text:
Years ago, when we were looking at floor plans for our house, I was struggling because most of the available house plans didn't have the "feel" I was wanting but I couldn't put into words what I wanted. I then came across a book about Swedish design. There was a line in it that struck me. It said, "Whatever the size and scale of the home, however, an emphasis was placed on visual links between rooms. Interconnecting doors would generally be left open, anticipating modern open-plan living, so that the eye was carried across the hall from one side of the house to the other." (Swedish Style by Katrin Cargill)
It was then I met with the builder of our house and asked if certain walls could be moved on particular floor plan, so that my main level on my house was essentially one big room. He agreed and my home was built.
I can't tell you how many times I have been so grateful for the design of my house. It keeps us all together and interacting. At night, while I make dinner, my kids and husband are all there, whether it be watching TV, doing their homework, playing a game, etc. On cold winter nights, there is such peace looking around at my family and seeing all of us together in one spot.
One Saturday morning, I was sitting in front of my fireplace reading a book. I looked up and two of my kids were having potato sack races, one was playing a video game on the TV and my husband and another child were playing a game of chess. It was such a heartwarming moment for me.
I'm naturally drawn to blues and as I have decorated my house, my ideas always seem to be in line with Swedish design and colors. Recently, I was looking at the art work of Carl Larsson (the Swedish painter) and I was so moved by two of his paintings, (literally having an emotional reaction to them), I ordered them for my home.
Maybe it is my Swedish heritage calling out to me from the past (even though I have plenty of German and English in me as well), but there is something about Swedish design that speaks to me. And daily, I am more grateful for it.
You can see some pictures of the blues in my house by clicking on the house stuff link on the side.
Toothsome: adj. 1.Delicious; luscious: a toothsome pie. 2. Pleasant; attractive: a toothsome offer. 3. Sexually attractive or exciting.: a toothsome blond Yes, we are a toothsome family. Oh, and my husband is a dentist. Teeth are big around here.
Tuesday, January 31, 2012
My Swedish House
Posted by Janice at 3:03 PM 2 comments:
Labels: house stuff, me, nothing really important
Saturday, January 28, 2012
Sometimes on a Saturday . . .
you take your kids to Banbury Cross donuts
and then go bowling.
and it makes for a really great Saturday.
Posted by Janice at 12:52 PM 2 comments:
In This Life I Shall Have Joy
This is one of the best articles on joy I have read.
"In This Life I Shall Have Joy"
(Moses 5:10)
when she gave this Women's Conference address
at Brigham Young University on 30 April 2004.
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I was with three of my dearest friends, who asked about the title of this talk. As I struggled to remember, they tried to help: "Finding Joy Today"; "Joy in This Life"; "Joy Today, Gone Tomorrow"; "Where is Joy? Joy Who?"
My friend Madlyn finally said, "'There's No Joy in Mudville.'"
"That's it!" I said. "That's the title! 'There's No Joy in Mudville.'"
I have learned that, regardless of circumstance, for some people there is no joy; for others there is only joy. Some of us experience catastrophe in our lives; others create catastrophe in our lives. For some, there are a few bad days; for others there are only bad days.
This week I was reminded of one of those Mudville days. Honestly, I don't remember if all of these things happened on the same day—they all blur together in a fog on the joyless treadmill. But they really happened in proximity close enough to count as a bad day. I had finished long hours at work with a steady stream of student problems, faculty conflicts, and overdue reports. At home kids needed help with school problems, friend problems, and romance problems. We were living in our basement, ten months into a six-week remodeling project. We were out of cat food, so the cat was mad. But we were also out of what my son calls "human food," so the cat had to get in line. I mistakenly dropped a tax-refund check in the trash, which had gone to the street for the next day's collection, so the neighbors got to watch me rummage through my own garbage like a vagrant bag lady. Then, at the worst moment, the right front tire on my car was flat to the rim.
Sometime during all this, I made some soup for a family in our neighborhood. It was now after 10 at night, but I decided this was the only time I could deliver my pot of compassionate service. I convinced my husband that he should help me take it to a family where the father was very ill. I knew someone would still be up. So I held the soup in my lap while my husband drove the car, with the tire now repaired by AAA. (You think I am going to say that I spilled the soup, don't you? Well, I didn't! For this talk, there has to be some joy in the story.) I tiptoed to the porch and nudged my shoulder against the front door and knocked gently. I cautioned my husband to be quiet, thinking that a quiet interruption in the middle of the night somehow was more like charity.
From inside I thought I heard the doorbell ring and chided my husband, "I told you, don't ring the doorbell!" Then I heard it again. "Stop it," I said. He just looked at me with a blank face. I thought I could hear the doorbell ringing again and again. Finally, the granddaughter came to the door. "Hi," I whispered. "Sorry we are so late; we won't come in. We just wanted to let you know that we are thinking about you. I hope we didn't disturb you."
"Thank you," she said patiently, as she nudged me away in what I thought was going to be hug. As she pushed, she said, "You are leaning on the doorbell!" It was the end of a perfect day according to my personal mission statement, "No good deed goes unpunished—there's no joy in Mudville."
I also know of the days when washes of grief or despair nearly drown you; when it is all you can do to wake up and breathe one more time. I have had days like that. Following a turbulent marriage and the loss of my son, we had months and years of days filled with pain and stress and hassles.
Are you willing to pull your own handcart, but some days it feels like everyone else has climbed into it? The whole burden is yours, with everyone depending on you to pull and no one to share? You wonder, "Where is the joy in this life?"
On those days, whether bleak with despair or just full of last straws like leaning on the neighbor's doorbell, "there is no joy in Mudville." Do you feel like Casey at the bat, when the whole town waits with baited breath? It's the last inning; the score is 4 to 2; two men are on base; and two strikes are already against you. Everything depends on you, and, like Casey, you are poised to swing one more time to hit the ball with a crack. But instead the ball passes, and you swing with futility at the wind. Ernest Thayer's poem ends:
Oh, somewhere in this favored land the sun is shining bright;
The band is playing somewhere, and somewhere hearts are light,
And, somewhere men are laughing, and somewhere children shout;
But there is no joy in Mudville—mighty Casey has struck out. ["Casey at the Bat"]
Do you feel like you have "struck out"? Are there days when you feel like joy is a doctrine that pertains only to the hereafter? How do we sustain a joyful life? How does one live every day joyfully and keep any semblance of sanity? I have discovered a few principles of finding joy.
Joy Is an Act of Courage
First, to live joyfully you must be brave. True joy is not for the fainthearted. You must decide to be happy. Joy is an act of courage. Joy will not abide until you make a conscious decision to treasure it. Ten years ago one evening in March, I was in the ward kitchen putting pink mints on glass plates for my niece's wedding reception. The organdy lace wedding apron was barely holding my soul together. I was quietly just hanging on spiritually and emotionally. It was a time in my life of little joy. My mother and her sister were talking together nearby. I heard my aunt ask my mother, "How is Elaine?" Mom responded, "I believe she has made a decision to be happy. She has a garden and flowers in her yard. She sews and writes, and she works hard. She keeps a clean house and plays beautiful music. Her children are doing well. I think she has decided to be brave and to be happy."
I wept a few tears as I eavesdropped on my mother's conversation. I was lonely, tired, and grief stricken. I didn't know if I had made a conscious decision to be happy. But hearing my mother's hopeful description of me, I wanted it to be true. So I did decide to be happy. I decided that night to find joy in every day. It has been difficult. But I was brave. I am not so brave every day, but I do try to remember that joy is a decision that requires courage.
In the book of Moses, we learn that after being driven out of the Garden of Eden, Adam and Eve made the decision upon entering this lone and dreary world to have joy. They had lived in a kind of paradise, having no needs, no hassles, no evil. But they learned that in order to have joy, they must know pain. More than that, they learned that to know joy in the face of pain requires courage. They wanted that experience for themselves and for us, their posterity. We read that Adam "blessed God and was filled, and began to prophesy concerning all the families of the earth," blessing the name of God as he said, "in this life I shall have joy" (Moses 5:10). "And Eve, his wife, heard all these things and was glad" (Moses 5:11). When Adam and Eve realized the cost of obedience, of enduring sorrow to meet God again, they decided that they would have joy. They made a decision. They were brave. When we learned of the divine plan of salvation before we came to earth, "when the morning stars sang together," we joined "the sons of God," and we too "shouted for joy" (Job 38:7).
To Have Joy You Must Be Grateful
After you find the courage to make a decision for joy, the next step is to be grateful. Gratitude is the gateway to joy. How presumptuous we are to question the trials of our lives. We are blessed to be born with the greatest daily comforts of any time or place in history. We are blessed to be here on this day to share in the feast of the word of God. This very morning my eyes caught the photograph of my healthy grandson. I walked past my nostalgic lilacs now in full bloom and watered my pots of new geraniums and daisies. Here in this room are people that I love. Surely I have reason enough for gratitude to open my heart to joy!
On 1 January 2002, I began a daily gratitude journal. (OK, I admit I got the idea from Oprah!) Every day I wrote five things for which I was grateful. I did not miss a day until Easter morning in April. On that morning I was called to be the ward Relief Society president. I believe that the act of being grateful, of thinking every day of five specific things for which I was thankful, helped me to be open to invite the Spirit, to freely love, and to accept the calling with joy.
I found that my gratitude journal filled nearly every day with little things, mostly with daily joys of my family. I began to ponder the memories of small moments of joys past. The more I meditated on things for which I was grateful, the more my heart became flooded with moments of joy—funny things my children had said, my Mom making goulash, my husband's pride at finding tickets to the sold-out opera, spreading with a kiss my ward's sisters quilt on a dear friend who was dying. From a daily focus on gratitude sprung a daily dose of joy.
Joy Requires Forgiveness
Even in the face of such daily joys, some of us suffer chronic sorrow or anger toward others who have hurt us. Joy requires forgiveness. Has your life been changed by pain of an event, loss, or action of your own or another? Is there a moment or a decision that you regret, that you want to take back and start again? Go to the Lord, forgive yourself, and let it go. Has someone hurt you? Take it to the Lord, find help to heal, forgive, and let it go.
Forgiving is not forgetting. The memory of the pain will always linger. It is because you remember that you must forgive, in order to allow joy into your life. Forgiving is not excusing or tolerating wrong or sin or living with hurtful behavior. Hold the person appropriately accountable, take appropriate action—then forgive. Do it for yourself. Give it to the Lord, find faith in the Atonement, and let it go. To forgive is not easy. It extracts all the strength you have. It requires practice over and over. But there is healing comfort in forgiving, and it frees the soul to welcome joy.
Joy Comes from Service
It is not enough simply to forgive others. Joy requires that we take the next step to serve others. I feel like I am on 24-hour call to serve others at the moment. I am a wife, mother, grandmother, ward Relief Society president, nurse, and dean. My friend Martha recently sent me a note that asked, "If it's true that we are here to help others, then what exactly are the othershere for?" The "others" in my life expect me to be wise, helpful, organized, professional, and to have all the answers. May I share a secret? I don't have a clue! You know how it is. I make it up as I go!
My sister introduced me to The Daffodil Principle, by Jaroldeen Asplund Edwards. It is an enchanting story of a woman who planted 50,000 daffodil bulbs on a hillside over 35 years. She says she did it "one at a time. One woman, Two hands, two feet, and very little brain" until she filled five acres of a San Bernardino mountainside. Every spring it is a gift of joy: given one bulb at a time (The Daffodil Principle [Salt Lake City: Shadow Mountain, 2004], 23).
I know that you know, only too well, that when you take the time to serve another in time of need, when you unexpectedly wave and smile to the jerk who cut you off in traffic, when you surprise your daughter by cleaning her room, when you make those carbohydrate-killer potatoes for the funeral, you nearly always feel a little burst of joy, a sense that God is in His heaven and all is nearly right with the world.
Joy Requires Your Presence
In order to know joy, you have to be there. Joy requires presence. My friends know that if I were not too stingy to buy personalized vanity license plates for my car, I would choose my favorite word. The word is vivace. Vivace is an Italian word used in music. It sounds like music. It means life, lively, quickening. It sounds alive. It reminds me to wake up, to be acute and sensitive, alert, alive. It means vitality, la joie de vivre, vibrance, vigor. It reminds me to touch the palpable gift and reality of life.
