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Carlos S. Alvarado, Ph.D., Research Fellow, Parapsychology Foundation
The early literature of American spiritualism is so vast that it is not possible to summarize it here properly. Nonetheless I will present a few comments about selected publications, all of which are freely available in various virtual libraries (click here, here, and here).
A particularly good book giving a general account of the events and phenomena of early American spiritualism is Eliab W. Capron's Modern Spiritualism (Boston: Bela Marsh, 1855). The opening words of the preface are: "We find 'the world turned upside-down' by a new and strange class of manifestations called spiritual. Like most new thoughts of modern times, America gave it birth; but it has since spread all over the globe, and awakened new and novel inquiries wherever man understands the means of communicating to his fellows the discoveries he has made" (p. v). Capron chronicles developments coming from the Fox sisters but the most interesting part of his book are the descriptions of the spread of mediumship in the United States.
In another book, entitled Explanation and History of the Mysterious Communion with Spirits Capron and Henry D. Barron (2nd ed., Auburn, NY: Capron and Barron,1850) presented an account of the mysterious knockings that gave a big impetus to the development of spiritualism, and centered on the Fox sisters. The knockings were first heard by the Fox family. According to the description of an early incident:
"The girls . . . heard the sounds and endeavored to imitate them by snapping their fingers. The attempt was first made by the youngest girl, then about twelve years old. When she made the noise with her fingers, the sounds were repeated just as many times as she made them. The sound was not like that which she made, only the number of raps. When she stopped snapping her fingers, the sounds stopped for a short time. One of the other girls then said in sport, 'Now do what I do; count one, two, three, four, five, six,' &c., at the same time striking one hand in the other. The same number of blows or sounds, were repeated as in the other case. As this slight manifestation of intelligence was displayed, she began to be alarmed, and desisted from trying any more experiments. Mrs. Fox then said, 'count ten,' and there were ten distinct strokes or sounds. She then said, will you tell the age of Cathy, (one of the children,) and it was answered by the same number of raps that she was years of age. In like manner, the age of her different children was told correctly by this unseen visitor" (pp. 13-14).
A general discussion of the phenomenal, theoretical, and social aspects of spiritualism was Uriah Clark's Plain Guide to Spiritualism (Boston: William White, 1863). Regarding the variety of mediums Clark cautioned readers that there were so many types of mediums, and so many combinations, that a reliable classification was not possible. Nonetheless he presented the following long list:
"1. The rapping medium was the first developed in this age of spiritual manifestations. We name other phases without regard to order or gradation. 2. The tipping medium. 3. The medium for raising ponderable bodies, sometimes with and sometimes without hands in contact. 4. The musical medium, with instruments and without. 5. The medium for spirit voices, without using the vocal organs, and sometimes with. 6. Writing medium, sometimes by impression and sometimes mechanically. 7. The trance medium, sometimes conscious and sometimes otherwise. 8. Vibrating medium, sometimes shaken and convulsed, and sometimes lifted or impelled without any seeming volition. 9. The transfigured medium, thrilled, exalted and enchanted under celestial influences. 10. Personification medium, imitating words, looks, tones and actions of spirits. 11. Sensation medium, made to feel signals and touches by spirits. 12. Clairvoyant medium, describing persons, spirits, diseases, etc. 13. Healing medium, for the laying on of hands. 14 Painting medium, producing pictures and portraits. 15. Hieroglyphic medium, executing strange scrolls. 16. The medium for unknown tongues, sometimes writing and sometimes speaking. 17. Impressional medium, liable to take on impressions from mortals and from spirits. 18. The clairaudant medium, for hearing spirit sounds and voices. 19. The vision medium, dealing in tropes, symbols, etc., like the Apocalypse. 20. Seeing medium, describing spirit-scenes and forms. 21. The telegraphic medium, sending messages to absent persons, without writing or speaking. 22. Developing medium, imparting influences to develop other mediums. 23. Prophetic medium, giving warnings and predictions. 24. Illuminatti medium, presenting spirit lights. 25. Itinerant medium, sent out after the sick, suffering, tempted, fallen, dying, etc. 26. The psychological medium, liable to be influenced by persons in the form, and subjected to impositions, counterfeits, etc. 27. The psychographic medium, reading persons at a distance, with letters, locks of hair, etc. 28. The speaking medium, speaking under influence, some conscious and some unconscious. 29. The inspirational medium, thinking, feeling, acting, writing, and speaking under a vivid consciousness of the reality of things spiritual, divine and eternal, yet in full possession of all the senses. 30. The improvisation medium, giving music or poetry without premeditation, under spirit influence. 31. The normal medium, without any external signs, realizing the all-pervading atmosphere of the spirit-world with a calm, deep consciousness of angel guardianship" (pp. 169-171).
Many other books presented examples of the fascinating phenomena of spiritualism. Judge John W. Edmonds and physician George T. Dexter, were both investigators and mediums, as seen in the first volume of their Spiritualism (New York: Partridge & Brittan, 1853). The first received visions and the second produced automatic writing. Edmonds wrote about Dexter's written communications coming from Swedenborg and Bacon:
"All that purports to come from Bacon is always in the same
handwriting; so it is with Sweedenborg (sic). The handwriting of each is unlike the other, and though both are written by Dr. Dexter's hand, they are both unlike his; so that with ease, when he is under the influence, he writes several different kinds of handwriting, and some of them more rapidly than he can write his own. This he can not do when he is not under the influence; and I have never seen any person that could, in his normal condition, write with such rapidity, at one sitting, four or five different kinds of handwriting, each distinctly marked, and having and always retaining its peculiar characteristic" (p. 50).
Later in the book there are facsimile reproductions of Dexter's handwriting, and of his writing as Swedenborg, Bacon and other purported spirits (pp. 387-392).
