text:
J. Nell Brown
My Writing Cave
My Writing Cave
The places where I write the Orphan Dreamer's stories . . . welcome!
Hi, my given name is Jeanelle Brown, but the spelling is challenging, so I decided to use a phonetic spelling of my name as my pen name.
Say 'hello' to my writing partner, Faith Arabella, a twelve-year-old Maltese. She still looks like a puppy and makes a cameo appearance as Daniela's dog.
One of my writing spaces . . . cozy, with a snowy view . . .
I'm looking out over Beaver Creek Mountain in Colorado . . . about three years ago, I lost all of my hair. The process of losing your hair as a young woman is quite devastating, and for me, the experience was just that! It's interesting two of my acquaintances at the time had lost their hair due to cancer, I had not, so I received no sympathy. One person told me, "you look like a boy" and another "it'll grow back." Well anyways, words are powerful they can stop a person in their tracks or launch them into outerspace. One gem I've learned is that most author's lend the emotions behind their own experiences to fuel the emotional engine that brings life to their characters' stories--even if the circumstances were very different the emotion may be same. As for my hair, my hair hair has grown back--that's hairy me in picture #1, but when I retire, I'm going to cut off all my hair again "on purpose"! It was so easy to manage. Hats off to all the girls with a short crop--no matter the reason. Cheers!
The Biltmore House in Asheville, NC inspired a time-travel component in the Orphan Dreamer.
This is my writing space inside my bedroom . . . perfect for those insomnia moments. Rather convenient if a new scene comes to mind . . .


text:
California submits a $100-billion wish list of infrastructure projects to Trump for federal funding - latimes
With President Trump pledging $1 trillion for infrastructure, California officials on Wednesday took a break from their feud with the new administration to propose a list of $100 billion in projects for possible federal funding to help rebuild the Golden State's system of crumbling roads and bridges and improve transit and water storage.
Any federal money for the 51 projects would be in addition to money California is hoping to raise for its aging infrastructure, wrote Nancy McFadden, the governor's executive secretary, in a letter to the National Governors Assn.
"In the short-term, these projects will benefit businesses up and down the state and put thousands to work — many in communities with the highest rates of unemployment," McFadden wrote. "Long-term, this investment will have lasting, expansive economic benefits by moving goods and people faster, protecting vulnerable communities from flooding, bolstering emergency response capabilities, saving and storing more water and improving energy reliability."
The list of priority projects includes roads, levees, bridges, ports, train and public transit systems, water storage and recycling projects, and energy, military, veterans and emergency operations facilities and services.
The state faces a $136-billion backlog of necessary repairs on state highways and local roads, and Gov. Jerry Brown has proposed in his new budget to increase spending on transportation $4.3 billion a year for the next decade.
Gov. Brown's office said Wednesday it had agreed with legislative leaders to an April 6 deadline for any transportation funding deal. - Read More

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Chainbits™ is an education and news platform for all things blockchain, decentralized currencies, applications, next gen finances and how they affect our society.
Aside to our articulate guides and how to's for the beginner crypto enthusiasts, We offer the latest news, scoops, prices, market updates and knowledgeable analysis.
Chainbits™ main goal is to educate its readers about cryptocurrencies and blockchain solutions and uncover the potential of this tools and instruments to change the existing eco-system.
We are proud to claim that we've collected some of the most brilliant minds in the space in order to give you the most insightful opinion pieces, recent market updates, well thought educational pieces and how to's.
Chainbits™ is an independent organization that is taking the responsibility of educating the market and the traders, to not only to try and make quick gains, but to truly understand the technology and potential behind this astonishing phenomenon that was started by one Satoshi Nakamoti and his world famous Bitcoin.


text:
We've made some big announcements for the HEUREKA 2016 conference happening on June 7th this year. Our fifth conference promises engaging speakers, speed pitching with investors and a hardware exhibition space with virtual reality and 3D food printing. This year we will also have a startup food market where you can taste your way through the delicious food stalls – from top chef meals to healthy salads, there's something for everyone.
Startup Food Market
Dinnery delivers gourmet boxes of ingredients to your door with a set of instructions. The finished product is a high quality, fine dining meal. If you're short on time and need to impress, you can order boxes that include veal or Tomahawk steak and be ready to host in no time
KUKIMI offers healthy, low-calorie food. The ingredients are partially cooked in their KUKIMI bags so that no dish takes longer than 10 minutes to prepare. Whether you want to lose weight, eat light or just try new, healthy dishes, KUKIMI has something for you
Eating With The Chefs gives you the creations of top chefs, ready to eat at home. They've partnered with great restaurants and chefs to bring you dishes like 'mango sandwiches with vanilla carrots' and 'marinated trout with kohlrabi cream'. It's like having a chef in your kitchen!
Green Gurus wants to eliminate unhealthy food delivery. They offer salads and juices which are super healthy and fresh. With jars like the summer quinoa bowl and the mr. miyagi noodle bowl you can eat well without losing out on flavour
Daizu is a new drink that is a perfect in-between meal snack. It is a purely natural product with no dyes or preservatives and is 100% vegan. Come try it out!
Koawach is a hot chocolate that wakes you up. The fair-trade, organic chocolate drinks taste delicious and give you an extra kick of energy. You can also taste their spiced varieties. If you're looking for a coffee alternative, you should try Koawach.
About HEUREKA Conference 2016
Date: June 7th, 2016
Location: Alte Münze
Tickets: Startups – 199 Euros (+ VAT), Services & Corporates – 399 Euros (+VAT), Students – 29 Euros (+VAT)
available on heureka-conference.com
If your startup is looking for funding, you can still apply for speed pitching with our investors! The deadline for applications is May 10th. Find more information here.
Apply for your HEUREKA 2016 ticket here.


text:
The limousines of today are not your grandfather's limos or even your father's limos. Long gone are the days when a limo was just a slightly longer version of a car. Some of today's customized limousines are really more akin to nightclubs on wheels. They say the rich are different from you and me; all it takes to realize the truth of F. Scott Fitzgerald's most accurate and incisive statement is to open the door and peek inside these limousines. Some might call these limos decadent monstrosities, while others might call them an improvement on their apartment or house.
Ever seen one of those Hummer limos? Pretty long and complicated, right? Well, you haven't seen anything unless you've been inside. Stepping inside the latest in tricked-out limousines opens up a whole new world of limo accessories that range from the wacky to the what-were-they-thinking variety? For instance, kids today need never miss a beat when it comes to playing their Wii or watching "Finding Nemo" on those little DVD screens you can hang over the back of the seat. Kids of celebrities have it even better. Believe it or not, but today's limos actually are expansive enough to be equipped with one of those large-screen plasma televisions. Of course, if you've got a television screen in your limo bigger than the television most people have in their homes, you've got to have something to watch. After all, what else would you want to do inside a limo except watch the latest Hollywood blockbuster on Blu-Ray disc with surround sound audio in the most sophisticated theater system on the market?
Okay, so you don't want to kick back in a soft leather recliner with speakers built into it. How about doing some dancing? Dancing inside a limo? Hard as it may be to understand, the rich really are quite different. Most of us cannot crank up a stereo system, flip a switch to engage a light show that would make an Elton John concert proud and then actually have enough head room to do moves acrobatic enough to earn us a spot on "Dancing with the Stars." And just to complete the illusion that you have stepped into – not a limo – but a nightclub complete, why not push a button and magically make a glitter ball descend from the ceiling? It sounds insane, sure, but for the right price, a night on the town means never having to leave the limousine.
Dancing can lead to sweat and enjoying a movie while perched in an electronic recliner can lead to joint pain, so sometime around 3 a.m. you will probably need to head to the back of the vehicle and relax in the hot tub. Yes, today's limousines can even come with hot tubs that comfortably seat at least five people. And if you fear that you must enjoy the hot tub without having access to a flat screen TV or the ability to interact with the guests still partying on the dance floor, don't worry. While the hot tub room can be privatized with a wall divider, that doesn't have to be the case. And even if it is, most limos of this type include at least four or five different televisions.
Yes, truly, the world inside a limousine today is far different than it was twenty years ago. Many Americans could call a super limo today their home and never even miss their domicile, which has neither wheels nor a hot tub.
Recommended Reads....
Rating: 3 out of 5


text:
Acopa 15 oz. Bright White Rolled Edge Stoneware Nappie Bowl - 36/Case
Item #: 303BWRENAP15
This nappie bowl features an iconic rolled edge design that's easy on your servers' hands, yet looks elegant on a traditional tabletop. Its bright white color ensures it will enhance any setting, making it great for restaurants, hotels, and catered events, alike. Pair it with additional bright white, rolled edge stoneware pieces for a look that can't be beat.
Buy Now
- Ideal for fresh fruit, side salads, soups, and cereals
- Traditional rolled edge design
- Built for long-lasting use
- Perfect for restaurants, hotels, and catered events
- Oven safe up to 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 20 minutes
|15 oz.
|2.25 Inches
|Bottom Diameter
|3.375 Inches
|Top Diameter
|5.75 Inches
|Bright White
|Nappie Bowls
|Product Type
|Dishwasher Safe
|Oven Safe
Versatile Size and Timeless Style
This 15 oz. nappie bowl is perfect for serving fresh fruit, side salads, and soups, thanks to a versatile size and timeless style. Its professional appearance is sure to make a lasting impression on your guests.
Bright White Coloring
The bright white coloring ensures that each piece serves to complement any style or color of table linens, dinnerware accessories, or table settings, yet it is bold enough to provide an eye-catching backdrop to your menu items.
Acopa Brand
Acopa Tableware is the brand to choose for all of your tabletop needs. With Acopa, you won't have to sacrifice quality to meet your budget, as they are determined to provide you with the best prices. Offering a full range of both innovative and traditional flatware, dinnerware, glassware, and tabletop accessories, their expanding product lines are suitable for any establishment. The Acopa collection is the affordable option that you can rely on.
Acopa 15 oz. Bright White Rolled Edge Stoneware Nappie Bowl - 36/Case
Boasting a great value and unbeatable price, Acopa dinnerware is the ideal choice for busy bars, restaurants, or catered events. Available in a variety of sizes and shapes to accommodate virtually any table setting, you'll have no trouble finding the perfect set for your establishment.
"These ceramic bowls really add some pizazz to our noodle dishes. Everything looks bigger and stays hotter in these bowls. Our guests always love them."


