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BJ is an IT troubleshooter in New York City. After a job well done, he receives a raffle ticket and wins the grand prize of a cruise through the solar system. On board, he soon meets the captain’s daughter Faye and the pair take a liking to each other. They are inseparable through adventures and misadventures on various planets and moons. Most of this novel reads like a combination of travelogue and brochure. There is not much action beyond the tours that the protagonist and his inconceivably compatible-at-first-sight girlfriend take. Not-so-subtle hints of conspiracy are dropped and near the end of the story, an unlikely plot is hatched by nefarious elements. The whole thing is cute, theÂ characters likeable,Â but it is altogether too banal; the homage to Heinlein, in particular,Â The Number of the Beast, and the 1933 version of King Kong too contrived. After the predictable conclusion, one-fifth of the text is dedicated to appendices, including (seemingly) every bit of background the author researched or created about the cruise ship, the science, the political topology, and various other bits. This section detracts greatly from the text itself and gives a self-serving impression, as if the author felt the need to show off his own cleverness instead of letting the story speak for itself. Posted on April 13, 2018 April 16, 2018 Caitlin Taggart is stuck on the Moon, unable to get home to her daughter on Earth, after international tension has led to a travel ban for Moonborn like her. She works as a regolith miner. She is offered an illegal asteroid mining job for a chance to get home. On the job, things go very wrong for Caitlin and her crew, with consequences that threaten Earth itself. Leaving aside the handwavy physics poorly suited to a hard science fiction story, I found this novel unengaging. Apart from the well developed protagonist, the rest of the characters seem like cardboard cutouts, with actions dictated by “plot reasons”. While the scope of the story is ambitious, and the flashback scenes are well written, the whole thing doesn’t gel. Posted on April 2, 2018 April 14, 2018 In the future, humanity is part of an interstellar society. A security expert is tasked to escort a scientist as he investigates a murder with seemingly paranormal aspects. Meanwhile, an alien seeks vengeance for the extermination of her religious sect. Unlike the science-rooted humans, the alien knows that magic isÂ real. The novel is space opera with a large degree of comedy. Unfortunately, I didn’t find the overwroughtÂ dialogue and interactions very funny. The story isn’t very entertaining either. Posted on May 3, 2017 May 7, 2017 Curt Newton grew up on the Moon, raised in seclusion by artificial life forms. His parents were killed when he was a child, and now he seeks revenge. The novel is an homage to pulp science fiction era heroÂ Captain Future, whom Mr. Steele had previously featured in The Death of Captain Future. The story is very much pulp. So much so that I rapidly lost interest and gave up about halfway in. Posted on May 25, 2016 Our hero is a teenager who once dreamed of being an astronaut, but his life in a small town is not conducive to such dreams. His father wasÂ killed in Iraq, hisÂ mother is working two jobs and his older brother is a petty criminal. Life isn’t looking to go anywhere. Then one day he has a weird encounter… This short story is solidly in the young adult camp. NotÂ especially inspired but at least hits the rightÂ teen wish fulfillment note. Posted on April 16, 2016 Simon is the son of a naval officer on a world with Victorian gender roles, except the gender roles are reversed with males being the inferior gender. He is a screwup and has just been kicked out of University, much to the disappointment of his family. He ends up on a merchant spaceship with the CommerceÂ Guild, where his skills as a hacker get him into and out of trouble at regular intervals. It is a measure of the dullness of this book that the day after I put it down, I couldn’t remember the name of the main character. The gender reversal would have been more interesting if there had been anything to it but the reversal. The dialogue is flat and even the supposedly “controversial” gene modified characters are uninspiring. I kept waiting for the story to go anywhere but nothing seemed to be happening. Despite a concerted effort after half the book I never picked it back up. Posted on April 7, 2016 After a serious accidentÂ early in the first Jupiter expedition, Otto Danzig was put into medical hibernation to allow him to heal. Now, months later and at Jupiter, he has been woken up to investigate the possible murder of two crew members while exploring the subsurface ocean of Europa. The nicest thing I can say about this story is that it is aÂ a short story so at least I didn’t have to put up with it for very long. The concept and plot are fine, but the characters and cultural mores are cringe-worthy. I have accused Mr. Steele of this before, but his characters are all too oftenÂ solidly middle-class American prudes from the 1950s, even if they are from other countries, eras and cultures. What is worse, characters from other cultures are caricature-like, written like sloppy stereotypes. Case in point, the antagonist in this story is a sexy French woman, and of course she acts like the American stereotype of a sexy French woman. Apart from that, it seems this story was sent to the publisher without some needed polish and revision. The whole thing isn’t nearly as tight as it could be. Posted on November 7, 2014 November 7, 2014 Claire Beauchamp Fraser is a nurse who has just been through World War II. She goes on a second honeymoone to the Scottish Highlands with her husband, a man she has met for only a few days during the war years. As she touches a stone in an ancient standing stone formation, she is transported back in time to the 1740s,Â a time which in Scotland was characterized by the Jacobite uprisings. She finds herself abducted by a band of Highland men and taken toÂ Castle Leoch, where the locals are highly suspicious of her claims to be a woman of fine birth who has been robbed by highwaymen. Despite the painstaking historical detail and the romantic nature of the setting, I found myself rapidly bored with this book. The use of the first person voice only works for me if the narrator is at least somewhat self-deprecating; preferably even snarky. Claire is neither of these things, and she comes off as quite a bit too serious. The romantic bent of the novel is also too strong, with Claire almost instantly attracted to the rugged Jaime, a handsome outlaw with a quiet demeanor and a well-muscled body. I gave up after a hundred pages or so. Posted on October 17, 2013 November 13, 2013 The story is in two parts, divided temporally. In an earlier time, a living ship and her “ancillaries”, human bodies taken over by the ship’s intellect, serve the Radch, a ruthless empire ruled by an even more ruthless leader. In a later time, what is left of the ship’s intellect, inhabiting a human body, is on a quest to find a mythical weapon in order to exact revenge. The premise is very intriguing, and the world-building top notch. It is a fascinating society where familial connections are everything and strict obedience mandatory, with dissent punished by death immediately. Outside the Radch, things are looser, and people see the Radch as rather strange, if very powerful. While the writing is fine, the characterization excellent, and the story intriguing, this book has a serious flaw that prevented me from getting more than a third of the way in. It seems completely devoid of humor. The characters having no sense of humor may be understandable, but unfortunately the writing lacks any twinkle or spark. This makes the whole affair very dull. I can see the skill in the writing but after a while this became a slog which I didn’t feel like continuing. Posted on September 23, 2013 Deep Space takes place twenty years after Singularity. Admiral Koenig is now the president of the North AmericanÂ Union, and Trevor Grey is the captain of the Star Carrier America. Trouble is brewing as a mysterious object appears at the fringes of known space, destroying the scout force sent to investigate it. The Sh’daar resume hostilities by attacking a human colony. Finally, the Confederation is in trouble as the EU seeks to eliminate North American Union independence. Naturaly, theÂ AmericaÂ and its fighters are in the thick of things. At its core this is a decent continuation to the the Star Carrier series. The story is fine, and the action, especially in the second half, is pretty decent. Unfortunately the book is hampered by seemingly endless repetition of the same factoids of history. How many times do we need to know about the Sh’daar’s obsession for transcendence, the way the Chinese Hegemony bombarded Earth, how the periphery of the North American Union is swampland inhabited by primitives? This book would have been much better if Douglas had edited out most of his repetitive infodumps. Posted on July 19, 2013 Gully Foyle, spaceship crewman, is stranded on his broken ship for months, certain he is already dead. Another ship passes by but ignores his signals. Gully goes a bit crazy. He is rescued by a strange tribe of space habitat dwellers, and their antics drive him more crazy. Finally, he makes it back to Earth and civilization. He starts an obsessive quest for revenge against the crew and owners of the ship that did not rescue him. He makes a fortune through shady means and changes his name in order to infiltrate the rich strata of society in the service of his quest. Human society is not as we know it, but profoundly changed by the discovery of the innate human ability to “jaunte”, or teleport, with the power of the mind. Physical layers of security such as walls have little meaning unless the entrances are defended with “jaunte-proof” labyrinths designed to be impossible to memorize. This science fiction classic is in many ways an adaptation of The Count of Monte Cristo. Foyle’s obsession is apparent throughout the book. He certainly is not a likeable character, but very interesting. He uses any means necessary to achieve his goal, despite the suffering that this causes in others. Despite the fascinating aspects of a changed society and the quite engaging story, I found the second half of the book to be hopelessly dull. Mr. Bester changes the rules to fit the plot, with new strange characters that have just the right abilities that Foyle can use appearing just at the right time. The book also jumps from scene to scene in quite a jarring fashion, with less than the necessary introduction. The whole thing felt quite disjointed in fact. I really tried but finallyÂ gave up about four fifths of the way through. Posted on May 7, 2013 The inhabitants of an extrasolar colony accidentally triggers a weapon system built into the star they orbit. With the help ofÂ archaeologicalÂ records evidence, they can trace its creation back to an ancient race that inhabited the system. An expedition is sent to the mythical “Spider Star” in order to find a solution. The journey itself takes years, and when they arrive, everything is so very alien. The premise is intriguing and fascinating. The plot itself is not half bad. Unfortunately the characters are uninspired cardboard cutouts and the read itself is fantastically dull. I really wanted to like this book but after about reading about two thirds of it I couldn’t bring myself to continue. Posted on April 23, 2012 This singleton Assiti ShardsÂ novel sees a maximum security prison in southern Illinois get sent back in time, dragging along with it large group of Cherokees from the 19th Century, conquistadors from the 16th century, and Mounds people from prehistoric times. The idea of dragging a prison back in time is interesting. What do you do with the convicts? How do you keep guarding them? Unfortunately, that is pretty much the only bright point in this novel apart from the action scenes and the fact that it is an easy read and the vaguely interesting historical tidbits. Most characters are so two dimensional and cookie cutter that I had a very hard time remembering who was who. The portrayal of men and women falling in love more or less instantly was naive and plain silly, the argument being that since they had to survive, they’d better pair up. The subplot with the “present day” scientists was completely superfluous, and seemed to be there mostly to tie in with possible sequels and bring needless exposition. Again, the instant love trope reared its ugly head here. Posted on December 19, 2011 Very strange tale of creatures manifesting as ancient Egyptian gods, and the the power games that they play. Posted on December 15, 2011 December 16, 2011 This rather short novel follows a US sniper and spotter team on an assassination mission in Afghanistan. It is set after the Afghan war of 2001 and the target is a terrorist leader. Needless to say, the initial attempt goes to hell in more ways than one. The two Americans then have to use their own ingenuity and local resources to both survive and to complete their mission. This is competent but not great military fiction. A rather straightforward story, exciting but without any really unexpected wrinkles. Interesting reading if you want to learn something about modern snipers and how they operate. The dialogue is pretty awful at times though. Posted on December 14, 2011 In the future, mankind is winning the war against the Kangas. But the enemy attempts to send troops back in time to Earth 2007. Only one Kanga unit, a deadly Troll, remains alive in 2007 after mankind tries to stop the plan. But a human from the future also survives… And so it begins. The idea of only one “future human” surviving is entertaining, and Weber on a bad day is still better than many authors on a good one. However, I did feel that Mr. Weber was treading water here. The plot is predictable and somewhat prosaic. The ending is a bit too syrupy and well tied up. The good guys are a bit too good. A nice way to spend an afternoon or two, but nothing fantastic. Posted on December 12, 2011 This is the first of a spin off in the Honor Harrington series. It starts off by dealing with the next generation of midshipmen. Helen Zilwicki, one of the characters created by Eric Flint for the Honorverse, is prominently featured. I was disappointed with the first 300 pages but after that the book rapidly picks up the pace and shows true Honorverse form. It is a shame that Weber has descended into verbose overflow. Yes, David, I understood what you meant after the first sentence. You don’t need to re-explain and expand for another overly long paragraph. It slows down the action too much. I would recommend this for the Honor Harrington fan, but not as a first taste of Weber. There is too much background information that needs to be known to make it enjoyable as a first foray. Note: This series is also known as Saganami Island. Posted on December 12, 2011 This is the first of a spinoff series in the the Honor Harrington Universe. My guess is that Flint is doing most of the writing since he is the one who came up with the Zilwicki characters in the Honorverse anthologies. All the way through reading the book, I kept thinking that Weber and Flint can do much better than this. While the characters are engaging, the plot is lackluster. There’s a lot of interesting material here, but it just doesn’t feel like the high adventure it’s supposed to be. The whole thing is rather construed and feels forced. The first half is very dull, but the novel thankfully picks up during the second half. And then there’s the endless exposition; just as in the later works by Weber, the explanations drone on and on. If I hadn’t been a fan of the Honorverse, I would probably not have finished the book. Posted on December 8, 2011 December 8, 2011 Naval military science fiction which unfortunately is not especially good. Note that although it was published second, this novel is first in the series chronologically. Posted on November 29, 2011 November 29, 2011 This is the first book in the Jon & Lobo series. Jon is a man with a troubled past. His planet was destroyed and he was subjected to experiments that left him nanotechnology enhanced. Such enhancements are thought to be impossible and he needs to keep them a secret from those who might profit from them. Suffice it to say, he is a sort of super-soldier. He takes on the task of freeing a kidnapping victim. This simple act entangles him in a complex web of intrigue involving powerful corporations and governments. Along the way, he picks up an assault vehicle known as “Lobo”. The vehicle can handle anything from underwater to deep space. It is also a deeply sarcastic conversationalist. This novel reminds me a little of the Stainless Steel Rat books. A lone hero and a plot that seems made up as it goes along. Jon is not unlikeable, but his tribulations tend to be long winded and after a few such passages I started losing interest. The characters are straight from central casting, and the locales are even worse. Cookie-cutter, forgettable places that made the plot hard to follow. As our hero jumped to a star system, I struggled to remember what had happened there earlier. The plot is decent, but I couldn’t make myself care very much whether Jon succeeded in his exploits or not. Things are going really well until they go really badly, at a point in the novel that is far too predictable. The hero is supposed to have setbacks, but this one is far too expected. The paraphernalia is pretty cool. In good Bond fashion, the right tools for the job always seem available to our hero. This is fine for comedy, but this book is not going for laughs. And yet, there is some attraction here. If one can look past the stilted prose the stock characters and the unoriginal plotting, there are hints of potential for this hero. The machine communications are funny and interesting. The universe is engaging enough that it is worth revisiting. Posted on November 28, 2011 Alternate military history anthology. The quality is mixed, and it requires at least a passing knowledge of the incidents the stories are based on in order to extract full appreciation. A passable light read if you’re into military science fiction. Posted on November 26, 2011 After Tolkien’s death, his son Christopher set about compiling all