text:
Angry About Partisan Gridlock in Washington? Blame the States.
By using redistricting to protect incumbents and reduce the number of truly competitive legislative races, many states have set the stage for all the nasty battles playing out in Congress.
Fed up with nonstop congressional gridlock? You're not alone. A recent poll showed Americans had a higher opinion of root canals, head lice, cockroaches, Brussels sprouts, Genghis Khan and colonoscopies than of Congress. And that was before the government shutdown.
At the height of this fall's embarrassing crisis, the New York Daily News ran the headline, "D.C. cess-pols shut down government," to which The Washington Post responded, "The problem with that funny headline: These pols aren't from D.C." One Post writer went on to remind America, "You sent these wackos here."
The sad part is that these "wackos" don't need to worry much about being sent back home. In the 2012 races, 90 percent of members of the U.S. House of Representatives and 91 percent of members of the U.S. Senate won re-election. As John J. Pitney Jr., a Claremont McKenna College political scientist, told a reporter, "It wasn't a 'throw the bums out' election, it was a 'throw the bums in' election." The re-election rate in the House would have been even higher if redistricting hadn't pushed 13 House members into races against other incumbents.
Once elected to the House, it's hard for most members to lose. The Washington Post's Chris Cillizza found that 29 percent of House Republicans and an astounding 51 percent of House Democrats won their 2012 races with at least 67 percent of the vote. That means that 38 percent of the members of the House have little to fear at election time. The result, Cillizza says, is that "the incentive to cooperate with the other side and find bipartisan solutions is almost nil."
Who is to blame for so many members of Congress in super-safe seats and facing very few tight races? The roots of this imbalance run right back to state capitols. Drawing the boundaries for federal races is a state responsibility, and they're the product of intense state-level politics. It's a case where conflict flows uphill.
Within the states, redistricting varies widely. Seven states have it easy—they have just one representative to the House. Six other states rely on commissions to draw the boundaries. And in the rest, the legislature is in charge, and that's where most of the fireworks happen, especially after the once-a-decade Census starts the line drawing.
With the rise of personal computers, redistricting increasingly is a game anyone can play. All players have to do is download Census data—which they can do down to the block level—and then choose their favorite software (autoBound and DistrictBuilder are available for free) to create any kind of district. It's easy to punish your enemies and reward your friends.
Redistricting wars are nothing new, of course. In 1812, The Boston Gazette attacked Gov. Elbridge Gerry for drawing an especially contorted state senate district. At the time, the district was likened to a salamander, and thus the term "gerrymandering" was born. With sophisticated computer software, it's far easier to "gerrymander" districts, block by block, to protect incumbents and reduce the number of truly competitive legislative races. And that's just what many states have done, setting the stage for all these nasty congressional battles over the budget.
Redistricting has made many Republican districts redder. Most of the Tea Party Republicans who forced Speaker John Boehner into a conservative corner are in super-safe seats with constituents cheering them on. And redistricting has similarly put many Democrats in districts that are only getting bluer.
Of course, it's much too simple to blame redistricting for the mess in Washington. For one, there are much deeper schisms at work. Racial and ethnic polarization is growing. Of the votes Mitt Romney received in 2012, nine of 10 came from white voters. Meanwhile, the Democrats have built up their base among Hispanics and have maintained their hold on black voters. Another schism is the growing separation of presidential politics from congressional races, which led the nation to re-elect a Democratic president while keeping Republicans in control of the House. Bridges between the president and Congress have crumbled, and recent battles haves only deepened the partisan polarization. The government shutdown also revealed a huge gap between the parties on the role of government itself.
These forces have made it harder to govern, and redistricting has only worked to shrink the incentives for both parties to compromise. Safe seats don't necessarily lead to extreme politics but, as political scientist Alan Abramowitz asked a reporter, "How do you build a coalition from the center out when there's no one in the middle?"
Redistricting in the states has helped erase the center and reinforce the extremes. In fact, the gridlock in Washington is simply the reflection of polarization in the states, and the recent budgetary escapades have only made it worse. We'll be able to govern in Washington again—but only when the states become more united.


text:
My daughter ran over to my neighbors house (Thanks Molly!) to get me a tomato this morning and when I opened the door I was taken aback by the wet feeling of fall. I know fall is coming… It is November after all. I can't stop fall from arriving, but I can keep my belly full and warm with delicious Chili!
I remember the first time I made Chili in Germany. My mom had sent me Chili Powder when my brother came to visit. I never considered that Chili Powder comes in different strengths, from mild to extremely spicy! I followed the recipe and added the appropriate amount of powder. Unfortunately the chili powder my mom sent me was about 4 notches above spicy. It was unbelievable, immediately burning my lips, tongue, throat and stomach. I had to salvage dinner. After Googling solutions and adding sugar, potatoes and a whole bunch of other attempts to de-spice it, it became obvious that there would be nothing I could do to bring the heat down to an edible level. Now this doesn't mean that no one ate it. My husband, hungry from the aromas of chili that filled our apartment all day insisted that he could handle the heat. He actually ate a whole bowl of it! I honestly have no idea how he managed to do this. Yet, for a man who usually asks for seconds, after his first bowl, he didn't ask for another!
The chili powder I used was from McCormick's (bought at City Shop) and not very spicy. I slowly added more powder throughout the cooking process. In the end I used the full 2 tablespoons. I advise that you do the same. Combining several different recipes, I felt that it was missing something. Initially I wasn't planning on using canned tomatoes, but because I used fresh tomatoes, the Chili was missing that tomato bite that you get from the juices of canned tomatoes. So, in the end, I stirred in a can of plum tomatoes and reheated for 20 minutes and VOILA! The taste was spot on!
Hearty Beef & Beans Chili
- 3 Tablespoons Sunflower Oil
- 1 1/2 Cups Onions
- 2 lbs Ground Beef
- 2 dried Ancho Chilis, rehydrated in boiling water and chopped (remove seeds to decrease the heat)
- 2 cups chopped Tomatoes
- 3 Garlic Cloves, minced
- 1 1/2 cups Beef Broth or Beer
- 2 T Chili Powder, divided
- 1 T Oregano
- 1 Tablespoon Salt
- 1/2 T Smoked Paprika
- 3 cans Red Kidney Beans
- 1 can Cannellini Beans
- 1 can whole Plum Tomatoes, diced
- Green Onions, sliced
- Shredded Cheddar Cheese
- Sour Cream
- In a small saute pan, heat 2 Tablespoons of Sunflower Oil then add chopped onions. Saute the onions onmedium low heat until they're caramelized, about 30 minutes. Set aside.
- In a large Dutch Oven or Stock Pot, heat 1 Tablespoon Sunflower Oil over medium heat. Add ground beef and cook until evenly browned, about 5-7 minutes. Drain off excess grease.
- Add caramelized onions, ancho Chilis, beans, garlic and tomatoes. Bring to a boil over medium heat. Then add beef broth, salt, oregano, paprika and ONE TABLESPOON OF CHILI POWDER. Wait a few minutes for the flavors of the spices to develop, then taste the chili, if you want to kick it up a notch add more chili powder 1/2 Tablespoon at a time. Remember to wait a few minutes before tasting the chili and adding more powder.
- When the chili begins to boil reduce heat to low, cover the Dutch Oven and let simmer for an hour.
- Once all your flavors have melded together add the beans and plum tomatoes. Return heat to add simmer on low for 40 minutes.
- Ladle chili in bowls and top with green onions, cheddar cheese and sour cream or serve over spaghetti noodles to create a delicious Chili Mac.