Joy often lights in little fairy twinkles. I call them angel gifts. They are fleeting moments of sparkling enlightenment, like gentle kisses of meaning when everything comes together. They are little heavenly glimpses of eternal joy. Joy can happen quickly, so you have to pay attention.
If you are not present in your life today, you will miss the joy as it happens. We cannot change the hurts of the past, but we can let go of the grudges and reflect today on past joys. We won't recognize joy in the future if we don't practice noticing it today.
I once heard Annie Dillard say, "Grace happens anyway; the least we can do is be there." The least we can do is be there in our own lives. It is not enough to simply take breath. We must live every moment of life. We must find the joy that is there to be had anyway. This life today is part of our eternal life and a time to practice knowing eternal joy.
The Message of the Atonement Is a Message of Joy
The message of the Atonement is a message of joy. Our Savior knows our suffering. He took upon Himself our suffering that we might have joy. Joy is life. To have joy is to live life fully. The meaning of the Resurrection in our own daily lives is that He lives! He lives, and because He lives, we live. This truth brings meaning, purpose, and joy to our lives. It gives us a reason to get up every morning even in times of despair, to laugh with abandon, to embrace life. The good news of the gospel is for each of us to live. To live is to know joy in our own personal lives, every day, every now.
We don't live only after we die. We don't find joy only in the hereafter. We live today because of His gift of the Atonement. To live anew, repent, and begin again are gifts from our Savior. We can live again every day. Some days are exhilarating; some days are exhausting. Some days are full of pain and others are full of grace. I get up every day and say aloud, "OK, I am going to try this just one more time . . ."
The Atonement allows us every day to try one more time. For a while after the death of my son, this principle did not matter to me. It didn't matter if I died. I might have wished it. All I knew was his absence. The void without him was all there was. I had no sense of where he was or if he was. All I knew was that he was gone.
But the greatest gift of the Atonement is that it is real and there for us regardless of the state of our testimony. Whether we believe it or not, it is true. The Savior lives. His Atonement allows us to try again, to repent, to have hope, and to live. He suffered, died, and rose again for us, regardless of where we are in our belief or doubt about that reality. Sorrows and losses will come. We will sin and regret and need to try again. We will be hurt and need to forgive again. We will grieve and need to find joy again. We must help each other to remember the gift of life, that "men [and women] are, that they might have joy" (2 Nephi 2:25; emphasis added). Our very existence today is to know joy.
That night with the wedding mints, hearing my mother's conversation, I made a decision. Perhaps it was not a decision but a gift. But I decided that since I cannot die, then I must live. If I must live, then I am going to live fully, embrace life, and engage in each moment. I have little patience for those who are not engaged. I have little patience for those who see some hassles of daily life as matters of life or death (unless, of course they are my own hassles). I have little patience for those who don't understand my favorite word: vivace.
The Savior lives, and because He lives, we live. It is this life, one day at a time now to forever, in which we find joy. We learn that with Martha on the path to the house of her brother Lazarus as she grieved his death, when the Savior said, "I am the resurrection, and the life" (John 11:25; emphasis added). We learn it with the disciples on the road to Emmaus (see Luke 24:13–32), with Paul on the road to Damascus (see Acts 9:3–5), and with Mary Magdalene at the empty sepulcher (see John 20:17). How many times need He tell us?
The truth, the sacred truth, and our gift of joy is that He lives. Because of the Atonement, we can repent of sin and give up our fears and all of those mortal burdens that diminish our life. Because He lives, we must live every day of our eternal life. That includes today. We must live to bear vibrant testimony. We must live in joy. If we, who know the truth of salvation and the truth of the mission of Christ, if we are not the very model of joy in this often thankless world, who is left to show the world what is joy? If we do not have joy, who will?
Let's move out of Mudville. Let's practice the joy described so many times in the Psalms: to "be glad and sing for joy" (Psalms 67:4), to "make a joyful noise unto the Lord" (Psalms 100:1; see also Psalms 81:1, 98:6), to "make a joyful noise to the rock of our salvation" (Psalms 95:1). With Isaiah, let us say, "With joy shall [we] draw water out of the wells of salvation" (Isaiah 12:3), and "I will greatly rejoice in the Lord, my soul shall be joyful in my God; for he hath clothed me with the garments of salvation, he hath covered me with the robe of righteousness . . . as a bride adorneth herself with her jewels" (Isaiah 61:10).
In the Book of Mormon, King Benjamin blessed his people with a promise and assurance we may receive today:
For the Lord hath heard thy prayers, and hath judged of thy righteousness, and hath sent me to declare unto thee that thou mayest rejoice, and that thou mayest declare unto thy people, that they may also be filled with joy. [Mosiah 3:4]
I take this as permission and assurance from God Himself that in this life I may have joy, that joy is a divine principle whose eternal implications may be beyond our understanding but are significant to God Himself. I pray that today and always we may all find the courage, gratitude, forgiveness, service, and presence to honor our divine gifts of joy. "In this life [let us] have joy" (Moses 5:10).
Posted by Janice at 9:54 AM 1 comment:
Labels: me, word of the year
Friday, January 20, 2012
Aerobie Fun at the Park
Yesterday, after my kids came home from school, I said, "Tomorrow, we are going to the park whether it is to sled (if there was snow) or just play. But go to the park, we will."
I planned on reading my current book, "The Jungle Books" by Rudyard Kipling while my kid's played but then I remembered my word of the year and decided to join my kids.
Toothsome #1 and I started playing "Playset Aerobie". He climbed all around the playset and I tried to hit him while he tried to catch it. In turn, when he threw it, I had stay in one place, (where the Aerobie landed previously) while he tried to land the Aerobie over my face and into my neck. Below, he is demonstrating the goal.
Trying to take a picture of us together with my iphone.
He was getting ready to throw the Aerobie at me when I took this picture.
Meanwhile, my other kids climbed up these trees. If you look closely, you can see them.
Great Aerobie fun. Way better than a traditional frisbee.
It almost made me forget how upset I am by the lack of snow this year.
BTW: Last night, I hosted my book club. We read, "A Town Like Alice" by Nevil Shute. Wonderful book and wonderful discussion. And, the Kneaders, Raspberry Bread pudding with their vanilla sauce was awesome too.
Thursday, January 19, 2012
Word for 2012
For me, in the year 2012, my word will be
Adam fell that men might be; and men are, that they might have joy. 2 Nephi 2:25
Joy in looking and comprehending is nature's most beautiful gift. Albert Einstein
Things won are done, joy's soul lies in the doing. William Shakespeare
There is something terribly morbid in the modern sympathy with pain. One should sympathise with the colour, the beauty, the joy of life. The less said about life's sores the better. Oscar Wilde
Since you get more joy out of giving joy to others, you should put a good deal of thought into the happiness that you are able to give. Eleanor Roosevelt
Your success and happiness lies in you. Resolve to keep happy, and your joy and you shall form an invincible host against difficulties. Helen Keller
Joy does not simply happen to us. We have to choose joy and keep choosing it every day. — Henri Nouwen
Celebration is the conscience decision to live our lives with joy. In the midst of turmoil, pain and adversity, in bad times and good, joy is the great companion our Heavenly Father intended us to have. To feel joy, however, requires a decision on our part--a chosen approach to life, a chosen attitude, a constant awareness . . . To live with real joy we must begin with a personal conviction that we have the ability to change our lives in small meaningful ways. We must feel we can learn better patterns of thinking, feeling, and doing that will allow us to feel better, accomplish more and rise higher. Elaine S. Marshall
Celebration is the conscience decision to live our lives with joy. In the midst of turmoil, pain and adversity, in bad times and good, joy is the great companion our Heavenly Father intended us to have. To feel joy, however, requires a decision on our part--a chosen approach to life, a chosen attitude, a constant awareness . . . To live with real joy we must begin with a personal conviction that we have the ability to change our lives in small meaningful ways. We must feel we can learn better patterns of thinking, feeling, and doing that will allow us to feel better, accomplish more and rise higher. Elaine S. Marshall
Posted by Janice at 5:01 PM No comments:
Labels: me
Saturday, January 14, 2012
Politics: Meet Dan Liljenquist
Many years ago, I did a study abroad with this man. I respected him them and I respect him now. He has my complete support in this upcoming election. Please, watch the video.
Posted by Janice at 12:51 PM No comments:
Thursday, January 5, 2012
A Few Confessions . . .
It is the New Year and I always do make New Year's Resolutions. I'm not super "intense" with them but I do make them. But before I list them, I must confess a few things.
First, I married "up". Daily I think, "How did I get this man to marry me?" I haven't made a regular dinner in months, 1/2 the time my head is buried in a book, the house is rarely completely clean (there is always one spot that is perfect, in that every day, I tackle one area completely) and I am way too serious for my own good. We have been married for 14 years this past December. Thank goodness that cute dental student asked me out 16 years ago.
After making fun of this Sock Exchange prize, I wear it almost daily. Honestly, it is so comfortable and the weight of it is just perfect. I am not ready to wear it in public yet (as I accidently did with my slippers at Costa Vida last week) but honestly, I love this thing.
In December, I take a break from my normal reading fare and only read Christmas-themed romance novels. I don't have much time in December to read and light, fluffy, romance novels is about all my brain can take. Well this year, I discovered Robyn Carr (I read one of her Christmas themed books at the start of the month) and I have been reading the whole "Virgin River" series since. I think I have about 4 books left (it is a long series--18 books) and I have loved them. But, there are always about 10 pages that are not just "romance" but go beyond that. I skip/skim those parts but even then, they are pretty smutty and blush worthy. And, I am married woman . . .
Anyway, I apologize to all my Good Reads friends for my book choices in December. I did read "A Christmas Carol" by Dickens too but honestly, I have been trapped in Virgin River. I'm almost done then I will go back to normal reading. I am hoping to finish reading all of Dickens' works in 2012.
My goals:
1. Eat out less, which means cooking dinner more.
2. Exercise at least three days a week, preferably four.
3. Read the the whole Book of Mormon this year. We are also doing this as our one family goal. As part of my goal, I plan on reading the Book of Mormon every day.
4. Be on top of my kid's piano practicing, reading and math facts.
5. Cleaner house, which means less book time. (Which I am fine with, I promise.)
Posted by Janice at 10:28 AM 7 comments:
Labels: me
Monday, January 2, 2012
Film Festival
The last Dentist Husband family event at our house was our annual Film Festival.
(Let me be clear, when we built this house, we had in mind being able to host many Dentist Husband extended family events. I love hosting his family and my family. So it is a great pleasure to be able to be the house that everyone comes to.)
The "movie style" candy. I went a little overboard this year but most of it was 10 for $10 at our local grocery store.
The popcorn
The furniture moved for theatre seating.
The start of the event.
Let me point out, Dentist Husband worked a full week and came home to a house full of his family. He threw on a t-shirt over his scrubs and then started the event.
The "Oscar" made by my father-in-law. As you can see, it is made of bills and change. I think it totals about $50.
After watching all of the movies, my father-in-law and his wife decide the winner.
Below is the reaction of my sister-in-law and her husband after hearing they had won this year. They deserved it. It really was a great film.
I found this on my camera and had to laugh. I was taking a picture of my husband and the Honey Baked Ham and ibuprofen made it in the picture. The Honey Baked Ham became a running joke this Christmas because I brought it out whenever people came over. My brother in law threatened to carve the date in it, so I wouldn't bring it out next year. And, with all of the late nights we have had with family, the ibuprofen became a staple for me and Dentist Husband.
And, when you host the "Sock Exchange", sometimes people leave their winnings at your house unnoticed. This was discovered on our basement toilet seat.
It was a great holiday season. Welcome 2012.
Posted by Janice at 10:10 AM 1 comment:
Labels: Christmas
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Join the list of travel companies refusing cruel animal attractions
Over 190 travel companies have joined our movement to end elephant rides and shows. Do you want to join them?
Wildlife attractions are increasingly popular with tourists and the number of attractions has grown as a result. So too has understanding about the potential impacts of wildlife tourism. As a responsible leader in the travel industry, you know businesses must therefore continue to adapt to provide meaningful customer experience and ensure the welfare of animals.
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For more information on how you can join, please contact us using the form on this page. We want to hear from you.

