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The Rise of Online Reputation (Reputation of the Brand)
According to a survey conducted by YouGov, 8 out of 10 American adults read online consumer reviews for products and services before committing to purchase with 79% trusting an online review as much as a personal recommendation. Furthermore, consumers are now forming opinions about businesses much faster than they did 12 to 24 months ago. Meaning that if you have a mixed online presence, you may lose potential clients if they land on negative links first.
- Be Proactive in Your Approach
First and foremost, the ability to recognise a potential threat before it occurs is crucial. If you can avert a crisis before it happens you are, at the very least, creating a spring board from which a positive reputation can flourish. Find out what the online world is saying about your brand, your employees and your executives and develop a concise monitoring system.
Listen to the feedback and study the data. This will give you an indication as to whether or not there is a potential crisis brewing and will allow you to strike at the heart of the problem before it is out of your control. For a new business, this may be particularly beneficial. Implementing these steps allows you to keep a clean slate clean.
- Compile an Inventory of Customer Opinions
This one can go hand-in-hand with the first point. As a business and brand it is important to have aspirations and strive for improvements. Once you know what people are saying about your brand online, act upon that. This is not just an attempt to avert a crisis, it is an opportunity to fine tune your business to the requirements of the consumer. Be flexible and adapt.
Paul Winum, a senior partner at leadership-development firm RHR International LLP, commented on the importance of personal development in business: "Many people have high IQs but low emotional intelligence. To develop that, someone needs to become a student of manners, active listening, paying attention to other people's feelings and communicating more effectively."
- Develop a Consistent Content Marketing Strategy
Content marketing is a marketing strategy whose success hinges on the creation and distribution of consistent, valuable and relevant content. Google loves new and interesting content and a marketing strategy should focus on your brand, your products and your services.
The importance of content marketing can be seen in the data collated from the Content Marketing Institute. This data showed that 92% of marketers surveyed employ the use of a content marketing strategy; up from 91% in 2012, and this number grew throughout 2014.
- Be a Responsive Business and Take Full Advantage of Social Media
We've already touched upon the importance of listening to and adapting to your customer base. While social media can serves as a platform for spreading negative content about a business, if you are already abreast of what your customers are saying about you it can be a valuable asset. Running a responsive business through social media gives you the opportunity to develop a more personal, interactive relationship with the customer that would otherwise not exists. Failing to responding to customer questions, feedback or even complaints creates an atmosphere of indifference on your part that customers will perceive as a lack of commitment.
We a company engages its customers through social media its brand becomes reliable and dependable. Merely sharing content on social media is not as effective as it once was with the internet making it easier than even for companies to engage their customers. So an act as simple as following up on customer comments is an easy way to increase positive feedback.
- Embrace Mobile
This is again all about engaging with the customer. Not all consumers will be viewing your website on their laptop or desktop computer and if it is not optimised for mobile viewing you may be losing potential customers who don't have time to navigate a clumsy site on their mobile phone. To put this into context, business and technology leaders Forrester, estimates that by 2020 every 1 in 5 sales will originate from data collected through mobile devices.
For every business it is now vital to understand the importance of location-based engagement as a means to acquire new customers and, at the very least, every business should have a website and content designed with mobile users in mind.
- Create a Blog
Building your own blog is the first step to your content marketing strategy, but it is essential to populate that blog with quality content. Your content needs to reach and appeal to the consumer so that they share it in their own circle. Several websites suffered when Google released the Penguin update, an algorithm change that was designed to combat spam, poor quality and black-hat link building techniques. Black-hat link building is a practice that increases page rankings through means that violate the search engines' terms of service. Creating quality, factual and useful content is a must if you want Google to recognise it.
- Keywords and Link Building
Consider your keywords carefully and take some time to collate these keywords. Keep these keywords to one or two phrases at the most and can include your company name, your own name or brand. These will then be used to promote positive content that will push down the negative. Create a link building campaign on your website, blog and social media channels. Use your keywords and key phrases in the anchor text for best results.
- Embrace Innovation and New Trends
Similarly to designing your website with mobile users in mind it is also important to stay abreast of the latest innovations in mobile integration and personalised search results. If you spot a new trend gaining momentum don't be afraid to implement changes, if it takes off, your company could be at the forefront of a new innovation or trend.
- Use the Right Tools
Make sure you employ the right tools when it comes to gathering customer feedback, reviews and so on. The day-to-day running of a business is an intensively time consuming process and many business owners will fall short on reputation management for this reason. There are many tools available designed specifically to streamline the process of gathering customer data. If you are yet to incorporated processes and tools that capture and deliver customer feedback across all websites in real-time, then don't delay it any longer.
- Be Consistent and Persevere
A crucial aspect of creating and maintaining a positive reputation online is to remember that it does not happen overnight. Don't treat your company reputation as a separate part of the business, put as much focus on it as you would with any of the core values of business strategy.
For Companies who are striving for a robust reputation in 2015, but cannot commit to these tips, it would be of further benefit to engage a professional Reputation Management company such as Igniyte who can meet their online reputation needs while they focus on their own business strategy.


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The necessity of Organizing Around
Preparing for is a crucial assist from your popularity associated with a business venture. Setting up will not likely pertain couple removing the right diary also taking fun-based activities attached to randomly selected times. Advanced planning concerns definitely planning a golf course to be able to joining ambitions. Goals and objectives are true addition of the any individual dialogue dealing with scheduling in a business.
Every one of us understand or know the notion of the purpose. It is something my partner and i formulate that folks contemplate achieve. Having said that, we can easily considerably raise the effectiveness in the hopes with pursuing quick and easy points.
Your very first primary is without question location a definite main objective. To give an example, as you have probably, 'do to be honest during the main quarter' is unable to stand as a good individual aim. In case we adjusted that can main objective to enjoy a book, 'sell your kid's textbooks within プラダ 財布 新作 イエロー a preliminary quarter' you will need to have your drive.
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All of us have vanquished town's promotes when it comes to The state of utah in which we desire to boost additional gulf directly into Nevada together with California so that you reap the benefits of most sought after sells. If your mission has cut-throat westward file format, subsequently the numerous targets efficient setting might want to help us be along. An idea works as a long running milestone-type agenda, as well as take care of an image we should set criteria using this method.
Hence by the shop legal proceeding plenty of suitable expectations may well to see a complete store in Street. Henry whilst the starting benchmark. The examples below may perhaps be to ascertain a particular store throughout Vegas; the 3rd towards ton Nevada equipped with locations; and so the final and consequently above to reach Oregon. A vision is designed to choose to be fantastic, and could be even as agrable given that the mature owners now have originality.
The last word primary regarding designing is definitely accountability. Would not conduct a lot perfect for specify クロエ バッグ 新作 selected endeavors just a described eyesight any time you're noone sees by themselves at fault into the dreams as well as allows initiative to really make the visualization existence. With a view to help with task (that has got upper management in the least cellular levels, but directed based on the man or woman owners of any provider) クロエ 財布 リボン 二つ折り some organizations are employing treated assistance.
Run products have the directors with providers to spotlight their set goals coupled with feelings and gives these grunt work which can developed technicians. Unfortunately duty occurs, through the use of firms' personalized craftsmen or even as a result of hired kind, from the essential solution to earn a well-laid routine.

subset: commoncrawl


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It looks like Nord have been busy little bees recently because they've only gone and released the Nord Lead 4 as well as their Nord Drum 2, Nord Pad and Nord Piano 2 HP. This synthesiser features new performance tools, new filters and new effects for the most comprehensive Nord Lead to date!
The Nord Lead 4 is a 4-part multi-timbral synth with a new and improved 2-oscillator virtual analogue sound engine and a 49-note velocity-sensitive keyboard. Of course, the Nord Lead 4 features all the classic waveforms in addition to a Wavetable mode with unique Formant Wavetables! Plus, there's plenty more that you can do to customise your sounds. The Nord Lead 4 also offers Frequency Modulation, Hard/Soft sync options and Unison mode for stacking up to four oscillators per voice for super thick sounds.
In terms of the filters included with the Nord Lead 4, you are provided with Low Pass (12/24dB), High Pass and Band Pass modes, plus new simulations of two transistor and diode ladder filters. There's also a filter overdrive control for distorting your sound before the effect section.
The Nord Lead 4 features a brand new feature in the way of Variation buttons, which let you override almost any parameter and re-engage it instantly. For example, quickly alter the LFO speed, mod or effect routings. This is a fantastic feature for live performance purposes.
The Nord Lead 4 will also be available in a desktop/rackmount version, labelled as the Nord Lead 4R.
For more information on the Nord Lead 4 or Nord Lead 4R, give us a call on 01202 597180.
***If you're interested in buying and you have seen it cheaper elsewhere, please call us or use our
and request our PRICE MATCH service***
As well as receiving our first rate customer service you can also claim money off your next purchase with our loyalty points scheme and receive a 3 year warranty if you sign up to our FREE VIP Club (click here for more infomation). Many of our items also come out on a FREE next-day delivery service to mainland UK customers, so you won't be left waiting!
Also, if you want to keep up with all our latest offers, competitions, news and videos, why not follow us on Facebook and Twitter?