subset: commoncrawl


text:
I would like to stir some thoughts in you. So many of us our going through many different types of hardships. I'm hearing of many losses on a daily basis which pertain to divorce, finances, and addictions. I'm also hearing that family has not been there for many of you in the way you feel they should be. If you are one of these people, don't be afraid to allow those who have been put before you to help you through a difficult period of time. Sometimes these people come forth just to remind you of something that you refuse to hear. Other times they are here to help you through weeks, months, or years of difficulty either as a friend or through a relationship. We all have a purpose with each other. It is how you decide to walk that journey with that person who has been put before you.
It is important to embrace these people as they are brought forth. I spoken with many people who are still very much in the middle of a wild ride and have been there for weeks, months, or even years. The most important thing to know is that we have each other to help ourselves through these very difficult times; however, it is a choice to accept the help from those that care the most about you.
The past and the present may possibly affect us. If we want a more stable and aligned journey, bringing in the newly vibrating energies as much as possible is key. Understand these energies are being brought in which is creating much movement in many areas of our lives.
When the old and lower vibrating energies surround us, some of us may have to hit rock bottom before the energies will begin to shift into new and higher vibrations that can be challenging. Many of us have watched the suffering around us through those we love or care deeply about which can be a very deep and an uncomfortable challenge.
It has been through my own personal experiences with people who have crossed my path over the last year that I have really learned; it is about honoring and respecting the journey of the other person. For those who are reading this, you know who you are, I will never interfere with the journey that you are on; however, my door will always be open to you if you choose to walk through it.
One thing I have learned is that we can't always come to the rescue of others. Sometimes it is through suffering that we have our most growth in our journey through life; therefore, some need to find their own answers within, to find their own connections to the Higher Power instead of those who have been put before you.
For those who are suffering physically, emotionally, or spiritually, need to come to a place that they are finally willing to accept and let go. It is only then that people will know that there path can be lit with light, of love, and peace no matter what obstacles come into there path. This path is different for each of us, but being filled with the lightness of beings we can help light the paths and help guide others looking for there own path and journey.
It is important to respect and listen to what others are saying; however, it is a choice of what you do with the information, as this is part of spiritual expansion. It is your journey to walk. It is important to remember that when you are hearing things multiple times in different ways it may be time to take a hard look at what is really being said. One of the hardest things to do is face the truth. It is easier for an outsider to see something then the person who is in the middle of the situation that he or she is being faced with. Where we think we are heading, may not be where we actually land. I think this is really important to remember this.
When the roadblocks are set in place to prohibit us from going back into the old dimensions, we are being asked to focus on creating a new and higher vibrating space right where we are. More often then not you will find that you connect and/or reconnect with those who are coming from the light who will continue to assist you along your journey. The old saying applies here, "When you are ready, the teacher will come to you."
Now is the time to create our own sacred spaces. By continuing to "go back" into the old ways and darkness, it will only serve to create failure of oneself, the inability to manifest the things we want in our lives, and create a lot of roadblocks. Many of us are waiting for those at the top of the ladder. It is the person at the top of the ladders responsibility to shine the light for the person who is climbing; however, it is up to that person to climb the ladder and do the work.
I know many healers and others who are in similar fields want to help those who are in need of some type of healing. What we need to remember, is we can't save the world. When a person is ready we can open that door to that person otherwise the door may get slammed and slammed hard regardless of how you feel about that person. The hardest thing to do is to stay where we are until these individuals knock on our doors. Going back is something we can't do. It is time to accept a new and different way, and be willing to be respectful and mindful and living in the present of when we are finally ready to move forward.
As one resides in the old world, they may experience many different symptoms which can include lower back pain, panic, anxiety, and fear. The key is about letting go and trusting that we are not alone. We are settling into a new space with new ways of manifesting things. The old ways and old structures are dissolving quickly. It is a time to be our true and our authentic selves and to stay connected to the Higher Power. I would like for each of you to think about who you are, why you are here, and how you will contribute to the whole?
The question now is are you ready to move into a space that feels right to you? Now you can create a new way of living if you are ready. Are you feeling unsatisfied with your current situation and are determined for change? If you have answered yes, the reason for this is because as you move from a lower vibration to a higher vibration this may be uncomfortable, but now with determination you are willing to move forward. When you begin to recognize change to a higher vibration, you will be accepting of the new challenges and in the same respect you will feel a renewed power within yourself and more in alignment with a path that resonates to you. Now is the time to trust in yourself.
It is through leaving the old behind that you can create a new space, where you will be joined by others who are also ready to let go of the past. We are all part of the whole and we are connecting with our brothers and sisters. We are now facing conversations that may be difficult for us to face; however, it is through personal and worldly challenges and resolutions that brings us forward to the next step up the evolutionary ladder. Everything is unfolding in a perfect and beautiful way. We are exactly where we need to be.
I wish you each the very best through these difficult challenges and obstacles that so many of us are facing, but allow those who are willing to help you and assist you along your journey to help light the pathway to bring forth the love, peace, and tranquility that we are all looking for. Miracles are in our lives.
Peace, Love, Light, & Blessings,
Charlene St. Sauveur, RMT, ACAR


text:
Sales: How do I add a new Tax?
To add a new Tax, tap Manage and scroll down to tap on Taxes
Tap the + icon to add a New Tax
Complete the following fields:
|Enter the name of the Tax
|Enter the amount as a percentage i.e. 7.5%, enter 7.5
|Slide to green to include this Tax by default in each new Service/Product/Pass This means the tax does not need to be added manually into each item as it is created
|Slide to green to specify if the Tax is included within the final item price Slide back to specify that Tax must be added on top of the item price
Tap SAVE
Ready to take the next step in scaling your business?
Here's a 60 Day FREE Trial. No Credit Card. Just Business Growth Made Simple.
Ready?Get Started
Still have questions? Chat to one of our friendly Customer Success experts.
They're available around the clock and will answer any questions you have. Click here to chat.
Ready to bring your business online with Ovatu?
Sign up to try Ovatu FREE for 30 days! No credit card required. No commitment necessary.


text:
Buy-to-let landlords are set to be hit with new costs from April
when a controversial extra 3 per cent stamp duty charge is
The Autumn Statement of 2015 saw George Osborne make further
changes to stamp duty land tax (SDLT), which is payable on the
purchase of property in England and Wales.
From 1 April 2016, higher rates of stamp duty will be charged on
second homes, including buy-to-let properties. The additional tax
raised will be used to fund affordable housing initiatives, and
reflects current government housing policy to encourage first time
The rate of SDLT charged on second homes will vary depending on the
purchase price of the property – the higher rate will be 3%
above the current SDLT rates up to 13% for the most expensive
properties. The Government has confirmed that higher rates of tax
will not be charged on residential property purchased by corporate
investors or investment funds.
Are these changes bad news for property investors? Residential
properties (other than a main residence) are also subject to
Capital Gains Tax (CGT) on a sale. Property investors will be
pleased to note that the costs of acquiring the property, including
any increased SDLT charged, may be offset against chargeable gains
in order to reduce any tax liability on a future sale of the
Many have commented that the changes have created a degree of
uncertainty. There are many situations where a person may have a
second home which is neither a holiday home nor a buy to let, for
example a new main residence may be purchased before the old one is
sold, and it is not clear how the new SDLT regime will apply. The
government consultation has now finished and the results will be
published in the upcoming weeks.
10b Goldhawk Mews
Shepherds Bush
London, W12 8PA
Tel: 0208 743 6444
Terms of Use | Privacy Policy | Disclaimer | Cookies | Site Map | Mobile Website
Copyright 2001-2020, Resource Techniques. All Rights Reserved. Version:4.2018.627.1 AWS-RST-WEB02
Here you can log in or sign up to the members area of our website. Once logged in you can amend your personal details, add/amend/delete email alerts and access your saved properties. New property alerts are sent to your requested email address at your selected frequency once an agent publishes a new property or a price change takes place. To manage your alerts, click on the members icon at the top of the screen once you are logged in alternatively you can access this from each and every property.
Cookies We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. To find out more about our cookies policy,
our cookies policy here
or in the footer.


text:
Electricity: we would find it hard to live without it, but are there areas of your home where the electrician forgot to add wiring? Light up those dark spots with these Battery Operated Light Bulbs!
The Anywhere Instant Light Bulbs come with adhesive stickers so you can install them in a closet, under a shelf or in the garage or attic in seconds to have a light source where previously there was only gloomy darkness! They are perfect for inside closets and cupboards, under shelves in the garage/shed or up in the attic and can also be used as emergency lighting if the power goes out.
The cordless LED light bulbs are battery powered and they can be removed from the base to use as a torch in an emergency. The set of two light bulbs are made from shatterproof plastic so they are cool to the touch and can be set up anywhere in mere seconds: just peel and stick the base to a ceiling, wall or shelf! No screws, tools or wires needed! They're great for people with zero DIY skills and they add a handy light source in places that don't have any electrical wiring.
The energy efficient LED light bulbs are powered by 4 x AA batteries (not included) and they are ideal to take camping or keep them at home to use in your house's darkest places.


text:
For the past couple months God had been really impressing on me that it was time for He and I to have alone time again. I have always struggled with devotions and specific prayer time, but lately I could tell I need more time with just God. Plus, my Mom has been after me in a sweet way to make sure I have that time with God, especially when I would talk to her about any stress in my life or just in general conversation she would bring it up. I think God knew she was the only one I could hear that from that I wouldn't take offense to. So, for the past few weeks I had taken up getting up and going out into our sun room and curling up with my Bible, reading a few chapters and then praying.
Well, this morning I had gone into my time with God thinking I needed some answers. It was time to figure out what Ben and I should do about adding to our family. We both wanted more kids and I had been leaning towards trying to get pregnant again but just never was able to do anything that would lead to that. It scared me and Ben. After such a hard first pregnancy we both weren't sure if that was the right thing to do.
So, that morning after reading my Bible I got on my knees and asked God what I should do. As a couple tears dropped from my eyes I asked God "If we are supposed to try to get pregnant, God, we would love to. But if we are supposed to adopt we would love to do that too. I just don't know what to do or how to know what YOU want us to do." and then I decided to get a little bold and asked, "God if we are supposed to adopt will you have Ben bring it up and want to do it? He never brings it up and then I would know. I trust you. In Jesus name, Amen."
A little less than a week after I prayed that prayer Ben and I ended up going out to dinner by our selves. (Kobe was at Grandma Wentzel's of course :) ) Ben and I sat at the restaurant waiting for our food and we were talking about our health insurance. Because we don't use it that much and we pay for it our selves we had let it get to where we had a really high deductible and a pregnancy and delivery would probable cost us $5000 out of pocket. Ben had talked to the rep at his work and found out how to move things around so if I was to get pregnant around November we could switch stuff and have a much better insurance by the time I had to deliver. I say November because I had decided we needed to figure out what we were going to do and I was going to turn 25 in November and if pregnancy was in the cards I wanted to do it sooner rather than later.
So, there we are, running over numbers, talking about all of this and Ben blurts out "We should just adopt." It was very off the subject we were on and I just looked at him and said, "OK". And that was that. Like we both knew that was the end of the pregnancy talk and the beginning of what we were going to do. So quickly, so out of no where, so GOD.
It took me a couple days to tell Ben about my prayer and how God had answered it. As we laid in Bed one night a couple days later I finally told him about my prayer. Ben said he had noticed that I looked a little surprised after he had suggested we just adopt. He said that he then understood why all the sudden he had become very OK with the idea of a domestic adoption. God is so good.
So, now it is up to God, as it always is, to show us what to do. I have been researching and trying to make a game plan for us. God is Faithful.
We don't know when, where or how, but we got our answer.
It will be interesting to see what God has planned for us.It is May 31, 2008 as I type this and I can think of nothing else to say but God is Good.


