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Morrigan, she who we perpetually worry will meld with her bed as she spends so much time there reading, came home the other day and announced she wanted to try out for soccer.
Naturally, we were pleased. (Laziness runs strong with this one.) Pleased enough, giddy even, to go out and purchase the cleats and shin guards needed for tryouts. Seeing as this may be a bust, I have no idea how many girls try out, we did keep an eye on price. In spite of the fact that they were 15% off, I had to say no to the $200, bright pink cleats.
After throwing money at the issue, I next called my personal soccer authority, Dad.
I told him I had a complete novice and two days before tryouts - on what should we concentrate? The good news was that, in addition to his sage advice, this happens to be one of the very few sports about which I have some practical knowledge. I may never have been any good, but I played for four years as a youth.
After several sessions passing the ball to each other, I can say I really hope the pool of applicants is small. She improved even over the last few days but it still a novice. We'll know more this week!
On unrelated Morrigan news, we opened her up a checking account. She was babysitting enough to have more money lying around than I was comfortable with, so we thought it was time. Admittedly, I am more optimistic about the account than the soccer.


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Good news everyone! Summer is just within spitting distance which means we are all getting prepared to relax, party, and everything in between. Last summer was a great summer as it just was about the same time I discovered the awesome power that is Slims E Juice. And since then I have had the pleasure of trying a wide array of their top quality products. So, in the spirit of kicking off an awesome summer, I will be sharing with you some juices that would be perfect for all occasions during the summer time. Let's get started!
When you wake up in the morning (or afternoon) during the summer, the first thing you probably realize is the heat blasting your windows. This make you want to just lay there and waste away. Not anymore! I recommend Black Demon Energy Juice with caffeine. It is like cracking open your favorite energy drink and starting your day with a smile. The refreshing taste of classic Monster Energy will never disappoint. It is sweet, but not too sweet. Smooth vapor that hits like a champ and chucks a beautiful smelling cloud that is sure to turn heads. The thing that I love is the lingering taste after the vape that leaves you wanting even more! That is why this juice is my personal favorite. I just cannot get enough of it, and now with the ability to add caffeine really makes this juice the best morning pick-me-up I have ever had.
Now, the afternoon comes and you and your friends decide to throw a nice relaxing BBQ. I recommend the Cherry Blast flavor. You definitely do not want to find yourself hanging out with friends without something refreshing to cool down your taste buds. Cherry Blast hits with the initially fist atomic blast of menthol that widens your eyes and boost your taste buds up to an intense level. After that, the menthol is still there! It gently fades to a delicious cherry, almost as if a frozen cherry is thawing on your tongue. This will definitely counter act the heat that the sun is spitting at you. When you breathe after the intense vape experience, the menthol will keep your mouth cool and ready for more. This juice gave me goosebumps with how crazy intense it is.
When your BBQ naturally turns into a massive BBQ pool party with about 30 of your friends, including people you don't even know, it is time to break out the old stereo and bump some music. Drinks are being made and you want to save some drinks for all your random guests, so you pull out the Baja Blast E juice. This goes hand in hand with the Cherry blast. With a wonderful mix of blueberry, citrus soda, and honeydew? Yes please! This is perfect for lounging by the poolside and talking movies and games with friends. It is so delicious and smells so great, your friends will be practically begging to try it. I recommend picking up a few extra bottles if you plan on vaping this around anyone. Try it with a little added menthol to get some intense cooling in your mouth.
After everyone leaves the pool party, you find yourself in another quiet and relaxing situation. Time to pull out the XBOX! You load up your favorite game and find yourself in dire need to of something sweet and tangy. So, you pull out the Ecto Cool E Juice. This juice is loaded with orange, tangerine, and sweet and sour candy. With this beautiful mixture, you just cannot go wrong. Plus the name is just awesome. It is like eating a sweet orange that leaves a sour linger on your taste buds, begging for another hit. You think to yourself how amazing it is that Slim can fit such a loaded flavor cocktail in one juice. You decide to shut down your game and sit back to enjoy the wonderful vape experience that Slim has given you. There is no need to add anything extra to this juice either! You find yourself daydreaming about oranges and tangerines getting married and having sweet and sour candy babies on your tongue.
You snap out of your daydream to a knock on the door. Suddenly you realize the sun is going down and your friends are calling to you from outside to join them. It is time for a massive bon fire in the desert! The sun has gone down but the heat is still on as you realize it is time for another delicious vape juice experience. Behold the ultimate Anti Freeze juice! And no, not the stuff you put in your car. You take a hit and fall succumb to the excellent blend of watermelon, mountain dew, wild cherry, menthol, and koolada. If this mixture doesn't blow your mind, I don't know what will. By vaping this, you will probably be the coolest guy or gal at the bon fire for being bold enough to experience such an explosion of flavor. But more than anything, it will leave a genuine smile on your face as it pairs perfectly with those hot, fun summer nights.
You find yourself indoors one summer night, sipping down beer and winning almost every beer pong round that is played, and you find yourself in need of something fruity to balance out the ice cold bitter beer. This would be a great time to pull out the amazing Rainbow Fruit Candy E juice, the best only found at Slims E Juice. It is skittles galore! Intense sweet flavors will caress your pallet without fail every time. This is a perfect juice to balance out almost every alcohol you can think of. This has been tested with vodka, whiskey, wine, beer, brandy, and rum. If you find yourself having a night cap before laying down for bed, rainbow fruit it up with this amazing juice.
Now, the time has come to wind down for the evening and pick up that book you have been trying to read. You put your feet up and sit by the cracking fire with a glass of your favorite port. It is time to pull out a great juice to assist you on your journey to ultimate relaxation. You vape Vanilla Milkshake e juice. The sweet flavors mix together and slowly turn about your tongue, welcoming you to the delicious mix of vanilla bean ice cream, vanilla swirl, vanilla, sweet cream, and koolada. Every hit you take of this juice, you will find yourself closing your eyes and enjoying the sweet paradise this juice invites you to. Also, this juice works as a great balance with your choice of alcohol because of how smooth it is. I definitely recommend vaping this juice with a nice glass of spiced rum. Still feeling hot from the summer air? Add a little menthol to enjoy a minty vanilla milkshake that is sure to cool you off as if it was actually filled with ice cream.
There you have it folks. This summers top picks for all your vaping needs. My recommendations are all subjective and you, as the reader, may have other ideas of what flavor can best be paired with all your summer activities. I have been vaping with Slims for a good year now and I have had the pleasure of trying many different flavors. I tested all the juices I got to see what experience I would find myself in and what juices would go perfectly with that experience. For summer, I recommend anything with menthol mixed in. It is self explanatory why menthol goes perfect for summer. Other than menthol, definitely anything fruity to give you that "lounging on a beach in Maui, drinking out of a coconut" feel. And for my idea of perfect summer flavor, add menthol to your fruity flavor. This will cool your mouth and sooth your taste buds. This works best to combat that summer heat we all have a love-hate relationship with.
I hope that you found this article to be helpful in finding yourself the perfect summer e juices to have yourself a great summer. I, for one, will be relaxing with one (or all) of these juices because they have never failed me in the past. Have a great summer! And be careful around that bon fire ;)

subset: commoncrawl


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Co. Cork → West Carbery (West Division) → Kilmoe Civil Parish → Crookhaven Electoral Division → Gortnagashel
Gortnagashel is in the Electoral Division of Crookhaven, in Civil Parish of Kilmoe, in the Barony of West Carbery (West Division), in the County of Cork
The Irish name for Gortnagashel is Gort na gCaiseal
Gortnagashel is on Logainm.ie: Gortnagashel.
It is located at 51° 29' 37" N, 9° 46' 49" W.
Gortnagashel has an area of:
Nationwide, it is the 53047th largest townland that we know about
Within Co. Cork, it is the 4860th largest townland
Gortnagashel borders the following other townlands:
We don't know about any subtownlands in Gortnagashel.
Curious to see who lived in Gortnagashel in the past? Maybe even seeing scans of their handwritten census returns?
Gortnagashel was added to OpenStreetMap on 7 Jan 2016 by Stephen_Co_Antrim.