subset: commoncrawl


text:
CLEARWATER — Police released the identity of a bicyclist who died Thursday night after a car hit him from behind on Drew Street near Evergreen Avenue.
Henry Rackard, 57, of Clearwater, was riding east on Drew Street just after 6:30 p.m. when he tried to cross from the north to the south side of the road, Clearwater police said. At the same time, Milton Lee Smallwood, 54, also of Clearwater, approached from behind in a 1994 Buick.
The car hit Rackard, who died at the scene, police said.
Alcohol might have been a factor in the collision, authorities said Friday. An investigation of the crash remains ongoing.


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Greetings World, We are Anonymous.
The "full wrath" of the United States Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) will soon descend upon all of America after the deadliest secret lies of this "Deep State" spy agency currently at war with President Donald Trump, have now been exposed for the entire world to see, and whose next "false flag" terror attack to cover up their crimes may come as soon this coming week.
The international whistle blowing organization Wikileaks released the largest ever in history publication of over 8,000 CIA top secret documents (Vault 7: CIA Hacking Tools Revealed) revealing that this "Deep State" spy agency has, in fact, created and cast a vast electronic surveillance net around the entire US unrivaled in modern times and that has turned even the most innocuous devices (televisions, phones, computers, smart devices, automobiles, etc.) into illegal spying tools.
Prior to the release by Wikileaks of these CIA top secret documents, this organizations leader, Julian Assange, on the 3rd of March, emailed to President Trump's National Security Council (NSC) the encrypted key to unlock Vault 7 where these over 8,000 documents were stored, and that caused Trump to explode in anger less than 24 hours later and accuse former President Barack Obama of illegally having him placed under surveillance.
Angering President Trump the most, as well as the FSB, were these top secret CIA documents revealing that this "Deep State" spy agency had created an "exploit" to falsely implicate Russia in hacking crimes it had never committed, and didn't have to do as these Democrats had already destroyed themselves.
The CIA's creation of this "exploit" designed to blame Russia for hacking crimes, was co-created by Google engineers who had, at least, 427 meetings at the White House over the course of Obama's presidency, and that in its final development stage was given to a cybersecurity technology company named CrowdStrike that Google Capital had invested $100 million in.
As to what CrowdStrike did with this CIA-Google "exploit", one must remember that during last years US presidential election, Wikileaks released what are now called "The Podesta Emails" that roiled the Hillary Clinton campaign due to its many shocking revelations of high crimes and corruption within not only Clinton's campaign, but, also, the entire Democratic Party (DNC).
To how Wikileaks obtained "The Podesta Emails" in the first place, was through a disgruntled DNC officer named Seth Rich who was angry over the election being manipulated against Senator Bernie Sanders, but who shortly after he had turned over these damning email documents to Wikileaks was assassinated, and that Wikileaks offered a $20,000 reward for to capture his killers, who were never found.
With Hillary Clinton's campaign manager John Podesta having previously stated to Seth Richs' assassination that "I'm definitely for making an example of a suspected leaker whether or not we have any real basis for it.", and Wikileaks leader Assange himself saying Russia had nothing whatsoever to do with the hacking of "The Podesta Emails", there was no doubt within the FSB that this DNC leaker had been killed by Clinton and/or Obama forces for his leaking of these damaging documents.
Shockingly, however, on 22 December 2016, barely a month prior to President Trump taking office, CrowdStrike released a report claiming that a tool (exploit) used in the DNC hack of "The Podesta Emails" had also been used, rewritten for Android phones, in malware that appeared in an application used by Ukrainian artillery units, and that this report purported to show that a hacking tool used in the DNC hack had also been used to kill Ukrainians fighting Russian separatists, that they called "Fancy Bear", and blamed Russia for creating.
In its most simplistic rendering, what CrowdStrike was claiming was that Russian military intelligence (GRU) created the "Fancy Bear" exploit to put on the Android phones of Ukrainian artillery soldiers so that when they used them they could be targeted and killed, and that was also found on the DNC computer hack, with the major problem to this outrageous claim being that it wasn't true, and that Ukraine's Ministry of Defense told the world about too.
When American computer experts began investigating this incredible CrowdStrike claim that Russia created the "Fancy Bear" exploit, they noted that this Google funded cybersecurity company "was apparently doing this work for free (!!)", didn't bother to talk to the creator of the Android software, and, at its most basic, created a nearly entirely make believe report designed to fit a narrative and timeline wished for by the Obama regime.
Even more critical to note, was that neither CrowdStrike nor the DNC would allow counterintelligence computer experts from the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) to even see the servers to confirm that his "Fancy Bear" exploit even existed.
But even as this "fake news" CrowdStrike report blaming Russia for the hacking of the DNC was proved false within hours of its being released, the Obama regime, nevertheless, quickly followed it with and even more fatally flawed "fake news" report that, in essence, was described as: "It merely listed every threat group ever reported on by a commercial cybersecurity company that is suspected of being Russian-made and lumped them under the heading of Russian Intelligence Services (RIS) without providing any supporting evidence that such a connection exists."
One would logically think, that with two highly flawed Obama regime Russian hacking reports being completely discredited this witch-hunting expedition would end, but one would be wrong in believing such a thing as, instead, the US propaganda mainstream media have been using these two "fake news" reports to bludgeon the reputation of President Trump, while, and as always, telling the American people what to think.
And with Wikileaks now proving that the "Deep State" aligned CIA was, in fact, the creator of this "Fancy Bear" exploit meant to discredit Russia, the Obama-Clinton leftist supporting US mainstream "fake news" propaganda media is, once again, choosing lies over truth, with CNN shockingly not even bothering to inform their viewers of the over 8,000 top secret CIA documents, and whom, also, when "The Podesta Emails" were released, outrageously lied to the American people saying no one but reporters could read them.
We are Anonymous,
We are Legion,
We do not forgive,
We do not forget,
Expect us.
Anonymous – This is going to Change Everything We Know… (CIA Secrets EXPOSED 2017)