text:
Time …. Historical
Time lasts for eternity…time… a unit of measurement. Time…and a short history of how it has been measured through the ages be it hours, days, months, by seasons or other. Time…something we all wish we had more of; more for enjoyment; more to get all those "TO DO" lists done in a day; more just for the sake of having more…
45 Before Common Era: "The Julian calendar was introduced by Julius Caesar in 45 BCE (Before Common Era) and replaced the Roman Calendar. The Julian calendar has a regular (common) year of 365 days divided into 12 months with a leap day added to the month of February every four years (leap year)." (read more here) The Julian calendar added July and August to the calendar of months…making the year 12 months instead of 10. Have you ever looked at the words that make up our calendar? October. Octa meaning Eight. November. Novem or Nona meaning Nine. December. Deca meaning ten. Numerical prefixes in greek and latin are found throughout the world. The calendar is just one example. But looking at those numerical prefixes and looking at the months they represent show how un-ordered our time (measured in months) became through the Julian Calendar. December is NOT the 10th month but the 12th. October is the tenth month, NOT the 8th. Time…measured and represented through man…changed throughout history. These changes have always fascinated me.
Time from 1883 to 1966: "In 1883, U.S. and Canadian railroads adopted a four-zone system to govern their operations and reduce the confusion resulting from some 100 conflicting locally established "sun times" observed in terminals across the country. States and municipalities then adopted one of the four zones, which were the eastern, central, mountain, and Pacific Time zones. Local decisions on which time zone to adopt were usually influenced by the time used by the railroads.
Federal oversight of time zones began in 1918 with the enactment of the Standard Time Act, which vested the Interstate Commerce Commission with the responsibility for establishing boundaries between the standard time zones in the continental United States. This responsibility was transferred from the Interstate Commerce Commission to DOT when Congress created DOT in 1966.
Today, the Uniform Time Act of 1966 (15 U.S.C. §§ 260-64) establishes a system of uniform Daylight Saving Time throughout the Nation and its possessions, and provides that either Congress or the Secretary of Transportation can change a time-zone boundary" (read more here)
Time from 1966 to Y2K: Does anyone remember Y2K? It came and went with very little presence in reality…for most of the general public. Most of the general public knew of the possibilities and panicked to prepare for the worst…but most of us never really saw any bit of the hype that was Y2K. "In year 2000, the computer systems could interpret 00 as 1900 messing up all the computing work." (read more here) You see, the two digit
representation of years (again a measurement of time) would "reset" in the digital languages starting with the new millennium that would be the year 2000… Y2K! Many thought that this glitch would crash our computer ruled age of records and set us back into the dark ages.
The year 2000 came and went like a ship in the night with only our imaginations and the media records that hyped "what could have been" and was labeled "Y2K".
"The Gregorian calendar is today's internationally accepted civil calendar and is also known as the "Western calendar" or "Christian calendar". It was named after the man who first introduced it in February 1582: Pope Gregory XIII." (read more here)


text:
Author: Emily McKay.
Pages: 420.
Published: December 4th 2012.
Publisher: Berkley Trade.
Sort: Part 1 of 'The Farm'
Life was different in the Before: before vampires began devouring humans in a swarm across America; before the surviving young people were rounded up and quarantined. These days, we know what those quarantines are—holding pens where human blood is turned into more food for the unread monsters, known as Ticks. Surrounded by electrical fences, most kids try to survive the Farms by turning on each other… And when trust is a thing of the past, escape is nearly impossible. Lily and her twin sister Mel have a plan. Though Mel can barely communicate, her autism helps her notice things no one else notices—like the portion of electrical fence that gets turned off every night. Getting across won't be easy, but as Lily gathers what they need to escape, a familiar face appears out of nowhere, offering to help… Carter was a schoolmate of Lily's in the Before. Managing to evade capture until now, he has valuable knowledge of the outside world. But like everyone on the Farm, Carter has his own agenda, and he knows that behind the Ticks is an even more dangerous threat to the human race...
Lily and her autistic twin sister Mel try to survive on one of the Farms, surrounded buildings to protect them from the Ticks, but they are used as kettle for their blood. These Ticks are humans infected with a virus, turning them into a mix of a zombie and a vampire. When Lily and Mel try to escape, a familiar face stops them. Carter is her high school crush from the Before and he tries to rescue young people together with vampire Stephen. He has saved a lot of people and they are save in a rebel camp, but he doesn't tell why she (Lily) is so special to them.
I had a slow start, but once I reached a certain point I couldn't put it down. There was something about this world-building that fascinated me. The world is dark and grim; humans are used for their blood and some of them are offered to the Ticks to keep them away from the fence. When Stephen and Carter take Mel, Lily and two other young ones away, it's the start of a suspenseful trip. My heart went a bit faster in some scary situations and the Ticks are terrifying.
Lily isn't the best MC. She is sometimes a bit too whiny and selfish. She treats Mel more like a heavy burden, but I like her for the fact that she changed that soon. You could definitely see that the girls love each other, despite Mel's autistic behaviour. The thing that annoyed me the most is her stubbornness. I do like it when a MC thinks for herself, but she had to discuss EVERYTHING. Even Stephen, who is supposed to be a two thousand year old vampire, can't talk any sense into this girl. I wish he sometimes showed her his power and intelligence instead of bowing to her will.
"We go left."
"Why? I want to go right."
"It's not save."
"I'm going to do it anyway."
I like the idea of a human weapon against the Ticks and the fact that someone is the 'mastermind' behind the whole destroyed world. I can't wait to see how this is going to work out in part two, The lair, where Mel is going to be the MC. I recommend that you don't read the blurb from The lair, because it's spoils the ending of this book. And let me tell you, I did not see it coming. It shocked me.