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Hello Spring
I am having a very serious love/hate relationship with spring in Minnesota.
I love how the air has turned warmer and the sun has gotten more powerful. I love how the green has returned and the birds are chirping.
But I HATE how just when you start to feel happy and warm, it turns cold and dreary again. Unpredictable is an understatement.
Spring is a devious trickster.
At least when it's winter, you know it's cold out. You're prepared and you're ready. You expect the chill and the grey skies. But spring… spring brings you a glorious day of warmth and sunshine and then snatches it away like a bully taking your lunch money. Pulling out that parka again after you've already gotten so comfortable in your flip-flops is an acute type of pain, I can assure you.
So here's my remedy: focus on the beauty. One thing spring is not short on is beauty.
I picked up my camera yesterday morning and I walked around my yard hunting for color and life. And believe me, there is so much to be had. The best part about spring is being a witness to this beautiful transformation that happens right before your eyes.
Tiny pops of color are everywhere and the morning sun dances on the newborn leaves. The trees come to life, there is music in the chirping of the birds, the air is fragranced with delicate flowerbuds… everything is fresh and new. Spring is filled with optimism.
The deep-down-to-your-soul appreciation for a bright sparkling sunny day can only come from living through a long winter. And I am incredibly grateful for that experience.
Next week it will be exactly one year since we've moved to Minneapolis. It's been such an adventure. There have been ups and there have been downs but through it all we've experienced some definite magic as a family. It's true what they say, the magic only happens outside your comfort zone and we are so glad we took this leap of faith. Cheers Minnesota! You've been so good to us!
Click here to read my ponderings on summer, fall and winter in Minnesota. We have loved experiencing all the seasons.
1 Comment
De, good for you for embracing your new surroundings and allowing them to fill your soul and your life with all it's amazing colors. I have never seen you look more beautiful or happy! The kids look great and Greg looks awesome. Like I have already said to you, Minneapolis agrees with you all!! Carpe Diem!!!


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The Best Lighting For Applying Make-Up
Everyone knows that lighting can make the difference between a good photo and a bad one, but it can also be the difference between good and bad makeup application. Perfect lighting is essential for flawless makeup. If your lighting is off, you more than likely won't get camera-ready results. Good lighting in the area where you apply makeup can not only ensure enhanced visibility, but can also lead to better decisions regarding the colour and quantity of makeup used. Here are a few tips that will make a significant difference to your look;
- Natural light is the best! If you have the option of doing your makeup near the window take advantage of it.
- The next best think is using "Daylight Bulbs" wattage 60-65. You definitely don't want anything brighter because it will be too bright, and you may end up putting on too much make-up. I use them myself in my studio in Little Venice. Wonderful effect every single time!
- Avoid yellow, rose and fluorescent light. Yellow light in the bathroom creates a sallow skin appearance that can make you look tired and ill.
- Stand directly in front of your light. Any lighting that's overhead is bad. It will cast a shadow and you will end up putting too much on.
- Never trust department store make-up lighting! Always shop during the day and take a hand mirror with you to check it outside, before you decide to buy anything.
Girls I hope this blog can help you to look absolutely stunning every time you apply makeup at home. For that special occasion or a birthday party please come to my new beautiful studio in Little Venice, London, with the perfect lighting set up. Hope to see you all soon!
To find out more make-up tips klick here.


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Why blame the victim?
May 21, 2011
Ahh…Saturday! No work. No church. It's a day reserved for thinking about ourselves, our daughter and our dogs. Just because the world is ending today, doesn't mean we have to pout. (There really is a need for a sarcasm font.)
I had an epiphany about blaming rape victims for their rapes today…at the dog park of all places. Let's see…
We decided to take our dogs to the nice dog park in the nice town, and then swing by the nice grocery store on our way home. It should have been a pleasant family outing. And it was…until a 50-lb dog attacked and bit our 14-lb Tootie.
Our Charlotte (60-lb pit bull mix) and Tootie (Boston terrier) love the park. They're leash-less there, and they frolic. They bark at but don't aggress other dogs, except for the occasional stare-down between Charlotte and an alpha female. We don't tolerate that at all and remove Charlotte immediately from quarrelsome groups. Tootie has never had a problem getting along with other dogs of any size.
Sometimes, dog parks are divided: a pen for "small" dogs apart from the larger area for "big" dogs. But – as Tootie and Charlotte are generally inseparable elsewhere – at the park, they want to play together. Tootie doesn't know what to make of small dogs and doesn't play with them. In fact, I've never thought of her as a "small" dog…like chihauhaus or Yorkshire terriers or toy poodles. She cavorts with Charlotte and her equals regularly. In fact, Boston terriers can often be found with big dogs because they have "big dog" attitude.
I observed a woman with an aggressive 100-lb dog telling other dog owners to "watch out" for her dog as he has a tendency "to harm other dogs when he plays." WTF? Why bring him here? I thought as I eyed Charlotte to make sure she kept a wide berth. And there was also an anxious man with a leashed "boxer" (red flag there: leashed dog in a fenced in area – why?) bragging about how his dog was a rescued animal and how he'd spent thousands of dollars on vet bills to get the dog in tip-top shape. Periodically, he would turn to the dog and say, "Oh no, you can't come off the leash yet. You're too excited."
When he did finally release his dog, it made a beeline for Tootie, 30 yards away. As she always does, she turned and faced the dog and told it what to do with that aggressive stance…but she was soon overpowered and it grabbed her by the throat and swung her around as if she were a squirrel or a rabbit. She screamed. I screamed. Ellie, my 9 month-old, screamed. I will never forget the sound of Tootie scared and screaming. As tough as she is, there was no way she could have saved herself.
My husband restrained Charlotte in anticipation of her intent to rescue her best friend, and several dogs ran into the fray responding to the frightened cry of a lesser creature, as instinct would dictate. After seconds that seemed like minutes, the attack dog's owner nervously commanded his dog to cease. He reached for his dog as J*** reached for the Toot and the squabble was over just as abruptly as it had begun. When I lifted Tootie, she was shaken and nursing a large gash above her left shoulder.
What do you do in this situation: a dog bites yours at the park? Do you call police? Animal control? Do you just swear at the other dog's owner until you're blue in the face? When you're shaken and angry, door number three seems like the best option. So, I shouted, "Why the fuck is your dog in here?! Get that dog out of here! Your dog just bit my dog! Why did you bring that animal to a public dog park?!"
The man didn't look at me. He didn't speak. He leashed his dog again and wandered back to his former perch, a bench under a shady oak.
Meanwhile, a crowd of people with rubber necks had gathered beside me. Several people asked me kindly about Tootie's condition. But the woman with the aggressive-as-advertised dog muzzled her dog and then shamed me for bringing my "small" dog into the big dog side of the park because "there are several herding dogs present who will attack small animals." "She told me that her dog is mean to other dogs," a girl with three pit bulls reassured me. "I don't know who brings a mean dog to the park!"
But meanie's owner wasn't the only one shaking her head at me. What a sight I must have been: furious, crying, holding my daughter in one arm and my Boston terrier, bleeding, in another; with a swarm of finger-waggers circling me. "We all knew this would happen." "There's a small dog side for a reason." "You really brought this on yourself."
My mind raced and my eyes found their way to a 20-lb French bulldog on our side of the fence. Is there really a difference between that dog and my dog, who usually plays with big dogs too?
Meanie and its owner left. She was probably afraid that we were going to call the proper authority and, knowing that she was in violation of the signs that read "No Aggressive Dogs Allowed," removed herself from controversy before it could stretch to include her. And with no understanding of what else to do, J*** and I took Tootie to the animal hospital…but not before the attacker's owner snuck through the fence beside me and threw a snotty "sorry" over his shoulder at me. There was no way to punish him for his failure to restrain his dog and no way to force him to pay our impending $165 vet bill. There wasn't even any way to learn who he is or where he lives. He vanished, leaving the victim to be responsible for the violence.
Okay, we're talking dog violence here, not human violence. I understand the difference. For one thing, Tootie will bear a physical scar forever; but she forgot about the attack moments after it occurred. She's not emotionally scarred the way a human would be after, say, a tiger attack. There were things I could have – should have – done differently today. I should not have brought my "small" dog into the big dog park, even though we'd never had a problem with a vicious dog before. There are signs posted. I put Tootie in the position of being the woman with the shortest skirt at a frat party, didn't I? For whether men rape instinctively (as dogs attack) or after mental calculation; they often make the argument that the rape is justifiable because the victim "showed too much skin" or "flirted with me at the bar" or "dressed older than her age," etc. "She was asking for it!" And that's just what they told me at the park!
I've often written that I plan to encourage my daughter to make the safest choices she can in life; but this is problematic when it comes to rape because there really is no way to prevent rape if you're a victim of it. Night joggers, for instance, should wear reflectors. A car driver who can't see a jogger in the dark can cause an accident by striking the jogger. The key word there is: A.C.C.I.D.E.N.T. That accident could have been prevented by reflectors, perhaps. But it's not really an accident if the driver of the car is drunk, is it? Even if you didn't have complete control of your faculties when you decided to drive, you did when you decided to drink. You therefore inflicted violence on another person by extension of your choice, and the fault of the tragedy is yours, whether the jogger was doing the "safe thing" and wearing reflectors or not.
Rape works like that. Whether a rape victim wore a short skirt or ski pants, she becomes a victim when a perpetrator makes a choice to rape her, to perform sexual violence upon her. And whether or not I put Tootie in a dog park or walk her up the block wearing a leash, a violent dog owned by a negligent, ignorant or irresponsible owner might be at liberty to attack her when its owner makes a negligent, ignorant or irresponsible choice. A victim never has a choice about becoming a victim, even if they're doing "safe" things. Anyone can become a victim of violence at any time. (This stance doesn't mean I'm going to abandon my intent to advise Ellie to reduce her risk.)
Why do we blame victims for crimes done to them, without their consent and often without their knowledge? I think there are two reasons. For one thing, we like to bend the rules out of our inherent sense of entitlement, believing that we're special and therefore above them. So, if we own moderately aggressive dogs, or suspect that our un-vetted dog might be vicious…we might visit the dog park a little here or there, increasing the length of our stays or the frequency of our visits over time as we observe no consequences for our breach of edict. But when something goes wrong – as it did today – and somebody gets hurt, we don't want to believe that we could have been to blame, so we instead blame the victim; even though the perp could have been a perp under any other different set of circumstances. Isn't it easier to blame someone else than to examine our own culpability?
For another thing, if it's possible to identify with the victim, we don't want to believe that such violence could ever happen to us…so we convince ourselves that our own risk reduction will keep us safe from harm. It's more comfortable to believe that Tootie would have been safe if she had been in the "safe" park for small dogs, than it is to believe that she could just as easily have been bitten by a vicious dog on that side of the fence too. And fences can be breached just like rules, no?
The United States collective stance on war embodies these two human tendencies. We glorify the violence of soldiers because we're convinced of our own entitlement to enforcing global democracy, or freedom from terror, etc. But what we're really fighting for is a need for crude oil masquerading as a "global concern." And when we think of the the victims of the wars we wage, including the innocent who cannot defend themselves from our weapons of destruction, we sleep better knowing that they were "asking for it" by virtue of their geography. "It could never happen to us," we say. "We're the good guys."
At the end of the day, it's a violent perpetrator who is unsafe; not a dark alley or a bar or a dog park. Those are spaces. We choose how to fill them.
While some of the dog park visitors might be sitting around their Chippendale-inspired dining tables tonight, congratulating themselves on being "above" dog park violence, I'm trying to learn a lesson from this very unpleasant situation. Lesson learned (and compounded by our veterinarian): dog parks are risky environments because dog "play" is often unpredictable. But the biggest lesson to be learned on this and every other day is the lesson we all hate the most, because, let's face it: it applies to all of us. Life's not fair. Today, it wasn't fair to Tootie and me and Ellie and Charlotte and J***, who just wanted to have a pleasant afternoon at the park. And it certainly wasn't fair (according to the National Organization for Women) to the 600 or so women who were raped, today – or any given day – in the U.S.
Can you fit 600 women wearing short skirts into the small dog side of the park?
(Almost) insurmountable odds
July 10, 2008
I have many a feminist topic to rant about. But today, I feel a bit under the weather…and that tends to put me in a sentimental mindset. During my usual a.m. news perusal, I came across the following video:
The leatherback turtle is an endangered species, according to the United States government, which recently woke up to the possibility that we've destroyed the habitats of polar bears. Leatherbacks can grow to weigh as much as 2000 pounds. They are threatened by extinction owing to several human behaviors. They often become entangled in fishermen's nets and drown. They have been known to mistake plastic bags and other discarded human waste floating in the sea for jellyfish and ingest the waste, causing bowel obstruction or choking. And their eggs, which they lay on the sandy beaches of Florida, Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands, are often harvested for food by predatory egg poachers, human and animal alike.
There's a certain amount of trust that is being betrayed it seems. Mother turtles lay their eggs in the sand and return to the sea. It's an instinctive tradition. Once the eggs hatch, the hatchlings crawl toward the ocean – some inexplicable force calls them home. Both mother and child trust the world, trust the animals of the Earth and trust themselves to make the journey safely.
As I watched the video of the wee turtles flopping helplessly toward the water and then being swept away, I wept. Their behavior was so natural, so innocent, that I couldn't help but want for their safety. I feel sorry that the leatherback turtle leaves so much to chance when human choice would have it that these docile creatures go with the flow and yet often find their flow obstructed. We may have the power to choose how we live, but it seems to me that the turtle does not make choices. The turtle simply behaves as its instinct dictates.
So while we may choose to eat the turtle eggs as a delicacy, the little ones struggle to travel what must seem an enormous distance despite what might have been an easier choice to nestle in the warm sand.
Somehow Pixar understands this. Its new film WALL-E is the toast of the critical world. And I loved it too but not because the animation is pristine – which it is – or because the expectation that humanity will destroy itself is so transparently available to viewers – which it is; but because WALL-E is just like the turtles in a way. He has religiously compacted our waste for 700 years, without stopping to consider his own fears, his own loneliness or his own mortality. It's not the close shot of his inquisitive eyes that draws me in; rather it is a wider look at the little robot wheeling to and fro, doing as he was intended without fail…no matter what…
The robot does develop what we perceive are feelings. Pixar has made rather a blank canvas of the character onto which we project our own emotions. But there's still the actuality of his preceding 700 years of repetitive behavior.
We think that our ability to choose makes us better than creatures of instinct. But what we fail to consider is that we have the choices we do because others do not. We can choose to eat turtle eggs now, and until we have eaten the last of them, because the leatherback instinctively crawls from eggshell to ocean and back again. We can choose to eat cow and pig meat and treat livestock cruelly on the way to the slaughter because the livestock cannot choose to fight us back.
But someday, all the eggs and polar bears and cows and pigs and fresh air and hope for a brighter day may be gone. And all because we abused our power to choose and looked upon harmless instinct with contempt. We can be so cruel.
Perhaps we should take a lesson from the giant sea turtle at large and the giant sea turtle Crush from Pixar's other masterpiece Finding Nemo. How does Crush know when the little baby sea turtles are ready to swim on their own? "Well, you never really know, but when they know, you know, y'know?" he said.
And without making a conscious choice, the wee ones swam safely along.


