by submitting ideas to the agents, or by dropping whole pieces into a library of unpublished content. The agents would earn their keep by knowing what will sell; good stuff will be proactively moved to the most likely markets, while less salable work can sit on file until an editor asks for it. Meanwhile, the editors get quality work and fast turnaround, both to fill that emergency hole for Thursday's deadline, or to provide peace of mind for a schedule six months in advance.
Such a business would require hefty volume to survive; even with a 20% agenting fee, it would be rare for a sale to make more than a few hundred dollars for the agora. But I suspect most authors would be willing to pay that fee, or split it with the editors80% and getting published is better than the current state of affairs. Pipeline those fees through the website to ensure that everyone gets treated fairly. This reduces the agents' risk, simplifies the paperwork for the publishers, and creates a de facto writer's union to prevent an editor from delaying payment, lest he be cut off from future work until he makes good on his arrears. Good luck trying to enforce your policy of paying three months after publication with this crowd.
With any luck, this would make authors' and publishers' lives much easier, and could also provide a decent income for the agents in question. I'm hoping someone will mention in comments if something like this already exists; I'd much rather use it than build it. But the sites I have seen bypassed the agents, or tried to replace them with software, and collapsed under the weight of the slush pile and spam from vanity publishers. The critical factor for success is expert intermediaries.
If anyone's interested, I suspect the Republic of Scalzi has critical mass on all three fronts. And I know a guy who can do the web stuff <ahem>. So swing on by the comments thread, and we can hash it out there.


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Can stretch marks really be prevented? The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists says no.
COME down with some kind of aesthetic malaise — a dark patch or a receding hairline — and invariably someone will profess to have the magic cure.
So it is with stretch marks, the road map of pregnancy, the telltale signs carved into about 90 percent of pregnant women's abdomens, derrieres, breasts and thighs. Market research firms like the NPD Group, Information Resources and Mintel don't track the size of the skin-care market for pregnant women.
"It's hard to pin down, but there's definitely been a proliferation of premium maternity skin-care products, many of which are targeted as preventing stretch marks," said Virginia Lee, senior research analyst at Euromonitor International, a market research firm in Chicago. She attributes it, in part, to the publicity surrounding, say, Julia Roberts and Debra Messing, who looked so good during and after their pregnancy.
Various brands tout them: Mama Mio Tummy Rub Stretch Mark Oil, Mustela Stretch Marks Double Action cream, Bella B Tummy Honey (said to be the elixir of choice for yummy mummies like Angelina, Gwyneth and Melania).
But the most pressing question on most women's minds (and stomachs): Can stretch marks, or striae gravidarum, as they are known among the Ph.D. set, really be prevented? The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists says no.
"There's not much you can do about these other than monitor your weigh gain," said Dr. Laura Riley, a maternal fetal medicine specialist at Massachusetts General Hospital and author of "You and Your Baby" (2006). "Various creams and lotions are sold to prevent stretch marks from developing or getting worse, but the jury is out on whether they work."
But the American Pregnancy Association suggests that women can reduce the probability of stretch marks (the key word being "probability").
In a double-blind study published in the 1991 International Journal of Cosmetic Science, 34 percent of pregnant women who massaged a cream containing gotu kola extract (Centella asiatica), alpha tocopherol (a form of vitamin E) and collagen-elastin hydrolysates (enzymes) into their skin developed stretch marks, compared with 56 percent who used a placebo.
Stretch marks occur when skin loses its elasticity, usually from rapid weight gain — a common occurrence, alas, when one is with child. But research has also shown that genetics and race play a role in stretch marks.
A survey by the department of dermatology at Stanford University School of Medicine sampled 161 women who had given birth. It found that 48 percent of the women with stretch marks said their mothers also had them.
Nearly 80 percent of the women of color (African-American, Hispanic, Southeast Asian, among others) said they had stretch marks, said Dr. Alexa B. Kimball, an associate professor of dermatology at Harvard Medical School, and an author on the study.
Diminishing stretch marks is a patient's best bet, said Dr. Amy Derick, a dermatologist in Barrington, Ill. "There's really not any data regarding creams," she said. "But you can do laser treatments or Retin-A after the fact, especially early on when the lines are red and purple." Studies have found that topical tretinoin can lighten stretch marks as well as reduce their size. And she is certainly not opposed to pregnant women massaging their bellies with moisturizing oils and creams. "It makes them feel like they're being pro-active, and if it feels good, why not?" she said. "It can't hurt."

subset: commoncrawl


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FOX Sports has quietly released its FOX Sports GO app for iPad and iPhone devices.
The app, which was supposed to be ready in August to coincide with the launch of FOX Sports 1, was released on October 1. It's also compatible with the iPod Touch, but as of press time, no version is available for Android devices.
With FOX Sports GO, sports fans can watch live games and shows from FOX Sports 1 and FOX Sports 2. In order to access the app, you need to authenticate your login through participating TV providers, which are currently AT&T U-Verse, Optimum, xFinity Comcast, Midcontinent, suddenLink and Wow. The app, which is free, only offers live streaming capabilities at this time.
The live events that the app shows are UEFA Champions League, college football, NASCAR, UFC and college basketball. Among the shows the app makes available are FOX Soccer Daily and Crowd Goes Wild.
Currently, the app is very basic. It's essentially a video player where you can just watch live shows. FOX Sports GO is nowhere near as robust as the FOX Soccer 2Go app, but the free (with authenticated login) availability of live UEFA Champions League games that are shown live on FOX Sports 1 and FOX Sports 2 is beneficial.
Download FOX Sports GO today from iTunes.


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Also found in: Dictionary, Medical, Acronyms, Encyclopedia, Wikipedia.
The ISO 4217 currency code for the Ecuadorian Sucre.
ISO 4217 code for the Ecuadorian sucre, which was the currency of Ecuador between 1884 and 2000. Originally based on gold, it was placed on a crawling peg to the U.S. dollar in 1983. In 1999, it lost two-thirds of its value, and fell 17% in the first week of 2000. This prompted President Jamil Mahuad to replace the sucre with the dollar as the national currency. Sucres ceased to be legal tender in September 2000 and became unexchangeable in March 2001.


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With over 10-years expertise advertising on the web, I'm typically requested about lead technology. Like e mail, lead technology could be actually tough. Once I acquired the moniker "The Electronic mail Knowledgeable" about 5 years in the past, I spotted that focusing and changing into superb at an Web advertising system required heavy accountability. Once I wrote what has now change into the e-mail bible referred to as "Efficient Electronic mail Promoting" (for a free copy go to [http://www.global-reachltd.com/FreeDownloads.asp]),I used to be cautious to exhibit what makes e mail promoting profitable and what pitfalls to keep away from. Now it's my want to show you generate your individual leads and this requires simply as a lot ability as e mail advertising.
Lead technology is essential in e mail advertising. Really, lots of you may have heard from the opposite Web gurus that your success is in your record. That is fairly true however with an attention-grabbing caveat. You even have two sorts of lists. First you may have your prospect record(s) after which you may have your buyer record(s) from these prospects which have bought from you. To be able to garner a recent provide of prospect leads, I accomplish lead technology in two methods:
1. I buy optin permission-based leads: If you buy optin leads make certain that they arrive with a date stamp and IP deal with to show they're optin and at all times ask for the URL of the lead technology web site that garnered the lead. If the record dealer refuses to provide the URL then stroll away. There's a superb likelihood that he's shopping for his leads from one other dealer or one thing is questionable in regards to the lead supply. I like how the lead was generated. Many lead technology websites promise issues that can't be delivered and this produces a really poor lead. For instance, mortgage lead technology websites claiming to have loans at a 2% fastened price is ridiculous. Sure, they might garner a ton of leads however nobody is writing 2% fastened loans so what good are they?
One other factor to think about if you buy leads is exclusivity of the record. If the lead dealer is promoting the identical record to dozens of individuals, what's up with that? Most brokers break their lists right down to unique, semi-exclusive and bulk leads, which principally means it goes out to as many individuals that can order it. Don't let a budget worth idiot you. Bulk lists will not be value it! In the event you want some good lead brokers, please ship me an e mail at [email protected] and I'll offer you the record of lead brokers that I take advantage of.
When you get recent optin leads you want a responder or an e mail blasting platform to ship them out. That is for sure probably the most troublesome factor to seek out since not solely is it crucial you keep SPAM Act compliant, however it's essential to discover an e mail platform that can present sufficient bandwidth to make it price efficient to make use of. I take advantage of BlastPak ([http://www.blastpak.com]) as a result of they don't have any limitations as to the dimensions of the record(s) you possibly can add each day (it's limitless) nor have they got any limitations as to the utmost quantity you possibly can e mail out each day. And in addition they don't require that you just purchase your leads from them. This is essential!! The brand new pattern in e mail responders is the requirement that you just purchase your entire lists from the responder firm and at charges that can trigger apoplexy.
BlastPak is just an e mail blasting platform that permits you to market your prospect record(s) successfully and at a really cheap price. I additionally use BlastPak to ship out my weekly GlobalMarketPlace ezine and weekly Prepared-Set-Develop publication. I personally use the "as much as 130 million emails monthly" plan and it prices me simply $1400. The charges are on a sliding scale and start as little as 1,000 emails monthly for simply $14.99. BlastPak additionally comes with a verification and monitoring hyperlink that gives some essential real-time advertising and gross sales data, which is unquestionably "to die for" in terms of testing. I check every little thing! I check my topic line, my essential physique supply, my graphics, the press by means of to my gross sales web page, and so on. I even check my textual content message. I accomplish my checks by sending out emails in blocks of 1-million with numerous advert messages and topic traces. Those that "pull" one of the best are those I then "blast" out to the large lists I've acquired over the previous ten years. Truthfully, I've not discovered any responder that's nearly as good as BlastPak and I ought to know, my firm sends out over a billion emails per day for our merchandise in addition to for different firms. BlastPak doesn't include any of the limiting elements the opposite responders include and it is rather environment friendly and easy to make use of. I couldn't obtain the gross sales that I accomplish with out an e mail blasting platform. Electronic mail is my greatest advert medium and I depend on it utterly because it performs very properly for my product base. And please don't overlook that BlastPak will also be used to drive clients to your individual lead technology web site.