text:
All right, I've got something I wanna get off my chest. It's been sitting there for, what, 23 years now, I guess?
Namely, I need to rail against an injustice.
Why yes, I shall elaborate:
A meme cropped up after this weekend's flap over NFL players kneeling (or not) during presentations of the National Anthem.
My beef is not with the meme, or the NFL players, or the National Anthem, or the guy who flapped.
Actually it IS with the meme, or rather what it represents.
The meme is a photo of two American figure skaters, clearly a publicity shot from the run-up to the 1994 Winter Olympics in Lillehammer, Norway. To the left: the blonde, diminutive Tonya Harding. To the right: the tall, brunette Nancy Kerrigan.
(Oh, that's what he's going on about.)
The text: "Back when taking a knee meant taking a knee".
Ouch, baby.
For 23 years, people have mocked Kerrigan for one single moment, a moment captured by video cameras and replayed how many hundreds of times since?
The U.S. National Figure Skating Championships were being held in Detroit a few weeks before the Lillehammer Olympics were set to begin. Following a practice session at Detroit's Cobo Hall, a briefly-unknown assailant whacked Kerrigan in the thigh, very close to her (figure-skating-crucial) knee, with a club, as she exited the ice rink.
Who does that?
Well, we found out who it was, and who he was affiliated with; and the soap opera that had already begun just escalated from there.
Miserable. Potentially, an injustice. But, worthy as it is of being railed against, it's not exactly the one I'm thinking of.
In the moments just after the assault, before Kerrigan knew that the injury was not immediately career-ending, while EMTs and other personnel tended to her injured leg, she sobbed inconsolably … at one point, wailing, "why??"
Yeah. Why'd this have to happen at that moment? And why would anybody do something like that, in that moment, in that context, to anybody else, at all? Particularly to an athlete who kinda needed healthy knees in order to go about her business?
Hell, it was only the U.S. National Figure Skating Championships. Only an event that an athlete would likely be working toward for her whole life. Nothing to get upset about.
Um, can we forgive Nancy Kerrigan for being just a little put out?
The injustice I'm thinking of is, frankly, the one committed by every person in the last 23 years who has mocked that particular cry, "—Why??"
She wasn't whining.
Literally, her life's work (to that point) was in jeopardy.
For 23 years, it's been far too easy for the comics and the wags to set aside empathy for the sake of a joke … for the sake of mocking an easy target. And every time I hear somebody do that to Ms. Kerrigan, I get defensive, at least inside my own head. Cut that right out.
And then I think, well, okay; was it because I was rooting hard for her and not for Tonya and her attacker turned out to be some schnook hired by Tonya's ex-husband for the specific purpose of eliminating the competition, like some second-rate 1940s gangster? Was it because Kerrigan was from a town not far from my hometown, so rah rah rah for the Massachusetts native?
Was it because in her shoes … skates … whatever … being attacked like that would cause me to lose a little faith in humanity?
Yes, yes, and yes.
So … while this may not be the most important issue to deal with at this moment in history (while, say, the population of Puerto Rico is in desperate straits and not getting any help … just as one example of something that really genuinely overshadows most other issues) … it does have at least one thing in common with a whole lot of issues facing us.
In this case, it wasn't a Presidential tweet, or a controversial Congressional bill, or a proposed governmental policy which would actively make life more difficult for this or that group of people. It was a meme; a joke.
But a representative one. Lately, we've been inundated by instances of startling lack of empathy and compassion for people who are hurting, or injured, or vulnerable.
Fear and Loathing, Not Just in Las Vegas
I could've been writing for the Blogge, all this time.
Lord knows there's been plenty to write about, as regards current events and such.
That's the problem: way too much to write about. Or, more accurately, almost unfathomable outrages coming at me, one after the other, sometimes several in a single day, and who can keep up with that? Exhausting, dispiriting …
As my friends in the software business say: it's not a bug. It's a feature.
That. Is. The. Point.
Hurl everything at the American public – from substantive policies that genuinely hurt the vulnerable and benefit the utterly comfortable, to spurious name-calling spasms (the Hamilton flap, "Rocket Man", the NFL's kneeling SOBs) that nonetheless shine lights on important issues that we shouldn't ignore either – and see whether they can withstand such an onslaught.
Throw the crazy at them (us) (We the People) so fast, so high and tight, with such unrelenting tennis-ball-machine-of-doom ferocity that they (we) can't keep up; so we give up trying, give up paying attention, … and then it's REALLY a jailbreak. If there are enough of us they can't catch us all.
I didn't truly grasp this reality, I don't think, until this weekend, when I read a Twitter thread–
[Ed. note: this is the 21st century's newest innovation: long-form Tweeting. Almost as if 140 characters really aren't enough to express what we have to express. What could we call it? … yes! yes! an ESSAY!]
Ahem. I spotted a thread made up of fifty consecutive Tweets, posted by a University of New Hampshire professor of English named Seth Abramson, which expressed this reality so much better than I think I could have.
So, I shall yield the rest of my time to my learned colleague from Live Free or Die. See what you think.
[Ed. note: I've tried to do some clever writerly things that will transform Mr. Abramson's thoughts from fifty blasts to several essay-form paragraphs.]
We need to never again discuss this man with respect to policy – it's become more than clear in 9 months that he holds no policy positions. So if you support Donald Trump because of any view you claim he holds, I don't ever want to hear from you again. The man holds no views. There is no position Donald Trump has ever taken that he has not, at some point in the past or present, taken the opposite position to.
We mustn't ever discuss this man as someone "challenging the system" or any similar bromide. His White House is the most corrupt ever. Not one story of honorable conduct has emerged from this White House. Instead, it's been lies, deception, corruption, graft, propaganda.
But the most important thing is this: this is the first U.S. president to systematically and willfully terrorize his own populace daily. His changeability is intended to keep us anxious and on guard. In fact, he's admitted publicly, many times, that this is a tactic of his.
His corruption is equally studied: his business model has always been "get away with what you can," and that's exactly how he's governed. He saw that he had a GOP Congress – and knew that his worst-case scenario was not getting re-elected to a job that he never really wanted. That's why he hasn't eliminated his conflicts of interest, delivered on his promises, "drained the swamp," acted as any kind of leader. His presidency is a criminal enterprise designed to enrich his family and give him the attention his father clearly denied him as a kid.
He has no beliefs, no ambitions, no morals, no principles, no guidelines, no plans, no expectations. He simply needs to sow chaos daily. What Trump knows better than most is that America is a chaos machine – you feed it and it spits out attention, headlines, sometimes money.
I want to be very clear here: Donald Trump is a toxic human with a toxic public presence and – worst of all – he wants to poison his people. His reign will go down not just in U.S. history but human history as a reign of uncommon cruelty in the democracies of this millennium. It's more than [the idea] that he'll go down in our history as the worst president we'll ever have – he'll go down as one of our greatest villains. Benedict Arnold tried to betray America for a prior sovereign – Trump is trying to torture a nation that was good to him his whole life.
Have you noticed a change in your mood since January? I mean a change you can't seem to escape? Anxiety, anger, fear, confusion, doubt? The most ubiquitous man in your nation is trying to poison you daily – because it gives him power – and no one's stopping him from doing it. If you've seen a dramatic change lately in your personality, home life, belief in the nation you love – please know that you're not alone. I'm not using hyperbole: you're under attack. A deliberate, unprovoked, systematic, and – yes – evil attack. And it's working. We're losing.
When humans are [1] endangered, [2] confused and [3] hopeless, there are certain things we turn to – all of which Trump is deliberately stealing away.
Our fight or flight instinct – which Trump activates – can be quelled if we're given respite, which is why Trump ensures [that] we have no respite. That's why his tweets – which are intended to terrorize, and do – come in a daily barrage of needless conflict, warmongering, and cruelty. He must never stop tweeting, because his tweets now activate our culture in a way so inescapable that we're almost like his prisoners. You think he's attacking North Korea in his tweets? No – he's trying to terrorize you. The NFL? You. Segments of America? No – all of us.
When humans are confused, we seek the stability of truth, trusted institutions, neighbors. He's destroying those anchors systematically. "Fake news" isn't about getting re-elected – it's about controlling your fight-or-flight instinct by giving you no safe harbor in "truth." Every institution we like or trust, he's undermined. The media. Government. Unions. Hell – even the NFL. Veterans (when he feels like it). He's enabled by the GOP – but he's no Republican. He wants to destroy any politics or politician whose world he's not at the center of. He's a malignant narcissist, and his only ambition is to spread his toxicity nationwide in whichever ways feed his perverse pathology.
FIf you're a Trump voter, by all means laugh it up. You'll be caught in wars, recessions, and international collapse like the rest of us. He has 35% support because Americans love to be right/see fools suffer – and Trump voters think they're on the right side of the equation. Time will show that we were all the fools – and whatever temporary satisfaction the Right got from annoying the Left wasn't worth America.
Because the last thing – of the three I mentioned – [which] humans look for in a crisis is hope, and he's systematically taking that away as well.
We don't have hope [that] future elections will be fair. We don't have hope [that] our government is working in our interests. We don't have hope [that] we can trust and love our neighbors and they'll trust and love us back. And we don't have hope [that] things will start to make sense again.
Trump has declared war on America – crafting his own brand of "American carnage" – and some groups have felt the pain quicker than others. But only a fool fails to see that the pain and suffering that comes from having a madman as a leader is soon coming for every one of us.
Things are going to get very bad. And many fools will say, "Well – that's America." And America is deeply flawed. But we weren't this. One in every few generations in the West, a leader arises so vile that he can draw out the evil from his population and weaponize it. Trump is not Hitler. There was only one Hitler. But Trump is the sort of Hitler that America in 2017 – at its very worst – can breed.
Everything evil a man can do to a country like this, at a time like this, in a span of four or eight years, Donald Trump will try to do. He'll try to make the vulnerable live in fear. He'll position himself as unreviewable by the media and government. He'll sow confusion. And when his crimes are uncovered – and he's been a villain and criminal his whole adult life – he'll try to stoke violence to save himself.
Trump is the most dangerous American of all our lifetimes – he's so dangerous we can't fully apprehend the danger or how to respond to it. He's everything people say – a pathological liar; a corrupt politician; a serial sexual assailant; and, yes, a traitor – but he's also more. He's an actually evil presence that hangs over your life – and the life of a nation you love – every single day. And he may be unstoppable.
Is there any reason to trust future election results – now that we know Russia is hacking/interfering and Trump's doing zero to stop it? And is there any reason to think the damage Trump has done to our political system can be solved in just a single American generation? And as he plunges us deeper into our Longest War and tries to start World War III in Asia, can we be certain lasting doom isn't ahead?
My point: there is only one fight in America today that matters, because all other fights are ultimately a direct corollary to this one. If we want to save ourselves – and our country – Trump must be legally, peacefully and transparently removed from a position of power. ASAP.
P.S. It's OK to finally indulge the idea that everything is as bad as you think it is if hitting rock-bottom gives you the courage to FIGHT.
My Way
Not long ago, I happened upon a YouTube video of a TED Talk, and the end of the thing got me to thinking a bit. Which, according to what TED Talks purport to be, is kinda the point.
These TED Talk things can be anywhere from profound to pretentious – behold, an eight-minute speech by someone who wishes to present Big Ideas! – which is to say, they can be hit or miss. Some deliver the goods, some don't (in my estimation; take my opinion or leave it).
This particular Talk was presented by a Australian standup comedian called Alice Fraser, a performer of whom I wasn't aware until probably a month ago or so, which is not her fault. She is funny in an understated manner that I appreciate a lot.
Ms. Fraser's Talk begins with some fairly smart commentary on Cosmopolitan magazine quizzes and supermodel attributes, moves into a riff on mourning via a story about an odd funeral that she went to once, and then dances around the topic of public restrooms and their purpose (you had to be there, I guess), before swerving suddenly into the Good Bit.
This week, that Good Bit, the last segment of the Talk, got my attention mainly because of what time of the year it is now.
Hold on, I'll explain.
Here's a transcript of Alice Fraser's last, Good Bit.
"I feel maybe closer to death than a lot of people, because my Mum has been dying since before I was born. She was diagnosed with MS at twenty-five; and my whole life has been marked by a series of visits to hospital, increasingly often and of increasing seriousness, where parts of my Mum were stripped away. Every part – her balance, her ability to use her hands very well, her ability to go to the toilet properly – all of these things were stripped away; and every time, you think, 'is that the part of the person [that has gone,] after which she is no longer a person? Memory; her love of books; her articulacy [If that's not a word, it should be. -Ed.]; all of these things, one after the other, they go away. And every time, you think, 'this is grief. This is mourning. This is death,' –and it's not. It's not; she's still there.
"And, this is the thing: when somebody's dying, and you know that they're dying, what do you say to them? You say, 'I love you'. You say 'I love you' a lot, a lot more than you need to. It's not like she doesn't know that I love her; of course she knows that I love her. It's because you know beyond a certain point you won't be able to say it anymore.
"So how do we deal? We don't deal with even simple grief, and we don't have a way of dealing with complicated grief. And I'm not a particularly religious person; my Dad was Jewish, my Mum was Catholic, I was brought up Buddhist. I'm oppressed, repressed, and depressed. [laughter; gentle applause] BUT, the reality is, we're all dying. Some of us are more dying than others. And the only thing that I can think of that's worth doing, when somebody dies … is taking that last part of them, the part of them you remember the most – for my Mum, it's her infinite sweetness and her care for other people – other people, it might be other things – and that one thing is what I want to do now. It's what I want to practice. It's what I want to get better at. It's what I want to take forward, into my life. …
"And the only way of remembering somebody, the only way of carrying them forward into your life, is by picking one thing, and doing that thing.
"Thank you."
It's coming toward seven years, now, since the unexpected passing of George N. Parks, who was my college marching band director but a lot of other people's too. Every early September since 2010, along with those other people, the community of people who were his students … as well as an extended community of people who weren't UMass marchers but were his students too, or were affected by him in some way … we have all (collectively and individually) settled on different ways at different times to commemorate, or honor, or emulate, or carry on his legacy … or mourn. Sometimes somber, sometimes rooted in the humorous; sometimes looking back with sadness or smiles or both, sometimes looking forward with trust or trepidation or both. One year, the focus seemed to be on the funny stories. Another year, it was making note of the ways in which we (collectively and individually) continue to live our lives #BecauseOfGNP.
Ms. Fraser's thesis may not fit this situation exactly, only because Mr. Parks' passing was sudden, rather than gradual … there was exactly zero time to prepare, to work out how we were going to carry on that hypothetical "last part of them, that you remember the most".
As well, as with many (arguably, hopefully all) people in the world, there may not be just one last part of someone that you remember the most. I was trying to think, what was that last part of Mr. Parks that I remembered the most? Intense performer; caring teacher; all those Starred Thoughts… By the time I'd thought for only a moment, I'd come up with many more than just the one part, and how do you narrow it down? And if you do, you leave off some other part of how he lived his life that seems worth not leaving off.
Four years ago at this time, I wrote a blog post in this space called "Lift Up … Up Up Up Up Up", which was "three short stories that may offer some idea about just why George Parks impressed the hell out of me."
The first story's moral was: "Starred Thought®: Go out of your way to treat people kindly."
The second story was about taking time to pay attention to people, and care for them, whether you've known them forever or you've just met them; and its moral was: "Starred Thought®: You never get a second chance to make a first impression."
The third story was about some sage professional advice about not throwing in the metaphorical towel, and its moral was: "Starred Thought®: To become a great teacher: 1. get a response, 2. care."
The three stories, lumped together, described just how skilled George Parks was at holding other people up, lifting them up, propping them up when necessary. So, four years ago, that was my "last part" to carry forward into the world. But still, I end up considering the many other ways GNP made everybody around him better …
"I am large; I contain multitudes."
The song Mr. Parks brought to his band … the one which his band has in turn brought to its audiences for thirty-three years and more … said, "more, much more than this, I did it my way." Which, as it turns out, is curious, if not ironic: with him, unless you only ever saw him at football games, there wasn't just one single way that he reached out to people – not one single facet, not one single approach that was obviously dominant, obviously his way.
So everybody has their particular way of remembering. Everybody takes a different "thing" (if they even can narrow it down to just one thing) from Mr. Parks' presence and effect on our lives.
Which may actually be the best "last part" to take forward, into our lives.