text: Course Content Total learning: 6 lessons / 1 quiz Home / Courses / Self Improvement / Sleep Hygiene I Just Want To Sleep Again 0/3 Lecture1.1 Sleep Presentation 30 min Lecture1.2 Sleep Power Point Slides Quiz1.1 Sleep Quiz 6 questions10 min Sleep Hygiene 0/3 Lecture2.1 How Sleepy Are You? Lecture2.2 Better Sleeping Tips Lecture2.3 Sleep, According to the Center for Disease Control Survey Says! 0/1 Lecture3.1 Take the bed size survey This content is protected, please login and enroll course to view this content! Prev Sleep, According to the Center for Disease Control


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The Office Snitch is moving!
Just giving all our loyal followers the heads up that we'll be shifting our weekly blog posts off WordPress as of this week and onto our magazine's website www.humanresourcesonline.net
We know change can be difficult (you HR peeps will know this more than anyone) but sometimes you just need to shake things up – so, we're also changing our name.
We'll now be posting our column under the new moniker of "Off the Record", which will contain the same wit, musings, rants and HR insights as always. But perhaps with a bit more bite.
To make sure you get every fantastic post (and our FREE monthly magazine, if you don't already), be sure to sign up to our daily online newsletter here: http://www.humanresourcesonline.net/subscribe/
Check out our first column today here.
See you on the other side!
The Office Snitch: Too cool for tech
I may be a Gen Y but I'm not the biggest fan of technology.
Until I switched to my current super, super smart phone, I was using a thick planner to track my appointments and maintain a to-do list. Today, as soon as I wake up, my phone is ready to tell me who I'm supposed to be meeting with, what we're meant to discuss and what time my dinner reservations are.
Yes, occasionally I feel like I need my phone surgically removed from my hand, but I am of the opinion that technology, while aiding communication in ways previously unimaginable, is actually driving us further apart as people.
This epiphany hit me the other day when I was texting my sister… from the other room. I could actually see her sitting at her desk, tapping furiously into her phone, when that conversation could have easily taken place face-to-face.
In our office, we communicate primarily over Skype. It's a great way to log conversations, have a team meeting and chat with our colleagues based in our regional offices.
But to be honest, I get upset – violently sometimes – when someone sitting two, nay, one desk away insists on having a conversation with me over Skype. Is it too much to ask for to have someone pop their head over our low desk partitions to ask me where we're going for lunch or that there's a package for me at the lobby?
This phenomenon of chat over talk is happening everywhere. People are on their phones at dinner tables, while on dates, in the middle of that extremely boring budget meeting and even on the toilet ("ttyl, taking a pee").
Which all begs the question: Is our dependency on technology starting to get just a little bit overboard?
Here are my propositions.
If you, like me, use some sort on IM to chat with colleagues, you are to stop for at least three days. If the person you need to talk to is sitting a couple of feet away, just get up and talk.
I don't know about you, but there have been so many times where the most exciting and hilarious conversation is happening on Skype amongst my team members, but when I look up, the office is quiet, all I hear is typing and their blank faces are staring intently at their screens. What happened to the "LOLs" and "(facepalm)" emoticons I was promised?
The other thing I would like you to try out is not checking your phone every three seconds – especially if you're in a meeting. It is not only distracting; it's disrespectful towards your peers.
And feel free to take this habit out of your personal lives as well. You're attached to your partner/children/friends, not your phones or tablets. Work-life balance starts with ditching the phone at dinner, people. It's as simple as that.
Lastly, try a phone call once in a while. Emailing is great – it is, after all, how Harry met Sally – and it's done a fantastic job of getting information over to someone almost immediately, but getting five one-liner emails in a row to clarify something is highly interrupting.
Personally, I like to have a 10 minute chat over the phone, bang out the details and clarify whatever it is I need to, and follow up with an email summarising the call so everyone has an action plan or is up to date.
Technology is still something relatively new to us, but with the new generation highly adapt to life online (I've seen kids who are better at navigating an iPad than they are at walking), companies need boundaries and a culture that till promotes traditional interaction.
So get on this mini tech detox and help make sure we're still very far off from me writing for a magazine called "Robot Resources" rather than Human Resources.
PS: Check out today's Bizarre HR. That guy knows what I'm talking about.
The Office Snitch: Is Singapore better off without expats?
I had drinks with a friend last week who had recently moved from London to take on a role in Singapore. Then yesterday, I had lunch with an Australian who has been living here for five years, and as I'm typing this out, I'm sorting plans to have lunch with a fellow Brit journo later.
It could be that my social and professional circles just happen to involve more foreigners, but there seems to have been an increase in the number of international talent heading into our sunny city-state.
I get why some Singaporeans are getting worked up about having more and more foreign talent in the country, but I can't say I'm on the same train of thought.
In August, during his National Day rally, Singapore's Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong said Singaporeans have to be more tolerant of expats.
"I think it's fair enough to express concern, or to disagree with our immigration trends, or to oppose our immigration policies," Lee said.
"But I am worried by some of the nasty views which are expressed, especially online, and especially anonymously. Such outbursts by citizens against foreigners, on the Internet and in public, reflect badly on us [and] damage our international reputation – people think that Singapore is anti-foreigner [and] xenophobic."
I believe, hand on heart, that Singapore has so much to gain from having people from all across the globe live here.
Here's some fun Sabrina trivia: I hate travelling. I love seeing new places and meeting new people and eating bugs off a food trolley in Bangkok, but I hate having to physically move from one place to another. Airports and I are not friends. (N.B.: Seriously, we can put a man on the moon and invent the iPhone 5, but we can't figure out teleportation?)
So having the world come to me with tales of their small fishing hometown around the British Isles or the experience of working on the factory floor in a remote outskirt Chinese factory, is a major plus in my books.
Above and beyond that, imagine just how much richer Singapore is with this influx of culture and experience.
Yes, there is a risk that someone who isn't local gets your promotion. Yes, there is the off chance that people might hire the Indian who has worked for five years at Hyderabad, rather than a fresh IT grad eager for experience.
But here's my argument. It isn't the expats we should be upset with. It's the employers.
Companies have to push to keep locals at the core of the workforce, while there have been many commendable efforts by various parties to focus on that, more can always be done.
For our October issue, I had the chance to spend half a day with Pete Elroy, VP of HR for UPS APAC, and while he admitted UPS started its presence in Asia with Americans heading up the teams, he is happy to report many of those roles have been taken over by Asians.
"People aren't just looking and seeing that our senior management are Asian, but they're looking and thinking, 'I can be in that position'," he said.
We have to face the fact that Singapore isn't a very big country and people are our only natural resources. Haven't we always sold ourselves as a melting pot of colours, flavours and accents?
Sab trivia number two: I'm on a detox/get fit regime, and a friend who is supposed trying to help me stay on track (all he's really done is confiscated my sugary snacks – I guess that's a start) said: "Sabrina, with the exception of sugar, you can eat anything you want during this diet. Just make sure it's in moderation."
Not only is it great advice for a diet, but it can also be applied when dealing with this expat influx situation. The government's measures of managing the number of expats coming in are great, but like all things yin-and-yang, a nice balance is always welcomed.
I think I might see if my Brit journo friend would like to have some sushi for lunch. Oh, isn't that the greatest thing about having the world in one city – the food? I am such a Singaporean.
The Office Snitch: Maybe baby
For a while now in Singapore, the debate about parental leave has been as hot as the weather.
But if you haven't been keeping up with the news, or are not based in Singapore, here's the 411: The government called for suggestions on what can be done to boost the fertility rate, so the NTUC suggested longer maternity leave and mandatory paternity leave.
As you can imagine, not everyone is on board with this. The Singapore National Employers' Federation, for one, said providing mandatory paternity leave would create "an entitlement mentality which is an unhealthy work value" (which I don't agree with, but we'll get to that).
At the moment, mothers in Singapore are given 16 weeks' leave, and NTUC is urging it be bumped up to six months. Dads, on the other hand, have no such thing as mandated child care leave, although a lot of companies offer about two days as a perk.
Now, I'm not a parent. But I was a pre-school teacher for a while, so I think I'm entitled to have my say on this.
I can see where both sides are coming from. On one hand, having employees – especially mothers – away from work for six months will be disruptive to organisations. In a team of five, if one member is gone for half a year, the additional workload the remaining staff has to take on will be significant.
But at the same time, is it such a bad thing that parents want to be there for the first few months of their kids lives? Isn't that sort of something a tax-paying, hard-working citizen is entitled to?
Last week, TODAY ran a piece about how increasing annual leave days could boost fertility rates. The article pointed out more leave days equals more rest days, which would lead to happier and more productive employees who will then "have the time, energy and mood to start a family".
I don't know about you, but I find it a bit odd. What am I suppose to do? Ring up my editor and say that cute boy from circulation and I are going to Phuket for a week to find "the time, energy and mood to start a family"?
So here's my take on this. I am all for fathers being hands-on and taking on responsibilities with child care. Go ahead and have mandatory paternity leave! Fathers should be just as involved in their kids' upbringing and I honestly believe that companies who believe otherwise are short-changing themselves.
Six months of maternity is a bit much, and to be honest, from chats I've had with working mums, not a lot of them are keen on being away from the office that long either.
Companies, and perhaps Singapore as a whole, need to stop throwing benefits and perks in order to get people to seriously consider starting families (and no, that Mentos video wasn't the way to go either – though I have to admit it was a catchy beat).
There are so many other factors to consider; the cost of childcare, education, medical, housing, cars, clothes, toys, tickets to the Barney show. I really believe it is more about creating a work environment that welcomes families.
I'm happy to say I've got that here. Occasionally, the boss' toddlers pop in for a visit and type lengthy emails in a language I can't quite grasp yet to their imaginary friends.
There have been a couple of times where I've had to be away from work for a few hours to watch my sister play a gig, or take my grandma for a check up. I know this isn't close to being a parent, but I appreciate having a culture where no one's going to frown upon me wanting to be with my family.
This isn't a topic that's going to die down any time soon, and it would be interesting to see how it plays out, but I honestly believe we will manage to figure out how to best provide for the parents in our workforce, while protecting our bottom line.
If you have a thought on what can or shouldn't be done to support families in Singapore, drop us a note, or tweet us at @Mag_HR.
The Office Snitch: Office romance? No thanks.
Office romance has made headlines again, thanks to new allegations at the BBC about co-workers knocking boots during and after office hours.
I can understand the lure of an office romance. There's that whole impulsive risk-taking element to it that spices up an otherwise boring work day.
But despite having witnessed successful office romances – I am a product of office romance (my parents worked together for years before running off into the sunset) – I just don't think it's something I'd be up for.
Responding to the reports about BBC romances, novelist Jilly Cooper wrote in her book How to Survive the Nine to Five office romance is like "catching the measles", The Telegraph reported.
"Once one director discovers another director is knocking off his secretary, he starts wondering why he shouldn't have a bit on the side as well," she said.
True. Another good point was made by romance novelist Jojo Moyers, who met her husband while working at the Independent.
"At work you see people at their worst as well as at their best – so you get the hung over mornings and the days when everything's gone wrong, and not just the fully primped and preened person you might meet at the wine bar," Moyers said.
It's a bit like my theory about falling in love at the gym. If you've seen someone at the worst and still want to go home with them, then it has to be true love, right?
