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07 Jul 16
One of China's leading sports marketing and management companies SECA has confirmed its entry into the 2016/17 FIA Formula E Championship.
The outfit will compete as the Techeetah Formula E Team, taking over Team Aguri's entry as one of the ten teams participating in Formula E's third season. The Chinese-backed Techeetah team will also have a minority French partner, and a driving partnership of former Andretti and DS Virgin Racing driver Jean-Eric Vergne and Team Aguri's Ma Qing Hua.
Sheng Li, founder and CEO of SECA, said: "Racing in Formula E opens up marketing, R&D and fan engagement possibilities for global and Chinese brands. Techeetah Formula E Team is a global team with unique access to Chinese and European fans through our two star drivers next year."
"Formula E is very happy to welcome the new Team Techeetah, backed by SECA, to our Championship. China is one of the big priorities of this Championship," said Alejandro Agag, CEO of Formula E Holdings. "Our first race ever took place in Beijing, and the country is doing great efforts towards electrification of mobility. We will work together with SECA and our Chinese partners to expand Formula E in China, and reach out to millions of potential new fans."


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Editorial: Reject this assault on an independent judiciary
Four San Francisco public defenders decided over drinks to challenge four Superior Court judges in the June 5 election. Their themes are synced: the criminal justice system is broken, the judiciary does not reflect the diversity of the population it serves, the incumbent was appointed by a Republican governor, and a public defender's perspective is needed on the bench.
In other words, each is trying to make this a political contest.
There are better ways — and better reasons — to become a judge.
While the four public defenders have every right to run, the ouster of an incumbent judge should be based on a record that shows dereliction of his or her duty to act with integrity, competence and fidelity to the law. None of the four challengers has made such a case against Judges Curtis Karnow, Cynthia Ming-mei Lee, Andrew Cheng and Jeffrey Ross.
Rather, the challengers' arguments are based more on generalities about the state of the judiciary than specific, well-documented evidence of malfeasance or misapplication of the law by the incumbents they are challenging.
In separate interviews with our editorial board, each bristled at questions about whether this coordinated campaign represents a threat to the independence of the judiciary.
"This whole thing about judicial independence," said Nicole Solis, challenging Ross, "it's a fallacy."
It is not. In recent years, conservatives have been targeting judges they regard as too liberal in states such as Florida, North Carolina, Montana, Michigan and Texas, to name a few. If the principle of putting an ideological hue on the judiciary is wrong in red states, it's equally wrong in deep-blue San Francisco.
Judge Karnow is a particularly odd target for this ambush from the left. His 2008 article in the Berkeley Journal of Criminal Law, "Setting Bail for Public Safety," is often cited by progressives who want to reform a bail system that discriminates against he poor. He has developed courses to help officers of the court identify and prevent implicit bias in the system. He is one of the few San Francisco judges equipped to take on complex cases about technology.
It is noteworthy that, for all their talk about aspiring for the judiciary, only one of the public defenders (Kwixuan Maloof, challenging Lee) bothered to apply for a gubernatorial appointment to the bench. Evangelista (opposing Karnow) said she considered it, but merely printed out an application. Solis said she knew she wanted to run "before we met for drinks" but had not sought an appointment. Asked if he would apply if he did not win in June, Streets (challenging Cheng) said, "I'll just think about that when the time comes."
There is no doubt about the depth of passion and courtroom experience of the four challengers. Each has an impressive life story of overcoming odds to achieve a law degree and prosper in the profession. They may well be contenders for an appointment after vetting from the State Bar's Commission on Judicial Nominations Evaluation, which investigates the background and qualifications of would-be judges.
The incumbents passed that test on their paths to the bench, and have done their jobs sufficiently well to draw the support of the presiding judge (a Democratic appointee) and assistant presiding judge (a Republican appointee).
Voters have been given the authority to replace a judge who is abusing his or her discretion within the law. The burden is on a challenger to make that case. To otherwise turn a judicial election into a partisan showdown or ideological loyalties test is the definition of an assault on judicial independence. Regrettably, that is what is happening here.
San Franciscans should vote to retain Judges Karnow, Lee, Cheng and Ross.
This commentary is from The Chronicle's editorial board. We invite you to express your views in a letter to the editor. Please submit your letter via our online form: SFChronicle.com/letters.
Talking points versus the facts
The four San Francisco public defenders who are challenging incumbent judges are employing talking points that are either misleading or flat-out inaccurate:
Talking point: They needed to run for office because the judiciary is not becoming diverse through the appointment process.
Fact: California's judicial bench has become steadily more diverse in each of the past 12 years. In the past seven years under Gov. Jerry Brown, more than half of his 451 judicial appointments have been women, and nearly 40 percent have been nonwhite. In each case, that exceeds the demographic group's proportion in the applicant pool.
Talking point: The incumbents were all appointed by Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, a Republican.
Fact: Actually, all four judges are registered Democrats. Also, Schwarzenegger was decidedly bipartisan in his judicial appointments: 285 Republicans, 234 Democrats, and 50 who declined to state a party preference.
Talking point: Public defenders have little chance of getting appointed.
Fact: That may have been true in the past, but not under the Brown administration. In fact, four of 17 San Francisco judges appointed by Brown have been public defenders.

subset: commoncrawl


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Now in its 21st year in the nation's capital, the Environmental Film Festival has become one of the world's grandest and most influential purveyors of environmental film. Many local, national and global premieres are included in the lineup, including documentaries, narratives, animations and shorts, in addition to archival, experimental and children's cinema. Films are shown throughout the city at partnering museums, embassies, libraries, universities and local theaters.
With a program curated to offer fresh views on global environmental issues, most of the screenings are accompanied by discussions with filmmakers, environmental experts and special guests. This year's festival, which runs from March 12–24, will include a record 190 films from 50 countries, including 110 premieres. Here are just a few of the highlights.
1. 'Hot Water'
Featured among the festival's opening night films is the highly anticipated world premiere of "Hot Water," a look at the depressing, devastating, toxic effects of uranium mining in the American West. Former U.S. Rep. Dennis Kucinich, who ran for president in 2004 and 2008, is featured in the film, along with filmmakers Elizabeth Kucinich and Lizabeth Rogers. Directed by Kevin Flint and Rogers.
2. 'To the Wonder'
"To the Wonder" is the latest film by acclaimed American Director Terrence Malick. The film, "an exploration of love set against the majesty of nature," stars Ben Affleck, Olga Kurylenko, Rachel McAdams and Javier Bardem. The film premiered in competition at the 2012 Venice Film Festival, and is making its Washington, D.C. premiere during the festival.
3. 'Revolution'
This Washington, D.C., premiere presents Canadian filmmaker and environmental activist Rob Stewart's new work, "Revolution" — a rally cry to today's youth to change the planet before it's too late. The award-winning documentary takes Stewart through 15 countries over four years, in an effort to find the secret to saving the ecosystems we rely on for survival.
4. 'Lunarcy!'
Wonderfully zany, the smart and quirky documentary, "Lunarcy!," launches into the ridiculous and sublime as it reveals to viewers a cadre of characters who are utterly obsessed with the moon. Directed by Simon Ennis.
5. 'Lost Rivers'
"Lost Rivers" is a fascinating look at the hidden river networks that exist beneath major cities. Showing us the subterranean river networks of London, Brescia, Montreal and Toronto, adventurous groups of subterranean explorers known as "drainers" untangle the mysteries of these cities' past as told by the water. Written and directed by Caroline Bâcle.
6. 'The Fifth Season'
Beautiful, surreal, and haunting, Jessica Woodworth's latest feature, "The Fifth Season," is a "poetic meditation on nature in revolt against humans." The dramatic narrative takes place in Belgium's secluded Ardennes, where the inhabitants rely on the land, but nature takes a turn and seems to go on mysterious strike. In French and Flemish with English subtitles. Directed and produced by Woodworth and Peter Brosens.
7. 'The Fruit Hunters'
The festival's closing film, "The Fruit Hunters," takes a look at people who obsessively scour the world for exotic fruit. Inspired by Adam Gollner's 2010 book of the same name and directed by Yung Chang, the film travels across culture, history and geography to illuminate the glorious, crazy, beautiful world of fruit in all of its glory. Read more about the film and star Bill Pullman in this recent MNN story.
To see a full listing of all the fantastic films, visit dcenvironmentalfilmfest.org.
Related film stories on MNN:
- Top 10 eco-movies for kids
- 7 sci-fi movies with plausible eco-themes
- Top environmental docs and movies