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On Sunday 19th August 2018, due to works at the Carrigaline Community Centre to replace the roof we will meet at Carrigaline Educate Together National School
. There is a map showing the location of the school below.
Important – when searching on Google Maps pleasure ensure you search for Carrigaline Educate Together National School at Kilnaglery. The old school address that may come up of Rosemount, Heron's Wood is incorrect.
We hope to return to the Community Centre after two Sundays, but this will depend on how the work progresses. We will post an update to the website to confirm.
We will meet at the regular time of 11am.


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(credit: Los Angeles Police Department)
BOYLE HEIGHTS (CBSLA.com) — A chiropractor was arrested for sexually assaulting a patient, authorities said.
Manuel Domingo Chacon, 76, was taken into custody by the LAPD's Hollenbeck Division Sexual Assault Detail Monday around 3:15 p.m. in the 2500 block of Cesar Chavez in the Boyle Heights area.
Chacon, who has been a practicing chiropractor for 40 years, was booked at the Men's Detention Center on $100,000 bail.
Detectives are asking for public's assistance in locating additional victims.
Anyone with information was asked to contact Det. Steven Juarez at (323) 342-8994.
Reblogged this on Imarashed.


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Smart Spending Advice From Around the Web
Tips from a few of our favorite personal finance bloggers about keeping spending under control and making wise buying choices.
A post on SavingAdvice.com caught my attention because it's about a trend I've witnessed in my community that's left me puzzled. Jennifer Derrick writes in You Didn't Have to Buy That to Have Fun that several of her neighbors have recently bought golf carts just to cruise around the neighborhood. One of her neighbors commented that he actually took out a loan to buy his golf cart.
I've seen people riding around in golf carts in the city where I live, and I just don't get it. One mom even picked her child up from school in a golf cart. Since when did golf carts become such a popular mode of transportation? Why spend money on one if you already have a car and don't even play golf? As Derrick writes, "This is where people go wrong. They see one person doing something and decide that they have to do it, too." That's where some people get in trouble financially. I would love to hear your thoughts on buying into the latest fads or trying to keep up with the Joneses in the comment box below. And for more commentary on spending, here's what some of our favorite personal finance bloggers are saying:
Are Your Friends Keeping You Poor? [Five Cent Nickel] "No one knows about my money more than I do. So it is my responsibility to say no when I should. How can we accomplish that without feeling left out or overcoming the desire to fit in?"
Why Window Shopping Will Actually Make You Happier [PT Money] "You get to feel the little mood boosts every time you think about an expensive purchase, which will help keep your overall happiness level higher, whereas making the purchase will give you only one intense boost that will fade."
Do You Save & Spend Like the Rest of Your Generation? [MoneyNing] "The economic conditions in which you've grown up have undoubtedly influenced your financial habits and attitude toward money, whether you realize it or not."
It Is Seldom True That You Get What You Pay For [Frugal Confessions] "Over the last several years I have seen this phrase being irresponsibly thrown around in two different ways: as justification for spending more on a particular purchase despite not having the funds to do so, and as an "I-told-you-so" spit of wisdom when someone else likes to rain on your parade after a frugal fail."


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Date Posted:02/07/2018
When the 2018-19 Elite Ice Hockey League season starts this September, it will also mark the start of another season of the Smith Recycling Milton Keynes Lightning's Schools' Enterprise Scheme.
A visit from MK Lightning mascot Pucky, accompanied by an MK Lightning player to explain all about the sport and the physical benefits of playing, starts the process. Discounted tickets are made available to the school for their chosen home fixture, with students learning how to promote them to their family and fellow students. For every adult ticket the students sell, they receive £3 cashback for school funds for educational or recreational supplies.
Last season no fewer than 23 schools took part in the scheme, sharing in £3,400 raised over the season and more than 2,000 people buying match tickets through the scheme. And participation isn't restricted to schools in Milton Keynes - last season, schools from as far afield as Bedfordshire and Oxfordshire as well as Buckinghamshire.
MK Lightning Commercial Manager Sarah Jane Smyth said the club is looking forward to helping more schools raise funds and introducing them to the excitement of ice hockey. "We love meeting new young supporters and introducing them to the excitement of ice hockey. Our players have always enjoyed going out to schools to meet students and give them an insight into the sport, and telling them how they can get involved if they want to start playing.
"Community involvement is a huge part of the club's ethos, so it's great to be able to give schools additional funding and see the students and their families at home match nights. There's already been some interest in next season's scheme so we'd love to hear from schools who want to get involved!"
To register an interest for the MK Lightning Schools' Enterprise Scheme contact Sarah Jane Smyth by emailing email@example.com


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In a creative industry full of inspiration and trend-guided designs, I most strongly believe in originality. When it comes to your Signature Style, interiors, design and fashion, find your niche and what really makes your heart sing. I challenge you to purposely do what isn't the trend, what isn't what everyone else is doing. You'll find that you feel much more authentic this way. Be a trend setter – not a trend follower. And in the words of Diana Vreeland, here's your weekly inspiration!
Have I told you how much I LOVE getting dressed up? Or maybe you could already tell! I love a good excuse to get dolled up and do my makeup…AND I'm a big believer that red lipstick can quickly change your mood and spruce up your day. Over the years, I've tried a ton of beauty products and have finally narrowed down my top picks that I've stuck to for the past few years. I've dabbled in a few fun products via my monthly Birchbox but when it comes to my everyday basics, these are my top picks. If it wasn't for a couple of great beauty experts and trusted confidants, I wouldn't have discovered these gems…so I thought I would pay it forward!
Now onto the details!
Face Prep: My favorite is Intellishade – an SPF 45 filled tinted moisturizer that covers as much as foundation – without the thickness. I may go days without my full make-up routine, but I never go without this staple. It makes my skin look so smooth and even – without the look of makeup.
For Make-up Basics:
When it comes to make-up – my go-to brand is Youngblood Cosmetics. I discovered this through Glow Medspa here in Savannah and I've been my favorite since. I've tried other brands, but for my facial features and skin tone – this is by far the best. I use Youngblood for Concealer (SERIOUSLY. THE BEST), Mineral Powder and Bronzer. When it comes to the application – only one tool is the best – the infamous Beauty Blender. By wetting this little tool, it doubles its size and gives you the ability to create an airbrush effect with your makeup.
Next up, Tarte Cheek Stain with a short Foundation Brush for application. I smudge the brush into the blush before applying to my face. The alternative is applying the blush straight to your face, but I prefer to have more control over how much comes off.
Glo Cosmetics makes the best eye shadow in my opinion. By using the Mac Blender Shadow brush (here), this eye shadow blends so easily by making tiny circles along the crease of your eyelid and corners. Their eye shadow is also super saturated so a little goes a long way.
I finally fluff and buff my highlighted areas with Glo's Shimmer Brick.
For mascara and eye liner, I'm a trusty Loreal Voluminous girl – have been for years after trying the likes of Dior, Chanel and everything in between. I always go back to this ancient staple. And for the grand finale? My favorite shade of red lipstick – Mac Russian Red.
Hope you enjoy some of these products as much as I have! I'll follow up soon with my favorite hair basics!
I love the idea of ordering our gift tags in Valentine's Day colors to use for your gifts this year! Add some colorful ribbon and you've definitely taken the standard valentine up a notch this year!
Order soon to receive in time for Valentine's Day this year! Click here to shop our Signature Collections.
Just a quick mid-week inspiration! In Style just featured the always-gorgeous Sarah Jessica Parker and highlighted this quote – I just love it!
One comment
TIffany Jones says
I completely agree! And I will wear high heels to the end! xx
January 9, 2014
It's a new year everyone! I love the feeling of a fresh start and chance to set new goals and dreams for the days ahead. I'm setting up my list of big ideas and I'm so excited to get started on checking things off. Here's a little inspiration for the new year – an oldie but goodie! We celebrating my birthday yesterday with close friends and I wanted to share how I set up the bar cart and wine station. We had a blast eating oysters and toasting prosecco at midnight. Hope you had a wonderful celebration and CHEERS to 2014! I'm claiming it as the year of a Life worth Celebrating!
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There are seriously no other bands quite like Black Label Society. But what else would you expect from a band that features a guitar god like Zakk Wylde? Their new album "Catacombs of the Black Vatican" follows the hotly successful "Order Of The Black" which was my personal favorite until I heard the new one. This album is one big song after another. Kicking things off the right way is "Fields Of Unforgiveness" which starts out perfectly with tons of squeals coming from the fingers of the guitar god. This song is slower paced but very heavy in it's own right and a very cool tune! "My Dying Time" is the lead single from the album which starts out with a cool little clean riff before kicking into the head banger of the year! I for one cannot wait to see this one played live at Rocklahoma in May! The 3rd track "Believe" is one of the coolest songs I think the band has written thus far. Like the album opener, this one too is slow paced but heavy enough to command your attention throughout the song with killer vocals from the man himself with a fun riff that is sure to please any BLS fan. Any album is not complete without a ballad and "Angel Of Mercy" really shows off Zakk's vocal skills here. I have never heard his voice sound so damn beautiful (yes I said beautiful and Zakk Wylde in the same sentence). The lyrics in this song will be sure to strike home with any of it's listeners. Moving along, could the riff be any more killer in "Beyond The Down"?!!! As soon as this track kicks in I want to start banging my head! My personal favorite track on Catacombs is "I've Gone Away". I will be blaring this over and over in the car on full blast. The palm muted riff here just kicks things off so perfectly and sets up for a huge chorus! Album closer "Shades Of Gray" is a great way to end this album with a catchy chorus and melody and some very soulful lyrics, another great track! "Catacombs of the Black Vatican" will be released on 4/18 with special autographed copies available for pre-order and don't forget about the extra cool vinyl edition! 4/5 by David Rader
This entry was posted on Monday, March 24th, 2014 at 1:32 pm. It is filed under ALBUM REVIEWS and tagged with album, angel of mercy, believe, beyond the down, black label society, catacombs of the black vatican, fields of unforgiveness, midwest music scene, my dying time, new, order of the black, release, review, rocklahoma, zakk wylde. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed.