One of the reasons I would prefer to stay out of an office romance is simply because the office isn't very big, people will talk, and a break up (should one happen) might make things awkward. I really don't need someone in accounting feeling sorry for me because I broke up with that cute guy in circulation.
Another reason is the fact that I have to be with my significant other nine to five, and still have to deal with him at home. Yes, I know if its real love, you'd want to spend all your time together, but I like being able to come home and spill the ups and downs of my day with someone over a good dinner and some drinks.
I can't really do that with someone who's already seen (and probably was part of) what happened in the office that day.
But, if you're convinced that boy or girl in marketing is the true love of your life, here are some tips courtesy of Forbes on how to come out of an office romance without a broken heart or too much gossip at the water cooler.
Don't date up or down
Yes, there's an extra thrill of dating someone you're reporting to, or a subordinate, but you are just opening yourself up to a can of worms. Dating an employee who is reporting to you could lead to a sexual harassment charge if things ever go sour, and dating upwards would just spin the rumour mills faster.
Don't keep it a secret
Some companies require dating colleagues to officially declare the romance and sign a "love contract" to confirm the relationship is consensual. It protects both employees and the company from complications if the relationship ends.
Keep it offline and out of sight
Avoid using your work email or IM services when sending those "I miss you xxx" and "Can't wait for 6pm" messages. Just because you're okay with the romance, doesn't mean your colleagues are. Public displays of affection can make someone else in the office uncomfortable… or jealous.
Don't date a team member
Can you imagine having to work with someone who broke your heart into a million pieces and did not reciprocate that love poem you wrote and published on Facebook? Awful. Just awful.
And here's the biggest piece of advice on dating someone, and it comes from a source I trust – my editor, Rebecca Lewis. She met her partner at work (and they worked on the same team!) about five years ago, so she's probably the best person to dish out some advice.
"Never, ever, act like a couple at work," Rebecca said. "You want to be able to prove to your boss – who will find out about the relationship eventually – that having your beau at work does not affect your abilities to act professional and perform well in your job."
She added another huge must do is to leave your personal relationship problems at the office front door.
"I knew I'd succeeded at this when a former colleague said to me, after she'd been with the company for six months, 'Wait, you two are in a relationship? Since when?' To her, we just looked like friendly colleagues," she said.
So there you go. If you must fall in love at work, approach with caution. Like all relationships, it may or may not work, but at the end of the day, I'm still a romantic at heart, so carry on with the loving if you think you and your partner can manage it.
If you've ever been in an office romance, drop us a message. You know we always love a juicy story or two!
Has Mayer lost her marbles?
Marissa Mayer's appointment as Yahoo's latest CEO has fascinated me from the get go. Maybe it was the company's failure over the last few years to hold on to a leader (Mayer is the company's fifth CEO in five years) or the fact that she jumped ship from Google.
Either way, I've been keeping close tabs on her first few months as the captain of a struggling ship, lapping up every article or comment on her leadership attributes.
In her defence, I think she's been doing a super job. Not only has she got Yahoo back in the limelight, but she has streamlined its organisation to run more effectively in an ever-increasing competitive market.
But the latest development to pop up on my news feed is probably one of the most interesting – and relevant one yet.
Business Insider is claiming Mayer vets every resume that comes through Yahoo's purple doors to make sure the next hire is up to her standards. The same article reports Yahoo has 15,000 employees and is on a constant hunt for new people.
I'm a journalist so I am rubbish at math, but let's break down the numbers. A couple of articles (here and here) suggest recruiters spend 10 seconds or less reading a resume. So, let's assume Mayer spends 10 seconds on a resume, give or take, and perhaps an hour a day on this task (I'm sure she has other Yahoo-y things to do, like give each employee a smart phone).
That brings it's down to six articles a minute and 360 resumes an hour. For one, that does not sound like an easy task and secondly, how time effective is that?
Yes, bringing in the right people is mission critical to the success of any organisation, regardless of how big or small. But sources Business Insider spoke to said it was a process that is costing Yahoo good candidates because let's face it, not everyone is going to stick around waiting when the job economy is still not as its peak (especially in the States).
There is no shortage of literature on the importance of screening talent from the moment they walk in for an interview. Companies are constantly falling over themselves trying to grab on to talent who have that extra edge.
However, in an organisation as big as Yahoo, one would think Mayer has a team capable enough to screen and weed out the best possible candidate available.
As much as I like Mayer's no holds barred approach, I can't help but wonder if she's micro-managing a tad too much. Do you think Mayer should let go of the reins and allow talent to stream in as the organisation – and not just the leader – sees fit? Or do you agree that the CEO should have a strong input in who's in and who's out?
Leave us a note here or tweet us at @Mag_HR. Have a great weekend, and enjoy the thrills and spills of the F1 if you're in Singapore this week!
The Office Snitch: The fate of my professionalism seems out of my control
As we all probably know by now, I have a love-hate relationship with my Facebook account.
On one hand, there is no doubt Facebook is one of the biggest threads tying my social life together. Even as I'm writing this article, I am (and please don't tell my boss) catching up with an old friend who has moved back to Canada, tracking the development of a story on a company's news feed and checking out photos of a party I missed last night.
But on the flip side of that, Facebook has opened up an entire world that I am sometimes uncomfortable sharing with those outside my close circle of friends. That said, I did panic a little bit when I came across an article last night which revealed employers place a lot of weight on the comments left under profile photos when trying to get a better understanding of a candidate they are stalking – oops I mean – doing a background check on.
The study by the University of Missouri found those comments are one of the biggest indicators of your social status, so unless you're spending your free time moderating comments left by your peers, you've pretty much left everything in their hands.
The research found, unsurprisingly, those with positive comments on their profile photos were perceived to be more socially and physically attractive, The Daily Mail reported, fueling human's tendencies to believe opinions from others more than "self-generated information when forming impressions".
"Thus, for social networking users concerned about forming a desired impression, being aware of other-generated information about oneself is paramount in the goal of achieving a positive self-presentation," Seoyeon Hong, one of the doctoral students who conducted the study, said.
It's no secret employers have taken to the online streets when researching potential employees (although some have gone slightly overboard). Hence, it once again brings up the question of how much is really too much when one goes online.
Bianca Bueno, talent management consultant for the entire WPP family here in APAC, agrees information found on Facebook profiles are valuable to people like her when sourcing candidates. "A few snippets are more telling than a rehearsed answer to my questions," she says.
"It's like that old saying, 'It's not what they say about you, it's what they whisper'."
Did I immediately log onto Facebook and reread every single comment that's been left on my profile photos since 27 September 2007? Yes. Did I do a bit of housekeeping? Yes.
My easiest solution to all this is to put my Facebook page on tight security lock down, making it accessible to no one outside my direct acquaintance circle. You know, just in case something unfavourable slips out.
Michael Wright, who heads up the talent acquisition team for GroupM in the region, is quick to agree with me, adding it's not a bad idea to set high privacy settings because a clear distinction is needed between one's professional and personal lives.
"I don't believe it is a sound HR practice to take Facebook as a reference point for candidate's ability to do a job," he adds.
Fair point. Just to be on the safe side, I'm still putting everything on extra high privacy settings, but let me know your two cents on this. How public are you online, and do you really take into account comments posted on a candidate's profile when listing out the pros and cons of the hire?
Leave a note here, or tweet us at @Mag_HR. Enjoy the weekend, I know I will – but I'll definitely be avoiding taking comprising photos that might make it to your refreshed news feed. Cheers!
The Office Snitch: A pirate ship office, a giraffe-themed workspace and, err, Naked Fridays.
When I started work here, we were in the heart of downtown Singapore in a quaint little shop house that used to flood during downpours. After a while, The Boss got fed up with rainwater dripping directly on his desk and moved us west last Christmas into a spanking new office with lots of natural light, clean white walls and a roof where we drink beer and have water gun fights (often at the same time).
Moving from a cramped shop house where I was working in a loft with no windows and a temperamental air conditioning unit, the new office was a breath of fresh air.
Anyone will tell you offices are starting to become cool places you can hang out at – which makes sense considering you spend a bulk of your day there. I had the privilege of chilling out at Google's Singapore office back in May when we spoke to Sarah Robb, the head of HR. Although not as mind-blowing as the Mountain View headquarters, the local office was a great place to be. It had a games room, a meeting table fashioned out a tuk-tuk and micro-kitchens and cafeterias providing staff with an array of food choices on Larry Page's tab.
But it seems some companies are going the extra mile to make every day at the office an experience for staff.
The head office of Davison Design & Development, an invention promotion firm, is called Inventionland, and stays true to its name. The facility houses not one, not two but 16 themed sets including a pirate ship, a cave, a giant robot, a tree house and a motor speedway. I have the highest degree of respect for people working there because I know I'd spend my days distracted and living out childhood fantasies.
Other really interesting offices include one in Newcastle, which has – and I'm not kidding here – Naked Fridays, where employees comes to work, well, in the nude.
"It was brilliant. Now that we've seen each other naked, there are no barriers," Sam Jackson, front-of-house manager of design and marketing company onebestway, told The Sun.
I'm not sure that's something that will take off (pun intended) anytime soon, but I wouldn't mind working in the offices of TWIGA in Moscow where it's giraffe-themed. I can't even begin imagining the immense joy of working in an office filled with 836 figures and images of my favourite animal.
Or the Paris offices of Pons and Huot, where each employee works in a Plexiglas sphere (If I did work there, I'll probably invest in a snow machine and pretend I'm working in a snow globe).
We've been to some pretty cool offices in Singapore but if you know of one, or even better, if you work in one, let us know.
We will be starting a profile of innovative and creative workplaces pretty soon so here's your chance to get involved. Drop us a comment here or email me, Sabrina Zolkifi, at email@example.com. We might just pop by the office for a visit and coffee soon.
To see photos of all the cool offices mentioned, click here: http://en.tengrinews.kz/opinion/240/
The Office Snitch: I can't wait to be boss
A new report has emerged to add more proof that being the boss is one sweet gig.
Not only are they paid more and can, you know, boss people around, it turns out they get more vacation time as well.
The report released by CareerBuilder.com found 81% bosses have no problem at all pencilling in a vacation, compared to 65% of full time employees. Gee whiz.
Now, I'm not saying bosses are skiving off work to play golf by the beach but it does make me wonder how they can get so much time off when they're supposedly running a company.
I did a bit of digging and I think I've figured out their million dollar (or however much it costs to play golf by the beach) secret.
Two words: time management.
Every single business leader or CEO I've spoken to has a pretty solid plan down when it comes to managing their time. After all, as they say, time is money.
Png Kim Meng, MD of Dimension Data Singapore, said in an interview in May that setting priorities is key to better time management. "When there is too much on your plate, people tend to lose focus on the tasks at hand, so it's good to have your priorities right from the start," he said.
On the other hand, Scott Price, CEO of Walmart Asia, said in an older interview that he makes a conscious effort to clear out his inbox every time he hits 100 unread emails. "I find staying on top of things is a very important part of time management," Price added.
Personally, I am a mega fan of to-do lists. I try and get the next day's to-do list sorted before I leave the office or first thing in the morning. One thing I've learnt the hard way is to not list EVERYTHING you need to do, but just what's important that day. Everything else falls under my "kinda gotta do" list, which I attack after 5.30pm.
So excuse me while I tidy up today's list before we shoot off for the weekend, and slowly but surely work my way towards better time management and a mojito by the beach in a few years.