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What a fun theme to work with. The first thing I spotted was the tea cups and from there I knew the color scheme would be sage green, pale blue, baby pink and white.
Here is the tea cup (a very girly espresso cup from Yedi Houseware that is perfect for the hands of little girls) I found at Amazon:
I found at Marshals a pack of 15 note cards and decided to make the invitations myself.
I use my Cricut machine to cut the "tea party" from the new "Once Upon a Princess" cartridge. I just LOVE all the new cartridges; they are fun and have so many new features…
The front
The inside


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A new study conducted by nonprofit research institute RTI International has concluded that labeling for marijuana edibles needs to be significantly improved. Researchers asked 94 people in Denver and Seattle about their opinions on how marijuana products are currently labeled. Sixty-two of the participants had used marijuana edibles recently, but the other thirty-two were people who had never smoked pot, or at least hadn't used it in the past five years.
Researchers found that some participants in the study thought that labels contained so much information that people might be discouraged from actually reading them. For other products, participants found that the products were so poorly labeled that it wasn't clear whether the products contained marijuana at all. In the latter situation, there were concerns that adults or children could consume the product by mistake.
In Denver, some of the participants reported that the edibles looked too much like candy, and recommended changing the packaging to look more like prescription medication to discourage children from eating the edibles by accident.
Not all of the feedback the researchers received was negative. One of the products warned that "the intoxicating effects of this product may be delayed by 2 or more hours," which participants thought was great advice for an inexperienced consumer of edibles.
The research team is hopeful that the study will provide guidelines for product labeling in marijuana-legal states. Proper labeling can ensure that edibles are not accidentally consumed by children or adults, while also providing instructions to help inexperienced users from getting too baked out of their skulls.


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Ask Boo the Panda: I'm worried about my CCJ. Is CCJ removal possible?
ShareBack to blog
If you've ever had a CCJ – or, to give it its proper name, a County Court Judgment – then you'll be aware that they stay on your credit file for 6 years. 6 years with a CCJ on your credit file is a very long time – especially when they can have a huge knock on effect on your credit score and likelihood of being granted credit or borrowing money. However, don't panic – there are a few ways that you can arrange for a CCJ removal to fix your credit score.
CCJ Removal Option 1: If you don't owe the money (or there has been a mistake)
If you feel that you don't owe the money, then you are entitled to ask the court to re-open the case. However, you must be able to demonstrate that you have a legal reason that you do not owe the money.
To do this, you need to contact the court and ask them to set aside the CCJ. You can do this by sending them a letter or using form N244.
Unfortunately, there's usually a small fee for this. However, acting quickly means that you can prevent a lot of damage to your credit score. If you have a valid reason for not having to pay the money and the court agrees, the CCJ will be removed from the Registry of Judgments, Orders and Fines. This CCJ removal takes around three to four weeks to complete.
CCJ Removal Option 2: Pay the debt off within a month of the CCJ
If you pay off the debt you owe – in full – within one calendar month of the date of the CCJ, you're entitled to have the CCJ removed.
And, as a little bonus, you only need to obtain a certificate from the court to say you've paid it and – just like that – your CCJ removal is done. It costs £15 to do, but surely that's worth paying in exchange for no damage to your credit score?
Once your CCJ removal is complete, all credit agencies will be notified and your file updated. That means that the CCJ won't show up if you apply for a loan, credit card or overdraft. Result.
CCJ Removal Option 3: Get the CCJ noted as 'satisfied'
If you can't pay off the outstanding debt within the first month, don't give up hope. As soon as you've paid off your debt, you can apply to have the Register changed.
You'll need a certificate (like in Option 2) that costs £15 and – just to be clear – you won't get a full CCJ removal. However, the debt will be marked as paid (or, in finance lingo, the debt is satisfied).
Once this is done, the credit agencies will be informed and the record will show that you've paid it off in full. The CCJ will still be on your record for 6 years (unfortunately), but it's much easier to obtain credit with some lenders if the CCJ has been satisfied.
If I can't organise a CCJ removal, will I be able to get a loan?
Even if you've got a CCJ on your file, Bamboo will still consider you for a loan.
That's because we know that there's more to you than just your credit history.
It's why we have created a way of making loans fairer for everyone. At Bamboo, we'll do our best to find a loan that works for you, whatever your circumstances.
With our free loan quote service, you can check how likely you are to be approved for a Bamboo loan with no impact on your credit score.
And remember, over time, a bad credit loan from Bamboo may help you to improve your credit score. If you make your regular monthly payments on time, this will show that you are taking credit seriously and negate the effects of CCJ on your file.
- Author Jack Barclay
- Posted 6 September 2017


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So, we've seen a damn lot of popular youtube videos about Pride and Prejudice and Jane Austen (I'm thinking Jane Austen's Fight Club to start), but this one seems to have got hits far more quickly. For example, the first episode currently has 117,385 hits (and counting) since April 9th when it was posted on youtube this month. I've been watching it with curiosity as it builds- there's currently five episodes, each about three minutes long, that brings our 18th Century novel into the present day and tells it from Lizzie's perspective.
Tag Archives: 2012
Knightley and Macfadyen hit the screens again
A film that "powerfully explores the capacity for love that surges through the human heart" – Official synopsis
It is Keira Knightley and Matthew Macfadyen in the 1800s and directed by Joe Wright… but it's not Pride and Prejudice. Don't fear, if you loved the 2005 Pride and Prejudice adaptation, then you'll most likely love this as the Jane Austen and Regency literature connections are never ending.
Filed under A good find, Discussion, Movie Review, Preview


text: Sasha Krafft is the 2017/18 recipient of the MA TESOL program's Nattinger Endowed Fellowship award. Sasha will be graduating in the spring of 2018. This award allows her "to focus on the research at hand, and devote more time and attention to my studies. This project will be the jumping of point for many diverse research avenues in both language revitalization, as well as device-mediated language learning." Read more about Sasha, the M.A. TESOL program and the Nattinger Fellowship here.