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Penthause with private pool in rent on Surin Beach.
Luxury penthause with panoramic sea view is situated within walking distance to Surin Beach (300 metres).
3 BDR Penthause features exclusive furniture, western style kitchen with utensils, cable TV and wifi, dining area for 6 persons, 3 bathrooms, spacious living room and a relaxing area by the pool with a gazebo and sun loungers. Parking for 2 cars.
Peak season - 495 000 baht/month, 15 000 baht/night (minimum 14 nights).


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In BRICpro we are happy to annouce big company news. Uffe Uhrenholt joins as chairman of the board and at the same time is investing in the future of BRICpro through the company https://www.faurskovgods.com/.
In the daily work with our clients, this does not lead to any major changes – except that we from now on can deliver an even better service.
We are extremely happy with the new collaboration with Uffe Uhrenholt and are looking ahead to an exticing future where we will accomplish great things together.
You can read more about the investment in Today's Børsen: https://borsen.dk/nyheder/avisen/artikel/11/160553/artikel.html


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Woodworking Plans and Designs
For centuries, most people have been involved in woodworking and have designed brilliant plans. Whether you are a beginner or an experienced craftsman who is proud of some crafted items created, there is an assortment of woodworking plans available. Woodworking is undoubtedly the best and most efficient way to bring creativity in you. One can … Read more Hello world!


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LAUSANNE, Switzerland, November 10 /PRNewswire/ --
- Gene Signal International, a Biotech Company Registered in Switzerland, Will Move its Headquarters to the EPFL, in Lausanne, - Gene Signal is Addressing Various Issues Related to Neovascularisation, - Gene Signal is Working on a Portfolio of Ophthalmologic Indications, With One Now in Phase III Trials - Gene Signal Will Present its Interim Results at the Annual Meeting of the American Academy of Ophtalmologist in Atlanta, USA, the Largest Scientific Convention in this Field
Gene Signal, a biotech company registered in Switzerland, is currently starting the Phase III study of GS-101, its most advanced therapeutic ophthalmic solution, for the prevention of corneal graft rejection.
Every year, over 40'000 corneal grafts are performed worldwide to cure or prevent blindness, thus making this procedure the most frequently performed transplant surgery. However, the 5 year failure rate for corneal grafts is currently around 35%. As many other graft procedures, donor grafts are always in limited supply. A failure is even more wasteful in this context of long waiting lines (6 months - 2 years).
One of the main reasons for graft failure is the immune response of the body. Normally, the cornea is avascular (i.e. deprived of blood vessels), protecting the donor cornea from being rejected. However, under certain circumstances, new blood vessel creation (neovascularization) occurs, inducing an immune response to the donor graft that can lead to immunological corneal graft rejection.
Currently, there is no therapy available. Gene Signal is working on new ways to prevent this syndrome. With its antisense oligonucleotide approach, it aims to block the pathways leading to the formation of blood vessels in the cornea. This approach uses short DNA fragments that specifically target and block the production of a protein that is required for the formation and growth of new blood vessels.
GS 101 eye drops have successfully completed the phase II study. The results show a significant regression of corneal neovascularization, whereas the placebo group all showed an increase in new vessels.
These interim results (of a phase II study) suggest GS101 eye drops to be an effective and safe approach to specifically inhibit and regress active corneal neovascularization, a major risk factor for corneal graft rejection, indicated Professor Claus Cursiefen, of the Department of Ophthalmology, Friedrich Alexander University, in Germany.
Compared to the placebo group with 100% ongoing progression of corneal neovascularisation over the 3-month period, the optimal treatment group achieved 86% regression and progression in only 14%, he added.
Prof. Cursiefen will take advantage of the world's largest gathering for ophthalmologists, the Annual Meeting of the American Association of Ophtalmologist in Atlanta, USA, on November 8 - 11, 2008, to present these promising results.
In parallel, Gene Signal is developing a diverse pipeline of novel antisense oligonucleotides, proteins and monoclonal antibodies to treat a range of angiogenesis based diseases. It is evaluating three new drugs in ophthalmology as well as in dermatology and is in the discovery phase with four more molecules addressing indications in the field of vascular disease and oncology.
About Gene Signal
Gene Signal (http://www.genesignal.com) is a biotechnology company focused on discovering genes involved in the regulation of angiogenesis. Founded in 2000, the company has assembled an outstanding leadership team that includes scientific, medical, regulatory, and business professionals with successful track records in developing and bringing to market state of the art drugs. Gene Signal continues to develop its angiogenesis modulating technology and has built a significant intellectual property portfolio, as well as a robust clinical and preclinical pipeline. The company's Headquarter will soon move to Lausanne, Switzerland, with its research program in France, and product development in Canada. Gene Signal is currently looking for licensing partners to either commercialize or co-develop our therapeutic portfolio.
Contacts Gene Signal Eric Viaud CEO Gene Signal International SA Chemin Champ Rond, 53 1010 Lausanne Switzerland Tel: +41-21-804-61-64 Fax: +41-21-804-61-65 Mobile: +41-79-774-20-72 Mail: email@example.com Website: http://www.genesignal.com Rochat Partners Gaël Le Corre-Laliberté +41-22-786-54-55 firstname.lastname@example.com
Contacts: Eric Viaud, CEO, Gene Signal International SA, Tel: +41-21-804-61-64, Fax: +41-21-804-61-65, Mobile: +41-79-774-20-72, Mail: email@example.com. Rochat Partners, Gaël Le Corre-Laliberté, +41-22-786-54-55, email@example.com


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The LEADTOOLS Document Viewer is an OEM-ready, document-viewing solution for .NET (C# & VB). Developers can create robust, full-featured applications with rich document-viewing features, including text search, annotation, memory-efficient paging, inertial scrolling, and vector display. With only a few lines of code, the LEADTOOLS Document Viewer can be added to any project. It can be used to view raster and document formats alike, making it ideal for Enterprise Content Management (ECM), document retrieval, and document normalization solutions.
The LEADTOOLS Document Viewer is also available as a zero-footprint web application built with HTML5/JavaScript.


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As I looked through the work for the next few exercises this one caught my eye. Not only did I like the examples as shown, especially the set of stairs, but I felt as though looking for further examples would be fun. I hoped that it would involve taking images in different locations. I wanted to replicate one of the images so I set off to Winchester to take images that displayed curves.
Before I set off I looked at the previous images that i had taken before, the following image of the train tracks running into Dorking Station looked like it would fit into
this category.
First Image
Although the curve does pull your eye along towards the train I don't thinks that they add "grace and elegance" to the image.
So as I said I went to Winchester, where I captured these images.
Second Image
This image was taken inside a shop. Here the stairs clime gracefully up away from the manikin with the dress. The steps contrast well with the sides of the stairs.
In this example I can see that the words "grace and elegance" could be used.
Third Image
As you can see for my second image I decided to find a further set of steps, this time they were in a church.
The lighting was poor and the steps and rails dark. I had to increase the iso up to 6400 as I was shooting by hand.
This time I took a close up of the rail and the ornate end.
I hoped that the way that the rail was framed in the shot would lead your eye through the image, but maybe on reflection I have cropped it too tightly.
Fourth Image
Again this image is from a shop in the High Street in Winchester, I have added this one as an extra as the goods on display are actually placed within a circle.
It was different to the normal square window displays that you see. I wanted to see if placing the goods in this type of display made them more attractive to the shoppers.
I asked my wife, April, and she said that it was a more attractive image and the circle draws the eye towards the display. Not really a cross-section of the public, but it went some way to proving a point to me, that taking this type of image does pull the eye, the shops must know this and that is why it was done this way.
My fifth image was taken in Surrey. I walked over this bridge a few time before I decided which side to take the picture from.
Fifth Image
This image was taken a few days after I returned from Winchester. AS soon as I saw the bridge I saw the curve and that if I captured it correctly your eye would be drawn over the bridge to the track and woods beyond.
In a way this image proved to me the concept of the course, learning in stages, building up my knowledge and hopefully my skills to not just snap away but to think before you take a picture. Before I press the shutter release I should be asking what do I want the end result to look like? I should also have in the back of my mind what am I attempting to say to the viewer remembering what my tutor said though, what I think the picture is saying may be a lot different to what the viewer thinks. Of course I had the benefit of seeing what was around the image as I took the shot.
I hope you enjoy the above images, a great exercise.