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Editor's Note
Coming in at roughly 35,219th on the list of despicable things that Richard Spencer, Steve Bannon and the rest of the so-called "alt-right" have done is ruin the term "alt" for a lot of people. Even if it ranks relatively low on their list of offenses, as the editor of an alt-weekly newspaper, I'm here to tell you it's still really bad. Alternative culture has always stood for inclusiveness and new, expanded understandings of how we define communities—it's a term intended to add more identities to the larger conversation about the makeup of society. The rejection of diversity by Spencer et al. is anti-"alt" in every way, and the real shame in the mainstream's willingness to let them use the term is that we already had a number of perfectly fitting names for what they are: racist, misogynist, homophobic, etc.
That's why I'm so delighted by this week's cover story. Oberon Zell is an alternative icon in the classic mold: brash, bright and genuinely anti-Establishment, he brought the goddess-worshipping, back-to-the-Earth modern pagan movement into the cultural spotlight in grand fashion. My favorite quote from Aaron Carnes' story about him is from a local pagan describing how Zell boldly went down "the wizard route": "He's always been like, 'yep, this is who I am.' … he's willing to be weird so that other people can see that it's OK."
Yes. I love when we can profile fascinating locals like Zell who have made their cultural mark in a way that our readers probably don't know about. And what better week of the year to feature a legend of the occult arts? Have a happy and safe Halloween!
Letters to the Editor
Bigger Cause of Climate Change
I appreciate Stett Holbrook's characterization of the changed risks associated with a changed climate as "the terrifying new normal" (GT, 10/18). I, like so many people, feel heartbroken, sad, and fearful about the extreme natural disasters that have become everyday events. The world is still reeling from recent devastating hurricanes, earthquakes, and flooding. And now, the fires are highlighting the horrifying reality of climate change right here in our home, California.
While I am grateful that I can count on the Good Times to report climate change as a reality, I feel sad that the scant references in the article regarding measures for mitigating climate change reinforce the prevailing conversation about climate change causation, rather than even mentioning the primary cause. When Holbrook asks the question about whether Santa Rosa will be "better built to reduce CO2 emissions," or when he includes the quote by Richard Heinberg about investment in mass transit and green energy, he fortifies the palatable idea that to most effectively address climate change, we need to look to transportation and energy sustainability.
What he fails to do is to also interview an expert on the devastating impacts of animal agriculture, the leading cause of climate change and so many other environmental disasters.
There are many ways that people respond to humanitarian crises—prayer, opening one's home, raising funds, donating supplies, etc., are helpful. It is essential that we provide support to those in need. It is also crucial that we take responsibility to address climate change. The strongest measure any individual can take to reduce her/his/their personal contribution to climate change is to adopt a plant-based diet. When enough of us do this, we will be able to turn climate change and its devastating consequences around.
Beth Love
Santa Cruz
Give Voice
As per your articles in Aug. 30 edition: Don't forget that every American should have a voice in defending their name or views, whether unpopular figures or politically polarized. Be it taking a defamation case to court or deflecting support of any business or organization, irrespective of your personal opinion of such, we must, in keeping with a free society, defend all who exercise this right. GT needs to spotlight the corporate censorship of the politically incorrect and speech which you deem undesirable. It is not so important that we agree, but rather in the way we handle our disagreement. I totally disagree with the entertainer who asserted in your Aug. 30 publication that the opioid crisis is a red state/blue state issue. And I, for one, will tell you that addiction knows no party and concern for such and is not a monopoly of any particular political persuasion. There's moral indignation everywhere; let's not concentrate it in your brand of journalism. Your latest article on CBD was absolutely flawless, and I am greatly anticipating follow-ups in the future. Thank you for your attention to these medicinal marvels.
Amy Anderson
Santa Cruz


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AxxonSoft WebinarsLearn more
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Based on its recent research on the video management software market, Frost & Sullivan presents AxxonSoft with the "2010 Russian Video Software Management Market Share Leadership Award". AxxonSoft provides unique solutions through the convergence of intelligent video surveillance, internet protocol (IP)-based physical security management and enterprise-wide platforms. It also integrates these with the existing IT infrastructure and legacy systems, including analogue cameras and physical security systems, saving time and money for clients. As a result, the company has emerged as the leader in the Russian video software management market; it is also one of the leading companies in the world market.
"Unlike its various smaller competitors, AxxonSoft creates real value for its clients through its deep technical know-how and advanced technology," says Frost & Sullivan Research Analyst Matia Grossi. "This is proved by the strong position held by the company in the Russian video software management market, with a share of more than 60 per cent, while its competitors account for the remaining market share, with typical shares of 5 to 6 per cent each."
AxxonSoft's Intellect Enterprise solution has built-in, event-driven automation capabilities. This means that it has the capability to recognise and respond to events on a real-time basis and, thus, enable rapid decision making. Through seamless integration of all physical security systems, such as video surveillance, access control systems, fire and security alarms, this solution provides the benefits of high security and increased operational efficiency at a competitive cost.
Superior product performances, based on AxxonSoft's superior technical know-how, enabled the company to withstand the effects of the economic slowdown in 2009. In fact, the company got to work on high-end governmental projects owing to its advanced products and technological prowess. It has also formed technological partnerships with renowned companies such as, IBM, Intel, Microsoft, Panasonic and Sony. AxxonSoft takes part in ONVIF international forum as a Contributing Member.
AxxonSoft's technology and solutions are capable of offering seamless integration with different types of third-party hardware and software across different vertical and horizontal segments. The AxxonSoft Retail Suite, Traffic Control Suite, Banking Suite, Oil and Gas Suite, RailWay Suite and the Homeland Security Suite are examples of such solutions that cater to specific security needs of different verticals. From real-time face recognition to license plate recognition of vehicles having a speed up to 150 km per hour, AxxonSoft's products offer a wide array of functional benefits.
AxxonSoft sells its products and services only through carefully selected partners (more than 1500 in number), which include resellers, distributors and integrators. The company ensures that its partners receive the best-in-class training along with full technical support and sales and services assistance. As a result, its partners possess a high level of technical as well as service capabilities. These factors make them very effective during interaction with clients, as they are able to analyse and understand their specific requirements and offer pertinent solutions and implementation and after-sales services to them.
"AxxonSoft's IP-based solutions save money through utilising and integrating with the legacy IT infrastructure for both networking and storage purposes," sums up Grossi. "This, in addition to the enhanced functionalities of IP-based systems, has a significant cost advantage and creates real value for customers when compared to adding analogue cameras, as the latter would require additional DVR ports and, potentially, expensive additional cabling."
These factors put together have helped AxxonSoft garner a robust market share, making it the worthy recipient of the 2010 Frost & Sullivan Market Share Leadership Award in the Russian video software management market. Each year, Frost & Sullivan presents this award to a company that has demonstrated excellence in capturing the highest market share within its industry. The award recognizes the company's leadership position within the industry in terms of revenues or units, as specified.
Frost & Sullivan Best Practices Awards recognize companies in a variety of regional and global markets for demonstrating outstanding achievement and superior performance in areas such as leadership, technological innovation, customer service, and strategic product development. Industry analysts compare market participants and measure performance through in-depth interviews, analysis, and extensive secondary research in order to identify best practices in the industry.
About Frost & Sullivan
Frost & Sullivan, the Growth Partnership Company, enables clients to accelerate growth and achieve best-in-class positions in growth, innovation and leadership. The company's Growth Partnership Service provides the CEO and the CEO's Growth Team with disciplined research and best-practice models to drive the generation, evaluation, and implementation of powerful growth strategies. Frost & Sullivan leverages over 45 years of experience in partnering with Global 1000 companies, emerging businesses and the investment community from 40 offices on six continents. To join our Growth Partnership, please visit http://www.awards.frost.com.


