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From our hotel, we only had to drive a block north to get to one of the very few roads that headed west to the Pacific Coast Highway. It was this road or some pretty serious wilderness if we had ventured any further South.
The road cut across the San Andreas fault which I thought was pretty cool. (My wife would not have agreed!)
It did not take too long to reach the coast at Half Moon Bay. It was a cool, cloudy day but it was great to be out of the busy city environment and finally on the famous Pacific Coast Highway – and what better way to travel it in a vintage VW Beetle!
Our first stop was San Gregorio State Beach. Sara was dying to get out and jump around.
We actually had to turn on the heater in the Bug to take the chill out of the air. I wasn't sure it would work, but it did perfectly. Once again I had memories of that unique Bug heater smell.
We stopped at Pigeon Point where they have a Lighthouse and Hostel. I had to change from shorts into jeans in the parking lot – I had not realized how cool it can be at the coast in Northern California.
While we wanted to take the time to stop at interesting places, I was also concerned that we had a lot of road to travel to get to Santa Monica before nightfall. We spent some time taking pictures at Pigeon Point, then headed to our next stop – Santa Cruz. Sara and I are huge 'Lost Boys' fans, so we HAD to visit the Santa Cruz boardwalk where a lot of the movie was filmed back in 1987.
The Santa Cruz boardwalk opened in 1907 and is the oldest amusement park in California and is home to an historic Looff Carousel that was in the film.
We spent some time exploring the boardwalk and bought a couple of Santa Cruz t-shirts.
After Santa Cruz, our next stop was the 17-Mile drive around the Monterey peninsula and the world famous Pebble Beach, then a must-do pub lunch at Clint Eastwood's Hog's Breath Inn in Carmel.
We really enjoyed the atmosphere and the food (and Beer!) We sat in an outside courtyard patio that had an amazing mural painted on one wall. It was a great stop, and to our delight, after lunch the sun came out and the chill was gone.
Without a doubt the most scenic part of the Pacific Coast drive is Big Sur.
By now, I was getting used to driving the Bug, and it performed admirably on this challenging terrain.
Pushing on, we rounded a bend and saw a beach with lots of something on it. "Are they seals?" I asked.
They were. We had reached the Piedras Blancas Seal Rookery. We stopped there and got a pretty neat treat. It's not everyday you get to see that many seals in the wild all in one place.
We had been on the road for over 12 hours (including stops) and were still a long way from Santa Monica.
We stopped for a stretch at an old abandoned bridge that once carried the Pacific Coast Highway north of Santa Barbara.
We were in the home stretch, but the sun was going down and we were getting tired.
We pushed on, the old Bug just faithfully rolling along. We missed the angled cut-off for the Pacific Coast highway in Oxnard and ended up driving through what seemed like endless Auto Parts stores, Used Car lots and red lights that did not cooperate. We were not very impressed with Oxnard.
We got back on track and pushed into the last leg of our Pacific Coast day.
I had hoped to be able to stop in Malibu, but it was dark and we were running late. We called the Motel to make sure they knew we would be there around 10:30pm or 11.
We had a quick gas / washroom stop in Malibu and then it was a 'follow the taillights' kind of drive along the twisty coast to Santa Monica. We eventually pulled up to the Seashore Motel after 15 hours on the road.
Victor would have been both amazed and proud of his old Bug.
The Seashore Motel in Santa Monica is a well kept motel, two blocks from the beach that we felt was in keeping with our whole retro theme. With a neat little courtyard and just two floors of authentic motel rooms, this family run business was perfect.
In true retro fashion they even still have the old key and motel tag!
We settled in for the night, pleased that our long coast drive had been a success.


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bump along(redirected from bumping along)
bump along
1. Literally, to bounce or be jostled while traveling on an uneven surface. My car bumped along the stretch of road where the construction crew was working.
2. By extension, to proceed in a chaotic or nonlinear manner, as of a task or situation. The project just bumped along for months until we finally got the funding we needed.
See also: bump
bump along
1. and bump along something Lit. to travel along a rough road. We bumped along on the dirt road to the lake. We bumped along the road, hanging onto our hats.
2. Fig. [for some plan or situation] to move along awkwardly and unevenly. The whole project bumped along to an uncertain conclusion. The plan bumped along for a while and then we all gave it up.
See also: bump

subset: commoncrawl


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The fabrics used in the apron are: Centerpiece, Nosegay, Vintage Dot (out of stock), and Oxford Stripe. The apron pattern... The Pretty Ditty Apron pattern. Can't forget that.
For those of you who have the pattern and would like to add the 3 tier ruffles, here is how you do it...
2) Gather the bottom ruffle as you would in the directions, but gather it along the top and not the middle.
3) Sew the top edge of the ruffle to the apron.
4) Sew the tulle above the bottom ruffle (see pic).
5) Attach the top ruffle the same way you did for the bottom ruffle.
That's it - not complicated at all! Just pure crafting fun and happiness.
This apron will be available in the shop this afternoon.


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Tamara Snigireva
Tamara Snigireva
'In any major contemporary enterprise the warehouse is a very complex logistical system, right in the middle of constantly moving people, equipment, and loads. And our company is no exception here.' Tamara Snigireva, Senior Warehouse Operative at the Omsk subsidiary of Gazpromneft Snabzheniye, knows better than most just how much effort and labour goes into managing the never-ending flow of inbound goods, in tracking every delivery — particularly if we're talking about high-precision instruments for the oil industry.
'I've been involved in our industry for many years. My life might have changed, but an oilman (woman!) I was, and an oilman I remain. I began work as an operator-machinist at the Omsk refinery before family responsibilities meant I had to take a career break. When I came back I transferred to warehousing — a field about which, at that time, I knew very little. But I understood how important deliveries were — for which we, warehouse staff, of course, are ultimately responsible. You see, it's not just a question of the right marks in the right places, but actually numerous parts in an enormous, never-ending production process, all of which have to be carefully stored and accounted for.
I started work in the chemicals warehouse, where they keep the components for making oils. These are very expensive materials, many of them produced abroad, all of them needing a close eye kept on them. You check the integrity of a package from every angle: sunlight and moisture cannot be allowed to compromise its value, whatever the weather outside. Every document, every detail has to be accounted for; every day you do another stock-take, do your own cross-checking and verification — you can't do otherwise in our business.'
This sort of responsibility isn't for everyone
'I'll say this straight off: working in warehousing — if it doesn't sound too pompous to say so — you've got to love it. Many people come in off the street, not knowing anything about production, nor about the specifics of working as a warehouse operative. And, let me tell you, it's not everybody that can bear that sort of responsibility. You have to have something in your character for this work to be right for you — really, it's painstaking work, and by no means easy. Attention to detail, an understanding the specifications of every consignment and, most important of all — it's essential to understand and take on board, fully and honestly, what the word 'responsibility' really means to you. Not everybody can do that. But when you see what sort of valuable consignments you're working with, and what they mean for the whole production chain, you grow a special kind of resolve, a sort of 'core' inside.'
'These days I'm focussed mainly on the storage of control and measuring devices, for measuring volumes of oil products. These are placed on pipelines and other equipment, and it's highly accurate, very delicate technology — and, obviously, very expensive. In working with such high-value goods attention to detail is absolutely vital. You don't just 'look after' this sort of equipment — to start with, you have to confirm its delivery, which means confirming that this is precisely the right equipment needed: each unique installation within a refinery requires its own specific control and measurement equipment. You have to go into all of these nuances in some depth, to make sure there are no discrepancies.'
It's always worth the effort
'We've implemented our own accounting procedures at our warehouse, which is by no means the case in all storage facilities in Russia. Apart from keeping records (with the help of a warehousing programme and a handwritten journal), we undertake one further step in accounting for freight, using barcoding. It requires a bit more effort on our part, but it's worth it. The real benefit of barcoding is — you don't have to spend too long looking for things. One swipe with the scanner and — there you see it, whichever pigeon-hole or bay the goods you're looking for are being kept in. All of which saves considerable time for the client, when he has to drop in to the warehouse in order to check or to look over equipment. These sorts of details matter, they help optimize time savings for those people who have entrusted us with looking after things — and it's gratifying to see that they appreciate this.
Every morning my colleague and I check over our warehouse area — check how the lighting and communications systems are working. We confirm the security and safety of high-value goods, and check their condition. Then we get down to processing the orders, looking to see what resources we're going to need for the day — somewhere we might need labourers for loading and unloading, somewhere else we might need warehousing equipment. We think through what resources we're going to need for each task, and start working through these. Our work is done in tandem, although we also work closely with lots of other people.'
Respect — the bedrock of every relationship
'I think the key condition for any good working environment — it comes down to good relationships between people. Mutual respect, understanding — it all helps build the morale you need to manage — thoroughly and methodically — document circulation, equipment storage conditions, and much else. All of our work is built on hundreds, thousands of details, every nuance of which is important. Your head has to be working all the time! Nothing can be simplified, or shortened, because the quality of the reporting and accounting — and that means, the entire work of the warehouse — depends on all of these details. And I very much value and respect those of my colleagues who are able to withstand any amount of pressure and who always give one hundred percent.
Our workloads increase considerably when new capacity is introduced at the Omsk refinery, or existing equipment modernised. We are completely in tune with the rhythm of production and, every day, work for as long as is necessary. We are just a small part of the wider Gazpromneft Snabzheniye production chain, but a great deal depends on us.
My husband also works in the oil industry. After work we meet up with colleagues, as friends. These vital, real-world connections — the ideal job, in my favourite city — are what's important in life. When my husband and I are able to go on holiday together, we like to travel around the area: an Irtysh evening round a bonfire, excellent air, nature. I also enjoy going to the theatre with one of my grandsons, going to exhibitions, and spending time at our dacha. I don't know how to express this feeling: something intrinsic, an instinct for my homeland.'
Tamara Snigireva was born on 21 June 1961. In 1979 she started work at the Omsk Refinery as an operator-machinist at the hydro-treatment facility. On returning from maternity leave in 1991 she started working in the warehousing complex. She has held the position of Senior Warehouse Operative since 1997, and currently heads Warehouse No. 53, Gazpromneft Snabzheniye. She is a long-service employee of JSC Sibneft — Omsk Oil Refinery. She enjoys traditional Russian dance, and loves spending time at her dacha, surrounded by her children and grandsons.


