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The Zune's software counterpart, Zune Marketplace, is an essential part of the Zune music experience, and overall it matches the Zune in simplicity, functionality, performance, and potential. Mimicking iTunes' closed ecosystem strategy, Zune Marketplace (ZM) is mostly suitable for Zune owners only. It's not bad as a stand-alone jukebox, but it won't work with non-Zunes and certain desirable features such as the radio (ZM uses playlists instead), a video download section, and podcast management don't yet exist. Still for Zune owners, especially those who sign up for a subscription, ZM is a nice seamless experience. Just understand you'll probably be using another application to fill in its missing gaps.
Zune Marketplace software ships with the Zune. There's a downloadable version at Zune.net so try it out if you're interested. At the very least, try browsing the music store and listen to 30-second samples. Of course, you'll have to have a modern Windows box with "XP Home or Pro with SP2, Windows XP Tablet PC SP2, or Windows XP Media Center 2005 with Rollup Update 2 and Oct. 2006 Rollup Update." Vista support won't be available until its official January 30 launch.
Installing Zune Marketplace was uncomplicated and straightforward, though I've heard some reports of installation issues. The whole process took 30 minutes. After checking for updates and the actual install and reboot, you'll be asked to connect a Zune (you can skip this). Then you get an option to stream your media to an Xbox 360. ZM automatically scans your existing music library (nonprotected only) for import, including any nonprotected music and playlists from iTunes. This includes MP3, WMA, AAC, and WAV files. Along the way, you'll get the option to add video (MPEG-4, H.264, and unprotected WMV) and photo files (JPEG).
ZM will not import DivX, OGG, and WMA files purchased from stores such as Napster (DRM9) or even WMV video files purchased from sites such as Amazon Unbox. While there are ways to get this stuff converted, it can be a pain in the butt for those with a library of diverse formats.
It's easy to add music to your library after the fact, and by default the software monitors folders for new additions automatically. I did notice the software scans all your media folders if you add a new folder--a bit of a waste of time considering it monitors for updates automatically in the background.
The last hurdle is creating your Zune Tag, which identifies you to the Zune community. This requires you to enter a Windows Live ID so you can purchase tracks or join the ZunePass service. You don't need to have an ID if you simply want to listen to high-quality 30-second samples. You'll notice the Zune Marketplace goes through an initial download of its catalog database; much of the store's information is stored locally.
The Zune Marketplace pays major homage to Windows Media Player 11 and Urge, at least in interface structure, but similar to the Zune, it does have a style all its own. ZM's dark gray skin has a modern edge and uses its space wisely with decipherable icons spread across the top (there is no skinning available, though there is a mini player version, activated by clicking an icon in the lower right corner). You can right-click almost anywhere to get options, though there is a dedicated options button next to where you sign in with your Windows Live ID.
Down at the bottom sits the playback control bar with volume slider, shuffle, repeat, and a tiny currently playing section that features album art or visuals. The main control buttons are styled just like the Zune's. To the right of those appear messages related to syncing, searching, and any other jukebox activities.
The main left-navigation pane is divided into music, video, and pictures sections, and collapsible nav items include in order, in-box, playlists, library, marketplace (only in music), any CDs that might be loaded, and any Zune device attached. When fully expanded, these items can run off the page especially if you have two Zunes attached, but the excellent contrast between heading and subheadings helps give ZM an uncluttered feel. Showing only recent playlists will shrink the list a bit.
The in-box is an innovative way to bring shared music and photos into one place for easy retrieval or chronicling. Even if your shared music has exceeded its play rights, it will show up here so you can easily purchase it from the store if you like. Also songs and items flagged by a user on the Zune will show up in the in-box.
Zune Marketplace is playlist-centric and more so if you subscribe to ZunePass. As mentioned, ZM will actually import playlists from iTunes if applicable, though only non-DRM songs will show up. You can drag and drop content into playlist names or create them by hitting the playlist icon in the upper-right corner and dragging and dropping content in the right-hand list column (playlist creation also can occur in the left pane). You can pull individual songs, albums, other playlists, and even video and photos into a playlist. Similar to iTunes, you can create a smart playlist (a.k.a. auto playlist) and set conditions for automatically generated and updated playlists. Some playlists I created were "MP3s only" and "Most popular." CD burning and syncing works the same way using the same column, which offers an advantage over iTunes because you can monitor both library and a play/burn/sync list simultaneously.
The main browser window is expansive and feels very much like Windows Media Player 11 with its stackable album art, icon, tile, and details viewing options. You can select from a wide array of columns to customize your library (so you could sort by play count, bit rate, and protected). Though you won't get the flashy effects of iTunes' Cover Flow, the library experience is A-OK. I do prefer the alternating white and blue of iTunes' (and Rhapsody's) browser window.
Jukebox features
The basics are mostly covered by ZM. The tag editor is straightforward and batchable, and the program will automatically search for missing metadata, including album art (an important factor considering the Zune's album-centric display). ZM will rip a CD into WMA (max 192Kbps), WMA Lossless, and MP3 (max 320Kbps), and you can burn data or audio CDs. ZM borrows from Windows Media Player a feature where playlists are automatically divided up by CD, so you can really customize multiple CDs at a time. You also can apply volume leveling across tracks and add either M3U or ZPL (Zune playlist) files to the CD. Managing your music in ZM is fairly easy, though it would have been a huge bonus for users to allow PlaysForSure compatibility--even if it wasn't marketed that way.
Anything showing up in ZM will work on the Zune. You'll need another application to convert DivX and other popular but nonsupported files into a supported format. Same goes for a BMP image--it needs to be converted into JPEG. For those files ZM does support, they will be automatically transcoded (oftentimes in the background) into WMA or WMV when synced with the Zune. Hopefully someday, the Zune's Wi-Fi will be able to sync with ZM wirelessly (and for the user, unconsciously).