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Here are your highlights for Week 1 of Football Friday Night.
Westside vs. Central
G. Walton vs. FPD
Howard vs. East Laurens
Perry vs. Peach
The Twiggs County Cobras travel to Cairo for a scrimmage Friday.
This comes after Cairo lost their first preseason scrimmage last week, The Thomasville Times-Enterprise reports.
They play at 7:30 p.m.
Twiggs County Junior Varsity kicks off at home against Hancock County!
The Twiggs County Cobras kick off at home against Macon's Northeast High School!
Kick off is on Friday, August 30 at 7:30 p.m.
The full schedule:
PRINT | The Full Schedule
Where You Live is WMAZ's hyperlocal feature. This means that we are helping bring you more community-specific news more often.
We have websites for these communities:
Dooly-Macon CountyHancock-PutnamBleckley-Dodge-PulaskiTwiggsSandersvilleMilledgevillePeach-CrawfordGray-JonesForsyth-MonroeDublinPerry Warner RobinsMaconRobins AFB
These community websites are a place for you and your community members to share information.
To join our team and share with folks just like yourself, all you have to do is email us your email address and name email@example.com
From there, we set up an account for you. This account lets you log in to your community site and post photo galleries, concerts, community events, 100th birthday parties, your concerns, latest creative projects, how-to advice and anything else you want people in your area to know.
Once you have an account, here are some examples of how you can stay involved Where You Live:
(These are just ideas to get you started. Feel free to come up with your own blog ideas!)
Two Twiggs County football athletes signed letters of intent to play college ball on National Signing Day.
Markevion Hooks signed with Miles College.
Timmy Kemp Jr. signed with Hutchinson Community College.
Here are prep basketball score as reported to 13WMAZ:
Warner Robins 35, Northside 28 (Girls)
Northside 63, Warner Robins 55 (Boys)
Houston County 47, Veterans 30 (Girls)
Veterans 59, Houston County 36 (Boys)
Central 38, Westside 32 (Girls)
Central 64, Westside 53 (Boys)
FPD 58, Schley County 34 (Girls)
FPD 79, Schley County 45 (Boys)
Dublin 56, East Laurens 24 (Girls)
Howard 43, Northeast 39 (Girls)
Northeast 49, Howard 39 (Boys)
Wilkinson County 82, Twiggs County 22 (Girls)
Wilkinson County 86, Twiggs County 55 (Boys)
Baldwin 41, Hancock County 39 (Boys)
Macon Auditorium
The Macon Centreplex Coliseum and
13WMAZ, 1314 Gray Hwy, Macon, GA 31211
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What are you doing this weekend? I'm coming in to work (Boo!) but will me meeting my family for dinner tomorrow, so yeah, it's still something I am excited about this weekend. It's almost mid-April, 3 more weeks to go and it's gonna be my birthday! Have you gotten me my gifts already!?
For today, I'll be telling you about the BYS Brow pencil. You know me, I'm obsessed with my brows so I am always on the look out for good brow stuff. If you've watched my eyebrow tutorial, you'd see that I use a lot of products. This pencil can actually cut it short by a wee bit, as this can already replace my pencil and brow powder...plus my k-palette brow liner even, if I don't need to make sure that I'll still have my brows intact the whole day.
BYS Brow and Eye Pencil in Brown
The shape reminds me of the Shu Uemura eyebrow pencil in Naginata cut. Such cut is said to make filling in your brows a lot easier. The strokes would look like brow hairs too, so it looks more natural.
Here it is on my brows:
Unlike the other brow pencils I've tried, this one from BYS is a bit soft and waxy. It stays in that texture so yeah, this is not for those with oily skin as this is not smudgeproof. I don't mind though because I'm used to setting my brows with either my Majolica Majorca Brow and Lash colorist or MAC Brow Set in Girl Boy.
brows after setting with Brow and Lash Colorist
What I like:
Easy to use
Affordable for the price of Php250. You only need to brush a few strokes then shape your brows with a spoolie/eyebrow brush so this would last you for months
Looks natural, as if I've used a brow powder
Can also be used as an eye liner, but since it's not smudgeproof you would have to set this with a powder eye shadow so it won't slide off and give you panda eyes.
What I don't like:
Not smudgeproof
Overall, I like this product. It's great for days when you're being a bit lazy to go through your usual brow routine, and still want great looking brows. I am getting this in Blonde, as this one's a bit dark for me.
Check out their products at SM Department Stores and selected Watsons outlets. You can also follow BYS Philippines on Facebook.
Please like me on Facebook ( IambrigittePage ) and follow me on Twitter (Iamsutil) and Instagram (Iambrigitte)


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Decorative Wooden Whale
Happy Whale by Normann Copenhagen designed by Jonas Wagell is a small whale in reduced but humorous form. The whale spreads its charm through its soft curves and is a very special home accessory that is ideal to give as a gift. The figure can be set up anywhere, where the whale is supposed to show its smile.
Happy Whale by Jonas Wagell for Normann Copenhagen is available in different colours and is made from birch wood.


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Friday, November 11, 2011
Mourning Dress
7 comments:
Well, neither of my links work. Here's the address for the article I mention: http://www.victoriana.com/library/harpers/funeral.htmlReplyDelete
And here is the correct photo site. Sorry for the techno-hiccup. It's sort of my style. Ahem.ReplyDelete
- AnonymousNovember 12, 2011 at 8:34 AM
Very interesting post, Stephanie. I'd not heard of the custom of the long veils. Isn't it interesting what society dictated? When did the custom of wearing mourning attire fade into oblivion? I'd suspect those customs became less important as settlers went west, but maybe I'm mistaken about that.ReplyDelete
Jan in Nebraska
I wondered the same thing, Jan. What I've read thus far seems to indicate that things changed with the turn of the century. Queen Victoria died in 1901 which was definitely the "end of an era" in England. The turn of the century also changed things in the U.S. One writer suggested that the death toll of the Civil War here just eventually wore people out and made them restive under the restrictions of "full mourning, half mourning," etc. I am inclined to think you are right about women in the west and their observances. You have given me something new to try to learn. When I wrote the Keepsake Legacies series, I could not seem to find good documentation for what widows wore when in Nebraska in the late 1800s. It was very frustrating. Back to the search!ReplyDelete
Neat post. I've often wondered, too, when the mourning customs of the day went out of practice. Wasn't one of the reasons it was so adhered to because Queen Victoria was in deep mourning for Albert for the rest of her life?ReplyDelete
- AnonymousJune 30, 2013 at 6:09 PM
I was reading a book by Catherine Coulter were is has a young girl mourning for her grandfather and it mentioned the gown. I am glad I found this site. Now I can see what kind of gown she was wearing. Thanks. Kathy HarrisonReplyDelete
I'm so glad you found this helpful!ReplyDelete