the notes and stories he had left behind about Middle Earth. The Silmarillion is the most well know result of this work, and chronicles the story of the elves in times long before the events of The Lord of the Rings. It takes the form more of a historical chronicle than a novel, and so feels rather removed from the action. Only for the dedicated Tolkien fan. Posted on November 25, 2011 The sequel to One Day on Mars takes place a few years after the events of that book. We are rather disconcertingly thrown straight into the action of a new “24“-like tale taking place within a short time span. United States forces are attacking a separatist base in the Oort Cloud. At the same time, the president (Senator Alexander Moore from the previous book) and his family are being attacked by every automaton at Disneyland (no, really). Finally, a secret agent emplaced at the separatist home planet in the Tau Ceti system gets into trouble. The action (and there is a LOT of action) is fast, furious and for the most part well written. It annoyed me, though, that there was little or no introduction to events. It was all rather confusing at first. The story, once it is revealed, is in fact quite engaging. So it was annoying that there was so much action in the way in the first part. The other thing about this book that bothered me was that far too much space was given to confusing mecha/fighter battlescenes. The abundance of characters and the sheer overdescription of so many aspects soon made me skim through these scenes. They are supposed to be “cool” and “kick-ass” I suppose, and in many respects they are, but I could have done with a few less descriptions of hair raising maneuvers and how many gees the pilots are pulling. Conclusion: mixed bag. Nice action book, not great. Very intriguing macrostory unfortunately muddled by a great many less than relevant action sequences. Posted on November 22, 2011 It is hard to tell what this one is about from the blurb. Between the covers is postmodern science fiction well grounded in current physics. A mysterious entity known as “The Festival” arrives on the backwater colony of a neo-Victorian Empire, quite literally showering manna from heaven on the populace in return for “entertainment” in the form of information. The Empire attempts to retaliate, and all the while a pair of agents, one for the UN, hover and observe. These agents work a pair of mysterious powers that seek to ensure that humanity is not destroyed by the mysterious Eschaton, an powerful entity that brutally punishes causality violations. Technology now allows time travel as a biproduct of (apparent) faster than light travel, and the Eschaton is merciless on those who violate its causality edicts. In the middle of this dangerous universe, the two secret agents develop a strong personal relationship. Stross skillfully manages to focus on their story and it’s pertinence while the worlds around them spirals towards an uncertain future. At the same time, he does not forget to show the humorous side of those who refuse to accept self-evident realities. Innovative and deeply insightful, but ultimately pretty boring. My big gripe is that I didn’t feel any empathy whatsoever for the characters.	22,777
A blustery winter's day in Cambridge (NZ) was brightened by these wonderful creations done by the Creative Fibre group in the town. They were advertising the annual show (26th to 30th June 2018), which features rugs, mats, shawls, blankets, socks, jerseys even pom poms, indeed anything which can be knitted, crotcheted or stitched, together with a day when all the trades people come from far and wide to sell all types of goods from hand dyed fleece to fashion garments. I am always amazed how this relatively small town puts this huge event on. This year they will be celebrating the 50th anniversary. Leave a Reply. "Colour is the influence of the soul: colour is a keyboard, the eyes are the hammers and the soul is the piano with many strings. The artists the hand that plays, touching one key or another purpose fully, to create vibrations of the soul".	905
László Bernát Veszprémy: “I don’t think there will be very much Muslim immigration into Central Europe” \| Visegrád Post László Bernát Veszprémy: “I don’t think there will be very much Muslim immigration into Central Europe” July 5, 2022 Hungary – The following is an interview with the Hungarian historian, journalist, and publicist László Bernát Veszprémy, who said, “I don’t think there will be very much Muslim immigration into Central Europe.” László Bernát Veszprémy graduated from the Reformed Károli Gáspár University and holds a Master’s degree in Holocaust Studies from the University of Amsterdam. He is currently a doctoral student at ELTE University’s School of Cultural History in Budapest. He was a contributor to the Jewish journal Szombat from 2016 to 2018 and was a researcher at the Veritas Historical Institute from 2017 to 2018. He has also been a research assistant at the Institute of Hungarian Jewish History of Milton Friedman University. Since the autumn of 2021, he has been the Editor-in-Chief of the Corvinák website, the Mathias Corvinus Collegium’s news analysis portal, after having been Deputy Editor-in-Chief of the Jewish news portal Neokohn. He is also a contributor to the conservative website and weekly Mandiner. In 2021 he published two books. One was about the year 1921 in Hungary and the beginning of the Horthy era; the other was on the relationship between immigration and anti-Semitism in the West. Yann Caspar discussed these books with him on 8 June 2022 in Budapest, which made it possible to address issues such as the relationship of Hungarians to the Treaty of Trianon as well as the rest of their history, the challenges posed by non-European immigration, and the relations between Hungary and Israel. Yann Caspar: We recently commemorated the centenary of the Treaty of Trianon: a peace treaty, or rather a diktat. How can we remember Trianon over a hundred years later? László Bernát Veszprémy: I think the term “diktat” is very appropriate. If you look at the sources of the time, you can see that the Hungarian people were unanimously and massively opposed to this peace treaty, and experienced it as a temporary thing. This was true not only during the Horthy regime, but also during the period of the Károlyi revolution and the Republic of Councils, when it was already clear which territories Hungary would lose and where the enemy forces were located. Nobody was on the side of Trianon. Let’s just look at how the Communists had tried to win support: by launching a military campaign in the north and another one in Transylvania. I recently published an article in Mandiner based on the documents of the Magyar-Romanian Border Commission from the national archives. A British officer who visited the Partium at the time wrote very clearly that this region will never become Romania. How can we remember Trianon today? On this point, it is important to note that history has moved in a different direction since then. We now think in terms of regions, regional cooperation; the European Union, NATO, and the United Nations exist. So – as Hungarian politicians often mention – Hungary has no territorial claims. But this does not mean that Hungarians on the other side of the border should not have their rights defended. Central and Eastern Europe today are faced with common problems; the V4 is a perfect example. Let’s take Magyar-Serbian relations: they are good and prosperous, which was also true of Magyar-Slovenian relations until recently. So when we talk about Trianon, nobody has the same approach as in 1920. Of course, the right to remember is ours, while defending the rights of the Hungarian nationality is our duty. Yann Caspar: But how do you explain the fact that there has been no compromise on this issue within the current Hungarian political class? László Bernát Veszprémy: I think we saw clearly during the last elections what the opposition is and what it represents. It managed to win in only about thirty municipalities, including Budapest. Of course, her voters have to be respected, but I am not sure that what the opposition politicians think is really relevant. They are obviously also trying to play at showing concern for Hungarian nationals abroad. Only they can say whether it is sincere or not. But I think that a national minimum of principles has emerged among the Hungarian political class. To say that 20 million Romanians are going to come and settle in our flats, as was said during the referendum campaign on dual nationality [in 2004], is no longer possible, in my opinion. It is no longer possible to talk about Hungarians from outside the borders in this way. Yann Caspar: Last year you published a book called 1921. When we met for the first time, you mentioned the fact that this book had attracted a lot of criticism, from the left as well as the right. What happened when this book was published? László Bernát Veszprémy: I would like to make one thing clear: on the whole, thank God, I received quite positive reviews, and the book became a bestseller in the history category on the Bookline website. My book’s reception has been generally positive. But yes, of course there were critics from the left and the right. On the right, Gábor Bencsik criticised me in the weekly Magyar Demokrata, while the same happened in the far-left magazine Múltunk [Our Past] from a man belonging to the liberal left, Ádám Gellért, who is a jurist and not a historian. I think it is a very good thing that there are debates in Hungary today: quarrels about our past, and lively debates from the left and the right. Everybody has their own forum, different opinions are expressed, and we are open to these opinions. As a conservative historian, my book could be published by a major mainstream publisher. This shows a healthy state of affairs. I think that the Horthy era – let’s not even talk about the Second World War or the Holocaust period, but only the Horthy era – is still divisive. Hungarians can still have heated and passionate debates about what they think of Horthy, the Red Terror, and the White Terror. Some say it’s in the past and is forgotten, and those for whom it’s important are no longer alive. This is not true at all. When I go to the provinces to do research and give lectures, I see that it is still important for the inhabitants of Sopron or Pécs, for example. For them, it is very concrete: they show photos of themselves with their fathers and grandfathers, and other relatives who were there, who are waving. These things still have an influence on their lives. There is still a lot of interest in this period. Yann Caspar: In your book, you address points that can hardly be criticised and are likely to annoy all the political tendencies. For example, you say that there were public figures who supported Károlyi or the Communist regime – perhaps not actively – and who then became loyal supporters of the Horthy regime. László Bernát Veszprémy: And not just anyone; Horthy himself offered his services to the War Ministry under Károlyi, who did not want them. Yann Caspar: Yes, how do you explain this phenomenon? If I remember correctly, in your book you say that it is because of Hungary’s small size and because its political elite cannot be replaced in its entirety. László Bernát Veszprémy: Both, yes. There is certainly some of that. This became very clear to me when I was researching the Republic of Councils and the Red Guard. I came across internal reports in which the Communists complained that there was no real Red Guard in the countryside, that the Royal Gendarmerie had simply been renamed the Red Guard and that there were no Communists in it. Then I saw the same thing during the German occupation: people who were anti-Nazi kept their positions in the administration. It was impossible to fire them all. But we can also talk about the period after the Second World War. When I was researching the People’s Courts, I was confronted with the fact that sometimes some of the People’s judges had not only been judges under Horthy, but also under Szálasi. So, first of all, you have to realize that you can’t fire everybody. Secondly, there is the criticism that these were renegades, men who had turned their coats. There were certainly some, but I don’t think this was true of the majority of them. It should be remembered that the Hungarian Right-wing tradition was already highly anti-liberal and anti-capitalist at that time, and the anti-Habsburg voices were very strong. In fact, for Right-wing Hungarians at the time it might even have seemed at first that this Aster Revolution of 1918 was not such a bad thing. Even though the Social Democrats and bourgeois radicals were heavily involved, they thought that in return they could get rid of the Habsburgs and end market capitalism. The latter was referred to by many as the death of the Hungarian people. In a way, the revolution also meant the end of Dualist liberalism, as the Social Democrats and Radicals were anti-liberal on many points — for example, with regard to entrepreneurial freedom, private property, or workers’ rights. On these issues, they certainly did not represent the liberal point of view. Yann Caspar: You mentioned the White Terror. We don’t talk about it as much nowadays as we do about other historical events. By the way, I know a lot of people who lived under Communism in Hungary, and they often tell me that in school, the White Terror was frequently talked about. They were not very receptive to this subject and thought, “What is this White Terror compared to what the Communists did in Hungary in the 20th century?” In your book, you don’t portray the White Terror in terms of its most common image. It seems to me that you were trying to portray the atmosphere of a whole era. Of course there were atrocities against Jews during the White Terror, but also against other groups. Am I wrong? What exactly did the White Terror entail? László Bernát Veszprémy: I’m going to disappoint you a little bit, because I’m going to start from a different point. First of all, there is something very difficult to understand: before the First World War, violence was already strongly present — on a level that we can’t imagine today. It was quite common to talk about violence and war, and to interpret society in terms of war or biological concepts. This was done on the right and the left. Then, between the war and the collapse, and afterwards during the civil war situation and the Red Terror, the public discourse was particularly violent. You have to understand that the country was in a crisis following a very intense wave of violence. Many veterans had returned from the front and were trained killers. This is not a moral judgment, but a fact. There were a lot of men in the country who had a lot of military experience. It is also important to note that during the Aster Revolution, the authorities carried out a very brutal repression, with many victims, of the peasant rebellions. This repression was followed by the Red Terror, which also claimed many victims, and then by the Romanian occupation, which also resulted in an extremely high number of deaths, more than a thousand: mass murders, massacres, pogroms, rapes, looting – a subject that has been totally forgotten. Then came the White Terror. I don’t want to whitewash the White Terror, but you have to understand that it was part of a larger wave of violence. Then you have to understand – and you summarised it very well – the atmosphere of the time, which of course included anti-Semitism. There was obviously an anti-Semitic component to the White Terror, and also a kind of phobia of the working class. At that time, the working class was still an existing and tangible social group in Hungary, and there were also antipathies towards it. There was also anti-Serbism, anti-Slavism in the southern regions, and anti-Germanism in western Hungary. The White Terror should not be seen as a hermetically sealed entity, as something to be treated in isolation. The Serbs committed atrocities at that time, very brutal atrocities, committing much more brutal acts in the Baranya region than the Hungarian troops. There was rape, murder, looting, and unimaginable destruction. Yann Caspar: Let’s remember that Pécs was then under occupation… László Bernát Veszprémy: Pécs had been under Serbian occupation since the end of the war, yes. And let’s not forget the Austrian Gendarmerie. I haven’t discovered any murders connected to them yet, but the Austrians kidnapped personalities who had Hungarian patriotic feelings, members of Parliament, and tortured them on Austrian territory. So the Austrian side also committed atrocities. It should be noted that in 1921, Hungary was not yet fully formed, either in terms of its borders or its political system. A real civil war situation had developed because of the efforts to restore the King Charles IV. There were atrocities in western Hungary, but there was also the reclamation of the Baranya-Baja region, and before that the Serbian occupation. So at that time there was still uncertainty, chaos, transitional situations, and violence in some parts of the country. Yann Caspar: Somewhere in your book you wrote that apart from anti-Semitism, only anti-French sentiment was stronger at that time. I’m not talking about physical violence, of course, because there were hardly any French people in Hungary then. What do you have to say about this? László Bernát Veszprémy: This is obviously related to Trianon. The two countries were at odds with each other in the First World War. Then there was a lot of anti-French literature, publications, and press articles. It was fashionable to criticise not only the French, but also the West in general, as well as the Americanisation that was already underway. The British liked the Hungarians, but there was also criticism of them. The most popular criticism was of the French. There is a little anecdote from a newspaper article. It’s about the former counter-revolutionary Prime Minister, István Friedrich, who said to his audience during a meeting: “And I didn’t even mention our greatest enemy,” and the crowd started to chant “Jews, Jews, out with them!”, and Friedrich then said, “No, no, I meant the French.” Yann Caspar: But Horthy himself was anti-German, and rather Francophile and pro-British… László Bernát Veszprémy: Horthy’s personality is a very interesting question. For a very long time in Hungarian