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- Home
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- Contact
If you look up the word avatar in a dictionary, you'll find several definitions. One definition talks about incarnation of a deity. Another definition talks about an embodiment of a concept or philosophy in a person. We would like to interpret it as an embodiment of the best quality sound that the client is envisioning. In that pursuit, what the clients wish for, we will do whatever it takes to deliver it. The ball floating in our logo is the client and the sound the client is looking for. Nothing is more important to us than to help achieve that sound. To capture this philosophy, we have come up with our motto:
This motto is our guiding principle in our everyday tasks.
Weren't you originally the Power Station?
What are the rates for your rooms?
What are your rooms like?
What kind of music do you record at Avatar?
What if we need an engineer for our session?
What if we are a band just starting out?
Do you have ISDN?
What if we want to film / videotape in your studio?
What if we need space for a showcase / album release party?
What if we are coming from outside of New York City?
Q: Weren't you originally the Power Station?
A: Yes. Avatar Studios took over the building and equipment of Power Station in 1996. The original recording rooms were kept intact and have been well maintained over the years. They are still the great sounding rooms they were designed to be.
Q: What are the rates for your rooms?
A: Although we have standard card rates, we prefer to talk to you directly to find out what your needs are and try to work with you to help you stay within your budget. We are pretty flexible so don't hesitate to contact us and let us know what your requirements are.
Q: What are your rooms like?
A: Studio A and Studio C are large size rooms best suited for tracking. Studio A is known for its great drum sounds. It has four iso-booths and can fit a 60-piece orchestra. Studio C has five iso-booths and can fit a 30-piece ensemble. Studio B is an intimate room that can be used for both tracking and mixing. Studio G is suited for overdubs and mixing. Studio E is a Pro Tools editing / mixing suite with a vocal booth. Studio W is a Pro Tools /Logic suite suitable for writing sessions, pre-production and vocal overdubs. Studio R is a penthouse mixing room. We also offer mastering services with mastering engineer Fred Kevorkian.
Q: What kind of music do you record at Avatar?
A: We are primarily known for rock & roll and jazz. Classic albums such as Madonna's Like a Virgin, Bruce Springsteen's Born in the USA, David Bowie's Let's Dance, Roxy Music's Avalon were all recorded in this building. In terms of jazz, we are very well known among the fantastic studio musicians that New York is known for. Avatar has been the home to such artists as Christian McBride, Sonny Rollins, Kenny Garrett, Diana Krall, John Scofield, Dave Holland and many others too long to mention here. For a more complete list, take a look at our Clients page. That doesn't mean we are exclusively rock or jazz. We have recorded film scores, Broadway cast recordings, orchestras, opera singers, string quartets and chanting Tibetan monks. We have hosted a variety of sessions from voice overs, e-books, talk radio to music videos and car stereo demonstrations. The point is that we are very versatile and whatever you need recorded, we will make it sound great.
Q: What if we need an engineer for our session?
A: No problem. We know many experienced & capable engineers who know the rooms & equipment and can help you put together a great sounding recording based on your recording needs. If you need Pro Tools help, we can arrange for an operator that can help you. We also have engineers who we have worked with over the years who consider Avatar their home base. They include Roy Hendrickson, James Farber, Kevin Killen, Gary Chester, Robert Miller, Anthony Ruotolo, Katsu Naito and many others. Just let us know what your needs are and we can match you up with the appropriate person who can help you get the job done properly.
Q: What if we are a band just starting out?
A: We have a New Artist Friendly Program where we make rooms available to unsigned bands just starting out at a discounted rate on a last minute basis. If you are interested in this program, please mention it when you are making booking arrangements.
Q: Do you have ISDN?
A: All four of our rooms (Studios A through G) are equipped with four ISDN lines per room (in case you want to do video as well). We use DolbyFax but we can accommodate other formats with EDNet bridging. We have done many ISDN sessions so our experienced staff can have a session set up for you in a moment's notice.
Q: What if we want to film / videotape in your studio?
A: Avatar has served as locations for filming music videos / live performances (Yahoo, iTunes, MTV), TV shows, documentaries and films. The unique setting & atmosphere make the studio a great location. We understand what is involved and our staff will work with your crew to get the job done.
Q: What if we need space for a showcase, an album release party or other types of promotional events?
A: No problem. Depending on how large a space you require and room availability, we can provide a venue for your event. We have hosted many such events in the past. The great sound and rich vibe of our rooms will impress your guests & invitees.
Q: What if we are coming from outside of New York City?
A: Avatar can help you make arrangements should you require it. Check out our Directions and Accommodations page. Let us know what your needs are.


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Thank you for the nice comments I received on my last two posts. I truly appreciate your encouragement and kindness. I have some belated thanks to pass along. Thank you Alysia of blue hour design for featuring my apron on your blog. Alysia is a talented jewelry designer, make sure to check out her etsy shop. Merci beaucoup Nat for your post about inleaf and my work! Last but not least thanks to Hayley of Ruby Wren Boutique, who used my queen ann's lace pillow as a starting point for her colour scheme finds post.
Tuesday, August 18, 2009
I am working on an art quilt, that requires a large image of the Queen Ann's lace seedpod. Rather than going through the expense of creating a screen for the printing, I had the fabric done through spoonflower, an online digital custom fabric printer. I choose their new organic cotton sateen as a base, and in a few easy steps I uploaded my image, sized it, chose my colors, and picked a repeat pattern that worked for the large format. I am thrilled with the result and the possibilities this printing method brings. Next I think I will design a small scale pattern that I can use for purse linings. I can also imagine additional large leaf images, and practical things like custom fabric labels. The options are endless, and the spoonflower site is easy to use even for non computer savvy customers. The prices range from $18 - $32 per yard, and they currently have three different base fabrics to choose from. They also have an inspirational and informative blog, weekly fabric contests, and an etsy store where a selection of their customers' fabrics are available for sale.
Labels: fabric, inspiration, quilting
3 comments:
This looks lovely - can't wait to see some things that you make with it. Spoonflower does look at good way to go for fabric printing.ReplyDelete
thanks for the Spoonflower link, I would love to have my own fabric printed !!ReplyDelete
The fabric will be gorgeous! I never realized that you could make fabric like that...thanks for the information and the link.ReplyDelete
Thanks as well for your kind words on my blog. It just felt like a good decision to keep the blog even if I feel pressure from it at times!
I always love to hear from you! I read every word and cherish every thought, even if I am not always able to reply back. Thank you for visiting.
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November 25th, 2009Our Fashion Choice
This stunning creation for prom or cocktail parties is from the designers at Flip. A ravishing sexy black dress with a classy design that is seductive. No matter what the occasion, this will be your go to dress when you want to make any night special.Tags: dress, fashion-choice, prom dress, sexy black dress
November 23rd, 2009Our Fashion Choice
This short print prom dress by Night Moves is a modern twist to the classic ball gown. A magnificent strapless dress for prom that features a playful pick up skirt with a trendy bubble hem and a sparkling floral accent on the empire waist. Available in pink fuchsia, purple plum, or a classic black, this dress is sassy and fun.Tags: dress, fashion-choice, prom dress, short print prom dress
November 20th, 2009Our Fashion Choice
A pop of color covered in a sparkling black mesh will make a lasting impression at your 2010 prom. This captivating strapless sequin dress gives you the glamour of a Hollywood red carpet gown in a shorter length that will make it easy to move as you dance the night away.Tags: dress, fashion-choice, prom dress, strapless sequin dress
November 18th, 2009Our Fashion Choice
Great lines gives this short prom dress by Flip an elegant style that will flatter your figure. This shimmering iridescent stretch taffeta dress is available in four different colors. Adding to its charm is delicate beadwork at the empire waistline and a floral detail accent.Tags: dress, fashion-choice, prom dress, short prom dress


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Photos by Wai Lin Tse.
I want to use this space to acknowledge the senseless murder of George Floyd and stand with everyone demanding justice, and
peacefully protesting police brutality and systemic racism. We're putting everything on pause for the day. I realise this action alone will not
bring about any substantial change so if you have any ideas about how best to use this platform to be an ally during this time,
please email me directly: [email protected]
You can seek justice for George Floyd by signing any of these petitions:
Color of Change
We Can't Breathe
Calling all photographers! We're excited to announce that we're starting to put together a new book and this is your chance to submit images to it!Submit
Related Articles


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Accomplished, glowing dimensions for today's woman from the new Swiss Legend Passionata collection. This graceful Swiss-made timepiece strikes a cool, sophisticated note with a slim and slender 36mm diameter case presented on a lustrous embossed leather strap. The stationary diamond-cut bezel glistens with diamond accents. The swirl pattern dial shines with luminous hands, Arabic and luminous hour markers and a date window at the 6 o'clock hour.
Swiss Made
We are independent watchmakers who create and design our very own timepieces. Our expert team of designers and creative directors with over 30 years of experience in the watch industry take great personal pride in the step-by-step process of the timepieces we produce...
Each and every Swiss Legend timepiece is Swiss-made or features Swiss-made movement inside. Our watches are water-resistant 100 to 200 meters or more, so you can wear them wherever you go, by land, sea or air. At Swiss Legend, we want you to Express Your Time.
We only use the finest premium-grade components and materials, matched with state-of-the-art production and careful hand-applied application techniques, followed by rigorous quality testing and assurance processes to produce timepieces of the highest aesthetic and functional value to you.