text:
The best summer recipes involve either a BBQ or no heat at all. This is one reason I love this healthy dessert in the summer (and every other season), along with its deliciousness of course!
It's an extremely versatile recipe. You can adapt it to suit any craving…chocolate? berry? maple?
For a chocolaty pudding mix in 2 tbsp cocoa and a little extra sweetener + some chopped dark chocolate!


text:
We are starting to get settled in our new place. The past few weeks have been pretty crazy. Casey enjoyed her cousins and aunt and uncle visit. I don't have any pictures to post, but I asked her aunt to send me some and I will post when I get them. Casey took them to her favorite park to show them the ducks. We all went to eat on the pier. Casey seemed to really enjoy having them around.
We finished up all of Casey's last therapy appointment the last week in Santa Monica. It was really sad. We are happy to be in Austin, but we are going to really miss the people that have become such a huge part of Casey's life. We are going to have to be sure to visit them all during our yearly trip back to California for stem cells.
Casey did really well on the trip. We made it to Austin by Monday afternoon. We expected the trip to take much longer, but she did better than we ever expected. Sunday was a really long day. About 45 minutes before we were able to stop Casey let us know she was done being in the car. We all were by this point, so I can't say I blame her for getting fussy. Other than that, she was a little angel the entire time.
Monday night I stayed with Casey at the house while everyone else went to get Megan's stuff. While they were out Casey spiked a pretty high fever (103). Over the next couple of days we had to keep her pretty drugged up to fight off more fevers. We took her to see her new pediatrician on Thursday morning. He was really concerned about her fever, and they did all kinds of tests. After blood work, x-rays, and all that good stuff they determined that Casey had pneumonia. We were able to convince them that she would be better at home with medication than at a hospital. We agreed to take her in if anything became worse. We brought her home and she has been taking pretty strong antibiotics since. She seems to be feeling a little better. We plan to let her continue to rest/recover while she finishes up her meds. We take her back for a follow up next week.
Over the next many weeks Casey will be meeting all of her new doctors. I am very hopeful that they will all be really good with her. We worked really hard to get referrals and researched all of the new team. We have an appointment at the house next week to meet the new team of therapists as well.
We have a few more busy weeks ahead. Tim has to go to India for the last week in January. Hopefully we can find some time to get a little more settled before he has to leave. We really like the new house. It is really nice to be back in Austin and near family and friends. I am sure once we meet all of the new doctors and therapists we will be able to start getting back on schedule.
I hope we get a chance to see everyone in Texas soon. It's good to be back 🙂


text:
Powerful dye made of cinnamon that will help you dye your hair without any problem very fast!
Hair is considered to be one of the most important attributes for a woman. It represents the whole image of a woman. Every woman feels pretty when her hair is taken care of.
Many women consider silky hair to be very sensual and impressive. We must take good care of it if we want it to be pretty, healthy, strong and glossy.
Many women want to have longer hair because they can do what they want to with it. Short hair isn't that manageable.
Here, we're going to present you a natural homemade recipe that will help you have beautiful hair, full of life and healthy shine!
Take a look at this remedy based on cinnamon and help yourself out today! It is far better than any recipe and any chemical product that you can buy at the stores!
Dye made of cinnamon:
- 1 tablespoon of cinnamon
- 1 tablespoon of honey
- ½ a cup of olive oil
Preparation and use:
The first thing is to warm up the oil. When it's warmed up enough, remove it from fire and mix it with the other ingredients. Mix until you get a homogenous mixture. Then, proceed to applying it. First, divide your hair in small parts. Apply the mixture on your hair and leave it to rest like that from 15 to 40 minutes. Then, wash your hair with plenty of water, shampoo and conditioner like you use to.
A cinnamon-based recipe for shine
- 1 tablespoon of powderedcinnamon
- 1 conditioner
- Thermal cap or plastic bag
Put the tablespoon of cinnamon into the conditioner and stir until you obtain a homogenous mixture.
Wash your hair like you usually do.
Then, apply the mixture on your whole hair with your fingers, but if you want to, you can also use a brush for the application.
Take the thermal cap or plastic bag and put it on your hair.
Leave it to rest for 30 minutes or throughout the night so that your hair can absorb all the nutrients.
Rinse your hair using plenty of water.
Cinnamon will make your hair shinier and also lighter!
Try these amazing natural recipes today! You won't regret it!
Sources and References:


text:
The continued downfall of our society took a further lurch downwards in recent days with the legalisation of same sex marriage in the US. Now, I could sit here and type out a whole pile of scripture verses as... Continue Reading →
So, once again, (well, the for the third time in however many years I've been on FB), I've decided to jump off the FaceBook train. A few reasons for this.. 1. (the obvious one !).. it's a TIMEWASTER !! 2.... Continue Reading →
After 2wks without DH at home, Friday couldn't come soon enough, to jump on a jet plane and head to Beautiful Perth !! 8yrs since we have had a night away together kid-free !! The plane was HUGE... I haven't... Continue Reading →
While discussing the current Duggar family situation with a friend last night, some very interesting points came up. My concern over the situation is not at all about Josh's alleged sin, as that in itself has two elements.. One is... Continue Reading →
Just had to share this as it is fantastic !! Blessings Peeps !! xox
Have I told you all how much I LOVE my DH to bits ?? Well, I do.. more than words can say. Only 4 MORE SLEEPS until I see him again !! So, I thought this morning, for your reading... Continue Reading →


text: 2010/8/11 Iván Sánchez Ortega <ivan at sanchezortega.es>: > > Ooohh, complete with the "we claim this slice off Antarctica". You know that's > ripe ground for edit wars, right? :-P > Off course ;) It's kind of funny but I didn't knew that we actually control the aerial space of our exact antarctic claim (53° to 90°) from Punta Arenas, and till 131° from Eastern Island.


text:
The Short Screenplay Challenge is an international screenwriting
competition, now in its 11th year, that challenges participants to
create original short screenplays (5 pages max.) based on genre,
location, and object assignments. The event is organized by
NYC Midnight Movie Making Madness, an organization that has been
holding exciting creative competitions since 2002 and is dedicated
to discovering and promoting a new wave of talented storytellers.
NYC Midnight aims to provide the prizes and exposure necessary for
writers to take their next big step towards writing professionally.
M. Rowan Meyer
(Woodside, NY, USA)
Visit his website /
Visit his ISA profile
Winning Scripts - "Trophy", "Spare Me", "Scraps", and
"Diving In".
Lisa Fox
(Washington Township, NJ, USA)
Winning Scripts - "Pilfering the Truffles", "Justice
For The Children", "Send In The Clown", and "Civic Duty"
Click here to read an Interview with Lisa
Demian Kendall
(San Francisco, CA, USA)
Winning Scripts - "Bad Water", "Third Act", "A Dying
Industry", and "Off to Avalon"
Click here to read an
Interview with Demian
(Newtown, New Zealand)
Winning Scripts - "The Neomonster", "Do Robots Drink Wine?",
"The Great Wish Machine", and "Love After the Apocalypse: A
Helpful 'How To' Guide"
Click here to Read an Interview with Teresa
Laura Foody
(Los Angeles, CA, USA)
Winning Scripts - "Tangibles", "Materials for the Blind",
"Weight", and
"Memento Mori"
Bobby Webster
(Brooklyn, NY, USA)
Winning Scripts - "In the Stars", "Downstream", "Bitten",
"Food Chain"
Gregory Fodero
(Boston, MA, USA)
Winning Scripts - "Sing for Me", "Blind Risk", "Catching
Up", and
"Statutory Therapy"
Joshua Briggs
(West Stockbridge, MA, USA)
Winning Scripts -
"Second Movement", "Round
About Midnight", "Play", and "To Get to Sea"
Eric Johnson
(Oak Park, IL, USA)
Winning Scripts -
"Pumpkin Hunting", "Gone
Biddin' ", "Suicide Circus", and "The Mission"
David Bowman
(Redmond, WA, USA)
Winning Scripts -
"Severed Head Overtures", "This Side of Happyland", "The
Changing", and "Schizoid"
(Crested Butte, CO, USA)
Winning Scripts - ''"Rosie's Secret", "The Right to Remain",
"Take Care of My Rose", and "Return to Sender"
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Join our Mailing List |
©2019 NYC Midnight,
LLC. All Rights Reserved.