text:
Decisions we take can affect members of the public in relation to their ownership and use of land. Acting under the Western Australian Land Authority Act 1992, we have the authority to:
DevelopmentWA endeavours to engage with all relevant stakeholders including Government, business and communities to deliver responsive and innovative projects across WA. If you would like to be involved in the public consultation phase of any DevelopmentWA project, please call our office, or follow the instructions provided on our website.
Information we provide ranges from:
Where possible, we make information available on an informal basis, at no cost. Many of these documents are available to be downloaded from this website.
Project sales information is available from our selling agents or through the project's website as shown in all advertisements, brochures and newsletters.
We also maintain a number of hardcopy collections of records and electronic databases for use by staff, these include:
Active files are held on site or with project managers, while non-current files are stored in an offsite commercial storage facility.
Electronic databases contain largely project information. They are networked to staff and are maintained by our Information and Communications Technology Branch.
We aim to make information available promptly and at the least possible cost, and whenever possible, documents will be provided outside the Freedom of Information process.
If information is not routinely available, the Freedom of Information Act provides the right to apply for documents and to enable the public to ensure that personal information in documents is accurate, complete, up to date and not misleading.
Access to information under the Freedom of Information Act 1992 must:
Applications can be made by using this form and enquiries should be addressed to:
Janelle Shinners
Freedom of Information Coordinator
Locked Bag 5
Perth Business Centre WA 6849
Telephone: (08) 9482 7499
Email: email@example.com
Applications will be acknowledged in writing and the applicant will be notified of the decision within 45 (calendar) days.
A scale of fees and charges are set under the Freedom of Information Act Regulations. Apart from the application fee for non-personal information all charges are discretionary. The charges are as follows:
Personal information about the applicant - No feeApplication fee (for non-personal information) - $30
Charge for time dealing with the application (per hour, or pro rata) - $30
Access time supervised by staff (per hour, or pro rata) - $30
Photocopying staff time (per hour, or pro rata) - $30
Per photocopy - 20 cents
Transcribing from tape, film or computer (per hour, or pro rata) - $30
Duplicating a tape, film or computer information - Actual cost
Delivery, packaging and postage - Actual cost
Advance deposit may be required for the estimated charges - 25%
Further advance deposit may be required to meet the charges for dealing with the application - 75%
For financially disadvantaged applicants or those issued with prescribed pensioner concession cards, the charge payable is reduced by 25%.
Access to documents can be granted by way of inspection, a copy of a document, a copy of an audio or video tape, a computer disk, a transcript of a recorded, shorthand or encoded document from which words can be reproduced.
As soon as possible, but in any case within 45 days, we will provide the applicant with a notice of decision in relation to the application. If the applicant disagrees with the decision the applicant can apply for an internal review of the application. Applications for an internal review should be made in writing within 30 days of receiving the notice of decision. Applicants will be notified of the outcome of the review within 15 days.
If the applicant is still unhappy with the decision they can apply to the Information Commissioner for an external review.
Applications to have personal information held by DevelopmentWA amended should be made in writing to the Freedom of Information Coordinator (address provided above), should provide enough information to determine what changes are required, and should provide current contact details.
To download a copy of this information click here to obtain a pdf version of this content.


text:
Credit : miha miha
shared by : choyoung for https://sparkyuindonesia.wordpress.com/
Credit : miha miha
shared by : choyoung for https://sparkyuindonesia.wordpress.com/
tudou : http://www.tudou.com/albumplay/ENvB7pdbV-g/y8EaroLnoaE.html
Youtube :
Credit : (article osen) kyulitt , MOUiii_
Translate : elf_ninida
Do not take out without full and proper credits!
[OSEN] Kyuhyun's interview about MCD and MuBank's first place.
Kyuhyun: AOA who was nominated along with me for first place has many activities, response was very good too. So I was thinking if it was really possible for me to get first place? Suddenly felt nervous, in the end I really got first place. Was shocked. Actually crying is not my style but my tears fell that day
Kyuhyun: After I went down the stage, I was very happy too. Staff were all going "wow first place singer" to congratulate me, then on the car I heard my song and I joked "this is the song that got first place recently?" I am always in an excited state, I feel that me getting first place this time was an accident
Did Radio Star's hyung support you ?
Kyuhyun : Before the solo album was released, hyungs were always joking with a sharp tongue. although Jong Shin hyung said "top 50 . it is good if it can get into top 50." I felt like I got if it can get into top 50. I always say mean things but my heart is thinking in a positive way too. So listening to hyungs's words , I didn't feel that there was anything bad. I have been scolded by Gura hyung many times, but not sure why , I feel that by listening to Gura hyung scolding me , I will become better.
Kyuhyun : Although personally I like ballads, people seem to only like ballads when it is autumn and not like dance hiphop. Just like me wanting to hear sweet songs in spring and happy songs in summer, this time the autumn season has greatly helped me.
Thoughts about future activities ?
Kyuhyun : feel very happy about being able to sing. Will work harder to sing in future , work even harder for activities.
About promise for getting first place.
Kyuhyun : I have been thinking about the promise. Now that I have gotten first place , I will go to Gwanghwamun without notice. If I see anyone who is lonely, I will sing for that person. Regardless if it is a male or female, I will definitely sing for him/her. Will also take and post a photo of verification online to reveal.
About his second solo album.
Kyuhyun : Looking forward to it a lot. Will start to collect songs now, want to prepare it slowly bit by bit. If I can have another album before 30 years old , that will be good, that is my target. Really very happy to be able to sing, will work even harder from now on to sing and do activities too.
Kyuhyun : Actually it is thanks to the fans and also luckily , everyone likes it so I got first place by chance. Really very thankful to everyone. In future , if the company allows , it will be good if Super Junior members and me keep releasing solo albums. Will look forward to it.
Kyuhyun bersama dengan member Super Junior M, baru-baru ini mengikuti sesi photoshoot untuk Cosmopolitan menggunakan setelan ala pengusaha.
Super Junior M tampil berbeda sebagai seorang businessman setelah menanggalkan citra idol selama sesi pemotretan yang berkonsep pengusaha tersebut.
Setelah sukses berpose ala karyawan, member Super Junior M mulai mendiskusikan akan seperti apakah masing-masing dari mereka jika tidak menjadi member idol group, tapi menjadi karyawan kantor biasa..
Eunhyuk berkata "Kurasa Henry tidak akan terlalu suka bekerja di perusahaan. Menurutku, member yang paling cocok diantara kami untuk bekerja sebagai karyawan kantor adalah Sungmin"
Sedangkan Kyuhyun berkata, "Eunhyuk adalah tipe yang akan naik jabatan dengan cepat dengan menggunakan koneksi yang tepat" dan segera memancing tawa.
Wawancara lebih lanjut tentang Super Junior akan tersedia di Cosmopolitan edisi Mei.
Source: mwave
Translated, Edited&Shared by: Gamekyuhyun
Photo Credit : Cosmopolitan
cr: SMTown Facebook
posted by: patriciamarlin (https://sparkyuindonesia.wordpress.com)


text:
The Lee Family. Once upon a time Noel and Rena got married and had 2 kids - Doris and Donald. Then one day, Doris got married to Jeremy and had her own 2 kids - Vince and Edda. We all live far apart, and keep moving around. It's hard to keep tabs on each other. Welcome to our blog.
Friday, December 26, 2014
Japanese Steakhouse.
It's been busy here at the Martin-Lee household. I'm all holiday-ed out. We did go out to dinner last night to celebrate my father's birthday. Noel = born on Christmas. The young lady seated next to us was also celebrating her birthday and my father was hopeful that her name was Noelle, but alas, it was not.
We went to a Japanese steak house where they set oil on fire, flipped eggs into pockets and performed acrobatics with utensils. I was able to capture photos of some of my family members attempting to catch flying bits of food. It was amusing in just the right way, we all had fun.
Hey look! Jeremy's wearing his Christmas vest again!
And here is my dad opening his FARTing card (which was selected by Vince) - lest you think I gave my dad a f*&*ing card as he mentioned in his blog post below. I can be crass, but giving my father a f(*&^ing birthday card on Christmas is not something I'm capable of doing.
By Doris at December 26, 2014
No comments:
Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom)