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Wednesday, September 18, 2013
EP from Mya S. coming October 10.
Wednesday, September 11, 2013
Bit of press for Six 02
Those fine folk at Bands of Tomorrow have a big article about 'Six of the Best 02' - our latest release, collecting new tracks from Navy Bruise, Terminal Argh, Corporal Flashback, Mya S, De blinde passagerer, and Cock Robin (remixed).
All videos (except for DBP done by DBP) are edited and imagined by Theo Bogart.
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Not only is Facebook Inc (NASDAQ:FB) not apologizing but its not believed that revelations regarding the study has not seen an uptick of users leaving the social network.
"They comment. But they will be there tomorrow," said Robert Nava, a 34-year-old online marketer from Orland, Calif., whose Facebook News Feed has been overwhelmed with anger over the study. "It's the same as when we complain about new traffic laws. We will still be driving. When it's something that benefits us and satisfies our human craving to be social, we are still going to keep going back to it."
Apology from data scientist
While the data scientist responsible for the study that manipulated the News Feed of 700,000 users filling it with "happy" or "sad" posts in order to study the effects of those in the study has offered a personal apology in a post, Facebook is not backtracking on its decision to conduct the study.
Quite simply, Facebook did nothing that violated the user agreement and at the end of the day, Facebook is a free service that had your permission. Facebook has said that the study was done solely in order to make content "more relevant and engaging."
Facebook defense
Additionally, the company recently stated:
This research was conducted for a single week in 2012 and none of the data used was associated with a specific person's Facebook account. We do research to improve our services and to make the content people see on Facebook as relevant and engaging as possible.
A big part of this is understanding how people respond to different types of content, whether it's positive or negative in tone, news from friends, or information from pages they follow. We carefully consider what research we do and have a strong internal review process.
There is no unnecessary collection of people's data in connection with these research initiatives and all data is stored securely.
The company also pointed out that the study was "conducted more than 2.5 years ago."
For those looking for an apology, Adam Kramer's apologetic tone will have to do. Facebook is clearly not going to say it's sorry.


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In celebration of the holiday season and today's major update, QuickGene is available for only €50 or $65! That's a €245 or $350 discount and our holiday gift to molecular biologists around the world.
Click here to pick it up before the sale ends!
Sales are limited to three per person, so give it to your boss, surprise the new grad student and keep one for yourself - everyone loves friendly software!
We are proud to present to you the next major expansion of QuickGene's capabilities: alignments! As of today, you can easily align any genetic sequences in a project.
- Perform both pairwise and multiple alignments.
- Choose from the ClustalW, Smith-Waterman or Needleman-Wunsch algorithms.
- Alignments are automatically stored in the current project file.
- Continue working while an alignment is processed in the background.
- Quickly spot and navigate to differences throughout the alignment with the intuitive alignment bar.
We have much more planned for alignments. As usual, you can expect to see many innovative, time-saving additions in coming updates.
Linux Beta
We are also happy to announce the long-awaited introduction of QuickGene for Linux. This is currently in a beta-testing stage, so if you are interested in testing on Linux, please don't hesitate to contact us!
Update 1.3
Naturally, this update has the usual extensive list of improvements, which you can read below.
Other Changes
- Added basic support for ABI files
- The side-bar is now collapsible to make more space for the sequence view. This particularly increases usability on netbooks.
- Faster load times for all systems with extra optimizations for multi-core machines.
- Downloading updates now displays a progress bar.
- Clicking in the sequence editor to give it focus no longer results in losing a previously made selection. The color of the rulers now also become grey or blue to indicate the focus of the editor.
- Searching now fully supports RNA and matches DNA without the need to transcribe.
- Double-clicking projects in the welcome screen no longer causes QuickGene to attempt to open it twice, causing an error.
- Quickly switching options in the statistics view no longer allows the incorrect enzyme list to display.
- Activation failure now displays useful error messages.
- QuickGene will no longer crash due to broken activation.
- Translations are now displayed correctly in RNA sequences.
- Fixed various minor memory leaks.


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The fine folks at Bardball.com have been going strong with the limerick game all through the division series so I thought I'd jump in late. Can't say when or if there will be more in this vein but here I am on the bandwagon.
I pity the Nats fans who bailed
When the strength of an early lead failed.
If I'm no mistaker,
Dusty's still a half-baker,
And the city's hopes all lie de-railed.


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USB Gadgets You Don't Need (But Need to Buy) Right Now
Impulsive gadget buying has a long (if not proud) tradition dating back to the late-night TV infomercial, but the introduction of online shopping has juiced the practice up to unprecedented heights. On top of that, the fact that you can power pretty much anything via USB these days has opened up a whole new world of weird-yet-useful-but-still-weird products you can use just by plugging into your computer (or phone charger). Here are some of the best/weirdest.
Radio Tube USB Extension: $19
USB extenders have been around for a while now, and help give you easy access to inconveniently located USB ports on a desktop computer. This one's exactly the same as all the others, except it's got a serious steampunk thing going on courtesy of the wood construction and retro vacuum tube at the top.
LED Nightlight: $6.99
It doesn't get much simpler than a row of LEDs stuck to a USB strip, but that simplicity means you can take these things wherever you go. Yes, the most practical use is as a wall-mounted nightlight, but you can probably find plenty of other things to do with them... right?
Mini beer fridge: $35.99
If you're the kind of person who shouts "It's five o'clock somewhere!" across the office at any available opportunity, you should probably pick up this tiny drink cooler -- it's big enough to fit two cans (or one bottle). You should also probably rethink your office behavior.
Digital microscope: $39.52
Haven't you ever wanted to look at something really, really, really up-close and personal? You can totally do that with this USB microscope. Just plug it into your computer and install the included software, and you're ready to start examining parts of your body at up to 40x magnification -- at your own risk, of course.
Waterproof borescope: $18.99
If you'd rather have a tiny, flexible camera you can use to find the fork that fell between the oven and the kitchen counter, this is your jam. It plugs into your computer (or smartphone!), and it's even waterproof in case you need to fish your wedding ring out of the toilet. Wait, why's your wedding ring in the toilet?
LED fan clock: $11.30
Yes, your computer already has a clock that'll show you the time... but does that clock also provide you with a continuous gust of cool, refreshing air? Does it impress/annoy your desk mates with its bombastic, oppressive nerdiness? If the answer to both those questions is no, then the choice is clear: buy this ridiculous fan clock.
Heated slippers: $28.99
You might say that the point of slippers is to keep your feet warm as you walk around the house. You might also go on to question the usefulness of a pair of slippers that must be plugged into a computer (or outlet) to provide heat. Then again, if you have a portable USB power pack, you can side-step that issue and comfortably shuffle from room to room with warm, sweaty feet.
USB drink warmer: $16.99
Spending long hours at the computer necessitates the drinking of warm beverages (like coffee) -- but most mugs don't keep those beverages warm for very long. Unless, of course, you have a combination USB hub/drink warmer, in which case you'll never have to worry about microwaving cold coffee again.


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The 2017 CLAC Conference will take place at the Hyatt Regency Crystal City at Reagan National Airport, in the neighborhood of Crystal City in Arlington, Virginia. The hotel is located at 2799 Jefferson Davis Highway, Arlington, Virginia, 22202.
You may enter your reservation online through the hotel's conference reservation page. You may also call to make a reservation at (703) 418-1234 and ask for the "2017 CLAC Conference" rate. The group rate is $199 per night. Please note that the cutoff for group reservation is Monday, May 1, 2017.
Washington D.C. is serviced by three regional airports: Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport, Dulles International Airport, and Baltimore Washington International Airport.
For information on transportation access to the Hyatt Regency Crystal City, please view the hotel's transportation page.


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Brass Repair
I carry out servicing and repairs to all brass instruments including Trumpets, Cornets, Flugelhorns, Horns, French horns, Euphoniums Trombones and Tubas. Freeing seized slides and pistons, removing accessible dents, soldering, re stringing rotary valves etc. All work is undertaken by me, you can be assured that when you discuss your requirements, you are talking to the guy that will carry out the work.
All repairs are covered by guarantee.
Strip and clean the inside of instrument, clean and regulate valve pistons including checking all springs, valve guides, corks and felts, replacing as required. Rotary valves are cleaned, restrung and new bumpers fitted where necessary. Clean and lubricate all slides, valve caps and threads.
As for a service but replacing all springs, corks, felts, waterkey corks, strings and bumpers on rotary valves, remove accessible dents.
NB The polishing of silver plated instruments carries an additional charge.
For additional information or advice please call 07900805152 or email us using the form below.


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Sources at a headphone manufacturer confirmed today to BBG that new iPod headphones do use a proprietary chip available exclusively through Apple.
However, it's described as a "transmission" chip, suggesting that its role is not authentication or digital rights management, even if the result is to encourage manufacturers to pay an "Apple Tax" to license technology that allows their products to be used with iPod equipment.
This partially corroborates iLounge's original report. iLounge noted that the new included headphones with in-line controls use an "authorization chip" to communicate with the iPod, a part available only from Apple. (Apple uses a similar chip inside the latest iPods to prevent video output from working with unlicensed iPod docks and other accessories.)
We took off the covering from our iPod Shuffle remote and discovered a chip labelled "8A83E3" soldered to the back of the remote, connecting a third wire to the second ring on the minijack plug, the same wire the iPhone headphone remote uses to send an simple electrical on/off signal to the iPhone.
When reblogging iLounge's review, both the EFF and Boing Boing used the term "DRM" to describe the "auth" chip. BBG used the same term when questioning the function of the chip, which became understandably confusing for some, as an authentication chip, while perhaps using signaling that could not be legally reverse-engineered due to the restrictions in place from the Digital Millennium Copyright Act, does not affect the ability to listen to audio through generic, unlicensed headphones. (Except, of course, in the new Shuffle, which uses only in-line controls.)
For the record, we do not believe that the new iPod headphones with in-line remote use DRM that affects audio playback in any way.
That said, a three-button in-line remote could have been easily implemented by Apple without a microcontroller. While the in-line remote is simply an added convenience in most iPods, the iPod Shuffle has no controls on the device itself. To control the latest iPod, customers have no other choice but to use headphones made by manufacturers who have purchased a licensed authorization chip from Apple.
Since the new controls also work on the latest iPods and MacBooks, we can now presume that all future headphones released with the iPod controls will include the added cost of the licensed authentication chip from Apple.
Update: Macworld.com also confirms it with additional sources.
The next step? Someone with diagnostic ability should try to replicate the function of the iPod remote to determine whether or not it is encrypted. If it is not, it should be possible for unlicensed clones to be made without fear of legal repercussion. Our sources could not confirm any encryption of the signal, but bear in mind that they only solder in the chips that Apple give them. That said, they did confirm that the new headphones still operate the middle button with the same drop in resistance as the old iPhone headphones, so I suspect any special signaling to control the volume is not encrypted.
Update 2: Just spoke with Apple. There is no encryption or authentication on the chip, so clones could conceivably be made, just not with "Made for iPod" official certification. And now we know!
Update 3: iLounge explains the business behind Apple's licensing schemes:
From what we were told, Apple offered to sell developers the chip for $1 in a bundle with a $2 microphone, costs which are then multiplied and passed on to consumers. The component costs are now apparently lower. There are also authentication chips inside the new Apple Earphones with Remote and Mic, and the In-Ear Headphones with Remote and Mic–the ones that you may recall were delayed last year for mysterious reasons.