text:
Legalize It! Hear Bittorrent's Top Tracks On Spotify
Guest post by Eliot Van Buskirk of Evolver.fm.
When I first met Spotify CEO Daniel Ek, in a fancy New York restaurant in 2009, his vision for the company was clear: By offering free music with an upgrade path to a paid subscription, Spotify would lure music freeloaders away from bit torrent and other file-sharing resources, and back to acquiring music in a non-infringing way. His plan appears to be working.
(In fact, Ek knew bit torrent quite well. Before launching Spotify, he was the CEO of µTorrent, a popular bit torrent file sharing client.)
As such, the Spotify chief would probably appreciate Legalize It!, a clever music app that indexes the most-shared albums on bit torrent. Instead of encouraging people to download the songs there, it plays them in Spotify. (The app uses some sort of "python wrapper" from The Echo Nest, publisher of Evolver.fm.)
As of today, here's the list:
no°1: Take Care by Drake with 36532 unique peers today.
no°2: 21 by Adele with 20612 unique peers today.
no°3: Overexposed by Maroon 5 with 20305 unique peers today.
no°4: Talk That Talk by Rihanna with 19740 unique peers today.
no°8: Watch The Throne by Jay Z with 15676 unique peers today.
no°14: Making Mirrors by Gotye with 12858 unique peers today.
no°15: Looking 4 Myself (Deluxe Version) by Usher with 12054 unique peers today.
no°20: Torches by Foster The People with 10827 unique peers today.
no°21: Sorry For Party Rocking by LMFAO with 10787 unique peers today.
no°28: + by Ed Sheeran with 10260 unique peers today.
Legalize It! was created at Music Hack Day Barcelona by Ben Fields. If, like him, you are some sort of wizard, you can download the source code here.


text:
Please click on the link below to setup or access the Parent Portal.
Friday, April 8, 2016
At the beginning of every new school year, Pattonville schools ask parents to fill out registration forms to re-enroll their children for school. In an effort to simplify this process, improve accuracy and save families time, Pattonville is moving to an online registration system that will eliminate the need to fill out the annual packet of registration forms.
In July, families with a student currently enrolled in Pattonville will receive a letter asking them to go online and verify or update demographic, emergency and medical information for each of their children using a secure program called E-Registration. Parents will access this online registration system through a Parent Portal Account in PowerSchool, Pattonville's student information system.
To make this process work, Pattonville is asking parents to go online now and set up a PowerSchool Parent Portal Account if they do not already have one. Instructions on setting up a Parent Portal Account in PowerSchool will be mailed home to families the week of April 8. Elementary parents have not had PowerSchool access unless they also have students in middle and high school, since PowerSchool also serves as an online grade book for secondary students (where sixth- through 12th-grade students and their parents can view grades and attendance information). Parents of middle or high school students who are currently using their child's portal account to review grades and attendance information will need to set up their own Parent Portal Account, as the student account cannot be used for registration purposes. For more information, the Pattonville technology department at (314) 213-8004.
Parents without access to the Internet at home are encouraged to go online using computers at the St. Louis County Library branches in Bridgeton or St. Ann. In addition, the Pattonville High School library is open to Pattonville residents Mondays through Thursdays from 2:15 to 7 p.m. when school is in session. Parents may set up free email accounts at these locations through programs such as Google or Yahoo. Parents' new or updated email addresses should be provided to the school offices as soon as possible to ensure parents receive timely information from their children's school.
Pattonville piloted the new E-Registration system during kindergarten registration in March at select school locations. In the future, new enrollments will take place online using this new online registration system.


text:
Campus zealotry and demagoguery
Here is the quickest way to eliminate female student male professor consensual sexual relationships from the university place, simply do not allow college entrée to female students who are privy to be sexually attracted to any professor. Of course, the immediate reaction by anyone of sound mind, of anyone who has an iota of understanding of the sexual scene, knows that such would be an impossibility. In an environment in which there is a high density of of eligible single men and women, there will be sexual attraction, and dating and mating.
But here is the nub of the matter, those who fuel the movement to ban these relationships have a retrograde view of female sexual attraction and sexuality. They simply eliminate said sexual attraction. They uniformly engage in a psychological denial that female students could be attracted to male professors and have the capacity to act on that attraction. Note that in the dankprofessor's presentation of the initiation of the banning movement at Ohio State, there was absolutely no deviation from the line that female students could ever be attracted to a professor or act on such an attraction. This was consistent with the fact that one-third of the appointees to the Working Group had made a commitment to rape prevention and rape counseling. Arguments of the type made in support of these bans at Ohio State and at most other universities are at their core arguments against rape. To advocate against this position, sets up the advocate as advocating against rape prevention. No wonder that at Ohio State the reception of the Working Group report was embraced and never directly criticized.
Once one understands that the core proponents of the movement to ban student professor sexual relationships see themselves as campaigning against rape and rapists, their self-righteousness and disdain for anyone introducing a civil liberties perspective becomes understandable. Arguing for due process, presumption of innocence in their view simply becomes an argument in support of rape and rapists. Putting forth an argument as I have done that professor
student relationships would not be a problem for anyone if female students were not sexually attracted to professors at one time or another is simply discarded. Such is discarded since in their rape framework the female student is never capable of consent, and always merits the protection of the powerful and benevolent other.
And here we come to the utter mystification of the whole process. In order to protect the female student from the predator/rapist professor they deny the very existence of female power in the context of sexuality. They strip away the female student's sexuality by reducing her to a childlike status in which the consent of the female-child is an impossibility. Banning advocates continuing mantra is that differential power precludes consent while they put themselves in a higher power position and attempt to preclude female students from dissenting to their power dynamic. Antithetical to this framework is the view that female students have sexual autonomy, are not in an agentic state, are capable of consent and the burden of proof is on those persons who argue that in any particular case, a female student or for that matter any student is not capable of consent.
Of course, many persons might critique my analysis by arguing that most of the support for these bans come from those who are against conflicts of interest and prejudicial grading. And such may have some validity since most often at a point prior to the adoption of these sexual codes, the arguments are put into a desexualized and bureaucratized policy code lingo. They end up being put forth in a polite and impersonal framework. So at a certain point the zealots and true believers are in part replaced by the bureaucrats who now do their dirty work. But irrespective of whether it is the zealots doing the arguing or the bureaucrats doing the enforcing, their framework is the same- authoritarian, authoritarians demanding obedience. And if the authoritarians have won or in Thomas Hanna's perspective, the humanoids are in control, their will be few dissenters since the mass of the professoriate are in a state of fear, of being afraid that if they speak out that they will end up being one of the accused.
Or summing up my argument in more cogent terms, when it comes to dealing with student professor romances, zealotry and demagoguery on campus have effectively displaced pedagogy.
If you wish, you can write to me directly at email@example.com
Guest commentaries should also be submitted for consideration to the same email address.
Barry M. Dank aka the dankprofessorTM
© Copyright 2008
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Biblical Studies Specialization
Bible competency among Christians is declining in the United States, placing more and more pressure on pastors, writers, and other church leaders to interpret scripture with competence and confidence. The Biblical Studies specialization is all about preparing students to be informed teachers that shape modern Christianity—especially with regard to key questions of our time: What does the Bible say about war? Sexuality? Divorce? Gender?
The Biblical Studies specialization is one of the most flexible seminary programs. Rather than following a set curriculum, students have the opportunity to pick and choose classes. Offerings include courses in advanced Greek and Hebrew, which enable students to go deeper in the original text; a course in the Bible and pop culture, which, depending on the semester, might explore film, politics, or music; and thematic classes that examine a particular concept in the Bible, such as suffering.
At Portland Seminary, faculty care deeply about empowering students to be effective teachers who can share their deep biblical knowledge with others. Each student is required to apprentice with a professor for at least one semester and study pedagogy with a mentor, an aspect unique to this school. Students also have the privilege of studying under some of the best equipped seminary teachers in the nation, as several faculty members have been through training at the Wabash Center for Teaching and Learning in Theology and Religion.
Offered With
Who It's For
- Students interested in studying biblical texts and their contexts at a more advanced level
- Individuals interested in pursuing PhD or DMin programs
- Individuals interested in contributing to the production of knowledge by teaching, writing, preaching, and/or engineering artistic expressions that enhance and provoke deeper learning and Christian understanding.
Course Requirements
|Any two BIST studios, 4 hours each
|MLDR 568/569 Ministerial Apprenticeship I & II
|BIST 568/569 Teaching Apprenticeship I & II: Internship and Pedagogy
|Students work with their academic advisor to select courses according to professional preparation goals.


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Hello Fartists, this is a piece of my soul. The piece of my soul that longs to rest, but knows it can't. This is my interpretation of this poem, feel free to have and comment your own. If you got inspired, please let me know too! Enjoy these letters, these words and these thoughts. Till death does me apart, your co-founder of ArtFart, SenZei.
Continue, by SenZei
Romeo + Juliet cartoon
This week's WOW comes from one of the creators, John. Originally, what was an assignment for English class to recreate one of the scenes from 'Romeo + Juliet' (1996), now used as one of our first featured artifarts! Probably the most shocking and famous tragedy known to man, molded into the form of a cartoon. We can tell you, he really did put too many hours into making this...
By means of the website 'www.pixton.com' he created this tragic ending, where the split cartoon is also visible and available for download (if you have an account). If you like, download the full version in our ArtMart!
The ArtFart-logo!
It's the start of an adventure, but also a big milestone.
The ArtFart team; mainly John, came up with the minimalistic portrait of an A and an F. The use of orange, grey and black in the website is beautifully combined in this masterpiece of design.
We like it. Just kidding. We love it! With this logo we gave our dream a face and hope she'll soon be able to stand on her own.
Ten days in, things have taken a huge flight. From literally nothing to a website + social media + logo + interested artists. Still, most development is behind the scenes, we hope that we can publish more soon. Until then, enjoy our logo!