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5 Signs Your Kid Has Overlooked Sensory Processing Disorder
A lot of kids, dare I say all of them at one point or another, have freaked out about the texture of a particular food, the itchiness of a sweater, or the volume of the radio when their parents' favorite '90s jam comes on. But, if you have noticed that happens regularly, and is almost always accompanied by epic meltdowns, it may be a sign your kid has overlooked sensory processing disorder (SPD).
According to the STAR Institute for Sensory Processing Disorder, sensory processing disorder exists when your child's sensory signals are not detected, or are not organized into appropriate motor or behavioral responses.In other words, children with sensory processing disorder may have a much greater or much lower response to stimuli as their non-SPD peers because their brain has trouble receiving and interpreting sensory information. A lot of kids who are the autism spectrum also have sensory processing disorder, but there are also many children who do not fall within the spectrum that struggle with sensory issues.
Kids with undiagnosed sensory processing disorder may be labeled "picky" or "difficult" or are thought to have behavioral problems. They are are often punished or ridiculed when what they need is patience, understanding, and occupational therapy. Here are some red flags that your child may have an overlooked case of sensory processing disorder.
1. They Are Over-Responsiveness
Kids with sensory processing disorders may be hypersensitive to sensory stimuli that is typically unoffensive to others. Brain Balance Achievement Centers notes the following examples of hypersensitivity: fear of sudden, high-pitched or loud noises, distracted by background noises, fearful of surprise touch, and more.
2. They Are Under-Responsiveness
When a child with sensory processing disorder has hyposensitivity, he or she may seek out stimuli, according to Brain Balance Achievement Centers. Some example include a constant need to touch people or textures, clumsy and uncoordinated movements, and the inability to sit still.
3. They Have A Fight Or Flight Response
Have you noticed your child suddenly running away from something that makes him uncomfortable? Kids with sensory processing disorder often have, what the Child Mind Institute called, a "neurological panic response" to everyday sensations, causing them to flee or become aggressive when in sensory overload. These children may run toward something that will calm them, such as a teacher, without noticing that they are pushing or shoving other kids along the way, according to Understood.
4. They Suffer Dramatic Mood Swings Or Meltdowns
Kids with sensory processing disorders will often have radical, inexplicable shifts in behavior, according to the Child Mind Institute. This is usually in reaction to a change in environment. Brain Balance Achievement Centers noted that sensory meltdowns are not the same as temper tantrums. Sensory sensitivity to noise, lights, crowds, or touch can cause those who have sensory processing disorder to become frightened or confused. Parents of children with undiagnosed sensory processing disorder may misinterpret these signs of sensory overload as behavior problems.
5. They Have Co-Occurring Disorders
Because the majority of people on the autism spectrum also have significant sensory issues, the Child Mind Institute noted that sensory processing problems are now considered a symptom of autism. However it's important to note that most children with sensory issues are not on the spectrum. Kids who have been diagnose with ADHD, OCD and developmental delays may have sensory processing disorder, as well. In some cases, kids with sensory processing disorder are misdiagnosed - and inappropriately medicated - for ADHD, according to the STAR Institute for Sensory Processing Disorder.


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In a bid to protect customers from fraud, the UK's big banks have published a list of things they will never ask you to do. Sadly the list does not include "to repay your mortgage" or "to come into a branch for a 'review' of your needs", but with luck it will save some from falling victim to the assorted phishing, vishing (phishing by phone) and courier (sending someone round to collect your card) scams which seem to be permanently doing the rounds. These all involve conmen pretending to be from your bank or building society or the police in a bid to get hold of your details.
The British Bankers' Association (BBA) reckons that millions of people are opening themselves up to possible fraud, while a survey by Santander found that a third of people aged over-65 were unfamiliar with the most common types of scams, double the proportion of younger people.
A leaflet and a new website, Know Fraud, No Fraud, have advice on how to avoid becoming a victim, and what to do if you get caught out as well, as well as the list of requests which should ring alarm bells.
Here's the list – read it and share it with people you know who may be less clued-up on these kinds of things.
According to the list your bank will never:
• Ask for your full Pin or any online banking passwords over the phone or via email
• Send someone to your home to collect cash, bank cards or anything else
• Ask you to email or text personal or banking information
• Send an email with a link to a page which asks you to enter your online banking log-in details
• Ask you to authorise the transfer of funds to a new account or hand over cash
• Call to advise you to buy diamonds, land or other commodities
• Ask you to carry out a test transaction online
• Provide banking services through any mobile apps other than the bank's official apps


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I bought a group of young Gold Barbs at the Fish Club. At the time I didn't know how many I had purchased. It turns out I have 16 of them! They sold them cheap, it probably worked out to less than 50 cents per fish.
They've grown a lot these past few months and I have to say they are a terrific fish. I think they are so happy because I have them in a school. It makes me wonder how many Barbs school together in the wild. Dozens? Hundreds? Thousands? And we put them in tanks, maybe two or three at a time, sometimes all alone!!
When you can, buy schooling fish in schools! We all have a tendency to buy 2 of everything. Believe me, I have done it.
If you are setting up a tank to make a visual impact the way to do it is not with 40 fish of 20 different species but with, let's say, 35 fish of one species and a few pairs or loners of other kinds.
The most beautiful planted aquariums in the world ALWAYS have large schools of fish, like Cardinal Tetras or Rummy-nosed Tetras, or Congo tetras. The possibilities are endless.
Well, anyway, don't forget the Gold Barb. I'm glad to have gotten my little school of them.