text: Here is my latest treasure from David Penney: a watch movement with a true chronometer escapement, signed by (or rather for) James Hatton who practised alone between 1805 and 1816. The balance is of the form developed by Robert Pennington, and I understand that the detent of the escapement is also of a type specific to him; for these reasons, and perhaps others which I do not know enough to appreciate, Mr. Penney thinks that this movement may actually be from Pennington's workshop. At any rate, he says that neither of the two serial numbers (798 on the back plate, 2021 on the dial) corresponds to either of the two sequences used on Hatton's other products. (I have to add that I have looked at images of a number of signed Pennington movements including Nos. 763 and 765, and none of them matches the shape of the cock or the layout of the set-up shown on my example.) However this may be, it is enough for me to have a working example of Earnshaw's escapement – I have never actually seen, much less owned, one of these before – and to know that it is more than two hundred years old. Note the pillar screws. The balance-spring is of the helical type, with six turns, and is made of gold. The overall diameter is 48mm. I am sorry my images are no better; my hands are not steady enough nowadays, and there is no space in my insanely overcrowded environment to set up a tripod. However, the side view does give a glimpse of the escape-wheel and, to the right of it, the outer end of the detent. The spring of this is a little battered, as I understand is often the case; nonetheless it functions and the movement runs strongly, albeit with a gain of several minutes a day – a fault which I cannot hope to correct, since I am not qualified to meddle with the balance screws. I realise I should perhaps have posted in the Chronometer section; my excuse for not doing so is that I feel a small movement like this, obviously intended for an ordinary (if rather deep) watch-case, could not have been used at sea and is therefore not a true marine chronometer. Besides, to be honest, I was afraid not many people would see it there. Oliver Mundy.