In Spiritualism in America (London: F. Pitman, 1861), published in England, Benjamin Coleman presented the experiences he had with mediums during his visit to the States. A case in point were his experiences with Miss Lord, a physical medium in Portland, Maine. They formed a chain around a large table and musical instruments were placed on a nearby table. According to Coleman the following took place in complete darkness:
"The first manifestation arose from the unseen agents handling the guitar, which was whisked about with great celerity over and around our heads, whilst a quick negro air was capitally played upon it the whole time the instrument was floating about us. I was touched by it on the head playfully several times, and once it rested on my shoulder, the air still continuing, with the strings so close to my ear that they struck me in their vibration" (p. 11).
Many communications were about philosophical and moral topics of various sorts, as seen in the works received by mediums. This literature includes Charles Linton's The Healing of the Nations (New York: Society for the Diffusion of Spiritual Knowledge, 1855) and Charles Hammond's Light from the Spirit World (Rochester, NY: W. Heughes, 1852). The latter has chapters about miracles, prophecy, deceiving spirits, wisdom, repentance, and forgiveness. Some interesting mediumistic communications about "spiritual birth," or the transition between death and life in the spirit world, were presented by Robert Hare in his Experimental Investigation of the Spirit Manifestations (New York: Partridge & Brittan, 1855).
Some of the communications were about philosophical, moral and scientific topics delivered at the request of the public. This was the case of trance speaker Cora L.V. Hatch, as seen in her Discourses on Religion, Morals, Philosophy, and Metaphysics (New York: B.F. Hatch, 1858). Some of the topics of the "discourses" were: Why is man ashamed to acknowledge his alliance to the angel-world, the sources of human knowledge, the beauty of life and the life of beauty, Jesus of Nazareth, the moral and religious nature of man, spiritual communications, and the spheres. Hatch stated in one of her speeches:
"The question is asked: Why are the communications of the spirits so vague, and conveyed in so mysterious a manner as to leave doubts, on the mind, of their being genuine?' First, if modern spiritualism be true, and if there is a principle by which those in the spirit-world can communicate with persons on the earth, it is controlled by a fixed and positive law; that law as certain when applied correctly, and as uncertain when applied incorrectly, as is telegraphic communication between New York and Washington. If a man along any portion of the route cut the wire, your telegraphic message will stop at that point; or, if there is any fault in the operator, your message will be sent incorrectly. It is the same in communications between this and the spirit world. There are lines of thought and feeling; minds, and tables, and chairs, are but the wires which they use to convey their thoughts. You are at one end of that telegraphic chain, your spirit-friend at, the other. If there is no intervening influence, the message will be conveyed; if, in any way, the line of communication is disturbed, the message will be incorrectly given . . . ." (pp. 264-265).
Also interesting were the various descriptions of the spirit world obtained via
psychic means. This included, but was not limited to, Hudson Tuttle's Scenes in the Spirit World (New York: Partridge and Brittan, 1855) and Andrew Jackson Davis A Stellar Key to the Summer Land (5th ed., Boston: Colby & Rich, 1867). The latter wrote in his book: "The Spiritual Spheres have been recently termed Summer Lands, and there are, counting man's earthly existence the first sphere of spirit life, in all six spheres in the ascending flight toward Deity, who fills the Seventh Sphere . . ." (p. 66).
Another influential and widely discussed book was social reformer and politician Robert Dale Owen's Footfalls on the Boundary of Another World (Philadelphia: J.B. Lippincott, 1860). Instead of mediumship, Owen discussed phenomena such as veridical dreams, apparitions, and hauntings. He referred to the agency of invisible beings affecting our world:
"As to the proofs of the agency upon earth of these Invisibles, I rest them not on any one class of observations set forth in this volume, not specially on the phenomena of dreaming, or of unexplained disturbances, or of apparitions whether of the living or the dead, or of what seem examples of ultramundane retribution or indications of spiritual guardianship, but upon the aggregate and concurrent evidence of all these. It is strong confirmation of any theory that proofs converging from many and varying classes of phenomena unite in establishing it" (pp. 508-509).
Several books were about explanations of the phenomena of spiritualism. A fascinating one was Samuel B. Brittan's and B.W. Richmond's A Discussion of the Facts and Philosophy of Ancient and Modern Spiritualism (New York: Partridge & Brittan, 1853). This consisted in a debate around the physical and mental phenomena of spiritualism in which Brittan represented discarnate agency and Richmond the argument that the Od force could explain the occurrences without recourse to spirits of the dead. The latter point was also developed, with some variants, in other influential books such as E.C. Rogers' Philosophy of Mysterious Agents (Boston: J.P. Jewett, 1853) John Bovee Dods' Spirit Manifestations Examined and Explained (New York: De Witt and Davenport, 1854), and A. Mahan's Modern Mysteries Explained and Exposed (Boston: John P. Jewett, 1855).
Several other authors saw spiritualism as the work of the devil. An example was William Ramsey's Spiritualism: A Satanic Delusion, and a Sign of the Times (Rochester, NY: H.L. Hastings, 1857). William R. Gordon stated in his A Three-Fold Test of Modern Spiritualism (New York: Charles Scribner, 1856):
"We have proved it a revival of heathenism . . . it is to be accredited to the devil and his angels. Its demonology and its necromancy furnish all the data we need for the estimate of its true origin, nature, and tendency . . . . To consider this phenomenon any other than the work of the devil, is as good as denying the agency, nay, the existence of the devil altogether; for if he has not done this, we should be glad to know what kind of agency he exerts, and what is the peculiarity of the evidence by which his existence is established" (pp. 400-401).
Many other books could be mentioned, among them those authored by Andrew Jackson Davis. Some of them are The Principles of Nature (35th ed., Boston: Colby & Rich, 1847), The Philosophy of Spiritual Intercourse (New York: Fowlers and Wells, 1851), and Memoranda of Persons, Places, and Events (Boston: William White, 1868).
*This is based on my article Early American spiritualism literature online. Journal of Spirituality and Paranormal Studies, 2010, 33, 94-100.