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- Accueil
- > The journal
- > Digital Subjectivities
- > Digital Subjectivities
- > Jennifer Haley's The Nether: Digital and Inhuman Subjectivities on Stage
Jennifer Haley's The Nether: Digital and Inhuman Subjectivities on Stage
Par June Xuandung Pham
Publication en ligne le 05 juin 2018
In this article, I analyze Jennifer Haley's 2013 play The Nether through the lens of digital subjectivities. I contend that the play addresses the swift evolution of the definition of "Virtual Reality" and of the possibilities it offers. I also examine the specificity of the medium, theatre relating to new technologies, to demonstrate the relevance of theatre in a digital society through a case study. As a police procedural play, The Nether compels us to contemplate the future of legal practices in dealing with crimes that differ by nature from those we know, starting with a more thoughtful reflection on digital agents and a more open attitude to the Inhuman subjects.
Dans cet article, j'analyse la pièce de Jennifer Haley, The Nether (2003), à travers l'objectif des subjectivités numériques. La pièce aborde l'évolution rapide de la définition de la « réalité virtuelle » et des possibilités qu'elle offre. J'examine la spécificité du médium, théâtre lié aux nouvelles technologies, afin de démontrer la pertinence du théâtre dans une société numérique en prenant un cas pratique. The Nether, pièce policière procédurale, nous oblige à envisager l'avenir des pratiques juridiques pour traiter des crimes qui diffèrent par nature de ceux que nous connaissons, en commençant par une réflexion plus approfondie sur les agents numériques et une attitude plus ouverte envers les sujets Inhumains.
technology, heterotopia, Derrida Jacques, Digital subjects, ethics, posthumanism, inhuman, Lyotard Jean-François, Foucault Michel, mixed reality, theatre.
Table des matières
Texte intégral
Introduction: The Nether in Context
2The Nether, a play by Jennifer Haley, is set in a near future in which, thanks to technological progress, the Internet has evolved into the Nether. Like its predecessor, the Nether provides its users with an infinite number of realms in which to work, get an education, or try anything one may want to explore — from killing a wild boar to having sex with an elf. The Nether has gone as far as asserting its role as a "contextual framework for being," where "[e]ighty per cent of the population work in office realms, children attend school in educational realms" (Haley 2013: 17). The Hideaway, under police investigation, is remarkable since it is "the most advanced realm there is when it comes to the art of sensation" (Haley 2013: 24) but also because it provides room for individuals with pedophiliac proclivities to "realize" their fantasies.
3The Nether premiere on March 19, 2013 at the Kirk Douglas Theatre in Los Angeles, where it was produced by Center Theatre Group. Afterwards, the play was performed in the UK, Turkey, Germany, Spain, the Philippines, South Korea, Australia, etc. It has also been translated into French and was broadcast in a France Culture radio adaptation in 2016. Considering its controversial theme featuring pedophiles, the play has surprisingly received mostly positive reviews1 and was awarded the 2012 Susan Smith Blackburn Prize.
4Haley's work, which "delves into ethics in virtual reality and the impact of technology on our human relationships, identity, and desire" ("Biography") sits comfortably with other contemporary narratives that address the opportunities and challenges emerging from the evolution of virtuality, such as the online role-playing game Second Life (2003), Ernest Cline's novel Ready Player One (2011), or the British TV series Black Mirror (2011–present) and the American TV series Westworld (2016–present), among others.2 Like these other narratives, the plot of The Nether points towards a paradigm shift in our conception of virtual reality and suggests the need for new terminology to reflect more accurately the nature of computer-generated worlds as well as their relationship to material reality. What sets The Nether apart is its medium, which underscores the importance of embodiment in thinking about the ethics of virtual reality, reaffirming the relevance of theatre in the discussion of technology. Rather than writing a moral play, Haley chose to address pedophilia from a variety of angles. In so doing, she aimed for an ethical approach that resists closure and encourages critical thinking. A police procedural play, The Nether compels us to contemplate the future of legal practices in dealing with crimes that differ from what we know, starting with a more thoughtful reflection on digital agents and a more open attitude to inhuman subjects.
Beyond Virtual Reality
5As a digital environment that accommodates pedophiles, the Hideaway harbors a community of sexual deviants and provides them with a site in which conventional moral and social norms are reversed. The exhilarating feeling of freedom and inclusion when one is accepted into a close-knitted community is not the only reason that entices people to pay a substantial sum for an immersive experience in the Hideaway. The realm is alluring also because of its beauty, to which the real world no longer measures up.3 It is revealed that, for some unknown cause, grass has become a luxury in the real world and trees no longer exist. The audience gets a glimpse of this reality through the cold, barely furnished interrogation room, an emblem of a world now reduced to a barren environment. By contrast, the colorful scenery of the Hideaway, full of light, trees and details, offers much more desirable living conditions. The shift in stage settings between the two worlds acts as a visual cue to the spectator, pointing to the actual world in which events are taking place. Scenography, in a similar fashion, helps the spectator distinguish between digital subjects (avatars) and in-world subjects, even though they are both played by real actors.
Image 1. Jaime Adler as Iris and Ivanno Jeremiah as Woodnut in 2015 West End's Duke of York's Theatre production. Credit: Johan Persson. Source: https://www.timeout.com/london/theatre/the-nether
6In the productions at the Royal Court in 2014 which was then transferred at the West End's Duke of York's Theatre in 2015 (See Image 1), the setting4 as well as the costume of the characters in the Hideaway are unmistakably reminiscent of the Victorian era. This is not only historically salient5 but also throws into relief a curious parallel between nostalgia and virtual reality. Nostalgia is built on dichotomies between reality and fantasy, between authenticity and inauthenticity, which are precisely those that have plagued contemporary discourse on virtual realities generated by computer technologies.
7These dichotomies are at the heart of Jennifer Haley's The Nether and are embodied in all three characters — detective Morris on one side, Sims and Doyle on the other. In Scene 3, Morris is baffled by the amount of time Sims devotes to the Nether (an average of fourteen hours a day) and wonders "What can be gained by spending so much time in something that isn't real?" (Haley 2013: 16). To this Sims replies, "Just because it's virtual doesn't mean it isn't real […] As the Nether becomes our contextual framework for being, don't you think it's a bit out of date to say it isn't real?" (Haley 2013: 17). Morris represents the common understanding of cyberspace as hyper-reality, a simulacrum that now threatens the integrity and the existence of its model.6 Sims, on the other hand, truly believes that the space he created allows individuals the freedom to live according to their desires, no matter how socially or morally unacceptable they are.
Sims. Look, Detective, I am sick. I am sick and have always been sick and there is no cure. No amount of cognitive behavioral therapy or relapse determent or even chemical castration will sway me from my urges toward children. I am sick and no matter how much I love him or her I would make my own child sick and I see this, I see this — not all of us see this — but I have been cursed with both compulsion and insight. I have taken responsibility for my sickness. I am protecting my neighbor's children and my brother's children and the children I won't allow myself to have, and the only way I can do this is because I've created a place where I can be my fucking self! (Haley 2013: 19, emphasis mine)
8Thus, the Hideaway turns out to be a site where people with sexual deviance like Sims can be their true selves (without causing harm to real children), while the selves they display to the real world are but a performance, a falsifying scheme constructed and maintained to conform to social conventions and moral standards.7 In other words, the in-world body of these individuals is already a site of simulacrum, which is precisely how Deleuze views the human body. As explained by Rosi Braidotti,
The embodiment of the subject is for Deleuze a form of bodily materiality, not of the natural, biological kind. He rather takes the body as the complex interplay of highly constructed social and symbolic forces. The body is not an essence, let alone a biological substance; it is a play of forces, a surface of intensities; pure simulacra without original. (Braidotti 1994: 112)
9Accordingly, the subjects' avatars in the Hideaway are no less real than their "normal selves" in the material world. Furthermore, since the participants value the experience and relationships they have in the virtual world more than those taking place in non-virtual society,8 the "realness" of virtuality can no longer be discarded. For Pierre Lévy:
No reference, authority, dogma or certitude will remain unchallenged by the future which awaits us. We are now discovering that reality is a collective creation. We are all in the process of thinking in the same network. This has always been the case, but cyberspace renders it so evident that it can no longer be ignored. (Lévy 2005: 191)
10Instead of lamenting the threats posed by cyberspace as Baudrillard would9 or refusing to acknowledge the breach in social fabric prompted by computer technologies, one could envision the medium of the digital for what it is, which Massumi (2002: 137) terms "possibility, not virtually, and not even potential." The possibility that Massumi refers to lies in taking the new world of simulation one step further, "to the point of no return, to raise it to a positive simulation of the highest degree by marshaling all our powers of the false toward shattering the grid of representation once and for all" (Massumi 1987: 97).
11Taking it one step further is what best characterizes Sims' intention when he created the Hideaway. His code is "the closest anyone has come to perfecting the art of sensation" (Haley 2013: 31). Judging from recent technological developments, it is just a matter of time before something like the Hideaway comes into existence.10 As Claire Larsonneur (2015) aptly puts, "The entertainment industries and everyday gadgets no longer focus on producing digital representations but rather on the design of digital environments where real and digital bodies are superimposed." At this point, it appears that the term "virtual reality" is no longer adequate to describe the Hideaway, if by "virtual" we mean digital representations that exist solely in a computer-generated environment. It is, therefore, necessary to come up with new terminology to describe this paradigm shift. Artist and theorist Monika Fleischmann has suggested the concept of "mixed reality," first coined by Paul Milgram and Fumio Kishino (1994), as an alternative for "virtual reality." According to Fleischmann, mixed-reality facilitates "a more accurate understanding of our relation to cyber technologies, in which material bodies, their virtual representations, the human imagination, and computer hardware and software all interact to produce a reality that has both 'material' and 'virtual' elements" (quoted in Brians 2011: 125). Identifying a world as mixed-reality, thus, gives us a way to escape from the authenticity-inauthenticity dichotomy that has plagued discourse concerning cyberspace but also signals a new direction in thinking about how the body is situated in the construction, deconstruction, and reconstruction of digital subjectivities. At the same time, since mixed-reality complicates the notion of subjectivity, we need to extend our ethical reflection to digital agents, both in relation to non-digital subjectivity and as an independent, separate mode of being in the case of fleshless posthumanism.
Theatre as Mixed Reality
12The Hideaway allows people to create new identities, new selves by taking simple steps. There is no restraint on who one can become in terms of gender, age, race, or physique. Morris, a young female detective, chooses to represent herself as a man (in the 2014 and 2015 productions in London, Morris is Caucasian and Woodnut, her avatar, is a black man in his 40s). Doyle, a middle-aged male becomes Iris, an eight-year-old girl. Even though the guests are supposed to choose from a set of prescribed looks, it can be surmised that the number of these looks is extensive enough in order to satisfy the needs of individuals with vastly different preferences. The use of an avatar is meant to protect the participants' real identities while simultaneously extending their sense of being through the multiplicity of selves. The digital avatars in the Hideaway, at first sight, appear to be detached from the flesh as well as from all the external forces that shape and constrain the physical body.
13A second look at these subjects, however, reveals that they are far from being fleshless on two counts. First, the avatar, though it can be transformed with greater ease, is still created with all the fundamental elements of a physical body, including age, gender, and precisely defined body parts. David Velleman argues that "an avatar under one's direct control serves as a proxy for one's entire body: it is one's embodiment in the virtual world" (Velleman 2013:14). Lieve Gies furthers this seemingly contradictory point:
[i]t is true to say that even in extreme cyber fantasies the body still matters in such projections as something to be reconfigured so as to allow for an intensification of its pleasures and the disappearance of its many discomforts. What superficially appears to be a desire for disembodiment is often a desire for re-embodiment and the elimination of the physical burden of the material body. (Gies 2008: 320)
14This leads to the second reason for claiming that a digital subject must be grounded in embodiment. In The Nether, an avatar does not exist in a vacuum but is necessarily linked to a living body, even in the extreme case of a "shade" — a person who has decided to cross over to the virtual world full time and has to be hooked up to life support. The ability to experience vivid sensations in the Hideaway as avatars, thus, is not the proof of a successful ontological separation of body and mind. Quite the contrary, it accentuates the persistent significance of the body through a process of disembodiment and re-embodiment.11 Albeit the digital body is the one interacting in the virtual world to create sensory experiences, the material body remains the final destination of these experiences.
15The dialectic between the physical body and the digital one, between the real world and the Hideaway in The Nether echoes the back-and-forth movement between the audience's social reality and the dramatic world on stage — two worlds that coexist in the same space. Likewise, while the characters engage in constant role-playing through their avatars in order to cross the border, the actors also immerse themselves in dramatic personae to conjure up a de-realized reality. As such, Haley's discussion of the real and the virtual is energized not only by the content of the plot but also by the medium of theatre. The self-reflexive and meta-theatrical dimension of the play amplifies the relevance of theatre in a digital society as well as the necessity of understanding new technologies when discussing theatre. This explains how, without resorting to virtual reality devices in staging the Internet, The Nether's dramaturgy still recalls computer-generated virtual reality.
16The parallel between theatre and mixed reality in the play perhaps can be best characterized by the Foucauldian notion of heterotopia. In his lecture notes "On Different Spaces," Foucault specifically mentions theatre as an example of heterotopia, having "the ability to juxtapose in a single real place several emplacements that are incompatible in themselves" (Foucault: 181). In theatre, a performance frames an alternative chronotope, with the audience's body situated in two sets of different space and time — that of the dramatic world on stage and the other of the material world in which time is measured by the clock. Correspondingly, a body logged in to the Nether occupies two seemingly incompatible chronotopes — the fantasy world of virtual reality and the reality accommodating that physical body.
17Another characteristic shared by both theatre and mixed reality is their promise of effecting a catharsis. According to Aristotle, the function of tragedy lies in bringing into fruition catharsis through pity and fear — it enables the purgation of unhealthy emotions or pathological conditions from which the audience emerges purified (Butcher 1902). Both the audience viewing The Nether and the characters immersed in the virtual world actively seek a cathartic moment through their participation; but it soon becomes clear that the promise of catharsis remains elusive. In the case of the characters, despite their high hopes, they do not emerge from the tragedy purified or restored. Rather, the experience leaves them more confused and damaged than ever, especially in the case of detective Morris. Likewise, despite the fact that the transgressors in the play are eventually punished and moral order is reestablished, the audience does not attain the pleasure of emotional or intellectual certainty. That is because, in The Nether, Haley delivers a love tale set against the backdrop of pedophilia and its horror, in an attempt to encourage the audience to think critically and ethically rather than morally.
Digital Subjectivities: Legal and Ethical Concerns
18Belonging to the genre of the trial play, The Nether compels us to contemplate the future of legal practices in dealing with crimes which differ drastically from those we know and for which current laws are deemed inadequate. According to detective Morris, "The Nether is no longer some great Wild West. We have a political body that is just as real as anything in-world. And we're making our own laws, with our own form of prosecution" (Haley 2013: 18). The play ends with Doyle's suicide and Sims being punished for his crime according to the laws of the Nether, in which the Nether is considered as an independent entity separated from the real world. Yet, it is hard to say whether justice has been served, as there is simply no established legal basis to deal with digital and non-digital subjects in a mixed reality. This underlines the importance of not merely considering cyberworlds as having their own political and judicial bodies but rather, of coming up with a legal framework capable of addressing the complex and interwoven nature of the digital and the material worlds.
19This legal framework, in turn, can only emerge from carefully reflecting on the ethical dilemmas involving digital agents. From the very beginning, the audience is informed that Sims — the creator of the Hideaway, as well as its participants, both employees and guests, are being investigated for solicitation, rape, sodomy and murder. The repetitive nature of these offences and the revelation that their victims are children only heightens the feeling of indignation and repulsion directed towards the accused. However, as the play progresses, the audience is urged to reevaluate their judgment and find themselves increasingly unsettled by the dilemmas they are presented with.