historical literature, he was described as nothing more than a stupid and easily influenced sailor. It was ignored that he was multilingual, educated, something of an artist, and that he travelled a lot. He was not a man who was unfamiliar with high culture and high politics. It is very important to see that in his personality. And it is also very important to see that he was a talented politician, if you consider that political talent is about seizing and keeping power for a very long time. A lot of people say that he didn’t know politics. I don’t think that’s true at all. Look at the way he played the pro-Habsburg “legitimists” and the anti-Habsburg “elective monarchists” against each other, how he made the pro-Habsburg camp believe that he was pro-Habsburg and that he was going to let Charles IV. come back, and then how he asked the Entente for help by issuing statements against the various Habsburg restorations. So Horthy was not at all a talentless politician; in fact, quite the opposite. This is not a moral judgment on my part, but simply an objective statement in light of the sources: he was very good at politics. Yann Caspar: Let’s now jump forward a few decades. Since 2010, the perception of the Horthy regime by the political class has clearly changed; let’s not talk about 1944, as that would take us too far. The public discourse on the Horthy regime has become more positive in recent years – more positive than before 2010, for sure. At the same time, the Hungarian government is perhaps the most philo-Semitic government in Europe, and the most pro-Israel. How do you explain this? László Bernát Veszprémy: I think you have to take into consideration that the attitude of Western Europe towards Israel is not fair, balanced, and rational. If you look at how many times Israel has been condemned in the UN, how many times Western and Northern Europe – not to mention Third World – countries have agreed with these condemnations, and how many times Iran, North Korea, or Venezuela, for example, have been condemned, then you will see a great disproportion. Countries vote against Israel all the time. This creates a kind of witch-hunt atmosphere. On the other hand, actual dictatorships are not criticised. The Hungarian government’s attitude toward foreign policy is pragmatic and fair. Of course, every country has the right to make its own decisions in a sovereign manner, and Israel should therefore be treated in the same way as other countries. Hungary simply does not make a biased judgement of Israel, as many foreign policy makers in Western and Northern European countries are making. And, of course, we must also take into account, as Hungarian politicians and leaders have repeatedly done, that Israel is the key to stability in the Middle East. If Israel were to fall, it would have very serious consequences for Europe. Yann Caspar: In your book Immigration and Anti-Semitism in the West, which was also published last year, you document very well the fact that anti-Semitism in the West today is mainly the result of Muslim immigration. It is clear that the kind of anti-Semitism that was experienced in the 19th and 20th centuries no longer really exists. You have analysed a new type of anti-Semitism. Immigration from outside Europe will pose enormous challenges for our continent in the years and decades to come. But do you think it is possible to confuse the subject of Islam with that of immigration? Many of these migrants will come from regions that are not Muslim… László Bernát Veszprémy: It is worth reflecting on the fact that these anti-Semitic stereotypes do not exist only among Muslim Arabs, but also among Christian Arabs. So this issue cannot be reduced only to Islam. There have been cases where, for example, Arabs of Christian origin have arrived in Europe who believe in the same anti-Semitic stereotypes as Muslim Arabs. This is a possibility. But on the whole, if you take the Middle East and North African (MENA) region, where the dominant religion is of course Islam, and look at its demographic indicators, by 2050 the population of this region will have grown by the equivalent of the current population of all Europe. We will see a lot of Muslim immigration here. Even if we are very optimistic and say that only 10% of these people will emigrate – 40 million people – this will have unpredictable consequences for Europe, socially, culturally, and politically. Yann Caspar: You recently published an article in the American Conservative magazine in which you hypothesise that in a few years, Viktor Orbán will be remembered as a liberal politician. Why is that? Much more radical personalities could come to power in Europe. Moreover, you conclude your article by saying that the scenario envisaged by Michel Houellebecq in Submission – namely, that of a Muslim becoming France’s leader – could come true. Fiction or reality? László Bernát Veszprémy: I think it is possible, and that there will obviously be high-level political leaders of immigrant origin. It can start in a classical way; it is obvious that every community aspires to a certain level of political representation. One option is for Muslims to form their own parties. We already have a prime example of this: the DENK in the Netherlands, which is currently in Parliament. It is not a decisive party, but it exists, and in a sense it is the most successful example of an immigrant party which has been able to maintain its position through several elections. If you look at this party’s programme, it is very left-wing: it has woke positions, it is waging a cultural war and is of course anti-Semitic. It takes a stand against white privilege in the Netherlands and protests white street names. This is an example of a political trend. In my opinion, there is an even more successful strategy: the hijacking of traditional left-wing or green parties. A good example of this is what is happening with the British Labour Party, whose leader was for a very long time a person of British origin: Jeremy Corbyn. Around him you had politicians from Muslim or Third World backgrounds who were very extreme in their anti-Semitism. Another good example is Ilhan Omar in the United States, who is a very successful politician who has been re-elected. The role of women is very important in this kind of political strategy. Beyond a certain threshold, this contradiction will have to be addressed by the left-wing parties: Muslim candidates and immigrant candidates of Arab origin very often do not stand for progressive values, whether it is gay rights, philo-Semitism, freedom of speech, democracy, or transgender rights. They very often represent a harsh reaction to these issues. How do we overcome this problem? This is where figures like Ilhan Omar come in, who on the one hand is a woman and on the other espouses progressive rhetoric and comes from an immigrant background, while proudly embracing her Islamic faith. These are the kinds of figures who will become very important to the Western left in the future: Muslim women. There have been studies about this in some elections: left-wing parties deliberately put forward Muslim women because they can sell their femininity [to Westerners] as a feminist agenda, while voters of an immigrant background are sensitive to the fact that these candidates are Muslim. Yann Caspar: Do you think this trend can reach Central Europe? Does Central Europe represent a different model from Western Europe, or is it just ten or fifteen years behind? László Bernát Veszprémy: I don’t think there will be very much Muslim immigration into Central Europe. In my opinion, the Central and Eastern European nations will, sooner or later, all follow the Hungarian model to a certain extent. We understand what is happening in Western Europe, and we do not want to go down that road. The case of Slovakia shows this very well: for a very long time, it was the left that was against immigration, and then it was replaced by the right, which did not let any more immigrants in. So, no matter who was in charge in Slovakia, everybody rejected this extremism. I don’t think that the idea of replacing our society is at all popular in Central and Eastern Europe. Graduate in Law and Economics, Yann Caspar is specialised in Central and Eastern European countries' politics and economics. French and Hungarian, he has also published many literary columns. You May Also Like Zoltán Kovács: “the decision of the European Court is rather a political decision than a legal decision”	23,408
Adoption of the DPT recognized that the complexity of patient needs requires a greater understanding of how to treat an individual, one that comes with a doctorate-level education, and so in January 2016 the Commission on Accreditation in Physical Therapy Education (CAPTE) made the DPT the required degree for all of … When did PT switch to a doctorate? As a profession physical therapy has moved towards a doctorate degree since 2005. A major consideration in doing this was to allow for direct access to physical therapy without a script from a primary care provider being required. To practice as a physical therapist in the U.S., you must earn a doctor of physical therapy degree from a Commission on Accreditation in Physical Therapy Education-accredited physical therapist education program and pass a state licensure exam. The length of professional DPT programs is typically three years. What year did physical therapy become a Master’s degree? In 1936, students only needed two years of education to practice physical therapy. The requirements increased to a four year baccalaureate degree in the 1960’s. By the 1990’s it increased again as all programs evolved to a Master’s degree. IMPORTANT: Can I work out after physical therapy? Are all PT programs doctorate? Not all Physical Therapists (PTs) have a Doctorate degree (DPT). Some PTs only have a Bachelor’s degree, while others have a Master’s of Science in Physical Therapy (MSPT). … So to answer your question, a Physical Therapist is not necessarily a doctor – because not all PTs hold a doctorate degree (DPT). Can you be a PT without a doctorate? The entry level DPT is currently the standard for those looking to become physical therapists. While master’s in physical therapy degrees were acceptable in the past, you can no longer become certified as a physical therapist without a doctorate degree. Is BPT and DPT same? Bachelors in Physiotherapy is better than Diploma in Physiotherapy as BPT is a undergraduate degree. And in most of the hospitals, educational institutes BPT graduates are appointed. BPT is a more in-depth and pertinent course as it is a four years programme, while DPT is of only one year. What is the difference between a DPT and a PhD in physical therapy? Please be certain you understand the difference between a DPT and a PhD before considering this unique option. The DPT is a clinical doctorate. It is the degree required for you to complete the program and practice as a physical therapist. … The PhD is the highest degree offered by a University. What is the difference between DPT and MPT? What Do MPT and DPT Mean? A Master of Physical Therapy (MPT) is the second-highest academic degrees pursued by physical therapists in the United States. … A Doctorate of Physical Therapy (DPT) is a transitional degree that is pursued by individuals who already hold a professional MPT degree. IMPORTANT: Are physiotherapists healthcare professional? What does MPT stand for in physical therapy? MPT and MSPT stand for Master of Physical Therapy and Master of Science in Physical Therapy. They are earned through an advanced course of study and are the second highest academic degrees held by physical therapists. When did physical therapy start? The year was 435 BC when Hippocrates began advocating the use of massage, hydrotherapy, and manual therapy techniques to treat his patients. This is believed to have been the very first origins of what would become today’s physical therapy. From me Alternative medicine is not only homeopathy, naturopathy, etc. It is also a whole layer of folk remedies and methods of treating various diseases. In the blog you will find information about health and proper nutrition. Join, it will be interesting! ATTENTION TO RIGHT HOLDERS! All materials are posted on the site strictly for informational and educational purposes! If you believe that the posting of any material infringes your copyright, be sure to contact us through the contact form and your material will be removed!	4,173
16th Religious Rehabilitation Group (RRG) Seminar - Speech by Mr K Shanmugam, Minister for Home Affairs and Minister for Law Who We Are Who We Are The Home Team keeps Singapore safe and secure. What We Do What We Do Find out how the Home Team is keeping Singapore safe and secure. Ensuring Civil Defence and Emergency Preparedness Maintaining Law and Order Maintaining Public Order Sentencing in Singapore Managing Prisons and Rehabilitation Countering the Financing of Terrorism Maintaining Racial and Religious Harmony SGSecure: Strengthening the Community's Response Regulating Casino and Gambling Industry Careers Careers Uniformed Careers Civilian (Generalist) Careers - Home Affairs Senior Executives (HASE) Civilian (Specialist) Careers Executive Support Careers Career Transition for Retiring Officers Career Events Career Resources MHA Scholarships Home Team Sponsorships Home Team ITE Sponsorship Learning and Development at MHA Volunteers Volunteers Help keep Singapore safe and secure. Find out about volunteering with the Home Team Volunteer Network (HTVN). Home Team Volunteer Schemes Home Team Boards, Councils and Committees 16th Religious Rehabilitation Group (RRG) Seminar - Speech by Mr K Shanmugam, Minister for Home Affairs and Minister for Law Published: 24 November 2020 My Parliamentary colleague, Mohammad Faishal Ibrahim Co-Chairmen of the RRG Ustaz Ali Haji Mohd [who could not join us today] Chief Executive MUIS, Mr Esa Masood RRG Members 1. Good afternoon. I am happy to be able to join you here today at your 16th RRG seminar. 2. Many of you, including both co-chairs, Ustaz Ali and Ustaz Hasbi, have been with the RRG right from the beginning, 17 years ago. 3. In these 17 years, RRG has been an extremely strong, influential, important voice for both religious tolerance as well as strong religious beliefs, and standing firm against violence and terrorism. 4. This year’s format is obviously different. We are all living in a new normal. Dr Ali spoke about vaccination in the new normal – it applies to the rest of life as well. I am heartened to see that many people are still taking part, whether in-person or over Zoom. Thank you for your good work. 5. Today I want to share some important points with you. Since the last RRG retreat in March 2019, the shape and nature of the terrorism threat has changed. ISIS has lost much of its physical territory – in fact, almost all of its physical territory, in Syria and Iraq – and a number of its leaders, including Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, have been killed. 6. But, the threat of ISIS remains. It is now a covert network with over 10,000 fighters. It still has over 10,000 fighters in Syria and Iraq, and they continue attacks. ISIS is taking advantage of the geopolitical unrest and weak governance in many of the conflict zones. The unfortunate thing about all of this, is that the people who suffer most, most of the people that ISIS kills, are fellow Muslims – more than 90 percent, children, women. 7. Its propaganda on social media continues to radicalise and inspire attacks around the world, including here in Southeast Asia. 8. There have been sustained counter-terrorism efforts in this region and that has led to a moderation, a slight reduction, in the number of attacks. 9. But, the terrorists in this region are adapting. They are going low-tech, adapting, changing their modus. For example, they use knives, they use lesser known explosives, and they are tapping on alternative funding sources for their operations. 10. We have all seen, and the spate of attacks in France and Austria tells us, that the threat of terrorism hasn’t gone away. 11. French teacher Samuel Paty’s head was cut off by an 18-year-old Chechen teenager. He had shown his classroom students, when they were discussing freedom of speech, cartoons that were put out by Charlie Hebdo, a satirical magazine. You know that Charlie Hebdo, as a result of attacks of which there were several attacks on Charlie Hebdo, people died. 12. French President Macron issued a statement paying tribute to Paty and defending the right in France to publish such cartoons. He made a very strong speech, covering many different aspects. 13. That speech then got a very strong counter reaction from Muslims around the world, and some described the actions of France as Islamophobic. 14. Jihadists have jumped on it. They’ve called on followers to attack French interests, and to attack anyone who insults Islam and the way they define as insulting Islam. 15. As a result, there were then follow-up attacks. There were attacks in Nice, Lyon and in Vienna, Austria. It shows that when jihadists make such calls, there are people who will follow, and a few others, and more terror. 16. We all have said, we all know, jihadists don’t represent Islam. You have people like that in every religion who will resort to violence. It is not a problem with any particular religion, but you will always have people like this. The question is how we deal with them. 17. What has happened in France has restarted the debate on what freedom of expression means, how much you can say, and what is the boundary between free expression and your obligation not to offend someone’s religion. 18. In France, secularism, the French call it Laicite. It means that the government will not intervene in religious matters or stop publications that attack religions. 19. Freedom of speech is quite absolute to the extent that it even includes the right to blaspheme, which means you can publish anything that is offensive to any religion. 20. This didn’t happen overnight. 21. If you go back some centuries, several hundred years to the Middle Ages, the Church was extremely powerful. If a clergyman was walking on the streets and if you didn’t kneel and pay homage, you could be whipped, you could be arrested. The Church could get you arrested if it felt that you were a threat or you were contradicting the Church. It had a tremendous influence, the most important influence, in people’s lives and in the countries’ politics. 