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A Journey Of Faith: An Exclusive Interview With Ultimatum Frontman Scott Waters
Band Photo: Ultimatum (?)
Boston rock band Aerosmith's 1976 "Rocks" was a huge seller for the band, one that was highly influential on bands from Metallica to Guns N' Roses. Rolling Stone magazine put it on their "500 Greatest Albums Of All Time," and songs "Last Child," "Back In The Saddle," and "Home Tonight" are radio staples. There is no doubt that Rocks is one of the essential rock albums of the 1970s.
One day in the mid-90s in New Mexico, Scott Waters, the new vocalist of the Christian thrash metal band Ultimatum, was driving home after a tough day of work. Waters had recently left his old church, Victory of Love, due to its cult-like tendencies, which caused him to throw away hundreds upon hundreds of vinyl, cassettes, and CDs that he had been collecting since the early 1970s.
On this significant day in his life, Waters turned on the radio to the local rock station, ZRock. Maybe it was fate or a higher power calling to him in the form of electronic waves, but "Rocks" began to play and it hit Waters like an icy cold shower after a day at Navajo State National Park.
"I was digging it and suddenly it made me happy," says Waters. "That's when I went, 'What's wrong with enjoying music?' It was that album and ZRock playing that that got me motivated again."
A few years prior to this day, Aerosmith was the last thing on Waters mind. Waters and his family moved to Albuquerque, NM after he graduated college in 1991 and, looking for a local church, immediately joined Victory of Love. The church seemed like the perfect fit for Waters, but there was an underlying darkness surrounding the church.
"What they were involved with was a cult, the Word of Faith movement. You got pastors and preachers saying you can be God and be like him," said Waters.
The Word of Faith, according to Gary Gilley, is a movement that has becoming one of the fastest growing sections of Christianity today, with millions of dollars donated by followers to the movement. Television has benefited the Word of Faith greatly, with two of its members, Paul and Jan Crouch, owning a television station, The Trinity Broadcasting Network (TBN), which is dedicated to spreading the word.
When Waters joined the Victory of Love, he was immediately subjected what he called the "guilt trip" that the church, and the movement, brought on him. Everything he did was scoped with a fine-tooth comb and every step he took was to benefit nobody but the church.
"If you didn't spend all your time with the church, there was something wrong with you. 'You don't need to spend time with your family; you need to spend time with the church.' It was a guilt trip all around," said Waters.
Waters and his family would spend about two years at Victory of Love, being pulled along like little puppets, with the pastors acting as almighty puppet masters. Unlike most in his position, Waters remembers not losing faith in himself, or in his faith in Christianity.
"I never questioned my faith in God and wanted to be involved in church. I just realized I got involved in a bad one. There are bad religions out there; there are bad churches out there. They call them a cult for a reason. Cults are sociological...they get into your head," Scott said.
In 1992, there was light at the end of the tunnel for Waters. He met guitarist Robert Gutierrez and the two hit it off instantly. Gutierrez wanted Waters to sing for a band he was starting up with fellow guitarist Steve Trujillo. Waters was hesitant at first, but eventually subsided, took a few vocal lessons, and became the new lead vocalist for Ultimatum.
When Waters became an official member of Ultimatum, he asked his church if he could give out flyers about an upcoming show. The pastor refused to allow Waters to promote his band and would later show his disgust at such a request.
"A few weeks later, the pastor gave a sermon about Christian metal and how evil it was. If you were letting Christian metal into your homes, you were letting demons into your home. You need to take charge of your home and take that stuff and throw it away," said Waters.
Waters would confront the pastor about his remarks and suddenly realized that the Victory of Love was not the church for him.
"What am I doing? This is nuts. We're being brainwashed...everything that pastor said was law and they did it," said Waters.
Waters would eventually join another church, one that wasn't as strict on following a set of "rules" and "guidelines" that Victory of Love was. Ultimatum was also picking up a bit of steam, especially in the club scene of Albuquerque, which opened its arms to the Christian metal band.
Throughout history, heavy metal has had a negative image in the media. The lawsuits in the 1980's involving Ozzy Osbourne's music causing a teenager to commit suicide and the supposed subliminal message in Judas Priest's songs hurt heavy metal's image. The cliché is that heavy metal is all about Satan and violence, but Waters believes that Ultimatum is above all that. In Waters' mind, Ultimatum is not about pulling a Stryper and throwing Bibles into the crowd. Waters makes sure to not preach while on stage and keeps the message to the music, where it belongs.
"Metal, in general, has this stigma about it; it's all evil. Everybody sings about Satan, which obviously isn't true. We're not out there to tell people how to live. If somebody finds something in our music, great," said Waters.
Not everybody felt the same way about Ultimatum's music. Waters told a story of a performance the band was doing in the late 90s at a club, where the owner was apparently not a fan of the band's lyrical content. Even though there was nothing suspicious going on ("We're playing in front of bars with 100 or 200 people. If we go on stage and start preaching, we're not going to be playing in that club again," explained Waters), the club owner told the band to leave after their second song.
Not deterred, the band continued to play until the owner turned the power off on Ultimatum after the fourth song. Ultimatum got off the stage, helped the next act set up for their performance, and left the club, never to return. Waters explained that the owner kicked the band off the stage because they were a "fu**in Christian metal band." For the most part, in the 15-plus years that Ultimatum has been in existence, there have been very few incidents like that one.
Waters' life was finally at a high point, but something was missing: his record collection. Even with his whole collection being trashed in the early 90's, Waters did not deter from trying to regain his lost possession. He began to slowly collect Christian metal albums, but it was Aerosmith's "Rocks" that brought his love for everything rock back. He had to show the world that his passion was still there and that's where his popular website "No Life 'til Metal" comes into play.
1998 was the year of the Yankees, boy bands, and the rise of the internet. With the internet came the freedom for the average citizen to have a voice and Scott Waters expressed his. What started as a small collection put on free web servers became an instant phenomenal, with "No Life 'til Metal" getting over 200,000 hits a day, something Waters to this day doesn't understand completely.
"I did no advertising whatsoever," Waters said. "I didn't connect it to Ultimatum at first. I didn't want people to think I was trying to advertise Ultimatum or some other site. People eventually figured it out."
While not able to confirm the exact amount, Waters album collection is back near the 7,000 mark. Waters is still missing bootlegs and albums that he previously had, but is working his way towards finally regaining all of the albums he threw away more than 15 years ago.
Scott Waters has been through a lot in just the past decade and a half, but he never lost sight of himself. He had a solid support system in the form of his family and close friends to keep him stable.
Randy Michaud, former lead vocalist for NM metal band Tykkus, started talking to Waters in 2002 after finding his web site, and from there, they formed a tight relationship that grew stronger as the years went on.
"Scott is the real deal. He is a Christian, but he's not 'religious.' When I use that word, I mean that he is more concerned with loving and accepting people than with following a bunch of rules and judging others when they don't live up to that imaginary standard that those rules set up," said Michaud.
Waters has also used Ultimatum as a creative source of inspiration. The band released the well-received "Into The Pit" last year and have another album on the horizon, a covers album, with Metallica, Metal Church, and Motörhead being a few of the bands the band will put a unique twist on. While Ultimatum will never grace the cover of Rolling Stone or be the powerhouse that other greats like Metallica and AC/DC are, Waters has a sense of pride about his accomplishments with the band, especially when it came to the actions of one fan.
"Back in the late 90's, there was a girl named Sarah...she was a huge fan and she would come out from Texas to see us play in New Mexico. She became older and wanted to get married. She asked if I would be the one to give her away. That was a proud moment for me...she had a dad, but said I was more of an encouragement for her than her dad," said Waters.
For Waters, a story like that makes the trip well worth it: well, that and Rocks blaring out of high-powered car speakers with the top down and the windows lowered, with nothing but the open highway ahead.
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7 Comments on "A Journey Of Faith: An Interview With Scott Waters"
Post your comments and discuss the article below! (no login required)
That's a very interesting journey, especially in regard to the Word of Faith movement/church he was involved in... How wonderful that he knew not to forsake his faith, but to find another church. On this site: http://www.justinpeters.org - there is a great refutation to the WoF movement by a man who has a unique vantage point as he graciously lives with cerebral palsy...
"How wonderful that he knew not to forsake his faith, but to find another church." Agreed. Just because one thing doesn't work out doesn't mean your belief as a whole won't.
"Scott is the real deal. He is a Christian, but he's not 'religious.' When I use that word, I mean that he is more concerned with loving and accepting people than with following a bunch of rules and judging others when they don't live up to that imaginary standard that those rules set up," said Michaud.
^A truly beautiful line.
Overall, a great story. No matter what your personal beliefs are, do what you know you need to for your sake, including objecting people trying to push you the way they think is 'right'. What a journey...
Good story,I enjoyed it and how he realized how poweful music can be,anytime someone claims metal or rock music is evil to me I feel highly offended cause to me that music has done nothing but made my life much better and has helped me deal,glad to see a story on christian metal,some of the genre gets over looked but alot of the bands in it are some of the best out there.
To minimize comment spam/abuse, you cannot post comments on articles over a month old. Please check the sidebar to the right or the related band pages for recent related news articles.


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Category Archives: laughter
I threw him out. He returned. I threw him out. He returned. He threw me out. I returned. You get the idea. One of those disgusting-to-watch relationships where one of the two participants is nice and the other is a … Continue reading
Coconut Candy Gram: Get the hell out of this mess now!
I have continued with my resolution to avoid dating sites. They are full of unavailable men. Don't think I am being critical, because these are my people! I am most comfortable dealing with men on the fringe. Not to say … Continue reading
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Here's what I am thinking: Dating is frustrating! I don't know why my experience with the online dating site is so different this time. For some reason, there is a different "crowd". I have been asked out by 6 police … Continue reading
Random Thoughts
I am not sure where to begin this post. My head is a mumble-jumble of random thoughts that I am afraid are not very interesting. I have been texting Mr. Bubby Wubby (too much text, not enough talk) and I … Continue reading
Delicious Delights
I feel like a Cole Porter song. Singing, shimmying, swaying, smiling. The Man parade this weekend was bizarre at best, but also good. We had Friday night which included Mr. Phone Man, who I cancelled out on Thursday. He didn't … Continue reading


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CANDIRIA is back on tour of the US, playing cities missed on their April headlining tour with BURNT BY THE SUN. This time, Roadrunner Records' 36 CRAZYFISTS are in tow, and the tour will cover the entire West Coast and Southwest. In the spirit of supporting local scenes across the country, CANDIRIA have directed local promoters to choose deserving acts in their area to fill the opener's slot.
CANDIRIA's new album, The COMA Imprint, on CANDIRIA's new record label venture with Lakeshore Entertainment, will be released to stores on July 2nd, the day the tour plays the legendary Whisky in Los Angeles. The album was released to radio last week, and is getting high numbers on the College Charts (it's number 13 with a bullet up from 27 on the CMJ Loud Chart and number 19 with a bullet from 38 on the main CMJ chart.) The record is also being well received at the commercial metal specialty shows, reflected by this week's number 18 on the Radio and Records chart.
Radio will meet the road on July 14th, when CANDIRIA takes a night off their tour to play live on internet radio station XM Radio. To listen, tune in at this location.
Confirmed dates for CANDIRIA's ongoing tour are as follows:
Jun. 17 - Indianapolis, IN @ Emerson Theatre
Jun. 18 - Milwaulkee, WI @ Rave 2
Jun. 19 - LaCrosse, WI @ The Warehouse
Jun. 20 - Omaha, NE @ Ranch Bowl
Jun. 21 - Lawrence, KS @ Bottleneck
Jun. 22 - Denver, CO @ Bluebird matinee
Jun. 23 - Salt Lake City, UT @ Zephyr
Jun. 25 - Eugene, OR @ WOW Hall
Jun. 26 - Seattle, WA @ Graceland
Jun. 27 - Portland, OR @ Meow Meow
Jun. 28 - San Francisco, CA @ The Pound
Jun. 29 - Santa Barbara, CA @ The Living Room
Jun. 30 - Corona, CA @ The Showcase Theatre
Jul. 02 - Los Angeles, CA @ The Whiskey
Jul. 03 - Phoenix, AZ @ Nitas Hideaway
Jul. 05 - Albuquerque, NM @ Launchpad
Jul. 06 - Wichita Falls, TX @ The Mac Stack
Jul. 07 - Austin, TX @ Emo's
Jul. 08 - Houston, TX @ Fitzgeralds
Jul. 09 - New Orleans, LA @ Shim Sham
Jul. 10 - Memphis, TN @ High Tone
Jul. 11 - Charlotte, NC @ Tremont
Jul. 12 - TBA
Jul. 13 - Springfield, VA @ Jaxx
Jul. 14 - XM Radio show
Jul. 19 - Centerreach, NY @ The King's Club