20The first ethical dilemma has to do with the existence of the Hideaway itself. In the epigraph of the play text, Haley introduces three definitions of the Nether Realm: "another world for mythical creature," "demon worlds," and "a dimension of Evil or Imagination" (Haley 2013: 10). The last description is particularly intriguing and problematic, for it implies that Imagination is another word for Evil. This definition may be key to understanding the philosophy of the play, for the whole plot of The Nether revolves around the struggle between evil and imagination, when the characters attempt to draw a clear distinction only to find the task impossible, as evil and imagination cannot be defined or framed.
21As he later confesses to Morris, Sims views the Hideaway as a solution to channel his pedophiliac urges so that he can restrain himself from acting on his desire.12 It is his way of taking responsibility for his sickness and creating a win-win situation in which he can live as his true self while no real children are hurt.
Sims. My realm is clearly designated Adult. There are adults behind the children and adults behind the guests. My background checks are thorough in the extreme to make sure we don't involve users who are underage. This is in accordance with the statute on consensual role play — (Haley 2013: 18)
22The Hideaway, according to Doyle, "draws people who are broken" (Haley 2013: 54) and gives them "an opportunity to live outside of consequence" (Haley 2013: 21), to forget who they think they are and discover who they might be. To the extent that the art of sensation in the realm is so advanced that the participant's morbid desires can be fully satisfied, preventing him from seeking real children, the existence of the Hideaway is a positive alternative space. One cannot help but be anxious about what follows after the Hideaway is shut down, and what its members will do to release their sexual urge for children. The suicide of Doyle is but one example of how the dissolution of a virtual community as close-knit as the Hideaway could have negative impact on its members.
23Unfortunately, things are not so simple. Considering what takes place in the Hideaway as consensual role play does not exclude it from ethical scrutiny, especially when the realm's perfect art of sensation no longer makes it possible to separate the avatar from the person behind it. It is true that the "children" in the Hideaway can choose to feel only as much pain as they want to when they are sodomised, abused, or butchered. Yet, it does not mean that they is no psychological harm, nor is the agent completely free from responsibility just because he/she is inhabiting an avatar. Writing on contemporary gaming environment, Castronova argues that users' duties towards others within virtual worlds ''have nothing to do with the fact that moral agents are interacting through their characters in virtual reality; it has everything to do with the fact that they are moral agents, interacting'' (Castronova 2003:17). Similarly, Thomas Powers (2003: 193) writes, "Because what an agent says, intends, and achieves is real, it is the subject matter for moral judgment, even when his or her agency is mediated by computers." The nature of the Hideaway as a mixed-reality has established that what takes place there and the digital subjects who perform actions there, are all real. Accordingly, this fact demands an even higher level of ethics encompassing both the avatar and the agent. In Sims' and Doyle's mind, being in this realm is not the same way of being, for "It's imagination! People should be free in their own imagination!" (Haley 2013: 32). Nevertheless, when imagination is used to promote violence, to cause trauma, and can be understood as another word for Evil, then, it would be unethical to allow such imagination absolute freedom.
24The ethical dilemma of the Hideaway necessarily leads to another dilemma in the way we judge those involved in pedophiliac practices in that space. As the demarcation between victim and perpetrator is blurred, the spectator faces contradictory emotional responses and may find it increasingly difficult to cast ethical judgment on these characters. Should we be repulsed by, or feel sorry for, Doyle the school teacher, whose participation eventually evolves into real emotional attachment? Are we to empathize with Sims and Doyle as the victims of their own making or to be critical of these individuals because of who they are? These are questions that have no clear-cut answers and therefore, demand continual reflection on the part of the audience.
25The Nether also frames a third dilemma through Morris' father — a "shade." If for Sims and Doyle, the virtual dimension presents a site where one can act freely on one's forbidden desires, for Morris' father, it is a place of perfect containment where his desires are suppressed and kept in check. The digital avatar of Morris' father does not engage in any unethical act but instead seeks peace in solitude. After becoming a shade, the only realm in which he spent his time before his death is, curiously, "a small, cosy room with an armchair and a fire," where he saw himself as a "wizened gargoyle" (Haley 2013: 49). The highlighted passage in the book he left on the table, the final stanza of a poem entitled In a Dark Time by Theodore Roethke, gives us a clue as to what led him to a reclusive life.
Dark, dark my light, and darker my desire.
My soul, like some heat-maddened summer fly,
Keeps buzzing at the sill. Which I is I?
A fallen man, I climb out of my fear.
The mind enters itself, and God the mind,
And one is One, free in the tearing wind.
26The audience is not given enough information to know for certain the nature of Morris' father's dark desire. From the bits and pieces revealed by Morris when she is Woodnut, such as "He never looked at me when I was a child," or "He never touched me" (Haley 2013: 49), one may deduce that this desire is more or less similar to Sims' and Doyle's taboo desire for children. If Sims resists temptation by immersing himself in the task of creating and perfecting the Hideaway, and Doyle by giving in completely to his desires in the virtual space, then Morris' father resolves to self-imposed exile and imprisonment in order to keep his daughter and other children safe.
27Compared to the ethically problematic Hideaway, Morris' father's room appears to be a more acceptable solution for individuals with pedophiliac proclivities. Nevertheless, one cannot help but wonder whether it is truly ethical to suggest that all pedophiles should follow his footsteps, seeking an extreme way out by locking themselves in, waiting for personal transcendence. The idea is also problematic from the practical point of view. It will be naively optimistic to believe that everyone is capable of such self-discipline, and even if they were, there is no guarantee that this would have no repercussions. Morris' father's decision is perhaps meant to protect his daughter, yet it is not completely harmless, judging from the psychological and emotional injury that she suffered as a result. What she wanted most from him was a relationship on this earth (Haley 2013: 55); by becoming a shade, he neglected her. Living free from the consequences on one's actions, either in the Hideaway or in a cell, proves just as elusive as the Cartesian dream of an ontological separation between body and mind.
The Shade: Inhuman Subjectivities
28The shade in The Nether bears strong resemblance to the Dreamers in the movie Inception (2010) by Christopher Nolan. Like the shade, Dreamers see their physical bodies as a means to support their virtual beings. Both are the articulation of a strand in posthuman thinking — fleshless posthumanism. Yearning to be freed from the physical body finds its most extreme manifestation in San Junipero (2016), the fourth episode of the third season of Black Mirror. Here, the dying can choose to upload their consciousness to San Junipero — a simulated reality — and stay there permanently as the younger versions of themselves, without having to fear pain, aging, or death, unless they choose so. San Junipero is the epitome of the human's dream for immortality; at the same time, it affirms the Cartesian dualism of body and mind, demonstrating that the human mind can be severed from its body and remain intact.
29The two examples from Inception and Black Mirror, while being thematically relevant to the discussion here, are different in terms of medium and therefore, of representation. In both Inception and San Junipero, we actually see the Dreamers and the aging body of Yorkie plugged in. Contrariwise, in The Nether the shade never appears on stage. Its existence is evoked by language, through Morris' narrative alone. Haley thus assigns a spectral quality to her creation of the shade in her refusal to render it through a visual representation. Defining the spectre, Derrida writes:
C'est quelque chose qu'on ne sait pas, justement, et on ne sait pas si précisément cela est, si ça existe, si ça répond à un nom et correspond à une essence. On ne le sait pas : non par ignorance, mais parce que ce non-objet, ce présent non-présent, cet être-là d'un absent ou d'un disparu ne relève pas du savoir. Du moins plus de ce qu'on croit savoir sous le nom de savoir. On ne sait pas si c'est vivant ou si c'est mort. (Derrida 25-6)
30The spectre, neither dead nor alive, neither present nor absent, defies knowledge and threatens the foundation of our human notion of scientific progress, which largely relies on an epistemic approach. Fredric Jameson further elaborates on this point as he explains that a belief in specter has nothing to do with believing in the existence of ghosts, either literally or metaphorically.
Spectrality does not involve the conviction that ghosts exist or that the past (and maybe even the future they offer to prophesy) is still very much alive and at work, within the living present: all it says, if it can be thought to speak, is that the living present is scarcely as self-sufficient as it claims to be; that we would do well not to count on its density and solidity, which might under exceptional circumstances betray us. (Jameson 1999: 39)
31The power of a spectral figure, thus, lies in its ability to expose the limitations of the living present, the porous fabric of the world we live in and with it, all known power relations. In the case of The Nether, it is only apt to invest in the shade a spectral quality if it evokes Lyotard's Inhuman in both senses: the dehumanising effect of technology and the potentially positive forces that are repressed or excluded by a normative humanistic ideal.13 The existence of Morris' father as a shade is inhuman, not only because it is a symbol of the dehumanising effect of technological advancement — the ability to transform the body into a mere tool for virtual existence in this case — but also because it prompts us to rethink our humanistic value judgments. While there is no denying that witnessing one's father hooked up to life support is neither pleasant nor reassuring, Morris seems to overlook the possibility that such inhuman existence is capable of generating new meanings, new definitions of life and happiness. In her refusal to acknowledge such possibility, simply because these new meanings and definitions do not subscribe to the conventional humanistic ideology, she missed the only opportunity to better understand her father and reconcile herself with him. Morris' father, like the Dreamers in Inception, are Inhuman subjects who, rather than demanding our sympathy or pity, prompt us to ask ourselves: "What can we do to mitigate the dehumanising effect of science and technology in society?" and "Should we extend our understanding of the human in order to effectively account for all the repressed positive, generative forces that will inevitably return in disruption?" The Nether, as such, opens up a space for lasting reflection on the ethics of digital and Inhuman subjectivities.
Barnett, Laura. "The Nether review — dark desires in a nightmare world." The Guardian. July 27, 2014. https://www.theguardian.com/stage/2014/jul/27/the-nether-royal-court-observer-review
Braidotti, Rosi. Nomadic Subjects: Embodiment and Sexual Difference in Contemporary Feminist Theory. New York: Columbia UP, 1994.
Brians, Ella. "The 'Virtual' Body and the Strange Persistence of the Flesh: Deleuze, Cyberspace, and the Posthuman." In Laura Guillaume and Joe Hughes, eds. Deleuze and the Body. Edinburgh: Edinburgh UP, 2011: 117-144.
Brantley, Ben. "Review: Jennifer Haley's The Nether Explores the Dark Side of the Web." The New York Times. February 24, 2015. https://www.nytimes.com/2015/02/25/theater/review-jennifer-haleys-the-nether-explores-the-dark-side-of-the-web.html
Butcher, S. H. The Poetics of Aristotle. London: MacMillan, 1902.
Castronova, Edward. "Theory of the Avatar." CESifo Working Paper No. 863, 2003.
Cline, Ernest. Ready Player One. New York: Random House, 2011.
Derrida, Jacques. Spectres de Marx. Paris: Galilée, 1993.
Foucault, Michel. "On Different Spaces" In Michel Foucault. Aesthetics, Method, and Epistemology. Transl. by Robert Hurley. New York: The New Press, 1998.
Gies, Lieve. "How material are cyberbodies? Broadband Internet and embodied subjectivity." Crime Media Culture 4(3), 2008: 311-330. DOI: 10.1177/1741659008096369
Haley, Jennifer. The Nether. London: Faber & Faber, 2014.
————. "Biography." jenniferhaley.com. http://jenniferhaley.com/bio
————. The Nether Play. http://www.thenetherplay.com/
Jackson, Louise. Child Sexual Abuse in Victorian England. London & NY: Routledge, 2000.
Jameson, Fredric. "Marx's Purloined Letter." In Michael Sprinker (ed). Ghostly Demarcations: A Symposium on Jacques Derrida's "Spectres de Marx." London/NY: Verso, 1999.
Jays, David. "Smoke, mirrors and fake plastic trees: the design of Es Devlin." The Guardian. June 17, 2015. https://www.theguardian.com/stage/ng-interactive/2015/jun/17/es-devlin-set-designs-the-nether-chimerica-louis-vuitton-u2
Larsonneur, Claire. "When bodies go digital." Angles. New Approaches to The Body, (2) 2015. http://angles.saesfrance.org/index.php?id=356
Lévy, Pierre. "Collective Intelligence, a Civilisation: Towards a Method of Positive Interpretation." International Journal of Politics, Culture, and Society 18 (3/4), 2005: 189-198. DOI: 10.1007/s10767-006-9003-z
Lyotard, Jean-François. The Inhuman: Reflections on Time. Transl. by Geoffrey Bennington and Rachel Bowlby. Cambridge: Polity Press, 1991.
Massumi, Brian. "Realer than Real: The Simulacrum According to Deleuze and Guattari." Copyright, no.1, 1987: 90-97.
————. Parables of the Virtual: Movement, Affect, Sensation. Durham: Duke UP. 2002.
Migram, Paul and Kishino, Fumio. "A Taxonomy of Mixed Reality Virtual Displays." IEICE TRANSACTIONS on Information and Systems 77, n12, 1994: 1321-1329.
Paul-Choudhury, Sumit. "The Nether: Real morality for a virtual world." New Scientist. February 26, 2015. https://www.newscientist.com/article/dn27040-the-nether-real-morality-for-a-virtual-world/
Powers, Thomas. "Real Wrongs in Virtual Communities." Ethics and Information Technology 5(4), 2003: 191–198. DOI: 10.1023/B:ETIN.0000017737.56971.20
Roettger, Janko. "How Ready Player One Compares to Today's VR Technology." Variety. March 29, 2018. http://variety.com/2018/digital/news/ready-player-one-vr-tech-1202739419/
Velleman, David. "Virtual Selves." In Foundations for moral relativism. Cambridge: Open Book Publishers. 2013: 5–21.
Black Mirror (2011–present). Series. Created by Charlie Brooker. Channel 4.
Inception (2010). Film. Dir. Christopher Nolan. 158mn.
Ready Player One (2018). Film. Dir. Steven Spielberg, 140mn.
San Junipero (2016). Series episode. Season 3 Episode 4 of Black Mirror (see). Dir. Owen Harris. Writer: Charlie Brooker. 61mn.
Westworld (2016–present). Series. HBO/Warner.
1 See Laura Barnett's (2014) review for The Guardian, Ben Brantley's (2015) review for The New York Times or Sumit Paul-Choudhury's (2015) review for New Scientist.
2 The Nether is not Haley's first opus about virtual worlds for the stage. In 2008, she also wrote Neighborhood 3: Requisition of Doom, a play addressing the dangers of video games.
3 The concept of the Hideaway (an artificial environment where people can act on criminal fantasies) echoes the pitch of Westworld.
4 The Nether's stage designer, multi-award winning Es Devlin, plays a great part in amplifying the play's ideas. Commenting on her work, she writes, "The Nether is a world made out of computer code, so we had to give a sense that all the people and objects are wireframe figures created out of code. Despite appearances, it's a very simple design, not at all hi-tech. It's all plastic trees and string: classic smoke and mirrors" (Jays 2015).
5 Child sexual abuse and exploitation were a widespread phenomenon during Victorian times. See Jackson (2000).
6 Detective Morris reveals that progress in technologies supporting crossing over mean we are at the edge of what could become "a mass migration into the Nether" (Haley 2013: 31).
7 The character's name strongly suggests this interpretation, as "Sims" is commonly used to denote virtual character "simulations", or avatars — a usage derives from the widely popular life simulation game series of the same title, The Sims.
8 This is true for all three characters: Sims (Papa) cares for Doyle (Iris) more than for his real wife; Doyle's relationship with his daughter is cold and distant while his attachment to the Hideaway and its avatars prompts him to crossover permanently; and Morris (Woodnut) finds herself more emotionally invested than she wanted when going undercover to investigate the Hideaway.
9 Massumi is highly critical of Baudrillard when he writes: "The work of Baudrillard is one long lament. […] He cannot clearly see that all the things he says have crumbled were simulacra all along: simulacra produced by analyzable procedures of simulation that were as real as real, or actually realer than real, because they carried the real back to its principle of production and in so doing prepared their own rebirth in a new regime of simulation. He cannot see becoming, of either variety. He cannot see that the simulacrum envelops a proliferating play of differences and galactic distances" (1987: 97).
10 In a 2018 article published in Variety that compares today's VR technology to that in the recent movie Ready Player One (2018), based on Cline's 2011 novel of the same name, the movie's far-out technology was revealed to be actually closer to us than we may think. From wireless VR headset (HTC Vive and Oculus Rift, Samsung's Gear VR), tactile gloves and bodysuits (HaptX Gloves), to VR communities (Second Life, Sansar, Microsoft's Altspace VR), the industry is heading toward increasing believable immersion in terms of sensory experiences.
11 In one of the most disturbing scenes of the play, Woodnut, under the pressure of Papa (Sims), uses an axe to slaughter Iris (Doyle), in order to prove that he is not getting too close — in other words, that he has not invested too much emotion into the relationship. In his frantic attempt to make sense of his action, Woodnut raises the axe to kill Iris again and again, only for her to reappear every time, unharmed (Haley 2013: 53). This ritual in itself represents the process of disembodiment and reembodiment experienced by each subject when he/she enters the virtual world.
12 Sims tells Morris, "I almost did it, once. The daughter of my neighbor down the street. […] One night I got her alone in her own room. We were laughing, and I reached over and grabbed her, and she looked at me — so startled — and I… found it in myself to let her go. I went home, to my computer, and that's where I've stayed." (Haley 2013: 63)
13 In The Inhuman: Reflections on Time, Lyotard poses two important questions: "what if human beings, in humanism's sense, were in the process of, constrained into, becoming inhuman (that's the first part)? And (the second part), what if what is 'proper' to humankind were to be inhabited by the inhuman?" (2). As a result, he emphasizes the need to distinguish between two kinds of inhuman, "the inhumanity of the system which is currently being consolidated under the name of development (among others)" and "the infinitely secret one of which the soul is hostage" (Lyotard 1991: 2).