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BOSTON - Thousands more mourners filed into the John F Kennedy Library and Museum today to pay respects to Sen Edward M Kennedy, who lay in repose in a flag-draped casket.
BOSTON - Thousands more mourners filed into the John F. Kennedy Library and Museum today to pay their respects to Sen. Edward M. Kennedy, who lay in repose for a second day in a flag-draped casket.
Members of the Kennedy family, including his daughter Kara Kennedy Allen, nephew Tim Shriver and 81-year-old Jean Kennedy Smith, the senator's sister and the last surviving Kennedy sibling, greeted visitors. Today's viewing was open for seven hours.
Smith, the former U.S. ambassador to Ireland, choked back tears. "This is a hard time for me," she said when asked to talk about her brother. She was joined briefly by her son, William Kennedy Smith.
"It's a wonderful tribute to Teddy and the lives that he touched," he said of the line of thousands.
A five-person military honor guard stood at attention around the casket in a high-ceilinged room with a spectacular view of Boston Harbor. Large photos greeted mourners on their way into the room, including one of Kennedy as a boy with his father, Joseph P. Kennedy, and a 1960s-era shot of Kennedy with his slain brothers, John and Robert.
More than 21,000 people filed past Kennedy's casket yesterday, so many that the hours were extended until 2 a.m. today.
Thousands lined streets and highways yesterday to view the motorcade that carried Kennedy's body from Hyannisport to Boston. Prior to the motorcade procession, family and friends attended a private Mass at the iconic Kennedy Compound.
Kennedy, who served as a U.S. senator for nearly a half-century, died late Tuesday at his Hyannisport home after a battle with brain cancer at age 77.
Large photos of Kennedy with his family greeted mourners today on their way into the viewing room at the JFK library, including one of Kennedy as a boy with his father, Joseph P. Kennedy, and a 1960s-era shot of Kennedy with his slain brothers, John and Robert.
The library was supposed to close at 11 p.m. yesterday, but the doors were left open until 2 a.m. Friday due to the massive number of mourners. Many waited hours in a mile-long line to get inside to pay their respects.
A private "Celebration of Life" memorial for family and invited friends will be held at the library starting at 7 tonight. Scheduled speakers include Vice President Joe Biden; Sens. John McCain, Orrin Hatch and Christopher Dodd; and niece Caroline Kennedy, the daughter of President Kennedy.
Performances will include Kennedy's favorite song, "The Impossible Dream," sung by Broadway star Brian Stokes Mitchell. Also on tap is a video tribute directed by renowned documentarian Ken Burns.
Among visitors this morning was the Rev. Jesse Jackson, who said Kennedy helped change the country through his work for minorities, the disabled and the poor.
"As a rich person, no one reached back further for the poor or exalted them higher," Jackson said.
Mourners at the library today represented a cross-section of race and class, and many of them said they had benefited directly from Kennedy's 47 years of work in the Senate.
Fred Foster, 51, of Boston's Brighton neighborhood, said he was helped by Kennedy's work on COBRA, the federal program that allows people to retain their former company's health benefits under some circumstances.
"A few years ago I was laid off and I continued to have my health insurance because of COBRA, and that's a direct result of what Sen. Kennedy did," Foster said.
A funeral Mass is scheduled for Our Lady of Perpetual Help Basilica — better known as the Mission Church — in Boston on Saturday. Cellist Yo-Yo Ma and tenor Placido Domingo will perform, and President Barack Obama is delivering the eulogy.
The Mass is invitation-only and the public is being urged not to go to the church tomorrow as there will be a wide off-limits security area around the church.
All the living former presidents are expected to attend except for George H.W. Bush. Spokesman Jim McGrath said today that the 85-year-old Bush feels his son's presence will "amply and well represent" the family.
Obama and his wife Michelle are expected to leave their vacation retreat on Martha's Vineyard tonight. Weather permitting, White House officials say the Obamas will return to the Vineyard tomorrow after the funeral service.
Tropical Storm Danny is expected to bring winds and dump a great deal of rain in the region as it passes off the coast tomorrow.
Following tomorrow's service, Kennedy's body will be flown to Andrews Air Force Base in Maryland, with an expected landing at 3 p.m., according to Kennedy's Senate office.
At 4 p.m., a motorcade will depart from Andrews Air Force base with Kennedy's body and will proceed to the east plaza of the U.S. Capitol building. The motorcade will enter through the Independence Ave. entrance and proceed to the Senate Chamber steps.
The Senator's motorcade will stop at the Senate steps for a brief prayer so that Senate staff and others whom the Senator worked can bid a final farewell. The motorcade will then proceed to Arlington National Cemetery via Constitution Avenue.


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Ilhan Omar, the Somalian-American congresswoman, has become, wittingly or otherwise, the focus of a noisy debate over what were taken to be anti-Semitic comments and criticism of Obama. Although what she said is hardly new, she does appear to have a knack of ruffling feathers.
Born 4 October 1981 in Mogadishu, Somalia, she lost her mother at two and was brought up by her father and grandfather, spent four years in a refugee camp in her early teens during the civil war before relocating to the USA and becoming a citizen.
She has a stellium in Libra of Sun Saturn Jupiter conjunct and a super-confident Jupiter Pluto conjunction as well. Libra ladies can be outspoken – Maggie Thatcher for one – and her Jupiter Pluto will help to give her the self-belief to make her voice heard. Libra women often have a strong connection to their father, less so their mother.
She's also got Mars in flamboyant Leo in a volatile and not-always-sensitive square to Venus Uranus in Scorpio. Her Moon is in Sagittarius which can be mouthy as well. Plus her Mercury is in penetrating Scorpio. Not one to sit quietly in a corner.
Her Solar Arc Saturn and Sun are squaring her Mars for a series of major setbacks through this year and next. With a raft of undermining Neptune transits to midpoints also through 2019/2020. Though she'll start to pick up more favourable influences through 2020 and onwards.


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Do you like solo travel? Have you done it? What cities/countries are good for solo travelers?
Even though I haven't done much solo travel, I enjoy it the few times that I went alone. The best thing about going by yourself is that you have to compromise. You choose to see and do the things that you are interested in. When traveling with others, especially girls, you end up wasting a good amount of time at malls.
Japan is a perfect country for solo travelers. The country is very safe; the crime rate is extremely low. Room prices are based on the # of people. Many Japaneses travel alone in Japan, so it wouldn't be uncomfortable eating alone at restaurants.