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Anytime you can take actions in Bulk, there's an opportunity to be even more efficient. Buried in the Initiative Bulk Actions menu there are several great features that will help you manage initiatives with more ease. Begin by navigating to the Initiative Catalog. Choose the check box next to each initiative you'd like to take an action for and then chose the bulk actions menu. The following options are available:
This will set an initiative to an archived status. You can view it at anytime by searching for archived content, but it will be out of your day to day views. Keep in mind that this does NOT archive the content within the initiative. You'll want to use the bulk actions in the content catalog to do that.
This will allow you to duplicate the initiative, all the content inside of that initiative, the field tags/values, as well as files to recreate a particular initiative/campaign in the future.
This can't be undone so be careful! You should consider deleting an initiative if it was created by mistake, is a duplicate, or will otherwise never be needed for future reference. Choosing the archive feature is a great alternative.
Add Field Tags
This feature allows you to tag your Initiatives with values in bulk! Choose Add Field Tags and then as many fields and corresponding values as desired. You can select the optional checkbox to override all current tags for the fields, if necessary. This erases existing tags rather than just adding new.
Update Tasks
This allows you to update tasks across multiple initiatives at once. You can update:
- Deadline
- Owner(s)
- Completion
Steps to Bulk Edit Tasks
- Select the Initiatives you'd like to update tasks on
- Click the Bulk actions menu
- Select Update Tasks
Note: After you click Update Tasks the window will display ALL tasks in All of the content assets or initiatives selected.
5. Select the pencil icon on the task you'd like to update
6. Select task owner(s), task deadline or check the box to mark the task as complete. You can close out of the edit box and continue to edit more tasks. Any task you have edited will display as 'modified'.
7. After editing all tasks you wish to edit, select Update to apply changes.
Note: Any owner or deadline that is added will replace any existing owners or deadlines on the task after Update is selected.
Set Stage
This allows you to update your initiatives to be planned, in progress, or complete in bulk. Be sure to select the initiatives you'd like to adjust and then choose set stage under the bulk actions menu.


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Just think about the word food, and tell us what do you feel from inside? Happiness and so more happiness, right? Food, the word itself makes each one of us so happy from within. It is something we rely upon for existence and we make sure that to make a healthy choice for a healthy functioning of our body.
By these food cliparts you can satiate your cravings for mouthwatering foods. You can imagine yourself dinning at a pizza restaurant or in a sophisticated food joint with sumptuous delicacies through these food cliparts. They are properly formatted to be used in such editing apps-on as Adobe, Picasa or Inkscape.
Yes eating too much food, all the time can turn out being hazardous for us. However, eating at the right pace and amount can turn out being the next best thing. It is really a pain to avoid eating all those dishes that you crave for but not able to eat due to health reasons. But you can feel that delight and make yourself feel full by using these food cliparts.


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Wednesday, December 02, 2009
Baby/Birdman's Latest Tattoo.
Filed Under: Entertainment
2 Comments:
- Unknown said...
wow can you say devil worship!! it would be a normal star was sitting up on two points..but since he has the single point pointing down that is the is the sign of the devil..like this
- December 03, 2009 1:00 PM
- Jack Spratt said...
dat boy looks like an asshole!!!
- December 07, 2009 3:39 PM
Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom)


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Primitive Christianity Revived, Again
An important part of my experience or witness of the inshining motion of Presence is self-awareness being led out of dependency upon outward forms and into an embracement of and a growing into dependency upon immanent Presence itself in itself. This dependency is the experience of awareness anchored in immanent Presence itself in itself so that which I am is immanent Presence. It is a coming into unity with and in the inshining Light itself in itself. In fact, that is the power of the experience. I am coming out of a way of being that is dependent upon outward forms as mirrors through which being is reflected to see or be aware of self. In this experience, the Light is and I am the Light. I have been asked whether this means speaking the experience of who I am in the Light itself in itself is the same as calling or making myself God. Christ did not say the person in that specific body who is named Keith Saylor is the Light. Christ is the Light and the Light is in me and as I am come into the Light, I am the Light and you are the Light. This experience of identification in and with the Light itself in itself is not an experience of Keith Saylor in the flesh being God, it is the experience of coming into a way of being that you know is shared by all other human beings. So that, when one person says "I am the Light," it is recognized in another as if the words were coming from themselves. When the inward Spirit itself in itself speaks "I am" all others who are of the same witness hear it as being spoken from within themselves.
I am the light and the light is in me and you are the light and the light is in you. The mystery of a conscious anchored in and a conscience informed by inshining Light itself in itself is the appearance of the image of Christ. In this appearance, we come into the experience of being the image and knowing the image within our consciousness, In this knowing, we no longer are in relationship with divine Presence as at a distant but as who we are in ourselves. We are come into divine being and divine being is in us and we are divine being. That which I am, you are. I am the light itself and in the Light you are. Immanent participation in the Light discovers unto us the only source wherein we can truly be at one with one another. Shared outward Political, social, and religious forms, methods, and practices, are not the stuff of spiritual oneness. I am the Light and you are the Light proclaims the only source of Unity. To mind the Light is to mind unity with one another and to speak to and through one another.
To affirm I am the Light and the Light is in me is sometimes reflected on by others as a claim of being God and that there is a separation between God and human beings. A claim by a particular person in physical form to be God himself in himself is the manifestation of drawing the conscious and conscience of people into idenitification with a particular outward form. This is a form of conjuration designed to enchant the conscious and conscience of people to a particular figure or type. Again, Christ did not say that Keith Saylor, for example, is the way, the truth, and the Light. Christ said, I am the Way. When a person claims to be the Light in his or her particular outward physical body, that person makes an idol of his or her body and is idolatrous and brings those who regard him or her into idolatry.
To affirm I am the Light and the Light is in me and you are the Light is not a fashioning of a particular body or personality into an idol and the drawing of people into identification with that physical body or personality for meaning, purpose, and identity. The affirmation that I am the Light and the Light is in me and is in you and your are the Light is the witness that Christ is Spirit and the throne of the Light is in the conscience and conscious. The witness of I am the Light and the light is in me and you are the light is the coming into identification with the Spirit itself in itself is our conscience. This identification with the Spirit is a drawing of the self-conscious out of identification with outward forms and not one of idolizing outward persons, places, ideologies, or theologies.
The mystery of a conscious anchored in and a conscience informed by inshining Light itself in itself is the witness of a bridging between the Light as an object and the Light as immanent within the conscious and conscience of human being. The Throne of Christ is the conscience. Christ Jesus is no longer participated in as distinct being once his inshining Spirit illuminates the conscious and fills the conscience. His image is our image in the conscience. By the power of this bridging human being is come into a witness of that which is shared by one another and is the only source of sustainable unity and relationship between human beings. Identification with all outward forms (which is relationship from a distance) is separation from both the Light itself and other human beings and humane relationships.
Each one of us can witness within themselves the transformation of the very foundation of their conscience and consciousness and be gathered into a different way of relationship with other human beings. To experience coming into the invisible gathering or habitation in the inshining Life and LIght itself in itself, there is no particular practice or method. Simply begin to lay down identification with outward forms as a source of meaning and person and wait upon the appearance of the image of Jesus Christ in you conscience and consciousness. In this patient waiting the grace of inshining Light will appear in your conscious and conscience and will reveal, according to the measure given, the inward rule and government of the Spirit of Christ itself in itself and you will take up habitation in the inward eternal way of the invisible gathering.
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These fantasy photos by photographer Elizaveta Porodina have model Laura O'Grady dressed and posing as the evil fairy god mother Maleficent.
Maleficent is the self-proclaimed "Mistress of All Evil," and that is exactly the feeling that is conjured by the photographs. The harsh and dark colors combined with the clothing as well as the models stern expressions create not just feelings of darkness but as if one is staring at evil itself. These Gothic photographs are further complemented by the headdress worn by Ms. O'Grady help to keep your eyes transfixed on her.
Maleficent curses Princess Aurora after not being invited to her birthday in the Disney movie Sleeping Beauty. Laura O'Grady does such a great job channeling her in these fantasy photos that I've already sent her invitation to my next birthday party at Laser Quest.
These Fantasy Photos are Inspired by the Evil Maleficent
Mesel Isaac — November 26, 2013 — Fashion
References: behance.net & behance.net


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Separation & Divorce FAQs
In a perfect world, everyone lives happily ever after. Unfortunately we all don't end up in relationships that last forever. Whether you're just not meant to be with someone for eternity or serious unplanned changes happen, sometimes you find yourself on the unexpected path to separation or divorce. Sometimes things are amicable, sometimes the situation can get unpleasant. Either way, knowing how to navigate around processes like marital separation and divorce is important in order to ensure a fair outcome.
Sometimes the hardest part in divorce or separation is figuring out where to start. When you're stressed and worried about the outcome of your arrangement, it can be difficult to find divorce information on your own. We have a list of frequently asked questions about divorce to help you navigate these sometimes muddy waters.
Divorce and Separation FAQ:
Q: Are there legal requirements to get a divorce?
A: The answer in most cases is yes. You'll want to check with your state, but most states and counties have a minimum residency requirement before you're allowed to file for divorce. You must also have legal grounds; irreconcilable differences or just separation. Make sure you file in the correct court or county office, which is generally the county where you currently reside, or in which your residency requirements fall.
Q: How long after divorce papers are signed is it final?
A: Depending on where you reside, any stipulations or negotiations, and what your state laws are, the answer is on average anywhere from 6 weeks to 12 months. An uncontested divorce will generally take much less time, and usually those proceedings are only held up by mandated waiting periods.
Q: How long can you be separated before you are legally divorced?
A: In the U.S., being separated for an extended period of time does not mean automatic divorce. You will still be required to involve the courts, but having been separated for a lengthy period of time will help streamline the divorce process. You'll have to check with your state's requirements for legal separation.
Q: What is a divorce decree?
A: A divorce decree is an enforceable order based on the authority of a legal representative of your county or state. The decree is a court order regarding a divorce, an action which makes the divorce in question final.
Because each state is different in their mandates regarding separation and divorce, it's important you contact the offices where you reside to gather further information. They offer resources for potential divorcees, as well. If you are filing for divorce or separation, make sure you have the proper vital records on hand to help complete the process. You may need copies of marriage certificates, and if you'll be closing accounts or opening new ones, a certified copy of your birth certificate would be helpful to have.
5 Comments
How can I get help to stop my divorce and save my marriage really need help.
Thanks for such clear, well written frequently asked questions on divorce. It can be a really confusing time for people, but you answered the biggest questions in a way that is easily understandable.
Fantastic Article. What you said is very clear and informative anyone can easily understand this.Writing the article in Question and Answer style is very attractive. Thanks for sharing this with us.