text:
When PortTix at Merrill Auditorium in Portland, Maine, made the free tickets to hear Richard Blanco available, all 1,800 were "sold out" in a mere four hours. The free tickets were courtesy of the Quimby Family Foundation, PortTix, and Creative Portland, with a two-per-customer limit. Not since the days of Henry Longfellow have so many Maine people flocked to hear a poet read his poems. Of course much of the draw was due to two factors: Blanco read at President Obama's second inauguration; and Blanco now lives in Bethel, Maine. No matter the reasons for the swell of intrest — the February 26, 2013 event was a huge coup for the world of poetry, and Blanco was a perfect ambassador for its behalf.
Blanco's poems are accessible but artful, with sufficient nuance, craft and depth to satisfy both Ph.D. and proletariat. This is no mean feat, and part of the reason for Blanco's popularity was immediately apparent when he commanded the stage. Charming, well-spoken, with a tinge of self-effacement, Blanco read his poems carefully, introducing them with colorful segues that were humorous and sincere. (His good nature extended to the book-signing line that followed the reading, where progress was slow because he wanted to talk to every person.) Before President Obama's recent inauguration, Blanco was a relatively obscure poet not widely known beyond the poetry/literary world. In interviews he himself has expressed surprise at the outpouring of adulation befitting a rock star for. . . a poet.
And then of course, there is the poetry itself, which extends beyond the personal to the universal, which is why his "One Poem" inaugural poem is so deeply moving. "Who hasn't felt like a stranger in their own hometown?" Blanco remarked during the reading. And, "despite not living a perfect life, we're living it together." He also noted that in the past he had thought his poetry was well received because of the subject matter, but had come to see it was truly a question of craft: "It's not what you write about, but how you write about it."
"Shaving," which Blanco read at Merrill, is an example of a seemingly pedestrian task brought to rich philosophical life through this fine poet's artistry:
I am not shaving, I'm writing about it.
And I conjure the most elaborate idea—
how my beard is a creation of silent labor
like ocean steam rising to form clouds,
or the bloom of spiderwebs each morning;
the discrete mystery of how whiskers grow,
like the drink roses take from the vase,
or the fall of fresh rain, becoming
a river, and then rain again, so silently.
I think of all these slow and silent forces
and how quietly my father's life passed us by.
I think of those mornings, when I am shaving,
and remember him in a masquerade of foam, then,
as if it was his beard I took the blade to,
the memory of him in tiny snips of black whiskers
swirling in the drain—dead pieces of the self
from the face that never taught me how to shave.
His legacy of whiskers that grow like black seeds
sown over my cheek and chin, my own flesh.
I am not shaving, but I will tell you about the mornings
with a full beard and the blade in my hand,
when my eyes don't recognize themselves
in a mirror echoed with a hundred faces
I have washed and shaved—it is in that split second,
when perhaps the roses drink and the clouds form,
when perhaps the spider spins and rain transforms,
that I most understand the invisibility of life
and the intensity of vanishing, like steam
at the slick edges of the mirror, without a trace.
From City of a Hundred Fires (University of Pittsburgh Press, 1998)
My signed page from Directions to the Beach of the Dead ("For Annie, to a fellow Rilke fan"):
The free reading was made possible through the support of The Quimby Family Foundation and Creative Portland, with inspiration from Andres Verzosa.


text:
Travel is all about new experiences and thrills. But these secret pathways around the world give a whole new dimension to your travel experience. From heart-stopping adventure to the exploratory and bizarre, these walks test your endurance and navigating skills as you soak in the most incredible views. Not always easy to access or well known, but they are high on interest quotient and fun. So let's take a look at some of these hidden walkways from far-flung corners of the earth.
1. Caminito del Rey, Malaga, Spain
Interest level: Extreme adventure, walkway through slot canyon, 3.3 ft wide walk – 330 ft high above El Chorro river.
How to reach: Travel by train, bus or hire car to the villages, Ardales and Alora, that serve as the approaches.
This walkway in Malaga gives a whole new meaning to the phrase "cliff-hanging"! The century old El Caminitio del Ray (The King's little pathway, in English) literally clings to the steep sides of the walls of the Gaitanes gorge. Originally build by the King Alfonso XIII, who took the first walk here in 1912, this was meant to facilitate workers of hydroelectric power plants. Today, parts of the 2.9km pathway are reinforced with steel for adventure tourists who like to do dangerous! So the next time you visit Spain, make sure to make a pit stop at Malaga for some unforgettable gorge views and steep pathway hiking.
Watch a quick video about what to expect here.
2. Danum Valley Canopy Walkway, Malaysia
Interest level: treetop walks, canopy walkway, ecotourism, adrenalin rush, rainforest, bird-watching
How to reach: daily flights from Kota Kinabalu to Lahad Datu, from where your tour operator transfers you to site / accommodation.
If adrenalin rush is what you seek, then the Danum Valley Canopy Walkway will thrill you. Close to the Poring Hot Springs, the Canopy Walkway is a 75 metre long suspension bridge connecting tree tops, at a height of 41-43 metres. Expect the walkway to swing as you walk, but the sight of birds and tree crowns at your eye-level more than makes up for the jittery feel. Get up-close with the Borneo rainforest canopy and birds, look down into the lush jungle below from the many viewing tree platforms, and take the tree top walk of your lifetime. Although the young British royalty have also taken this walk, this is not for the faint-hearted!
3. Walk of Faith, Tianmen Mountain, China
Interest level: adrenalin rush, extreme adventure
Best time to visit: April to October
How to reach: 8 km from Zhangjiajie city
Tianmen mountain in China is a beautiful mountain with stunning views. It hosts the world's longest cable car ride, a cliff-hanging walkway, an open chairlift and a glass skywalk. What's more, you can combine all of the above as you take the staircase to heaven!
Take the 30 minute aerial tramway ride over near-vertical cliffs to scale the mountain. Opt for the 1.6 km long glass skywalk – the Walk of Faith for a chilling walk in the sky. Enjoy the thrill of top-down views through the glassed walkway to the bottom of the sheer cliff. The latest addition of 2016 is another glass skywalk called the 'Coiled Dragon Cliff Glass Walkway'. Both walkways are at an altitude of 4,600 feet, and 5 feet wide, although you are more likely to be clinging on to the cliff face!
4. Shanghai Tunnels, Portland, U.S.A.
Interest level: exploratory, historical, adventure, paranormal, ghost-stories, the bizarre
Portland's Shanghai tunnels are much more than a historical guided tour of Portland city. It is an adventurous excursion into the underground catacomb of tunnels under the China Town – as much eerie as an exciting peep into the sinister past of the city. Take the Underground Portland Walking Tour and walk through subterranean downtown that was once the conduit for offloading stock from ships. Walk through dark passages and learn about Portland's seedy history. The Way Beyond Bizarre Tour offers you more detailed glimpses with ghost-hunters and clairvoyant consultants for a truly paranormal experience. These tours are rated PG 13 for their no-holds-barred excursion.
The Cascade Geographic Society is a tunnel historian's tour – with a Ghost Tour and Heritage Tour to choose from. All tours begin with strolls before descending below street level into the underground legends of Shanghai Tunnels.
5. Chemin de fer de Petite Ceinture, Paris
Interest level: exploratory hiking, historical/cultural walks, railway history
How to access: from various points in the city
Little known to tourists is the 32 km track of Petite Ceinture railway network. It was once a circular network of steam trains servicing the walled city of Paris. With long tunnels and bridges, passing through the city or bottom of a ravine, this once abandoned railroad has been rejuvenated in recent times. Most of the railroad however is a biodiversity hotspot, with abandoned stations, dead-ends and unexpected access points to keep you excited. The 1878 station at Gare de Charonne is now converted to a café, a rock-and-roll music haunt with a difference. For flora, fauna, graffiti or a slice of history, explore this railroad the next time you are in Paris! Make sure to check out which sections of the pathway are legal. And take along powerful flashlights.
6. Petra, Jordan
Interest level: extensive walking / hiking, archaeological site, classical architecture, Biblical history, slot canyon / geology
Best time to visit: March to May / September to November when temperatures are pleasant. early morning (6 am)
Walking through Petra is a pilgrimage through the Abraham Path, taking you back to the seat of the Nabataen civilization. Carved of rose-coloured stone in the 3rd century BC, the site is in a region of remote wilderness, shifting landscapes and an eco-rich Wadi Dana. The pathway through the 1.2 km Siq, is the most incredible, reminding you of scenes from the movie Indiana Jones. The walk is through an impressive 80m high red sandstone slot canyon that is actually the gateway to Petra archaeological site. This sculptured passageway is more like a narrow fissure carved in the rocks, the highlight of your Petra experience. Explore the site and admire the classical grand facades of stone structures.
7. Titlis Cliff Walk, Switzerland
Interest levels: mountains, photography, adventure, glaciers.
How to reach: take the cable car from Engelberg town, 45 minutes from Lucerne.
To experience the thrill of a walkway high up in the Alps, take a walk across the Titlis Cliff Walk, the highest elevation suspension bridge, at 10,000 ft. It spans a 330 ft length, suspended 1600 ft above the Titlis glacier.
The route itself is very beautiful and exciting at the same time. The cable car from Engelberg takes you to the mountain summit in three stages, the final one being a revolving Rotair cable car!
Walk through an underground ice tunnel, the Glacier Cave, a 150-metre-long walkway that branches out in several directions descending 65 ft below through the core of the glacier. Take the scary Titlis Cliff Walk high above the sheer abyss. Feast on magnificent glacier views and take an automated snap of yourself on the swaying bridge. Walk across to the Ice Flyer chair lift station, and experience more thrills flying across the glacier and seeing it up-close.


text:
The first woman to win a Fields Medal, Maryam Mirzakhani, has died at the age of forty from breast cancer.
"She had a sort of daring imagination," [said her Harvard mentor.] … "She would formulate in her mind an imaginary picture of what must be going on, then come to my office and describe it. At the end, she would turn to me and say, 'Is it right?' I was always very flattered that she thought I would know."
Just before she became ill, she talked about her "big plans for the next chapters of her mathematical story. She has started working … to try to develop a complete list of the kinds of sets that translation surface orbits can fill up."