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Downtown Phoenix's status as the biggest live music hub in the Valley is pretty much an undisputed fact by now. If you somehow need further convincing, however, check out our list of best concerts this week, a majority of which will be happening at venues in and around downtown.
They also feature some high-profile and legendary performers, including Imagine Dragons, Banks, PVRIS, Best Coast, Paramore, and Janiva Magness.
That's not to say there aren't noteworthy shows happening elsewhere in the Valley this week, as Danzig will be at the Marquee Theatre in Tempe and Depeche Mode will hit Ak-Chin Pavilion.
Details about all of these gigs can be below. And if you're interested in even more music events happening this week, either in downtown or otherwise, hit up our online concert calendar.
Danzig & Deafheaven
Monday, September 25
Marquee Theatre in Tempe
It seems like Glenn Danzig is always pissing someone off. Recently, he was in the news for defending some of President Donald Trump's immigration policies, annoying some of his more liberal fans. And you can't mention his name in Phoenix without someone excitedly reminding you of the time local musician Danny Marianino punched the stocky Danzig square in the face during a backstage altercation.
The New Jersey-born vocalist originally gained popularity fronting horror punk bands Misfits and Samhain. The former got going in the late '70s, and its releases (with hits like "Astro Zombies" and "Night of the Living Dead") are staples in old-school punk record collections.
In 1987, the veteran rocker formed Danzig, which he currently fronts, trading in those hooks that made the Misfits tunes catchy for a turn to the heavier side. Later, the style got a bit more industrial and experimental. No matter the style, the music is cut with his bellowing voice and affinity for dark themes. California metal band Deafheaven opens. Much more subtly dark than Danzig, their spookiness comes from a blend of sonic noise with built-in math-y constructs that parallels a wall of equally vicious vocals. Amy Young
Jon Bellion
Monday, September 25
Comerica Theatre
Jon Bellion cites Kanye West as an influence; he even went as far as dropping out of college to take on music as a career. Just like Yeezus himself, it seems like his determination paid off. Bellion wrote the hook to the Eminem and Rihanna single, "The Monster," and ever since then, Bellion's been slowly garnering more and more attention.
As a pop artist, Bellion has let the rap influence change up the usual pop artist plan of action by releasing a slew of mixtapes before a proper release. His most recent tape is The Definition, which opens on probably the most recognizable thing Kanye West has ever said (well, on an actual song), "Wait 'till I get my money right," and filled to the brim with grandiose pop ballads. Ditto for Bellion's 2016 album, The Human Condition, which hit #5 on the Billboard 200 and eventually went gold. H. Drew Blackburn
Monday, September 25
The Van Buren
Much like her mentor and former tour mate The Weeknd, Jillian Rose Banks is part of a wave of nu-soul singers who filter their R&B reveries through a synthesized, hip-hop lens. "So I got edges that scratch," she purrs. "But I'm so tired of eating all of my misspoken words." Even as she scratches out her own identity and finds herself "beggin' for thread to sew this hole up that you ripped in my head," the accompanying music is often sleek and smoothly soothing, a lulling contrast to her restless mind.
Banks' 2014 debut, Goddess, brims with mysterious, moody, and shadowy idylls such as "Drowning" and "Brain." On the title track, she anoints herself a goddess, even as she struggles with self-doubt. She apparently resolved such issues on the 2016 follow-up, The Altar, on which, as one critic notes, Banks "combines unbending confidence, warts 'n all detail and gigantic choruses in the same move." Falling James
Imagine Dragons
Tuesday, September 26
Talking Stick Resort Arena
Few – if any – bands in the past few years have had the ascent like Imagine Dragons have had. A few short years ago, if a group headlined venues like Comerica Theatre, then they were ready for even bigger locales. And with good reason.
The Las Vegas natives have been as close to a sure bet on rock radio when it comes to their abundance of hits. If "Radioactive" put them on listeners' radars, then "Demons" and "I Bet My Life" off the band's sophomore effort Smoke + Mirrors cemented them as fixtures on many people's dial. In the midst of a headlining arena tour, the group will bring its explosive live show that's won them plaudits to Talking Stick Resort Arena to further prove that they aren't a one-album wonder. Grouplove and K.Flay will open. Daniel Kohn
Tuesday, September 26
The Van Buren
Every now and again, an act like PVRIS comes along, ticking a bunch of boxes that should lead to a healthy career on modern radio: a crafty blend of electro-pop and pop-punk; a dark aesthetic that will push plenty of units at Hot Topic, and a singer with a voice just strong enough to make people stop and pay attention. (Check out their cover of Sia's "Chandelier" for proof.)
But success for PVRIS could be bigger than just being happy for a talented band making it; for young girls who don't see themselves onstage often enough and for queer teens in love with a genre that hasn't always been the most friendly to them, seeing a band like them succeed has a bigger meaning. Is thinking about the big picture premature? Perhaps, but just being able to have a picture to think about at all is a pretty big step. Cory Garcia
Depeche Mode
Wednesday, September 27
Ak-Chin Pavilion
This synth-pop band that's been around since 1980 took a little ribbing in 1987 when they were called out in the Dead Milkmen's song, "Instant Club Hit (You'll Dance to Anything)." The Philly punkers were poking fun at the clad-in-black nightclubbers, who were ready to move to the beat of electronic sounds from different artsy purveyors. The Smiths and Book of Love were other acts that got singled out.
But Depeche Mode fans didn't mind and still don't. The group, whose core is Dave Gahan (lead vocals), Martin Gore (guitar, keyboards, and vocals), and Andy Fletcher (bass, keyboards), still packs mega-venues with fans who want to flit and twist to dance-y hits like "Just Can't Get Enough," from their first release, Speak & Spell. "People are People" was a huge hit for them in 1984, a let's-all-come-together song begging the question, "What makes a man hate another man?"
Loaded with electric pops and clangs, it made people reflect on their brethren while donning thick eyeliner and swaying in goth-y dancehalls. Not always upbeat and jumpy, songs like "Somebody" proved they could easily cause that aforementioned goopy eye makeup to smear with tales of sad romance. Amy Young
Paramore & Best Coast
Wednesday, September 27
Comerica Theatre
In an era when pop music feuds are as joyless as keeping up with politics, two bands are taking a fresh approach. Instead of picking fights over who stole whose backup dancer, Paramore and Best Coast frontwomen Hayley Williams and Bethany Cosentino are teaming up to grapple with decidedly heavier things, specifically how to stay afloat in deeply distressing times.
On Paramore's latest record, After Laughter, the Tennessee Warped Tour grads dabble in nihilism that's steeped in a shimmery musicality. Between Talking Heads-esque riffs and sparkly production worthy of Paula Abdul, Williams wonders whether "the worst is yet to come."
It's a worthwhile thing to consider in the age of Trump, and something plaguing Cosentino, too. The Best Coast singer-songwriter takes to social media on the regular to voice her frustrations, and post-election she set up an email "hotline" so that anyone feeling scared, discouraged, or unsafe could seek advice.
Though they've expressed the sentiment in different ways, it seems like these artists have reached the same conclusion: There's no easy fix and things are pretty shitty, but finding allies is more important than ever. Seeing the bright side might prove tougher than ever, but these two bands teaming up for a cross-country tour (and a cruise) seems like a pretty worthwhile reason to keep your chin up. Becky Bartkowski
Janiva Magness
Thursday, September 28
Crescent Ballroom
Janiva Magness knew all about the blues even before she started performing onstage. The Detroit native bounced around among a series of foster homes after each of her parents committed suicide, and at age 18 had to give up her baby daughter for adoption. Even after she discovered her voice, she's continued working for and supporting foster-care awareness throughout her adult life.
Magness was already a well-respected interpreter of blues classics, but she evolved into a legitimate songwriting force with her 2014 record, Original, and she expands her range even further on her latest release, Blue Again. She still can break your heart with intuitive blues balladry ("I Love You More Than You'll Ever Know"), but she also rocks hard ("Tired of Walking") and thrills with sassy, soulful assurance ("If I Can't Have You"). Falling James
Otonana Trio
Thursday, September 28
The Lost Leaf
What makes a band special? Good songs, for sure. Skilled musicianship is a plus. Being idiosyncratic sometimes helps. Japan's Otonana Trio has these attributes, but also possesses something that many bands, even some that dwellers of the Rock 'n' Roll Hall of Fame certainly lack.
The simplest way to put it is they're joyful. Watching them perform is like witnessing a contagion in action. It may take a second to understand exactly what's happening, but once the delight hits patient zero, it's a sudden outbreak from there. This week, Otonana Trio returns to the Valley for a Thursday night gig at The Lost Leaf in downtown Phoenix. Jesse Sendejas Jr.
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Thursday, September 28
The Van Buren
Krewella is an electro-house-dub-party-hard duo born from the windy streets of Chicago. And before PETA has a freak out over the act's name (which riffs on the villainess of 101 Dalmatians), they don't kill puppies, but damn can they murder some beats.
Comprised of singer-songwriting sisters Yasmine and Jahan Yousaf, and backed by a variety of producers, this twosome has made a name for themselves over the last few years as a raucous party ambassadors from the planet bass. But their real-life dynamic and genre palette is a lot deeper and more complex than fans might realize. Kat Bein

subset: commoncrawl


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The cost of School catering consultancy
The CaterMap catering consultancy works on an industry-competitive fixed day rate. In addition, we can advise whether your school is eligible for grants or other forms of funding.
Please contact us to discuss our flexible education catering pricing structure. We can provide catering consultancy services ranging from a one-day visit and recommendations report to a full year's complete cover.


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The regular season is about two weeks away, and ESPN has come up with a formula to give baseball stadiums "power rankings." Of the most hitter-friendly parks, the Arizona Diamondbacks' Chase Field ranks third.
After last year, yeah, we're a little surprised, too.
Chase Field was number two in the league for most runs scored last year, which helped boost the ballpark's ranking on the list of hitter-friendly fields. Unfortunately for D-backs fans, most of those runs were scored by the other team, which is why the Rattlers finished last season in the basement of the NL West.
In fact, according to ESPN statisticians, Chase Field has been in the top five in terms of most runs scored for the last five seasons.
The study finds that left-handed sluggers get a small advantage over right-handers in terms of power, despite the dimensions in right-field being four feet deeper than in left.
The Colorado Rockies' Coors Field stands as the most hitter-friendly park because it's practically in outer space.
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Coors Field is exactly one mile above sea-level, and the team's own Web site boasts that a baseball "travels nine percent farther at 5,280 feet than at sea level. It is estimated that a home run hit 400 feet in sea-level Yankee Stadium would travel as far as 440 feet in the Mile High City."
The new Yankee Stadium, despite last year's hissy-fit from Yankee-haters because the Bronx Bombers were hitting home runs at an alarming rate, isn't even in the top five.
Even with the short porch in right field, the new Yankee Stadium is only ranked 10th on ESPN's list of hitter's parks.
Check out ESPN's complete list of hitter-friendly parks here.