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Frequently asked questions
Do I have to book in advance to visit the brewery?
You don't have to but you can if you want! Don't feel like booking online? Or just want to be spontaneous and visit the brewery on a whim? No problem! You can always buy a ticket at the brewery immediately before your start the tour. Fair warning: it can get pretty busy here on a Saturday afternoon. So if you prefer things a bit calmer, take a look at our opening hours. For groups of 15 people or more, we do advise that you book your visit online. Just remember to bring your proof of payment and collect your tickets from reception. Got a gift voucher? Lucky you! Our friendly receptionists will happily exchange it for your entry ticket(s) on the day, so no need to make a booking. Still have questions about visiting the brewery? You can find lots more info on our website or send a mail to email@example.com.
Where can I send questions about sponsorship, sales and marketing?
For all inquiries related to sponsorship, sales and marketing, fill in the online form. Someone from our head office will contact you as soon as possible.
I would like to organise an event at the brewery. Who should I contact?
You are most welcome! Send an e-mail with details of your event to firstname.lastname@example.com. We'll be happy to discuss the possibilities with you.
Where can we park while visiting the brewery?
There are two paying parkings in the beginning of the Boomgaardstraat (next to our brewery and opposite to it, next to Velodome). Groups with a bus or coach can get off/on at the loading zone in Mechelsesteenweg. Tip: watch out for cyclists when getting in and out of your vehicle!
Is the brewery tour also accessible for those with a disability?
Absolutely! Everyone can enjoy our brewery tour. In fact, the City Brewery was awarded an A+ label from Flanders Tourism, which means the brewery meets the strictest standards for comfortable and independent access.
Is there a guide available during the brewery tour?
Thanks to the interactive tools and visual effects you encounter on our tour, a guide is no longer required. For extra information, there are also audioguides available in Dutch, French, English and German. If you speak Dutch, you don't really need an audioguide as all information is covered by the exhibits. But you are free to use one during the tour!
What are the opening hours?
The brewery is open for visitors every Tuesday to Sunday from 10am to 6pm. The last entry to the brewery is at 4.30pm while the bar is open until 6pm and the De Koninck shop until 6.30pm. On Saturdays, however, our doors stay open until 8pm with the last entry at 6.30pm. The brewery is closed on Mondays.
We want to do the brewery tour as a group. How do we make a booking?
If there are more than 15 people in your group, we recommend that you book online in advance. For smaller groups, you do not need to book. You can purchase your tickets at the cashier on the day. Although if you do book online, we offer you a souvenir from our gift shop as an added bonus. Visit www.dekoninck.be for full details and prices.
Besides the beer tasting including in the tour, can we also try other beers?
Of course! You can sample all the beers brewed at the City Brewery: from Triple d'Anvers and Wild Jo to Lost in Spice and of course the famous Bolleke… You can also try any of the beers from the extensive Duvel Moortgat range at our bar. Because the more the merrier! But preferably not on an empty stomach, which is why we also offer many of the delicacies produced on site by our "tastemakers" such as cheese from the Kaasaffineurs Van Tricht, charcuterie from The Butcher's Son, chocolate by Jitsk and more.
How long does the brewery tour last?
As long as you like! But on average, it takes around 90 minutes to see and experience everything, including 1 hour through the various exhibits in the brewery and half an hour at the bar for a tasting of our line-up of beers.
What's included in the De Koninck brewery tour?
Our interactive brewery tour will immerse you in the fascinating world of the Antwerp City Brewery. An informative, stimulating and above all fun way to learn about the history of brewing in Antwerp, discover all about Belgian beers in general and uncover the mysteries of the brewing process itself. A range of interactive displays and audiovisual effects ensure a full-blown brewery experience, along with our 4m-high walkway that offers breathtaking views of all the action and dynamis on the brewery floor itself. And to quench your thirst after all that adventure, we have the perfect solution in the form of a perfectly poured Bolleke at the end of the tour.
In case you still have questions after reading the above information you can call 0032 3 866 96 90 or contact us via the contact from on contact


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[JUST IN CASE] you haven't noticed, that the "World" that held such promise in YOUR youth, that "SOMETHING" isn't quite right.
what fun these smoke and mirrors
the fears dreamed of for "fact"
as business schemes get clearer
less jobs "Sam's" dream to lack
we're told that things are failing
while ceilings funds grow weight
electeds worths derailing
LIBERTUS the work of Saints
but the carrots just get bigger
causing trots to THEY know where
best and brightest say "GO FIGGER"
sup with Lions in THEIR LAIR
fade the "Greatest Generation"
trade their industies for SLACK
brush the wool slow ruminations
'cept for funds don't want no black
there's no cake when there's no "sugar"
there's no fruit through "winter's" grip
an economy close to full rigor
laws torpedo far too many's SHIPS
++++++++++++Just a gathering of data:
[Your "IP" makes more money than just ads.]
[ANYONE ELSE GETS A MINIMUM TEN YEARS] ("Page Not Found.")
Just simple folk
they take for joke
until the when
to ballot bend
though few know
that one percent throw
the bones they fetch
on YOU they wretch


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Gemmell's Garden Centre
Falling leaves signal the beginning of the fall clean up season. Maybe you haven't spent that much time in the garden over the past few weeks with the kids going back to school or you have managed to get away enjoy the last bit of summer beautiful, but there are a lot of little tasks that need to be completed to get your garden ready for winter.
Here are some basic Fall garden chores that should be completed before the snow flies.
- Wrap any small trees (especially fruit trees) with tree wrap or tree guards to prevent mice from chewing the bark in winter. Trees that are ringed by mice will not survive.
- Stock up on Bobbex to protect your evergreens from deer. This foliar spray deters deer from feeding on evergreens such as cedars, and yews.
- Rake up and dispose of any diseased leaves from underneath trees, or shrubs to prevent wintering over of blights and powdery mildews which were prevalent this season. If your perennials were attacked by leaf disease this summer cut them right back and dispose of the foliage (not in your compost!)
- Clean out your veggie garden and topdress with manure or compost so it's ready for cultivation and planting first thing in the spring.
- Plant garlic after Thanksgiving weekend for harvesting next season. Always choose hard neck varieties, which are hardy to our area.
- Water all newly planted trees, shrubs and especially evergreens well into the end of October to help protect against winter damage. Fall droughts can be a killer.
- Tie up any evergreens/shrubs with twine that can be split by heavy snow loads.
- Spray boxwood and other broadleaf evergreens with Wilt Pruf or build a burlap windbreak for them, never wrap them directly on foliage.
- Plant spring bulbs like tulips, daffodils, crocus, and snowdrops now. You won't regret it.
- Fertilize your lawn with a fall fertilizer.