text:
Ugly as can be, is the monster
I dream about while I sleep.
It leaps and the sound of beating wings
comes from above and awakens me.
What flies around my bed looks like
the gargoyle from my dream
coming to haunt my waking hours,
something I will not allow.
Without dispute, I reach under my bed for my
shotgun to shoot it with and send it back to hell.
Looking into its gruesome face there's not much,
space when I try to squeeze the trigger.
I feel its icy mind, like a cold wind, penetrating mine
rushing to the center to be near where my fear resides
and tries to instill in me enough fright to make me believe
I'm not right so I will not blast it back to where it belongs.
Mentally it has me beat, but being fleet, I jump upon its back.
Flapping wings try to take me high into the sky so I'll die.
I stick my rifle between its wings. Without room to flap
it falls back into my lap. I pound it with my rifle butt.
"Stay out of my dream and away from me when I'm awake,"
I scream as I beat it so bad it begs me to stop.
I do when I recognize the shrill screaming voice and know I'm
not dreaming, when I see my blood spattered wife.


text:
How I started my day.
And how I ended my day.
As the story has it, one day I headed to the opposite side of the globe – the Flipside. I arrived in Korea February 16th, 2005 and thought I'd do a year, then leave. I was wrong. I stayed, launched my first company, Flipside Fitness, and then opened Korea's largest boxing club, Hulk's Boxing (now called Hulk's Club).
After 11.5yrs in Korea, I then picked up one day and returned to Toronto, Canada. But then I left again.
Now I live in the Philippines where I am the CEO and head coach of Empowered Clubhouse, the Philippines' first and only boxing clubhouse exclusively just for women. I also am the founder of the Lil' Sistas Project, CEO and designer of Slay Gear and Baa Baa Black Sheep .Ph.


text:
Altium Basic Level Training
"Basically, topics are all well executed and I believe that we will be able to apply in our future design as well. All the topics are being helpful in terms of new features and new tools."
Eric Ordaniel & Kemuel Gerson Bathan, Sharp Philippines Corporation, Engineer


text:
Review of Revival #7 for Image Addiction
I posted a review of Revival #7 by Tim Seeley and Mike Norton for Image Comics on the Image Addiction website, stop by and check it out!
Follow me on twitter @comicsonice
Review of Revival #7 for Image Addiction
I posted a review of Revival #7 by Tim Seeley and Mike Norton for Image Comics on the Image Addiction website, stop by and check it out!
Follow me on twitter @comicsonice
My, oh my, these girls have interesting ideas about the function and nature of sexuality. This post examines the role that sexuality plays in the series Revival by Tim Sheeley and Mike Norton, published by Image comics. You should know that if you are not caught up on issues 1-6, you should be… no really, go pick them up now, and this contains *SPOILERS* so be warned.
All images below are from Mike Norton's interior artwork.
Let's start with Dana. She had a child, as a teenager; this apparently left her with a litany of torments that manifest in attitudes toward her body and her sexuality.
Above, we see Em referring to the strain that Dana's pregnancy placed on her relationship with her father. Em believes that Dana is driven by a need for her father's approval, this makes her so interesting. Its possible that she has passed down her own hang ups about her father, to her son, Cooper.
When addressing a childlike entity he has seen in the woods, Cooper lays out the aim of the game he has created starring his action figures. Admiral Peppercorn wants to make his dad proud. These are Dana's words in Cooper's mouth.
Dana's words tell us more than she means for them to as she complains about her body.
She is continually self-deprecating in the face of compliments. An unplanned pregnancy can leave you feeling a bit violated. The damage or scars you wear as a result of the pregnancy feel like they are blazing neon, and screaming louder than anything else about you. I am not sure if the creators realized how on target they were in putting this detail in, but I applaud them. Then we get to the really interesting stuff.
After a rough day, Dana seeks comfort in anonymous sex. Her personality is remarkably different in this episode. She is confident, playful, and authoritative. The encounter ends when she receives a phone call and Ibraham realizes that they will be working together. Her coquettish demeanor is terminated along with the prospect of consummating in the back seat. The next time she sees her would-be-lover, this happens.
Though Dana was fully invested in the initiation of the tryst the pair share, she now resents the unspoken implications that the event will have on Ibraham's opinion of her. She believes that he sees her as weak, oversexed, and under-qualified. There is no reason for her to draw these conclusions; as readers we have to assume that she is referring to a past episode that actually did play out the way she is presuming this will. Again, I will bring up the sense of violation she might have internalized as a result of her unplanned pregnancy. Dana does not like being vulnerable, she becomes combative when she feels that someone might have insight to her personal struggles. For her, anonymity in sexual encounters preserves her power and agency.
Em's feelings about her affair with Professor Aaron Weimar inform her choices throughout the series.
The affair has ended, and I assume that the experience of being cast aside has left Em feeling devalued. In response she continually seeks out dangerous scenarios to either relive, or distract herself from, the lasting pain this relationship has caused her. Her high-risk behaviors become beautiful symbol; harkening to that old adage, sticks and stones may break my bones… She can survive anything, but this is killing her.
Lastly I'd like to take a look as Jamie Hettinga. She is involved in an extramarital affair with her step-brother, Justin Hine. Jamie's life is a hectic onslaught of threats and public scrutiny. The affair seems to resent an escape from the pressures she faces, an indulgence taking place away from the public eye.
Jamie seems empowered by the source affection and attention she has found in her step-brother Justin. However, she finds Justin disemboweled, not sleeping, and the reality that she is involved in something insidious begins to set in. It seems that the aim of the murderer may have been to make her feel ashamed, and point out the element of betrayal that underlies her actions.
Jamie throws her bloody lingerie in the trash after finding Justin's body. Is this action the result of shame, or just Jamie trying to escape the consequences of her choices?
It seems that in the case of Dana and Jamie, sex provides an escape from the consequences of stress and violence. For Em, however; violence may represent the escape for the consequences of sex. The varying degrees of shame and secrecy that surround all of the relationships in the series only add to its mystery. Now seriously, if you haven't already, go read it. I could not write this much about something that was not truly stellar, thought provoking, and original.
Follow me on twitter @comicsonice
The following contains *SPOILERS!* If you haven't read issues 1-6 of Revival by Tim Seeley and Mike Norton published by Image Comics; first of all what's wrong with you, go pick it up! And secondly you might want to check back after you've caught up.
So, the girls in the series Revival take their fair share of lumps. I do not think that means that the creators have some awful grudge against the fairer sex. Here's why, more often than not; the women get up. They don't limp lamely to a refrigerator and wait for a man in tights to come to the rescue. It should be noted that they dish it, and take it. The team takes the time to show the consequences of violence in the world they have created in Central Wisconsin.
The whole getting up when you get knocked down thing can be applied pretty literally here. I mean, with the whole "reviving" shtick, some characters are basically a walking Chumbawamba chorus.
All images used in this post are from Mike Norton's interior artwork.
Arlene Dittman is basically unstoppable. She survives, and survives, and survives. Arlene provokes a great deal of the violence that she endures. I have to say, the reflexive nature of these conflicts is one of the major reasons that I am on board with this series. No one cries foul, or starts picketing when Batgirl lands a punch on Catwoman's face. I like to think that is what we are seeing here. I mean just look at the havoc Arlene was creating.
Chopping the top of someone's skull off with the farm implement that they just impaled you with=fair play. Look what Arlene did to her own daughter.
Arlene eventually ends her own life by setting fire to the funeral home where her daughter's wake was being held. The end she meets is her own decision and it seems a great relief to her.
Martha, or "Em," as she prefers; gets in enough trouble for ten issues of a cape comic every month. She initiates a bar fight and winds up looking like this. When she is later confronted about her motivation, she state's that the woman, "had it coming," despite the fact that she never caused any physical damage, she seems to believe that her agency in initiating the fight gives her some sort of victory.
Part of the mystery in the series centers around the event that lead to Em's initial revival. She and her sister, Dana, believe she was murdered, and they plan on finding out who is responsible. With the removal of the threat of death the murder becomes a symbol. Instead of simply being a tragedy, the murder functions to remind us of the pain and suffering caused by violence. Em is haunted by the experience, it effects her in ways the scrapes and altercations she later seeks out, do not. The idea of being a victim is something that she appears unable to tolerate. What is tougher than refusing to be a victim?
Em actually rescues another female character, May Tao. She shows great bravery facing down Blaine Abel, who attacks her with a giant wrench…
…And a bow and arrow
Eventually during a snow mobile (I am guessing that is what those things were, we have no such vehicles in Louisiana) chase, Em leaps from her own vehicle to Abel's causing him to collide with a train. She takes him out, and ends up a little worse for wear herself.
Of course she gets up and walks away moments later. Again I want to say that the damage here is a product of Em's own scheme. She is willing to sacrifice her body (though with the knowledge that she will heal, I don't know if the word sacrifice applies) to stop a man who did this to May Tao.
Unlike Seeley and Norton, the character they created, Blaine Abel, seems to really have it out for women. He physically threatens young Kelly Merrit during her would be exorcism. He begins his conversation with May like this:
I'd like to say that May, possessing no special training or superhuman powers fights back here. She tries pepper spray, and does not go quietly. Abel eventually overpowers her and ties her up in a subtly symbolic manner on the back of a tow truck as seen above. (Okay, so maybe its not that subtle, Abel's not really one subtlety.) Abel even goes after poor Mrs. Vang, jabbing a rake in her back and leaving her for dead in her own basement.
In this case May rescues Mrs. Vang, who at the time I write this has survived her attack. Its not clear how stable her condition is, but she is able to carry on a conversation with May in the hospital. She is not giving in either. I love that these female characters rescue one another, and then need help themselves from time to time. It reminds me that women are nurturing, often selfless, and powerful allies.
Dana is a trained police officer, the episodes of violence that involve her are a result of professional responsibility. She is attacked by Arlene Dittman in the first issue of the series during an investigation. Later in issue 6, she gets into a physical struggle with Jamie Hettinga's enraged husband Rick.
Dana is not maliciously attacked, but instead faces threats because of the job that she was empowered enough to take on, and that's tough. Similarly, Jamie Hettinga stands up for her belief that reviving is a miracle, and takes criticisms and threats as a result of her stance.
The murder of her step-brother and lover, Justin Hine, seems to have the aim of terrorizing her. The doubly deviant affair (adultery and incest-ish) is reveled in the same breath as the gruesome disembowelment of the object of her affections.
By showing the effects that this grizzly murder has on Jamie, the creative team once again reminds us of the consequences of violence, and the way it so often effects the loved ones of the victim in ways they couldn't expect. I'd like to thank them for making not making Jamie the victim here, but allowing us to see her response and learn more about her character.
Rick seems unhinged, possibly by the news of Jamie and Justin's affair, or by the murder of Justin in a more general sense. He goes to the home of Nurse Ann Moss to speak with Anders Hine (the reviving father of the pair). Even a character as minor as Moss stands her ground in the face of a threat.
So, from the main characters to the most minor; Seeley and Norton never allow a woman to go quietly. They stand and fight, for each other, for their lives, and for what they believe in. In the chaos of this world these women are warriors. There is nothing weak about this cast.
Follow me on Twitter @comicsonice
This week I sat down and read issues 1-6 of the new Image series Revival (written by Tim Seeley, art by Mike Norton, covers by Jenny Frison.) It was wonderful. There are a ton of strong women in the cast, which is worth noting since they essentially don't have to be there. These roles could have gone to men; the story could have easily supported an all male cast, but instead Seeley chooses to showcase women with a wide variety of temperaments, ages, and histories. Good for him.
So spoilers start here.
I want to take a look at the cast for a moment. First there's Dana Cypress: single mom, police officer, sister and daughter. She seems insecure and often makes fun of herself, and focuses her efforts on taking care of those around her instead of herself. (This and all other images are from Mike Norton's interior artwork.)
Her younger sister Martha "Em" Cypress becomes very important to the story early on. She is a student, favorite child, and amateur poet, and reviver. Martha seems a bit flighty and absent-minded. The revelation that she is a reviver seems to reinforce her reckless tendencies. She has a hard time accepting affection or praise, and seldom smiles.
Next we meet the antihero, or maybe the villain, its great to have so much moral grey to work with; Arlene Dittman who is a reviver, struggling with what has happened to her.
Arlene murders her daughter, Theresa "Terry" Stankowicz during an episode of rage brought on feeling cheated because she is unable to die and rest in peace. Again it is very interesting to note that this episode involves two women.
Arlene struggles with what she has done. Her soul is tarnished, her daughter gone, and her very existence is in her own word an, "abomination." Her story helps put the seemingly miraculous phenomenon of the dead coming back to life in perspective.
Kelly Merrit appears in only one issue (issue 2) so far. She fakes a demonic possession and effectively "exorcised" by Blaine Abel, who knows what she is up to. She is driven to act out this way because everyone's attention is diverted by the revivers. She is desperate to be noticed. This extreme case shows a response to the revival that one might expect of a angst ridden young person. (The image below is taken from Jenny Frison's cover of issue 2)
The woman Em confronts in a local pub is a hossy lady with a mean streak. I mention her because the job of kicking Em's ass could have been given to a male character very easily. Instead we see a woman acting in a physically aggressive, brutal manner, Seeley includes a whole new type of female character here.
Thang Vang seems harmless upon her first appearance, but as the story progresses we realize that some major action revolves around her and the choices she has made.
Then we meet two female reporters. Each of these women take their profession very seriously, but beyond their similarities stop there; they are two very different people. First we meet Jamie Hettinga whose publicly sympathetic stance on revivers has brought some very negative attention her way…
And May Tao, who has acquired celebrity status as the reporter who broke the reviver story nationally. May struggles with balancing ethical responsibility and professional notoriety.
There is also a nice supporting cast including: Bonnie, the secretary at the police station; Ann Moss, the nurse for the Hine family who knows Jeet Kune Do; May's editor, Bogs; and Ami, who works for the CDC.
Seeley and Norton do some incredible work here. Personally I believe they are on the right track; not characterizing these women solely by their gender, and allowing them to be different and three dimensional. I look forward to seeing what they do next.
I plan on writing more about these women created by Seeley and Norton in later posts. I am working on a piece about the violence against women in the series. Though many of them are victims, they refuse to be refrigerated. Also I want to look at the complicated relationships these characters have with sexuality. So, those are coming soon, stay tuned.
Follow me on Twitter @comicsonice