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I had the following brief discourse with Tim at http://timzimmermann.com/2011/03/11/could-climate-change-lead-to-world-war/
Tims CV looks impressive, "(I am a Washington-DC based writer, interested in politics, history and adventure. I am a Correspondent for Outside magazine, a former Senior Editor and Diplomatic Correspondent for US News & World Report, and author of The Race (Houghton Mifflin, 2002).", so I though I might get some sense out of him.
Well what I got was somewhat contemptous to put it mildly and he steadfastly refused to attempt to answer any questions at all.
Well here we are Tim, its never too late on my blog, and I always welcome opinions of any sort, provided they are reasonably referenced or have followable logic!
I know some of my comments are used in different places and apologise for the repetition. However I feel that these are important questions and logic.
I have not had anyone attempt to overtly refute them yet.
rogerthesurf permalink March 11, 2011 8:47 pm
Should we act on the climate change information we have been fed?
I think this little post of mine illustrates that dilemma very well.
JV permalink March 12, 2011 12:49 pm
Roger, presuming your supposition that "we've been fed" climate change is accurate, which it isn't, what would be the motivation of all of these "crazed scientists" in doing so? It's obvious that denying climate change benefits industry, and not humanity. Heaven forbid that mankind ask the corporate world to pay for it's toxification of the atmosphere and oceans, or just check itself from destabilizing the global ecosystem. Unless you've been dwelling in a hole in New Zealand, how could you not recognize the climate change even within your own lifespan? I read your blog on the topic. It's not well reasoned, and inaccurate. In the future I recommend you limit your blogging to topics which don't rely upon reason or the scientific method, perhaps fiction.
rogerthesurf permalink March 13, 2011 2:20 am
Thanks for your answer.
I have to suggest though that you read my conversation with Doug and Denise just a little more closely.
First of all, they appear to be well educated scientists. Doug even offered some opinions on the use of the null hypothesis etc., but when faced with questions that ask them the proof of their assertions, according to the scientific rules they have been taught, and no doubt teach, they first of all avoided the question and then fell silent.
Now it is true that, if, reducing CO2 emissions, to the levels demanded by the IPCC, was just a matter of changing your light bulbs and using your bicycle more often, the current "evidence" of Global Warming would suffice. However the cost to us all of meeting the IPCC demands, to an economist, looks absolutely horrendous.
Below is a short analysis that would be fairly obvious to any second year economics student.
"In the absence of sufficient alternative solutions/technologies, the only way western countries can ever attain the IPCC demands of CO2 emissions reduced to 40% below 1990 levels, (thats about 60% below todays) is to machine restrictions on the use of fossil fuels. Emission Trading schemes are an example.
As the use of fossil fuels is roughly linear with anthropogenic CO2 emissions, to attain a 60% reduction of emissions , means about the same proportion of reduction of fossil fuel usage, including petrol, diesel, heating oil, not to mention coal and other types including propane etc.
No matter how a restriction on the use of these is implemented, even a 10% decrease will make the price of petrol go sky high. In otherwords, (and petrol is just one example) we can expect, if the IPCC has its way, a price rise on petrol of greater than 500%.
First of all, for all normal people, this will make the family car impossible to use. Worse than that though, the transport industry will also have to deal with this as well and they will need to pass the cost on to the consumer. Simple things like food will get prohibitively expensive. Manufacturers who need fossil energy to produce will either pass the cost on to the consumer or go out of business. If you live further than walking distance from work, you will be in trouble.
All this leads to an economic crash of terrible proportions as unemployment rises and poverty spreads.
I believe that this will be the effect of bowing to the IPCC and the AGW lobby. AND as AGW is a hoax it will be all in vain. The world will continue to do what it has always done while normal people starve and others at the top, (including energy/oil companies and emission traders) will enjoy the high prices and margins. This is exactly what OPEC has been trying to do for the last 30 odd years!
Neither this scenario nor any analysis of the cost of CO2 emission reductions is included in IPCC literature, and the Stern report which claims economic expansion is simply not obeying economic logic as it is known in todays academic world.
One should not forget the proposed wealth transfers also demanded by the IPCC. These will simply exacerbate the situation severely.
The fact that the emission reduction cost issue is not discussed, leads me to believe that there is a deliberate cover up of this issue. Fairly obviously the possibility of starvation will hardly appeal to the masses.
The above brings us to another point in your answer. "It's obvious that denying climate change benefits industry, and not humanity"
I think you are entirely incorrect there. From the analysis above you can see that the AGW lobby is playing directly into the fossil fuel industries hands.
Why do some scientists promote AGW? Well right or wrong, at the moment supporting AGW is good for your career.
Why does AGW receive support from influential people?
Well one reason could be found at these websites. I am quite sure those names would not be there without permission!
" how could you not recognize the climate change even within your own lifespan?"
I personally have never denied the climate is changing, what is at issue is whether it is anthropogenic.
AGW promoters have cleverly mixed CO2 emissions with other genuine pollution issues. Please do not think because I do not regard CO2 as a pollutant, that I do not share any concern for things like heavy metal pollution, water contamination or even pollution caused by carelessness with oil extraction.
I believe that one should also seperate these in your reasoning rather than accept that AGW is synonymous with with industrial pollution.
" I read your blog on the topic. It's not well reasoned, and inaccurate"
Finally, if you have any issues with my blog, I would appreciate if you point out exactly where any inaccuracies are and if any authority is needed to back up the issue, I am sure I have it at hand.
rogerthesurf permalink March 19, 2011 7:27 pm
Hi Tim,
Thanks for publishing my comment.
I am looking forward to your reply, hope you can publish one soon.


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|Posted: December 4, 2008
American Elements Establishes Green Technology and Alternative Energy R+D Support Department
|(Nanowerk News) American Elements announced it has established a department exclusively to support customer initiatives in the areas of Green Technology & Alternative Energy. A new webpage devoted to understanding the advanced materials essential to Green Technology can now be found at: http://www.americanelements.com/AEgreentechnology.html . Topics include solar power, fuel cells, recyclable materials and sustainable growth.
|Unlike technological waves in recent decades, Green Technology is almost entirely materials science based. Ventures such as Google and Facebook did not rely on advances in materials science for their success. But solar energy panels and pollution-free recyclable automobiles do.
|As a result of the substantial number of customer projects American Elements is currently supporting with technical data, proprietary material production and product commercialization consulting, it has elected to establish a department devoted exclusively to research support functions. The new department will assist customers to understand the state of the art with respect to green and alternative energy materials under investigation.
|The goal of the department is to advance American Elements' pledge to prevent customers from investigating known technological dead ends or "re-inventing the wheel" -- dedicating R&D funds to previously investigated areas.
|For further technical and pricing information on American Elements' green initiative, please contact your local American Elements distributor or American Elements U.S. corporate headquarters at (1)310-208-0551, FAX (1)310-208-0351. American Elements is America's leading manufacturer and supplier of engineered and advanced material products with distribution offices in Europe, Asia and South America.
|Source: American Elements (press release)
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Atlanta has a strong and growing creative economy. Everyday, we meet women who are on the ground working to break down barriers, build community, inspire, inform, and entertain the people of Atlanta through the arts.
For National Women's History Month in March, C4 Atlanta will be curating a Leading Lady blog series celebrating the women in the creative economy of Greater Atlanta. Over the last several weeks, we have asked the public to nominate women in the creative sector who inspire and have positively impacted the Atlanta community through their contributions.
We are proud to introduce the Next Leading Lady for March 2019: Megan Schaeffer
Where do you work and what do you do?
I work at Serenbe, a community south of Atlanta. I am their Art Farm Director and manage art programs ranging from art classes + workshops, gallery exhibitions, to our Art Over Dinner series.
When and how did you first become interested in the arts? How long have you been in your line of work?
I become interested in the arts early in my life. My parents own a small piano company, so growing up I was surrounded by music and art. In high school I was involved mainly in theater and dance, but once I started college I quickly became interested in visual art. My first internship was at Redux Contemporary Art Center in Charleston, SC when I was 19, and since then I've been in the arts management field in some form or another.
What did you want to be or think you were going to be when you grew up?
To be honest, I can't really remember what I wanted to be when I was a kid. I probably wanted to be some sort of dancer – I've always liked to boogey. It's a Schaeffer family thing.
If you could have lunch with any woman from history who would it be and what would you want to talk about?
I know you specify just one woman, but I would like to go to lunch and share a nice bottle of wine with Eleanor Roosevelt and Michelle Obama. I'd like to listen to their conversation about diplomacy, expectations, and legacy. Eleanor was one of the first leading women to champion civil rights publicly, which was not a popular thing to do in her day. I want to be there when they meet each other for the first time. Can you imagine how that would go? That's a fun thing to think about.
Who has been the biggest influence in your life?
My parents and my grandparents.
How is art a passion for you?
Art is a passion for me because I think is important for everyone. The arts help to make sense of the world.
What are your thoughts on equality and the representation of women in the creative workforce?
We're working on it, but we're not nearly there yet. It bothers me immensely that there are so, so many women that work in the arts but when you look at the top positions at major galleries and museums, the majority of those positions are filled by white men.
What most excites you about the arts in Atlanta?
The growth. I've only been here for three years, but even in those three years I have seen more galleries/creative spaces open and more funding allocated to the arts. As compared to the more established (and saturated) NYC or LA, Atlanta wants more and is keen on carving out an international identity. It's only up from here when it comes to the opportunities for artists and creatives.
What do you hope to contribute to the Atlanta arts community with the work you do?
I like when art sells. I like when people care about buying locally made artwork and value that work highly. I like when artists feel like their career is being pushed forward and properly advocated for. Whether that's funding or (the right kind of) exposure that leads to more work, that's what I want.
Where can I learn more about your organization/business and work (websites, social media, etc.)?
Learn more about the Art Farm at Serenbe at www.artfarmatserenbe.com and follow at @artfarmserenbe on Instagram.