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Orgins and Sacred Text
Three Main Divisions
Rituals, Practices, and Holidays
the picture below is of Orthodox men celebrating in the streets.
The Orthodox Jews are the most traditional form of Judaism. They believe that the "Torah" or the Jewish holy book was give to Moses by God himself. They also believe that the Reform and Conservative Jews were adherents. The Conservative Jews don't except, marriage other them inside their own religion, divorce or conversion that wasn't practice according to the Jewish Law. They had a Union, called the "Orthodox Union". They mass produced products that didn't contain any pork, because in the Jewish faith pork was considered to be unclean. The products were often called "Kosher ".
Reform Jews
Today's Reform Judaism has somewhat restored some of the aspects that their 19th Century, predecessors abandoned stuff like people hood and the practice of some of the religious rituals. According to 1990 survey, 42% of American Jews categorize them self's as Reform Jews. They are committed to the full participation of gays and lesbians in synagogue life as well as society at large.
Reform Jews are found in North America and United Kingdom. They also believe that the Jewish beliefs should be modernized and fit in with the surrounding culture.
consertive jews
Consertive Jedism , started in the 19th century in Germany. They tried to be a middle group , while still holding Jewish traditions , but still living a modern life style. They bleieve that the bible is the word of God and man. they also dony believe in a sin nature. They are much like the Reform Jews.
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[My sister-in-law came to visit me in October. Since she has a writing background I asked her if she would write a guest post on this blog. I hope you enjoy her views of Ghana as much as I did. Check out her photos at http://www.flickr.com/photos/46201642@N04/ ]
In my first glimpse of Accra on the drive from Kotoka International Airport I began to suspect that Ghana must be ruled by four powerful tribal chiefs named Vodafone, Tigo, Zain and MTN. These cell phone companies' logos are almost everywhere. Their distinctive, bright colors of pink/red, blue, purple and yellow glare from signs, businesses and even in the paint jobs of homes and roadside shacks.
The last few minutes took us through dusty, modestly poor, suburban streets to the beautiful Erata Hotel, a pastel blue-and-white enclosure with gaited walls topped by concertina wire. It's an upscale place but not really opulent—not by American standards, anyway—but clean and cool. It boasts spacious rooms and two good-sized swimming pools where the manager's young children frolicked. They were a girl and a boy whose exuberant splashing and diving were a delight to photograph. These little hams gave an exhibition of Ghanaian kids that endured throughout my visit: joyful, curious, friendly, chocolate-skinned creatures of pristine beauty.
The evening's entertainment at the Erata was poolside too, a local, unnamed band with guitars, drums and an electronic keyboard. I settled in with an excellent rice and vegetable dish and a glass of Merlot (actually a little airplane bottle as wine is fairly scarce here) anticipating intricate Ghanaian melodies. Instead they played American show tunes and pop music, especially Elvis classics. Good thing I didn't mind these soulful renditions of "Brue Swede Shoes" and "You Ain't Nothin But a Hun Dug." Eventually a younger singer took over and enchanted with African and Caribbean rhythms.
Fracturing the English language (Ghana's official tongue since independence from Britain in 1957 and the only one taught in public schools) is an amusing art form here: road signs (Overspeeding Kills. 38 people Died Here!); motel notice (Items that go missing is responsibility of owner. Not the management.); restaurant menu (seaf food, shrimps dinner, mashed hommos); fancy beach resort pamphlet (try our physically challenged facilities), and hotel meals that feature delicious Chinese.
You'll be intrigued by the linguistic inventiveness of businesspeople. My favorites are Fast Food Very Good, So Nice Cold Store, Immaculate Conception Drinking Spot, Allah's Store, Sweet Jesus Supermarket, Wicked Cuts Hair Salon, Capable God Company Limited, and Together Again Vulgarizing Shop. I suspect they mean vulcanizing but maybe it's for individuals who are too prissy.
Restaurant service is sometimes excellent but more often fair to dreadful, according to Western expectations. Food is brought in spasms and there can be as much as one-half hour between serving the first and last person at a table. Serving size is more than ample, although vegetarian choices are limited. Cheese is rarely offered although the goat variety is available. At a marketplace cafe I ordered a salad (made with shredded cabbage as fresh vegetables and fruit are curiously scarce here) and also asked for bread. The lovely, solicitous owner brought a huge salad sandwich made with bread fresh from her oven. It was delicious.
At another open-air restaurant we were delighted by a precious little girl, maybe three years old, and wearing bright barrettes in her carefully coiffed hair, who insisted on wandering freely among the tables. She would stop beside seated customers to stand silently smiling at our knee level. We eventually lost interest and she meandered off. Ten minutes later her mother appeared to return my heisted purse, an overloaded bag that had been parked on the floor. The woman apologized and returned to her nearby table where the little girl sat squirming on her daddy's lap.
My tour mate Brian suggested we look around for an Artful Dodger, Oliver Twist's leader of child thieves and pickpockets.
This charming toddler is clearly a child of affluence but no less beautiful and spontaneous are those in rural villages who, at around age ten, get after-school jobs. You see them everywhere helping shopkeeper parents, peddling food or electronic devices, package carrying, water hauling or rounding up the free ranging goats, sheep, chickens or guinea fowl. They all looked happy and healthy to me with one exception. I was approached by three Muslim cow herders. They looked malnourished, wore dirty, ragged clothes and bore obvious signs of skin disease. They spoke no English, using hand to mouth gestures to ask for food. I couldn't help giving them cash, even though warned against the promotion of begging.
Later I was told they were probably exempted from public schooling for religious reasons and would spend their days watching over the brahma cows that grazed freely in the fields around the village.
Domestic Animals
Goats are considered walking savings accounts and they are as common as pigeons in American cities. They usually run free or lie along roads, even in big cities. Goats generally move away from approaching traffic, by a few feet anyway. Often they must be encouraged to these life-saving maneuvers by swerving vehicles and hectoring horn blowing. The custom when a driver hits one is to find the owner and politely tell of the accident. It is the responsibility of that owner to remove the carcass and dispose of it somehow. Often at least the skin is saved but Muslims throw the whole thing away because of strict rules regarding slaughter. At least I'm told that is customary.
Much fewer in numbers but presenting a more alarming traffic hazard are the free-range cows that move between and among cars in the clogged traffic of big cities. In Tamale I saw an untended herd of four or five of these large, humped beasts waiting patiently on a traffic island. When the time was right they walked unhurriedly to the other side.
Kumasi, Ghana's second largest city, also contains a considerable contingent of goat-sheep-cow citizens who must share the streets with the million-plus human inhabitants, most of whom seem to be bicycling, motorcycling, driving, trucking, taxi riding or walking that moment. I expect that driving licenses are granted on the basis of amazing steering and braking skills. No wonder the Peace Corps absolutely forbids its volunteers to drive in-country.
Well armed and uniformed in camouflage blue and grey or black, police are mostly young males who man the frequent roadblocks and toll stations between cities. We found them to be respectful to foreigners but they are believed to be corrupt in penny-ante ways. The job is undemanding physically but poorly paid, I was told, and it's not unusual to be asked for a "gift" because "we protected you." On one occasion we handed over the local equivalence of sixty-five cents each and they seemed satisfied. Later I wished I'd suggested a free donut instead.
Another incidence illustrates my American naiveté more than police corruptibility.
Our tour driver was stopped for speeding (utterly guilty) through a village at school let-out time. His choice was to surrender his license and return tomorrow for adjudication in court or pay a roadside "fine" then and there. While negotiations ensued an Inspector arrived. She chose to question the tourists and allowed us out of the vehicle for polite but stern inquiries. But after discovering her joyful enthusiasm for Barack Obama I asked if she happened to have one of his campaign buttons. "Oh, no," she said, so I gave her one that I had carried in my luggage to reward some child in this Obama-mad country. She was thrilled. We shook hands and she returned to the discussion between our tour guide and her patrolmen. Immediately our driver hurried back to the Land Rover and we drove off.
He explained the situation, unknown to us before this, and we asked how much money he had to pay them. "Nothing," he said, "they knew better."
So. Some might say I bribed a Ghanaian police officer with a humble campaign button. I prefer to think of the transaction as a culture-sensitive gesture of good will.
Our introduction to slave trade, which was centered in Ghana and other regions of the Gold Coast, began with a visit to Pikworo. It is the preserved site of an inland collection point for Africans captured throughout the region and sold to slave merchants. They were brought to this lush savannah to be broken into permanent captivity and sorted out for survival strength. Mostly men, they were shackled and beaten and nearly starved, having to fight among themselves for food and water.
Our site guide, an earnest and well-spoken young man, explained that these prisoners were from many sources: tribal war captives, convicted criminals, mentally impaired outcasts, kidnapped citizens of a neighboring village or just sold by their destitute families. Procuring agents were usually Africans, our guide said. Their favorite currency was liquor and guns. Those enslaved who lived through a few weeks of Pikworo were walked south to the coast where they were kept in slave trade fortresses until shipment under horrific conditions to the Americas. As we learned later from another guide there was never a brighter day for most of these victims. Life always went downhill.
Ancestral River Park
This historic place in Assin Manso was another stop on the newly enslaved victims' trek of tears. Here they were allowed to bathe and were given enough food to enable the last stage of their journey to the coast. It is a well developed site with painted displays of slave trade resisters and abolitionists (including William Garrison and Harriet Tubman among many others) and sandstone crypts of two regional men who were sent to the United States and Jamaica. Their remains are reinterred here. There is also a Memorial Wall of Return with the signatures of visitors whose ancestors traced here.