22. But over the centuries, with the Renaissance, with the assertion of nationhood, with the Kings asserting themselves, the balance shifted. 23. Along the way, but not before there were several religious wars between the Protestants and Catholics, and between the Kings and the Churches, and of course the French revolution, between the 17th and 20th Centuries, the principles of separation of State and Religion, and the secularity of the State, developed. 24. Post-World War, that became a stronger principle. At the same time, France, along with some other countries, faced greater immigration post-Second World War. 25. There are two principles worth noting about the French experience. One, the French State, the establishment, assumed that the new immigrants will accept the French way of looking at freedom of speech and that they will also accept the French approach to secularity, meaning you could say what you like about any religion and the State will not intervene. They expected that all the new immigrants will accept that. 26. The Government and the State did not engage in any active efforts to integrate the new immigrants, to see how their values can be integrated with the French approach, nor did they look at whether the French approach needed to be reconsidered and recalibrated in the light of the changing population. The French simply assumed that everyone will accept its traditional values. 27. And Laicite meant that the State couldn’t actually intervene, or seriously interact with different religions. They left the religions to themselves, and they couldn’t help bring people together, mould a common viewpoint, while protecting freedom of religion. Something like MHA interacting with RRG to promote uniformity, to promote unity, to promote a better understanding of religion, would not be acceptable in France, because that means the State is getting involved. But, it’s very difficult without the State getting involved. The State doesn’t tell people what to believe in – that must be for religious leaders – but the State has resources that can be brought in to help, to assist. 28. What is the result when the State takes a hands-off approach and if we took a hands-off approach? You have publications like Charlie Hebdo, which publish repulsive, highly offensive cartoons and articles on religions, in the name of free speech. 29. And the French expect all religions to accept this. 30. The French, we can understand, they are shaped by their own tradition, their own history. For them, this is new, they don’t realise it. 31. But looking at it as an outsider, you can also see and understand. Some will say that if you insult my religion, I am not going to stand by and say this is your right to free speech. 32. I’m not going to accept that free speech means that you can give offence to my religion. They published these images – I’ve only chosen the ones they published about Catholics – and you can see how offensive it is. They published similar ones about Islam with the Prophet, and for Islam, even publishing images of the Prophet is not acceptable. So, you can imagine, what would the Catholics do all these years? They try to sue Charlie Hebdo, they go to the Courts, they say this is bad, you shouldn’t be doing this about religion. And the Courts rule differently, depends, but free speech. If you did this in Singapore, we would arrest you, but in the French case, they say this is free speech, and therefore we shouldn’t intervene. 33. So, you can imagine when they publish something like this about Muslims, or Islam, or any other religion – and they publish about all religions – you can imagine how offensive it is. I’m not showing the ones on Islam here. So, France will have to find a way to bridge this gulf between its principles of Laicite and Freedom, and the expectations and beliefs of its people who don’t accept that their religions should be offensively caricatured. 34. Every now and then, we get debates in Singapore – why is the Government not allowing free speech, why is the Government so protective or so defensive when it comes to race and religion? This is why we are defensive when it comes to race and religion. Because if we take a hands-off approach, then people will say since the Government won’t do something, I will do something, and people are going to be upset with each other. The national harmony will be affected, and the majority of people will be affected. Some groups will be saying yes, free speech, it’s ok, I don’t get offended, you can say what you like about the Prophet, the Pope, or God. But many other people would feel offended. So that is why we take a different approach. 35. We take a secular approach, so, when the Government looks at policies, we are secular. We don’t favour any particular religion, and we guarantee freedom of religion. We are secular, France is secular; we guarantee freedom of religion, France guarantees freedom of religion. But how we achieve it, is different. France says that they prefer to achieve it by taking a hands-off approach; we are interventionist, we intervene. 36. Because we take the position, that the right to speak freely goes with the duty to act responsibly, the two must go together. 37. And, as a secular Government, we are neutral in the treatment of all religions. 38. We also do not allow any religion to be attacked or insulted by anybody else, whether majority or minority. Same rules. 39. We guarantee freedom of religion, the right of every person to practice his or her religious beliefs, and we protect everyone, majority or minority, from any threats, hate speech or violence. 40. That is the assurance one gets in Singapore. It is also what we need to do to make sure that we preserve racial and religious harmony in Singapore. 41. Therefore, the Charlie Hebdo types of cartoons will not be allowed in Singapore, whether they are about Catholicism or Protestants or Islam or Hindus. Free speech for us stops at the boundary of giving offence to religion. There is a fence, and that fence protects religious sensitivities. The Charlie Hebdo cartoonists, if they were here, they would have been told to stop. If they didn’t stop, ISD would visit them, and they would have been arrested. 42. We believe that we can build a multi-religious, multi-racial society, based on trust, and only by taking a firm stance against hate speech, and dealing with all communities equally and fairly. 43. We have laws designed to ensure racial and religious harmony in Singapore. We update them regularly to make sure that they are relevant and effective as times change. 44. Many of you might know that we amended the Maintenance of Religious Harmony Act (MRHA) last year. 45. One key amendment is that the Minister can issue Restraining Orders to take effect immediately, removing the requirement for a 14-day notice period, because when it was introduced several decades ago, you had to give 14 days’ notice. But today, if you give 14 days’ notice, it goes around the world several times before 14 minutes are up. With social media and the Internet, a 14-day notice period doesn’t work anymore. 46. Another key amendment we said, we’ve been noticing foreign groups intervening, using religion, not just in Singapore, but in many other countries. We didn’t want to wait until that happened here, so we made amendments to the MRHA to say that foreign actors should not be exploiting our religious groups, imposing their values here. Let Singapore Muslims, Singapore Christians, Singapore Hindus decide for themselves. You can adapt the religious beliefs, but foreigners shouldn’t intervene actively in the way we do it. 47. Religious groups are now required to report all donations they receive from overseas, and we have rules. It doesn’t prevent foreign leadership of our organisations, but we have rules restricting the number of foreigners who can be in committees in charge of religious institutions. There is a limit to what we can do, but the committees and societies in Singapore, the churches and the mosques in Singapore, who are the committee members, the number. We can have some foreigners, but there will be a limit on the number. 48. The Government can also issue a Restraining Order against religious groups to prohibit donations, or change the leadership, if we assess that foreigners are heavily influencing those groups. 49. In contrast to France, we maintain secularity, we guarantee freedom of religion, by putting a limit to free speech. We’ll say it cannot be used to attack religion and actively intervene to put in policies which promote religious harmony. And, I’m sharing this because France has been in the news, the French approach has been in the news, and in Singapore, the constant debate is about freedom of speech and the limits. So, we understand why 40 to 50 years ago, our first generation of leaders decided on these principles which are still valid. Now, that’s my first point – to contrast the French approach to our approach, so that everyone can understand. 50. Second, what has happened because of the events in France? We have had to ramp up our security in Singapore to prevent copycat attacks. 51. The Police have increased ground presence. 52. ISD has also stepped up monitoring of radicals, flush out potential radicals. 53. There have been many radical calls since the events in France, as I said earlier. As a result, we have picked up 16 Bangladeshis and 1 Malaysian in the last few weeks. 54. One of them is a construction worker from Bangladesh, Ahmed Faysal. Quite a serious situation. He has been arrested under the Internal Security Act (ISA), for suspected radicalisation and involvement in terrorism. 55. ISD’s preliminary investigations show that he became radicalised online and he wanted to take part in armed jihad overseas. 56. He bought knives and blades which we recovered from him, you can see that in the pictures. He specifically wanted to go back to Bangladesh and kill Hindu Police officers. He also actively shared jihadist propaganda on his social media accounts. The Commercial Affairs Department is also investigating him for possible terrorism financing offences. He is under detention by ISD. 57. The other 15 Bangladeshis that were picked up, they were in the process of becoming radicalised. They were stoking anti-French sentiments, and that is serious because one of the privileges of being in Singapore is that any one of you can go out there and walk and not worry that somebody is going to come and attack you. That is one of the privileges. But tomorrow, if a French man were to get attacked on the streets – and it doesn’t matter whether he is a French man, and whether you like him or not – if he gets attacked, your sense of security will also be affected, because people can be knifed on the streets. We can’t (simply) say this is against France. Not in Singapore. They made inflammatory comments, they incited violence and could have become dangerous. ISD picked them up early, and we have sent all of them back to Bangladesh. 58. Likewise, for the Malaysian, we picked him up and sent him back. 59. Faysal, as I’ve said, is under detention. 60. This is what we call a zero tolerance approach. That is my second message. 61. Third, I have said this before, and I will repeat it. The Government cannot do this alone. We need the community to come in. Only the community can protect itself. Community leaders can protect the community from extremism and terrorism. It takes a whole-of-society effort. 62. We need calm, credible and authoritative voices to lower temperatures, and to drown out and reduce hate speech. 63. After the attack in France, the RRG for example, came out quickly and issued a statement to condemn the acts of violence. It called on everyone not to play into the hands of extremists, and not to allow these acts to damage our social harmony. 64. In your individual capacities as asatizah, some of you also posted on your personal social media accounts to remind the community on the need to practise mutual respect, love and compassion. 65. Those sorts of strong and clear responses are important in setting the tone for our community. And this is something that the Government also welcomes, that shows that our community, our Singaporean community, is different. These strong and clear responses are important in setting the tone for our community. 66. During this COVID-19 pandemic, RRG’s work on the counter-ideology front is especially important. 67. Supporters of terrorist groups are always quick to capitalise on these changes, on the feeling that people are economically disadvantaged. When people have less money, these terror appeals become more attractive, and they are always looking to see how they can make it more violent. 68. Groups like ISIS and Al-Qaeda actually framed the COVID-19 pandemic as divine retribution against the West. It is actually affecting all of us, but they have framed it as God’s retribution against the West. Others are using it to pit an “us vs them” mentality. 69. There is no shortage of these sorts of propaganda online, and at the same time, more and more of our people are spending their time online to stay connected with friends or connected to work. RRG’s work is becoming even more important online. 70. I am heartened that RRG has intensified the efforts to reach out to the community online. 71. RRG has published more than 60 articles and 30 online lectures, including a Ramadan lecture series and very interestingly, a number of animation videos which have been put out through various social media platforms. 72. It is also good that it has continued with its 5th run of the Awareness Programme for Youth (APY), all in the midst of the pandemic. I think the 10 participants are there appearing on Zoom. Thank you to them, and thank you to you for doing this. (Note: The 10 participants appeared over Zoom at this juncture.) 73. Since there is no formal graduation ceremony, I will take this opportunity to congratulate the 10 participants on their successful completion of the programme. Let’s give them a round of applause. 74. I hope that you will be able to contribute back to society and continue to be the voice of peace and harmony, especially amongst our young people. We look forward to much from you. 75. The hybrid format adopted for this retreat shows the new normal that we are all adjusting to. 76. The launch of a virtual 360-degree tour of the Resource and Counselling Centre (RCC) today, reflects this spirit of innovation. 77. RRG, has in recent discussions with MUIS and Warees, agreed on an expansion plan for the RCC. 78. That is a very important milestone. I thank Muis for engaging with those discussions with RRG. The expanded RCC will become a cornerstone upon which we can anchor our counter-ideology efforts. It can also be a platform to galvanise Singaporeans to be united in the fight against terrorism. 79. Let me conclude by thanking each one of you for the extremely important and good work that has been done, that each of you are doing, and how important it is.	22,312
If the sound of sirens and “Despacito” remixes has infiltrated your dreams, you’re probably due for a relaxing day. While NYC certainly has a reputation for being a bit raucous, there is no shortage of places to unwind. This bucolic park situated along the Hudson River is the perfect place to disconnect. Watch frogs play hopscotch in the picturesque aquatic gardens, stroll flower-lined paths, and take in the in the dramatic views of the Hudson River and the Palisades. Nestled next to the Jefferson Market Library, an architectural beauty and beacon of Greenwich Village, is a charming garden complete with cobbled pathways, shady nooks, and a small koi pond. Grab a book at the library or nearby Three Lives and Company and spend the day reading in the tranquil surroundings. Admire the art of the Himalayas and surrounding regions as you make your way through this under the radar museum in Chelsea.The exhibitions are tastefully curated and the space itself is easy to navigate, making it perfectly suited for a day of contemplation and reflection. Prospect Park has long been a favorite of those seeking to unwind and get that much needed dose of nature. My personal favorite spot to perch is on the green grass near the Boathouse/Audubon Center, an eye catching Beaux Arts landmark. As you enjoy your picnic, watch a white swan drift slowly across the pond. Located in Astoria, this museum is a wonderful respite from daily stresses. The airy, light-drenched galleries and serene sculpture garden lend this museum an intimate atmosphere that you just won’t find at larger museums in the city. A great space to reflect and appreciate some truly beautiful works of art. CHECK OUT OUR COURSES AT BSL Learn English in Brooklyn, NYC. Small and Intensive English classes at our ESL school in New York. Standard, Semi-intensive, Intensive (for F1 students), Individual, Combined, and Business English programs. We offer year round English courses and short English courses in New York. Situated in picturesque Brooklyn Heights on the 34th floor of a landmarked historic skyscraper overlooking the entirety of the city, our New York language center is the ideal location for an ESL school in New York. Something is wrong. Previous Next Leave a Reply Cancel reply Your email address will not be published. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. Subscribe and follow 5 Different Ways to Say “I’m tired ” in English 10 Games to play on Zoom to improve your English online Adult English courses Junior English Summer Camp Accommodation Why BSL Licensed by New York: Bureau of Proprietary School Supervision Approved by CSN in Sweden English Teacher Years teaching: I have been teaching English for 7 years University: Vassar, University of Geneva, and Columbia University Hometown: Have you ever lived outside of the United States? Yes. 15+ years What is your favorite thing about teaching? Developing teaching materials. The questions I get from my students! Always finding new challenges A good language learning tip for your students? Try to think in the target language Something about you that would surprise your students I speak Japanese English Teacher What is something about you that would surprise your students? I grew up in the 80s, so I was really into British punk rock and had a pet rat that I named Chelsea! What’s your favorite pastime when you are not working? I always love to surround myself with water or trees, so whenever I can and weather permitting, I like to take little trips to the Hudson Valley area and spend time there with good friends. In the city, I love to see live shows of my favorite bands when they’re playing in town, check out some art exhibitions, stroll around farmer’s markets or flea markets, take pictures, dive into books and explore good eateries. Is there a good language learning tip that you give your students? Learning a foreign language is a long process; therefore, I believe that you have to love the language and its culture. If you’re dedicated, passionate and do whatever you can to immerse yourself in the language, the outcome will be evident. Don’t give up and have confidence! What is your favorite part of teaching? This might sound like a cliché, but as a teacher I get tremendous satisfaction when I see students improve and reach their goals. Hearing students outside of class use phrases or vocabulary that I taught them is priceless. English Teacher Years teaching: I have been teaching English for 4 years.University: I received my Bachelors of Science in Marketing and Communications from the State University of New York – Fashion Institute of Technology. I was TEFL certified at ITTO in Guadalajara, Mexico. What is your favorite thing about teaching? I love learning different perspectives from my students. Education systems and ways to communicate are so diverse globally – I feel like I am traveling the world within the walls of a classroom! A good language learning tip for your students? Start to think in English as much as possible. Translating directly from your mother tongue will eventually stop working once the nuance of speaking the language becomes more complex. This is the best part of learning a new language. Something about you that would surprise your students I am learning to play the accordion in my free time. What they are saying about our Junior Program “The teacher was amazing and I learned so many things while I was here. The classes are fun and educational but also serious. It was an incredible experience!” “Zoe is an amazing teacher and I really lived the class, they were all interactive, cool and with a lot of speaking!” “I love how Sonia cooks and it was very nice to be with her.” “Molly was always nice to me and provided me everything I needed.” “My host mom was very nice and friendly. We spent a lot of time together.” Italy, 17 years old, July 2018 “The people are very nice and ask us questions to improve [our English].” France, 16 years old, July 2018 “I love my host family!” Spain, 17 years old, July 2018 “They have been very friendly with me. They treated me as if I was part of the family. I’m going to miss them. Spain, 17 years old, July 2018 “I just wanted to let you know this season has been absolutely perfect. We have had NO complaints aside from Julie’s little issue with her HF but the teens cried at the airport before leaving one another, they all said it had been amazing, and that the musical had been amazing, and that everything had been perfect. So thank you. Thank you, it was a pleasure working with you this year and I cannot wait for next year.” Calvin Thomas, Agent, July 2018 “The staff members are friendly and happy to help when you need something. It is nice that there are not too many people.” Switzerland, 16 years old, July 2018 “The places that we visited were absolutely amazing.” Italy, 17 years old, July 2018 “There was a lot of variety and the leaders were kind and always ready to answer questions.” Italy, 16 years old, July 2018 “We visited a lot of different places and the activity leaders were useful.” Italy, 16 years old, July 2018 “The school has given me everything I needed.” Spain, 16 years old, July 2018 “Everyone tries to help you in every situation.” Italy, 17 years old, July 2018 “The staff are friendly and kind.” Italy, 18 years old, July 2018 “The school is modern and well-organized.” Italy, 18 years old, July 2018 “We always did very different things, and everything was perfect and organized. Everyone was very kind and ready to help.” Italy, 16 years old, July 2018 “We had fun together, but we also learned a lot. The staff members were always available.” Italy, 16 years old, July 2018 “Bryan is an amazing teacher. I learned more things in 3 weeks than in 1 year at school.” Algerian, 14 years old, July 2018 “I improved my knowledge and I’m not afraid to speak in front of people. It was a fantastic experience! The English course was organized and also the teachers were good. I’m so happy.” Italy, 18 years old, July 2018 “Amazing teachers, lessons, and games. Steve and Bryan are fantastic teachers. They love teaching and they’re always happy to help you. I’ve improved my English.” Italy, 18 years old, July 2018 “There was a good balance between learning and playing. Bryan managed to keep the attention of the entire class. I found it particularly useful watching videos and then answering the teacher’s questions to check if we understood.” Italy, 18 years old, July 2018 “Classes were funny, interesting, and useful. Bryan always got our attention because he’s funny, but he also teaches well. I think I’ve learnt a lot of new words and I can understand when American people are speaking.” Italy, 18 years old, July 2018 “The classes were very interesting and fun, and make you want to learn. We were always doing very different activities, and the teachers were very fun and had good relationships between the students.” Italy, 16 years old, July 2018 “The lessons weren’t boring, but funny and interesting. We used all sorts of materials, not only the course book. I learned new words, sentences, and idioms, and the course is very useful.” Italy, 16 years old, July 2018 “The classes were dynamic and I have learned new things.” Spain, 16 years old, July 2018 “I’ve learned a lot, and I was never bored. Steve is an excellent teacher; I’ve really liked his classes. I think that I’ve made a lot of progress in English and I’m really happy.” Spain, 16 years old, July 2018 “I love the way Richelle does the classes. She is very respectful, hardworking, and she loves her job. I’ve improved my English.” Spain, 14 years old, July 2018 “Richelle is REALLY good. I have learnt so much with her.” Denmark, 13 years old, July 2018 “I find my lessons very interesting. The teacher is very good and explains very well. She uses the projector a lot and this is very helpful for me. I think I really improved my English. The program is also very organized and the staff always takes care of us.” Elena Bussolari, Italy, July 2016 “Sherry, my host mom, cooks very well. All the family is very nice and they integrate us into the conversations. I feel like at my home.” Rosalie, France, July 2016 “A good school in a very beautiful position in Brooklyn. I liked it so much! Also my host family was very nice with me, and available to answer all my questions.” Riccardo Di Molfetta, Italy, July 2016 “Emily is the best, and she cooks very well!” Giulia PiaFaraone, Italy, July 2016 “I like the places we visit! Albert is a fantastic leader! The best experience!” Thor Renner, Denmark, July 2016 “I really like the school and the people here. There was a lot of fun!” Kiara Monja Heidi Horig, Germany, July 2016 “Amanda’s lessons are very fun and interesting, I learnt a lot of new words.” Maja Talarek, Poland, July 2016 “The general atmosphere in the house is very nice and the family is always available!” Gaia Guglielmo, Italy, July 2016 “I am very happy and satisfied about the school!” Julien Rubio, France, July 2016 “The program was awesome: the lessons had a good balance between speaking, grammar and listening, our activity leader Albert was amazing and my family was typically American which was great.” Mateo Raguenault, France, July 2015 “My students and I had a great time in Brooklyn. Our host families really integrated us in their daily lives and the activity program went really smoothly. Our leader Albert was fantastic, always ready to help and very knowledgeable about New York. And the commute to school by subway was no problem at all. Thank you to everyone at BSL for making our stay a very successful one.” Eas-Vele group, Spain, July 2015 “I had a great time in New York, the program was really well organised. I enjoyed the classes and activities, and my host family was just perfect too!” Alysse Bayon, France, July 2015 “We had a very good teacher, I have improved a lot my English. I enjoyed my stay and the visits to the Top of the Rock, Times Square and Brooklyn Bridge. Also, my host family is very nice, they are helpful and very friendly.” Marc Xapelli, Spain, July 2014 What they are saying about our classes “It was a very short stay, but I learned more English than I would learn in Japan. I had an excellent experience throughout the week. Primarily I learned a lot about the cultures of other countries, like Colombia, France, Switzerland, the USA… I appreciate that the school staff talked to me often so I could practice! Thank you so much.” Asami Fujiwara, Japan, January 2020 “The afternoon class what very interesting because we talked about lots of topics.” Eleonora Bonacini, Italy, December 2019 “Before I came to BSL, I couldn’t even shop for something in English.” Ryusuke Yamai, Japan, March 2019 “I entered BSL without knowing almost anything of English, without self-confidence and positivity. I left there knowing that I spoke reasonably well, confident, and ready to get a job.” Bob Gomes Ferraz, Brazil, November 2018 “Like always, it was just great to improve my English in such a relaxed atmosphere. Thank you very much.” Franco Previtali, Switzerland, October 2018 “My level before the course was low but after classes my progress was very good.” Javier Martinez, Spain, September 2018 “It’s a very beautiful course and the topics are interesting. The teacher is so nice and the book is easy to use.” Giulia Olivero, Italy, July 2018 “We talked about a lot of current important issues. All the topics were interesting and involving. I’ve loved having all those conversations and discussions about our cultures and our society.” Laura Melotti, Italy, July 2018 “The course has a great balance between all areas. It’s a good way for us to practice everything. Overall I was really happy and satisfied with the course, even though I have only been here for 3 weeks.” Mariana Mendes, Brazil, June 2018 “The lessons were very useful and I also had a lot of fun.” Sara Valduga, Italy, June 2018 “I really enjoyed it and was surprised in a positive way by the professionalism of the courses.” Sylvie Ducrest, Switzerland, June 2018 “The teachers were really awesome. I think I learned how to really learn a language!” Saori Oji, Japan, April 2018 “Before coming to America, I didn’t have confidence to speak English. However thanks to Ethan and my classmates I became able to speak English positively. I’m grateful.” Takeru Taniguchi, Japan, March 2018 “I can’t find words to describe how much I love it. It is a great experience, it is very motivating, and the teachers are great. I have never seen such a great course.” Elena Fomina, Russia, March 2018 I like that there not many people in class and the lessons even at advanced level are challenging. I’ve done a few courses like this before and this is the best school I’ve seen. Although 2 weeks were short period, I believe that I learned a lot of things at your class, not only English as a language but also how to behave in the global business situation. Now I am full of motivation for making this chance as a turning point in my life. Kazuhiro Hosaka, Japan, October 2017 I think the business class is very well structured. There are a lot of interesting topics and the book is very challenging. Martina Michel, Italy, September 2017 I want to thank you about the two weeks that I spent in NYC. I really enjoyed my time at the school and I really was very satisfied about your lessons. It was my first English course abroad but your abilities in teaching and keeping the attention of the class really inspired me. Alessandro Rossi, Italy, August 2017 Awesome class, lots of fun, comfortable atmosphere. The teacher was friendly and helpful. I gained confidence in speaking. Falk Ehler, Germany, August 2017 The best English classes I’ve ever had. I learnt so many things and I am not afraid to speak anymore. Berenice Champion, France, August 2017 I really enjoyed the BSL structure, the way they teach and the relationships with the students. Claudia Jacobovitz, Brazil, July 2017 The lessons were so fun and we learned so much. Now I can understand and speak better. Edoardo Girardin, Italy, June 2017 Private lessons are very useful and the teachers bring very interesting materials and topics into class. I can tell they do very good research. The topics covered in class were helpful for conversation. We spoke a lot and learned a lot of new vocabulary. Dominik Gnann, Germany, May 2017 I like my Business English teacher, he is a pushing us forward in a very positive way. Janine Aniela Gehring, Germany, April 2017 There’s a very friendly and easy atmosphere in class. Leila Bertschinger, Switzerland, April 2017 The topics were interesting and relevant. We used a lot of different materials and learnt a lot of interesting of interesting expressions. I’m very satisfied because the classes at BSL don’t have too many students, so I had a lot of opportunity to speak at school. Michiko Kuwauchi, Japan, March 2017 The English course was very good and gave me the opportunity to talk a lot. Mauro Grombone, Italy, March 2017 What they are saying about our school “I just say that everything was perfect!” Italian, 19 years old, December 2019 “A great school with a great teacher team and a great view on Manhattan. For French speakers I highly recommend this school that is ideally located in Brooklyn, easy to access even when you don’t know new-York very well. The strength is in the size. You are not lost as this may be the case in other schools. The educational team is super friendly and very invested.” French, 30 years old, October 2019 “Stay like that ! Funny, smiley ! I’m feeling more comfortable in English even when I make mistakes because teachers are cool and friendly” Belgian, 23 years old, November 2019 “Every students and teachers are very kind to me. Thank you.” Japanese, 27 years old, November 2019 “I loved the atmosphere of the school and it’s very pleasant to see every teacher motivated and happy everyday !” French, 28 years old, September 2019 “A unique school here in New York. The atmosphere is amazing. The teachers are so nice, helpful and respectful. I really enjoyed to be here.” Swiss, 28 years old, August 2019 “Here are the best classroom views in the entire world!” German, 38 years old, August 2019 “The atmosphere of this school was amazing. I had the chance to meet interesting people from different nationalities which made me grow as an individual.” Spanish, 18 years old, August 2019 “I love this school and I think a language school can not be more better” May 2019 “I’m so glad that I chose this school, I didn’t apply through an agency so I had to do all by myself. Rich replied quickly and answered all of my questions. I chose this school because there are not many students in a class, not too big, not too young, not a lot of Asian people. Students are highly motivated and try not to speak their own language at the school. I started my course from the week 1 of the curriculum which is good to begin. The Brooklyn Bridge Tour on the first day of school is good to make new friends.” May 2019 “The school has a good spirit, very competent and friendly teachers with teaching at eye level, respectfully and also with humour. Rich and the team take a lot of time for excursions to show the city to their students. The school has an amazing view over New York and is simply a place to feel at home. Thanks to all of you for your dedication” “The school was a very big surprise for me. Very intelligent way of having conversations dynamics, very relaxing and cozy place, and very nice and open minded people. All of them are very nice and Madison is an special person.” Renata Raggi, Brazil, May 2019 “Beautiful view and the rooms are very comfortable, and the staff is very friendly and open.” Malgorzata Rocke, Poland, March 2019 “BSL has a really good atmosphere and teachers, and I met so many nice friends here! Thank you very much.” Miryu Numao, Japan, March 2019 “Very nice school with and amazing view of NYC, interesting lessons and a qualified teacher able to involve the students, lovely accommodation and involved host families, an excellent school Director able to follow with attention students and tour leaders. Everything has been well organized and we want to thank you and your staff for the kind cooperation and the attention put on group needs. Mrs Scomazzoni will most certainly come back next year. As to us at Euroeduca on our Director suggestion we will now promote your school also towards individual students.” Monica Eurodeca, Italy, March 2019 “I’m very satisfied with this school, its teachers, and its structure. Stay small! It’s like a big family.” Serge Cantin, Canada, March 2019 “Thank you everyone. When I came here, I couldn’t understand everything, but I think my English has improved a lot. I’m proud of myself. I used to be shy, but I’m confident now. Everything thanks to the teachers.” Taiki Hachimine, Japan, March 2019 “The school is very well located, well equipped, and the staff is always ready to help. The size of the school makes it easy for everyone to be in control, to help each other, to get to know each other, and to learn. I loved the space, the people, and everything I experienced. The constant activities, the classes outside, the relaxed teachers, and the happy hours leave the atmosphere lighter and fun.” Bob Gomes Ferraz, Brazil, November 2018 “I feel more comfortable speaking English. I spent 3 years in school in Sweden (my last 3 years) and I hated almost every teacher: this have been the best 4 weeks of school in my life.” “I want to say thank you, to the hole staff from the school. It was a pleasure for me to join the class and to spend time at school an school activities! You all were really nice, professional and helpful. I had a lot of fun in the standard class of Ethan and I could improve my English. He is a super teacher, motivating, humorous and he gives diversified lessons. It was a wonderful experience for me.” Therese Amstutz, Switzerland, October 2018 “I loved doing an English course