text:
Dubai-based TV station City7 is reportedly closing because of the slowdown in the market.
Staff at the privately owned free-to-air channel told the Associated Press that operations were ceasing soon.
City7 is owned by BinHendi Enterprises, which also has interests in fashion, trading, hospitality and retail. According to AP, there was no official statement from the owners.
It is the latest blow to the media industry in the GCC which has been hit hard by the impact of low oil prices on the economy.
Last year, Dubai newspaper 7Days closed down while it was reportedly earlier this week that the Abu Dhabi-based The National is cutting jobs.


text:
While Schuler Books and local libraries are stocked with rock 'n' roll biographies spanning all genres — sometimes the hard-to-get, feasibly out-of-print, gems deliver more debauchery.
If you're willing to waken the sleuth in you, try digging around for these rare tell-alls detailing some of Michigan's oddest icons.
I Need More by Iggy Pop (Two Thirteen Sixty One)
Suggesting someone read about Iggy Pop is a bit like ringing the bell for Adele these days — it's not as if the guy needs any more exposure. The Muskegon-born musician's ability to milk eight great years, 1969-1977, into a career spanning almost four decades is more of a testament to his self-promotion abilities than his musical skills. I Need More is the first solid document of the Stooges era, released originally in 1982 by an obscure Czech publisher.
It's clear that Iggy needed no ghostwriter, as his voice is captured on the page in the same way he speaks: in simple, well-placed words. He tells of living at the Tropicana Hotel in Los Angeles next to Ed Sanders as Sanders was penning The Family, the ultimate account of Charles Manson, and praises his first hero in life, Mickey Mantle. The 122-page book, with its references to "chicks" and other (much more derogatory) terms is real Iggy before the image cultivation took over.
Me, Alice by Alice Cooper and Steven Gaines (Putnam)
The Amazon.com listing for this book says a used copy starts at $386, but you can find it if you look hard enough. This came out in 1976, just as Alice's solo career was taking off and he was in his 20s, brash and constantly drunk. Cooper tells of being born in Detroit and moving to Phoenix at age three to accommodate his asthma. There's some good narrative of the band getting together, flailing through the ranks and finally making it. And he can't help but name names, like the time Janis Joplin asked if he wanted to sleep with her.
By the winter of 1970, the band was living in a farmhouse in Pontiac, freezing after the electricity was turned off due to an unpaid bill. He took to staying in a warm trailer on a Christmas tree lot in downtown Detroit, where his girlfriend, Cindy, was selling trees to help pay the bills.
True story: I tried in 2011 to discuss the trailer home with Alice when talking with him for a book I was working on. "No, I don't know where you would get that," he scoffed. Me, Alice, was never reissued. Again, it would tarnish an image that by now is carefully tended in order to keep from offending the weak in spirit.
Techno Rebels: The Renegades of Electronic Funk by Dan Sicko (Wayne State Press)
Released in 1999, then reissued in 2010, this text is worth the price just for the narrative account of EDM icons Juan Atkins, Derrick May and Kevin Saunderson, the so-called Belleville Three. The trio is credited with creating Detroit's techno sound, which was embraced overseas before bouncing back to these parts and getting these innovators their due.
Just as important is author Sicko's smart, "start at the beginning" structure of taking apart the reason the techno movement had so much heft. He goes back to the 1980s, when the Electrifying Mojo and Richard Davis were integrating various forms of music, from Kraftwerk and Gary Numan to Afrika Bambaataa and the Gap Band, Mojo on his radio show and Davis as a musician in the nascent techno act Cybotron. Techno Rebels is a solid account of one more music culture that Detroit has created better than the rest of the world.
ICP: Behind the Paint by Violent J with Hobey Echlin (Psychopathic Records)
"Not since I read the autobiography of Winston Churchill and Timothy McVeigh have I been so moved." Now there's an Amazon review to remember, especially when it involves anything connected to the Detroit rap duo Insane Clown Posse, the world's most-hated band. Behind the Paint is a heavy-duty street memoir, at times LOL funny, at others stunningly sad. Violent J tells of a childhood living on welfare, abuse at the hands of a step-father, bouts with depression and hatred from the music establishment that ICP was trying to crash. From those ashes comes success that most can only dream of — sold-out tours, platinum records and name-drops in popular culture that are increasing every year. J's ability to stay positive through the journey is a testament to the power of attitude and good spirit.
Steve Miller is the author of Detroit Rock City: The Uncensored History of Rock 'n' Roll in America's Loudest City and Juggalo: Insane Clown Posse and the World They Made.