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Current and previous reports by Ofsted inspection teams may be found here:
|Trinity Academy: HMI Monitoring Visit
28 September 2018
Her Majesty's Inspector Lee Elliott visited Trinity Academy on Friday 28th September 2018, in order to conduct a monitoring visit. The purpose of the visit was to assess progress made since the last full inspection in September 2017.I am delighted to report Mr Elliott's conclusion:
Senior leaders and governors are taking effective action to tackle the areas requiring improvement identified at the recent section 5 inspection in order for the school to become good.
In addition, Mr Elliott confirmed that arrangements for Safeguarding are secure, and he replaced the six points for improvement (PFIs) identified in our September 2017 Section 5 Inspection with these two:
The school should take further action to:
1. ensure that arrangements to reduce absence and persistent absence for all pupils, including disadvantaged pupils, result in more rapid and marked improvement to pupils' attendance
2. further improve the quality of teaching, learning and assessment so that progress improves, particularly in mathematics.
The full letter will shortly be published on the Ofsted website. In the pages that follow the findings of the inspector are listed against the six areas for improvement, with strengths followed by areas for improvement. This forms the basis for the school's new and detailed Action Plan, which the Local Governing Body are considering in their forthcoming meeting.
Jonathan Winch

subset: commoncrawl


text: kalip 444 Report post Posted December 6, 2018 Heart Murmurs Overview Heart murmurs are sounds during your heartbeat cycle — such as whooshing or swishing — made by turbulent blood in or near your heart. These sounds can be heard with a stethoscope. A normal heartbeat makes two sounds like "lubb-dupp" (sometimes described as "lub-DUP"), which are the sounds of your heart valves closing. Heart murmurs can be present at birth (congenital) or develop later in life. A heart murmur isn't a disease — but murmurs may indicate an underlying heart problem. Often, heart murmurs are harmless (innocent) and don't need treatment. Some heart murmurs may require follow-up tests to be sure the murmur isn't caused by a serious underlying heart condition. Treatment, if needed, is directed at the cause of your heart murmur. Symptoms If you have a harmless heart murmur, more commonly known as an innocent heart murmur, you likely won't have any other signs or symptoms. An abnormal heart murmur may cause no obvious other signs or symptoms, aside from the unusual sound your doctor hears when listening to your heart with a stethoscope. But if you have these signs or symptoms, they may indicate a heart problem: Skin that appears blue, especially on your fingertips and lips Swelling or sudden weight gain Shortness of breath Chronic cough Enlarged liver Enlarged neck veins Poor appetite and failure to grow normally (in infants) Heavy sweating with minimal or no exertion Chest pain Dizziness Fainting When to see a doctor Most heart murmurs aren't serious, but if you think you or your child has a heart murmur, make an appointment to see your family doctor. Your doctor can tell you if your heart murmur is innocent and doesn't require any further treatment or if an underlying heart problem needs to be further examined. Causes There are two types of heart murmurs: innocent murmurs and abnormal murmurs. A person with an innocent murmur has a normal heart. This type of heart murmur is common in new-borns and children. An abnormal heart murmur is more serious. In children, abnormal murmurs are usually caused by congenital heart disease. In adults, abnormal murmurs are most often due to acquired heart valve problems. Innocent heart murmurs An innocent murmur can occur when blood flows more rapidly than normal through the heart. Conditions that may cause rapid blood flow through your heart, resulting in an innocent heart murmur, include: Physical activity or exercise Pregnancy Fever Not having enough healthy red blood cells to carry adequate oxygen to your body tissues (anaemia) An excessive amount of thyroid hormone in your body (hyperthyroidism) Phases of rapid growth, such as adolescence Innocent heart murmurs may disappear over time, or they may last your entire life without ever causing further health problems. Abnormal heart murmurs The most common cause of abnormal murmurs in children is when babies are born with structural problems of the heart (congenital heart defects). Common congenital defects that cause heart murmurs include: Holes in the heart or cardiac shunts. Known as septal defects, holes in the heart may or may not be serious, depending on the size of the hole and its location. Cardiac shunts occur when there's an abnormal blood flow between the heart chambers or blood vessels, which may lead to a heart murmur. Heart valve abnormalities. Congenital heart valve abnormalities are present at birth, but sometimes aren't discovered until much later in life.Examples include valves that don't allow enough blood through them (stenosis) or those that don't close properly and leak (regurgitation). Other causes of abnormal heart murmurs include infections and conditions that damage the structures of the heart and are more common in older children or adults. For example: Valve calcification. This hardening or thickening of valves, as in mitral stenosis or aortic valve stenosis, can occur as you age. Valves maybecome narrowed (stenotic), making it harder for blood to flow through your heart, resulting in murmurs. Endocarditis. This infection of the inner lining of your heart and valves typically occurs when bacteria or other germs from another part ofyour body, such as your mouth, spread through your bloodstream and lodge in your heart. Left untreated, endocarditis can damage or destroy your heart valves. This condition usually occurs in people who already have heart valve abnormalities. Rheumatic fever. Although now rare in the United States, rheumatic fever is a serious condition that can occur when you don't receive prompt or complete treatment for a strep throat infection. It can permanently affect the heart valves and interfere with normal blood flow through your heart. Risk factors There are risk factors that increase your chances of developing a heart murmur, including: Family history of a heart defect. If blood relatives have had a heart defect, that increases the likelihood you or your child may also have a heart defect and heart murmur. Certain medical conditions, including uncontrolled high blood pressure (hypertension), hyperthyroidism, an infection of the lining of the heart (endocarditis), high blood pressure in the lungs (pulmonary hypertension), carcinoid syndrome, hypereosinophilic syndrome, systemic lupus erythematosus, rheumatoid arthritis, a weakened heart muscle or a history of rheumatic fever, can increase your risk of a heart murmur later in life. Factors that increase your baby's risk of developing a heart murmur include: Illnesses during pregnancy. Having some conditions during pregnancy, such as uncontrolled diabetes or a rubella infection, increases your baby's risk of developing heart defects and a heart murmur. Taking certain medications or illegal drugs during pregnancy. Use of certain medications, alcohol or drugs can harm a developing baby, leading to heart defects. Prevention While there's not much you can do to prevent a heart murmur, it is reassuring to know that heart murmurs are not a disease and are often harmless. For children, many murmurs go away on their own as children grow. For adults, murmurs may disappear as the underlying condition causing them improves. https://www.mayoclinic.org kalip 1 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites


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Sunshine Coast Retreat Gibsons Garden Hotel 2 nights
With its oceanfront beauty, vibrant culture, rich history and easy accessibility from Vancouver, Gibsons is the perfect option when you need a quick break from city life. The popular Gibsons Garden Hotel offers a great location just a few minutes by car from the Langdale ferry terminal and a short walk from the town's eclectic variety of restaurants, galleries and historical features. Outdoor recreation opportunities on the Sunshine Coast include fishing, scuba diving, hiking, cycling, golf, and canoeing or kayaking. The Music in the Landing series, the Sunshine Coast Festival of the Written Arts, the Gibsons Landing Jazz Festival and a number of other events showcase the area's rich cultural and artistic traditions. A charming collection of restaurants and cafés introduces guests to the West Coast culinary style and the best of local food and wine.
Top 5 things to do
- Visit Molly's Reach, home of The Beachcombers TV series
- Rent a canoe or kayak and explore the local waters
- Visit the Nicholas Sonntag Marine Education Centre - a collect and release aquarium
- Shop and dine at Gibsons Landing
- Explore the museums and art galleries
Additional Activities can be added to your package during the booking process
Day 1
Day 1 - Vancouver to Gibsons
West Vancouver (Horseshoe Bay)
Gibsons (Langdale)
Staying at: Gibsons Garden Hotel (Standard Two Queen Room)
963 Gibsons Way, Gibsons, British Columbia, V0N 1V8
Your trip starts with a picturesque sailing from Metro Vancouver to the Langdale ferry terminal, followed by a short drive to Gibsons. The best way to experience the town's unique character is on foot, browsing the galleries, shops and boutiques that showcase local and international artwork, crafts, furniture, literature and fashions. Unwind in the evening with a dinner of classic West Coast favourites at Molly's Reach, followed by a few sunset cocktails.
Day 2
Day 2 - Gibsons
Staying at: Gibsons Garden Hotel (Standard Two Queen Room)
963 Gibsons Way, Gibsons, British Columbia, V0N 1V8
After satisfying your appetite with a complimentary breakfast, it's time to get going. Gibsons is the gateway to the Sunshine Coast, so there's more than enough to keep even the most energetic visitor busy. Go on a wildlife viewing expedition. Treat yourself to a true Pacific Ocean experience by spending the day scuba diving, offshore fishing or exploring the coastline by kayak. Revel in the pristine beauty of the coastal rainforest by visiting Roberts Creek Provincial Park, Mount Elphinstone Provincial Park or Skookumchuck Narrows Provincial Park. Learn about Sunshine Coast history and culture at the Sunshine Coast Museum & Archives, the House of Héwhíwus (House of Chiefs), or the Egmont Heritage Centre.
Day 3
Day 3 - Gibsons to Vancouver
Gibsons (Langdale)
West Vancouver (Horseshoe Bay)
Whether you start your day early or enjoy a leisurely morning, this is your chance to take care of activities that didn't fit into yesterday. Take a scenic walk along the waterfront, keeping an eye out for whales and other marine life. Visit a few more local shops and museums. Or simply sit down at a café and lose yourself in a good book. Then it's time to return to Langdale ferry terminal for your sailing to Metro Vancouver.
Please select the itinerary day to show:
Day 1 - Vancouver to Gibsons
- Starting Point
- End Point
- Driving Route
- Ferry Route
Directions Disclaimer
These directions are for planning purposes only. You may find that construction projects, traffic, weather, or other events may cause conditions to differ from the map results, and you should plan your route accordingly. You must obey all signs or notices regarding your route.
The directions displayed are directly via Google Maps and are subject to Google Maps Terms and Conditions.


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Kevin Millwood picked up his second victory tonight, but it wasn't easy.
Millwood lasted only five innings, and he needed 116 pitches to get through them. He also fell behind, 3-0, before the Orioles rallied.
Millwood walked the first two batters in the fifth. He allowed a run, but struck out Mike Stanton to end the inning and put himself in line for the win.
"I was going to try to stick with him as long as I could to try to get him the win, but if he walked Stanton, I would have had to get him," interim manager Juan Samuel said. "Knowing the kind of pitcher Kevin is, you didn't expect him to be happy, but those are the kind of things we have to do as a manager. We have to make the decisions.
"We've all seen him pitch better and come up empty. His last couple of wins I think have been important where the team really had to bear down and score some runs for him there. It was very nice to see him get his second win."
Millwood wasn't blaming the heat for his struggles. The guy pitched in Texas. He can handle anything.
"The heat wasn't a big deal," he said. "I've pitched in heat my whole career. It's no big deal. The big deal was not locating. It's become a problem my last four or five starts. It's something that I've got to figure out and get fixed so I can go more than five or six innings."
Millwood knew he had to retire Stanton or come out of the game.
"I just wanted to get out of that inning and give us a chance," he said. "I just threw out what I had left and it worked. The guys came back and put a few more runs on the board and made it a pretty comfortable win there in the end."


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You can already see Konami PES 2015 advert during football matches in Spanish La Liga. Players wear ad on their socks. La Liga's General Director of Marketing and Sales, Adolfo Bara Negro is really happy about cooperation among La Liga, Konami and Sockatyes.
Anyway, somebody think this is too much and this space should be ad free in football. What will be next ? Nobody knows. Game developer and management department try to reach a huge amount of people and especially players in the world, so it could not be that bad for them.