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The new Gloucester bus station features curtain walling, windows and doors by Kawneer.
Architectural glazing systems by leading UK manufacturer Kawneer were specified for a transport hub at the heart of the regeneration of an area of Gloucester for their ability to meet a trio of exacting requirements - aesthetics, performance and budget.
Kawneer's AA®100 zone-drained curtain walling, AA®720 thermally superior doors and two types of windows – AA®540 fixed lights and AA®3110 horizontal sliders – were selected by regular Kawneer specifiers BDP architects for the £6.6 million futuristic new Gloucester bus station.
Designed with a single roof plane to resemble an aircraft wing and pay homage to the city's aviation history, the building is a stunning interpretation of the brief which was to deliver an iconic yet affordable transport hub.
The new transport hub forms part of the initial phase of the regeneration of the city's Kings Quarter and will integrate into the retail element with improved pedestrian links to the railway station and city centre.
The facility includes bus stands for 12 vehicles arranged in a chevron format to allow a DIRO (drive in, reverse out) method of operation. It is also equipped with solar panels to power internal lighting and has been designed to be fully accessible for people with disabilities.
With the Kawneer curtain walling at its core, the building is highly transparent to provide maximum visual contact with its surroundings and a calm, airy environment. The width of the public concourse allows ample circulation space as well as waiting and eating areas for individual stands.
As well as providing a dramatic and iconic sculptural form, the roof wing has an aerofoil section and is punctuated at several points to allow further light penetration to the concourse and bus stands.
Passenger information systems, timetable displays, interactive information points, a manned ticket office and a café, as well as a display of the Roman wall that was discovered underneath the foundations, also form part of the facilities.
Built on a brownfield site next to the old bus station, it will serve as a brand-new gateway to the city, replacing the dilapidated building which had stood largely unchanged for 50 years.
BDP architect Nick Fairham said: "The Kawneer systems suited our needs and were within budget. They help to define the public concourse from the bus stands."
The Kawneer systems were installed over 15 weeks of a three-year build by a team of six from approved dealer Aluminium Sashes for main contractor Kier Construction.
Aluminium Sashes' sales director Andrew Mather said: "The design of the main concourse curtain walling included 12 automatic doors allowing access to the external bus bays. These openings gave us an engineering challenge to provide support to the larger glass units above but we overcame this through collaborative design workshops with BDP's structural engineers."
City council leader Cllr Paul James said: "What we have got is a striking building that provides a statement of our ambitions for the city and sets the tone for the rest of the (Kings Quarter) development.
"We are very fortunate to have got Government funding because it would have been very difficult for us to have made it happen without that support."
At the official opening [on Friday 26 October 2018] the station received a cavalcade of 15 vintage buses driven from Gloucester Docks across the city.


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Sodexo Participates in HACR's Research Initiative Aimed at Measuring Hispanic Inclusion in Corporate America
GAITHERSBURG, Md., November 15, 2018 — Sodexo, a food services and facilities management company committed to Quality of Life, announced today its participation in the 2018 HACR Corporate Inclusion Index (HACR CII), a research initiative conducted by the Hispanic Association on Corporate Responsibility (HACR) and the HACR Research Institute, aimed at measuring Hispanic inclusion in Corporate America.
"The HACR CII survey focuses on the areas of Employment, Procurement, Philanthropy, and Governance," said Rohini Anand, PhD, SVP, Corporate Responsibility & Global Chief Diversity Officer, Sodexo. "Ensuring that diversity and inclusion is integrated into how we drive progress in all of these areas, particularly within the Hispanic community, is key to our annual participation in the HACR Corporate Inclusion Index".
As part of Sodexo's commitment to diversity and inclusion, Sodexo is also proud to support the professional and organizational growth of Hispanic employees through the company's employee business resource group SOL, the Sodexo Organization of Latinos. Most recently Sodexo was recognized by Hispanic Network Magazine as a 2018 Top Employer, Top Diversity Employer, Top Disability Friendly Company, and Top LGBT-Friendly Company.
"On behalf of HACR's Board of Directors, we congratulate Sodexo for keeping Hispanic inclusion top of mind," said Dr. Lisette Garcia, HACR senior vice president, and COO. "By adopting Hispanic inclusiveness, companies such as Sodexo are cultivating a corporate culture that promotes forward thinking which sustains their ability to outpace competitors."
The HACR CII survey focuses on the areas of Employment, Procurement, Philanthropy, and Governance. The survey helps to identify opportunities to help companies frame strategic plans to assist in keeping up with the demands of a diverse, ever-changing world.
Sodexo North America is part of a global, Fortune 500 company with a presence in 72 countries. Sodexo is a leading provider of integrated food, facilities management and other services that enhance organizational performance, contribute to local communities and improve quality of life for millions of customers in corporate, education, healthcare, senior living, sports and leisure, government and other environments daily. The company employs 150,000 people at 13,000 sites in all 50 U.S. states and Canada and indirectly supports tens of thousands of additional jobs through its annual purchases of $9.2 billion in goods and services from small to large American businesses. Sodexo is committed to supporting diversity and inclusion and safety, while upholding the highest standards of corporate responsibility and ethical business conduct. In support of local communities across the U.S., the Sodexo Stop Hunger Foundation has contributed close to $32 million over the past 20 years to help feed children in America impacted by hunger. To learn more about Sodexo, visit SodexoUSA.com, SodexoInsights.com and connect with us on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, Twitter and YouTube.
Media Contact: Heidi Marino, Sodexo Inc., email@example.com, 301 987 4609
Media Contacts
Drew Nannis, SVP
Brand and Communications
Enrico Dinges, Public Relations Director
Healthcare, Schools, Seniors, Government, Energy & Resources
Dasha Ross-Smith, Public Relations Director
Corporate Services, Universities, Culinary, Human Resources, Diversity & Inclusion
Paul Pettas, Communications Director
Sports & Leisure/Centerplate
Alexandra Cauberghs, Public Relations Manager
Facilities Management, Corporate Responsibility


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Fulham, Aalesund and Haecken have been granted an additional place in the Europa League
28 May 2011, 10:56:12
Norway, England and Sweden have each been granted an additional place in the 2011/12 UEFA Europa League as the top three nations in the UEFA Respect Fair Play rankings.
This three teams will play in Europe League 2011-2012: Aalesund (4th place in season 2010), FC Fulham (8th place) and BK Haecken (8th in Allsvenskan 2010).
Here is the complete list of winners of UEFA Respect Fair Play rankings.
Current statistic
Current season
© 2009-2011 European football statistic (European Cups and domestic championships)
Needhelpwithtermpaper Help With Writing Dissertation Write My Business Case . . Phone Number Tracker for Free


text: The IceCube Neutrino Observatory is the world's largest neutrino detector, instrumenting a cubic kilometer of ice at the geographic South Pole. IceCube was designed to detect high-energy astrophysical neutrinos from potential cosmic ray acceleration sites such as active galactic nuclei, gamma ray bursts and supernova remnants. IceCube announced the detection of a diffuse flux of astrophysical neutrinos in 2013, including the highest energy neutrinos ever detected. The sources of these neutrinos are as yet unknown, and IceCube continues to collect data and to collaborate with multi messenger partners in order to explore the neutrino sky. I will discuss the latest results from IceCube and discuss prospects for future upgrades and expansions of the detector.


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If you want to play team-based shooter Dead Alliance before it launches in August, Maximum Games has announced that a free multiplayer Open Beta will run from July 27 to 31 on PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and PC.
"Players will face off against opponents and turn zombies into man-eating allies across three multiplayer maps and an assortment of game modes," the open beta description says.
They didn't specify which game modes the beta will include, but the full game features single-player and 4v4 multiplayer modes, including Team Deathmatch, Free for All, King of the Hill, Capture and Hold, Solo Survival, and Attrition.
In the above trailer, you can see loads of Dead Alliance gameplay as members of the development team talk about the game.
Dead Alliance releases on August 29 for PS4, Xbox One, and PC. Pre-ordering gets you the Rapid Dominance Day One Edition, which includes three bonus loadouts with unique weapons and perks for use in multiplayer.


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Dr David Coutcher is a third generation Chiropractor. Licensed and practicing for 20 years. Previously a Medic in the U.S. Air Force. Five years experience working in his father's Medical/Naturopathic Clinic in Florida. Eighteen years in private practice here in Pharr. Experience you can trust. Don't keep putting it off thinking that the pain will go away on it's own. If it goes away on it's own…it will be back…sooner or later…with a vengeance! Pain is pain. Your body is trying to tell you something.
"What is Chiropractic Care really all about?"
Most Back, Neck, and Joint pain is caused by injuries to joint ligaments. Many of these injuries may be so old that our patients have trouble recalling when the injuries happened.
Injuries to ligaments cause them to be stretched and then they become weak; which leads to poor joint alignment and joints that don't function properly. When joints don't function properly, they hurt!
This reduces ranges of motion causing pain, eventually leading to arthritis and disc disease.
Chiropractic Care imparts motion into these Dis-functional Joints thus breaking up the scar tissue and increasing ranges of motion, which leads to healthier joints and less pain. These things all reduce the chances of future arthritis and progressive disc disease.
You may not know that all of the cells in your body receive nerve supply from nerves that pass through your spine. So when Spinal Joints get out of place they can put pressure on these nerves. Thus causing radiating pain and muscle spasm.
Chiropractic care, thru Spinal Manipulation, gets these joints moving properly and takes the pressure off of the nerves. This reduces Pain and Muscle Spasm and Increases Function. Properly functioning joints do not hurt!


text:
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of the Dinner Table Group
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Knights of the Dinner Table is a multiple award-winning
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text:
Regency Gardens Nursing and Rehabilitation came out to a star studded gala last night at the Venetian Hall in Garfield, NJ, to benefit our partners at the Chilton Medical Center.
Chilton Medical Center is a non-profit community hospital in Pompton Plains, New Jersey. Located at 97 West Parkway, it is the only hospital serving the Pequannock Township area.
The Annual Gala is Chilton Medical Center Foundation's largest fundraiser recognizing their honorees, Chilton Medical Center's achievements and all of the generous donors and community members who supported the hospital throughout the year. Organized by their volunteer committee, the event includes dining, dancing and silent auction prizes.
The 2017 Gala: "Moonlight Serenade" was held on Saturday, October 28 from 5:30 to 11:30pm at the Venetian in Garfield, NJ
We are extremely proud of our close partnership with Chilton Hospital and were delighted to be there, as a PROUD SPONSOR (just as we are sponsors each year)!
Here are several photos from the event!