at BSL. It felt a little bit like home.” Rosan Kuipers, Netherland, September 2018 “I loved every minute of it, thank you for making my trip that good here. A special thanks to Rich for his warm welcome here.” Jessica Allely, France, September 2018 “The atmosphere of the school was the most impressive part for me. I loved it.” Barbara Duarte, Brazil, July 2018 “It’s very calm, relaxed, and everybody is nice.” Caroline Von Waitz, Germany, July 2018 “The course and everything here at the school has been even better than what I expected.” Laura Melotti, Italy, July 2018 “I loved the students, teachers, atmosphere, activities, etc. Perfect rooms, perfect view, and great donuts on Fridays!” Jeannine Wiemann, Switzerland, June 2018 “Good location with a terrific view of Manhattan, very close to the train stop and to my favorite bakery. Thank you so much for all your patience!” Sabrina Giovanardi, Italy, June 2018 “I love how familiar the school is. I’m so happy I chose this language school. I felt so comfortable and had a lot of fun.” Seraina Eisenring, Switzerland, June 2018 “I really enjoyed coming to school! It was amazing: the staff, the students, the activities, everything!” Manon Bongard, Switzerland, June 2018 “I’m really happy for the words and the advice received from my teachers. I miss them and the school so much. It was really a wonderful experience that encouraged me to deepen my English’s study. I thank Richard very much for the excellent organization of activities and lessons. I hope to see you as soon as possible.” Francesca Gisotti, Italy, May 2018 “It was very nice and in only four days I could improve my English.” Guillerme Moretti, Brazil, May 2018 “Small, good teachers, nice students.” Linus Thofte, Sweden, May 2018 “I had a really good time, and I surely recommend it to everyone who wants to come to New York.” Francesca Gisotti, Italy, May 2018 “The atmosphere is really welcoming.” Beatrice Martin, Canada, April 2018 “The school is really good, thank you so much! I’ve felt so welcome here. It’s a great atmosphere and it really doesn’t feel like school, I liked to go there every day.” Johanna Loeffl, Austria, March 2018 “Good atmosphere between people and the location is awesome.” Isabelle Olivier, France, March 2018 Clean, chill, bright, comfy. Munyee Yap, Malaysia, November 2017 Perfect view, nice location, friendly and helpful staff. I love everything! Rena Gentsu, Japan, October 2017 Overall it was an amazing experience that exceeded all my expectations. I wants to thank you all for the excellent 8 weeks I spent there. Bernardo Augusto Rodrigues de Araujo, Brazil, October 2017 The school is awesome. I learnt a lot and my speaking improved a lot. Thiago Henrichs Stulpen, Brazil, October 2017 The small size of the school enables students to easily talk to each other. All the students come from all over the world, it is a way to be more open-minded. The staff is very kind and always takes care of students. Marie-Charlotte Alvard, France, October 2017 BSL is the best school I have studied in. Everything was perfect but the best point is Rich, amazing, always in touch with the students, great job! Jose Adrian Serrano Sanchez, Spain, October 2017 I had a great time attending English classes at Brooklyn School of Languages! Even though going back to school at a certain age may sound like a nightmare, all of you made this experience very easy. I had a lot of fun, loved the atmosphere, teachers, afternoon activities. There are not so many students so we are able to talk to everyone, I liked it. I made many good friends through the school activities and tried to be with them all the time to speak English. Ayano Enda, Japan, September 2017 I really loved learning English at BSL, the school atmosphere is awesome! Thank you Rich and the team! Andrea Campelo S. Dias, Brazil, September 2017 Beautiful design and view. I like the familiar atmosphere and the staff is very professional. I appreciate the concept with the weekly assessments and the personal progress reports. Joelle Christine Tinguely, Switzerland, August 2017 The location is perfect, in a very nice district of Brooklyn, and very close to Manhattan. And for me it is good that there aren’t so many Japanese students in this school. Takeshi Ogino, Japan, August 2017 Easy to find, awesome view, clean, friendly and helpful staff – it has everything you need. Falk Ehler, Germany, August 2017 No need to go to the Empire State or Top of the Rock, the school has a great view! Berenice Champion, France, August 2017 I am very happy to learn English in this school, it’s fantastic! My teacher is excellent, very patient with us, and the staff is very friendly and helpful. Thanks so much! Ester Carmona Alcolea, Spain, July 2017 What they are saying about our teachers “I really appreciated Madison’s energy and how much love she puts in what she does!” Italian, 19 years old, December 2019 “Baise was wonderful. I learned a lot from her. I really appreciate her..” Japanese, 53 years old, December 2019 “Cory helps me everyday, his lessons were beautiful and very interesting” Swiss, 25 years old, December 2019 “I loved all my English lessons with Baise as my teacher, she always helped me with my questions. I will miss her. It was the best experience in my life. Baise is the best teacher I’ve ever met!” Mexican, 26 years old, October 2019 “I would recommend Lauren anytime. It was such a great time in New York and we had so much fun in class. Nevertheless I reached level C1. Thank you Lauren :-)” German, 28 years old, September 2019 “Cory is an amazing teacher. We have learned a lot of interesting stuff. I’m glad I had the chance to meet him.” Spanish, 18 years old, August 2019 “Ethan creates very good dynamics at the classes and he has a very interesting way of pushing the students.” June 2019 “Baise is incredibly good at her job and I truly had a wonderful time in her class every single day.” June 2019 “Sam is the most important interesting teacher I’ve ever meet” May 2019 “Baise is more than a good teacher, she’s a great personality with an awesome attitude and a quiet, determined and confident way of teaching. She’s a really open minded person with a sense of humor and a personal, inspiring way of reflecting discussions or daily things. Especially the tips to improve my speaking and listening are amazing and very helpful. I felt very welcome at BSL and looking forward to see all of you again. In fact, I’m planning my next trip to NY. ” Anne Hegner, Germany, March 2019 “Cory uses various materials for the class, and the videos which he used were always interesting and impressive. Cory is the teacher who taught me in the longest period at this school. Thank you for everything.” Ryusuke Yamai, Japan, March 2019 “Sam is a good teacher. He gave me a lot of information to improve my English. The approach was very good.” Sedgard Diazabakana, France, February 2019 “Ethan is an excellent teacher who always motivates the students, and makes them reach the highest point of their learning. The desire that the students learn is something very exciting and that has aroused the attention of all. He wants the student to learn.” Bob Gomes Ferraz, Brazil, November 2018 “Madison, besides being an excellent teacher, is an incredible human being. She is human, kind, and really wants the student to learn. Whenever I came into her class, I knew I would get out of there with more knowledge and self-confidence. Madison was always open to new ideas and new formats, which makes us even more motivated. All my goals have been achieved. The proof is that I almost got a 100 on the final test, thanks to the help of Madison and the correction of all my mistakes.” Bob Gomes Ferraz, Brazil, November 2018 “Cory is a very interesting, patient, and friendly person. Everyone liked him in the classroom. He teaches in a very didactic and fun way. His class was always interesting.” Bob Gomes Ferraz, Brazil, November 2018 “I’m back from my trip and wanted to thank you again for your help during the last few month of preparation. The lecture series last week went very well thanks to you! It’s been a great pleasure and honor to work with you Lauren and with the rest of the stuff in Brooklyn School of Languages, I loved the atmosphere of the school, the dynamic feel and the rare professionalism!” Noa Hazan, US, November 2018 “Lauren made all classes interesting and funny.” Marina Cuvilceva, Latvia, October 2018 “Steve made us speak a lot and we had a lot of discussions in class. Speaking for me was the most important thing. Steve has been. One of the best teachers I’ve ever had, both in Italy and abroad. He gave us a lot of useful materials like the phonemic chart.” Laura Melotti, Italy, July 2018 “Madison, Ethan, and Sam are great teachers and all of them have a different method to teach, which helped me a lot to understand better. Thanks for everything and the advice I got specifically from Ethan. Having 3 teachers is more helpful than having one. Madison and Sam, thanks for your help!” Jose Garcia Soto, Mexico, July 2018 “I love how Baise teaches. You really feel that she loves her job!” Jeannine Wiemann, Switzerland, June 2018 “Ethan and Sam had very different teaching styles, but both are really good! They were both great at correcting pronunciation, and writing. They were also able to provide great explanations for things I had issues with outside the book.” Mariana Mendes, Brazil, June 2018 “Lauren has a lot of energy. She speaks quickly, but clearly instead of slow, so you can understand easily and that is good. We discussed really interesting and useful topics related to New York with presentations, videos, music, etc. It was great!” “Baise is brilliant with a lot of humor and a good understanding of our mistakes. She has very good explanations and is very patient talking about the news and our lives in NYC.” Susanne Steinbach, Germany, May 2018 “I had the opportunity to be in touch with two different styles of teaching, and I think that this was very good. The teachers use a wide range of materials and this makes the lessons interesting.” Raissa Barbosa, Brazil, May 2018 “They are really friendly and helped me to find a new way of learning the English language.” Francesca Gisotti, Italy, May 2018 “Madison’s classes were fun and she was always happy, so that’s even better.” “Cory was a very good and also funny teacher whose lessons aren’t boring. I learned and improved because he gave me easy explanations.” Clara Fontes, France, April 2018 “Lauren always prepared various lessons which focused on my needs. She was very supportive and she understood all my problems. I’m very satisfied.” Miriana Pession, Italy, April 2018 “It was really good. Lauren is very dynamic, friendly and clear, keeping the student’s attention.” Germano Vieira, Brazil, March 2018 “Baise is friendly, funny and she does her job very well. Her explanations were very helpful. She is a very open-hearted and open minded teacher.” Johanna Loeffl, Austria, March 2018 “Dynamic teaching and Madison is ‘supercool’ as we say in French!” Isabelle Olivier, France, March 2018 My teacher is very kind, friendly, dynamic, very spontaneous and respectful. Sandra Picarra, Portugal, October 2017 She makes great lessons, it’s interesting and she knows how to motivate us. I liked that we started the morning with grammar and vocabulary (listening) and moved on with speaking and reading after the break. She made classes very interesting and fun. I could improve my speaking and my grammar in just 2 weeks. Yolanda Serrano Reviriego, Spain, September 2017 Each teacher taught in a different way but all of them did a great job. Every day was interesting and I learned so many things each day. Joelle Christine Tinguely, Switzerland, August 2017 It’s a fantastic school, the teachers are really good and fun. Aniela Rosales, Mexico, August 2017 Joanie is professional, patient and dynamic. She is fantastic and I definitely recommend her Elena Maria Alvarez Castro, Spain, July 2017 Cory is really a great teacher. He makes us participate, he puts us at ease. Thanks to him, I learned and progressed quickly. Karine Guguen, France, June 2017 Ethan is very experienced and makes every class unique. The materials he used make the class enjoyable. Carlos Eduardo Trujillo, Mexico, June 2017 Madison had a great style, empathy and gave great examples applied to real life. Juliana Alvarez Restrepo, Colombia, June 2017 My teacher was really kind and funny and the lessons were interesting. There was a good balance between the activities and she used lots of extra materials.” Giancarlo Serany, Italy, June 2017 Ethan has lots of resources on how to study English and lots of good advice. In one week I practiced many aspects of the language and skills.” Ayako Shimada, Japan, May 2017 I really like how she teaches because I can understand everything and she has a positive attitude. I improved a lot and I am more confident now when I have to speak. I thank my teacher Baise because she is a good teacher and also funny! I think I learnt a lot because in class we can express ourselves freely, I was not uncomfortable. For the first time I enjoyed going to school! Jeanne Savine, France, April 2017 Ethan always makes sure we have fun while learning. I loved having Joanie and Lauren as teachers. Joanie is very interesting and sweet and I love Lauren’s energy. Manuela Albero, France, March 2017 What they are saying about our activities “Walking tours were interesting.” Finnish, 34 years old, December 2019 “I really enjoyed the visit of Bushwick and Roosevelt Island, to places where I would never have been without you” Belgian, 18 years old, November 2019 “I enjoyed the Happy our in the restaurant Pig Beach” Italian, 18 years old, August 2019 “Thank you, Madison! You took us to very nice places. Du to you, I enjoyed NY more!!” Japan, 33 years old, August 2019 “I have enjoyed every moment with my wonderful teacher Madison who has accompanied the group” Italian, 55 years old, August 2019 “Madison is definitely the perfect teacher for doing this outdoor activity. She is so passionate about it and it’s always so funny with here.” Swiss, 28 years old, August 2019 “Thank you for your time and dedication for the tours!” Swiss, 58 years old, June 2019 What they are saying about our housing “My host family was super nice with me ! Maybe a bit too protective sometimes. But the food was delicious and the hospitality perfect. I was very happy to be in this host family” Belgian, 18 years old, November 2019 “Emily Milstein is the best host mum you can imagine. A lovely person, sweet and great cook. It made me feel at home. I feel very lucky both with her and with the school” Spanish, 36 years old, November 2019 “My host family was fantastic. Emily is very nice, helpful and lovely woman! She cooks better than an Italian woman! However, better than me and my mother! It was a pleasure spending time at her home.” Italian, 39 years old, September 2019 “Delicious dinner and Emily takes time to speak english with students envery day. You feel like home quickly after arriving.” French, 28 years old, September 2019 “I’ stayed in Downtown Brooklyn not East Bushwick. The location was very convenient and quite safe place. It is very independent place. For someone who wants to stay in downtown or in an independent place.” June 2019 “I always felt comfortable. On the first day, my host father explained about the neighborhood. My host mother keeps everything clean. Sometimes I had really delicious meals like meatloaf, though Isabelle’s food is always delicious. When I arrived in NYC and didn’t know anything, they welcomed me and I felt relaxed.” Ryusuke Yamai, Japan, March 2019 “My host family was very kind and always cared about me. They corrected my English, taught new vocabularies, and answered my questions nicely.” Junko Misaki, Japan, November 2018 They always helped me when I needed something, and have a beautiful house! When I was at home, we talked a lot. A great family!” Jeannine Wiemann, Switzerland, June 2018 “She was really kind and like a real mother.” Saori Oji, Japan, April 2018 “I’ve felt so welcome, they showed me around the neighborhood and went shopping with me so I could decide what I want for breakfast. We spoke a lot, they were really interested in getting to know me. I’m really happy that I met them, they gave me a great home in Brooklyn and when I come back I will definitely visit them.” Johanna Loeffl, Austria, March 2018 “They made me comfortable and we talked about a lot of things, politics, travel… They cooked delicious food every day.” Takeru Taniguchi, Japan, March 2018 I think I was really lucky during my experience in New York because my host family is really great and the house is very well located. Rossella Ponente, Italy, October 2017 They are really attentive, polite and supportive. Everything was perfect! Ivonne Litschauer, Austria, October 2017 They are a very kind, friendly and helpful family. During dinner we talked about the day, school and other things. Aaron and Nicole cooked for me every night and the dishes were very good. Camila Ciotoli, Italy, September 2017 Very friendly and kind family, interesting neighborhood. They gave me a lot of recommendations. Especially on weekends the breakfast was extraordinary! Very calm and friendly family, they helped every time I had a question. The house was clean. Falk Ehler, Germany, August 2017 They are a very lovely family. They helped me a lot and answered every question I had. The house was clean the whole time. Clarissa Marlene Schwilk, Germany, August 2017 Our host showed a lot of interest in us and asked a lot of questions which made us feel totally welcome. And the food was delicious and well-balanced. Melanie Huber, Germany, August 2017 The most interesting part of my stay was to meet my host Linda, who is a very interesting and nice person. She introduced me to her friends and shared with me her daily life. Cristina Romero, France, August 2017 I felt like home, really nice atmosphere. I arrived late and they were waiting for me. I enjoyed speaking with them after dinner. Everything was as clean as my own home. The food was really good and she also taught me how to cook. They also gave me good recommendations about what to do and where to eat. Laura Gomez, Spain, August 2017 I booked homestay B&B and it was very convenient because I had my independence. Tracey was very welcoming and kind, always helpful without even having to ask. She gave me very good tips to enter museums and other places without waiting at the entrance. Jocelyne Prévot, France, June 2017 Amazing family, very friendly and helpful. I felt very welcome and had an amazing time! Meltem Te, Germany, June 2017 My host mum Sonja is so helpful, friendly and very funny. And the food was delicious! Dominik Gnann, Germany, May 2017 I really felt at home, Emily is a welcoming and open-minded person. Natalina Siffert-Fiori, Brazil, May 2017 My host family is very kind and it was a pleasure to get to know her. Jeannine, Switzerland, March 2017 Emily is a really kind and nice person. I enjoyed staying in her home so much! She welcomed me very warmly and I felt comfortable all the time I stayed with her. Plus her cooking is amazing! It’s always fresh, healthy a varied, I was very impressed. Alexandra Hafner, Germany, November 2016 What they are saying about our staff “Everyone is super friendly, helpful, kind and smart. I absolutely recommend this school.” Anne Hegner, Germany, March 2019 “The BSL staff is really nice and made me feel like one of them since the first day I arrived. They are not just Teachers, they are also friends, and I’ll miss all of them a lot!” Josep Paba Escuer, Spain, February 2019 “The team was great. They gave us good advice. We have done a lot of visits with Rich. It was very interesting.” Sedgard Diazabakana, France, February 2018 “The school is very well located, well equipped, and the staff is always ready to help. The size of the school makes it easy for everyone to be in control, to help each other, to get to know each other, and to learn. I loved the space, the people, and everything I experienced. The constant activities, the classes outside, the relaxed teachers, and the happy hours leave the atmosphere lighter and fun.” Bob Gomes Ferraz, Brazil, November 2018 “Very nice staff and great atmosphere at school. I have enjoyed my stay.” Laura Schmaeler, Germany, September 2018 “Good atmosphere at BSL! I got a very warm welcome from Madison and enjoyed staying here!” Stephanie Hanel, Germany, June 2018 “Everyone was very friendly. I really like that every staff member says, “Hello!’ or ‘Bye!’ when I come to or leave the school.” Rie Sasaki, Japan, May 2018 “Everybody did a great job. Thanks for all of you from the bottom of my heart!” Susanne Steinbach, Germany, May 2018 “The staff are helpful and polite, and I will miss everybody.” “Thanks to the staff, there is a cool atmosphere. They are professional, nice, happy, and always smiling.” Clara Fontes, France, April 2018 “The staff is amazing and makes the day better because of all the positive energy and laughter.” Beatrice Martin, Canada, April 2018 Everyone is really kind and helpful. Everyone knows your name and smiles at you. They care about how you’re doing and try to help. Very friendly and warm, always present. Khadija Benaissi, France, November 2017 The staff are all friendly and so nice. I see this is a good workplace for the staff, and it is important to offer a good environment for the students to learn. Takeshi Ogino, Japan, August 2017 I really appreciated the help at school. I think not every school helps the students so much and so fast. Simone Herzog, Switzerland, July 2017 You are all great people, keep doing what you’re doing! Thank you for helping me not only at school, but in NY in general. Carlos Eduardo Trujillo, Mexico, June 2017 Very friendly and easy-going! They make students feel comfortable about speaking English with staff and other students. Bruno La Regina, Brazil, June 2017 Everyone is friendly, available, competent, and also funny! I was surprised to see all the staff knows the students’ names. They are very kind and give good advice. Ayako Shimada, Japan, May 2017 They are all very friendly and helpful, and it looks like everyone has fun in their jobs. Dominik Gnann, Germany, May 2017 Thank you so much for everything. You are so helpful, open-minded, curious, kind, and I felt in good hands. Warm-hearted! It’s amazing how you care about every single student. Janine Aniela Gehring, Germany, April 2017 The staff is friendly, open and helpful. Leila Bertschinger, Switzerland, April 2017 Madison is one of the kindest people I have ever met. From day one she was so warm-hearted to every student. Benjamin Schiehl, Germany, March 2017 Everyone is really nice, friendly, cheerful. Thank you for making this experience for unforgettable! Lucia Perez Barhumi, Peru, February 2017 Warm, friendly, attentive – everything was perfect. Thibault Genton, Switzerland, February 2017 English Teacher Years teaching: Though I’m pretty new to teaching, 8 months now, I’m pretty resourceful and have 2 years of experience doing bilingual community workshops. My current mission is to empower language learners through cultural awareness and language acquisition. University: I’ve got a Bachelor’s degree in Latin American studies from the University of Richmond, Richmond, VA and a TESOL/TEFL Certification from The New School, New York, NY. Hometown: I am “Bushwick, Born and Bred” What is something about you that would surprise your students? I’m currently training to run a half marathon! What is your favorite pastime when you are not working? When I’m not teaching in the classroom, I’m out on the field training or on the courts playing volleyball. When I can, I’m dancing the night away to afro-Cuban beats, salsa and my all-time fave, Dominican bachata! Is there a good language learning tip that you give to your students? Pro Tip: Language is a living thing, so don’t get stuck on the rules (but do learn them!). It adapts to the changing times and it is therefore helpful to learn language chunks (how a native would say things) instead. What is your favorite part of teaching? Where to start!? There’s the cultural exchange, truly dedicated students, laughter, limitless creativity, no one class is the same, and most importantly students expand their opportunities for whatever that may be. English Teacher Years teaching: I have been teaching English for 6 years. University: B.A. in Communication Arts from The University of Wisconsin – Madison and Master of Education: TESOL from Boston University. Hometown: Have you ever lived outside of the United States? Yes, I lived and taught in Busan, South Korea for 4 years. What is your favorite thing about teaching? Honestly, I love the performance aspect of teaching. Meeting and interacting with students and watching them progress is great too. A good language learning tip for your students? Find any and every possible way to immerse yourself in the language. Something about you that would surprise your students My sister and I were born four years apart, but we share the same birthday (February 10th). We also share our birthday with our sister-in-law. English Teacher Years teaching: 6 years University: Hunter College for undergraduate, and NYU for grad school How did you start teaching ESL? I decided to become a teacher after graduating from college. I was living abroad, taking Hebrew classes. ESL teaching seemed perfect for me because I’ve always been interested in language, and I love coming up with silly activities to get people talking. Also, I had been a journalism student in college, and this seemed like it would be another great way to ask questions to people from different backgrounds. When I came home, I applied to graduate school, and started teaching at a language school in Manhattan. What is something about you that would surprise your students? Um… They might be surprised to learn that I know how to juggle. Although I’m not very good at it, so they probably wouldn’t find it too surprising. Have you ever lived outside of the United States? I lived in Israel for half a year. What’s your favorite pastime when you are not working? Taking long walks and exploring the city. Is there a good language learning tip that you give your students? Just don’t take yourself too seriously. Have fun with it! English Teacher Years teaching: 5 years University: BA in English from Vassar College and MA in TESOL from Teachers College, Columbia University Have you ever lived outside of the United States? I have lived and taught in both Vietnam and South Africa. Is there a good language learning tip you give your students? If you are not afraid to laugh at and with everything, including yourself, you will find that it is much easier to foster your English language identity. Is there a hidden gem in New York that you would recommend to students? The Chelsea galleries are the best and most affordable way to see art in the city. They’re always free and have openings for new exhibitions on Thursday evenings from 6-8pm where you can sample wine and mingle with other aesthetes. English Teacher Have you ever lived outside of the United States? Yes. I have lived in South Africa, Spain, Germany, and Italy. Is there a good language learning tip you give your students? Keep a journal, and write in it as often as possible. What’s your favorite pastime when you are not working? Songwriting. I play guitar, piano, and harmonica. What is your favorite part of teaching? Teaching teaches me everyday. In my classroom, I learn about the world, my students, and even myself. 2 weeks in Brooklyn and BSL – by Elisabeth Hechler, Germany “Congratulations! You won the ‘Trip Poker’ prize draw!” That is how my New York adventure started. Two weeks in New York including flights, a language course at BSL and accommodation in a host family – all for free! Unbelievable! The first prize drawing of my life and then the top prize! When I had calmed down and stopped running and bouncing around in my flat cheering with joy I called my family and friends who couldn’t believe it either. That was back in February and I finally took off in September – from Munich via Frankfurt to New York JFK. Although a little bit tired I was very excited and curious to meet my host mother and see the accommodation. I took the subway and a New Yorker kindly carried my suitcase up the stairs – I must have looked as if I’d collapse from exhaustion. My first impression was definitely very positive! When I arrived at my new home for the following two weeks I was welcomed by my lovely host mummy Sharon. She showed me around the house and the neighbourhood. Many families live here in Park Slope and there are many little shops (second hand, antiques and accessories), bars and restaurants. Prospect Park is also nearby. After a restless first night (due to jet lag!) I took the subway to the school. It didn’t take longer than half an hour door to door. I was given a very friendly welcome at the school but the view from the window beat everything! The view from the 34th floor over Brooklyn Heights, Brooklyn Bridge and Manhattan is just amazing. ‘Wow’, all new arrivals were struck with awe. After calming down we introduced ourselves. Chatting to each other in English seemed so much easier here than at home. After a written and oral level test we were assigned to our classes. The level of English varied a lot among the students but there was a suitable class for everyone. During the break in the morning people gather in the kitchen for coffee and it is easy to start a conversation with students from other classes. People from France, Italy, Switzerland, Spain, Argentina, Netherlands, Japan, Germany – it is a motley mixture of nationalities and everyone laughs a lot. The school is small and has a family-run atmosphere. Richard, the school director, knows every student by name and the team is always helpful with questions regarding the school, accommodation or New York in general. We also had a lot of fun with the teachers during the lessons. Unfortunately, my English was a bit rusty since I had only needed it on a few occasions at work. It was therefore very beneficial that our teacher Gabi – who proclaims herself to be a grammar Nazi – jumpstarted my English again. There were several activities after school such as excursions to Brooklyn Bridge, a visit to a museum, and a Broadway tour as well as a Broadway musical. I went out a lot with my classmates. We went together to MOMA, to Lady Liberty and Ellis Island, to the Top of the Rock, Central Park, Times Square, and the cinema. And of course, the girls went shopping together. Also at night you didn’t have to be on your own if you didn’t want to be. We went out to eat in Chinatown and had an Octoberfest beer at a bar in Brooklyn (sorry, I am from Munich and Bavarian beer is just the best in the world). My time in New York went by incredibly fast, although I felt at the same time as if I had been there for months. The daily commute to the school and back home felt familiar very quickly and I was even able to help tourists find their way through the subway labyrinth. Two weeks in New York, however, were also very exhausting. You really need a break in Central Park to escape all the noise and hustle and bustle. On my last evening I went to Brooklyn Bridge Park to take a final look at the skyline of Manhattan and Brooklyn Bridge by night. We were all wistful when we said our good byes on the last day at school.	55,940
The school year has just begun and already the schedule is getting a bit crazy. Tuesday’s and Wednesday’s, we have to pick the boys up from school 30 minutes early. We then have to race to get 2 of the 3 boys to speech and occupational therapy. I hate that we have to pull the kids out early, in order to get her to therapy. I especially dislike having to pull them out on their first day back. However, at least their able to go to ther. apy and the school is working with us.. It could always be worse. This was posted via WordPress for Android, courtesy of Samsungs Galaxy S III. Please forgive any typos. I do know how to spell but auto-correct hate me. Please join our Autism Help Forums Look for “Autism Help” app at the Google Play Store Full time, work from home single Dad to my 3 amazing boys. 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Learn how your comment data is processed. most voted newest oldest View all comments When my 5 children were little, I spent all my time on the road. The youngest child had therapy of one kind or another every day of the week from the time he was 9 months old (it took that long to get a diagnosis of cerebral palsy). His sessions were all scheduled in the morning and the youngest girl had to ride along. Then the oldest girl had therapy in the afternoon before school let out, so I would drive across town to her school (20 minutes to get there if the drawbridge gods were with me and 15 more to sign her out) and then drive downtown to get her to the hospital (15 more minutes) then park and walk to the PT floor (15 minutes if the stroller cooperated and the 2 younger children throwing up or throwing a fit). By the time I got her to her session, I had been on the move for over an hour. Her sessions lasted an hour and she went 2 days a week to PT and 2 days a week to OT (which was at the same location as the PT). There was no attempt to coordinate appointments, there was no case manager, I was left to struggle along as best I could and had to guess when one of the children needed something more than they were getting. The school systems did not provide any therapy or even try to find a place for it on campus. {This was back in the early 90s in Florida and I spent more time cursing drawbridges than anything else in my life (we lived on an island in the Gulf). The younger girl show the exact same pattern of development that the older girl did, but it was all put down to her copying her older sister. She received no therapy until she was 5, when she was diagnosed with autism in Virginia.} The problems with coordinating schooling and therapy sessions are easier now that the schools are held to a higher standard than they were in the past, but we still have problems when one of the kids winds up in the hospital for a week of medication stabilization and intensive psychiatric intervention. The schools out in the boonies where we live are still more inclined to deny the absences as excused than the city schools. Now I'm tired from just relating this! hello, can i ask you a question, i have 4 years son, he speaks only words, not sentences. can you tell me which therapy helps you most? lostandtired @tikotik30354578 Speech therapy is likely the way to go. But also working with him on a daily basis and using good conversation skill when speaking to him. Let me know if there is anything else I can do. 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Rob Gorski) S5E51 November 25, 2022 My Autistic Son Voted for the First Time: Here’s My Takeaway November 6, 2022 4 Tips To Help Your Autistic Child Vote October 30, 2022 The Importance of “Me Time” for Parents October 24, 2022 My efforts help to support Autism and Special Needs families across the globe. It’s also how I provide for my own special needs family. If you’re so inclined, you can help support my efforts by clicking the donate button below.	7,825