text: Utilize Rebates and Credits for your next Air Conditioner Replacement Posted May 13, 2015 When the day comes for an air conditioner replacement, make certain you do your research before making such a large investment. As a homeowner, you have a lot on your plate, but you'll appreciate the reward of spending a bit of extra time learning about ways to save money on your new system now, and over the course of its life. Did you know that as a homeowner in Rock Hill, when you purchase a high-efficiency air conditioner from Lennox®, you can qualify for utility rebates and other local incentive programs? Rebates will vary because they're tailored to your location, but they're out there waiting to help you save. In fact, it's possible to save anywhere from hundreds to thousands of dollars on an air conditioner replacement. Don't forget to keep federal credits and rebates for in Rock Hill in mind when deciding which air conditioner you'll go with. Available incentives are constantly changing, so don't miss your chance when you find one that will help you save. There could be additional rebates available if you choose to buy a solar air conditioner. A system such as the SunSource® Home Energy System, make you eligible for the Federal Solar Tax Credit 25D through 2021, when solar modules are applied. And watch for manufacturer promotion rebates, every bit helps. To learn more about air conditioner savings and rebates available to you in Rock Hill, call US Air Heating and Cooling and we're happy to help. You can also check with your utility company to learn more about savings available to you in the Rock Hill area. Back To Blog


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Usually this column is devoted to the practicality of products: Do they function? Are they priced correctly? Where do they sit in the market? Are they strictly necessary? Or are they just adding to the clutter of our lives? It is in some respects a reaction to the 'how to get the look' school of design writing or the simple, unquestioning regurgitation of press releases that litters much of the product design media.
However, for this month (and very possibly for this month only) we're taking a slightly different tack. Because when James the editor asked me if I'd seen anything interesting during the London Design Festival my answer was, yes, but not much of it was really suitable for onoffice. There were El Ultimo Grito's handmade inflatables, for instance, hanging from the ceiling of Earls Court 2 to create the auditorium for 100% Design's pretty convincing programme of talks and seminars. Not only could you see them from the moment you entered the hall, but they kept the noise of the exhibition out and the bon mots of the speakers in, while still making you feel that you were connected to the show. An excellent piece of work.
I also very much enjoyed Rosie Deegan's For a Man of Substance collection at an excellent exhibition entitled Elements of Craft at Mint's South Kensington showroom, which set about questioning gender stereotypes by creating a series of beautiful and deliberately non-functional tools – my particular favourite was an ornately decorated saw made from hand-pierced brass. However, the standout piece from the entire Festival in my view was at the Dezeen and MINI Frontiers installation at designjunction.
It might be tempting to dismiss Dominic Wilcox's Stained Glass Driverless Sleeper Car (or MINI Cathedral for short) as whimsy. And certainly, as with any Wilcox design, it has an arid dry sense of humour – the number plate on the front reads 'ZZZ' for instance – but actually it has some serious points to make about the future relationship between the hi-tech and the handmade.
If, as the designer surmises, we are being transported in driverless pods by the year 2059 then it makes sense that there will no longer be any collisions. And if accidents are consigned to the past then manufacturers no longer need to concern themselves with the slew of safety features – think airbags and crumple zones – that make up the contemporary car. This in turn will free designers to use a variety of materials and techniques that currently aren't available to them.
The idea for stained glass came to Wilcox when he returned to his native north east and visited Durham Cathedral, where he found himself staring at the windows. "I really liked just looking at them," he tells me. "And I thought: 'Why don't we see stained glass in contemporary design?'"
It's a fascinating notion and one that suggests craft will retain a vital role even as the world becomes evermore digital. In other words, the choice between technology and handmaking needn't be binary. In fact it may be that scientific and engineering advances could open new and hitherto unthought of doors to the handmade – the example of glass artist Matt Durran who is currently working with the Royal Free Hospital to create glass moulds on which human tissue can be grown to create new noses being just the tip of an expanding iceberg.
As Wilcox says: "There's a sci-fi vision of the future where everything is super-slick, polished and clean but I actually think that people are going to become more and more interested in and attracted to the handmade. The technology is there and it's going to be all-consuming but I think it's human nature to want to be in contact with people and handmade objects." Which brokers no argument from me. Far from being a whimsical one-liner, it seems to me that Wilcox's car is a valuable insight into our potential future, one where we'll require skills both new and old.
Next month I'll return to discussing products you can actually buy, I promise. In the meantime, it's definitely worth checking out Wilcox's new book Variation on Normal which is available in hardback from Square Peg for £10 and provides a whistle-stop tour of a genuinely original mind.