We met the wonderful Ofori family, who live in the park, and communicated well with their eldest son, Charles. His English was excellent and he had many questions about Britain and America, where he hopes to study one day. That is typically the biggest dream of smart, young Ghanaians, I'm told. A younger brother was kicking around a rather pathetic soccer ball when Brian, British aerospace engineer and confessed football fanatic, offered one of the six balls and jerseys he had brought along for distribution to children. The whole family followed us back to the vehicle, where Brian made his presentation. It's hard to believe that any child ever received a gift more joyfully than that little boy.
Arts & Crafts
The first of many shopping opportunities—and I did my very best to raise Ghana's GNP a point or two—came at TK Beads. They make traditional glass jewelry, mainly with recycled bottles and jars. These castoffs are pulverized by hand to a fine powder, then dyed and poured into bead moulds. The moulds are baked in wood-fired kilns to fuse the glass powder together, making beads which then may be hand painted and strung together in astonishingly different configurations.
Our demonstrator and soft-sell salesman was Roger, a boy of perhaps 12. Apparently TK's public relations manager, Roger's communication skills must thrill his bilingual educators.
Another fascinating artistic experience came with our stop at the Boakye family's weaving/printing operation in Ntunso. They produce primary- colored Adinkra cloth of intricate designs and imprinted with ancient symbols carved from calabash shells. They make their black dye from boiling Badie tree bark with iron filings. Closely supervised by Peter Boakye, a handsome, graceful artist/manager, we designed and imprinted our own banners with three selected symbols. Mine were Gye Nyame (omnipotence and immortality), Adinkrahene (king) and Bi-nnka(bite not one another).
Peter is westernized enough to wrap us in yards of this "royal" cloth—like denim but heavier and far more colorful—before urging the purchase of this magnificent finery so obviously being worn by those to the manor born.
Speaking of royalty, we also toured the Prempeh II Jubilee Museum near Kumasi. (No photographs allowed for reasons commercial, I suspect.) This immaculate complex with sophisticated displays and highly professional guide staff must be seen to appreciate the Ashanti tribe as the biggest and baddest in all Ghana. I especially liked the almost incidental inclusion of a wax figure of Queen Mother Yaa Asantewaa. She is seated with a rifle on her lap and possesses the steeliest gaze this side of Hilary Clinton.
Queen Mothers are literally the power behind the throne (or golden stool, as Ashantis call it) in this tribe's history as they advise the king and get to name his successor. As they usually choose one of their own sons it is a matrilineal lineage. In 1900 Yaa Asantewaa provoked the country's War of Independence by reluctant tribal leaders. After shaming them into voting for a siege of the colonial British fortress at Kumasi she remarked that "the ghost widows in heaven will have husbands tomorrow."
This uprising failed only when the British brought in several thousand additional troops and artillery. The Queen Mother was captured and exiled for her final twenty years. I imagine her shaking her fist at the English oppressors even on her death bed.
Undomesticated animal sightseeing began at the Boabeng-Fiema Monkey Sanctuary where hundreds of Monas and Colobuses live near villagers who protect these sacred charges. While our elderly sanctuary guide's accent made him nearly incomprehensible, he conveyed respect, even affection, for the monkeys. Some of the bolder creatures took bananas from our hands although my offer of processed banana chips was met with rude disdain.
I was most struck with the graveyard these villagers maintain for monkeys found dead. A funeral ceremony attends each burial, marked by a wooden cross with the animal's species type, sex and death date. There are no individual names on these little monuments because the monkeys are, after all, wild animals who just happen to share this primitive paradise with humans.
We saw Nile crocodiles warming themselves on the banks of Lake Hanson. They looked like plastic replicas until one opened his mouth slowly to exhaust surplus heat from their solar energy absorption.
At Mole National Park, Ghana's largest wildlife preserve, we experienced several species close up. With an experienced, rifle-toting ranger we trudged through a two-hour walking safari. Kob deer and bushbucks froze to stare at us briefly before dashing away. That was interesting but kind of a letdown, even with our expectations lowered with the revelation that no Big Cat predators existed in this part of Africa. Then, headed back to the park's motel we were tipped about an elephant nearby in a mud hole. We walked quietly up to maybe fifty yards of the massive beast who simply ignored us while sucking up muddy water to spray on his back. While shutters clicked and camcorders whirred I sneaked closer when our ranger took an apparently urgent cell phone call. When he turned back to check on his rookie charges he gasped and stage whispered to "get back, slowly, right now." I obeyed, reluctantly. The elephant betrayed no sign of noticing the improper intrusion and I got some great pictures.
Avian wildlife prevails at Mole (pronounced mo-lay), especially laughing doves, whose strange cries seem oddly demented. I liked best the crows in Ghana with their white bellies and clerical collars, like tuxedo cats in my home territory.
Most visible around the enclosures at Mole are olive baboons who live in the forest nearby but not close to the people. They generally tolerated our presence but moved away with uneasy grace when their comfort range, about twenty feet, was breached. Patas monkeys like to sit upright on posts with their arms resting on imaginary tables. They seemed to study the human species but don't invite familiarity.
Undoubtedly the most ubiquitous large animals around the human buildings were warthogs. They are hairy, tusked animals about the size of Labrador Retrievers but with glorious whiskers and knees calloused from grubbing on the ground as they graze. Warthogs keep a few yards distance from us but watch out for dropped or left behind food. My closest observation came by surprise at early dawn one day when I approached the motel swimming pool. There on the deep end was a large, dark shape stretched out on a chaise lounge chair. Close up, I recognized it as a warthog but he was so still I thought him deceased. A few feet closer and he opened an eye. I stepped back, then ran to my room for a camera. But he was gone when I returned. Damn.
Coastal Slave Forts
Our excursion along the coast included two of West Africa's monuments to the 400-year horror that was the Atlantic Slave Trade. Cape Coast Castle and The Castle at St. George's . They are whitewashed stone edifices, well preserved and magnificent in malignant ways. They are embarkation points for the international trade routes that began with gold and spices but expanded to more lucrative cargo in the late 1400s. Arguably the ugliest stain on all human history, the slave trade was run over time by Christian Europeans: Portuguese, Swedes, Danes, Dutch, French, Spaniards and the British for their eager colonists in the Americas.
Our tour mentors calmly explained how hundreds of African captives were crammed into dungeons for weeks or months at a time. Sometimes their food was thrown at them. They had to forage on top of accumulated feces, urine and even corpses. Water too came from hatches high in the stone walls. The strongest "cupped their hands to drink or suck each others hair," in the words of a guide book.
Comely women were raped repeatedly. Any children they bore were killed or taken away if they looked biracial enough. These people were allowed to survive and were kept off the ships to become servants and jailors. It was a system that punished its immediate practioners too, sending them to early deaths from disease, insanity and alcohol poisoning. West Africa became known as the "white man's grave."
I heard no bitter denunciations from any Ghanaians of their racial oppressors, only determination to preserve the historical record and recognize that beneficial changes came also from this white intrusion into their ancestors' lives. They spoke of better government organizations, new methods of agriculture and construction, public health institutions, suppression of brutal tribal conflicts and, especially, the spread of mandatory public education for children. All from contact with Western culture.
Christianity in several forms accumulated a lot of wealth in converts and goods during its spread in Africa, beginning with the slave trade. Western religious influence remains substantial today in Ghana (where sixty-some percent of the populace claims adherence to a Christian church and there's a large contingent of Muslims) as seen in the parochial schools, clinics and associated businesses. The most seem to be Catholic with many variations of Protestant, particularly Anglican, Methodist and Presbyterian. I expect that sectarian lobbies are politically powerful in this country.
[Full disclosure requires me to reveal that I'm a devout agnostic with serious reservations about the net effect of religious organizations on human social evolution.]
After my 14-day Ashanti Tribal Trek throughout Ghana I flew to the northernmost region for a few days with Vicky Chase, dear sister-in-law, intrepid librarian and Peace Corps teacher. She lives in a cement-block hut with electricity but no running water. It is graced with a bucket-flush toilet, however, so one does not have to go into the bush or use a "squatty potty" provided in less affluent domiciles. Her yard is mostly dirt but local custom requires daily sweeping with a handless broom. Neighbor children sweep Vicky's yard every morning because, she says, "apparently my sweeping isn't up to community standards. "
At her workplace, Sandema Senior High and Technical School, I met many eagerly friendly and curious students in this state-run complex. Most are boarders there, filling the classrooms (crowded) and cafeterias (standing only) and dormitories (cramped) in their pastel-colored uniforms like flocks of tropical birds. Their hair is kept closely cut, clothes must be kept clean and they live by an authoritarian system that imposes as much as hierarchical order as is possible with teenagers.
The students I got to know by name seem irrepressible, however. And even the shy ones tend to face newcomers with a smile and a sincere sounding "how ARE you?" At first I thought this was but the borrowed regard they feel for Madam Vicky but when alone I received the same greeting from villagers and strangers. It's not a black/white thing, I was told, but the Ghanaian custom to be courteous to all, just common human decency. Also, offers of help were frequent, even from strangers. But that may come from my appearance as a markedly clueless obruni in a sea of dark faces.
Interestingly, the term obruni is one I heard a lot from fascinated small children who came running up to stare and smile during village stops. "Obruni, Obruni!" Thinking it was African code for white devil or something, I asked Yaw, our tour conductor, for exact translation. It means cornflower hair, he said, and implies only a white person designation, not disrespect.
Respect is, in fact, the general attitude of Ghanaians toward others, even those of another stripe. Their cultural cleaving into families, clans and tribes doesn't foster any xenophobic suspicion of outsiders, it seems. How do they manage that?
By Melanie Steward
December, 2009