text:
Looking to Perform Your Best?
Give yourself the best opportunity to relax and shine with this episode called "Affirmations When Performing Under Pressure."
Music by Kevin MacLeod
Hello Fresh is the meal kit delivery service with pre-measured ingredients so you can just cook, eat and enjoy! Use Promo Code AFFIRMATION30 to get $30 off your first meal box at HelloFresh.com/Affirmation30
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Feel better, stronger and more confident with the Affirmation Pod App! This episode is in the category "Confidence and Personal Development"
The AP Access app is where you can easily mark your favorite affirmations, make your own playlist, download to listen offline and a whole lot more!
It's also where you can sign up for premium access, which gives you all episodes with no ads and no announcements plus bonus content you won't find on the podcast. Download the App at AffirmationPodApp.com!


text:
The North Central West Virginia Chapter of the Ruffed Grouse Society will host its 14th annual Conservation and Sportsmen's Banquet on April 5 at the Westchester Village, 1825 Locust Ave., Fairmont, W.Va., beginning with a social hour at 5:30 p.m. Dinner will be served at 7:15 p.m.
As with all RGS fund raisers, proceeds from this event will be used to enhance habitat for ruffed grouse, American woodcock, and other forest wildlife.
The evening will feature a live and silent auction, games, drawings, and door prizes, highlighted with the finest selection of quality firearms, artwork, and collectables.
Individual membership and dinner tickets are $60. There is also a membership and spouse package for $95 that includes two dinners. Banquet, Conservation, Sustaining, and Gold sponsorship packages are also available at $275, $500, $1,000, and $2,500, respectively.
For more information or to purchase tickets contact: Dave Truban, 304-278-9887.