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Category Archives: experiences
TogetherFarm – Everything is Awesome!Leave a comment
My kids are obsessed with LEGO (the plural of LEGO doesn't have an 's') and we have them all over our living room. All. Over. And LEGO games. LEGO Marvel is played for a couple of hours a week, as is LEGO DC. We already played LEGO Harry Potter, Star Wars and Indiana Jones. I love them all. As they say in the LEGO Movie, everything (LEGO) is awesome!
So, when I saw TogetherFarm on Kickstarter last year I jumped on board. TogetherFarm has made LEGO-like bricks, made from food-grade recycled plastic, for enclosing raised bed gardens – you can buy them now on Amazon. The sets are pretty small but our plan is to combine our set of blocks with our Nourishmat system, also something we funded on Kickstarter, or the "Salad-a-Day" seed pack that came with our 4'X4′ set of blocks.
The boys are already interested in gardening but I feel like they need their own garden space, not just mine. They can use these tools to help them learn and get started, with guidance from me. Not exactly permaculture for kids but I like how many fun tools there are to involve children in the garden.
First light1 Comment
First light: Remember yesterday, when you wrote down the first thought you had this morning? Great. Now write a post about it. (prompt from DailyPost)
Maybe not first light so much (it's coming soon and I promise to take a picture) as much as first notions.
It must be spring because my head is filled with more ideas and new life for old ideas than I can handle. It's almost completely overwhelming. I have been keeping notes on my phone, on scraps of paper, in a little spiral journal I uncovered while cleaning off my desk.
I think I'm going to take over this blog and get into the habit of writing every day. I love to write. I've written a novel. I teach writing. I love to read and read and read. So I'm going to write using these handy prompts a few times a week and then write more about permaculture principles and how they apply to how we parent our children or, in some cases, how we could parent our children a little bit better and more intentionally than how we do right now. When I began studying permaculture I realized that much of what I've done as a parent, and as a person too, has always gone along with the principles of permaculture.
I'm also going to apply to begin earning my EdD in transformational leadership. My intent is to focus on applying the permaculture principles (yes, again) to educational institutional change.
So, this blog has a newer look to it and I may change and tweak it some more before the sun's first light has even come up over the mountains.
Happily Ever AfterLeave a comment
"And they lived happily ever after." Think about this line for a few minutes. Are you living happily ever after? If not, what will it take for you to get there? (prompt from DailyPost)
We started this blog with high expectations but, as always, life gets in the way. Winter is hurrying into spring in a series of five minute jumps of light; the sunlight was just coming up over the mountains as I made my journey into school this morning. The air was warm this morning when I left the house (34F?!?), albeit a little later than usual because I slept until 6 A.M. instead of visiting the gym.
I've been daydreaming lately about our permaculture plans for our yard – at some point during spring break I'll need to finish getting them on paper. What I've learned from studying permaculture though is that there is no happily ever after. You start from where you are and then make slow, gradual progress toward your goal, adjusting and readjusting as you go. You may be progressing happily, but without reflection and assessment it won't be an "ever after" situation. That goes for this blog as well – we can't keep it up without a plan, without reassessing our goals and figuring out what we want to do with our writing and our lives. We can live happily ever after, but need to remember that a lot of effort and commitment goes into creating that fairy tale.
Gazing and grazing on Williams St1 Comment
On Thursday evenings, Saskia Esslinger of Williams St Farmhouse has been hosting tours of her yard, explaining the systems and the principles of permaculture.
It was a treat last night to go with my parents – the sun popped back out just for us! There was a big crowd, with lots if kids and lots of food questions.
For a suggested donation of $25 this is an educational and beautiful two hours. As always, Saskia's home is inspirational and fun.
Grey waterLeave a comment
Here is an interesting post from a tiny house blog on grey water use.
Denali Art ClassLeave a comment
Small worm binLeave a comment
I have a large worm bin at my house, but I wanted to make a bin that I can keep safely at school, under my desk. This would also work underneath a kitchen sink or another small space.
My worms are mostly eating coffee grounds and shredded paper, but they also get some leftover vegetables from lunch and from home.
I used two smaller bins that fit under my desk.
After drilling holes for aeration, I covered the boxes with paper (to keep the worms in the dark), added food, soil and dampened paper for the worms to dig in, and put the boxes together.
BiomimicryLeave a comment
A few weeks ago I was completely fascinated by scientists putting UV threads in window panes in order to prevent birds from crashing into window panes and dying. They'd noticed that birds don't "see" glass but are able to avoid spiderwebs when flying quickly through a forest. Spiderwebs have, you guessed it, ultraviolet light that birds can see, and know to avoid. So I've been talking about these ideas and biomimicry with Cormac, because it's cool.
This afternoon on NPR we heard a story about hagfish; the slime they create to fight off sharks and other sea creatures has threads in it that are strong, like silk. The hope is that the thread can be used to replaces fibers like spandex, which are created from oil, a non-renewable resource. Hagfish threads are made from proteins which can be created in a lab rather than directly from the hagfish, creatures that are difficult to raise in captivity. "
"Proteins are a renewable resource because we can get organisms to make them," says Douglas Fudge the University of Guelph in Ontario, Canada.
Here's a link to the NPR story: http://soundcloud.com/theworld/hagfish-slime-could-provide
And a cool video of hagfish being attacked by sharks! Biomimicry is cool for kids.


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We're feeling the holiday spirit here at Blacklane, so we spoke with some members of our crew to find out more about where and how our team will be celebrating during the holidays.
Who we are
Cycling for a cause: #YellowTheWorld Inclusive Tandem Ride
We were proud to sponsor the Inclusive Tandem Ride, giving people, who would otherwise not be able to, the chance to enjoy a bike ride. Our Partnerships Manager, Dario Sorgato, led the convoy. Read on to hear why this ride was so important to us.
August 3, 2018
Who we are
What is Open Skies?
In July we held our first Open Skies initiative in our Customer Care department from July 14 to 20. We spoke with Customer Care Trainer and Open Skies organizer, Jack Lewis, about the event. So what is Open Skies? Read on to find out.
August 2, 2018
Who we are
Meet Charlie Team: Blacklane's remote team
Blacklane is proud of its beautiful office in the heart of Berlin Schöneberg. Not all of our employees work here, though. In fact, some don't even work in an office at all! Meet Charlie Team, our almost entirely remote and most-distributed team.
May 17, 2018
Who we are
A yellow man in a Blacklane world
Meet Dario. He's our Partnership Coordinator on the Business Development Team. When he's not coordinating partnerships, though, he is busy with his NoisyVision NGO.
April 20, 2018
Who we are
Gisele – Blacklane's Senior Brand Manager and self-confessed beer nerd!
Meet Gisele, Blacklane's Senior Brand Manager and, in her free time, a certified Beer Sommelier. Her passion for beer brought her from Brazil to Europe, but it's her marketing experience and drive that brought her to Blacklane!
March 22, 2018
Who we are
Women, Blacklane wants you!
Happy International Women's Day! For Blacklane, it's important to embrace diversity and equality, which is why we have created a space for women to grow and develop in their career.


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Clue: Slowhand guitar legend Clapton
We have 1 answer for the clue Slowhand guitar legend Clapton. See the results below.
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Found an answer for the clue Slowhand guitar legend Clapton that we don't have? Then please submit it to us so we can make the clue database even better!


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Refund and Returns
Lemon Drop Cookie Shop does not accept returns, however, we do guarantee your complete satisfaction. If you are dissatisfied, please contact us immediately upon receipt of your order.
Once you place your order with Lemon Drop Cookie Shop, you will receive a confirmation email with an order number within a few hours. If you do not receive this email, please contact us at 626.386.5980 to confirm the order was placed.
Any order cancellations must be made within 14 days prior to the due date in
order to receive a full refund. Order cancellations made between 7 to 13 days of the order due date shall be refunded 50% of the paid invoice amount. Order cancellations made less than 7 days of the order due date will not qualify for a refund.
Orders in excess of $250.00 may be subject to a 50% deposit.
On very rare occasions we may have to substitute an item of equal or greater value. If we need to make substitutions, we will make every effort to provide you with an item that will meet or exceed your expectations.
On occasion, Lemon Drop Cookie Shop may provide clients with design and packaging samples. Samples are simply meant to provide a general representation of the final product, but may vary from the sample to the actual product delivered.
Lemon Drop Cookie Shop shall make reasonable efforts to communicate changes with clients.