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This series is getting funnier and stronger every episode, yet only episode two seems to be obtaining any real traffic on YouTube. I hope that this series of videos will become more widely known to the YouTube audience as it has the potential to be a true internet phenomenon. Perhaps the humour is a little to subtle and British to be found brilliant abroad? Just a theory!
This Episode's highlight has to be the man approaching Batman in the park:
- "Alright mate. You got any...err...gear?"
- "NO!!! Who are you mistaking me for?"
Don't forget: "PAY AND DISPLAY"!
Becoming Batman - Episode Five - "Rules of Engagement"


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The smell of Central American coffee was rich in the air. The roar of the blenders making smoothies filled the small coffee shop. High school students were slowly gathering in for their Thursday night ritual of coffee, cookies, smoothies, and Jesus. Andrew had been working as the youth minister at a small mainline Protestant church for a number of years. This small group of high school students had just started meeting at a local coffee shop recently. The owners of the shop had graciously allowed Andrew's students to meet in the back of the coffee shop where sofas had been set up.
The high school students were scattered on the sofas, some were on the floor, and others had pulled chairs over. Then, Mike walked in. Mike was a freshman in high school. Middle school had not been good to him. He had been picked on, teased, bullied, beat up, face stuffed in lockers. You name it, it most likely happened to Mike. Mike was a tall and skinny guy, but he walked slummed over as if an old man beaten down by age. He found a space on one of the sofas, and slouched down into the sofa with his long legs extending higher into the air than his head.


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Brokers Printing Money
By Dr. Duru written for One-Twenty
July 4, 2007
Throughout the recent bull market in the stock market, I have frequently heard that the investment brokers like Goldman Sachs have been "printing money." I have understood this to mean that business has been booming, and these financial powerhouses have been able to name their price for issuing IPOs, brokering mergers and acquisitions, selling bonds and other debt, and other financial wheelings and dealings.
Lately, I have understood this printing press in a different way as I continue to read more and more about the creative derivatives and leverage used to make mucho money in the home mortgage business. Paul Tustain at BullionVault has written the best article I have yet read describing how American ingenuity has generated an effective printing press out of debt: "Investment Landfill: How Professionals Dump Their Toxic Waste on You". It is written in plain English and easy to understand, albeit very long. I highly recommend it if you want to get a better look at how financial powerhouses are able to wield the power of debt, leverage, and derivatives to create money essentially out of thin air. All is well until some event forces reality back into the equation - like home prices coming down to reflect "real" asset values and not just imaginary values based on expectations of flipping the bag to the next buyer - or like enough folks realizing that they cannot pay a mortgage (or other debt burdens) on zero income.
Here is a key quote from the beginning of the article:
"It all starts with the mortgage. About six million people in the United States who have no money have borrowed about 100% of the value of a house, right at the top of a housing market which has since fallen sharply. These are the subprime borrowers. The lenders, however, did not have to worry very much about the risk of default, because they rolled these mortgages into bonds called Mortgage-Backed Securities, which they then sold. They got to be off-risk within a few weeks, because by then these re-packaged mortgages belonged to other financial organizations."
Folks like Tustain belong to an elite crew of bears who despise paper currency and believe in the holding power of real assets, mainly gold. They are typically written-off as looney perma-bears, folks who refuse to play the game and in the end lose out on all the riches. Since the stock market has mainly gone up for countless decades (or more specifically, in a several very powerful spurts), it is easy to discredit them. But over these decades, we have also had serious financial crises. It pays to at least stay on top of these kinds of critical assessments of the financial system so that you can prepare yourself, if you so choose, for the collapse of whatever boom happens ot be in vogue at the time. The crumbling housing market has yet to take out the American economy, but clearly the potential remains if the financial institutions who possess the "red button" do not figure out new schemes to keep the shells shifting.
In the meantime, I have been thinking through how to use the brokers to hedge against some sort of stock market calamity related to the unwinding of financial leverage. I am figuring that if things resolve just fine, then the strongest financials will soar yet again, and if things do blow-up, then the weakest of the bunch will get crushed. I have posted a table below that I am using to formulate a framework. My first experiment was buying a call on Goldman Sachs (GS) and a put on Merrill Lynch (MER). Small potatoes but it worked even better than I expected. If I do not reload for later in July, I will definitely position myself by late August. Sorry I do not have more time to go into my developing thoughts based on this data, but I think you select folks that take your precious time to read my pieces can figure out something! =smiles= If you really want to "talk" further about it, feel free to email me.
Note that in the last two columns, "B" stands for "below", "A" stands for "above", and "E" stands for "even." Red color indicates the worst of a category and green stands for the best of a category.
Be careful out there!


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On Sunday, Americans Will Be Free
The nationwide average for paying off your total tax bill comes April 23. So how about some serious tax reform?
For many years the Tax Foundation has performed a fairly complex set of calculations to find a simple and sobering result: the calendar date that American taxpayers finally pay off their total annual toll to the government — that is, their individual local, state and federal tax bills as an aggregate. The lone spot of good news is that we're close. On average, Americans will pay off that onerous debt on Sunday, April 23 — one day earlier than last year. Still, it's hardly cause for celebration.
The results are even more telling when the data are distilled to a state level. Taxpayers fortunate enough to live in Mississippi were freed from their overall tax burden back on April 5 — a full 47 days sooner than those who live in the lowest-ranked state, Connecticut. Those of us in our humble shop in Tennessee could celebrate back on April 7, as we have the nation's second-lightest burden. And if you happen to be reading this in Utah today, allow us to wish you a happy Tax Freedom Day.
All of this is a relatively light-hearted way of comparing the burdens we all pay. Given the government spends an average of $31,154 per household, it's more sobering to realize just where that money will go. By far the largest individual portion ($12,141) goes to the combination of Social Security and Medicare. The second-largest amount goes to programs lumped together under the "anti-poverty" banner ($6,143), with defense coming in third ($4,696). Per-household defense spending, however, barely outstrips the $4,393 deficit added to the national debt on each household's behalf.
Over the last three decades, the Tax Freedom date has fluctuated with the general mood of the government in power at the time. Tax cuts under Ronald Reagan and George W. Bush have moved the date forward on the calendar, with George H.W. Bush, Bill Clinton and Barack Obama increasing rates, thus lengthening the time needed to get to Tax Freedom Day.
Like some of his GOP predecessors, revising and simplifying the individual tax code was a point on Donald Trump's agenda as well, but his main thrust was a desire to cut the highest corporate tax rate in the industrialized world. It's a point that scores well with four supply-side economics gurus. Writing in The New York Times, Steve Forbes, Larry Kudlow, Art Laffer and Stephen Moore argue that Trump needs to score a tax victory this summer, and the best place to begin is to cut corporate tax rates and allow for immediate, full deduction of the cost of capital purchases. Add to that a modest repatriation fee on bringing foreign profits back to the United States, and the quartet believes these changes will help the economy. "The additional increase in real wages could be nearly 10 percent over the next decade, which would reverse 15 years of income stagnation for the working class in America," they write. "And, if we are right that tax cuts will spur the economy, then the faster economic growth as a result of the bill will bring down the deficit."
Somewhat more controversial about the approach that Forbes and his colleagues take is the idea that, as a sweetener to attract Democrat votes, a dedicated infrastructure fund should be created from the repatriated foreign profits. Regarded as a "good move politically," if nothing else, it would kill two of Trump's birds with one stone: corporate tax reform would be combined with investment in infrastructure.
In the short term, this free-market quartet concedes that tax cuts would enlarge the deficit, which was the case initially under both Reagan and Bush (43) when they reduced tax rates. But that would create a boon to the economy and lead to an increase in federal revenue, thus shrinking the deficit in years to come. This, of course, assumes that adults take charge of the purse strings and refrain from spending the new revenue before it comes in.
To bring this full circle, it's worth going beyond the Tax Foundation's report abstract to a chart that tracks Tax Freedom Day over time. A century ago, on the eve of World War I (and just after the passage of the Sixteenth Amendment) Tax Freedom Day occurred in late January. Although there's been a little bit of relief since 2000, the year Tax Freedom Day fell on May 1 — "May Day" was perhaps appropriate, as this was during the last year of Comrade Clinton's term of office — the fact that we spend well past a quarter of each year rendering unto Caesar should give everyone pause and make us question how we came to this point.