text:
My burrito has 48g of fat, and
1203 calories. How about yours?
Mmmm… burrito….
My burrito has 48g of fat, and
My burrito has 48g of fat, and
1203 calories. How about yours?
SourceForge.net: Project Info – Mac OS X Ext2 Filesystem:
Awesome. Now I don't have to reformat my MP3 drive when I toss it in the external enclosure I haven't bought yet . . . .
I was so inspired by the neat photos on this flickr page, that I went ahead & made my own. It's kinda boring, though; my laptop here at work sits in front of a window that looks onto a blank white wall. Anyway, take a look:
I ImageReady'ed it down to 56k, so it shouldn't take too long to display. Click the "thumbnail" to view the full-size (1024×768) version.
Hopscotch – by Levi:
I don't usually go into the "part comic, part writing" thing (as evidenced by the fact that I no longer read Everything Jake. But something about Hopscotch calls to me (in a way). It's probably the great art that isn't in plain old "black pencil on white" that catches me the most, but the narrative is also starting out very good, although many of the plot elements that I've seen so far are very reminiscent of other things I've read. There are only 3 or 4 (issues? episodes? postings?) on the site right now, but from the look of it things are off to a good start.
I guess it comes from being a bartender…
(hat tip to Jacob)
| Jungle Juice
Congratulations! You're 162 proof, with specific scores in beer (100) , wine (100), and liquor (147).
|You are a true alcohol connisseur. You not only know what drinks are best for parties or dinner or cocktail bars, you can make most of them as well. You don't mess around with the cheap stuff–only the good stuff will do.
| My test tracked 4 variables How you compared to other people your age and gender:
|Link: The Alcohol Knowledge Test written by hoppersplit on Ok Cupid
You know, it's interesting. I notice this from time to time while I'l out driving around, and I think I can construct a formula to demonstrate it. In most cases, the probability that a driver will use their turn indicators for turns or lane changes is inversely proportional to the purchase price of the vehicle. I.e., prob(signal) = 1/vehicle.(purchase price)
Not a day goes by when I don't get passed by some jerk in a Lexus who can't be bothered to use their blinkers. I mean, it's not like it takes that much effort. Maybe a pound of pressure on a lever that's already at your fingertips. And it keeps people from accidentally smashing into you because you're too damn lazy to do it.
You'd think people driving a $30,000 luxury car would want to protect their investment.
Lateral Science – The Young Man's Book of Amusement:
This is awesome. Just check out a few highlights:
Everything a young man needs for hours of (thoroughly educational) amusement!


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Trump's Assumptions Are Wrong
During the Presidential campaign, we heard the mantra that massaged the maxim into the minds of the under-employed middle class saying what we needed was a great businessman to cure what ails America.
When the Trump loyal followers are questioned about why their man is right for our country, they will always talk about his business success. That was the same argument they made for Mitt Romney in 2012. And this opens the door for a mature discussion about the difference between the two.
First, let's think about the gap between a privately-owned company and a publicly traded company. In a privately held company, the owner can do what they want. They can shout out orders and fire those who don't get the job done. At the end of the year the only person they must face is themselves in the mirror. Did they make money or did they lose money?
In a publicly traded company, the top dog has to answer to investors and their board, or cabinet, as elected by those stockholders. The term fiduciary duty refers in general to the highest standard of care. A fiduciary owes his allegiance to the beneficiary of his or her endeavors. If an individual breaches the fiduciary duties, he or she would need to account for the ill-gotten profit or misdeeds in office.
In a sense, the President of the United States is the head of a large company, but that analogy only goes so far. The Congress is certainly who the president must deal with to get money to run the country. The President does not have the power to unilaterally decide what money goes where. The final budget must be approved by Congress. Since the Supreme Court ruled that the Affordable Care Act was in fact a tax on citizens, the changes that take place in that Act must be voted on by Congress.
What Trump and many of his voters don't understand is that the he has more than just those who voted for him to take care of. All the citizens are stockholders of this country and his actions must consider the ramifications for all Americans, not just his screaming fans.
His assumption that he can just bully his way in and demand that Congress do what he says is wrong. There are factions of fractions and within Trump's own party; splinter groups and lobby-controlled partisans who care only about THEIR money and THEIR re-election. Trump should think of his own hostile takeover of the Republican party and realize that at any time there will be powerful groups like the House Freedom Caucus that can stop anything in its tracks; including Mr. Know-It-All President.
Here they are: Mark Meadows of North Carolina, Chair, Justin Amash of Michigan, Brian Babin of Texas, Rod Blum of Iowa, Dave Brat of Virginia, Jim Bridenstine of Oklahoma, Mo Brooks of Alabama, Ken Buck of Colorado, Warren Davidson of Ohio, Ron DeSantis of Florida, Scott DesJarlais of Tennessee, Jeff Duncan of South Carolina, Trent Franks of Arizona, Tom Garrett Jr. of Virginia, Paul Gosar of Arizona, Morgan Griffith of Virginia, Andy Harris of Maryland, Jody Hice of Georgia, Jim Jordan of Ohio, Raúl Labrador of Idaho, Alex Mooney of West Virginia, Gary Palmer of Alabama, Steve Pearce of New Mexico, Scott Perry of Pennsylvania, Ted Poe of Texas, Bill Posey of Florida, Mark Sanford of South Carolina, David Schweikert of Arizona, Randy Weber of Texas, and Ted Yoho of Florida. These people are the real problem for President Trump because they gave him a standing ovation before the big meeting, then told him they wanted Obamacare gone, period. If you voted for them, how do you feel now?
In business, the nimble companies that get things done quickly, even with a few mistakes along the way, can own a market segment and dominate competition. With the US government, our competition seems to be gridlock, not party affiliation. Trump says vote now and if you say 'NO' he will just move on to something else. Boy, that sounds like avoidance not fight.
Why did he pick the hardest thing to do first? Why doesn't he stop wasting time, energy and breath on tweets and start to figure out what he should keep his eye on is the bird feeder. The voters – stockholders – will want a return on their investment. So far, he's still in hostile takeover mode. YOU OWN THE COMPANY, run it and stop with this "it's all about me" syndrome. It's not about you at all. Sad!


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Downtown Ebony Hare was a rabbit mobster and former associate of Renfield T. Rodent. He appeared in the series Knuckles the Echidna (issues #13-#15, "The Chaotix Caper").
Downtown Ebony Hare is a black hare with blue eyes. He is a hardcore, straight-up, Mafia-style criminal. He rarely fights himself and always operates through his henchmen. Ebony Hare is followed by a muscle-bound, slick dressed bulldog named Blackjack, and has an attractive female fox named Foxxy always at his side.
Ebony Hare's scientists developed a drug made from "Lemon Sundrop Dandelions". The drug was highly addictive in small doses, but in higher doses it could cause sickness or even death. The largest supply was sold to Renfield T. Rodent, who used it as a sauce on the food in his Happy Land Amusement Park. Following the death of certain park patrons (including Mello, a friend of Charmy Bee), Ebony Hare discovered Renfield's scheme and decided to muscle in, claiming to be concerned that Renfield was "killing the market".
When Chaotix arrived at the amusement park to investigate Mello's death, they all tasted the sauce and were hospitalized, except for Julie-Su. She later tried to enter Ebony Hare's gang but failed and was almost killed by being thrown off a building by Blackjack. (KtE: #13, #14)
Ebony Hare was about to close up shop for fear of the Chaotix's visit bringing the police. However the Chaotix had tracked him down anyway along with the assistance of Remington and dingo cab driver, Harry. The Chaotix and Remington arrested Blackjack and Foxxy while Ebony Hare was detained by Espio the Chameleon when he tried to kill Julie-Su with a revolver. Downtown Ebony Hare was afterwards seen being hauled away by Remington's Echidna police force in a wagon. (KtE: #15)
External links
- Downtown Ebony Hare at Mobius Encyclopaedia, the Archie Sonic wiki.