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Charlie "Chaz" Ebert, wife of movie critic Roger Ebert, received compassion and understanding from the oncology team responsible for her husband's care during his excruciating battle with salivary gland cancer. What she didn't get, she said, was "fair warning" that her ever-optimistic, take-life-by-the-horns partner might decide not only to give up the fight at some point, but that he might want her help in ending it.
Euthanasia "is never discussed openly, but the topic is out there and it's terrifying," Mrs. Ebert said during a roundtable discussion titled "The Many Faces and Challenges of Caregivers" led by veteran ABC news journalist Sam Donaldson at the annual conference of the National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN) in Hollywood, Florida last week. With respect to her husband, "here's someone whose whole life was about speaking and sharing information, and he lost his ability to speak. He was also someone who loved food and eating with his friends and family and he wasn't going to be able to eat."
She knew those realities were going to be devastating for him, but she also knew – or thought she knew – that her husband loved life "and that somehow we would find a way through this." That certainty was shattered, however, when, after waking up from a procedure that left him partially and temporarily paralyzed, her husband scribbled "kill me" on a piece of paper. Shaken by the depth of her husband's pain, "I told him that wasn't an option. He was looking at me to give him some direction, so I told him, 'If you will find the will to live I will find a way to make your life interesting for you.' "
He did persevere, and she has made good on her promise, "but I feel like I should have been better prepared to handle the emotional rollercoaster," she said.
Jai Pausch, wife of the late Randy Pausch, the Carnegie Mellon professor and author of The Last Lecture, which he wrote while terminally ill with pancreatic cancer, shared a similar story in the hope that it might help oncologists understand that shielding caregivers from certain realities, although well meaning, can leave them more vulnerable to the crushing blows when they occur. "My husband, who had always been very optimistic and very positive, told me that he didn't want to be a freak show for our children and if he got to the point where he was to be comatose in that slow progression of dying, he wanted me to give him an overdose of morphine to speed the process along."
Up until that point, "I would have done anything for him. I didn't know how to respond. I couldn't go there," Mrs. Pausch said. "I later learned that this is something that a lot of patients talk to their caregivers about, that it's a normal part of the process, but it's something that nobody tells you."
–Diana Mahoney (on Twitter @DMPM1)


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← Back to the News Archive
Thirteen reasons to look forward to Spring 2013!
Posted: 2013-01-01
Harbour Publishing is pleased to announce our Spring 2013 list, with titles on cooking, gardening, fishing, First Nations art, as well humour, memoir, poetry and nature.
Get ready for a culinary sailing adventure with 100+ fresh recipes showcasing local ingredients and creative flavours. Sea Salt: Recipes from the West Coast Galley, by Alison Malone Eathorne, Hilary Malone & Lorna Malone, is a gorgeous new collection of over a hundred sea-tested gourmet recipes suitable for meals aboard but equally satisfying for the home dining table.
Just in time for gardening season, West Coast plant expert Wim Vander Zalm offers down-to-earth advice to gardeners of all levels in his new book, Just Ask Wim!
Harbour is excited to be offering two First Nations art titles this Spring, with the children's book Raven Brings the Light by renowned carver, painter and printmaker Roy Henry Vickers (with Rob Budd) and the Bill Reid Art Gallery title Carrying On "Irregardless": Humour in Contemporary Northwest Coast Art.
Another exciting recent acquisition is Free Magic Secrets Revealed, a mirthful (and magical) coming-of-age story by Vancouver author, playright and journalist Mark Leiren-Young. Leiren-Young's bestselling Never Shoot a Stampede Queen won the 2009 Leacock Medal for Humour.
Keeping true to Harbour's tradition of producing quality British Columbia regional history are two titles sure to become West Coast classics: House Calls by Float Plane: Stories of a West Coast Doctor by Dr. Alan Swan and Fishing the Coast: A Life on the Water by by well-known fisherman and industry analyst Dr. Don Pepper.
Dog lovers can look forward to Tails Don't Lie: A Decade of Dog Cartoons by Adrian Raeside, with a charming assortment of canine characters, gleaned from ten years of Raeside's dogged observations in the comic strip The Other Coast.
Poet Russell Thornton's much-anticipated new collection Birds, Metals, Stones and Rain will be available in February.
Four new additions to the brochure field guide series are also planned, with A Field Guide to Medicinal Wild Plants of Canada by Beverley Gray; A Field Guide to Birds of the Pacific Northwest by Tony Greenfield with photographs by Penny Hall; A Field Guide to Wildlife of the Rocky Mountains by Hälle Flygare; as well as a French translation of the bestselling Field Guide to the Identification of Pebbles by Eileen Vander Flier Keller.
Just thirteen reasons to look forward to Spring 2013!


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Here are three new Black Friday ads!
- We posted the 3-page Tiger Direct and MacMall Black Friday ad scan!
- We posted the 2-page At Home Black Friday ad scan!
- We posted the 48-page Navy Exchange Black Friday ad scan! They will be starting their online sale at 12:01AM EST on Thanksgiving and their doors will be open at 5AM on Black Friday.
Thanks for Visiting and Tell Your Friends!
Posted by David Varble link


text: I was watching Never Been Kissed, and I noticed that the bass player on the stage had a light yellow Musicman, but there is no such color on EB's website? Is it discontinued? Pretty much looks like the Warmoth color: http://www.warmoth.com/thrift/wgp_body_detail.asp?itemNumber=PPPALY01 I really like the color with a white pickguard....does Lakland offer the color?