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Journey to Excellence
Abstract:This article describes capstone projects created by Baldrige executive fellows, a group of senior leaders embarking in 2011 on a program to look at leadership through the perspective of the Baldrige Criteria for Performance Excellence. For senior leaders selected to participate in the Baldrige executive fellows program, a capstone project integrates leadership lessons learned from other senior leaders and the seven categories of the Baldrige criteria to impact and resolve a challenge in their own organizations. According to the author, what these senior leaders achieved through their capstones not only led to measurable improvements but also transformed organizational cultures. Projects included improving healthcare processes; moving from a compliance model to a performance excellence model; creating a customer feedback loop; and creating a strategy that would improve the entire Department of Defense supply …
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- Catch price shifts before other traders are aware of the new trend
- Misplaced stops from range traders help a break to gain momentum
- Look out for double (and triple) bottoms and tops
Breakout trading is a spread betting strategy used by active traders to identify trend waves in their earliest phases. Typically the signals for breakout trades occur when volatility increases with prices rising above (or falling below) their historical ranges. Using proper money management techniques, breakout traders can limit risk and capture significant price moves before most traders are even aware of the newly developing trend. We'll look at the specific steps involved when setting trade entries, stop-loss levels and profit targets in creating favourable risk-to-reward ratios using breakout signals.
What is a breakout?
A breakout occurs when prices exceed previously determined support or resistance levels. Long positions are signalled when prices move above resistance, while short positions are taken when prices drop below a clearly defined level of support. Since these breaks are uncommon (and usually unexpected) markets are typically caught off-guard by the price activity and, as a result, volatility will generally increase.
Another reason for this increase is that traders with range-trading strategies often have stops just outside the commonly defined range and, when the breakout triggers these stops, prices have the potential to gain momentum in the direction of the break.
While breakouts can occur on any timeframe those seen on the longer-term charts tend to create more significant changes in momentum and volatility, and hence more profit potential. The same rules apply on any chart timeframe but breakouts seen on a daily or monthly basis generally have a higher probability of showing a true change in underlying trends (which suggests a higher level of validity in the breakout price movement).
Spread betting and breakout trading
The key to successful breakout trading is seeing follow-through (or a continuation) of price activity in the direction of the break (a break of resistance for a long trade, a break of support for a short trade). Without this momentum, prices will reverse and potentially stop us out of our position. So how do spread betting traders determine the best support and resistance levels to watch? The answer can often be seen in the number of times the level (either support or resistance) has been tested in the past.
For example, a 'double bottom' is an area where prices have seen significant bounces on two different occasions. More than once the market has effectively determined that prices should not fall below this level. In the future, prices would be expected to find support in this area if it was tested again (this expectation is greater than if prices had only bounced from the area one time). Likewise this support level would be seen as even more valid if prices had bounced three times (a 'triple bottom').
Since many range traders would be developing confidence in this level (in terms of its ability to support prices in the future) there would most likely be many long positions with stops just below the lows of this trading range. If this area does break to the downside at a later point, breakout traders would establish sell positions based on the assumption that the misplaced stops (established by range traders) will continue to fuel price activity to the downside. A trade of this type would aim to capitalise on the downward momentum created by these stops.
Lastly, you should remember that the same logic applies for long positions, only in reverse, as trades would be triggered after breaks of commonly-watched resistance levels.
While Intertrader attempts to ensure that the information herein is accurate at the date the information was produced, it does not guarantee the accuracy, timeliness, completeness, performance or fitness for a particular purpose of any of the information provided herein and under no circumstances is it to be considered an offer, solicitation to invest or be construed as giving investment advice.


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Super Lawyers Rising Star Recognition: They Will Tell You No. You Will Tell Them Yes.
To be a Rising Star, you have to be under 40. Whew. I just made the cutoff (Sept. 16th).
I wasn't going to write this post, but I feel compelled to do so.
Years ago, a former boss told me that, "There can be only so many rising stars in the office and you aren't going to be one of them." I was astounded.
I knew right then and there that I would have to do things in a non traditional way in order to become the best lawyer that I wanted to be. And, indeed, my path has had unforeseen twists and turns.
The date I found out about the recognition, I wrote a quote on Facebook from a NIKE AD that I had pasted to my college dorm room closet in 1992. A simple Google image search later, and here is same exact ad:
When I speak to young people about success (not that I am by any means the authority), I tell them that only you yourself (not your boss, co-worker, mother, father, grandparent, best "friend", brother, sister, teacher, boyfriend, husband, wife, child, coach) knows your capability and talent. Mute out negative voices of people who may claim to know the depths of your intellect, drive, discipline, and talent in any aspect of your life. Only you see your dreams at night, only you can hear your heart palpitate when something excites you. All your life people will tell you no. NO. NO. NO. A thousand times no. But you will tell them yes. YES. YES. YES. A thousand times yes.
Below is our Press Release we recently circulated regarding my recent Super Lawyers Rising Star Recognition.
Super Lawyers Recognizes Salene Mazur Kraemer, of MAZURKRAEMER BUSINESS LAW, As "Rising Star"
WEIRTON, WEST VIRGINIA, September 21, 2014. —-On June 13, 2014, Super Lawyers magazine published its annual recognition list which includes Salene Mazur Kraemer, of MAZURKRAEMER Business Law, as a "Rising Star" for the State of West Virginia in the fields of business and bankruptcy law.
Ms. Kraemer is a resident of Mount Lebanon township, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania and a native of Weirton, West Virginia.
Super Lawyers' Rising Star list highlights emerging attorneys who are either under the age of 40 or who have been practicing law for 10 or fewer years.
Super Lawyers rates outstanding lawyers from more than 70 practice areas who have attained a high-degree of peer recognition and professional achievement. Attorneys are selected based on a rigorous, multiphase rating process that includes peer nominations, evaluations and third party research of 12 key categories. Selections are made on an annual, state-by-state basis. The objective is to create a credible, comprehensive and diverse listing of outstanding attorneys that can be used as a resource for attorneys and consumers searching for legal counsel. The list is published online and in a magazine called West Virginia and Virginia Super Lawyers.
Just two and half percent (2.5%) of all lawyers in West Virginia are named to this "Rising Star" list each year by Super Lawyers.
Salene earned her B.A. as a University Honors Scholar, and Masters in Business Administration, from West Virginia University, both magna cum laude. She earned her J.D. from Villanova University. An active blogger and former turnaround management consultant, she earned a Certified Turnaround Analyst designation from the Turnaround Management Association. Salene is a member of West Virginia, New Jersey, New York, and Pennsylvania State Bars.
"I am honored to be recognized by Super Lawyers for my experience in business and bankruptcy law," said Salene Mazur Kraemer. "My path as a lawyer has not been a traditional one. I have always been passionate about the practice of law and committed to excellence in my field. This is a great 40th birthday gift."
Salene is the founding principal of MAZURKRAEMER, an entrepreneurial business law and consulting firm in tune with how technology has changed the legal and business landscape of our time. Your go-to business and bankruptcy confidantes, the firm offers attentive legal and business consulting services, without compromising technical skill or experience. With offices in Weirton, West Virginia, and Pittsburgh, PA, MAZURKRAEMER counsels entrepreneurs and small to middle market companies at every stage of the business cycle in a broad range of business transactions, particularly reorganization.
Salene concentrates her particular practice on commercial bankruptcy law, along with general business and litigation counseling. She has and continues to represent businesses and individuals in bankruptcy courts all over the country.
September 29, 2014 6:19 pm
Congratulations! It couldn't have happened to a more terrific lawyer!


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Boston University Dance Theatre Group and the Reach Summer Dance Program
BU Dance Theatre Group
The Friends of Boston University Dance Theatre Group support Dance Theatre Group's and the dance department's many activities. Activities in the past have included self-produced concerts, the launch of the Ballet Variations Project, an outdoor performance at Marsh Chapel, participation in the Martin Luther King celebration, and attendance at the New England Regional American College Dance Festival conference. All donations to the Friends of BU Dance Theatre Group are tax-deductible in the United States.
The Friends of BU Dance Program members include alumni, students, and members of the community with a special interest in the vitality of dance at BU. Your gift to the Friends of BU Dance Theatre Group will help us continue to grow and to serve the University and local community by enabling us to program:
- Guest artists for residencies: inspiring choreographers and exposing the community to prominent dance professionals
- Master Classes with noted teachers: increasing accessibility to both students and the community
- Dance Showcases: nurturing and supporting the works of faculty, alumni, and guest artists
- Aurora Borealis: defraying expenses for a unique collaboration with CFA lighting designers and choreographers
- American College Dance Festival conferences: providing funds for travel and participation in this regional dance event
Levels of Membership
- Bright Lights: $1,000 and above
- Choreography Funders: $500 – $999
- Patron Saints: $250–$449
- Residency Circle: $100–$249
- Accompanists Bench: $50–$99
- Technical Crew: $1–$49
Payment Options
- By Mail:
Boston University Dance Program
915 Commonwealth Avenue
Boston, MA 02215
Please make checks payable to: Friends of BU Dance Theatre Group
- Online:
Visit the Terrier Pride Giving home page to pay by credit card. Under "choose a fund" be sure to indicate that the donation be directed to Club Programs: Friends of BU Dance Theatre Group.
Reach Summer Dance Program
While BU provides thousands of dollars in in-kind services for facilities, administrative support, vans, and more, Reach is required to raise revenue through grants, fees-for-service, and contributions. Download a brochure here about the many benefits of the program.
Reach is a collaboration between Mass Movement, Inc. and Boston University, both 501(c)3 nonprofits. You can support the program through either Mass Movement or through Boston University. Either way, 100% of your donation benefits the Reach program and is fully tax deductible.
Here's a sample of what your gift will provide:
- $100 – workshop
- $250 – performance
- $500 – half scholarship
- $985 – full scholarship
- $2,200 – college intern
- $4,000 – professional staff
Payment Options
- By Mail:
Boston University Dance – Reach
Micki Taylor-Pinney
915 Commonwealth Avenue
Boston, MA 02215
Please make checks payable to: Boston University
- Online:
Visit the Terrier Pride Giving home page to pay by credit card. Under "Choose a fund" be sure to indicate that the donation be directed to Club Programs: Dance Outreach Fund.