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Incase, the ubiquitous case maker, has released their ping pong paddle inspired rubber cover for iPhone 4. The Ping Pong Cover offers enhanced grip and lightweight, form-fitting protection perfect for people like me who make an unconscious effort to drop just about everything. Available in four colours but I would stick with the black pictured above.
Ping Pong Cover for iPhone 4
Monthly Archives: October 2010
Vapor Extreme Metals iPhone 4 Cases
A aluminum case to protect your stainless steel and glass iPhone 4. These cases are CNC machined from a solid block of aircraft grade aluminum and then refined with a number of different finishes. The inside of the Vapor case is lined with a shock absorbing material that reduces the G-forces of an accidental impact. Available in either the nick-plated, bead-blasted matte black or satin frosted finish. Interesting.
Vapor Extreme Metals Cases for iPhone 4
Mobile Interaction and the Design of Multimodal Interfaces
This is far more academic compared to what I usually post here but it's worth the effort as this relatively long paper is full of insights.
Interacting with a mobile device is very different from our interaction with desktop devices. But what does that mean precisely? In this article for the Journal on Multimodal User Interfaces, Luca Chittaro of the HCI Lab at the University of Udine proposes five types of specific differences, that together make it more difficult to design efficient user interfaces for mobile users.
People want to do more with their mobile phones, but their desire is frustrated by two classes of limitations. One is related to the device, its hardware and software. The other is related to the context, and comprises perceptual, motor, cognitive and social aspects. This paper will discuss some of the opportunities and challenges that this complex scenario presents to multimodality, which can be a key factor for a better design of mobile interfaces to help people do more on their mobile phones, requiring less time and attention.
Distinctive Aspects of Mobile Interaction and their Implications for the Design of Multimodal Interfaces
I can't find my phone (or my keys)
Nicely executed. When you are at your other web enabled device and can't find your phone … perhaps I should attach my keys to my mobile. Now that would be useful.
Do you know those moments, when you can't find your phone but there's noone around you could ask to call you? Well, that's what www.icantfindmyphone.com is for.
Looks like fun but alas it wouldn't work for me.
Via @swissmiss
How mobile phones are changing how Canadians shop
Canada is on the brink of a mobile payments revolution that will empower consumers to turn their cell phones into "electronic wallets"–rendering plastic money, as we know it, obsolete.
Global payment giants Visa Inc. and MasterCard Inc. say emerging mobile payment technologies are not only poised to antiquate conventional credit and debit cards, but everything else we lug around in our wallets – including cash, loyalty cards, driver's licences and coupons.
Those smart-phone technologies, currently being tested around the world, are being billed as a game-changer for the payments industry.
There is already pent up consumer demand, prompting some experts to predict full availability of mobile payments in Canada in about 18 months.
Jack Spade Leather Supply Brief
Look at the detail where the handle meets bag. Love the curve there. It doesn't suit me at the moment but I wish it did.
Grain Leather is a soft, pliable cowhide that has been vegetable dyed to achieve a deep and smokey hue. All styles are detailed with a solid, polyurethane backed cotton canvas lining and debossed logo.
Jack Spade Leather Supply Brief
Senegalese bike tricks
A Manlier Man Bag?
When it comes to compact bags for men, it's best to go with the original compact bags for men: the map bag and the musette.
The map bag has a military heritage. In the olden days before GPS, maps were made out of these huge pieces of paper (crazy, right?), and map bags gave people quick and easy access to them–simple as that. These days, map bags give you quick and easy access to Super Monkey Ball on your iPad.
You can find common canvas ones at Army surplus stores, but I like the more structured leather variety sometimes referred to as map cases or document cases. These are super-minimal, and usually don't have room for anything but maps, a notebook and pens.
From the Wallstreet Journal of all places: Put Your iPad in a Map Bag or a Musette, Manlier Man Bags
The Most Popular Phone in the World
I stopped reading or linking to anything from Gawker media after they outed the Apple engineer but this is a great article written by a contributing writer.
Nokia has problems. Smartphone problems. Software problems. American problems. But to fully understand what's wrong, we've got to understand what's been right, or to put in another way, what's distracted Nokia. Meet the most popular phone in the world.
The 1100 is not pleasant to use. The keypad is too narrow for two-thumbed texting; it's thin enough that curling a thumb for one-handed use is strenuous. Tiny pedestal buttons are concealed behind a squishy rubber shield, and configured in such a way that learning how to use the phone is a process of rote memorization and habit-building rather than intuition.
The phone's small size makes its extremely portable, and easy to carry or stow. That narrow, squishy keypad is dustproof and water resistant, so a splash of rain or a drop in the sand won't ruin it. The phone's plasticky shell and light weight make perfect sense the first time you see it bounce off your tile floor, skittering to a stop unscathed. […]
This phone was meant to survive and to do; its only jobs are to call and to text and to create convenience for as long as possible, as cheaply as possible.
Tailfeather Honeyeater
A photo of this tote has been sitting on my desk for a couple months. A great looking bag sturdy enough to go through more than one generation of device that it is designed to carry. The Honeyeater is made of felt with canvas lining, hand stitched leather handles, laser etched details and a phone pocket. Capacious enough for your 15″ laptop.
Honeyeater tote bag
Workers Canvas Shoulder Bag
Bags of this size and type are fairly popular here; at least in the areas I frequent. They seem to be used as a sort of upscale shoulder strap version of the shaving bags gangster types carry their gear in. Most I see are Porter or clones made from poor materials.
This canvas bag from Workers is made from all natural materials and would make a great bag to carry your daily essentials. It might be to much like a purse for many but I think it looks fine.
Workers Canvas Shoulder Bag
Black United Bamboo x Porter Travel Bag
This type of bag is growing on me. Maybe it's my age or the simple fact that this one from Porter looks amazing.
Roomy and durable canvas travel bag with detachable leather shoulder strap. Features leather accents, zippered front and back pockets and interior pocket, waterproof bottom.
Black United Bamboo x Porter Travel Bag
The importance of a desk
Some interesting thoughts, especially the 'failed social experiment' with 'nomadic workers'. There is a diiference in expectations between a mobile workspace and being required to sit in a different seat each time you go to the office. I think we can create our workspace anywhere we are which in my case is almost always a morass of papers and objects. And I never throw anything out.
Younghee Jung on design research for Nokia
Younghee Jung, manager and design researcher at the Nokia Research Centre in Bangalore, India, has been featured again on the Nokia Conversations blog through a long interview. Younghee is one of the more visible (luckily for us) researchers involved with mobile and I always enjoy the insight that she brings to conversations such as this. Here is a sample of her responses from the interview:
Mobile phones have now been around for two decades. In the early days, it was very much about what was technically possible but now it's becoming much more about lifestyle.
Have you noticed a shift in the impact technology has on people's lives in developing countries?
I think the interesting part is when it comes to comparing rural and urban areas. The difference is quite significant. Although those living in the slums are from rural areas they're quickly exposed to what's available. The majority are aware about what is possible with technology and if they have a certain amount of knowledge and money they would have access to technology. They can almost set goals. Opinion-wise it's a rich environment in the way that they know what technology can do for them. On the other hand, whether they are able to overcome the threshold that exists between now and their aspiration level is another issue. Even the notion of the Internet is not uncommon. These communities have internet cafes and with this information, they can form a clearer idea about what they would do if they had a mobile connection. One inspiring story from the favela in Rio was that someone used the Internet to search for a scholarship. It's an example of how information technology can change their path of life rather than just making a bit more money.
Younghee Jung on design research for Nokia. Via Putting people first
The ultra-portable for the rest of us
While I was asleep Apple released their update to the MacBook Air, and I think it is shaping up to be a great solution for travellers who need to work in adhoc spaces. It is going to make in some instances for a tough decision between choosing this and the iPad when traveling — the 11.6″ looks impossibly tiny.
That decision gets harder when you realize that the Air takes a number of design cues from the iPad including instant on, passable battery life, multi-touch track pad, amazing standby time and rigid unibody construction. And finally the Air, in not including an optical drive, includes a restore disc on a flash drive instead of a dvd. Like the iPad much of your data is going to stored off the device with local storage only when absolutely needed.
Pre-iPad I was a big lover of the opportunities that Netbooks provided. Their size and low cost meant that we could bring our work with us anywhere we went (I realize this is not an entirely satisfactory development) but in the initial race to the bottom they often produced unsatisfactory experiences. With the exception of the models that approach the MacBook Airs price point, most were frustratingly slow, had poor screens and terrible build quality. If the MacBook Air is able to improve upon the performance of it's prior iteration, it's going to be a popular choice with those who care about the quality and usability of their tools.
Both models look fantastic but I am particularly enamoured with the 11.6″.
If you are looking for a sleeve Tom Bihn announced that their Size Air11 Cache is available for pre-order with delivery in November. All of Tom Bihn's bags are of the highest quality.


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Last week it was reported that the U.S. military had arrested four men in the case of kidnapped Christian Science Monitor reporter Jill Carroll. Charges are pending.
Sounds straightforward enough - bad guys did harm to one of our people, and we nabbed them. However.....according to our President, there is a viable, democratically elected government in Iraq. That being the case, and considering that this was a crime carried out in Iraq by Iraqi citizens, why weren't these four arrested by members of Iraq's crack security forces? After that, they could be put in an Iraqi-run prison and tried in the Iraqi judicial system. This system is now advanced enough that they are trying their own former dictator.
Could it possibly be that we don't trust the government that we say is so effective? That would be a case of talking out of both sides of our mouth.
Monday, August 14, 2006
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This 370QD0KX cartridge gives you an approximate print yield of 20,000 pages based on 5% A4 coverage, giving you a high number of quality prints time after time. The high yield saves you money as it reduces the cost-per-page ratio and requires changing less often. As such you can get excellent quality black and white output without spending too much.
We understand how important printing is in the office or home and here at the Post Office Shop we have your entire Kyocera printing needs met with a large range of Kyocera Laser Toners that you may find useful.