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The Raptors know their new-look offence will take time to master.
They also know that the sooner they get used to it, the better.
"I do know our passing has gone down, we started at a high rate and we're not moving the ball as much anymore," head coach Dwane Casey said after a boisterous practice on Monday as the Raptors prepared for the visiting Bulls Tuesday night.
Kyle Lowry, the team's "engine," in Casey's words, has been a spectator more than ever before, no longer getting to the free-throw line at will and no longer found in his usual place atop the league's made three-point basket leaders.
"They want me to just try to get everyone involved and for me, I've been used to having the ball in my hands," Lowry explained.
"I always pass the ball but moreso, if I don't have the ball I can't read the defence as much as I usually could before (so he isn't attacking defences with a head of steam as often).
"For me, it's getting off the ball, moving and cutting and it just hasn't been there for me yet."
Another issue is that the increased movement and egalitarian style hasn't resulted in enough made buckets.
It's great to move the ball — and Toronto is averaging 31.3 three-point attempts a game, eighth in the league — but the issue is only 9.6 of those shots are going in, which ranks 23rd and nobody has shot it worse from beyond the arc than the Raptors' 30.5%.
Which begs the question, how many long bombs are too many?
"Yeah, you can't really live like that, by the three," said Fred VanVleet after the loss to Washington on Sunday.
"It's nice, and it'll help, but at the end of the day you still got to get layups, you've got to get easy buckets, get paint points, and then once you collapse in the paint, you'll get easier threes.
"It's not about the number of threes, it's about the quality. And then you've got to make 'em, right? You could shoot 50 bad shots, they're not going to go in. I think attacking the paint first will open up the outside."
The 2-6 Bulls will be in the hunt for the NBA's worst record, mainly because of the squad's many offensive issues. No team averages fewer than Chicago's 91.7 points per 100 possessions. The Bulls can't shoot, turn the ball over too often and play at the second-slowest pace in the league. They've been steady defensively and on the boards though, holding the past three opponents under 100 points.
Lauri Markkanen vs. Serge Ibaka
Two sweet-shooting big men square off. The Finnish rookie has been the biggest bright spot for the rebuilding Bulls. He was the centerpiece of the Jimmy Butler trade, along with Zach LaVine, who won't suit up for the team until later this season. Markkanen leads Chicago in points (16.3), rebounding (9.0) and player efficiency rating. He is the first player to hit at least two three-pointers in each of the first eight games of a career.
Ibaka has had a weird start to the year, mixing at times stellar play with bouts of lethargy and ineffectiveness. His rebounding, steal and block numbers are his worst since his rookie season with Oklahoma City.
This is the third meeting of these two squads in less than a month. Toronto scored 125 points in an exhibition tilt and 117 in the season-opener, both wins … Forward Bobby Portis is eligible to return after serving his eight-game suspension for punching teammate Nikola Mirotic … The Raptors host New Orleans on Thursday before heading back on the road to Boston, Houston and New Orleans … Robin Lopez leads the league in contested two-point shots per game, point guard Jerian Grant leads in contested threes per game … Kyle Lowry leads the NBA with seven drawn charges


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Wikileaks used to accept donations through PayPal and Mastercard, and the Swiss bank Post Finance used to deal with Assange's (and Wikileaks') financial issues. Not any more though. Those "online payment" services have decided to drop Assange and Wikileaks, citing some vague, little-used "term of service". Obviously, the US and its allies have growled at the finance companies, and the poor litle mites have shat their pants. Never mind though. Serves 'em right, yeah?
Anyway, supporters of Wikileaks and Julian Assange have struck back at these companies' subservience to the USA. Distributed denial of service (DDOS) attacks have knocked PayPal and Post Finance off the web a few times since the campaign really got going; and in the meantime (according to Wikileaks.ch) there are other ways to send money to Wikileaks. From wikileaks.ch:
There are four ways to donate:
1. Online Transfer via Credit Card
2. Bank Transfer [option 1: everyone]
3. Bank Transfer [option 2: tax deductible in Germany]
4. Postal Mail
1. Online Transfer via Credit Card
Using our friendly credit card processing partner Datacell Switzerland.
2. Bank Transfer – Option 1: via Sunshine Press Productions ehf:
Skulagötu 19, 101 Reykjavik, Iceland
Landsbanki Islands Account number 0111-26-611010
3. Bank Transfer – Option 2: via the not-for-profit Wau Holland Stiftung Foundation:
This support is tax deductible in Germany
Bank Account: 2772812-04
BIC Code: COBADEFFXXX
Bank: Commerzbank Kassel
German BLZ: 52040021
Subject: WIKILEAKS / WHS Projekt 04
4. Via Postal Mail
You can post a donation via good old fashion postal mail to:
(or any suitable name likely to avoid interception in your country)
Australia Post Office – University of Melbourne Branch
Victoria 3052
In the meantime, Operation Payback, 4chan.org's group "Anonymous" and other groups and individuals are planning a whole load of actions that will hopefully lead to Assange's release from the trumped-up molestation accusations, and will entrench Wikileak's position enough to let the losers know we ain't going nowhere! Computerworld.com noted that ""Operation Avenge Assange" … aimed at the Swiss bank PostFinance, which froze Assange's assets, was very successful, and has kept the site down for some 24 hours as of this writing."
DDOS can be a useful tool; but it is rather blunt. There are a number of other approaches that supporters of Wikileaks and Julian Assanger will use to help the situation. It's a shame that the Swedish and US governments are so determined to destroy Julian Assange and his credibility. But look: even if Assange is discredited, the fact remains that the cables and other documents are being read for themselves and passed on. One man's credibility is not so important when we think of the information he and his colleagues have been leaking.
If you have a blog, website, column in an online (or even offline) journal, or any other way to make yourself heard, please do so. The Wikileaks event may have far-reaching consequences that we just can't envisage yet. Don't let the public forget what Assange and his colleagues have enabled. Wikileaks will go on with its mission. And for the life of me, I can't see any reason why the man in the street would oppose that mission. Do you want your government to tell you the truth; or would you prefer half-truths, total lies, invented statistics and outrageous claims to justify the removal of our human rights? I know where I stand regarding that… but I really am puzzled at how some other folk are so keen to be lied to. WTF is wrong with you people?
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Free hit counter


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Inspired by the London Tube map, this mountain biking map of the UK features all the best venues to ride your bike and test your limits. We've spent more than 10 years travelling the country and riding venues from Glentress to Gawton and have poured all of our MTB knowledge into creating this stunning piece of artwork for like-minded riders. Inspire your next ride, perfect for hanging in the office, dreaming of the weekend.
- Exquisitely printed on 300GSM Gloss art paper.
- Dimensions: 300mm x 400mm
- Printed to the highest quality using powder coating techniques on 300gsm gloss art paper
- Available professionally framed - back-taped, mounted and wrapped in a dust free environment
- Unframed prints are carefully wrapped in acid-free tissue paper (100% recyclable)
- We donate a proportion of our profits to volunteer trail building organisations
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Michelle Obama Hilariously Breaks Down Why Melania Trump's Inauguration Gift Exchange Appeared So Awkward
The former FLOTUS also explained to Ellen Degeneres how Barack stepped in and saved the day.
Last weekend as a beaming Mitt Romney announced that House Republican Budget Committee chairman and Tea Party hero Rep. Paul Ryan would be his running mate, he also declared him the GOP's "ideological leader." Conservative Republicans, who still harbor doubts about Romney, heaved a collective sigh of relief that the ticket now includes a true standard-bearer whose record confirms he shares not only their small-government values but also an unwavering conviction to fight for them.
"Our rights come from nature and God, not government," Ryan said that day. "We promise equal opportunity, not equal outcomes."
Democrats also believe Ryan has a strong ideological core that sets him apart from Romney -- and it's also what scares some of them.
"He has a set of core values and an ideology that's very dangerous, especially when it comes to African-Americans," said Rep. Karen Bass (D-California). "He essentially believes in the survival of fittest with no accountability or responsibility for equal outcomes."
Democrats are hoping that Ryan's budget proposals, which they argue benefit the wealthiest Americans at the expense of the nation's most vulnerable populations, will turn off voters in November. And according to Bass, who sits on the Budget Committee, and Wisconsin Rep. Gwen Moore, African-Americans would be disproportionately affected by his policy prescriptions.
Under the Ryan plan, Medicare would shift to a system in which senior citizens get a fixed amount of money that is unlikely to fully cover their health care needs. Medicaid, which provides care to low-income individuals, would become a voucher program. These are bad ideas, Bass says, because Medicare recipients on fixed incomes who experience a major illness will have no safety net. And if a state experiences some sort of economic crisis and doesn't have the money to fund the program, the people who depend on them could lose their health care benefits.
Moore adds that African-Americans and women would be most vulnerable "all the way down the line."
"Ryan's plan not only eviscerates [Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid and Pell grants], but also cuts entitlement programs like food stamps, Head Start and low-income heating subsidies," said Moore. "It is a cruel budget and according to the National Conference of Catholic Bishops, it is an immoral approach because it hurts the poor."
The two lawmakers also lambasted Ryan's tax policies, which would lower taxes for the wealthy and increase taxes for some at the bottom of the income scale.
"It guarantees tax breaks for the wealthy and Defense gets what it needs, if not more," says Bass. "We all believe in national safety but if he really believed in cutting the [federal] deficit, he wouldn't support those tax breaks because you have to pay for them somehow and he wants to pay for them on the people who are most vulnerable."
Bass and Moore both stressed their belief that Ryan is a good man and a strong leader, but urge voters to not be fooled by his "pleasant" personality.
"He has managed to be elected from a Democratic district because he's such pleasant person, but I hope people won't be shallow and will peel back the pages of the proposals he relies on, which are same old policies that got us into this mess in the first place," said Moore.
Bass agrees. "I'm also hoping [Ryan's plan] will help what we have argued all along that this is the most important election of our lifetime and about what direction we want our country to go in," she said. "[What] he proposes is so drastic and so extreme that most Americans will be able to see the difference and ultimately help the re-election of President Obama."
BET Politics - Your source for the latest news, photos and videos illuminating key issues and personalities in African-American political life, plus commentary from some of our liveliest voices. Click here to subscribe to our newsletter.
(Photo: Marc Piscotty/Getty Images)
The former FLOTUS also explained to Ellen Degeneres how Barack stepped in and saved the day.
"When my teacher asks me a question thinking I'm not paying attention, but I get it right."


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If you are planning to embark on a career in the field of travel, international business, or marketing, then an internship at Real Aussie Adventures will be ideal for you.
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You get the best of both worlds: working from home while being very much part of the team. You will be in regular contact with your manager, and everyone else in the Real Aussie Adventure company, via video conference, instant messaging, email, phone conversations and our unique project management tools.
The Intern's role is to provide hands-on experience while gaining exposure to the real world of online travel marketing; his/her duties provide an invaluable tool assisting the day to day smooth operation of the online travel websites.
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Please submit your application for your travel internship and we will be in touch soon. Take this exciting opportunity that could genuinely be the first steps towards a rewarding career in our great industry.