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I have frequently been asked about how work actually changes on an Agile project. Here is the first part of what I hope will become a detailed examination of what actually goes on inside an Agile project:
I've been working with a team at a company in New Zealand recently, mentoring and coaching their implementation of Agile practices.
Last week we had a series of workshops to scope and define a new project. This is a major rewrite of all their branch systems, with an SOA link to the core legacy system backend. The basic architecture has already been defined, largely based on the existing technology environment the company works with.
The team consists of project manager, iteration manager, developers, testers, business analysts, the project sponsor (senior manager responsible for the branch network), a branch manager, and four branch staff members– one from head office, three from branches around the country.
We started the workshops with the project sponsor setting the scene – explaining his vision for what the company is trying to achieve. We then used a brainstorming approach to define the key success criteria for the project. Each person wrote their own understanding of their key success criteria for the project on post-it notes which were then stuck onto a flipchart. We grouped and clustered the statements, following which we agreed on the key drivers for the work (which is more important – deliver on time, meet budget, meet functional requirements, meet quality needs …).
Once we had a common understanding of the goals and drivers for the project we spent the bulk of the afternoon of the first day identifying key stakeholders, constraints, assumptions and risks – again using a brainstorming and discussion approach. We ended the day with a set of flipcharts around the room that identified the overall scope of the project, key success criteria, assumptions, constraints and risks (with trigger points and mitigating actions identified for the currently agreed most important risks).
We then defined the key features that the new system needs to have in currently understood priority order. This formed the basis for the next day's discussion about specific features and releases. The second day started by reviewing the wallware from the first session, double checking that we had a common perspective. A number of items were reprioritised at this point as people had pondered them overnight.
We then took each feature in turn and broke it down to the level of user stories. Some of the stories were in the <as a> <i want> <so that> structure, but most were simple one-line statements of high level requirements. We then prioritised the stories and roughly grouped them into three releases.
It is understood that the releases are not fixed, but this is an initial starting point. We focused most of the teams' time on features and qualities which must be delivered in the first release, which has a clear target date. The remaining features have been identified and ordered, but only in a loose fashion – this is expected to change as we actually do the work.
One clear outcome that has already been of benefit is the way expectations have been set. The project sponsor acknowledged that their initial goals were unrealistic, and already expects to either cut scope or spend more money than was originally allocated.
The business analysts have found that their role is largely facilitating the workshops, and asking a lot of "what if" questions. They are also taking responsibility for recording the decisions that are being made in the workshops and keeping the team focused on the task at hand.
The next step is to take the top 10 or so stories and expand them in detail. A workshop has been scheduled, involving the same team for next week. The technical team are setting up environments and doing all the iteration zero tasks in the meantime, so we'll be ready to start work with the workshop.
I'll post another message explaining what happens with the next workshop – we've labelled it "story elaboration" and the intent is to expand on the stories so the team can start work on iteration one immediately after the workshop. The key user representatives will be collocated with the technical team for the duration of the project and there is strong management support, so the project should be set up for success.
Many Thanks to the team – you know who you are 🙂
Posted by Shane Hastie


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Food Safety & Water Safety in an Emergency: How-to
It is important to follow food safety rules when without power. Knowing if tap water is safe during a flood is also critical, for drinking and bathing. Use these expert tips in your emergency kit and be certain food and water is safe in emergencies.Read more


text: Islam is the second major religion in France The differences emerged during a commission on secularity which will decide if new legislation is needed to handle a growing debate over religion in schools. An outcome is expected as early as next month, although a definite date has yet to emerge. Social Affairs Minister Francois Fillon told the panel he was "favourable to a law forbidding the ostentatious wearing of any religious sign". His view, he said, was based on France's strict secular tradition in the public sector and in the interests of integrating immigrants by instilling French values. Secularism But Education Minister Luc Ferry said "to tackle 10 contentious cases a year, it's maybe going a bit overboard to create a specific law". Instead, he and his schools minister, Xavier Darcos, said a future law should "positively affirm the principle of secularism". France's 60-million strong population counts around five million Muslims, and tensions in some schools have risen recently with teachers ordering Muslim girls to take off their scarves or leave the class. Ferry estimated there were around 100 cases a year of disputes in schools over the scarves, with about a dozen of those cases turning into lawsuits. Discrimination He admitted some principals had been handling the issue themselves, without notifying higher authorities, because they understood that "this would create problems for them". In an effort to get around the banning of the scarves in state schools, a private Muslim high school opened in the northern city of Lille this month with 12 students. The six girls in the Lycee Averroes all wear veils. French Muslim groups say the scarf ban is an attack on Islamic culture which alienates Muslims from French society rather than endears them to it. SOURCE: AFP


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Windows 9 Screenshots Leak
Jeremy Tate / 6 years ago
The next version of Microsoft's Windows operating system has long been rumoured – but now fresh Windows 9 screenshots seem to have leaked onto the web, revealing the future of the desktop computer. More than 20 photo's have been shown off from sites WinFuture and ComputerBase – even though it would seem that the photo's are from a "Windows Technical Preview" – they still offer a very good insight as to what's to come.
The Start Menu and Windows taskbar have all received some fairly fresh new design work with new icons and buttons that look like a link to virtual desktop features. Everything seems to have been even further flattened with the design UI language across the board. The virtual desktop is shown off in some of the leaks in later photos, with a handy pane that runs across the bottom of the Windows desktop that enables easy swapping between both the desktop area of the OS and the virtualised system. Big news on top of it all is the inclusion of Metro-style icons hitting the regular desktop.
Things seem to be shaping up rather well for the new operating system, and should hopefully meld together a more refined experience for both business and consumers across devices.
As of writing Microsoft hasn't commented on the leaks.
Image courtesy of WinFuture and ComputerBase.


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Dragging tab across windows glitchy on OS X
Had no probs in previous build (2157 was it?) but now dragging a tab from one window to another can freeze the drag just before it gets to the other tab row. Releasing the mouse then opens a new window. It works eventually, but sometimes takes a few tries.
Customer support service by UserEcho