text:
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text:
Reader "Barb" just made me aware that February 14th is not only St.Valentine's Day, but it's also Singles Awareness Day, or Singles Appreciation Day, either of which spell SAD.
That's already kind of funny, because people will be wishing each other "Happy SAD" today, but it's also funny because single people are often looked down upon and/or even pitied by non-single people, as if everyone who's single wishes they weren't.
Free Agents
Personally, I'm a Free Agent.
I do what I want to do when I want to do it and that's pretty much all chicks can expect from me.
I like it that way for several reasons, one of which being that it keeps me at my top efficiency.
If I don't give a flying **** how your day was, I'm not going to ask how your day was.
In fact, I'm not going to ask you anything, because I'll be busy doing what I want to do instead of having to listen to you talk about something I didn't ask you about because we're in a "relationship", which supposedly comes with all these chores that non-single people have to do.
Also, I enjoy the randomness of life. 🙂 I enjoy NOT knowing what's about to happen.
Granted, it's a GREAT thing when you know something's going to happen for you every single day that you really enjoy, and I lived that way for a few years when I was with my ex. However.. I'm really not the type of person to hang out with a chick I don't feel like seeing, hearing, messing with, or talking to, just because we told each other we were "dating" or whatever.
I mean, Pepperoni Pizza is fantastic, but do you feel like eating it 3 times a day, 7 days a week? 🙂 No, you do not.
If you're craving a burger and all you have is pizza, the pizza isn't going to be as good as if you actually wanted it that day.
Also, I enjoy NOT explaining to anybody where I was, what I was doing, or whom I was doing it with.
So there are lots of positive aspects of being single, for those of us that are single by design.
Pity & Charity
One of the good things about being single is that non-single people are always trying to set you up with a date. 🙂
One of the bad things about being single is that non-single people are always trying to set you up with a date. :/
The obvious problem is that they never ASK. *YOU*. what kind of chicks you mess with. They just come up with any chick they happen to know that doesn't have a boyfriend, fiance, or husband, and it's like "Are you kidding me right now? o_O"
This "let me hook you up" peer pressure is probably greatest on women in their 30's, who have the famed "biological clock" ticking.
The idea is to introduce them to a guy that wouldn't mind having one or several kids with her within the next 1-4 years… as if kids don't cost megabucks.
"Safe Sex Tutorial" -> http://youtu.be/c10iJBI3Qzk
The problem with that is that women are trying to sell out every day.. every hour…
If a guy actually wants to have kids, he can probably meet a gal that's willing to do that with him faster than he can win an Onkyo stereo receiver on eBay.
On top of that, people don't just "have kids", like, the stork doesn't bring them. The dude has to want to hit it, so she might need to hit the gym for a while before her non-single friends will be able to pawn her off.
To make matters worse, the same people that are looking so sadly and pitifully at single people as if they're unadopted dogs are the same people that are COMPLAINING about all the responsibilities they have in their lives and how they never get to do what they actually feel like doing.
This is not helping y'all to sell the idea of "relationships" to Free Agents. 🙂
There are some people that have zero interest whatsoever in having kids.
There are some people that have zero interest whatsoever in spending time with the same person over and over, to the exclusion of other people.
There are some people (yes, including females) that have zero interest in getting married.
There are some people that have zero interest in being weighed down by 30-year mortgages.
Are there some people that feel sad and lonely because they're single?.. Most definitely… My suggestion is that you *ASK* instead of assuming that the single person you're pitying wishes they weren't.
Single-On-Single Crime
Meanwhile, single people need to stop hating on other single people and help each other out! 😀
If you don't get a date with that person you were interested in but it looks like a friend of yours has a chance, help them out! 😀
If you find out about a singles event, let your friends know, instead of sneaking over there by yourself, hoping to have a better chance to get on.
Make up your own singles get-togethers so that people you like can get to meet each other.
Look out for the Singles that aren't aware that they're single. 🙂 haha The ones that think they're in a relationship until they figure out otherwise. They're going to be in for a rude awakening, so make sure you're there for them when they need you.
Ladies, when you go out in a group of your single homegirls, DO NOT surround yourselves with other women and guys that aren't going to date you. Guys are not going to approach some pack of people to try to get the attention of one chick. Go to the bar/club/restaurant together, but then fan out. Get some distance between you. Go hang out by the bar in a group of only 2 or 3. That way, you have a better chance of guys actually speaking to you and potentially asking you out, instead of your going home, eating ice cream and watching Netflix.
When a non-single becomes single again, welcome them back into the fold… Don't hold their non-single, nose-looking-down, pitying behavior against them so that it prevents you from welcoming them back and helping them out like any regular single person.
Also.. If you end up actually becoming involved in a so-called "relationship", don't suddenly think of your situation as better.. It's just different. 🙂
Now that you're a non-single, remember where you came from.
Enjoy the person you're consistently spending time with, but remember that you were enjoying your life just as much (if not more, depending on the person you got involved with) when you were single, and if it ends, we Free Agents will gladly accept you back. 🙂
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A violinist, composer and music teacher, born in Lublin 10 July 1835, died in Moscow 31 March 1880.
Henryk Wieniawski, reproduction: FoKa / Forum
His father, Tadeusz, was a renowned surgeon, and his mother, Regina, nee Wolff, was a proficient piano player. A true Lublin salon, the house of family Wieniawski was frequented by leading artists and hosted concerts, literary meetings and discussions. This had a major influence on the later life of Henryk and his two brothers, Julian, the elder one, becoming a writer and columnist, and the younger Józef pursuing the pianist's career.
Initially Henryk was taught by his mother, then by Jan Hornziel, the violinist of the Grand Theatre in Warsaw, and Stanisław Serwczyński, the soloist and concertmaster of the Budapest Opera. In 1843, at the age of eight, Wieniawski went to Paris to study with Lambert-Joseph Massart at the Paris Conservatory, from which he graduated three years later, winning the first prize and a gold medal. He then continued to take lessons from Massart for two more years, followed by a two-month concert tour in St Petersburg, the Baltics and Warsaw. In 1849 Wieniawski returned to the Paris Conservatory to study composition with Hippolite Collet, and graduated with distinction the following year.
In 1850 Henryk embarked on a series of concerts, starting from all major towns of the Russian empire and continuing in a number of European cities. His brother Jozef accompanied him until 1850. The response was enthusiastic wherever they appeared. Having enjoyed tremendous success in Paris, Brussels, Dresden, London and elsewhere, in 1860 Wieniawski accepted the posts of the first violinist at the tsar's court and the soloist of the Russian Music Society, simultaneously teaching the violin in the Society's music classes, turned into a Conservatory in 1862. Wieniawski's several years of teaching created the foundations of the St Petersburg violin school, later developed into the great Russian school by Leopold Auer.
Every year Wieniawski would spend three to four months playing concerts outside Russia, mostly in the fashionable spas of Europe. After twelve years in Russia, he left for a grand concert tour in the United States, to play - together with Antoni Rubinstein - 215 concerts over a period of eight months. Wieniawski stayed in the US until 1874, playing more concerts with Paulina Lucca, the famous singer. On returning to Europe, he took over as a teacher from the ailing Henry Vieuxtemps at the Brussels Conservatory, the position he held until 1877. One of his students there was Eugene Ysaye. Deteriorating heart condition and obesity forced Wieniawski to play concerts in the sitting position in his last years.
Wieniawski died in Moscow, in the house of Nadiezhda von Meck. The burial ceremony took place in Warsaw and was attended by forty thousand people.
Since 1935 Poland has been the venue of the Henryk Wieniawski International Violin Competition. Initially held in Warsaw, the event, recurring every five years, was moved to Poznań in 1952.
See also page on Wieniawski's "Violin Concertos" .
Author: Polish Music Information Center, Polish Composers' Union, February 2004


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One need only compare American, French and German films to see how greatly nuances of shading and colouration can vary in motion pictures. In the photographic image itself, to say nothing of the acting and script, there somehow emerge differences in national character
Proudly sailed the arrow-breasted
Ships of Cossack yeomanry.
Drunken holds in marriage revels
With his beauteous young bride
One short night and Stenka Razin
Has become a woman, too."
And his lovely Persian princess
He has circled with his hand.
And the blood comes rushing swiftly
To his piercing jet black eyes.
And his voice rolls out like thunder
Out across the distant land.
You have never seen such a present
From the Cossacks of the Don.
Volga, Volga, Mother Volga
Make this lovely girl a grave.
And has cast her where the waters
Of the Volga roll and sigh.
Let us thunder out a chanty
To the place where beauty lies."
Proudly sailed the arrow-breasted
Ships of Cossack yeomanry.
Having spent enormous amounts of money, human labour and time I did everything in my power to ensure that the technical and artistic level of the movie is appropriately high for an epoch-making film in our cinema.
The score for the film was specially composed by Mikhail Ippolitov-Ivanov; this was an outstanding innovation at the time, if we bear in mind that most cinemas of the period employed only pianists to accompany the films. The use of specially composed music highlights the importance of the occasion: the folk songs written for this first Russian film were intended for the audience to hum along to.