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Voting rules:
- You must be a citizen (follower) of Life by Chocolate.
- Vote only once and for only one candidate. You may vote for your own.
- If you vote for someone who submitted multiple entries, please specify which one you're voting for. They're numbered.
- Submit ballots to the comments section.
- Polls will close at day's end, 12 midnight PST Wed-Thurs.
- In the event of a tie, Russian Councilmember Natashastrovaliosovofokosky Bereiashnavariokolovovich will decide on the winner - with my input. Bribes happily accepted but are not guaranteed to alter the results.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ In random order, here's your ballot:
Oh ain't that just ducky?
If things go my way
I just might get lucky.
It's Valentines! I will...
buy some chocolates, buy some flowers
and a little blue pill
to give me four hours.
Oxygen mask yanked off again
Mom's not loving me
As I place it back on.
Champagne and strawberries...
Death by chocolate...
I wanted a heart, but I got a duck!
Cupid is stupid,
My boyfriend is gay.
I went to bed a brunette,
And woke up gray.
Violets are blue
Chocolate makes you fat
I'll eat the chocolate
and you can have the flowers.
Two requirements you must meet.
Chocolate and a lady friend,
Damn! I have no lady, where to begin?
make Valentine's Day fun,
but if you're alone,
all you REALLY want
is the day
over and done.
*Sorry, the following exceed 20 words and are disqualified. Blame it on the Russian judges.
Instead of telling you how special you are in my own words, I found a greeting card while at the grocery store buying ham. Luckily they describe exactly how I feel about you, and I got a great price on the ham.
If you round down that could be 20.
klahanie said...Anti-Valentine's Day. Such a day. Romance at play. I don't really care. It's only fair. My fake smile, sunny. Just give me your money.
Pat Hatt said...Chocolate, flowers and stuffed bears, oh my! One makes you fat, one wilts on your mat and the other is covered in rat scat.


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On Sandhills Rd to the right as you head south towards the Medlands Camping Area. 2 gas barbecues, tables, playgound, basketball court, bike track and Read more [...]
Mulberry Grove Reserve
Mulberry Grove Reserve is next to the shop at Mulberry Grove, with mature pohutukawa for shade.
Okiwi Park
There are 2 entrances to Okiwi Park, one on Aotea Rd next to Okiwi School, the other 500m down Mabey Rd. Barbecues and tables provided.
Okiwi Recreation Reserve
The Okiwi Recreation Reserve reserve is across the road from the Okiwi Airfield on Aotea Rd.
Port Fitzroy Landing Reserve
The Port Fitzroy Landing Reserve is on the left just before you reach the shop on Aotea Rd. It is the location for the annual Read more [...]
Rangitawhiri Reserve
The Rangitawhiri Reserve is across the road from the shop at Mulberry Grove Rd. The community library is on this site with public toilets right Read more [...]


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Here's a nice example on the OTN database forum of Dom Brooks looking at the evidence.
- The query is slow – what does the trace say.
- There's "row source execution" line that says we get 71,288 rows before doing a hash unique drops it to 3,429 rows.
- There's a statement (upper case, bind variables as :Bn) in the trace file that has been executed 71,288 times
- A very large fraction of the trace file time is in the secondary statement
- There's a user-defined function call in the original select list, before a 'select distinct'.
Conclusion: the code should probably do a "distinct" in an inline view before calling the function, reducing the number of calls to the function from 71,288 to 3,429.
Footnote: There may be other efficiency steps to consider – I'm always a little suspicious of a query that uses "distinct": possibly it's hiding an error in logic, possibly it should be rewritten with an existence subquery somewhere, but sometimes it really is the best strategy. There's are some unusual statistics names coming from autotrace in the OP's system – I wonder if he's installed one of Tanel Poder's special library hacks.