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Well, it's been a busy week at chez Viridian and I may be heading to bed early. But not before I set up Sunday Stamps # 158.
It's another cold week here in the American Midwest, but not as cold or as snowy as some other areas! I hear some serious storms have made their way through Great Britain.
Let's think about a happy occasion, Chinese New Year, which started on Jan. 31. It gives us a chance to share stamps from China or Taiwan.
This is a stamp showing some beautiful architecture, though I do not know the location. It captures the feeling of many artworks from this great country. Please feel free to join me with any stamp from these two countries.
Theme next week: Hearts and flowers for Valentine's Day (late, of course)
Theme week after that: Anything you wish.
Saturday, February 15, 2014
Sunday Stamps # 158
Posted by viridian at 7:18 PM
Labels: China, Sunday stamps
6 comments:
- Lisa B said...
A very pretty stamp!
- February 16, 2014 at 4:42 AM
- Sheila @ A Postcard a Day said...
It's beautiful!
Yes, we are having really dreadful weather in the UK. Floods and storm force winds. Fortunately I'm not in the flood zone (so far).
- February 16, 2014 at 4:50 AM
- Joy said...
Gorgeous. It looks like a map in the background, wonder if that is a clue to its location. I would have looked it up for you but I can't make out the date under the postal cancel.
- February 16, 2014 at 6:37 AM
- Mail Adventures said...
Reading Chinese is impossible for me, so I always miss a lot of information of Chinese and Taiwanese stamps. However, I find them usually beautiful, as this one.
- February 16, 2014 at 8:36 AM
- agi said...
absolutely wonderful...I also sometimes struggle to find information about the stamps
- February 16, 2014 at 10:41 AM
- Heleen said...
It's beautiful!
And so nice to see so many different stamps on all blogs!
- February 16, 2014 at 2:54 PM
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Back to Balance Massage & Bodyworks
About Us
Balance is the key to good health and is the ''art of feeling good''. It can be very challenging to manage when the external and internal body is in overload and out of balance. My personal daily practice is life consists of Yoga, Meditation, and a constant assessment and maintenance of daily activities to keep this balance in check. This includes many factors, just to name a few; diet, environment, exercise, MASSAGE and the proper rest. This is so important in maintaining the health of the human body system, and is extremely important for human survival, existence in our society, environment and fast paced lifestyles we live today. I am a very simple person and live a very simple life. I look forward to helping you achieve your goals, so you too can achieve peace, happiness, health and serenity that every human being deserves. I want to share my services and experiences using these ancient healing methods by incorporating them into my massage and bodywork techniques. My goal is to help you achieve balance in your life. Available by appointment only - Swedish Massage, Deep Tissue, Vedic Thai Yoga Massage, Trigger Point Therapy, Lymphatic Drainage Massage, Acupressure, Chinese Cupping, Tui Na, Fibromyalgia and Aromatherapy. Cyndi L. Singh, LMBT NC License 10630 - GA License MT007282


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Multi-Touch Screen
The interfaces between people and technology have always interested me. It's also a critical part of my work as a web designer. And when I watch movies, it's interesting to see what kinds of fictional "shinies" and other gimmicks people have come up with to portray the future of interface technologies. For the most part, the graphical wonders that have come out of Hollywood are dumb, useless, or strickly plot-driven in their design. But every now and then, I see a creation that is thoroughly thought-out, and beautifully rendered. And then, I turn around and find some aspects of these fictional technologies beginning to be realized.
Seeing the Multi-Touch Interaction Research demo video made me very happy today. Watch the entire video. It's well worth it.
People are finally beginning to build technology that can truly take advantage of all ten of our fingers. Mainstream technology (in the form of the mouse pointer) is essentially a single "finger" on our screen. It can be a very slow and annoying experience to work with just a mouse. In fact, the "ancient" technology of the keyboard is still much faster, especially in the hands of a talented keyboard jockey. Stylus technology, such as Wacom's excellent tablet lines, are a step up. In some cases, I'm faster with a digital pen than I am with a mouse. And check out this video of a master artist working magic on a Wacom Cintiq. It's amazing. But these devices and applications still represent a single point of contact.
The Multi-Touch project is one of multiple projects that are beginning to break out of this model. How soon until we start seeing implementations akin to those shown in such movies as Minority Report and The Island? I don't know about you, but I can't wait.


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- 2019 Consultation
- FAQs
- Experiences
- Groups and Meetings
- Legal
- Publications
- Articles
- Supplies and Resources
- 2014 Consultation
2014 Consultation - latest updates here, introduction here.
The five boards closed five consultations on one document on the 27th June 2014 - a new policy they hoped to implement throughout Northern Ireland. The policy now under consultation includes many requirements outside the Board's legal powers, including:
- entry into the home without suspicion of wrong doing
- access to the child
- limits on the parents legal duty to provide an education including delays to deregistration and restrictions on the form of education provided
A legal challenge could be mounted were the Education Authority ever to try and impose such a policy. As the law stands at present, there is no power for this type of rule to be implemented by means of local consultation. These changes cannot be brought in without going through the full legislative process first.
We are hopeful that having abandoned the initial draft and having engaged with HEdNI in the Working Group on new guidance, we will see the release of constructive and legally accurate guidance by September 2017.


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About 5 Guys Named Moe, Inc.
"Vision is the art of seeing what is invisible to others."
— Jonathan Swift
At 5 guys named Moe, our legacy is important to us. We're proud to be celebrating our 31st year in business.
Since our founding in 1987 by Seth Krugliak - who has over 38 years of advertising, marketing, film, television and New Media experience and who still heads up the company - we have been the entertainment industry's leading creative boutique.
We have always approached creative, post and production in a decidedly innovative way. Our resulting depth of experience, creative staff and proven proprietary process allow us to successfully complete projects, on time and on budget.
5 Guys Named Moe has always run on the principle of custom tailoring its workflow to precisely fit what each client specifically needs. In doing so, we offer our clients the ability to be more creative, in an environment which is unique, efficient and cost-effective.
Our vision of working together with our clients, as partners, producing the highest quality entertainment possible, is what drives us.
Get in touch with us using our contact form to discuss rates, scheduling and more.


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Dance, little ponies, dance! It's late at night, when even cultured ponies like darling Octavia let their manes down and just have fun making tweety noises with whistle. Tweet on, little Octavia. Tweet on. Hello again, everyone! After a few days hiatus to recover from an accident, I, your gracious blogprincess, have returned to oversee this event through its final stages. Did you miss me? I missed you! I see you've left me a welcome back gift in the form of 359 ponies of the night. How do you always know just what I wanted? Adding them to the collection, I see a total of 14002 images. I... am going to need a bigger fridge.
To submit for Day 24 take out your handy little mouse or touchpad and click that helpful link right there. He'll show you just where to go. Hyaah! Ha! See, it's funny because... oh, nevermind. To ask any questions or smack me (gently, please) for that reference, find me at [email protected].
Our last theme was all about ponies in the night, but what were they really up to? Ms. Heartstrings, where were you last evening at 11 pm, and why are your hooves covered with ash? Do you really expect me to believe that house caught fire all by itself? Well all right then. Draw a pony with a secret/Draw a pony master thief.
Suddenly, we're onto the gallery. I am the night! It seems there are a lot of eyeballs floating in darkness tonight. I can't be sure, but I gave you all the benefit of the doubt and assumed those eyes were attached to ponies. It'd be pretty scary if they weren't! Let's... not keep thinking about disembodied eyes. Disemponied eyes? I dunno. The point is, I really need to say thank you to Calpain for taking over this event and keeping it running smoothly while I was down and out and unable to do so myself. It hurt me not to be able to keep pace with all of you, but at least you were all able to keep submitting and keep pushing yourselves on in my absence. We're in the final week now, so foward! As a team!Saturday, August 25, 2012 op 12:00 AM
Labels: Art, Community, Event, Not-Fanfiction
Newbie Artist Training Grounds II: Day 24