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Tagged: resources
Collapse and Joseph Tainter
I had recently come across Joseph Tainter's Collapse of Complex Societies. As the title suggests, the book explores how past civilizations (and ours?) were unable to cope with certain pressures of their environment and collapsed. The book qualifies the term "collapse" – in Tainter's view, collapse is a justifiable choice when a society is unable to solve the various problems with greater complexity in their socio-political configurations.
Tainter offers the following points:
- Human societies are problem-solving organizations;
- Sociopolitical systems require energy for their maintenance;
- Increased complexities carries with it costs per capita;
- Investment in sociopolitical complexity as a problem solving response often reaches a point of declining marginal returns.
(p. 194)
Collapse then, is the reduction of sociopolitical complexity. This is manifested in the breakdown of a central administrative authority. Collapse can only occur in the absence of a political vacuum. Hence, the book describes the case of the collapse of the Western Roman Empire, and not the Eastern Roman Empire, which would have caused the expansion of peer empires in the immediate region.
Tainter goes on to explore whether the world might be on the verge of collapse. According to Tainter, there are "patterns of declining marginal returns" in several areas, including:
- Agriculture;
- Minerals and energy production;
- Government, military and industrial management;
(p. 211)
and several others. The only way out of this is to seek energy subsidies – to seek a new source of energy that is abundant, and therefore, cheap.
Overall, whether or not the whole world is on the verge of collapse is difficult to say. An individual country can no longer collapse because of the inter-linkages between countries. The collapse of one country these days typically results in an intervention by the global community of some sort, either through a UN mission, or by a group of countries.
There is another way out of collapse. Collapse can be put off by the discovery of new resources. On Earth, the production of minerals and energy could soon be entering a phase of declining returns, and the only other way left seems to be the prospect of mining asteroids in space.
There is also a darker side to this discussion about collapse, and that is collapse might not be such a bad thing. Collapse occurs when the cost of sustaining otherwise complex socio-political arrangements becomes difficult in the face of stresses. Collapse is an option, and an entirely valid and rational option to boot. The natural question to ask is: how can we stave off collapse?
To stave off collapse, one could begin thinking about how to develop alternative and abundant sources of energy. Can we wait for the market to solve that out? In principle, the carbon-based energy supplies are not going to run out anytime soon, although they might become economically unfeasible to extract (and depending on the environment costs attached to their usage). The other solution has to do with how we can reduce the complexity of our various socio-political systems. The nation-state as manifest in our present day might as well represent an "optimum" complexity – and that means that the EU experiment might break down simply because of the costs associated with maintaining the current regime. Translation services for the 23 official languages in the EU costs up to 300M euros per year in the DGs alone. (http://ec.europa.eu/dgs/translation/faq/index_en.htm)
The nation-state could be an optimum arrangement when the people are fairly homogenous and when they share similar values and history. In this respect, nationalism becomes an entirely rational course of action. To reduce transaction costs between the people and the state, there should be congruence in the values and perception of the nation in the first place. Energy (both physical and administrative) would then not be needlessly expended trying to get the values of people in line with the state for every administrative action.
Yet there are sub-state actors as well. Beneath the state, there can be regional bodies with the attendant departments. Cities can be broken down into districts, and districts into sub-districts and zones and sub-zones and finally into neighborhoods. From this perspective, socio-political organization can be thought of as being fractal in nature; self-similar at every level of abstraction, but not quite the same. An appropriate imagery would be the branches of a tree. When socio-political collapse happens, the break down need not be total chaos – autonomy and allocative decisions devolve down the hierarchy. This also means a prior allocation of administrative resources to levels of authority below the hierarchy. At some point, some of these resources might be thought of as wasteful, but in the management of a crisis, power needs to be vested in the lower levels of hierarchy before higher levels of authority can take stock and take charge of the situation.
The sharp reader will note another conundrum here. In times of crises, the devolution of power might be useful, but in normal operating conditions, the investment of power in lower levels of hierarchy can be threatening to the higher levels of hierarchy. Hence separatist movements can happen, as with civil wars, when high levels of autonomy can be granted to regions. This issue depends on the relative levels of power between the central administration and the regional administration. The balance of power between the various sub-national polities is likely to be the result of historical trajectories. There is no clear answer. Singapore, as with all countries, will have to find their own solutions.


text: Tai O Village used to be a thriving fishing community on the western side of Lantau Island. Previously known as Tanka because the Tankas – the boat people – are an ethnic group who lived on junks in the coastal areas of Southern China. The stilt houses on the water are still the main attraction and the reason why tourist keep coming. Personally I find Tai O's older history and exotic past the most fascinating. It was once a port of many illegal activities from smuggling guns to drugs and trafficking of people from and to mainland China. That was during the turbulent years of the occupation by the Portuguese in the 1730's but continued after the Brits invaded and during the Chinese Civil War. If that was not enough, a massive fire in 2000 spread through the village and destroyed a large part of the stilt housing community. It is a very impressive resume for a tiny coastal village. But, before you get the wrong impression of Tai O, things have moved on over here. The wild days of smuggling are over and for the last few decades the younger generation has relocated to more prosperous areas on Hong Kong Island and Kowloon where most of the jobs are. But interestingly, after an exodus that lasted several decades people are now moving back to Tai O to escape Hong Kong's tumult and relish the humdrum of Tai O village.


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Powell River
Important Update for Travellers: Due to COVID-19, BC Ferries is advising customers to avoid non-essential travel. We are not accepting any Vacations bookings for travel to Powell River or the Sunshine Coast until after June 3, 2020 at this time. We are closely monitoring the situation and will reassess, acting in accordance with recommendations from the Public Health Agency of Canada and local tourism boards. See more important COVID-19 travel information here.
Located on the beautiful Malaspina Strait, northwest of Vancouver, Powell River is surrounded by spectacular natural beauty. Once home to the world's largest pulp and paper mill, its low rainfall and a year-round moderate climate set the stage for some of the best year-round outdoor recreation options in Canada. You can go charter fishing, kayaking, scuba diving and canoeing on the ocean in any season. And on land, there's hiking and mountain biking, along with walking and beachcombing. There's an 18-hole championship golf course, the Myrtle Point Golf Course designed by Les Furber, a 9-hole course at Dune's, and a Putters Mini Golf. In town, you can visit art galleries and historic sites, including Townsite, designated a National Historic District in 1995. You can also dine in one of many restaurants, or enjoy a spa treatment in one of many spas in the area.
Top 5 things to do
- Kayak or canoe in the ocean
- Golf on a championship course or enjoy a round of mini-golf
- Beachcomb along sandy beaches
- Explore Desolation Sound Marine Park
- Visit galleries and restaurants
Featured Powell River Packages
5 nights from
+ $36.64 GST. Per person based on double occupancy. Includes ferry & accommodation. Surcharges may apply.
2 nights from
+ $0.00 GST. Per person based on double occupancy. Includes ferry & accommodation. Surcharges may apply.


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I've thought about this one quite a bit over the past few months. Teens have their smartphones, many of which can be used with the Kindle software, but what about younger readers?
My instinct (and some very cursory market research) says no. Most parents are unwilling to place a dedicated $150-$200 e-reading device into the hands of their children, not when a $10-$15 paperback is almost bulletproof by comparison. (I don't mean all kids are careless or clumsy, but accidents happen and the humble school bag tends to be a concrete mixer and compactor all in one.)
I think Pottermore will change this up a bit, but it depends how much the HP ebooks sell for. (I've heard people saying 'who's going to buy the ebook when they already have a print copy?' ... um, do you know how many NEW kids there are each year? It's an endless market.)
But that's beside the point. There's one very good reason to offer middle-grade books in cheap ebook formats: parents. They can read a preview (or buy the whole ebook), and order the paperback if they think it's suitable for their kids or grandkids. Think of it as e-browsing.
There's another reason too: Many adults enjoy teen or middle-grade fiction, but wouldn't be seen dead reading them in public. Stick them on the Kindle, and who's to know?
Simon Haynes is the author of the Hal Spacejock and Hal Junior series (Amazon / Smashwords / other formats)


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Owen Sound's city manager defended the handling of the former CP Rail Station property and dismissed conflict of interest concerns in a press conference yesterday.
About 50 people were on hand at the Temporary City Hall location at the Professional Centre Wednesday afternoon for Wayne Ritchie's address about the strategic goals and outcomes of the acquisition, renovation and lease of the heritage property at Owen Sound's east harbour.
"I'm thrilled with that building. I'm thrilled to have it on the market," Ritchie says. "It's going to be taxes, it's employing people, it's bringing people to our harbour front."
Ritchie says goals to be achieved through the lease were to maintain as many heritage features of the building as possible, use the property as an attraction and activity for harbour visitors and to encourage more private investment in the harbour area.
"Practical goal was to achieve all of the above with the least cost to the taxpayer as possible," Ritchie explains.
Ritchie broached the subject of conflict of interest concerns raised regarding city staff who have family members as shareholders in Mudtown Station.
"This happened after the lease and interaction with the city had been finalized," Ritchie explains. "City staff are subject to the Municipal Conflict of Interest Act. I believe the Conflict of Interest guidelines have been followed."
"I have complete confidence in the honesty and integrity of members of my senior management team."
Recent reports raised conflict of interest concerns involving a senior city staff member and city councillor in regards to ownership of Mudtown Station.
Distraught and fighting back tears, Director of Community Services Pam Coulter explained her role in the city's lease negotiations with Mudtown Station and assured her family did not have an interest in becoming shareholders in the business during that process.
Coulter says her family members first met with Mudtown Station operator Harold Kloeze in June and she immediately disclosed the potential private business interest to the city manager.
"Immediately, we sought a legal opinion in order to be sure that there was no conflict of interest," Coulter says. "I immediately proceeded to excuse myself from further dealings with this file."
Coun. Brian O'Leary, who is running for deputy mayor, also provided a statement to Bayshore Broadcasting to respond to reports implying a conflict of interest in his investment into Mudtown Station.
O'Leary says he bought into the business some 17 months after negotiations concluded and the lease was signed between the city and Mudtown Station in April 2017.
"Any suggestion that I made this investment on the basis of confidential information, or that I was able to influence the negotiation of the lease before investing is patently false," O'Leary says in a statement. "And I take great exception to my good name and reputation being attacked in this way."
"This is a good news story for our city and its residents -- one which I hope will be followed by many more successful public/private partnerships in our downtown," O'Leary continues. "Which is why I am so dismayed that I have to be here today to address the false allegations against me and my family."
The city purchased the former CP Station in 2010 for $150,000 with the goal to find a tenant and lease the building as a catalyst to waterfront re-development.
Ritchie says the building sat from 2010-14 with signage on it indicating it was available for rent, and no offers were received for the property.
An RFP was issued in 2014 by the city and received two responses.
The city pursued and structured a lease deal with Dr. Greg Zoldy, who ended up walking away from a proposed 20-year agreement in 2016.
The city then posted another RFP for the lease of the CP Station and in April 2017 council approved a 15-year agreement with Mudtown Station to operate a brew-pub.
It was the lone bid entered.