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I am branding myself. No, I am not applying a hot iron to my buttocks as cowboys do with steers. But I am doing something that, at least among some of my colleagues, is equally as controversial. I am attempting to make myself into a ballet product.
As Daniel H. McQuiston, marketing scholar at Butler University, defines the term:
Branding is more than simply putting the company's name on a product and broadcasting that name to its target audiences. For industrial products, branding is a multidimensional construct that includes not only how the customers view the physical product, but also the logistics, customer support, and corporate image and policy that accompany this product (1).
Though "branding" is more commonly thought to apply to products like Cheerios and iPhones, I maintain that the principles of branding can be used in the ballet world. I have always used the internet in the development of my career through YouTube, Twitter, Facebook and a website. But now I am developing a new website that I hope will firmly establish me as a particular type of "ballet brand."
Branding educates consumers by creating defined sets of expectations associated with specific products. By educating consumers, branding helps consumers make informed buying decisions. In the arts world, marketing in general and branding in particular are in their infancy. At present, "arts marketing can be seen as being too narrowly focused on the marketing of arts and heritage offerings rather than of wider issues of business and culture" (O'Reilly 574).
Some of my colleagues have advised that marketing and branding will make me less of an artist and more of a commodity; they fear that mixing business with art will somehow dilute the purity of my art. But has ballet ever been "pure art?" If we look at the origins of classical ballet, I think we will see that ballet has always served a multitude of functions, including in a very early and important instance, the function of branding.
One of the most prominent and very first examples for the use of ballet as an image-making tool happened during the 17th century in the royal courts in France. The fact that we still call Louis XIV the "Sun King" shows that his branding strategy has been successful and long-lasting. Louis XIV's predecessor was Phillip IV, known as the "Planet King." Louis sought to top his predecessor by using the imagery of the sun as his mark of identification (Burke 30). Louis XIV also used ballet consciously as a brand to impress both his own court and other monarchs.
Louis XIV scholar Peter Burke writes in the "Fabrication of Louis XIV" for History Today:
The visual image of the king was a stereotyped image, a kind of identikit Louis, and an image which was enhanced in the traditional manner. Louis was not a tall man, and the contrast between his physical height and what might be called his 'social height' was carefully camouflaged (Burke 26).
The King and his close advisor, Jean-Babtiste Colbert, were aware of the fact that he had "to surround himself with an aura of splendor and majesty, to project an image of kingly grace, refinement, and culture" (Swift 361). He saw himself (and wanted to be seen) "as a protector of the arts and letters, the extinguisher of heresy […] and the most powerful monarch of the universe" (Burke 26).
The court spent vast amounts of funds on propaganda, including the use of court ballets as large spectacles, which were intended to make both the court and their participants seem more glamorous. The "fundamental theme of [these] gigantic [festivities] was the intimate relationship between Louis XIV and the arts" (Burke 27). These spectacles seemed to embrace all the attributes with which the King wanted to be associated:
Ballets were similar to the traditional ceremonies of the coronation […] entry and funeral, in being public representations of the king's might, majesty, and right to rule. The court was a stage on which the king displayed the monarchy's power and magnificence in order to awe, impress, and intimidate those whose corporation he needed to govern successfully… (Kettering 400)
Louis was an eager dancer and performed eighty roles in forty major ballets during his lifetime. This achievement "constitutes something approaching the career of a professional ballet dancer" (Prest 285). His choice of roles was strategic. Fitting to his megalomaniac and narcissistic self-perception, "Louis XIV figured as the leading dancer in entrees of suitably royal or godlike subjects," (Prest 285) performing the roles of Neptune, Apollo and, of course, the sun itself (Burke 25). The king played a variety of roles. However, "[whether] Louis XIV was playing a mere Egyptian fortune-teller or the great Apollo, he was inevitably the star of the show as [...] his majesty shone through any adopted role or theatrical illusion" (Prest 295). Even when he "sometimes played distinctively unglamorous roles," he would shine (Prest 295). The king sometimes would appear in several mundane roles before appearing as the glorious Apollo at the end of the ballet.
The sheer number of performances and the diversity in roles he chose to perform indicates a deeper understanding and interest in the art form than a mere manipulative act in his propaganda machinery. It was not all about business or packaging a message and image. It seems he genuinely cared for the art and its progress. Louis XIV combined business and art in a way that was mutually beneficial to each endeavor. He possessed substance as an artist and, through both substance and a fitting presentation of that artistic substance, the Sun King developed the original concepts of balletic "grandeur" that we continue to see today.
Like the court ballet in 17th century France, "the cultural institution that the art institution [nowadays] represents, enjoys, at best, grandeur" (Gielen 281). However, compared to the 17th century, when ballet companies were associated with a particular court, today's ballet companies exist in a cultural business environment alongside "art galleries and museums, educational institutions, performing venues, symphony orchestras, chamber music ensembles, as well as opera and theater," (Weinstein and Cook 4). All of these participants in the market strive to attain a certain value in order to vie for the favor of the consumer and attain sufficient funding (Gielen 282). Most arts institutions are arts organizations in their core, but institutions are much bigger and wider in their scopes than mere organizations. Institutions possess historical significance, and therefore they bear a responsibility to continue their legacy. Compared to organizations, institutions are usually active in the international market.
[Major institutions] are expected to navigate between preferably well-oiled organizations that ensure high artistic quality while at the same time fulfilling the function of "guardian" and facilitator of the associated cultural values. Recognition of these institutions by (generally national) government authorities also sends the message that "I find ballet or opera to be relevant cultural expressions that are so important that I will promote their values on an ongoing basis as a social ideal" (Gielen 281).
The fact that art institutions not only have to deal with facilitating the final product of great value, but also have to "worry" about being self-sustaining creates a complicated situation. In this regard, art institution seems to have an easier time of it in Europe, where government support is substantial, as opposed to the situation in America, where arts funding is mostly coming from the private and corporate sector. On a national level, competition is strong among local arts organizations, but on an international level, competition is even stronger. The art institution is compelled to market itself, just like any other corporation in a market (Gielen 283).
When it comes to very "fine" arts, it is especially important for arts institutions to market themselves on a basic level. Only if marketing communication is sufficiently basic will new or untrained audiences gain the type of access that deepens their understanding of the art form. To give a potent example, I suspect that only very few members of the audience of a ballet know that some casting decisions depend on the hereditary shape of a dancer's legs. Though audience members might intuitively grasp, to a certain degree, that the aesthetic is better in a way, they are unable to explain the minute details. The audience needs help and education through marketing to grasp the art form from the outside in order to have the possibility to proceed to a deeper understanding of the art.
This necessary education of the audience brings us to the fact that marketing is an inevitable process for arts institutions to broaden the public's understanding and support the communication of meaning. Unfortunately, a discomfort exists in the art world, since from the points of view of most artists, business and art are polar opposites. This polarity has dampened the progress of branding in the arts. As Jonathan E. Schroeder in his paper "The artist and the brand" writes:
[…] the intellectual, disciplinary, and semiotic separation of art and business has obscured the potential of studying the art market as an exemplar of image-based branding. An art-centered approach suggests augmenting the branding research tradition to acknowledge both the commercial mechanisms inherent in the art market and brands prominent place in visual culture (1293).
So far, arts marketing has not considered the matter of branding that much at all (O'Reilly 573). In my view, marketing in the arts world is stuck in the old doctrine of "just" providing a cultural product to an audience.
Most importantly, branding involves the understanding that there is an active dialogue happening between the elements of production and consumption. In the art world, the consumer is the audience. Recent studies prompt "an important and illuminating reconsideration of branding processes and shifting attention from brand producers toward consumer response to understand how branding creates meaning" (Schroeder 1291).
Is it not the aim of an arts institution to create a product and art work of substantial meaning? Therefore, the next step as a marketing strategy in the arts world is for institutions to brand themselves.
Now, obviously, there are also advocates who argue that ballet as an art form has been exclusive for a reason; ballet was always considered to a certain degree "royal." But are not even the "fine" arts still basic human interaction? Is ballet, and therefore dance in itself, not simply sophisticated movement? Is not classical music basic sounds? Though the communication of the arts happens with basic "ingredients," the message is more than the sum of its basic parts.
For example, feelings are the sum of various combinations of emotions experienced at the same time, and in a sense it sometimes is hard to define what one feels. In the same vain, an art work is able to evoke heightened feelings through specific combinations of elements and resulting experiences.
The experiences provided by the arts can be supremely enriching for an audience. If we approach the marketing of the arts in a way that widens the audience and deepens understanding of the arts themselves, we can make the lives of more people richer and more meaningful.
But why stop with branding only arts institutions? The constantly progressing globalization and the democratized flow of information puts ever-increasing pressure on arts institutions to distinguish themselves beyond the institution level. What I suggest is to encourage the use of "micro-branding" to distinguish separate elements within the institution, namely the artists.
Encouraging artists to brand themselves allows them to give a personalized touch to an often abstract and initially hard to grasp art form. Ideally, branding should diminish the exclusivity of the "elitist" art form. Ideally, created brands would provide transparency, where before opaque mystique existed.
In an earlier era when branding was a less conscious process, Rudolf Nureyev and Mikhail Baryshnikov possessed in marketing terms some sort of branded "images." Even then, through their brands, they attracted completely new audiences and broadened the horizons of many minds regarding the art of ballet.
Many other art forms have seen successful strategies of branding. To name a few, Andy Warhol, Cindy Sherman and Barbara Kruger created personal brands by actually "commenting on, critiquing and creatively interrogating the branding concept and its role in consumer culture" (Schroeder 1293). Most of the performers in the limelight of pop culture are necessarily branded in order to cater to the largest possible audiences. As examples, both Lady Gaga and Marilyn Manson are clearly created and defined personae standing for particular "feelings" and expectations. In a way, the branding process becomes an art in itself.
With the advent of the internet, branding became available for mere mortals and was no longer exclusive to corporations or pop stars that have a conglomerate of PR consultants behind their back. Social media opened the channels of distribution of information and a democratization of information took place. One does not have to be on TV or radio to broadcast a message to a wide range of people. In a way, Andy Warhol's prophecy that "everyone will be famous for 15-minutes" became true (Schroeder 1294). Except, in the beginning, YouTube clips were limited to 10 minutes instead of 15.
Nowadays, the separation between the public person and the "persona" is fading. In a world in which social media is gaining increasing significance, when does a professor become more than just the human being teaching in college? Where does the branding begin? Is a status update on Facebook already broadcasting a message with meaning? The answers to all of these questions are unclear so far. I think only time will tell.
Valuable questions of privacy arise. In order to share your life online you have to make your life publicly available, but to what degree is clearly up to the individual. Everyone has to clearly decide for him- or herself where the boundaries in his or her life are. I feel comfortable with sharing various aspects of my life, but I clearly have boundaries.
Personally, I consider myself lucky and privileged to live the life I have. I feel the urge to share many of my experiences with whoever is interested in my life. By doing so, I hope to open up not only my life but also my art form to a wide audience. Hopefully, in the process of sharing myself and my art form, I can enrich people's experiences. To me, transparency is key. Transparency is not only the means by which I am establishing my brand; it is also part of my brand definition.
For obvious reasons, people will call me narcissistic and self-centered. For purposes of full disclosure, I have to agree that my reasons for transparency are not purely altruistic. Daragh O'Reilly, marketing scholar from the Leeds University Business School, discusses the term "cultrepreneur" in his writings (582). In his definition, cultrepreneurs "have adopted strategies of intensive media management in order to promote themselves as cultural or art brands and thereby their own commercial success" (583). I hope to become a "cultrepreneur."
Through branding myself and defining my public persona, I gain recognition as a valuable "product" in the ballet world. But is becoming a product really that bad? If I widen my audience and gain economically, does that make the substance of my art less valuable? To me, business and art can co-exist. Though I would not be so presumptuous as to liken myself to Louis XIV, if the Sun King can combine art and business through ballet, why can't I?
One of my intentions in this piece of writing is to encourage other artists to open up and share their lives. I am planning to use this paper as one of the first blog posts on my new website, and by doing so, I hope to underline the elements of transparency of my "brand." At the same time, I hope to inspire other dancers to brand themselves, since I believe that competition is for the greater good and will make all of our lives more interesting and exciting. Competition hopefully will also help to sharpen the brands of individual dancers so that the audience can be better informed when they make buying decisions.
If you would ask me to define my brand as a ballet dancer, I would say that I try to "transcend boundaries." In performance, I try to transcend the boundary between acting and dancing and make that boundary seamless. In a larger sense, I try to transcend whatever boundary exists between ballet and my life. I include in my brand aspects of my life to which members of my audience can relate to perhaps even more closely than to my job as a ballet dancer, such as my love of technology, photography, science, film, and literature. Dancing is a big part of my life, but it is not the only thing that defines me. I try to transcend the boundaries of the new media and make ballet in itself more approachable.
When people come to the theater to see me dance, hopefully the audience will themselves transcend the traditional boundary of audience and dancer. Hopefully the audience will feel an emotionally closer relationship to my dancing as a result of my openness of interaction with them.
Kristin Sloan, who together with her fiancé Doug Jaeger, works on my branding strategy and website, compares the experience of watching sports on the screen with similar experiences in the performing arts:
The more quality access people have to the art form, the better. The multiple points of access for sports games contribute heavily towards making the live experience the ultimate experience, whether it's going to see the Yankees play, or going to your local high school's football game. Each media experience is unique in its format and in the information that is presented. It is designed for who, how, when and why it will be viewed and is part of a larger ecosystem of experiences dedicated to the sport. (Sloan)
In grand tradition of King Louis XIV, I am mixing business and art as I attempt to brand myself as a ballet dancer. However, the Sun King and I part ways when it comes to the types of brands to which we attach ourselves. Dancing the role of Apollo, Louis XIV tried to attach himself to the image of ballet dancers as "gods." His strategy was to elevate himself above his audience. His aim was to control his subjects. "The King's grandeur and majesty derive from the fact that in his presence his subjects are unequal. […] Without gradation, inequality, and difference, order is impossible" (Homans 44).
I take an opposite view of the relationship between the dancer and his audience. My "brand" is based on the belief that the connection between the dancer and his audience is egalitarian and derived from shared humanity. I firmly believe in Aristotle's take on dance, which is powerful in its truthful simplicity. He believed that dance simply and importantly "expresses the actions of men, their customs and their passions" (Homans 44).
Works Cited
Louis XIV scholar Peter Burke describes how Louis XIV and his advisors used propaganda and the arts to develop a particular image for their regime. He then used this image to manipulate and influence both of his state and how he was perceived by other monarchs. Ballet as an art form played a crucial role in this particular "branding".
Jennifer Homans is a historian and critic, who was also a professional dancer. She describes the development of dance into ballet and its cultural background throughout. Louis XIV is being described in great detail.
Kristin Sloan argues that New York City Ballet misses opportunities to market themselves properly. She has been the initial force behind the Media Suite installed in the Richard Koch Theatre and sees it unfortunate that it is not being used due to lack of vision.