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"The Gluten Effect" was a combined labor of love and passionate mission. As clinicians we literally stumbled upon gluten 15 years ago as we analyzed patients for food reactions. As more and more patients were discovered to be sensitive we were literally amazed at the panoply of reactions associated with these supposed "innocent" and "healthy" grains.
We were initially taken aback that no one else seemed to be discussing this. Our gluten sensitive patients, for the most part, were not celiac sufferers. But they were certainly reacting to gluten and it was affecting them from their digestive tract to their nervous system to their hormonal balance to their joints. Were we hallucinating these reactions? Was there some placebo affect occurring?
I still remember so clearly discussing gluten with a mentor of mine about 8 years ago. He is a highly respected individual in the field of functional medicine and positively brilliant. I somewhat shyly proposed that he investigate gluten and gave a brief overview what I and my team were experiencing clinically. Ever the gracious gentleman, he was polite and attentive but I could tell from his reaction that he didn't consider gluten to be a legitimate health issue.
Yet barely three years after that meeting he spoke for the first time about gluten at a national conference. Not that I needed his blessing, but if felt good to have someone I so respected begin to see what I was seeing.
About 2 ½ years ago while in the throes of writing "The Gluten Effect" with my co-author, we began to feel like renegades as we came to the realization that despite all the scientific research that we had to hand that supported our work, most of our fellow clinicians were completely unaware of it.
We braced ourselves for some disbelief and opposition.
About that same time I spoke to a leader of a national celiac group. This individual is absolutely passionate about educating Americans about celiac disease and decreasing the amount of time that it takes to receive a diagnosis. But when I discussed gluten sensitivity with her, she really had absolutely no information about it.
A mere year later she was completely on board due to some personal experiences she had with people close to her. They were ill, not celiac, but removing gluten from their diet completely resolved their health issues. She was convinced but what ensued was some infighting with traditional MDs who worked within her organization. She even had her grant money threatened for a period of time.
The happy ending is that, fortunately, scientific research caught up with the clinical observations we were witnessing in our patients and gluten sensitivity was validated this year from many previously skeptical experts including Dr Peter Green and Dr Alessio Fasano.
So while that "war" is over there are many battles ahead. We still have a traditional medical community that thinks celiac disease is impossible unless a patient has unrelenting diarrhea and is severely underweight. These clinicians believe that an intestinal biopsy is still the gold standard for diagnosis and that without complete obliteration of the intestinal villi, gluten can't possibly be a problem for a patient.
On the other hand, research just came out in the British Journal of Nutrition whereupon they analyzed a group of non-gluten sensitive individuals who expressed a much healthier balance of microflora (good bugs) in their intestines after a 30 day gluten-free diet than was present prior to going gluten-free.
Does this mean that gluten isn't good for anyone? Is there something truly pro-inflammatory in these grains such that they spell ill health for all who consume them?
Or, if a truly healthy small intestine could be achieved would tolerance to gluten rise, as some researchers postulate? And is dairy the underlying culprit that causes the initial irritation thus "allowing" gluten to create its inflammatory effects?
And will all these questions be answered in the New Year?
I for one (and my team) are already diligently working on these issues and if the timing continues to occur as it has been, just about the time we feel confident in stating our findings, there will be ample scientific research to corroborate them.
I am very excited for 2010. I am anticipating meeting more of my readers as many have already come to visit our Destination Clinic from around the world this past year. We are expanding our clinic quite dramatically this year to better educate and treat all who seek better health.
As always, please let me know your thoughts and how I may help you.
Visit us at www.RootCauseMedicalClinic.com. If you have questions or need any help, I'm here for you! Call 408-733-0400.
I look forward to hearing from you.
To your good health,
Dr Vikki Petersen, DC, CCN, CFMP
IFM Certified Practitioner
Founder of Root Cause Medical Clinic
Co-author of "The Gluten Effect"
Author of the eBook: "Gluten Intolerance – What You Don't Know May Be Killing You!"
Founder of Root Cause Medical Clinic
Co-author of "The Gluten Effect"
Author of the eBook: "Gluten Intolerance – What You Don't Know May Be Killing You!"


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Pat Sajak, Vanna White and the whole Wheel of Fortune team is in Las Vegas right now. But they're not there to enjoy the sun, nightlife and excitement of the Strip. Instead, they're turning the Venetian into a TV studio for the perennial hit show.
They're midway through four days of shooting episodes of America's favorite game show. Half the Vegas episodes will air in September, while the other half will take advantage of the romantic side of Sin City and air around Valentine's Day.
And Las Vegas does seem like an appropriate venue, for the show that blends a little bit of skill, with a little bit of luck, as contestants try to guess letters and spell their way to a nice, big prize. And speaking of giant wheels that you can spin your way to big prizes, care to try a little Roulette, in our online casino?


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Josh & Kristin Lipscomb
Liberty Church Senior Pastors
Service Times
SUN: 8:00am, 9:30am & 11:00am
2221 S. Blue Angel Parkway
Pensacola, FL 32506
E: email@example.com
Liberty Church, Blue Angel Campus, is Bible-based and Spirit-filled community of believers, located in Pensacola, Florida. We are refreshingly honest and bold about our faith as well as our humanity. We are a people that are passionate about our love for God and His people. Our aim is to encourage growth in your personal relationship with Jesus and with one another as you are a vital part of God's family. Many of you may come from churches and traditions that focus on a man, a denomination, a building, a teaching, money or rules and not Jesus Christ. Some of you may be new believers who have never set foot in a church. Some of you may just be searching for peace of mind in these tumultuous times in which we live. Whatever the reasons are that brought you to our web site, our prayer is that for you, Liberty Church will truly be "a place of hope and love in a world of darkness and hurt." Our pastors and staff are here to serve you.


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)-- Surrey, BC-based storage experts, Sunnyside Self Storage have recently unveiled their suite of storage options for local businesses. The company offers various storage space sizes to suit the requirements of individual local companies. It's a business storage service that provides companies the flexibility of short-term month-to-month renting options as well as security to maintain product safety.
Growing companies across British Columbia are now searching for storage space that will help their organization save money on initial office space costs. The outstanding success of today's online business models shows that growing companies no longer need to rely upon a permanent office building. By storing their products in a secure facility, along with seasonal supplies and decorations, surplus equipment, and files, companies are saving thousands of dollars a year in office space cost. In their initial growth phases of business, it's imperative these companies work with a partner who understands their future challenges. That's why many are now working with the storage specialists at Sunnyside Self Storage.
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With the recent news that the State of Tennessee now ranks number five in the nation for median household income growth, it is time to take notice and pay attention to how Clarksville-Montgomery County stacks up.
Last week, the US Census Bureau released numbers for 2017 that reflect population, income and demographic trends. While some regions in the country are seeing their numbers grow increasingly stagnant and others are witnessing a loss, that is simply not the case for Clarksville and Montgomery County, Tenn. The county increased its annual median household income by $7,500 since 2014 with the city seeing an increase of over $9,500 during that same time. With a current median annual household income of $58,381 for the county and $54,667 for the city, both rank higher than the State of Tennessee average of $51,340. County poverty levels have also decreased to less than 10% and now rank lower than the state average. This is a number that hasn't been seen in several years.
Income growth isn't the only number rising. Population continues to trend upward as the county is now home to 200,182, up 16 percent since the 2000 census. It's been calculated that the community is growing by eight people a day. And that is evident everywhere you look.
"Clarksville and Montgomery County both continually rank as some of the top places in the nation to live, buy a home, raise a family, start a business and/or retire; I could go on as the list has grown over the years," said Mike Evans, Executive Director of the Clarksville-Montgomery County Economic Development Council (EDC). "The long-term vision of our community leaders has been to create an environment that fosters economic growth for all citizens through job creation and advancement in quality of place. We have seen that vision unfold and are working to ensure that the momentum doesn't decelerate."
Through strategic economic recruitment, the city-county has gained over $5 billion in capital investments and 7,600 new jobs from industrial-related projects since 2000. These commitments have created and maintained a thriving, highly sought-after Corporate Business Park. In 2017, Clarksville-Montgomery County manufacturing related jobs alone generated over $247 million in payroll, according to an EMSI data source. To make sure that the community stays competitive in the changing global marketplace and as highlighted in the EDC's five-year strategic plan, future recruitment will focus on advancing white collar opportunities for residents.
The addition of jobs has created a booming retail, dining and real estate market. According to local real estate numbers, many houses have offers, sometimes multiple, less than 24 hours after being listed and the attractive cost of living is making people take notice of the region like never before. Shops, restaurants and small businesses open almost daily and with $2.9 billion in retail sales in 2017, the community is more than happy to shop local.
The community has strategically grown into its "fifth largest city in the state" ranking and is a key partner in the success of Northern Middle Tennessee. And the reasons are obvious, income is growing, cost of living is reasonable, job options are varied, the local commute times are low and the unemployment numbers are the best they have been in decades.


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Dr. Laura Peter was born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania and raised in Richmond, Virginia. She now calls Jacksonville Beach home again after moving from Akron, Ohio. A member of the American College of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Dr. Peter graduated with a Bachelors from the University of Florida (Gainesville, FL), received her medical degree from Nova Southeastern University College of Osteopathic Medicine (Fort Lauderdale,
We are very pleased to announce the addition of Dr. Meridith Farrow and Dr. Rebekah Richmond to our practice. Dr. Farrow and Dr. Richmond are both experienced Obstetricians and Gynecologists that have been practicing at Baptist Medical Center Beaches since 2006. They are scheduled to start seeing patients in our office in September of this year. As our practice grows,
Washington, DC — The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (The College), along with the American Academy of Pediatrics and the Society for Maternal-Fetal Medicine, is urging Ther-Rx Corporation to reconsider its pricing of Makena™. Makena is the first FDA-approved medication to help prevent preterm birth in certain high-risk pregnant women. The College argues that the extremely high cost of Makena™
Check out the great write-up about Dr. Rodriguez in Florida Doctor Magazine – North Florida Edition (link).