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[Kid #1]: What you doing on our turf punk?
[Kid #2]: I got a message for Smokey
[Kid #1]: Give it
[Kid #2]: You Smokey, man?
[Kid #1]: Give it!
[Kid #2]: If you ain't Smokey it ain't your motherfucking message
[Kid #1]: Motherfucker, I said give me the message!
[Kid #2]: It's from Willie, in the slam
[Kid #3]: Nigga, you been busted?
[Kid #2]: Yeah, the man picked me up
[Kid #3]: Well, I ain't got no fucking time to play with you. Now Give me the message
[Kid #2]: Willie's in Warwick - doing one to three. Told me to tell y'all motherfucking to keep cool. He be out one way or another, quick. Maybe I can stick around for a while?
[Kid #3]: No that's out man! You know. What could we The lords do with a punk like you!?
[Kid #2]: Kiss my ass, motherfucker
[Kid #4]: Burn him!
[Kid #2]: Just me and you, motherfucker, just me and you! I put trademarks around your fucking eye!
[Verse 1: Raekwon]
Yo, Gambino niggas who swipe theirs
Deluxe rap cavaliers
Midgets who steal beers, give 'em theirs
Sit back jollyin'
My team be gaming like Three-card Molly and
Drug Somalians pollying
Mittens raps they crocheting
A-yo Iron, these niggas portraying
But haven't been paying
For real, slide on these niggas like a fresh pair
Caesar fade style, usually tuck grenade
Throw a blade, fuck getting laid
Guzzle this shit like Gatorade
Day to day Wallies half leather, half-suede
Connecting with the high stylist, dun
Light up a chalice
I run with nothing but the wildest, foulest
Come on now, long-dick style
Niggas on the hit out, ay yo Iron bite my shit out
Eventually, bust a rap gun mentally
Been doing this a century kid, just meant to be
Get on your knees and bless me with a gem in the Caribbean
Skiin' off white BM
Snatch Canadian cream with Scandinavians
Palladium style, play it like thirty-two Arabians
The greatest lesson is don't owe, you might get stole on
When I go bury me with velour on
[They come to me, and understand, just let me get mines first. Then after I
Get mines, y'all can do what y'all wanna do. Fuck 'em up bad]
[Verse 2: Ghostface]
'Sho 'nuff, hit the Bank and thrust
Wu Nauticas Jamie Sommer got trained on the tour bus
We upgrade, swallow raw eggs, read the label
Hitting white-label, left the Winnebago unstable
Smooth sailing, walked in, my Earth start kneeling
Started stealing, I'm too ill, see we're grilling at the parlay
Kicked up, mack, max motion
Michael Bolton magazine quote, I'm too potent
Louisville mix pain kill rap
Fuck benadryl the violin in 'Knowledge God' sounded ill
Tremendously obnoxious, no blotches
My telephone watch'll leave bartenders topless
Dead arm the prosecutor, smack the juror
Me and my girl'll run like Luke and Laura
We sit back on Malayan islands
Sipping mixed drinks out of broke coconut bowls, we wilding
[Chorus: Raekwon]
Sit back jollyin' (ah-ha, ah-ha, ah-ha, ah-ha)
Sit back jollyin' (ah-ha, ah-ha, ah-ha, ah-ha)
Sit back jollyin'
My team be gamin' like three card Rolly an'
Drug Somalians pollyin'
Sit back jollyin'
My team be gamin' like three card Rolly an'
Drug Somalians pollyin'
Sit back
[Verse 3: Cappadonna]
Deep meditation sound orientated, war the blizzard
Rap paramedical the wizard
Cappadonna, never catering to none
My microphone and three verse weigh a ton of slaughter
You order five thousand back across the water
My laboratory story keep me flowing with the glory
Acapella or deep dirty instrumental
I could blow the sky like the stormy wind blew
One gallon of wilding, Park Hill profiling
I cut your face a Buck 50 sure why you smiling?
For violating my position
I leave you smoked like a crackhead on a mission
Two tokes of mic dope, one stroke of elegance
Rated like the movie graphic told intelligence
Person to person, it'd be hard for you to take a trophy
You better off to get somebody out to try to smoke me
Cause I'm PLO TKO every day
Dancehall General, Party Fanatic Colonel
Cappadonna son'a old school Disco Inferno
Veteran for rapping with the new set of Wu the hard rapping
Ninety-six jive, I keep the live crowd clapping
When I bow, all praises due to Staten Isle
I spark the mic and Shaolin spark the methtical
Every evening, I have a by myself meeting
Thinking who's gonna be the next to catch a beating
From my mental slanging, bitching rap twist the point of warfare
I brutalize, all competition catch hell here
Chance him, that's what they said, threw up a ransom
I jacked it, stripped the beat naked and packed it
Gimme my rewards
[The way I, the way I wanna get 'em. I want 'em gotten. I want 'em layin'
Out. I want 'em gotten. Cause niggas need to be got. He need to be
Taken off of here. That's right.]
The opening track from Iron Man sets the tone for the album. Soul samples, gangster narratives, and unconventional metaphors (which Ghost would develop even further on his next album with head-scratchers like "Nutmeg").


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Reviews For Wigwam Socks F2337 057
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Average Customer Review
This Product:
Wigwam Socks: F2337 057 Charcoal Merino Wool Silk Hiking Socks
3 out of 3 people found this product review helpful.
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By: George P Busnack
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Was this review helpful To you?


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Day CampsKids Club | Before & After School Care
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The Mission of Nipomo Recreation Association is to enhance the quality of life for all residents of the Greater Nipomo Area by providing diverse and quality recreation programs, services, athletic opportunities, and facilities in direct response to the needs of the Nipomo community.


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Lead end user
How people volunteer to keep their community safe from natural hazards is changing. As our work and life commitments change, many people do not have the time to dedicate to traditional ways of volunteering with an emergency service, undergo the required training and develop the ability to respond to potentially dangerous situations. But they still want to help, and they still want to volunteer.
This completed project has investigated current and emerging issues around volunteering and volunteers responding to disaster events, and the different factors that can influence people's participation in non-traditional emergency volunteering. Utilisation is now in progress.
Research team:
This new project began in July 2017, and has two parts: Adapting the sector, led by Dr Blythe McLennan, and Changing management practice, led by Dr Patrick Dunlop.
Resources credited
|Key Topics
|24 May 2019
|EVN webinar three - mobilising spontaneous volunteers: recent experiences
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|communication, emergency management, volunteering
|15 Sep 2017
|AFAC17 - Day 2 wrap up
|Save (0 bytes)
|communication, emergency management, multi-hazard


text: Oh man! Ad-blocking software has been detected! :'( This website is run by the community, for the community... and it needs advertisements in order to keep running. Blocking our ads means your killing our stats! Please disable your ad-block, or become a premium member to hide all advertisements and this notice. Hey all, I just posted up in the introduction area about looking to get back into IT after 6/7 years. I used to run a main rig (looks like GFX card is dead?) and a cheap server (CPU fan was dangling off the CPU) Both machines are 8 - 10 years old when 8GB ram was Valhalla! I have an iiyama 19inch monitor which still works . I want to start down the new MCSE route and so will need to build some VM labs but I don't know what a modern machine for VM labing using windows 10 and the newest version of server should look like? Any pointers? Ive always built my own machines. I stopped gaming along time ago but wouldn't mind it under the consideration as well. I have a mac book air but I think all it can handle is a cheese toastie. Thanks,


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The following entry may contain triggering material.
I got this deer-patterned, silver-glitter covered, pocket notebook because it reminded me of the Darren (who I spell Darene but pronounce the same.) A thought occurred to me that this could be my liary, a diary for lies. I'd originally gotten the idea from Catherine MacCoun's On Becoming an Alchemist, in the chapter dedicated to the procedure of Separation and encounters with threshold guardians, or Adversaries. Should a questant continue to have an Adversary turn them away from the threshold, the advice went:
keep a "falsehood journal." Each night, just before going to bed, record in this journal every single lie you've told since you woke up. Include the little white ones meant to spare others' feelings or grease the wheels (…) and pay special attention to the lies you have told yourself. Don't attempt to rationalize or excuse them and don't castigate yourself about them either. Simply write them down. If you're thorough, you won't need to persist long with the exercise. It provokes a very swift response.
Every falsehood I personally clear gets me further away from the humiliation of discovering that I wasn't the product of cutting-edge reproductive technology but a common bastard all along, a lifetime of abuse and gaslighting from the home I ran away from fourish/fiveish years ago, and that geis I broke. I'd figured out the heartwrenching joy of getting the truth out, long before I got the notebook. If I've been obnoxious, destructive, or a bore about it—I've told you what's behind me.
Oh, I still found something to write in it. Access to the university library without a student identification card was easy enough if I claimed alumne status. The security guard didn't get in trouble for waving me through…I hope…but when I wanted to reserve or check out a book, and explained the truth to the librarians in the attempt, it was hardly encouraging that they didn't know what to do with an independent researcher, unaffiliated with any organization, who'd been schooled abroad, and dropped out before even starting a higher education. After some hollering back and forth, because it was a very large library and it wouldn't do for them to crowd in one section (but, hollering! in a library! from librarians! what's sacred anymore?) they charged me an affordable fee and informed me that their library was usually only open to non-student researchers two days a week. So now I know better.
As it turned out, or at least what I felt nudged toward when I tried to write that in…the Darrenesque called for an omission lie more—at least from me, at this instance, a specific one, I think.
I'm not getting better.
I'm clinically insane, mentally ill. I ran away from the so-called support system that was a constant trigger for the worst of it, but was the only even nominal support system I'd have. I work contracts: freelance writing and illustration, or managing a merchandise table, or working a ticket booth for events. I don't have the education, the skills, to find sustainable work that will keep myself off the streets. I loathe depending on connections so far into my twenties, but that's what I've been doing, and each of those have only lasted for as long as each connection didn't know—
I'm never going to be okay.
Leaving my abusive birth family didn't free me, it's ruined me—and I will not go back, because I'm insane. And unintelligently much happier in the ruins compared to living with rich abusers. And I refuse to. My life depends on organization and regularity that I evidently couldn't develop if my life depended on it, ignoring overwhelming pains that hardly anyone else believes even exists or concerns them (unless I trouble some specialist of a frivolous and expensive field of medicine), working through fatigue and lack of clarity with a determination that I never have because I just want to end it all, all the time.
Nobody I lean on is a temporary crutch, because I'm not healing, I'm doomed. By now that initial loathing has melted into normalcy.
Whether I take you down with me or not, I'm doomed.
Don't write it, the Darrenesque seemed to say, as my head lanced with the pain and distress of all those realizations, and my pen hovered over a blank page. Say it aloud. To someone who it'd change everything to hear it.
Dare you.
Double dare you.
Double-deer dare you—
"I'm not getting better," I told my roommate, whose family paid for my plane ticket to and from their home in the south this summer, who'd themself been covering for the rent and bills and groceries five out of ten months this year, and nine out of twelve months last year (and now that I look at that, I guess I'm getting incrementally better, at a glacial pace, but that's no good,) on a salary not meant to support more than one person and that they juggle with taking a Master's degree and general health complications—most recently, psychiatric.
"That's okay," they replied.
The ensuing conversation was more elaborate and private than that. Certainly the situation is complicated by said roommate's sympathy to mental illness (they'd been more of the attitude that "you don't need meds I'm not buying for you unlike food we need, you just need bootstraps," until this month) as well as some potential political stability. (Not instability, instability is fine for a region within a volcanic range and on a fault line and in a typhoon belt.) (Seriously, though, roomie's moving to Canada if this gets worse oh hey wouldja look at that it's getting worse; I am not going with them, I'm a tropical creature who's heard horrifying legends of hailstones, and besides I wasn't invited.)
At least, I can end on my own response to my roommate's response: "Wait, what?"