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"The Last Boy" Reveals Mick's Many SidesPosted: June 20, 2011 Filed under: Baseball, book review | Tags: Jane Leavy, Joe Pepitone, Mickey Mantle, New York Yankees, The Last Boy, The Mick 1 Comment
If you think you know everything there is to know about Mickey Mantle, well think again — that is unless you've read "The Last Boy," Jane Leavy's comprehensive biography of the great Yankee slugger, the magnificent Number Seven.
Leavy shows us a side of Mantle we've never seen before, a great ballplayer and magnificent teammate but also a flawed man with a fractured family life and a problems with alcohol that eventually led to his death in 1995.
In addition to her own personal experiences, Leavy spoke with more than 500 people — friends, teammates, girlfriends, writers and others — to get a clear picture of The Mick.
As Leavy describes him, "Mickey Mantle was the Last Boy venerated by the last generation of Baby Boomer boys, whose unshakeable bond with their hero is the obdurate refusal to grow up. Maintaining the fond illusions of adolescence is the ultimate Boomer entitlement."
And the biography chronicles the changes in Mantle's personality from his years patrolling center field in Yankee Stadium to life after baseball.
"The transformation of The Mick over the course of eighteen years in the majors and forty-four years in the public eye parallels the transformation of American culture from willful innocence to knowing cynicism," Leavy writes.
Tape Measure Home Runs
"The Last Boy" charts some of Mantle's tape measure home runs, starting with the ones he hit in spring training his rookie year, 1951. at the University of Southern California. One of those home runs cleared the fence at the 439-foot sign and landed in the middle of the football field beyond, where it bounced into the huddle of the practicing Trojans and hit Frank Gifford in the foot.
To the day he died, Rod Dedeaux, legendary USC baseball coach, swore he saw Mantle hit two 500-foot home runs that day, one from each side of the plate.
Leavy chased down Donald Dunaway, who caught up to Mantle's legendary 565-foot home run hit out of Washington's Griffith Stadium in 1953.
And when Mantle hit a walk-off home run against the Kansas City in 1963 that struck the facade and came as close to leaving Yankee Stadium as any ball ever hit, Joe Pepitone recalls "It hit so hard to you could hear boom!"
Mantle often joked about the number of times he actually hit the ball over the course of his career, considering his 1,734 career walks and 1,710 career strikeouts. "Figure 500 at bats a season, and that means I played seven years in the majors without hitting the ball," he said
Mantle was well known for his incredible pain threshold. and teammates and trainers marvelled at his ability to play ball every day. "Mickey Mantle has a greater capacity to withstand pain than any man I've ever seen. Some doctors have seen x-rays of his legs and won't believe they are the legs of an athlete still active," Yankee trainer Joe Soares said in 1968, The Mick's final season.
In "The Last Boy" we learn that Mantle took in homeless teammates like strays, was always good for a loan, and picked up every tab. But he was often surly with the media.
In 1988, Mickey Mantle's Restaurant on Central Park South opened. The first night's guest list reads like a who's who of celebrities — Yogi Berra, Billy Martin and Whitey Ford of course, but also Phil Rizzuto and George Steinbrenner, Sylvester Stallone, Frank Gifford, Dan Rather and Walter Cronkite, Raquel Welch and Angie Dickinson, Bill Murray, Dan Aykroyd, Bruce Willis, Barbra Streisand, Bob Costas and Howard Cosell, who reminded everyone that "without me, there would be no Mickey Mantle"
"In the last years of his life, Mantle morphed into an avatar of the confessional Nineties," says Leavy. The Mick confronted his alcoholism, but it was too late, and shortly after a liver transplant he died in 1995, just 63 years old.
Thanks to Jane Leavy — who also authored "Sandy Koufax" — we now know the full, inside story of Mickey Mantle.


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Someone needs to hold my purse when I go into Boots, especially when there's a 3 for 2 offer on Barry M cosmetics. On this trip I purchased 4 nail polishes to add to my ever growing collection, and 2 eyeshadow pencils.
From left to right;
Nail Polishes: Aqua Glitter, Duchess, Kingsland Road, Ridley Road.
Eyeshadow Pencils: Gold Cream, Bronze.
I've been wearing all the nail varnishes for about a week now and none have them have chipped yet which is great!
My personal favourite has to be Duchess, and the pale pink and green colours will look great for spring/summer!
Next up are these two lovely eyeshadows in gold cream and bronze. They have a super smooth application, and also happen to be waterproof so I can't complain! There are 7 different colours in total and these will be perfect for day time and night time looks.
I can't wait to try out the eyeshadows, however I think the bronze colour will look better, as the gold cream seemed to fall apart already when just applying a swatch. However, they're both beautiful shades!
Have you picked up your Barry M 3 for 2 yet?


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Citroen Mehari 1/15 Orange
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A reproduction of Citroen Mehari in 1/15 Scale, featured independent suspensions, steering, working doors, tailgate, bonnet and removal roof in orange version with black roof.
More information, reviews, pictures : https://www.nico71.fr/citroen-mehari/
Dimensions : Wheel : Ø44mm, 26cm (L) x 12cm (W) x 12cm (H)
Here is the Orange version. There are other colored versions available, please check my profile for other colors (you can see in on picture 4 and 5).
Building Instructions as PDF are included in the package
Shipping information
We ship globally. We've partnered with DHL to provide a seamless and reliable shopping experience.
After purchasing a product, our staff will select all the pieces needed to build the MOC. Instructions can be downloaded from our site. You will receive your package within 9-13 days. You'll be notified about your tracking link via email.
Orders will be shipped from the European Union, home of the LEGO® brand.
MOCHUB is powered by WLWYB's part service fulfillment. You can learn more about us on our About Us page or visit WLWYB's home page.
If you have any suggestions, questions or concerns, please get in touch with us and we'll be happy to answer them for you.


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I should have said that I'd be blogging more LIFE permitting. Sadly we had a loss in the family (yes it was expected, no it doesn't really make it any easier). We were so happy that Great-Grandma C got to meet LS. She was an amazing and strong lady, and she will be missed dearly.
*sigh* Now that I've brought everyone down with me, onto the happy shall we?
We had a very laid back Easter at my grandma's house. Including special guest Uncle Andy who was visiting us on leave from his Army training!
Big group, big ham, big fun! Little Sheep even got to participate in her very first egg hunt! (With some help from Grandma!)
My Papa always hides Easter eggs around their one acer yard for all the grandkids. The only problem was, we were never sure if we'd found them all or not (he is a very good hider). It got to the point where Papa would have a count of all the eggs he'd hidden, so we could tell when we had them all. Somehow, we still would be finding eggs come July, filled with icky, melted, buggy chocolate. After one too many of these July eggs ended up thrown across the yard by the ride along lawn mower, Papa started making maps.
This year was no different, except he made the map after the fact and only remembered where 22 of the 24 eggs were hidden. This has turned into quite the joke hunt, as the youngest of the grandkids (shown below) is 15, and we've long since forgotten about the Easter Bunny. (I guess we'll be starting up again with LS.)
I love this picture. It starts out as all of the grandkids humoring Papa, then, it turns into a competition to see who can find the missing eggs.
You've never seen so many adults looking so hard for a few little eggs!
LS was more interested in the tag on the bunny bottom of her Easter gift from her Great-Grandma, than any of the eggs. But it did make for the sweetest photo shoot 🙂
It was a beautiful day, with not a lot of time to knit *sigh*. I have been plugging along on my mini shawl though. I'm dying to have it done by this Saturday to wear to a monthly craft fair that I will be checking out as a potential spot to sell yarn in the future. Although I might look a little silly wearing a scarf when the temp is supposed to be 80+. Oh well, the sooner I finish the sooner there will be pictures, and a new pattern 😉
Hope you all had a nice holiday weekend!


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Kejriwal future prediction: Swati Maliwal will be arrested by Modi and Jung's police
New Delhi, Aug 27 (IANS) Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Saturday said that Delhi Commission for Women (DCW) chief Swati Maliwal was likely to be arrested and then removed from her post as this is what Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Lt Governor Najeeb Jung allegedly want.
"Sources-LG and PMO hell bent on removing Swati Maliwal for doing gud job. She'll be arrested coming week and then removed," Kejriwal tweeted.
He also claimed in another tweet that the LG was "hell bent" on removing the team which made mohalla clinics and saved money on flyovers.
Kejriwal posted a series of tweets with the news clipping where Jung has reportedly said that he was trying to undo wrongs that were done by the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government.
He spoke of the demand of the AAP government asking for land from the Delhi Development Authority (DDA) for setting up ten hospitals as Modi and Jung have refused the proposal.
"There are numerous decisions of AAP govt of public importance which Modiji wants to be reversed through LG," Kejriwal said.
Delhi Home Minister Satyendar Jain also blamed Jung for misusing his power by overturning the work done by the AAP government.
"LG was appointed to co-ordinate in working, instead he is misusing his power by interfering in government work," said Jain.
He blamed Jung for interfering in the work done under mohalla clinics and asked whether he (Jung) wants to overturn the construction of additional rooms in city schools.
Citing Jung's statement that around 250 files of Delhi government are lying on his table, Jain said that it reflects the initiative of the ruling AAP.
"Can he (Jung) tell any single work done by him during his one year tenure from February 14, 2014 to February 14, 2015 (when President's Rule was in place in Delhi)," he asked.


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Some designs aren't meant to be two-dimensional. Snatch it off the screen, pull it off the page, and engage it with the environment! Design for wayfinding is critical at indoor and outdoor events alike. Whether physically fabricated or digitally displayed, an event brand must communicate its message to a wide audience as easily as possible, and often at a distance. Tight Ship creates designs for directional signage, sponsorship banners, exhibit displays, trade show booths, vehicle wraps, billboards, and tents. Check out some of our environmental work below:
by Keir DuBois
Whether for social promotion, wayfinding, presentations, or almost any other aspect, events are on-screen—and an event brand's first touchpoint will almost always be digital. Tight Ship designs web graphics, registration site styling, email styling, Snapchat filters, digital billboards, social media assets (including Canva) and presentations (PowerPoint, Google Slides, Keynote, or PDF) including motion graphics. Check out some of our versatile, attention-grabbing digital event graphic design below:
When it comes to event print design, each piece must communicate the event's branding and be a useful tool. Pixels can pale in comparison to tactile event collateral, and modern sustainable production practices allow considerable variety for compelling designs. Tight Ship creates programs, posters, reports, inserts, handouts, name badges, stationery, meeting folders, event programs, invitations, menus, name cards, table cards, table tents, apparel, swag, and direct mail. Check out some of our event print design work below:
The best event branding evokes the event's experience. Well-designed branding and visual identity is critical for an event's three defining moments of truth: before, during, and after. Tight Ship designs compelling, comprehensive, and communicative branding for events and conferences: logos, visual identity, illustration, typography and font selection, graphic elements, and complete brand style guides. Check out some of our branding work below:


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Action Guide
Newest Treatments for Hepatitis C: Action Guide for Patients
The information in this guide is designed to help patients with hepatitis C, genotype 1 infection. It has information about possible treatments and other discussions patients can have with their doctors. The content provided here is for informational purposes only, and it is not designed to replace professional medical advice.View All Materials on this Topic or Go Back to View More Materials


text: TV Working Title Television U.K. Names Andrew Woodhead Managing Director 3:16 AM PST 3/9/2016 by Georg Szalai FACEBOOK TWITTER EMAIL ME Courtesy of Working Title Television U.K. Andrew Woodhead He will focus on high-end scripted British programming with wide international and commercial appeal as the company looks to expand its TV business, a joint venture with NBCUniversal International Studios. Working Title Television U.K. has named Andrew Woodhead, a former executive producer at Kudos Film & Television, to the post of managing director. Working Title Television, based in London and Los Angeles, is a joint venture between NBCUniversal International Studios and Working Title co-chairmen Tim Bevan and Eric Fellner. The L.A. office is led by recently appointed president Andrew Stearn. Woodhead will have a similar role in London and be tasked with developing high-end scripted British programming with wide international and commercial appeal and building on the business' existing credits, such as You, Me and the Apocalypse and London Spy. He will report to Bevan, Fellner and NBCUniversal International Studios president Michael Edelstein. At Kudos, Woodhead worked on such series as Spooks and Law & Order UK, and he acted as an executive producer on the first season of Sky Atlantic's Fortitude. More recently, he has been focusing on his own projects, including an adaptation of Man Booker Prize-winning The Luminaries that is currently in development. "We are hugely committed to expanding our television business and are thrilled to have Andrew join the team in London," Bevan and Fellner said Wednesday in a statement. "We look forward to working with him to create popular and groundbreaking drama — leading WTTV to even greater success." Added Edelstein: "Working Title Television has never been stronger, and in Andrew, we now have an extraordinarily talented and imaginative producer at the heart of the U.K. company. He is a passionate storyteller, has produced some of the finest television in Britain and loves a big challenge." Said Woodhead: "In this 'golden age' where great creative talent moves so effortlessly between film and television, I can't think of a more perfect time to be joining this wonderful company. Working with incredible writers, actors and directors is such a privilege and the possibilities of doing this from a home like Working Title Television are inspiring." FACEBOOK TWITTER EMAIL ME Georg Szalai firstname.lastname@example.com georgszalai


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Samsung has launched its latest NX30 interchangeable lens camera alongside its first ever "S" series lens.
The NX30 features a 20.3MP APS-C sensor capable of shooting at up to 5472 x 3648 pixels resolution, a tiltable electronic viewfinder of XGA resolution, and a 3-inch Super AMOLED swivel and touch display for looking at what you're shooting from all angles.
The NX30 also features NFC and WiFi connectivity so you ca instantly share shots with NFC-enabled smartphones and tablets. MobileLink also lets you share your shots with up to four smart devices at a time, while the included Dropbox integration lets you upload your shots directly to the cloud service. There's even support for direct Flickr uploads in select regions.
The integrated DRIMeIV image processor also gives you the ability to shoot 3D scenes and videos.
Samsung's new 16-50mm F2-2.8 S ED OIS lens is the company's first "S" series lens features a bright aperture, and promises to allow photographers of all skill levels to take professional-quality images easily even in difficult shooting conditions.
The NX30 will be displayed for all to see at Samsung's CES booth starting January 7.


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Changing OverLabels: Radion 4 comments
In the next few months, RADION will be doing a massive migration of the current newlifeoutreach blog to a web based blog. This new portal will be a one stop site where you can get all your updates on radions progress from the blog to our corporate info.
The new contributors will be Benjamin (Operations Director), Bruce Thao (Director Of Operations USA) and yours sincerely .... and many many more :)
Keep yourself updated at www.radion-international.org !


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The Urban Corridor Strategy identifies the key aspects that enable the Vision for the Corridor to be achieved and transform the Corridor into one of Perth's great urban boulevards, creating a linear urban experience of beautiful and captivating spaces and places.
The Strategy seeks to improve the landscape amenity and provide improved connections to re-establish its relationship with the Swan River. The pedestrian and cyclist environment will be enhanced through the provision of safe, accessible and convenient paths, supplemented by a diverse range of landscaped areas throughout the Corridor.
The Strategy introduces two main land use focus areas, being Activity Nodes, Activity Corridors with an additional Mixed Employment area to the east, to provide guidance on the appropriate land use mixes along to establish a rhythm of development along the Corridor.
The large volume of traffic the Corridor currently carries will not be impacted however, but will become better integrated with improved key connections and crossings. Direct vehicular access to Great Eastern Highway will be reduced over time as sites along the Corridor are redeveloped to ultimately create a place with improved landscaped amenity resulting in a pedestrian and cyclist friendly environment.
Great Eastern Highway Urban Corridor Strategy
Community Visioning and Design Workshop Outcomes Report
Appendix 1 - Background Report
Appendix 2 -Transport Strategy
The Vision focuses on the transformation of the Corridor into one of Perth's great urban boulevards and the creation of a new urban destination – a linear urban experience of beautiful and captivating spaces and places.
The themes include:
Connecting People and PlacesMaking Captivating Streets and SpacesFostering Employment and LiveabilityCreating a Memorable City Fabric
With its proximity and excellent access to the Perth CBD, Optus Stadium, Crown Casino and the Swan River as well as good access to the Perth Airport, this will be a vibrant, thriving precinct, with the built environment catering to residents, workers and visitors to the area.
Find out more about Precinct 1.
The Belmont Avenue to Hardey Road precinct forms the entrance to the Belmont Business Park to the south, forming the major mixed employment area of the Corridor.
Find out more about Precinct 2.
The Hardey Road to Tonkin Highway precinct will prosper from its proximity to a highly accessible movement network, facilitating access into and out of the precinct.
Find out more about Precinct 3.
The Tonkin Highway to Ivy Street precinct is located on the northern edge of the Redcliffe Airport development area.
Find out more about Precinct 4.
If you have any queries regarding this project, please contact the City's Planning Department on (08) 9477 7428 or by email on firstname.lastname@example.com.
City of Belmont 215 Wright Street, Cloverdale Western Australia 6105 Postal Address Locked Bag 379, Cloverdale WA 6985
Phone: (08) 9477 7222 Fax: (08) 9478 1473 Email:firstname.lastname@example.com
City of Belmont © 2014. Created by


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Last updated on March 14th, 2018 at 09:47 pm
Santorini was one of the stops on our Royal Caribbean Cruise around the Mediterranean. I'd wanted to see Santorini ever since I watched The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants. It seemed like such an exotic island and the white houses and blue doors simply sold me!


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Diaper bags come, and diaper bags go. People often ask me for advice on diaper bags, and there are FAR too many bags out there—and it's very subjective. Everyone has different tastes, different budgets, and different lifestyles, soooo there's no "one" bag that is a fit for everyone. What most people want out of a bag is usually narrowed-down to a few features: pockets, style, function. I even use diaper bags for my own bags because they have TONS of storage for all my stuff. My sister was contacted by Lily Jade awhile back and thought she'd give them a whirl. They now have a lifelong fan.
If you've been with us all week, you know we're featuring the amazing new bags from Lily Jade. My sister is a GIGANTIC fan as you can read in her earlier review HERE. Each day this week we will be featuring a new bag AND doing a giveaway!!!!! And don't forget, you can go back to earlier days to enter as the contest is over Saturday at MIDNIGHT EST!!!!!


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Freddy Combs.
This was the last episode of auditions! Things kicked off with following the health of 13-year-old Trevor Moran, who had collapsed at the end of Wednesday night's episode right before his audition. It turned out that Trevor was suffering from dehydration, and although they skipped over him and continued with other contestants, Trevor got back on his feet and went out on stage to show the judges what he had to offer.
So how'd he do?
Read the last "X Factor" recap here!
Awesome! Especially for a guy that was about to go to the hospital.
The young boy that was bursting with life sang the (what Simon Cowell mentioned may not be age appropriate) song "Sexy and I Know It" by LMFAO. There was so much personality during that audition that none of the judges could possibly give him a no. "You were so much fun to watch," Demi Lovato told him.
Owen Stuart, 16, was so lovesick about his girlfriend back in New York that we almost didn't think he'd make it through his audition. But the cutie -- who dedicated his performance of "Airplanes" by B.o.B to his girl Tory -- impressed the judges with the fact that he could rap and sing.
Have you seen Britney's new hair?
Well, almost all of the judges. Britney Spears' said Owen didn't "wow" her, but Simon said, "I really, really like you." Stuart earned three yeses, moving him forward to boot camp.
One of the most inspirational acts came from 40-year-old Freddy Combs, who used to weigh 920 pounds and has worked his way down to 540 pounds. Taken to the stage in a wheelchair by his wife, Combs belted a beautiful rendition of Bette Midler's "Wind Beneath My Wings."
L.A. Reid gave the disclosure that his remarks would not be based off of sympathy for what Combs has gone through, but purely based on his audition. And all Reid had to say was that Freddy's voice was "heavenly." The other judges agreed and Simon made a deal with him to help get Freddy singing that song standing up. "I'll back you, if you back yourself, " he said, and gave him his fourth yes.
You're that behind?! Here's another recap
Sixteen-year-old Lauren Jauregui's mature voice was quickly noticed by the panel when she performed Alicia Keys' "If I Ain't Got You." Once she was finished, Jauregui got an immediate thumbs-up from Cowell, who told her, "And that, Lauren, is how you do it." Yep, you guessed it -- she easily got four yeses.
And then there was Jordyn Foley. This 12-year-old pranced onstage in pigtails, high socks, a skirt, vest, tie--basically a modern-day version of Spears' "Hit Me Baby One More Time" outfit. Foley was full of energy, but unfortunately sang Cowell's least favorite song, "Tomorrow" by Annie. In all honesty, Foley's voice wasn't up to par with the others who had passed through, but her stage presence was undeniable, and she even gave everyone a motivational quote in between her song! Simon gave her a no, but the other three gave her a yes!
Related content:
- Gene Simmons' daughter auditions for 'The X Factor'
- 17-year-old Willie Jones belts out country hit, wows 'X Factor' panel
- 'X Factor' contestant Don Philip: I was 'bullied' into revealing that I'm gay
- Bullied teen Jillian leaves Demi Lovato in tears, makes memorable 'X Factor' debut
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