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An eventful last two days for the Seattle Thunderbirds. All highs, no lows! It started with some terrific recognition for a couple of T-birds leaving the organization and ended with Seattle welcoming nine new prospects into the nest.
Wednesday up in Calgary the WHL held it's annual awards banquet and two Thunderbirds walked away with some valuable hardware. I was certainly not surprised that Taran Kozun and Shea Theodore won their respective awards. Kozun took home the Del Wilson Trophy as the 2014-15 WHL Goaltender of the Year, besting Eastern Conference representative Tristan Jarry of Edmonton. Kozun's numbers speak for themselves, a 33-19-4-4 record along with a 2.41 GAA and save percentage of .915.
This is a pretty nice "feel good" story too. Kozun, who was not selected in his WHL Bantam Draft year, had a remarkable season and a half career as a Thunderbird after coming over from Kamloops at the 2014 January trade deadline. At the time it seemed Seattle was just looking for a healthy goalie to help in net with Danny Mumaugh after Justin Myles got hurt. In his previous two seasons in Kamloops Kozun was either the back up or shared duty in goal there too. His numbers were decent with the Blazers but he never really had to carry the load. That all changed once he became a Thunderbird. I still think, initially, he was going to split the goaltending job in Seattle as well, but in his very first start for the T-birds he shutout the Spokane Chiefs. He grabbed a hold of the number one goaltending job and never let go. In 84 regular season games in net for the T-birds he went 47-28-4-5 and recorded eight shutouts. Seattle went from being a team without a #1 goalie to having the #1 goalie in the league.
Meanwhile, Theodore culminated his terrific junior career by accepting the Bill Hunter Memorial Trophy as the WHL's Defenseman of the Year for 2014-15, winning out over Ivan Provorov of the Brandon Wheat Kings. Theodore was honored by the league even though he missed a good chunk of the first half of the season because of an elbow injury suffered at training camp with the NHL's Anaheim Ducks and being away from the T-birds to play for Team Canada at the World Junior Championships. Despite playing in only 43 of Seattle's 72 games, he still earned 48 points. In the process he became the franchise's all time leading goal scorer and point producer among defensemen. His stellar play with the Thunderbirds led to him being drafted in the first round of the NHL draft two years ago by the Ducks.
Theodore reached these heights after being selected in the third round of the 2010 WHL Bantam Draft. In fact, he was the third defenseman Seattle selected in that draft (after Jared Hauf and Taylor Green)and their fourth pick overall. And Theo may never have been a Thunderbird if not for something that happened a year before Seattle selected him. When training camp rolled around prior to the 2009-10 season, T-birds center Jeremy Boyer opted not to report for his 19-year old season, instead staying home back in Saskatchewan and requesting a trade. Seattle GM Russ Farwell eventually honored his request and shipped Boyer to the Saskatoon Blades in exchange for prospect Stefan Burzan and a third round draft pick. While Burzan never made it out of training camp and onto the Seattle roster, the T-birds used that third rounder in the spring of 2010, the 64th pick overall, to draft Theodore.
Earlier in that round with the 48th pick, Seattle had chosen James Neil, a right winger out of Surrey. So, we'll never know if the T-birds would have been able to draft Theodore had Boyer never requested a trade and instead reported to camp. The T-birds didn't have a 4th round pick that year meaning their next selection was in the 5th round, #92 overall and Theodore would have probably been long gone by then. I guess we owe Jeremy Boyer a big "thank you!"
This all segues nicely into what happened Thursday, the 2015 WHL Bantam Draft in which Seattle made nine selections. It started in round one when, with the 15th overall pick, Seattle chose Elijah Brown a playmaking center out of Edmonton. Brown is described as "having speed that creates opportunities all over the ice". In round two the T-birds grabbed Carl Stankowksi, a goalie from Calgary. It's the highest Seattle has drafted a netminder since choosing Calvin Pickard in the second round back in 2007. Want a little more intrigue? Pickard was the 38th player selected that spring, Stankowski was the 37th player chosen Thursday.
And this pick makes sense as well. Seattle has a couple of goalies they're very high on, 18 year old Logan Flodell and 17 year old Ryan Gilchrist, to tend goal for the next few years. When those two are ready to move on, Stankowski should be ready to take over between the pipes.
Outside of Brown and Stankowski, the two T-birds picks that intrigued me the most were 5th rounder Sabir Gill, a defenseman out of Vancouver's North Shore Winter Club, and forward Chase Sakic, selected in the 8th round out of Englewood, Colorado. Gill has a champion's pedigree, having been a part of a Western Canada Bantam championship team. He registered 70 points (20g, 50a) and quarterbacked his team's power play. We often hear coach's say that winning is a learned habit. Well, Gill comes with that habit already learned.
Sakic, is the son of Joe Sakic, a two-time Stanley Cup Champion with the Colorado Avalanche, and a certain Hall of Famer who enjoyed a stellar 20 year NHL career, so he obviously comes with good bloodlines. Chase didn't last until the 8th round because he was on the fence about the WHL. He made it clear before the draft he wanted to follow in his dad's footsteps and play in the Dub.
He most likely lasted that long because of his size. He's listed at just 5'4" and 130 lbs. I don't have any idea how much bigger he's going to get but size was also a knock on his dad when he played in the WHL for Swift Current back in the 1980s. While he may not have the size yet, the one thing that Chase Sakic probably does have as a result of growing up around an NHL locker room, and some of the best hockey players in the world, is that innate hockey IQ that you just can't teach. He's seen first hand from his dad and the players around his dad in the NHL what it takes to play at the highest level, the day-to-day commitment to being the best. Of the nine players Seattle drafted Thursday, he was the first to tweet out how excited he was for the chance to be a T-bird and play in the WHL. He is ready to get his career going.


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Anyway, having gotten the usual warning of not exercising outside in this country, and Johannesburg in particular, I did some search on the Internet about running in Sandton. I didn't find much, just a few posts reassuring foreigners that Sandton is particularly safe in the early morning, and recommending to run in the nearby parks or the indoor track of the Radisson Hotel's Planet Platinum gym. This didn't seem very appealing for a long run so I de zoomed on the map and found a very interesting stretch of green area along a creek, on the West side. It seemed so obvious, I was disappointed when the Concierge of the hotel had no idea about what I was pointing him to on the map. His only reaction was that it must be very far. Indeed, 4 kilometers, phew! ;-)
the Google trace of my targeted route (only to find out upon my return that I hadn't hit the send button before leaving, oops!). The sidewalks are quite uneven along the main arteries of Sandton and it's also dangerous to cross roads and streets in a country which drives on the other side of the road (I almost missed to cross one looking at the wrong side of the incoming traffic, with the wrong habit and reflex); as a result, I was glad to find the Braamfontein Spruit Trail. It's kind of the Parisian Coulée Verte (see 2007 and 2014 posts), or maybe a local PG&E trail since the trail isn't much about leveraging the nice creek as it seems to rather be to allow for the passage of a huge power line across the city.
I saw dozens of mountain bikers but only a handful of runners.