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gloria mundi
so knowing,
what is known?
that we carry our baggage
in our cupped hands
when we burst through the waters of our mother.
that some are born
and some are brought
to the glory of this world.
that it is more difficult
than faith
to serve only one calling
one commitment
one devotion
in one life.
from The Book of Light. Copper Canyon Press. 1993
Friday, February 19, 2010
Poetry Friday: Lucille Clifton
Posted by Color Online at 6:05 AM
Labels: poetry
3 comments:
- tanita✿davis said...
Thank you. We are Lucille Clifton all over the blogosphere today for Poetry Friday, and it is a good thing to know that she was so loved.
- February 19, 2010 at 8:29 AM
- Kelly said...
Thank you for sharing that poignant poem by the great Lucille Clifton. I discovered Ms. Clifton through her Everett Anderson picture book series. One of the many gifts she has left us.
- February 19, 2010 at 9:51 AM
- Color Online said...
Yes she was, Tanita. Thanks.
- February 19, 2010 at 7:04 PM
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The "Deflategate" appeal could be heard as early as Super Bowl week, according to an expedited appeal process that was approved this week.
The NFL had asked the 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals for an expedited hearing in its appeal of a federal judge's decision to nix New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady's "Deflategate" suspension. Brady and the union agreed with the proposed schedule.
The appeals court approved the expedited schedule on Tuesday. The schedule calls for the NFL's opening brief to be filed by Oct. 26, 2015, and Brady and the union's answer to be filed by Dec. 7. The NFL's reply brief is then due by Dec. 21.
U.S. & World
The appeal could be heard as early as the week of Feb. 1, 2016. Super Bowl 50 is scheduled for Sunday, Feb. 7.
U.S. District Judge Richard Berman lifted Brady's 4-game suspension earlier this month, saying NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell dispensed "his own brand of industrial justice" when Brady was punished for using underinflated footballs in a game during last season's playoffs.


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This document provides you with frequently asked questions and answers about your online job application.
If you require assistance, please contact HR Support Services at 403-268-5800.
Please refer to the How To Apply for a Job guide in the Related Information section on myHRconnect.
Yes. Our online application tool allows you to apply for multiple job openings in a day, but you must apply for each position separately. You can also attach different resumes for each unique position that you apply for. The City of Calgary encourages applicants to tailor their resume and cover letter to be specific to the job opening.
How do I update or delete my resume that I have already submitted?
Once your application is submitted, your resume and answers to the questions cannot be changed or updated. Your application is complete when you click submit. This is a feature to protect your information.
To update the information that is shown in My Job Profile, click on the myInformation tab, and then the Update Personal Information link and change the information as required. You can also submit a request to HR for any updates you wish to make.
The City of Calgary does not accept general applications. All applications need to be associated with a specific posting.
If you are interested in receiving automatic email notifications for specific positions, you can set up a Job Search Agent under the myCareer tab. In the Basic Job Search box, click the Advanced Search hyperlink. It is best to use key words to be notified of new positions of interest to you. To save the search and receive emails, click Save Search at the bottom of the page. It's that easy – you will be notified of any positions matching your criteria for the next 90 days.
Most competitions are filled within six to eight weeks of the closing date. Once a job opening has been closed, applicants with a valid email address will receive an email notifying them they are no longer being considered for that position.
Only applicants being considered for an interview will be contacted. If you have not heard from The City within eight weeks of the closing date it is likely that you are not being considered for the position. Once a job opening has been closed, your status will be updated on the myCareer Tools page, under the myCareer tab. Applicants with a valid email address will also receive an email notifying them they are no longer being considered for that position. Don't give up though; we open more than 40 new jobs each week! Please continue to visit myHRconnect for other job opportunities.
All applicants are assessed relative to the qualifications listed on the job posting. You must meet the minimum qualifications of the posting to be eligible for further consideration. However, meeting the minimum qualifications does not automatically mean you will be interviewed. Each position is screened by different hiring supervisors, so you should continue to apply for different positions.
If you receive an error try one or more of the following:
For more detailed information on the error messages, visit the Help in Applying section or the Help with the Online Application System page for more detailed information on the error messages.