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Ford & Slater Norwich has donated £1,000 to East Anglia's Children's Hospices (EACH), at the Royal Norfolk Show 2019.
For over 20 years Ford & Slater Norwich has hosted a trade stand at The Royal Norfolk Show - the county's annual celebration of the local agricultural sector. For the last two-years instead of purchasing complimentary tickets for customers, Ford & Slater has decided to donate this money to good causes.
Ford & Slater Commercial Operations Director, Keith Spurway, explained, "We feel it is a wonderful thing to be able to donate to such worthy causes, and we truly appreciate the support our customers have shown."
Following a donation to Norfolk Air Ambulance in 2018, Ford & Slater chose to support another local charity this year, presenting a cheque for £1,000 to Caroline Allen and Carol Plunkett on behalf of EACH. EACH support families throughout East Anglia, in caring for children and young people with life-threatening conditions. They offer families the flexibility and control over where they receive care and support, including end of life care.
Keith Spurway commented, "Nearly all staff at Norwich have children and understand the hardships and difficult situations that any family can face.
"We recognised EACH as a one-of-a-kind service which helps to support families through some of the hardest times in their lives. They are a charitable organisation with roots in Norfolk and we are pleased and proud to have been able to offer this donation on behalf of the Company."
If you would like to learn more about the great work EACH does or would like to make a donation of your own, you can do so here.


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Making record times on "The Green Hell" will soon be allowed again after Capricorn Nurburgring GmbH (CNG), the group managing the infamous track, announced that they will lift the imposed speed limits and that the track will be made safer.
To make it possible, CNG presented a comprehensive set of measures that aim to redesign and make the dangerous sections of the track safer for both drivers and spectators.
"Safety on the Nordschleife during races, but also during test drives of the industry and during tourist ride sessions, is our highest priority," said Carsten Schumacher, Managing Director of CNG.
A total of 16 developments are planned to be implemented starting from November until the beginning of the 2016 season.
CNG did not elaborate on the planned changes but the group did say that the double-hander at Flugplatz and the famous jump at the Quiddelbacher Hohe will get significant changes on its track surface.
"Based on detailed measurement, we will renew the track surface in the Flugplatz section over a length of about 500 metres, smoothing out five bumps which are the result of years of high utilization and heavy use of the Nordschleife," added Carsten Schumacher.
Moreover, CNG will also put up additional guardrails and fencing along the Dottinger Hohe section to better protect the adjacent public road.
The planned changes come after the tragic accident that occurred during the recent VLN Endurance Championship where Jann Mardenbrough's GT-R Nismo GT3 race car went over the fence, killing a spectator and injuring others.
CNG will now submit the proposed measures to the German motor sport association DMSB in a form of an application. It will then be forwarded to the Circuit Commission of the Federation International Automobile (FIA).


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DETROIT (AP) – Miguel Cabrera crushed a home run that traveled so far it bounced all the way out of Comerica Park.
Justin Upton's long drives sent the Tigers home with a win.
Upton hit a liner over the left-field wall in the 12th inning for his second homer of the game, lifting Detroit past the Seattle Mariners 8-7 on Monday night.
"There's been a lot of ballgames that I could've helped, but I didn't," said Upton, who entered the game batting just .234 with six homers and 28 RBIs. "So to win it tonight for the guys was awesome."
Upton connected on a 2-2 pitch from Vidal Nuno (0-1) leading off the 12th. It was his first game-ending homer since 2013 with Atlanta against Washington.
Nuno had pitched two scoreless innings.
Cabrera hit a two-run homer for the Tigers in the first that cleared a brick wall in right-center, bounced off a concrete concourse and into the street. The homer was estimated at 461 feet.
"Guys were just in awe," Upton said. "That ball, off the bat, you didn't know when it was going to land. He's hit a few like that. It's pretty impressive."
Upton's first homer of the night, a two-run shot that cleared a second tier of bushes beyond the center-field wall, gave Detroit a 7-6 lead in the seventh.
Aníbal Sanchez (4-7) worked a scoreless inning for the win.
The Tigers struggled to hold leads all night long. But they turned four double plays, limiting the number of runs the Mariners scored.
"It seems strange to say when you score seven runs, but we know we left a lot out there," Seattle manager Scott Servais said. "We had the double plays early, and then we had a lot of guys on base in the later innings, but could never get the one really big hit we needed."
Kyle Seager hit a solo homer in a four-run second that included Seth Smith's go-ahead, two-run single to put Seattle ahead 4-2.
Detroit went back ahead in the fourth on Cameron Maybin's two-run triple. But once again, the Tigers couldn't keep the lead. Adam Lind's two-run homer in the fifth gave the Mariners a 5-4 advantage. It was his ninth homer in 82 at-bats after going deep only once in his first 92 at-bats this season.
After Upton's first home run, Seattle tied it 7-all in the eighth on Leonys Martin's RBI single past a diving Cabrera at first base.
Both starting pitchers lasted five innings and combined to give up 11 runs.
Mike Pelfrey allowed 12 hits and six runs for the Tigers. Detroit's bullpen, which manager Brad Ausmus said before the game was "shot," had three relievers combine to give up one run over the next four innings.
Seattle's Nathan Karns yielded five runs on seven hits and three walks.
"We're probably lucky we got five innings out of him, and that's getting to be a pattern," Servais said. "We're asking our bullpen and offense to really pick up the starting pitching right now, and that's tough."
Upton connected off Nick Vincent in the seventh.
Joaquin Benoit, facing one of his former teams, allowed Cabrera and Victor Martinez to lead off the ninth with consecutive singles before shutting down the Tigers by getting Nick Castellanos to fly out, Upton to hit a popup and Mike Aviles to strike out.
"That was a crazy game," Servais said. "You had all the runs early, and then both teams got nice work from their bullpens."TRAINER'S ROOM
Mariners: RHP Taijuan Walker left the team to have an MRI on his right foot after it bothered him during a five-inning, 88-pitch start Sunday in which he didn't give up a run in a 2-1 loss to Boston. Walker is scheduled to start Friday at home against St. Louis, but that outing might be in jeopardy.UP NEXT
Mariners: LHP James Paxton (1-2, 2.86 ERA) starts the second game of the four-game series.
Tigers: RHP Justin Verlander (7-5, 3.87) will be on the mound, aiming to win his fourth straight outing.