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To You Our Hearts, To You Our ArmsPosted: March 25, 2016 Filed under: Belgian Beer, Ethics, History, Political Philosophy, Sociology, Strong Ale, Trappist Ale | Tags: Adam Smith, attacks, Belgium, Chimay, France, Morality, terroism, Trappist Ale Leave a comment
I was not surprised that the recent terrorist attacks in Paris elicited a strong emotional response (at least among people whose facebook posts appear on my feed.) I was surprised, however, that the attacks in Brussels seemed to get far less attention among the same people. The general sense that I get is that the disparity results from the much closer historical and cultural connection between France and the US of A. But I have Belgian friends, and Belgian beer blows French beer out of the water, so I am sending all of my well-wishes in that direction. (Not that my sentiments are worth anything, but that is what I have to give at the moment.)
Whether in Belgium, France, or anywhere else, the occasion of catastrophe on the other side of the world is an interesting opportunity to reflect on our shared humanity. Why do we care if Belgians are bombed? If Frenchmen are shot? If some natural disaster befalls a distant land? Because we are humans, damn it! And so are those people. Do we do anything about it? Well… maybe nothing very helpful. But we at least take note.
Obviously, I am not the first person to ask why we should care about the calamities that befall people we will never meet. Adam Smith pondered the question over two and a half centuries ago in The Theory of Moral Sentiments:
Let us suppose that the great empire of China, with all its myriads of inhabitants, was suddenly swallowed up by an earthquake, and let us consider how a man of humanity in Europe, who had no sort of connexion with that part of the world, would be affected upon receiving intelligence of this dreadful calamity.
He would, I imagine, first of all, express very strongly his sorrow for the misfortune of that unhappy people, he would make many melancholy reflections upon the precariousness of human life, and the vanity of all the labours of man, which could thus be annihilated in a moment. He would too, perhaps, if he was a man of speculation, enter into many reasonings concerning the effects which this disaster might produce upon the commerce of Europe, and the trade and business of the world in general. And when all this fine philosophy was over, when all these humane sentiments had been once fairly expressed, he would pursue his business or his pleasure, take his repose or his diversion, with the same ease and tranquillity, as if no such accident had happened. The most frivolous disaster which could befall himself would occasion a more real disturbance. If he was to lose his little finger to-morrow, he would not sleep to-night; but, provided he never saw them, he will snore with the most profound security over the ruin of a hundred millions of his brethren, and the destruction of that immense multitude seems plainly an object less interesting to him, than this paltry misfortune of his own. To prevent, therefore, this paltry misfortune to himself, would a man of humanity be willing to sacrifice the lives of a hundred millions of his brethren, provided he had never seen them? Human nature startles with horror at the thought, and the world, in its greatest depravity and corruption, never produced such a villain as could be capable of entertaining it. But what makes this difference? When our passive feelings are almost always so sordid and so selfish, how comes it that our active principles should often be so generous and so noble?
The age of the internet has changed this aspect of life but little. Now our expressions of sorrow and our reasonings concerning effects take place online, allowing us to interact with a much wider group of people. Now we have instant access to news about events that, in Smith's time, may have taken months to reach us. But perhaps most importantly, we can now see what's happened in photographs and videos, bringing every tragedy closer to home in a way that Smith believed foreign events could never be. This, of course, cuts both ways. The immediate and graphic way in which we are able to perceive these events increases the impact of terrorism. But it also allows us to more readily experience the shared humanity that drives us to care at all.
Beer of the week: Chimay Grande Réserve a.k.a. Chimay Blue – When I visited Belgium a few years ago, I imbibed many excellent beers. Like La Trappe, Chimay produces "Authentic Trappist Ale" inside the walls of a monastery. This, their strong dark ale, is orange-brown with a creamy tan head. The beautiful aroma is sweet and slightly sour. The ale itself is super smooth. The flavor is full, sweet, and delicious with notes of sweet biscuit.
Reading of the week: The Theory of Moral Sentiments by Adam Smith – After the above-quoted section, Smith goes on to discuss the conflict between self-love and humane impulses. He attributes much to what Freud would later call the superego.
Question of the week: What do you do in response to distant catastrophes?
Girl PowerPosted: March 18, 2016 Filed under: Czech Beer, Drama, History, Literature, Pale Lager, Poetry, Political Philosophy, Sociology | Tags: Agamemnon, Antigone, Mad Max, Sophocles, strong women, Zlatopramen Beer 1 Comment
There are complaints in some circles that there are not enough "strong female characters" in modern entertainment. And perhaps that really is a problem with modern entertainment. But maybe that just means that we should look to the ancients. After all, strong female characters are as old as theater itself. Consider The Oresteia by Aeschylus:
The trilogy starts with Clytemnestra, Queen of the Argives, taking revenge on her husband for killing her daughter. Despite the name of the play, she is clearly the main character of Agamemnon. She is both sympathetic and relentless in her determination to make Agamemnon pay for his sins. A woman wronged, Clytemnestra kills the warrior king who led the sack of Troy. A strong female indeed.
The final play of the trilogy, The Eumenidies, is regarded as the first dramatic presentation of a jury trial. And who are the principle participants in the trial of Orestes? The judge: Athena, goddess of wisdom. The prosecution: the Furies, ancient goddesses of retribution. It is true that the Apollo's defense of Orestes results in an acquittal, and Athena specifically declares outright that she prefers the masculine to the feminine. But the play ends with the female immortals negotiating and eventually contracting an alliance that will preserve the city of Athens and the institution of trial by jury under their patronage. It is the strong, benevolent goddesses that we have to thank for many of the central aspects of our culture.
Beer of the week: Zlatopramen 11 Degrees – Zlatopramen makes a wide range of flavored radlers, but this is their standard Czech lager. It is fairly basic, with a golden color and fluffy white head that fades just a bit too quickly. Aromatic hops lead the smell, with hints of grass. The taste is also dominated by the hops. The beer is not too bitter by any means, but they did not skimp on the bitterness either. Overall, I think this is Czech lager is quite good.
Reading for the week: Antigone by Sophocles – How about Antigone for a strong female lead? Her sister told her that women could not contend with men, and you know what Antigone had to say? "Maybe you can't contend with men, but just watch me!"
Question for the week: Who is your favorite female character? (Ancient or modern.)
The Irish Don't Keep Their Lovers WaitingPosted: March 11, 2016 Filed under: History, Irish Beer, Literature, Poetry, Political Philosophy, Sociology, Stout | Tags: American history, Ireland, poetry, presidential election, St. Patrick's Day, William Butler Yeats Leave a comment
Earlier this week, there was a post in celebration of Casimir Pulaski Day. This post is meant to be a head-start on celebrating St. Patrick's Day.
The Irish are a prolific people in some ways. There are plenty of jokes about the leporine breeding habits of Irish Catholics, but I am more interested in their prodigious writing. The first reading on this blog was by Oscar Wilde. Subsequent readings included works by Shaw, Oliver Byrne, Lord Dunsany, and Jonathan Swift. American writers of Irish descent have also been featured on this blog; Poe, Twain, Fitzgerald, and James all inherited the Irish way with words.
But it is not just in literature that the Irish excel. So prolific are the Irish in America, that no fewer than half of this nation's presidents were of Irish descent. It may be unfair to hold that fact against the Irish as a whole, but it is not clear what that fact tells us.
The aspiration to public office in America is often maligned as merely seeking to suckle from the public teat. Or, as H. L. Mencken put it, the politician under democracy "is a sturdy rogue whose principal, and often sole, aim in life is to butter his parsnips." This is perhaps unfair to the politician; it could be that there is something more noble driving him.
Even if there is a righteous impetus for the politician, he still must suffer for his efforts. Every effort put toward political success in a democracy has its price in the form of effort that cannot be exerted elsewhere. The question of whether one can be a good politician and a good man is still unclear to me. It seems possible that one cannot rise to any reasonably high level in government without compromising everything that makes one noble. For Mencken, of course, the answer was more clear: even if a good man could get elected to high office, he'd soon either turn bad (because of the company he'd be forced to keep) or jump out of the window.
Though many an Irish-American has sought and found political success in this country, perhaps they would have been well to consider the words of fellow son of Ireland, William Butler Yeats:
The Muse is mute when public men
Applaud a modern throne:
Those cheers that can be bought or sold,
That office fools have run,
That waxen seal, that signature.
For things like these what decent man
Would keep his lover waiting,
Keep his lover waiting?
Beer of the week: O'Shea's Traditional Irish Stout – Surprisingly, I have had relatively few Irish beers, so I was happy to find this one at the store. This stout is very dark brown with a quickly fading tan head. The aroma is slightly sour, of dark bread with hints of vanilla. The body of the beer is surprisingly thin. The finish is pleasantly smokey. This is not my favorite style of beer, but as far as dry stouts go, this one isn't bad.
Reading for the week: A Model For The Laureate by William Butler Yeats – The first time I read this poem, it was part of an essay denouncing Yeats for his "anti-democratic philosophy." The poem compares "good and great" kings, strong-armed tyrants, and democratic politicians. The more I read it, the more I am convinced that Yeats considered the last of these three to be the worst.
Question for the week: What is the greatest Irish contribution to our culture?
Every Day a Holiday: Casimir Pulaski DayPosted: March 7, 2016 Filed under: History, Pale Lager, Polish Beer, Political Philosophy, Sociology | Tags: Casimir Pulaski, Constitution, Kujawiak Beer, Polish heritage Leave a comment
Today, the City and people of Chicago celebrate Casimir Pulaski Day. Pulaski was a revolutionary in his native Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth. After his faction's defeat in the War of the Bar Confederation, Pulaski moved to the Americas and continued his work as a freedom-fighter. He, along with Hungarian Michael Kovats, reformed the Colonial Cavalry and died in combat against the British. Chicago's connection to Pulaski is one of shared heritage; the Polish population of Chicago is reportedly the largest of any city other than Warsaw.
Holidays, whether official or not, are important for people. They should allow people to reflect on and celebrate the important things in life. Since St. Martin's Day in November, I have tried to find ways to celebrate every day for the myriad gifts I've received. Pulaski Day provides a convenient excuse to lift a glass in honor of the things that make life good. From pierogi and beer to brave patriots like Pulaski himself, the Polish people have given America and the world a number of cultural gifts. Pulaski Day is an opportunity to reflect on and celebrate those gifts.
So, here's to Brigadier General Casimir Pulaski and all of the Polish immigrants who did their share to make this country great! Na zdrowie!
Beer of the week: Kujawiak Export Beer – Although this beer is Polish, it reminds me of Korea. Something in the aftertaste of Kujawiak reminds me of nurungji, the rice that burns to the bottom of the pot. Koreans make tea with this scorched rice and even make candies in nurungji flavor. Kujawiak is a pretty, highly carbonated, golden beer. It smells of sweet malt. Aside from the burnt rice aftertaste, there is not a whole lot of to this beer. I am about equal parts confused and pleased by Kujawiak.
Reading for the week: The Constitution of May 3, 1791 – Although Pulaski did not live to see it, the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth adopted a written constitution in 1791, considered to be the second constitution of its kind (after the American Constitution.) The Constitution established the Catholic Religion as the official religion of the state, but "guarantee[s] freedom to all rites and religions". It also affirmed the obligation of the nobility to protect the peasantry, out of "justice, humanity and Christian duty," as well as the nobility's "own self-interest properly understood."
Question for the week: What does Casimir Pulaski Day mean to you?
Progress in all DirectionsPosted: March 5, 2016 Filed under: American Beer, Economics, History, Pale Lager, Political Philosophy, Sociology | Tags: Anchor Steam Beer, economics, John Maynard Keynes, Kickstarter Leave a comment
There is a general sense that the history of humanity has been a general march of progress. Progress economically, intellectually, socially. Everybody acknowledges that there have been missteps along the way, but on the whole our species moves ever upward. Assuming that this is the case, (which is not totally evident,) perhaps the most interesting parts of history are those missteps. When humanity turns away from progress and things become appreciably worse. We would be well advised to see the earliest signs of our errors so that they could be corrected before we find that we have strayed too far.
At the beginning of The Economic Consequences of the Peace, John Maynard Keynes describes European society before it was plunged into the Great War. Let's see how far we have come:
"The inhabitant of London could order by telephone, sipping his morning tea in bed, the various products of the whole earth, in such quantity as he might see fit, and reasonably expect their early delivery upon his doorstep;"
This is still the case, but the internet has removed the need for any human interaction, even placing the order with a person on the other end of the phone line. Thanks to Amazon Prime, many city dwellers can get most things in under a day. There are also myriad more products available, and the internet allows more and smaller vendors to reach each individual.
"he could at the same moment and by the same means adventure his wealth in the natural resources and new enterprises of any quarter of the world, and share, without exertion or even trouble, in their prospective fruits and advantages; or he could decide to couple the security of his fortunes with the good faith of the townspeople of any substantial municipality in any continent that fancy or information might recommend."
Again, the internet has vastly improved the opportunity for individual investment. Not only can one buy stocks online, one can invest in a friend's invention, an artist's project, or a potato salad. And the ability to invest internationally is unprecedented.
"He could secure forthwith, if he wished it, cheap and comfortable means of transit to any country or climate without passport or other formality, could despatch his servant to the neighbouring office of a bank for such supply of the precious metals as might seem convenient, and could then proceed abroad to foreign quarters, without knowledge of their religion, language, or customs, bearing coined wealth upon his person, and would consider himself greatly aggrieved and much surprised at the least interference."
From personal experience, knowledge of the native language is almost never required (although it can obviously be very helpful.) Being a native English speaker is the next best thing to being multilingual. Otherwise, travel has certainly changed considerably since Keynes's youth. Commercial airlines have made it possible to travel quickly, safely, and cheaply all over the world. (To say nothing of the availability of highway automobile traffic, which doubtless accounts for the bulk of the increase in personal travel since the beginning of the 20th century.) There certainly are passport requirements for some travel, but a modern Londoner can go nearly anywhere in Europe without a visa.
But the security measures of air travel are substantially more than "the least interference." Something tells me that Keynes's pre-war gentlemen would be extremely indignant about being forced to partially disrobe in the airport and subject himself to the invasive measures that every modern traveler has to endure.
Finally, modern states eschew the use of specie, and are engaged in a war against cash. But credit cards can be used in a great many countries, even in the smallest towns. In many respects, this makes travel much safer and easier.
"But, most important of all, he regarded this state of affairs as normal, certain, and permanent, except in the direction of further improvement, and any deviation from it as aberrant, scandalous, and avoidable."
Like us, the early 20th Century man was confident that society was always improving, becoming ever more convenient and secure. Then the bombs started to drop.
Beer of the week: Anchor Steam Beer – The progress of beer production in the United States has certainly had some missteps. (One so large that it resulted in two Amendments to the Constitution.) However, this beer represents a return to progress. Anchor Steam claims to be America's first craft brewery, and this is their signature brew. In the past, I enjoyed this beer on draft, but I don't much care for it in the bottle. It is an attractive, almost orange-colored beer with lots of foam. The aroma is yeasty. There is a certain bitterness in the finish that I don't care for. It doesn't seem like the same as usual bitterness from hops.
Reading of the week: The Economic Consequences of the Peace by John Maynard Keynes – This polemic is probably best known for explaining why the terms of the Treaties of Versailles doomed Europe to future strife. But this section focuses on the state of Europe before the war even began.
Question of the week: Is there any field where humanity is clearly moving in the wrong direction? Or, more importantly, is there such a thing as progress?