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tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23363296.post8436224449170297324..comments2020-07-31T02:39:47.676-07:00Comments on Daddy Dialectic: Parenting While Male: 74 Fathers Talk about Playground DiscriminationJeremy Adam Smithhttp://firstname.lastname@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-23363296.post-12403430390919510032013-02-27T12:33:40.772-08:002013-02-27T12:33:40.772-08:00@UncommonJohn- You mention the number of men who s...@UncommonJohn- You mention the number of men who said something along the lines that they wish they could be doing what I was doing; I have gotten that response as well, but there sometimes seems to be a backhandedness to it. It is often said with a sort of ironic tone, a "that must be nice" kind of thing, seeming to imply that I somehow am shirking the breadwinner role I should be carrying out. I have gotten a little of this attitude from both men and women... skepticism about why I might be there, an uncertainty about my fitness as a email@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-23363296.post-82782655385096495572012-11-27T13:29:18.540-08:002012-11-27T13:29:18.540-08:00My father was my primary parent for my entire chil...My father was my primary parent for my entire childhood. He is an amazing parent, and I strive to be as good a person as he is. Fathers are invaluable. I hate to think of anyone criticising my father's parenting abilities because he's not a woman. Parenting is not about your sex, it's about modelling successful behaviours and attitudes for your children. A man can do that just as well as a woman. firstname.lastname@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-23363296.post-57473851711353641842011-06-09T11:19:36.570-07:002011-06-09T11:19:36.570-07:00People are idiots and they're idiots by choice...People are idiots and they're idiots by choice. It's disgusting. It doesn't take a whole lot of effort to recognize families.

I was in the supermarket recently where a young family was shopping. They had a toddler and preschooler in the cart and an older one romping alongside. I'd by lying if I said I didn't *notice* that the father was a dark skinned Black gentleman with dreadlocks and the father was White and the kids were all of different ethnic backgrounds, but honestly, the part that stood out to ME as odd was the amount of junk food in the shopping cart. (Yeah, I get judgmental, but I promise I didn't comment) Anyway, I said something about them having lovely kids and they didn't react as if I said anything unusual... so maybe they get less flack? Could it be a regional thing? I'm in NY, in case that matters.

As an aside, my husband has worked from home for most of the time our children have been alive. Due to a back injury, he is usually the one to bring them places. He's never commented about being excluded, but he's White. Then again, he's painfully quiet, so maybe he just didn't notice being excluded? I forwarded this to him as well as a White sahd husband to a close Hispanic friend of mine. Maybe they'll have insight.Sandra Morthttps://email@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-23363296.post-61408145791365061732011-05-26T20:02:11.677-07:002011-05-26T20:02:11.677-07:00As a SAHD, I certainly understand several of these...As a SAHD, I certainly understand several of these situations and how they could occur, but I have to say that I've never had any issues, and have generally received great reactions from both the men and women I encounter around town, even at "mom-centric" events. I do live in a fairly progressive community, which may be part of it.Wingnuthttps://firstname.lastname@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-23363296.post-91400324026106412712011-02-14T10:51:50.967-08:002011-02-14T10:51:50.967-08:00@Sadie: In responses I've seen to this survey,...@Sadie: In responses I've seen to this survey, many people have noted that fathers are sometimes over-praised for doing the minimum; it's also of course true that moms struggle with negative interactions (and actually, what I'm about to write is plagiarized from a discussion about the survey with PBS Parents).

Thus these results can be confusing. How do you reconcile these seemingly contradictory trends? It helps, I think, to see these results in context, as a) reflective of serious underlying anxieties that we as a culture feel about gender and sexuality; and b) illustrations of the cultural obstacles both men and women face in sharing parenting responsibilities.

In other words, when we see men praised excessively on one hand and then damned excessively on the other for being visible, participatory parents, we are really seeing two sides of the same coin--we're improvising new roles, and humans feel anxious when we're not sure how we're supposed to behave. Some people will embrace fathers they see as pioneers, sometimes with awkward, fawning praise; others will reject fathers who seem to be transgressing traditional boundaries. Two different but commonplace responses to the same trend.

This process won't end anytime soon. While we go through it together, I think the bottom line is that we must try to be kind to each other, even, perhaps especially, when we are uncomfortable.Jeremy Adam Smithhttps://email@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-23363296.post-82350801792030674632011-02-14T10:41:33.621-08:002011-02-14T10:41:33.621-08:00@Jill: This should be considered highly "Amer...@Jill: This should be considered highly "Americanocentric"--it's really a poll of Daddy Dialectic readers, who are heavily concentrated in North America (Canada + US), though obviously we are visited by foreign dignitaries such as yourself. I'm no expert on international perspectives on fatherhood, but when I have looked abroad, I've been struck by two things: one is that the daddy shift (the growth of fatherhood beyond pure breadwinning to include caregiving) cuts across national boundaries; the other is that the daddy shift plays out very differently in different cultural and economic contexts. So here in the US you see rising numbers of stay-at-home dads because of a work culture that pushes caregivers out; in more social democratic environments, fathers are combining work and care in some interesting ways. Recently, I've been interviewing Swedish couples about how they were raised and how that affected their current childcare arrangements, and my main takeaway is that both men and women have a lot of flexibility in both work and care domains, even as traditional gender roles persist (it's amusing to hear these couples criticize fathers for taking "only" two or four weeks of paid leave in Sweden, which is two or four weeks more than 93 percent of American men are capable of taking--our expectations rise with the possibilities).Jeremy Adam Smithhttps://firstname.lastname@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-23363296.post-25294418963234966692011-02-14T09:15:18.844-08:002011-02-14T09:15:18.844-08:00Interesting observations. This post made me think...Interesting observations. This post made me think of a post on Motherlode last fall: http://parenting.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/10/06/how-not-to-treat-a-stay-at-home-dad/?scp=2&sq=library%20dad&st=cse

wherein a dad complained about getting too much positive attention while on outings with his email@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-23363296.post-32366208942460045222011-02-12T16:09:38.044-08:002011-02-12T16:09:38.044-08:00Mmm intersting- great discussion. I also wonder h...Mmm intersting- great discussion.

I also wonder how Americanocentric (?) this is.

We live over in Australia where the typical male stereotype is pretty traditionally strong. For me society is just polarising further and we will see more extreme reactions in some cases but far more tolerance in others.

At school with our daughters the drop off is often characterised with 'tradies' who can be more flexible with work start and finish times and dads who are in the middle of a career change (partner breadwinning) but also those who are just taking time out to allow a partner to develop their career potential.

It really is fascinating.
I would like to see more comments from beyond the American viewpoint- any takers...

We have recently been posting on ways to involve everyday play with an educational context. I hope to add more daddy day posts that are essential for development in my opinion.

Please feel free to drop in for an Australian slant to kids and progress!

Euan

http://beourbest.blogspot.com/ Jillhttps://firstname.lastname@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-23363296.post-81232437648479053362011-02-09T08:07:48.997-08:002011-02-09T08:07:48.997-08:00i think i was reading about that at NYT this month...i think i was reading about that at NYT this email@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-23363296.post-76371964498101858482011-02-07T20:16:32.584-08:002011-02-07T20:16:32.584-08:00In theory, I would expect feminists who repudiate ...In theory, I would expect feminists who repudiate ironclad gender roles to be much more accepting of the idea that a male could have a legitimate reason to be around his or other children. In practice, I've seen feminists persecute fathers and male teachers and feminists who stood up for them. Obviously Feminism itself is not the culprit.Red email@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-23363296.post-61545693343394412232011-02-07T10:31:47.375-08:002011-02-07T10:31:47.375-08:00My husband is a large African American man, a gent...My husband is a large African American man, a gentle giant, if you will. When we got to parks and playgroups children FLOCK to him and many want him to pick them up and get hugs. He only hugs children we know, with their parents permission, but I worry that one day he will experience a negative incident like the ones described by other firstname.lastname@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-23363296.post-6183293574492121432011-02-06T21:26:58.293-08:002011-02-06T21:26:58.293-08:00I just took the survey! Sorry to be so late about ...I just took the survey! Sorry to be so late about it. As primary care giver to our daughter (and loving husband to a pregnant wife), I've lost a lot of my blog time that I used to have.

What I've found is that there are many women who are very wary of male PCGs (for myriad reasons). Many can eventually be converted, but usually it's because of another woman who trusts me can inculcate me into their clique.

This can be tiresome, and it takes me months of exposure to such cliques before I can be invited out to a post playgroup lunch, much less a playdate at someone's house (though it has happened!)

I've found the best thing for me is to surround ourselves with fathers and mothers who already don't have such preconceptions.Crinhttps://firstname.lastname@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-23363296.post-48564453869046433442011-02-03T17:16:41.621-08:002011-02-03T17:16:41.621-08:00This is so interesting. I'm a woman, but my pa...This is so interesting. I'm a woman, but my partner and I share the care of our son, and I know I've been irked at how many activities and groups are specifically mommy-and-me rather than open to either parent, and I know my husband has found this irritating as well.