text:
Oreo joins the likes of Lay's Potato Chips and Quaker Oats this week by inviting consumers to dream up its newest flavor in a social media contest. Although the brand regularly introduces limited edition flavors like Brownie Batter and Banana Split Crème, this marks the first time Oreo has solicited ideas from the public.
"Of course we're aware of what other brands have done," Oreo Brand Manager Madeline Vincent said. "But for us, it was really about that insight that fans are already sharing flavors all the time, and we said, 'How can we take this natural behavior and turn it into something really cool and engaging?'"
To kick off the contest, Oreo released a 30-second digital spot starring actress Ellie Kemper from its social agency 360i, encouraging fans to submit photos, videos or text via Instagram or Twitter using #MyOreoCreation #Contest. When they do, 360i will be listening. "We're going to engage with a lot of people in a super playful way," Vincent said, one being personalized gifs sent to consumers via social media that illustrate their suggestions.
Oreo will then select three finalists, each receiving $25,000 and the thrill of seeing their cookie on grocers' shelves in May 2018. The grand prizes include $500,000 and the chance to go inside the Oreo Wonder Vault, where various flavors are made.
The campaign, Vincent said, continues the brand's playful "Wonderfilled messaging," with an eye on raising awareness of existing options. "If you look at our company as a whole, we're concentrating on household penetration," she said. "That is a true business objective, to make sure that more people know about our flavors and our chocolate candy bar and the great things we're doing."
But it's also about keeping a 105-year-old Oreo modern while remaining true to its past. "It's not about reinventing the brand," Vincent said. "It's continuing to evolve and push ourselves, so I think our flavor strategy and this campaign are examples of ways we're engaging playfully with our fans to keep ourselves super relevant."
Mondelez reported its Q1 sales last week, beating analysts' earnings and revenue predictions but still falling 0.6 percent year over year. The decline has been attributed to consumer shifts away from packaged foods and toward healthier options. As the company struggles to find its footing, it's shaking up its corporate ranks, recently parting ways with CMO Dana Anderson, VP of Global Media and Digital Bob Rupczynski and President of Mondelez North America Roberto Marques. Even Chairman-CEO Irene Rosenfeld is rumored to be on the outs, according to the Wall Street Journal.
While Oreo enthusiasts can suggest any flavor, consumers needn't fear ill-tasting concoctions (like, say, toothpaste and orange juice). "It is a contest, rather than a sweepstakes," Vincent clarified, which gives Mondelez control over which entries make it to market. "We would only ever release a flavor that would be delicious, and that's why taste appeal is one of our judging criteria."
Also with this announcement comes a new flavor: Firework. It's Oreo's original crème mixed with red and blue "popping candy," which is somewhat akin to Pop Rocks. "In the past, we've always tried to capture a flavor in an Oreo cookie. Now we're trying to capture an experience," Vincent said. "It really does evoke that very nostalgic feeling of watching a fireworks show in the summer."
This story first appeared on campaignlive.com


text:
Falcons Safety Thomas DeCoud Visits 11Alive
ATLANTA -- Falcons safety Thomas DeCoud visited the 11Alive studio on Tuesday, July 5th to talk live with Fred Kalil on 11Alive news at 6.
The 4th year player from Cal is co-hosting an event called Fresh Steps with fellow NFL players Chevis Jackson and Earl Bennett. It is a Battle of the Brands fashion show that will be held July 8th at 595 North Event Venue & Lounge from 8:30 - 11pm. There will be live performances, raffle giveaways and more. The entry fee is $10 at the door or you can bring a pack of school supplies for 50% off. Proceeds benefit Kennedy Middle School.


text:
Melissa Marr, author of the ever popular Wicked Lovely books, announced today that Universal Pictures has acquired the screen rights to Wicked Lovely. Caroline Thompson, who wrote the screenplay for Edward Scissorhands has been hired to adapt the novel for the silver screen. No release dates or casting information has been released as yet.
Stay tuned for more information!


text:
Is Your Career on the Right Track?
The decision to change jobs can be motivated by many factors. Tiro can help you understand your true motives in order to assess the right career move for you.
What we need to talk about...
What do you want?
What can you offer?
What companies do you want to work for?
What long term prospects are you looking for?
It is the right time to make a career change? e.g. is this career move going to work for your family?
Be Honest!
We aren't mind readers, and we genuinely like feedback. Share what you're thinking, good and bad, and help us get you the idea role.
What do you do next?
Tiro is your one stop shop for making that career move. Call today and make that right move.


text:
Easily collect payments with pre-authorized direct debit transactions.
EFT TRANSIT™, can provide you with access to the Electronic Funds Transfer (EFT) network, a highly reliable electronic funds transfer system. At EFT TRANSIT™, direct debit collections couldn't be easier. Our web-based solution allows your organization to receive payments directly from your client´s bank account in a cost-effective manner. EFT TRANSIT™ can help you to reduce the number of late payments from your customers with direct debit transactions.
Our straightforward system provides our customers with a simple, secure and cost-effective way to set up pre-authorized direct debits. Our customers can benefit from our effective system and process direct debit payments, whether their payments are varying amounts or a regular monthly sum. Our customers are able to access all the information that they need to manage the direct debt process effectively online.
With recurring direct debit payments, you'll know exactly when you'll get paid and will be able to correctly predict your cash flow every month.
Following your business' set up with our online direct debit system, it will be easy for you to begin using our service for direct debit collections and processing.
Want to try our Direct Debit Payment solutions with no commitment and a low transaction fee? Of course you do!
With EFT TRANSIT™ you simply enter customer's payment information into our online web form application, press a button and the information is processed via the EFT Network automatically or on demand if you turn off the automatic feature. Transactions are deducted from your customer's account and deposited into your account.