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Risky Writing: Self-Disclosure and Self-Transformation in the Classroom
reviewed by Greta Vollmer - 2003
Title: Risky Writing: Self-Disclosure and Self-Transformation in the Classroom
Author(s): Jeffrey Berman
Publisher: University of Massachusetts Press, Amherst, MA
ISBN: 1558493387, Pages: 312, Year: 2001
Search for book at Amazon.com
Risky Writing: Self Disclosure and Self-Transformation in the Classroom could just as easily been entitled �Risky Teaching,� for author Jeffrey Berman advocates an approach to the teaching of composition that is both demanding and controversial.�� Berman tackles head-on what he sees as a deep-seated prejudice against the use of personal narrative and self-disclosure in composition classrooms, a focus�that has been dismissed as sentimental, narcissistic and solipsistic by many of its critics.� The author makes a case for creating a safe classroom environment in which students can write on issues deemed �too personal� for academic writing such as depression, divorce, alcoholism, and sexual abuse.� As the final volume in a trilogy�that explores reading and writing about traumatic subjects, Risky Writing�offers case studies from 5 sections of Expository Writing (taught by Berman between 1995-1999) which focused on personal writing with the explicit goal of �exploring the educational, psychological and pedagogical implications of self-disclosure� (p. 13). � Berman notes that there is little scholarly inquiry into the topic of classroom self-disclosure, and much... (preview truncated at 150 words.)
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The nights like last one are too far and too apart: you see, the Three Stooges went together to mess things up and ... well, messy...
As it happens, my brother Förgelös (rogue, lv74) has very little time to devote to the game, so I and my other brother, Bishopgeorge (Shadow/disc priest), have overlevelled him already. Quite badly, as you can see. But that did slow down our bad humor, disgraceful dying and making fools of ourselves.
Due to the level difference it's quite possible for us to three man almost any of the normal pre-80 5 man instances. Due to the possible drops we settled for the Azjol Nerub and Ahn'Kahet. Well, part of the reason was also that in running heroics there is never time to look around and admire the scenery. Like Bishop so cleverly put it: "Random heroic runs are like you had a tunnel vision: faster, faster, where's the next mob". And in most cases you don't even get the time to really 'learn' the mobs.
So we did AN first. Cool runnings, time to see the scenery and show Förgelös the bosses and their specialities. I wonder why Blizzard has put so much effort in making the unreachable areas of this instance (the levels you see while dropping from Hadronox's lair down to the bottom) so extremely beautiful? Because I had seen the slow motion version (some paladin buffed me with the slow falling buff once), we took the priestly way of descending by levitation, and the brothers shared my thoughts: the sights are beautiful, the graphics outstandingly alien and compelling.
I as the tank didn't tell anything about the bosses except what the rogue dps should concentrate on. Too much information would have spoiled the fun in Anub already, let alone in the OK we hit next. By the way, this was the first time I used the 'right' exit from AN, which I was surprised to find out there?!
Ahn'Kahet: The Old Kingdom was the mess it always is. I think the place is something in which the developers have wanted to recreate something similar as -say- Wailing Caverns, but in a bit more condensed format. The result? Messy, sprawling place with no red line. With loads of extremely intriguing details and places out there, where you cannot reach in any ways.
This was the third run I've had in OK where the moss boss was missing: Is it a bug or has that boss been removed? I'm inclined to believe that it's a bug, as the outline and figure of the boss was hovering over several of the blue bonfires around the instance, reminding that there has been such a creature. But the boss was nowhere to find.
Herald Volazj was the encounter I was referring to when I stated that I gave as little information as possible of the bosses: I remember my initial surprise when he cast the nightmare vision on me for the first time and the disgust of having to fight myself there, so I wanted Förgelös to experience the thing himself. And it was a shock: when I had downed my opponents I 'woke up' to see Förgelös running away from his counterparts at the rim of the room, obviously not noticing how weak they were!
The instances were fun to three man, and netted pretty decent gear for the newly dinged lv74 rogue. It gave us level capped, but instance overlevelled players the possibility to look around, learn and see the fights at a lot slower pace, making it easier later on to take the challenges on higher level.
Then again, the challenge in heroics is more to cope with the rest of the group than with the instance bosses themself. Sad, isn't it?


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The Inbetweeners Movie
Out of school. Out of the country. Out of their league.
The Inbetweeners Movie is a 2011 British coming-of-age comedy-drama film based on the E4 sitcom The Inbetweeners, written by series creators Damon Beesley and Iain Morris and directed by Ben Palmer.
Watch the Trailer!
Four socially troubled 18-year-olds from the south of England go on holiday to Malia.


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ProtectMarriage.com - Yes on 8, a Project of California Renewal et al v. Bowen et al
Filing 239
PRO HAC VICE ORDER signed by Judge Morrison C. England, Jr. on 1/26/2011 ORDERING 237 Attorney Jared M. Haynie, for National Organization for Marriage California-Yes on 8, Sponsored by National Organization for Marriage, National Organization for Marriage California PAC, and ProtectMarriage.com-Yes on 8. (Reader, L)
Disclaimer: Justia Dockets & Filings provides public litigation records from the federal appellate and district courts. These filings and docket sheets should not be considered findings of fact or liability, nor do they necessarily reflect the view of Justia.


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Staff profiles
Dr Duncan Wright
Honorary Research Fellow
01392 723709
Duncan is an Honorary Research Fellow in the Department of Archaeology who specialises in medieval settlement, conflict and landscape archaeology. Duncan's work possesses a strong inter-discplinarary aspect, incorporating in particular documentary and topographic evidence to enhance archaeological investigation. His doctoral thesis, an edited version of which is available through Archaeopress, examined Middle Saxon settlement and social change in central and eastern England. Following completion of his PhD, Duncan worked as a Research Fellow on the research project Anarchy? War and Status in Twelfth-century Landscapes of Conflict. The project, which was funded by the Leverhulme Trust, has various outputs, including a leading monograph to be published by Liverpool University Press, and an article in Landscape History on the medieval and earlier history of Burwell Castle, Cambridgeshire. A complementary volume of the fieldwork undertaken as part of the project will also be available through Archaeopress. Duncan is Senior Lecturer in Archaeology at Bishop Grosseteste University and Reviews Editor for the Society for Church Archaeology.


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Let $a_1 \le a_2 \le ... \le a_n$ be positive integers. I'm looking for a closed formula of the number $f(a_1,...,a_n)$ of all (ordered) tuples $(x_1,...,x_n)$ of positive integers statisfying $$x_1 + ... + x_i \le a_i\quad\quad(i=1,...,n).$$ $f$ has the recursion $f(a_1,...,a_n) = \sum_{k=1}^{a_1}f(a_2-k,...,a_n-k)$ that also yields the sum expression $$f(a_1,...,a_n) = \sum_{x_1=1}^{a_1}\sum_{x_2=1}^{a_2-x_1}...\sum_{x_n=1}^{a_n-x_1-...-x_{n-1}}1$$ The only case I know of is for $a_1=...=a_n$ when one obtains $\binom{a_n}{n}$ what is also an upper bound for $f(a_1,...,a_n)$.
Edit: Using the transformation $y_i = x_1 + ... + x_i$ one finds that the searched $f$ equals the number of ordered tuples $1 \le y_1 < y_2 < ... < y_n \le a_n$, satisfying the additional condition $y_i \le a_i$ for all $i$.
It's classical that the number of ordered tuples $1 \le y_1 <...<y_n \le a$ equals the number of k-element subsets of $\lbrace 1,...,a\}$ which is $\binom{a}{n}$. Perhaps it's possible to extend one of the solutions for this classical formula to my problem ?