That said, we've both seen plenty of fathers alone with kids in the places we frequent, so I would think attitudes toward this will only get better as it becomes more common and therefore accepted. (I hope?)Lauren Waynehttps://firstname.lastname@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-23363296.post-56926857620254164902011-01-30T23:32:27.760-08:002011-01-30T23:32:27.760-08:00Hi I'm glad that it has been noted time and a...Hi

I'm glad that it has been noted time and agin that this survey has no objective scientific capacity. It's the opinions of a bunch of guys. Guys like me who took it.

I'm starting my 20th year as a SAHD and I will tell you that attitudes have shifted, and for the better. But there is a catch here that is being ignored. All of this only applies to a class of White folk. In Southern Brooklyn I run into very different aptitudes depending on ethnic origin.

My wife is of chinese ancestry and the chinese community has no idea what to make of me. I'm known to many of them through my mother-in-law. The idea that I, or my wife, would stay home with the kids when there is a grandparent available just doesn't make sense. They keep wondering where *my* mother is and why she isn't raising my kids.

We should keep in mind that different ethnic groups in the US will have different traditions on how children should be raised. A stay-at-home-dad only makes sense in a western nuclear family. In any sort of extended multigenerational family the term losses it's meaning.rtb.inkhttps://email@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-23363296.post-78768090392989648512011-01-30T01:11:10.014-08:002011-01-30T01:11:10.014-08:00My mother was never very nurturing in my family wh...My mother was never very nurturing in my family when I and my younger sister were growing up. I always went to my father for any comfort as a child, even before he became a stay at home father when my sister was born. This was in the 80's when "Mr. Mom" was the catchphrase for SAHDs.

My father cooked, cleaned and took my sister and I to school and play dates. He never really fussed or worried about it and was often busing around the neighborhood kids as well.

Parenting can be daunting for women too, especially young ones. I started raising my step daughter when I was 19 and was sidelined on the PTA, never asked in the classroom to volunteer despite putting my name on every form that came home and the recipient to a lot of unwelcome and ignorant advice. I would recommend ignoring the other parents and focusing on whats best for the child. After all, that's the only reason we stay at home parents do it, isn't it?Bibliophilehttps://firstname.lastname@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-23363296.post-47748889078059451572011-01-29T11:14:39.211-08:002011-01-29T11:14:39.211-08:00Jeremy, As usual your writing provokes a lot of th...Jeremy, As usual your writing provokes a lot of thought. I remember being a playground mom years ago, but I don't remember witnessing discrimination against dads. I'm sure it happened - these men attest to it. But, my own feelings about seeing dads at the playground was shear happiness! I only wish there'd been more of them, to role model for my own sons that not only women do this kind of involved parenting. Not that my husband didn't parent, but he was the primary breadwinner and I was the one who curtailed my career to be at home with the kids, which was difficult for me in many ways. If only there were more diversity on the playground, more opportunities for men and women to share childcare equally and to switch off being primary caregivers. What a great, rich world it would be for our children (and ourselves)! Thanks, men, for doing what you are doing. You are the pioneers!jsshttps://email@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-23363296.post-77790789064063085022011-01-29T10:20:50.773-08:002011-01-29T10:20:50.773-08:00I have a couple of thoughts. One is that any paren...I have a couple of thoughts. One is that any parent who does things that are viewed as a little outside the norm - like a stay-home dad - are going to get questioned or criticized at times. That's also true for mothers who nurse in public or nurse kids until they are 3 or 4, people who try to teach their babies to read, mothers of young kids who travel a lot and work long hours and any number of other practices besides guys looking after their kids on a full-time basis.

Second, I wish the survey had also asked: how many times has someone treated you like a hero because you were looking after your kids? How many guys have said to you - I wish I could do what you are doing?

I had those experiences numerous times when I was a stay-home dad back in the late eighties and nineties. I was never sure if the "I wish I could do what you're doing" comments were totally sincere. But I think they were at least meant to be supportive. I appreciated that.

I was never invited to playgroups either, but I didn't care. I suspect I was at least as uncomfortable being in a monolithic group of moms as they would have been uncomfortable with me. I used to wonder if women would think I was coming on to them by talking to them. It was a social situation that none of us really knew how to deal with. But even so, when I went to the local resource centre with my kids, no mother ever acted discriminatory with me. Mostly we'd just nod and then ignore each firstname.lastname@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-23363296.post-54549440741540424322011-01-29T07:41:00.860-08:002011-01-29T07:41:00.860-08:00My peeve is that a fair number of the moms around ...My peeve is that a fair number of the moms around here are uncomfortable talking to an "unattached" male who is, say, at the park with his kids. Wedding ring or not on my hand, they think I may be hitting on them any time I open my mouth.

Reminds me of fundamentalist Islam nonsense.KChttps://firstname.lastname@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-23363296.post-7792967532051477962011-01-29T06:41:26.396-08:002011-01-29T06:41:26.396-08:00It's a double standard/double bind. Not doing ...It's a double standard/double bind. Not doing enough with your child: you're irresponsible and shirking. "Too present," and you're a threat.

Don Unger, author of "Men Can: The Changing Image & Reality of Fatherhood in America."

http://men-can.comHydrocarbonaholichttps://firstname.lastname@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-23363296.post-25194042377642516932011-01-28T18:24:36.389-08:002011-01-28T18:24:36.389-08:00I thought I would share highlights of the reaction...I thought I would share highlights of the reactions to this piece I've spotted in the blogosphere:

Lisa Belkin wrote about it in her New York Times blog: http://parenting.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/01/28/daddy-discrimination/ (jump into that discussion, if inclined; lots of people read Belkin's blog)

Matt Coburn has a thoughtful response at the Good Men Project: http://goodmenproject.com/newsroom/parenting-while-male/

But the best is this response from the Australian feminist blogger Blue Milk, who is an old friend of Daddy Dialectic: http://bluemilk.wordpress.com/2011/01/28/playground-discrimination-against-fathers/Jeremy Adam Smithhttps://email@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-23363296.post-50756809982217870712011-01-28T17:31:22.062-08:002011-01-28T17:31:22.062-08:00WOW o.O Thank you so much for this post and the co...WOW o.O Thank you so much for this post and the conversations that have followed in the comments. It was an issue that never even crossed my mind. I will definitely be watching the playground with new eyes! I don't THINK I've ever behaved in a condescending or discriminatory way toward the dads, and other male care givers, at the playground, but I will certainly be more mindful and watchful of my own behavior in those interactions. I am guilty of making certain assumptions when I see men at the playground: I assume they are probably going to be more hands on and interactive in the childrens' play. Because that's what I've seen in the area we live in- the male care-takers are often organizing games that involve every kid on the playground, or standing in the middle of the play equipment encouraging practically any kid they see who is attempting a new challenge. My daughter seems to be making these assumptions, too, because I regularly find myself approaching various adult males to make sure that it's okay with them if she's tagging along at the end of their line of kids. I think those assumptions speak to how positive our experiences have been, but any assumption needs to be questioned, and I suppose I need to start considering that a fair number of these guys are just as burned out on the young child managing and care as I am, despite appearances to the contrary in some cases. This is wonderful, I love when I am pointed to one of my own blind spots, thank you!
(PS was directed here from blue milk, but will be adding it to my RSS)firstname.lastname@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-23363296.post-43446776847591565842011-01-28T16:02:45.927-08:002011-01-28T16:02:45.927-08:00This is a great conversation, and I wish I had mor...This is a great conversation, and I wish I had more to add to it. But I think I just realized something: because I have toddler twins, when we're in group or public settings, I just can't pay very close attention to what's happening on the grownup side of the social scene. I'm too busy trying to keep track of the kids. And the interactions I have with parents are almost all kid-based and superficial.

The only times I have felt awkward because of my gender is on the few occasions when I've been able to concentrate on adult-oriented chatter. And then, I haven't felt like I was being evaluated as a possible child predator, but rather that my interest in the mom was being interpreted as sexual. That's a little bit sad, but it doesn't bother me much, since I'm not at the playground to socialize with other adults. As long as moms don't think that my kids are tainted by having a man as their main caregiver, I don't really care what they think of me. Of course, all that is just how I feel personally. For the good of society and the increasing varieties of families, I wish men and women could hang out together without the interference of that tension and suspicion.Beta Dadhttps://email@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-23363296.post-44756635590217504432011-01-28T15:45:44.005-08:002011-01-28T15:45:44.005-08:00Since my daughter started pre-school, I've bee...Since my daughter started pre-school, I've been given a bit of a cold shoulder. Heard play dates being made around me while being excluded from the conversations.

That said, I get it. Men are creepy. I'm just trying to put my head down and stay nice and eventually, I'll break the ice.Homemaker Manhttps://firstname.lastname@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-23363296.post-37919282551793827572011-01-28T13:02:41.690-08:002011-01-28T13:02:41.690-08:00I guess since i live in a community where males do...I guess since i live in a community where males don't take their children to the park and don't usually chaperone their children while at school, I never had these issues. I usually get alot of encouragement, praise, and offers of help.

When at the playground, I am the one that teaches my children the old school games. Usually other children come out and ask to play and I ask them to take me to their parents to ask permission. I never had a parent tell me no.

I will say that I won't let a child play with us who doesn't ask permission. I do that for safety reasons in case someone falls and gets hurtAnonymoushttps://firstname.lastname@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-23363296.post-54669872408404380342011-01-28T10:56:25.898-08:002011-01-28T10:56:25.898-08:00I wonder-- what difference would the weekend make?...I wonder-- what difference would the weekend make? Are men more accepted on playgrounds and at activities with young children on days when they're "supposed to be home from work" anyway?Kelhttps://firstname.lastname@example.com