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|Rediff India Abroad Home | All the sections
EC to visit UP, Bihar to review poll arrangements
March 03, 2009 20:58 IST
Gearing up the machinery ahead of the general elections, the full Election Commission will visit Uttar Pradesh [Images] and Bihar this week to review the poll readiness in these two key states in the Hindi heartland which together accounts for 120 seats.
Chief Election Commissioner N Gopalaswami [Images] and the two election commissioners Navin Chawla [Images] and S Y Quraishi will be leaving for Lucknow on Wednesday evening for getting first hand account of the preparations in UP.
They will review the arrangements with senior civil and police officials in Patna on Friday.
Uttar Pradesh, which has the maximum of 80 seats, will have five-phased polls while Bihar will go to the elections in four stages. The EC has announced a five phased polling on April 16, 23, 30, May 7 and 13 to elect the 543-member House.
In UP, the EC, apart from meeting senior state government officials, is also likely to hold a separate meeting with the chief secretary and director general of police, official sources said.
They are expected to meet the chief electoral officer on Wednesday, while on Thursday the EC team will meet the district magistrates and senior district police officials.
In the wake of state-wide review, all the DMs, commissioners, superintendents of police and deputy inspector generals of police have been summoned to Lucknow.


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Instrumental Variables Methods in Experimental Criminological Research: What, Why, and How?
NBER Technical Working Paper No. 314
Quantitative criminology focuses on straightforward causal questions that are ideally addressed with randomized experiments. In practice, however, traditional randomized trials are difficult to implement in the untidy world of criminal justice. Even when randomized trials are implemented, not everyone is treated as intended and some control subjects may obtain experimental services. Treatments may also be more complicated than a simple yes/no coding can capture. This paper argues that the instrumental variables methods (IV) used by economists to solve omitted variables bias problems in observational studies also solve the major statistical problems that arise in imperfect criminological experiments. In general, IV methods estimate the causal effect of treatment on subjects that are induced to comply with a treatment by virtue of the random assignment of intended treatment. The use of IV in criminology is illustrated through a re-analysis of the Minneapolis Domestic Violence Experiment.
Supplementary materials for this paper:
Machine-readable bibliographic record - MARC, RIS, BibTeX
Document Object Identifier (DOI): 10.3386/t0314
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I have long heard about the deplorable conditions many North Koreans live in, and Supreme Leader Kim Jong-un's twisted nuke loving attitude. But North Korean itself has remained elusive, because we are shown only carefully chosen images of "real" life in that country. Krys Lee's How I Became a North Korean gave me an inside look at three people trying at all costs to get to the safety of South Korea through China.
The trials of characters Yongju, Jangmi and Danny are compelling and heart wrenching. This trio's shared quest for escape & freedom fortunately finds them together. Of particular interest to me was Jangmi who had to use her good looks to get by in her sad, desperate life in North Korea. The double edged sword that is her beauty lead her to be in the lowest, most victimizing situation she could be in. The emotional and physical chaos she goes through is painful to read, but it kept me hoping for her eventual escape.
Lee's fluid writing style is a joy to read, and she is able to depict three very different points of view with ease. For a truly unique and educational read told by distinct perspectives, How I Became a North Korean is surely it.
I received How I Became a North Korean in a Goodreads Giveaway.
Until next time,


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Building the first human village in space will require extensive research and development. These R&D activities can be commercialized and provide streams of revenue to sustain the business until in-space construction of the village becomes feasible. That is, when human space transportation is cheap, safe and frequent.
The first R&D activity to be considered is indoor agriculture. High-intensity indoor
agriculture is a fast-growing industry that generates more revenue per acre than conventional farming. Specifically, "indoor horticulture is about 4000 times more productive than conventional outdoor commodity farming." However, indoor agriculture still requires lots of inputs: fertilizer, water and lots of lots of electricity. According to the report linked above, indoor farmers cite "keeping operating costs down" as their number one operational challenge. This represents an opportunity. If the Space Village Company (we'll have to think of a better name eventually!) can offer products and services to help indoor farmers better control their operating costs it may see a steady stream of revenue.
Why would a Space Village Company perform R&D on indoor agriculture? Because villagers in space need to eat! And drink and breathe… What I mean is that because of their very large sizes and populations space villages cannot rely on traditional aerospace life support to sustain themselves. Today and in the past space stations relied exclusively on mechanical systems to clean the air and water. And all the food was and is shipped up on rockets, which is very expensive. Plus the food is not very good. Space villages will need to use self-regenerating biological infrastructure to provide robust, high-capacity life support systems as well as provide enough tasty food for the villagers to eat.
By improving on todays indoor agriculture technology and refining it for use in a space village, the Space Village Company will develop goods and services that can then be cycled back into the terrestrial indoor agriculture market to reduce operating costs for indoor farmers.
I've already started working with Bryce Meyer and his remarkable four-module space farm architecture to advance this idea. He's already tested components of the farm at a workbench scale and the initial results are promising. Portions of his architecture could be used as more efficient CO2 generators in indoor farms, or as stand-alone production modules themselves (e.g. for algae production or aquaculture – see the nearby illustration of the aquaponics module). My goal in 2018 is to work with Bryce and others to obtain some grant funding or perhaps even private investment monies to construct an end-to-end demonstration farm using all four modules.


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In-network insurances:
Oxford, GHI, United Healthcare, Medicare, HealthNetView all in-network insurances (5)Hide insurances
Dr. Darius Kohan is a graduate of New York University School of Medicine and was board certified as an otolaryngologist in 1990 following completion of his residency training at the same institution. He acquired specialized advanced training in Otology and Neurotology (disease of the ear and surgical/medical management) during his fellowship at New York University Medical Center. Currently, Dr. Kohan is Associate Clinical Professor of Otolaryngology at New York University School of Medicine, Director of Otology/Neurotology at Lenox Hill Hospital/Manhattan Eye, Ear, and Throat Hospital (MEETH), Medical Co-Director of the Center for Communication (the former League for the Hard of Hearing), and voluntary attending surgeon at New York Eye and Ear Infirmary. Dr. Kohan is involved in educating medical students and residents at these institutions. In addition, he is involved in several research projects in Otology/Neurotology.
Otolaryngology, Otolaryngology - Neurotology