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- In order to provide for your care here we need to collect and keep information about you and your health on our records.
- We will retain your information securely.
- We will only ask for and keep information that is necessary.
- We will only keep your records for as long as is necessary and in accordance with legal requirements.
- We will attempt to keep it as accurate and up to date as possible.
- We will explain the need for any information we ask for if you are not sure why it is needed.
- We ask you to inform us about any relevant changes that we should know about, such as any new medical treatment or change of contact details.
- Typing referral letters to GPs, Hospital consultants, etc.
Opening letters from hospitals and consultants. These letters will be scanned into your electronic record.
Scanning clinical letters, reports and any other documents not available in electronic format.
Photocopying or printing documents for referral to consultants.
Handling, printing, photocopying and mailing or emailing medicolegal, health insurance reports etc. and associated documents.
We will only keep your records for as long as is necessary and in accordance with legal requirements.
Disclosure of information to others


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Phoenix West Unit 2709 Orange Beach
Unfortunately, this condo is currently unavailable. Please research other vacation rentals below for amazing accommodations on your next vacation getaway.
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Discover Orange Beach for your next vacation. After a day in the sun and surf, get back to the Phoenix West and soak in the pool of your choice. Sparkling swimming pools and splash pad will keep children busy while parents can enjoy the hot tub. And when you feel like cooking out, get busy at the condo grills and cook up some burgers, hotdogs or the day's catch, fresh from the Gulf. Yes, the Phoenix West has plenty to offer. What are you waiting for – book a beautiful condo now!
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Orange Beach is more than just the Gulf of Mexico. Yes, the beach is fun, but there is so much to do and see when you visit Orange Beach. Check out all the great fun here. Then book your stay at one of our amazing Orange Beach vacation rentals for a beach getaway to remember! At MyBeachGetaways.com, we make choosing a vacation rental easy. And don't forget – we have beach house rentals, too.
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text: McCain's associates said that Obama's camp was "overreacting" [AFP] On Thursday McCain's camp in turn accused Obama of playing "the race card" after the Illinois senator said Republican attacks were "trying to make you [the US voter] scared of me". "Barack Obama has played the race card, and he played it from the bottom of the deck. It's divisive, negative, shameful and wrong," said McCain's campaign manager Rick Davis in a statement. Obama had remarked that the attacks say "he's not patriotic enough, he's got a funny name ... he doesn't look like all those other presidents on those dollar bills, you know, he's risky". 'Dishonourable campaign' In focus In-depth coverage of US presidential election McCain's camp defended the "celebrity" television advertisement and said that Obama's associates were overreacting. "It celebrates the excitement that he has generated, that is certainly more akin to the excitement that a celebrity generates than a normal politician," Nicolle Wallace, a senior adviser to McCain, told MSNBC on Thursday. However, Robert Gibbs, an adviser to Obama, said McCain was running "an increasingly dishonourable campaign". "The McCain campaign has very clearly decided that the only way to win this election is to become very personal and very negative," he said. "We believe that people will see that as nothing more than the same old politics and the same old policies of the last eight years." Pop star John Nichols, a political writer at The Nation magazine, told Al Jazeera McCain's advert had tapped into concerns in the US that Obama was an unknown quantity. "He [Obama] seems to have exploded across the scene like a new pop star or a new movie star," Nichols said. "It's been good for McCain in that he has captured part of the public discourse [about Obama] and at this point thats what he needs," Nichols said. If elected to the White House Obama would be the first African-American US president. The contest between the two men ahead of presidential elections on November 4 has so far not dwelt on the often explosive issue of race in the US, although some accused associates of Obama's former Democratic presidential rival, Hillary Clinton, and her camp of exploiting race for votes. Both candidates have previously said they planned to run campaigns that would avoid the negative attacks that characterised some presidential elections in the past, notably between George Bush and John Kerry in 2004. SOURCE: Agencies


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Harned Cabin is a 150-year-old historical pioneer-style cabin, newly renovated to provide guests with modern amenities and conveniences. This 1860s-era log cabin consists of a shared living space on the main level and two private bedrooms on the second story. In the main room, comfortable reading chairs are grouped around a wood-burning fireplace, while an armoire in the corner contains a large flat-screen TV. On the other side of the open space, a fully-equipped modern kitchen is provided, with all the necessary appliances and a small dining room table.
The upper level bedrooms are comfortably furnished with plush beds, arm chairs and lamps, with a stone hearth and a window in each. The floor of this historic cabin getaway is consistently finished with a worn, wide-slat hardwood floor and warmed by old-fashioned rag rugs. To the front of the house, the door opens onto a covered porch, complete with wooden rockers and a two-person swing. The view from the porch includes mature trees and the vibrant green of the Tennessee countryside.
Sleeping Arrangements: Harned Cabin offers two private sleeping spaces for up to five guests. The first bedroom on the upper level is furnished with a king-sized bed, and the second with a queen-sized bed and a twin-sized bed.
Harned Cabin is one of a set of renovated historical cabins on Cedar Ridge, in close proximity to a living history tourist experience at the Museum of Appalachia. The living history museum is comprised of more than 30 working period buildings set on 63 acres of Appalachian farmland that provides a carefully cultivated look at pioneer life in the region in the early 20th century. This living-history immersive experience invites visitors to view authentic historical artifacts and interact with the community through traditional performances and craft or trade demonstrations.
The museum is also home to one of the national's largest collections of traditional folk art. Several buildings onsite at the Museum of Appalachia are listed on the National Register of Historic Places, including a cabin that was inhabited for a time by the parents of the celebrated author Mark Twain. The museum grounds are farmed for crops and serve as a permanent home for free-roaming livestock. The living history museum pairs nicely with the Cabins on Cedar Ridge to create a vibrant historical experience for vacationers.
This beautiful, historic Tennessee vacation rental is located in eastern Tennessee, within an hour of pristine views and great hiking trails in the Smokey Mountains. The cabin is set in the shade of towering trees, with an exciting outdoor adventure close at hand in every direction. Guests to Harned Cabin have easy access to the Norris Lake, Big Ridge, Cove Lake and Norris Dam State Parks, as well as the Great Smoky Mountain and the Big South Fork National Parks. Rivers and carefully maintained trails wind all over through the hills and forests of these spectacular natural wonderlands, offering visitors the opportunity to explore on water or land.
Visitors may enjoy an expedition on horseback or in canoes, or take a faster paces tour on dirt bikes or ATVs. The regions lakes and rivers provide clear and open water, perfect for fishing and boating. Norris Lake in particular is a popular water sports destination, commonly used for waterskiing, wakeboarding and tubing. Harned Cabin is also a mere 15-minute drive from the city of Knoxville, where visitors will find an engaging variety of local restaurants, shopping and entertainment.
$139 - $179 night
$973 - $1253 week
Harned Cabin rents at a rate of $139.00 per night for two people with a minimum two-night stay. A rate of $159.00 per night will be applied to groups of four people, and a rate of $179.00 for groups of five. A one-time cleaning fee of $40.00 will be added to the rental rate.
Please mention RentTennesseeCabins.com.
Visit property website and social pages (if listed) return and send an inquiry. No booking website traveler fees here - YOU BOOK DIRECT.
Our primary goal as custodians of the Harned and Foust Family Cabins — each a unique artifact of Appalachian history — is to preserve the properties so they can be enjoyed by guests for many years to come. In renovating these primitive homes into working rentals, we have sought to minimize the impact of implementing modern amenities and to ensure structural integrity while changing the original architecture as little as possible.
We continue to spend our time collecting information about the individual history of each cabin and the families who have lived in them. We are proud to be a temporary part of the long history of these precious homes.


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Posts Tagged 'Wyclef Jean'
Haiti Relief Efforts | Play Cloths
It is truly amazing to see how swiftly people are responding to the crisis in Haiti. The Brothers Thornton (Pusha T & Malice), creative minds behind Play Cloths, have collaborated with the Yele Foundation and designed a t-shirt that will benefit the cause. Shouts out to the Clipse and Wyclef Jean for their leadership by example. The following exerpt was provided yesterday by Hypebeast:
"So starting today, Friday January 15th @ 3pm EST, Play Cloths will release a signature Jack logo t-shirt designed for the Haiti Relief Effort. 100% OF THE PROCEEDS WILL BE DONATED to the YELE HAITI EARTHQUAKE FUND, which is an organization supported by Wyclef Jean. In order to send the donation as fast as they can, the Haitian Jack t-shirt will only be on sale from Friday January 15th to Friday January 22nd (one week only)."
You can purchase the shirt here. Please support this cause!! This is a very REAL situation — do your best to help in any way possible.