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Paper title : Spectrum of mutations associated with methionine adenosyltransferase I/III deficiency among individuals identified during newborn screening in Japan.
by : Nagao M, Tanaka T, Furujo M. Source Department of Pediatrics and Clinical research, National Hospital Organization Hokkaido Medical Center, Sapporo, Japan
pubmed link to abstract : isolated persistent hypermethioninemia research paper
It has been noted in the blog before that isolated persistent hypermethioninemia (IPH) is another known cause of 'metabolic malodor'. There is not much interest in this as it is generally regarded as being 'benign' (i.e. symptomless) apart from a malodour (probably in a transient form).
Only the abstract is free to read, but from the abstract it seems this is a similar paper that geneticists tend to do about metabolic disorders, i.e. checking out a small group of 'sufferers' to check the gene at fault for the sufferers' variants/mutants etc. They estimate that in Japan the 'disorder' may affect about 10 in a million, but 'facts' of these disorders tends to start on the conservative side and tend to focus on 'severe' genetic types. So it is presumably unknown how many may have this disorder in a more 'genetically milder' 'transient' form.
They also claim in this paper that it may not be a 'benign' metabolic disorder (i.e. malodor is not important) as some in their group had "brain demyelination or neurological complications"
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South Australian Minister for Business Services and Consumers, John Rau, announced yesterday a new industry code to settle the debate over the definition of free range eggs. The South Australian government has defined free range eggs as coming from hens stocked at 1,500 birds per hectare. We congratulate Minister Rau for taking the initiative and attempting to put an end to the long running controversy over truth in labelling of free range eggs.
Free range egg buyers have been at the mercy of large egg corporations seeking to cash in on demand for free range eggs aided by the supermarkets that seem to have taken on the role of industry regulator.
This proposal gives the power back to the people by allowing them to make an informed buying decision and will encourage the supermarkets to make available a broader selection of eggs in their stores for that to happen. It would be an interesting exercise to see just how many brands in the supermarket today would meet the criteria for the SA Free Range label.
"I believe this industry code will actually bring clarity to the free range confusion and those producers that are meeting consumer expectation will stand out from the crowd. Consumers will then be able to decide if they are willing to pay a little more for what they want, or accept eggs grown under a more intensive operation. The choice will be made a lot clearer," said Lee McCosker of Humane Choice*.
There is still a confusing abundance of free range claims on eggs, many meaning very little, and they are eroding the integrity of the free range industry. At least South Australian consumers will be able to weed out the less than honest ones.
*Humane Choice is the certification scheme launched by Humane Society International in 2006 to improve the welfare standards of farm animals across Australia. The Humane Choice label denotes the animal has had the best life and death offered to any farm animal, treated with respect and care over the entire course of its life. It ensures the highest standards of animal welfare and guarantees that the animals are truly free range. Visit www.humanechoice.com.au for more details.


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Sunday, 29 August 2010
THE LIBERTINES - Live in 2002 'The Good Old Days'
7 comments:
Hi Nuzz,
I was at Reading and really enjoyed The Libertines. There was a vibe in the crowd that I haven't felt in a very long time.
Always enjoy reading about your view on life.
Thanks for the recordings.
Take care, David
- 30 August 2010 at 22:35
- MJG196 said...
Which show should I d/l if I can only pick one...?
- 31 August 2010 at 08:01
These are two of my Favorite Libertines shows I have!! I enjoyed watching the show this weekend,But I understand your point Nuzz. I'm a little nervous about Carl's new solo stuff..The one song I heard is a little iffy.
MJG, In my opinion disc 2 is the stronger on the 2. Both Great shows!
- 3 September 2010 at 01:52
- nekrodad said...
hey nuzz invites sent out
- 4 September 2010 at 18:41
- martin41smith said...
Hi,I agree with your comments nuzz, i think they are the best punk band since The Clash,but there was too much of a show put on between Carl AND Pete, the songs sounded good, but your right you can't relive a moment.
- 6 September 2010 at 20:32
- Charlie said...
Just a different slant on The Libertines at Reading. My daughter (18) saw them and came away with something of the feeling that I got from seeing The Clash Feelgoods Hot Rods X Ray Spex Jam Blockheads etc back in the day. A feeling of seeing something honest and reel.
- 10 September 2010 at 19:10
- Khanh Phat said...
Thank you for your share your information.
mah jongg dimensions
- 24 September 2010 at 08:11


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About The Editor
Michael Miller, Editor and Publisher of New York Arts and The Berkshire Review, an International Journal for the Arts, was trained as a classicist and art historian at Harvard and Oxford, worked in the art world for many years as a curator and dealer, and contributed reviews and articles to Bostonia, Master Drawings, Drawing, Threshold, and North American Opera Journal, as well as numerous articles for scholarly and popular periodicals. He has taught courses in classics, the English language, and art history at Oberlin, Rutgers, New York University, the New School, and Williams. Currently, when he is not at work on The Berkshire Review and New York Arts, he writes fiction, pursues photography, and publishes scholarly work. In 2011 he contributed an introductory essay to Leonard Freed: The Italians / exh. cat. Io Amo L'Italia, exhibition at Le Stelline, Milan, Il Museo di Roma a Trastevere, etc. and wrote the revised the section on American opera houses in The Grove Dictionary of American Music. He is currently at work on a libretto for a new opera by Lewis Spratlan, Midi, an adaptation of Euripides' Medea set in the French West Indies, ca. 1930.


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Private Motor Insurance
Provides protection against accidental loss or damage to your private motor vehicles (including the standard accessories and spare parts), as well as cover against legal liability for third party property damage or personal bodily injury and legal liability arising out of use of motor vehicles owned and or operated by you and your family.
The following optional extensions can be added to your private vehicle insurance package:
- Car hire - Provides your business with a rental vehicle for up to 20 days if any of your vehicles are stolen, hijacked or undergoing repairs after an accident.
- Loan Repayment - Provides you with the loan repayments for up to 3 months if any of your vehicles are stolen or undergoing repaired after an accident.
- Non-standard accessories - This product will cover vehicle accessories to include non-factory fitted items such as canopies, tow bars or any, body alterations.
- Sound Equipment - If any of your private vehicles have non-standard, factory-fitted sound equipment installed, this extension will make sure you are covered in case of any damage or loss of speakers, sub-woofers, amplifiers or any other sound equipment that are not already included in the value of your vehicle.
- Road Rescue - covers you for accident recovery, towing, battery boost, flat tire, fuel, lockout, off road recovery and vehicle accident claim documentation services.
- Political Violence & Terrorism - extends your coverage against loss or damage as a result political violence and terrorism activities
- Excess Protector - covers the standard excess payable against all claims as a result or loss or damage.


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Tag Archives: Doubting Thomas
Doubting Thomas
The first Sunday of Easter always has the story of Doubting Thomas. (John 20:19-31) You know the one. Thomas comes in, having totally missed Jesus' appearance to everyone else. Pretty sure that they are messing with him or that they … Continue reading
What's in a name?
"Jesus does not call Thomas 'The Doubter,' in the same way that he does not call Peter 'The Denier,' or Andrew 'The Deserter.' The devil calls us by our sin. God calls us by our name and gives us … Continue reading
Show me a sign
After Thomas demands to see Jesus' wounds in order to believe, the next sentence starts a week later as the disciples were gathered together. When the doors were still locked. So, all these people who saw Jesus, had Him breathe … Continue reading
Locked away
This weekend, we read the Gospel with the story of Doubting Thomas. Now, the Catholic Church rotates the Sunday readings on a three-year cycle. Even some of the Holy Week readings vary, based on the year. However, on the Sunday … Continue reading
Doubting Thomas
Do you ever feel like Doubting Thomas? Do you identify with him? All these other people claim to have seen Jesus, they're all excited, and it sounds great, but there's just no way. "Unless I see the mark of the nails in his … Continue reading


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Sustainability and Trees
Protecting our Environment
Castilleja's commitment to sustainability through modernization does not stop at the campus edge. Castilleja hopes to becomes a regional leader with a Master Plan that meets LEED Platinum standards. The redesign process is a thoughtful, two-phased effort that seeks net zero energy usage and utilizes renewable energy sources. This includes the installation of solar panels, a reduction in food service deliveries, and increased bike parking.
Castilleja is not only committed to minimizing its environmental footprint on campus but also to integrating environmental education into the curriculum. By teaching students to be environmental stewards, the seeds of conservation will be planted in the next generation of leaders.
Palo Alto is an homage to tall trees. A verdant oasis in the hustle and bustle of Silicon Valley, the Castilleja campus is covered with a lush tree canopy that is good for the environment, shades our students on sunny days, and provides a park-like interface with our residential neighborhood. It was with great care and with knowledge of the special place trees hold in our community that we undertook the landscaping portion of our master planning process.
Reorienting our campus to better fulfill our mission of educating young women and preparing them to be tomorrow's leaders required updates to our tree plan. The new tree plan includes planting dozens of new trees; out of our 174 existing trees, approximately 139 will either be left untouched or relocated. Approximately 35 trees will need to be removed, when after further study it was discovered that the years-long drought and instances of naturally-occurring disease has wrought damage beyond repair. We appreciate that trees are as important to our neighbors as they are to the Castilleja community, and we will be available to discuss this issue with those who are interested. Please review the updated tree map for more information.