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Dr. Greg Frost graduated from Seton Hall HS in 1967. He attended Mt. St. Mary's College where he attained a Bachelor of Science degree in Biology and then went on to Georgetown School of Dentistry. He graduated with a DDS degree from Georgetown in 1976.
In 1972 he married Patricia Burke of Sayville and together have two children, Allison and James. Both are graduates of the University of Redlands in California.
Dr. Frost started his practice of general dentistry in Westhampton Beach in 1978. For seven years he worked part time in the Riverhead Correctional Facility from 1978 to 1985. From 1989 to 1991 he also worked as a part time Clinical Associate Professor at SUNY Stony Brook.
As a strong advocate for up to date technology, Dr Frost continues to further his dental education thru continuing education courses. He is currently on the Westhampton Beach Board of Education http://www.westhamptonbeach.k12.ny.us and a Trustee of the East End Health Plan http://www.eehp.org
Important Links:
American Dental Association
FAQ – a link to ADA FAQ
NY State Dental Society
Suffolk County Dental Society


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Bring the magic of the Goddess into your life.
A stunning pewter pocket blessing charm, each with one of 7 different inscriptions. You never know what blessing, your Charm of Avalon will have in store for you. Each blessing is chosen by us at the time of order fulfillment meant to enhance and bring joy to your day. Carry a reminder that the the Goddess has given you a message and carry it with you through these lovely pocket charms.
Blessings on the reverse side include:
Love, Joy, Courage, Protect, Dream, Abundance, and Seek Spirit
Size is approximately 1".
Proudly made in the USA.
High Quality Pewter with NO pot metals.
Additional Details


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Swim Far Far Away
"A feeling of exultation overtook her, as if some power of significant import had been given her to control the working of her body and her soul. She grew daring and reckless, overestimating her strength. She wanted to swim far out, where no women had swum before" (X, 47).
Throughout life we have all come across a moment when we seek to discover our identity and what our purpose is in life. We strive to uncover what we want to do with our lives and what the future holds for us. Our minds are filled with questions and decisions that make us realize how hard life is.
This was quite the case for the protagonist Edna Pontellier in the famous novel, The Awakening, by Kate Chopin. The novel portraits Edna as a young wife who searches to figure out her true identity in the mist of falling in love with another man other than her husband. She is wrapped around her desire to be with Robert at times as well as being alone and free from everyone surrounding her. In fact, in the schema of spending a summer at Grand Isle, Edna realized that, "…she was seeing with different eyes and making the assimilation of new conditions in herself that colored and changed her environment…" (XIV 67). She begins to discover the meaning of who she is and what she really wants in life. We can all relate to this, especially during our teen years because we are growing and learning more about what we want and who we want in our lives.
However, as the story continues, Edna loses hope in ever finding her soul purpose in life, when she recognizes that Robert is moving to Mexico without having consented with her before hand. As soon as he leaves, she falls in a deeper hole of confusion with her life and digs deeper into living farther and farther away from her precious kids and her dull husband. In fact, "there were days when she was unhappy, she did not know why — when it did not seem worth while to be glad or sorry, to be alive or dead, when life appeared to her like a grotesque pandemonium and humanity like worms struggling blindly toward inevitable annihilation" (97). She lost hope and found no light at the end of the tunnel.
This similar feeling that Edna felt as she struggles to discover her identity can be seen in each and everyone one us at some point in our lives. Whether it be figuring out our true love, where we would like to attend college, and much more. With all these decisions we are constantly thinking of what will benefit us in the long run and as we take a step forward, we end up falling back into a deeper hole of confusion. Above all what we learn about these moments in our lives is not the frustration, but the fact that we realize how hard life can be.We begin to acknowledge that life is not a piece of cake, but instead a jungle full of triumphs and struggles in which we learn to uncover reality.
Furthermore as the story proceeds we learn of Edna's somber death. Although much controversy has been talked about the ending of the novel with the fact that it is too ambiguous, I believe that the ending served a much greater purpose for each and everyone of us. For me it meant that Edna had finally awakened from her dream; she was flustered with finding her true identity and being confused, but at the end she was at peace with herself.
Additionally, just how Edna struggled with finding out her true self, I felt the same way when trying to make my final college decision. I was between Chapman, UCR, and UCI. Each day before May 1st I was tormented with the decision I had to make because I was afraid of making a mistake. I knew that if I went to Chapman I would encounter smaller classes, a one to one contact with my teachers, and an amazing campus, which I loved from the first time I stepped onto the campus. If I went to UCR however I would make my dream become reality because I would dorm with my best friend whom I left sophomore year when I transferred schools. Since middle school we had promised that we would attend the same college and now that I had the chance to do so, it wasn't such an easy decision. Each night I asked myself if I was ready to leave my family and move out to start my own life. This was one aspect that tormented me each night because my family mean the world to me; I am so close to them that it would hurt me if I wouldn't see them each day for at least an hour. Finally, if I went to UCI, I was afraid of the larger classes, the fact that I wouldn't be with my best friend, and how big the campus would be. However, this was the only school where I wouldn't be on debt because I wouldn't dorm there at least for the first year….
Although this was a tremendously hard decision for me, I simply asked God to help me with this situation and let it be his will to let me make the right decision. After much deliberation and headaches, I made my final choice this week…. I chose UCI because it was closer, more convenient, and most importantly it was better for my major, which is psychology. Despite, my decision my mind continues to linger with sadness of not being able to attend such an amazing school such as Chapman or the fact that I won't be with my best friend for college. We have promised one another that we will talk to each other once a week on the phone, go visit one another, and continue to grow our friendship as the years go by.
This decision was one of the hardest ones I have made in life, but it showed me that life is full of surprises; that sometimes we just have to accept what God places in front of us because he will never give us a task we can't complete. I also realized that now as I am growing up and starting to begin new chapters in my life, I will have to encounter more of these decisions on my own. And even if I do make a mistake, I only hope to learn from them so that in the future I don't commit them again.
I would love to hear your guys opinions (:
Quote: "Be Brave! God gives his hardest battles to his bravest soldiers." -Unknown
"One of the hardest parts of life is deciding whether to walk away or try harder." -Unknown


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If there is one thing I am absolutely fabulous at, it is ruining a perfect piece of meat. I don't know what goes wrong but I am often left with something slightly rubbery or overcooked, nothing like what is served at the fancy steakhouses. Another thing I might add- I do not give up. So from time to time I do come across a piece of meat or a method that really works for me.
I've mentioned that I am not a big meat eater for many reasons, one of which was the removal of my gall bladder about 6 years ago. When I cook meat, it is enjoyed by my husband and him only. This specific dish got a big thumbs up from him and he also pretty much demanded I share the ingredient list with the rest of you. It's also heavily reduced in calorie what with the easy mushroom wine sauce and cauliflower mash and takes under 30 minutes to prepare. So here at last is the recipe:
Steak Marsala with Herbed Cauliflower Mash
2 chuck eye or any thin cut steaks (about 1/2 inch thick)
salt and pepper to taste
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 large shallot
1 clove garlic
1 cup sliced white mushrooms, stems included
1/4 cup white wine or marsala wine
1/4 cup chicken broth or beef stock
Cauliflower Mash:
1 small fresh head cauliflower, chopped into large florets
1 teaspoon fresh or dried parsley
1/2 tsp. garlic powder
1/2 tsp. onion powder
salt and pepper to taste
1. Heat olive oil over high heat. Sprinkle both sides of steak with salt and pepper. Add steaks to heated pan and cook for about a minute or so on each side or until browned. If you prefer it well done, cook for a half a minute longer. Transfer the pieces of steak to a plate.
2. Add the mushrooms, garlic and shallot to same pan used to brown meat. Allow to saute' and cook through for about 2-3 minutes. Add white wine to pan and let it cook out and reduce to about half. Then add chicken stock and allow that to thicken and bubble and reduce a bit as well for about 3 more minutes.
4. Prepare the cauliflower. Heat 2-3 cups of water in a pot over decently high heat. Add a bit of salt to the water and once bubbling add the cauliflower in for about 10-12 minutes or until slightly softened. Allow to cool then place in blender or food processor and blend to a mashed consistency. Add salt, pepper, parsley, garlic powder and onion powder and mix well.
5. Put steaks back in pan with the mushroom marsala sauce and heat for another minute and then remove to serving plate.
6. Lay cauliflower mash down in the plate first. Lay the steaks down slightly overlapping the mash. Spoon the mushroom marsala sauce over the meat generously and add some of the liquid over the top of the cauliflower as well. Serve immediately.
I really hope you will give my steak marsala with herbed cauliflower mash recipe a try! Don't forget to leave me a comment below letting me know what it was like if you do! And feel free to tag me on Instagram or post your photo on my facebook page as well.
Thanks so much for stopping in!
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