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Professional Community for Car Dealers, Marketing, Advertising and Sales Leaders
Still haunted by the ghost of the 14 million vehicles recalled for faulty floor mats and brake pedals, Japanese automaker Toyota Motors announced today that it would be recalling another 3 million cars – including 67,000 Prius models – due to a defect in the steering column.
According to Toyota, the problem originates in a steering shaft extension which, if turned hard to the right or left at low speeds, may wear away the splines of the steering column. This could potentially cause drivers to lose control of the vehicle, though no related accidents have been reported yet. Toyota says that even in such circumstances, the vehicle will remain safe to drive.
In a second, entirely separate issue, Toyota has recalled an additional 350,000 Priuses (Prii?) for a faulty water pump which may cause the system's electric motor to short out on the road. A Toyota statement reads that "in limited instances, the electric power supply circuit fuse may open, causing the hybrid system to stop while the vehicle is being driven."
This recall might be another blow to Toyota's once-pristine reputation for quality. This news follows a month after a recall of 7.4 million cars worldwide for defective power window switches that were a fire hazard. – the biggest recall since Ford pulled 8 million vehicles off the road in '96.
The issue affects Prius and Toyota models from 2004 – 2009. Repairs will be carried out free of charge, and owners will be contacted if their vehicle is affected. To our Toyota dealerships – expect to field questions from customers about these recalls. Live chat can be a great way to do this. In 2010, ActivEngage launched a program to help dealers communicate recall information from their website. You can email us or call us at 800-441-7779 for more information.
You can follow the ActivEngage blog for daily marketing updates and auto dealer news!
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31 January 2015
By A.F. James MacArthur
The bitter cold Friday night, accompanied by a bone chilling strong breeze, was not enough to make Baltimore's violence chill out.
|With the victim's blood along with some of his clothing still on the sidewalk (towards the left between the stop sign and police car), Baltimore Police investigate shooting scene at N. Bentlou and W. Fayette Streets. /MACARTHUR MEDIA
Incident Number One
After a relatively quiet day, Baltimore Police received a call for a person shot on the 3000 block of Liberty Heights Ave. When officers arrived at 6:40 p.m., they found an 18 year-old man suffering from an apparent single gunshot wound to the head.
Homicide detectives were called to the scene to investigate.
Although not pronounced dead on the scene, the man was transported to an area hospital. His official status had him listed in critical condition, but late Saturday morning police confirmed he died of his injuries.
The Baltimore Spectator arrived on scene within minutes after the shooting happened.
Listen to The Baltimore Spectator's initial reported, recorded live on scene.
Liberty Heights was shut down in both direction at the intersection where Dukeland meets Wabash, while police searched for evidence.
With an expansive vacant field on one side, and a large church -- taking up the entire block -- on the other, the immediate vicinity of the shooting has the feel and appearance of a relatively desolate place, compared to many other areas that have been the scene of violent crime.
Police have released few details on the circumstances surrounding the shooting. No motive or information of a possible suspect was given. The victim's identity has not been released.
In 2014, only 45% of all murders were solved.
Incident Number 2
Several hours after the Liberty Heights shooting, The Baltimore Spectator returned to the area attempting to gain further insight into the incident. A short time after arriving back on that scene, the second shooting of the night took place.
A few minutes after 10:00 p.m. Friday, police were dispatched to the intersection of N. Bentlou St. and W. Fayette St.
Upon arrival, officers found a man suffering from multiple gunshot wounds.
An area resident told The Baltimore Spectator she believes she heard at least five or six shots fired.
Witnesses describe seeing the man laying lifeless on the sidewalk before officials arrived.
He was transported to an area hospital. Like the other shooting of the night, the man's injuries appeared so serious, homicide detectives were called to the scene.
On Saturday morning his last known official status was listed as critical condition.
Like the majority of shootings and murders taking place in Baltimore; police have stated no known suspects or motives. The victim's identity has not yet been released.
With less than half of all murders that happened last year being solved, so far this year, it seems unlikely Baltimore Police will be able to show much improvement.
If the second Friday shooting victim dies, it brings the total murders for the month of January to 23. One of the highest amount of killings ever seen in January.
There is a common perception that violence tends to slow down in the winter months; however, this January, and last January, show no indication of any such winter slow down.
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Become a change agent!
SynoVation Valley Leadership Academy (SVLA) is Valley County's exciting and innovative leadership development program that recognizes breakthrough ideas come from passionate individuals. The academy is committed to inspiring participants to new personal levels which will positively impact participants as individuals, their family and their community.
SynoVation Valley Leadership Academy is a customized and unique leadership program that goes above and beyond studying different leadership styles and community awareness. The Level 1 program is a comprehensive and innovative nine month opportunity that will change the way participants look at their abilities, community and leadership skills.
SynoVation Valley Leadership Academy has three grand strategies to inspire change agents:
INSPIRE: SVLA brings new knowledge, ideas and networking opportunities to inspire new perspectives.
CREATE: SVLA introduces new relationships and strategies that will build confidences, direction, aspirations and skills that ignite your leadership passion.
INNOVATE: SVLA fosters and transforms new behaviors and skills to positively impact your life and community.
SVLA does this through action learning, coaching strategies and leadership theories cultivating capacities in the following areas: personal mastery and confidence, emotional intelligence, leadership and followership theory, positive psychology, making positive impacts, happiness and well being, community and youth engagement.
The SVLA youth curriculum has been piloted in Ord and Arcadia schools as an 8th grande course to foster leadership concepts for our local youth. An advanced leadership course has also been implemented at Ord High School. The youth curriculum was published in May 2015.
For continuous updates about SVLA activity and registration information, follow SynoVation Valley Leadership Academy on Facebook.
SynoVation Valley Leadership Academy
(308) 202-0025
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All rights reserved. No part of this information may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or my any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without prior written permission from SynoVation Valley Leadership Academy. Requests for permission to reproduce or distribute materials available through this course can be sent to firstname.lastname@example.com.
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Established in 1993, HDH COMMUNICATIONS is the exclusive international distributor of the best religious documentaries for the Catholic audience worldwide.
In 2004 HDH COMMUNICATIONS launched its own multimedia Publishing House to produce multi-language DVDs.
I 2007 HDH COMMUNICATIONS created the international catholic online bookstore www.vaticanum.com.
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On www.vaticanum.com you can find the best multilanguage editions from the official Vatican publishing companies such as the Vatican Television Center (CTV), the Vatican Publishing House (LEV), l' Osservatore Romano, the Vatican Radio, the Servizio Fotografico O.R.. Selected editions from other major catholic publishing houses are also available.
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Mr. Blanco has held several leading positions in the healthcare and IT industries over the last decade. Starting from CEO at Agfa HealthCare France, he has led the healthcare field in the Nordics, southern and Western Europe as well as being General Manager Healthcare Nordics and South & West Europe for CSC. Recently, Mr. Blanco became General Manager at the newly formed DXC Technology. According to him, connectivity is what will drive innovation in healthcare, which is currently one of the most conservative sectors.
Justina Januševičienė has been working on various healthcare issues for more than ten years, and for the last five years she has held leading positions in health innovation and access to healthcare at the Ministry of Health of the Republic of Lithuania. She has been in charge of the healthcare workforce, developing and deploying an e.health system and health ICT as well as fostering innovations in the sector, using management tools, health technology assessments, research and development.
Mr. Jatnieks entered the 3D printing industry in 2013 by founding Baltic3D.eu. Less than two years later, he launched his most recent project, Project WiDE, which specializes in improving the usability of 3D printable orthosis and prosthetics. This is how he entered the medtech field. Mr. Jatnieks believes that AI and advanced technologies have huge potential to improve the condition of patients with special needs.
Mr. Drungilas has been an important part of the SERMO team since 2003. For more than a decade, he served as Vice President of Programming before progressing to VP and Global Head of Survey Setup and Data Delivery as well as General Manager of Lithuanian and Mexican sites.
Mr. Kivel is a global executive with more than 20 years' experience in life sciences technology businesses in North America, Asia and Europe. For more than a decade he has been providing his expertise at GrayBella Capital and teaches business-related subjects at MIT. Mr. Kivel also works with Bankinter Innovation Foundation analysing innovation trends, and serves as an advisor at several other institutions. He will share examples of Singapore, Spain, Portugal and Russia where he has helped to build ecosystems to boost medical technologies.
Dr. Kupčinskas is Chief Scientist and a lecturer at the Lithuanian University of Health Sciences as well as a gastroenterologist at the university's hospital. He has written more than 20 publications for peer-reviewed international scientific journals. Dr. Kupčinskas has also gathered experience during scientific and clinical fellowships in Israel, Germany, Italy and Slovenia.
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He holds a Bachelor's degree in Chemical Engineering from the Indian Institute of Technology, Delhi, plus an MBA from INSEAD.
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He graduated in Journalism from Vilnius University and in Strategic Management from the BI Norwegian School of Management & the ISM University of Management and Economics Executive School.


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What should I do if I lose my MagicBand or card?
MagicBands & Cards – Frequently Asked Questions
If you can access disneyworld.com, please visit the MagicBand section of My Profile and select the MagicBand or card you wish to deactivate. Then, when asked for the reason why you are deactivating, indicate that the MagicBand or card is lost. You can also deactivate a MagicBand by using the My Disney Experience mobile app.
If you have another MagicBand or card available, you can activate it on the MagicBand section of My Profile.
In the event that you lose your MagicBand or card while staying at Walt Disney World Resort, please visit Guest Relations or your Disney Resort hotel Lobby Concierge and we will deactivate it for you.
Please note: On occasion, we may be able to provide you with a replacement MagicBand. However, replacement MagicBands are provided on a case-by-case basis and may be subject to a fee. In addition, limited-edition and specialty MagicBands cannot be replaced.
Finally, If you've lost your MagicBand or card and your visit is still more than 11 days away, please contact us for assistance.


text: 30 day challenge 30 day challenge – Day 7 February 3, 2011 howie Leave a comment I like today's challenge: A picture of your most treasured item Bentley This is Bentley. He's my guitar. I bought him this last year while I was living in Portland. He's an Epiphone Masterbuilt Series. He's AWESOME! I love playing him.


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The Facebook App Nobody Is Using Arrives on Android
Facebook has released its new app on Android, two months after it made its debut on iOS. We're guessing you've never heard of Lifestage though, because it has so far sailed under the radar on account of its niche nature.
Lifestage is a standalone app aimed exclusively at teenagers. In that you literally have to be under the age of 21 to use it. Anyone over 21 who installs Lifestage will only ever be able to view their own profile. Which renders it utterly useless as a social networking app The Hottest Live-Streaming Social Apps You Need To Try Instead of merely blogging, people are now sharing their expertise on YouTube, doing Q&As on Periscope and getting creative on Vine. And the audiences love it, because they can tune in while they get on... Read More .
The idea of Lifestage is to build a profile using photos and videos. So, rather than writing about your favorite movie, you'd upload a photo or video related to it. Slowly but surely your likes, dislikes, feelings, and thoughts are revealed through the media you upload to your profile.
When you sign up for Lifestage you tell it what school you attend. The profiles of other people at that school are only unlocked once 20 people are using the app. Thus, Facebook is hoping Lifestage will grow via word-of-mouth as teenagers badger their friends to install the app.
Lifestage on iOS arrived back in August, and has since failed to gain any serious traction. However, Facebook has now released Lifestage on Android, which will, at the very least, massively increase its potential userbase.
There's No Such Thing as a Private Lifestage
One element of Lifestage sure to concern parents (if not the users themselves) is the distinct lack of privacy. While most social networking apps, including Facebook, let you toggle your privacy settings for a nuanced experience, Lifestage completely eschews the notion of privacy 10 Social Mobile Apps That Breach Your Teenager's Privacy Your children have become proto-adults, beginning to grow up. Like their friends, they spend a lot of time using smartphones, tablets and computers in a way you could only dream of. Read More .
As Facebook warns:
"Everything you post in Lifestage is always public and viewable by everyone, inside and outside your school. There is no way to limit the audience of your videos. We can't confirm that people who claim to go to a certain school actually go to that school. All videos you upload to your profile are fully public content."
This effectively means you have under-21s posting videos to an app with no option to limit its audience. There's no way of knowing everybody else using the app belongs to the same age group, and no way of knowing they go to the school they claim to attend. All of which makes Lifestage open to abuse.
Are you under 21 years of age? If so, are you likely to download and install Lifestage? If you're over 21, how do you feel about being excluded from using this app? How do you feel about the lack of privacy Lifestage offers? Please let us know in the comments below!
Image Credit: Garry Knight via Flickr
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