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Offaly man to make ninth volunteering trip to Haiti
Haven brings people to help communities in the country
Offaly man to make ninth volunteering trip to Haiti
Belmont man Noel Ryan will be among volunteers heading to Haiti to help communities on the ground rebuild a school after the country was devastated by natural disasters.
Haven, a prominent Irish NGO working on the ground in Haiti, is undertaking its twelfth volunteer trip to Haiti from 13-22 April 2018.
Offaly man and long-term volunteer, Noel Ryan will join 35 other volunteers as they set off on this life-changing experience with Haven's 2018 Volunteer Programme.
This year's Volunteer Programme sees the group travel to the small commune of Gressier, located two hours south-west of Haiti's capital, Port au Prince. The Volunteer Programme will play an important role in assisting and helping the people of Gressier, who are still working to rebuild their lives after the devastating earthquake in 2010.
The volunteers will lead the refurbishment and upgrade of the main building of the local Jean Jean School, which has six classrooms and serves 160 children. The enhancement of the school facilities will ensure local children have access to education that will lead to bright, self-sufficient futures.
"This is my ninth trip to Haiti with Haven. I truly suggest to all those who are interested in volunteering to get involved: Haiti and the volunteer experience you have there will change you in ways you never thought possible," Noel commented.
"I think this trip will be very rewarding, and I look forward to transforming a damaged school in Haiti that will have a positive impact on the local children and community for years to come," he added.
PICTURED: Noel Ryan working hard on one of his nine volunteering trips to Haiti
Over the course of nineteen days, Haven's volunteers will work together to replace the school roof, repair and plaster the walls of the buildings that were destroyed by the 2010 earthquake. The team of volunteers will also repair the kitchen on the school grounds and build a covered area for children to eat in and also provide shelter from the searing afternoon heat. The construction of a new toilet block will greatly improve the school's facilities, and ensure clean sanitation and good health for its students.
In addition to the construction element of the programme, the team will provide equipment and furniture to enable learning and education. These include new shelves for books, blackboards and desks. These new resources will enrich the school experience and make it more engaging for students. The volunteers will also create a safe area for children to play with the development of a colourful and interactive playground.
Leslie Buckley, Founder and Chairman of Haven, said: "Every year, our volunteers find this programme to be an incredibly fulfilling and rewarding challenge. Volunteers embrace the experience, getting to know the local people who will benefit from their hard work and making a deep impact which will last for many years to come."
"This year, our volunteers will immerse themselves in and make a positive influence on the area of Gressier, which was close to the epicentre of the 2010 earthquake. Every year, their commitment and generosity of time leaves a lasting legacy. Over 1,400 Irish and international volunteers have volunteered with Haven since 2009: each and every town in Ireland should be proud of the volunteers for their humanitarian efforts in Haiti."
If you have a story for us, sports news, an event happening in your area, or if you want to submit pictures or videos, contact the Offaly Express team via email to firstname.lastname@example.com, or through our Facebook.


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Even though my family heritage contained many good strong Irish Catholics and a fair amount of French Canadian faithful, it is sadly not these beautiful traditions that preserved the faith in my family. My parents fell away from the Church in the sixties because, for all intents and purposes, their faith had drifted into a meaningless shell of religious do's and don'ts. All semblance of intimacy with Christ had long been glossed over and their deep human longing for an encounter with God, was not nurtured in their experience of the mid-century Catholic Church in America. The Church wasn't strong enough or personal enough to hold them with the onslaught of the temptations of the sixties culture.
However, thankfully, like the good monks of old, the Byzantine Catholic Church (in full communion with Rome of course), was there, amid their tumultuous experimentation and the upheaval following Vatican II, as a rock, helping to preserve our deep mystical patrimony. In its very nature, the Byzantine life oozes the theology of transformation, divinization and recapitulation in Christ that my parents had unknowingly been longing for. Through Gods providence, they found their way home through the Byzantine Church. This accounts for my faith today and the fact that I am a technically a member of the Ukranian Byzantine Church even though I don't have an ounce of Eastern European blood in me.
But what does any of this have to do with living the Triduum – this Holy Thursday, Good Friday and Holy Saturday – with a deeper and more authentic spirit? For me, it has everything to do with it. You see, as a young girl, I was baptized in the Byzantine Church, but outside of visits back to the monastery where I was dunked in Holy Water, I had no real contact with this tradition. I was raised in the same small, liberal-leaning, Roman parish, that my mother grew up in. It was still caught in the hangover of bad theology and even poorer liturgical expression of the sixties and seventies. Thankfully, with the vibrancy of my parents' conversion and the Pascha journeys they took us on back to the monastery, I was given a rich environment in which my union with Christ could take shape. This has shaped every single one of my Triduum encounters.
I have vivid memories of the long liturgies, the foot washing, the liturgy of the Presanctified Gifts. I remember the great fast of Holy and Great Friday, which even as kids we lived, while at the same time carving butter lamb sculptures and delicately decorating eggs, braiding bread and attending liturgies multiple times throughout the day. Above all I remember the immense sense that I was not just remembering events of old, but that I was being invited to live them in my own being. I was at Calvary. I was being asked to offer my life. I was suffering, letting myself die with Christ. I was in the tomb with him. Of course, as children and even later in my adult life, I complained about the ridiculously long services, the often redundant refrains, "Again and again and again let us pray to the Lord."
But as we somberly marched around the monastery in the dark of the midnight mist, with the icon of "Christ Buried," slowly marching . . . steadily growing our hope that our resurrection was near . . . I remember a profound realization. Christ is not asking me just to observe this religious moment, but embrace it as my moment of salvation, my moment of truly entering into his life. As the Alleluias began to resound and the chandeliers were swinging in the rafters and rose petals drifted through the air, I knew I had arrived at heaven's gate and I had passed through darkness of death to new life. Christ had come and lived his Paschal mystery in me.
This Triduum we are called to participate in the trampling down of death and the restoration of life. We are called to mystically journey into Chirst and in him, into the mystery of our salvation that he wants us to participate in bringing about.
The God who created us without our care, will not redeem us without our "yes." It's the way it is. It's the way he wants it. And beautifully, the more we are grafted into his life, living his life in our life, as our life, the more fruit we can bear as his hands and feet to the world. This means this is how we love our kids better, our husbands more, our wayward friend more authentically and how we overcome the enemies of ourselves, the world and the devil.
Of course the Roman Church has many powerful ways that these same mysteries are expressed and can be equally riveting. It is more important that we take the hints from the East to live this moment as if we were entering an alternate time and space where we are able to relive the life of Christ in our very selves. The east Engages all our senses in such rich and beautiful ways. With its deep bows, prostrations, repeated signing of the cross, the kissing of icons, the constant chant with rich harmonies and tons that reach deep into the soul, etc., we cannot but help encounter the Divine Nature into which we are called to enter. It becomes etched into our being just as the pain in our cramping legs from all the standing amid the liturgies. You don't have to love everything in the Byzantine tradition to get the point. In fact, a few years back, my theologian, Marian-loving husband, who truly appreciates the Byzantine tradition, gently whispered in my ear during hour 2-and-half of the Holy Thursday Liturgy, "You might be Byzantine, but thank God I'm Roman!"
As moms it is our role in our homes to be the heart of our homes. This is the moment of moments for us. The climax of our yearly role as "domestic liturgist." How can we learn from the east, the other lung of the Church (as St. John Paul II referenced the Eastern Communions) ways in which we can enrich our families' experience? Here are a few suggestions for you to consider:
- Consider adopting some of the unique terms of the east into your home to reinvigorate the significance of this season if you feel as if your devotion is a bit stale. "Great Lent," "Holy and Great Friday," "Bright Week."
- Consider visiting this orthodox website to print out a new icon for each day of the Triduum and placed it in a space of honor in your home with candles and even incense to help you enter in. We love essential oils, much due to my love for incense. Consider a blend for each day to help enliven our senses to the deeper realities at play and help us become the aroma of Christ to each other. Send me a message to learn what oils to blend and why.
- Take your kids out school. No excuse could be better and don't let sports, recitals, or concerts dominate this time. Stand up for your families faith culture and insist that its the first priority for these days. Attend the liturgies no matter where you. The Vigil especially if you have the opportunity.
- Try entering into the fast from Good Friday till the Vigil on Holy Saturday and invite your kids to make a heroic act of penance during that time as well. No screens for everyone. Maybe you have a designated time of true silence with no earbuds in to mask it. Chant the rosary in a simple tone rather than just saying. Or perhaps gather for a spiritual reading. I love reading (as my mother always did) the later part of "A Woman Wrapped in Silence," by John Lynch.
- Take a pilgrimage to a monastery or Byzantine Liturgy and allow yourself to encounter the Triduum in a new light.
- Avoid at all costs the commercialization of the season and instead focus on a basket of Easter foods. Bake Pasha bread. Google what goes into a traditional Easter basket.
- A most powerful tradition you could implement is after Holy Thursday Mass and Adoration, live your own feet-washing in your home.
- Plan on these days to be long, late nights and early mornings. Stream chat and sacred music and seek to help the kids take their roughhousing outside or all together to a park for nature walks rather than Ninjago fighting or pop music time.
- Prepare to have the greatest feast of the year. Even if it is simple and inexpensive, make a point to mark the Resurrection in your home with greater embellishment than any other feast days. If there's a time to splurge, now is the moment.
- Greet one another with the Eastern tradition, "Christ is Risen." "He is truly Risen!" And live Bright Week with intentionality. Each day is supposed to be treated as Easter itself.
What a gift this time is! Despite our greatest efforts, kids will whine, we may falter in our resolve and quite possibly even have to do serious battle to keep peace during these days. Don't be disillusioned. Lean on the traditions that have been built over centuries and be thankful that we have two lungs to breathe with in the Church. If you haven't tapped into the Eastern lung, I invite you to this year in small ways and work to live this time as St. Peter reminds us, as "partakers of the divine nature." (2 Peter 1:4).
Consider inviting my husband and me to your parish or event this year to speak and we will unpack other special ways you can live a richer, more vibrant Catholic family life.
Copyright 2017 Chantal Howard


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Matthew Wallin Joins David Bennett as Partner
BTE, LLP is pleased to announce that effective March 31, 2015, Matthew Wallin, Senior Project Manager has joined Dave Bennett, Principal, as Partner and Co-Owner. Matt has served clients nationwide for over 13 years with Bennett Trenchless Engineers, Inc. in increasingly responsible roles. He now takes on even more responsibilities for business development and client care, while continuing to provide the highest quality technical services. Matt earned his BS and MSCE degrees from Case Western before migrating to California, and worked for Woodward Clyde and URS in their Oakland office before joining Bennett Trenchless Engineers (formerly Bennett Staheli Engineers), in 2001. Matt and Dave and the entire staff at BTE, LLP are committed to our clients and look forward to helping you on all your trenchless projects.