Sometimes, braces alone aren't enough to move teeth into a better position, or to correct trouble with the bite or remedy problems in the growth of the jaws. In those situations, your orthodontist may recommend the use of special appliances. Orthodontic headgear is the general name for an appliance, worn partly outside the mouth, which creates just enough force to move the teeth properly and guide the growth of the face and jaws. There are several different types of orthodontic headgear, each designed to work best in a specific situation. We will design a treatment program to address your individual needs, and select the most appropriate type of headgear; we will also instruct you on its use and care. It's important for you to follow instructions carefully so that, working together, we can achieve the best results from your treatment. Types of Headgear One common type of headgear is called the cervical pull type. This appliance has a U- shaped wire that attaches to the bands on your back teeth, and a strap that is worn behind your neck. A similar device is the high-pull headgear, which also has a wire connecting to the teeth, plus a strap that goes behind and over the head. These types of headgear are typically used to correct an excessive horizontal overbite (technically called an “overjet”) in children, by holding back the growth of the upper jaw. They can also be used for adults who need help maintaining a proper bite and correct tooth spacing after tooth extraction. Generally, these types of headgear are designed to be worn from 12-14 hours each day. Another type of headgear is the reverse-pull or “facemask” type. This appliance is generally used to correct an underbite. It gently pulls the upper jaw forward (instead of back), which allows it to catch up with the lower jaw. It consists of two pads — one resting on the forehead, the other on the chin — connected by a vertical frame. Elastics or wires, which connect from the frame to the braces, exert the pulling force. It may be necessary to wear this appliance from 14-16 hours daily. Whichever type of headgear you're wearing, there are some important things you should know. Probably the most essential one is this: In order for it to be effective, you must carefully follow instructions about wearing your headgear — that means putting it on each day for the time specified. If you wear headgear at night and you miss one night, you must make up the time the following day — otherwise, everything you've accomplished in the previous seven days of wear could be wiped out! It's normal to feel some discomfort as you get used to wearing orthodontic headgear. Fortunately, if you wear it faithfully, the discomfort generally goes away in a few days. Your orthodontist may recommend an over-the-counter pain reliever like Ibuprofen, and/or a soft diet, to help you adjust. From time to time you may also experience some soreness when chewing, or even a little looseness in the first molars. This is normal, and it shows the appliance is working. However, if you have unusual pain, notice that the anchor band on your first molar (the one the headgear attaches to) has come loose, or find that the headgear suddenly seems not to fit correctly, it could signal a problem. In that case, contact us right away. To keep your orthodontic headgear working as it should — and to maintain your overall oral health — it's important that you follow our instructions about care and cleaning. It's also important that you learn to put headgear on and take it off properly and safely. Remember to bring it with you every time you have an appointment at our office — but leave it behind when you're playing sports, or even horsing around in the living room! Wearing orthodontic headgear may seem like a big adjustment — and nobody would deny that it takes some getting used to. But remember that you're part of a team, which includes our office, your general dentist... and you! When everyone works together, it's possible to achieve your goal: a beautiful smile that you'll have for your whole lifetime.	4,326
If you’re looking for a new resident, this list is for you. We take you to some of the most popular Animal Crossing villages for dogs. Digby is Isabel’s younger twin brother; he walks easily and is just as relaxed as his older sister. Digby runs the Happy House show at the New Leaf. You can find him at the entrance at any time of the day. He’s always happy to help! And you can also find him at Pocket Camp as one of the lucky Homecoming judges. Maybe Porsha wasn’t so friendly at first. But after getting to know her, she warms up and begins to show you her true loving nature. She loves presents and surprises. If you keep giving her your attention, she will definitely become your friend soon! This narcissistic country woman displays her Dalmatian style with a disjointed look, but remains very stylish nonetheless. It really works in that bright purple outfit! She loves everything elegant and cool, which she shows off in her elegant home, equipped with a record player and a pink bed. Our favorite campaign bulldog, Mac, is a fitness trainer! Find him practicing alone or with other villagers in the square or on the beach. The perfect man for you if you want to pump iron. His competitive spirit sometimes works insidiously on the other villagers, as he can’t resist sharing his criticism of other fitness levels. He’ll get some nice points for his interior design. Outside, his house screams with ivy walls and an alcove. He even has a plastic pool in the middle of the room, how cool is that? We all know Marcel as a scary looking country dog. Since the pantomime on his face resembles Marcheau’s, he was probably named after the famous French pantomime artist Marcel Marceau. He keeps the arrogant villagers on their toes because they often make fun of his appearance. Even if Marcel is a lazy villager, you will still see him on your island often. But you’ll probably see him relaxing, snacking, napping and generally living a cool life. Because who doesn’t want to spend a day relaxing? The interior of his house is the epitome of relaxation. When you enter his home, which is furnished with a futon, a paper lantern, a bamboo speaker and even a goldfish, you enter a state of inner peace. The true definition of Zen. Harvey is a good soul who allows the use of his photography studio on his own island. It is the perfect place to take memorable photos, whether you are alone or in a group with your fellow villagers. Harvey is more than accommodating. Although he has a photography studio, he tries to avoid technology. He is much happier when he is outside, absorbed in the world and watching birds. This musician has to be one of the most famous canine characters in Animal Crossing since the first game. Since then, he’s played a big role in the game, and in New Horizons you can expect to see him outside Resident Services every Saturday. So don’t forget to come back every week. Grab a stool and enjoy the musical refreshment he has prepared for you. C.K. is a free spirit and travels everywhere to play his music. He even takes requests and gives you a copy of his music after the show. Who doesn’t like free? So, do you like fishing? A passionate fisherman and fossil collector, he also enjoys spending his free time catching many insects on the island. Take the time to talk to Benjamin, as he’s sure to tell you a lot about Fashion Guy, the superhero who fights fashion crime, and his alter ego. When he’s not dreaming about fashion, you can find him lounging under a tree, eating or talking to other villagers. His lazy personality fits in perfectly with the normal villagers, but it drives a wedge between him and an arrogant and temperamental villager. They don’t go well with his casual lifestyle. Where would we be without Isabel and her morning announcements? It makes our day brighter when we are greeted by their sweet smiles and their stories of the past day. She is so kind and loving. And you can tell she’s putting a lot of pressure on CK Slider! You can find her in resident care, working alongside Tom Nook. She is always ready to help you with any problem on the island. This little dog can’t help but melt our hearts with his sleepy eyes. Bea is a very polite and well brought up villager. She is very friendly and always willing to talk. She may be a little shy at first, but once you get to know her, you’ll have a best friend for life! Although she gets angry when others are rude to her… So we must protect it at all costs. She has a funky fashion sense and a funky house to match. With a full soup kitchen, you know where to go when you want a midnight snack! We always have time for another lazy hillbilly, and Bones is no exception. You make his day brighter when you give him snacks, because who doesn’t love free food, right? He’s a nice guy who tries to make you laugh with one of his lame jokes. And his favorite pastimes, of course, are fishing and hunting insects. He also loves to read, which becomes clear when you visit his home, which is essentially a library. If you need a book, it’s a villager. This eccentric hillbilly lives up to his name. With his frown, Butch underlined the tough guy. He may look like a Rottweiler, but deep down he’s soft. And we often see him wandering around the island singing. Although he gets along with most of the villagers, he is not very friendly to the pets in the village. And may even try to drag you into the gossip behind their back. Although he is a musician, his life’s dream is to become a racing driver, which becomes clear during a visit to his home. Walking into his house is like entering a race track with a road and even a bed of shiny red race cars. He’s definitely living his dream. Another of our favorite lazy villagers is Walker. He is a friendly little puppy who gets along with almost everyone. If you can’t find him on your island, it’s probably because he’s sleeping. But sleeping is not his only hobby. He also enjoys catching insects and hunting fossils. Although the arrogant and temperamental villagers find this relaxed lifestyle a bit strange, it sometimes leads to conflicts with Walker. But he knows how to defend himself in difficult situations. With the cutest little study in her house, it’s the perfect place to sit with a book and relax. It may surprise you to learn that Shep is at the top of the list with his smug attitude. But you can’t help but fall in love with his white hair and neat denim jacket. He is a true gentleman with his sweet and charming conversation and even his occasional flirtations. He sometimes mentions his hobbies, such as his obsession with trains and his ever-growing collection of plastic bottle caps. This dog is very well known in the fashion world and will also talk about his clothes from time to time. His fashion sense is as wild as his interior design, with colourful patterns and wooden panels. Many fans were left with a gaping hole in their hearts after Maddie failed to appear in both Wild World and Urban Folk. But in New Horizons, she came back with a vengeance. The village girl makes them stand in line. She often exaggerates by losing and often turns to the villagers to get the furniture or clothes she is missing – all for the sole purpose of competing. However, his cheerful nature is reflected in his super cute home. With its wallpaper and meadow floor, it’s the ideal place to bring snacks and have a picnic. This young pup is a very shy and tender villager. Daisy can get angry easily, she is very friendly and polite to the other inhabitants of the island. Daisy would like to dig up fossils later on, so she can often be seen pursuing her hobby and digging up fossils all over the island. She gets along well with the other villagers and has an imaginary friend, Moppina, whom she mentions occasionally. Daisy’s up early too. So you’ll probably find them at home by the end of the day. It’s worth visiting his home, as the cozy interior is the perfect place to spend an afternoon. As we approach the top of the list, there is no doubt that Biskit has come out on top here. His funky style includes a cat t-shirt with laser beams coming out of his eyes…. Need I say more? His passions are as many treats as he can find, and sleeping. We often see him walking around the dorm with his hands in the air. His house screams personality: It’s laid out like a garden, with a picnic basket and even a jungle gym! Who doesn’t love a lazy hillbilly dressed as a mummy? Lucky is very friendly and playful. And despite his relaxed lifestyle, his favorite thing to do outside of resident services is socialize with other residents. Lucky gets along with almost all the villagers, although he finds it odd to make jokes about them when their opposing lifestyles clash. The outside also matches his house, as the inside is decorated like a graveyard, with a skeleton and even a tombstone. Scary! Cherry is your big sister. She is very friendly and quickly dispels the rumours that are circulating on the island. She has to be one of our favorites, with a super cute smile that she wears 24/7. She is caring and very kind to everyone. Is the stinger a bee? No problem, Cherry will be there to give you the medicine you need. His house is beautiful, decorated with a city wall and a big pink bed. It fits perfectly with his eccentric appearance. There is no doubt that Cookie is one of the cutest village girls around, with her super cute looks and matching sweet personality. This cheerful villager is always in a good mood and willing to spread positivity across the island. Her dream is to become an actress. But she also has fun fishing and catching bugs on the island. This pink puppy has decorated his home in every shade of pink, from a beautiful bed to a pink heart carpet, it’s a pink lover’s dream. So our favorite villager has to be Goldie. She is motherly to you and the other villagers and always willing to help. Goldie regularly feels bad when she has to ask for a favor. But with her gentle nature, you can’t help but do your best for her. She is super sensitive and often sad, but she is also easy to comfort. And it’s easy to make friends with her: Eventually she will ask you for clothes, and if you give them to her, she will reward you with a nice picture of her. frequently asked questions Who is the most popular villager at the Animal Crossroads? Raymond is by far the most popular villager in the world when it comes to Animal Crossing: New horizons. Who is the best villager in the ANCHA? Hornsby, by far the best country dweller in Animal Crossing. He loves food, is lazy and always nice to others – just like me! He also sings when there is music in his house, and even vacuums his furniture when you visit him to keep everything clean and nice. Which animals are rarely found in villages? Related Tags:	11,528
05.04.2006 12:02 It's been 12 years to his death today and me being a massive fan decided to share it with you all. He was an amazing and very talented guy, and will be missed. He simply did not have the brains, literally, to handle his success. 05.04.2006 12:11 Yeah, RIP and all that. But he could hardly spell FREDDIE. 05.04.2006 12:14 Yeah but Nirvana were an amazing band though... 05.04.2006 12:21 They were good for their time, not great. The single best thing that Nirvana did was end the Hair Metal era. Haystacks Calhoun wrote: They were good for their time, not great. The single best thing that Nirvana did was end the Hair Metal era. Couldn't agree more. However, Curt Cobain is one of the most over-rated people ever. 05.04.2006 13:05 Nirvana wouldnt have been Nirvana if he didnt die. 05.04.2006 13:13 I like Nirvana, but I'll agree that they along with The Doors are extremely overated. Somehow we never saw Kurt Cobain and Jim Morrison being forced to re-invent the sound of their albums. Would they pull it out successfully, or rather stuck to fade into obscurity? Nobody knows for sure what would have happened. Mr.Jingles wrote: I like Nirvana, but I'll agree that they along with The Doors are extremely overated. Somehow we never saw Kurt Cobain and Jim Morrison being forced to re-invent the sound of their albums. Would they pull it out successfully, or rather stuck to fade into obscurity? Nobody knows for sure what would have happened. While I do enjoy Jim Morrison I would admit that he gets over-rated quite a bit. The Doors as a band is another story. I actually think they are one of the most unique bands I've ever heard. They put out quite a few records and had a pretty broad range of styles among their songs. Each instrumentalist in that band had their own character sound and feel. I really would have to argue that The Doors as a whole could be considered over-rated.....but to each their own. Nirvana was a great band that made some music that is still relevant, imo. I would agree though that Curt Cobain didn't do near enough to prove himself so worthy of the praise he still gets. I do think he was a creatively inspired person though and I imagine could have evolved quite a bit if he could have just gotten over some of his issues. deleted user Dark_Dreamer wrote: Yeah but Nirvana were an amazing band though... Mediocre band, they were just lucky they existed when they did. Five years earlier or later, and they would never have been big. 05.04.2006 14:20 nirvana and kurt cobain are soooo over rated and i really thought everyone liked them but me. thank god Mr Faron Hyte Queen Of Wrestling<h6>Jamie's Louvre wrote: Nirvana wouldnt have been Nirvana if he didnt die. You're wrong there. Like them or not, think they were talented or not, their success changed the landscape of rock music for the next decade plus, and they would have gotten credit for that whether Kurt offed himself or not. Nirvana would have been Nirvana either way. They're just a little more Nirvana the way it ended up. 05.04.2006 16:20 he died? xD Dark_Dreamer wrote: Yeah but Nirvana were an amazing band though... no they weren't....it all sounded the same....very (ahem) grunge-like...very dreary ...and the scruffy toad couolda done with a wash, a haircut and a proper meal and pearl jam did it better Dark_Dreamer wrote: Yeah but Nirvana were an amazing band though... Mediocre band, they were just lucky they existed when they did. Five years earlier or later, and they would never have been big. Lucky to a certain extent, but the talent can't be denied when a band comes along and changes the entire music scene. Before Nirvana came out it was all about partying, big hair, guitar solos, and spandex. That was sort of fun for all those years, but it was time for all that crap to change. After Nirvana it was all about flannels, low self steem lyrics, bass riffs, and a "life sucks" attitude. Nirvana was the band who opened the doors to Pearl Jam, Soundgarden, Stone Temple Pilots, and many more. Grunge started to die by the end of the 90s because people were already fed up with music that's just too depressing. Nirvana didn't invent grunge since there were underground bands in Seattle that existed before Nirvana. However Nirvana was quite possibly the best of them. Some of you might say Pearl Jam, but I never thought Pearl Jam was anything special. Personally I was always more of an Alice In Chains person. Sadly in the same way that hair rock was killed by grunge, and grunge was killed by neo-punk, ska, and nu-metal, there's still not a genre that gets rid of hip-hop. 05.04.2006 21:04 Kurt Cobain is a piece of trash that wanted to die anyway....so who cares? Kurt=zero talent. 05.04.2006 21:11 I love Alice In Chain and Smashing Pumpkins more than any of those grunge/underground bands of the 90s. They just seemed darker and edgier, and their lyrics weren't so much about hating themselves. 05.04.2006 21:56 12 years? I think we're due for a party celebration! Basically, the way I see it, is Nirvana recorded "Smells Like Teen Spirit" and otherwise sucked more than an industrial vacuum. There were so many better bands whose frontmen didn't pathetically kill themselves. <font color=red>Flash! wrote: Yeah, RIP and all that. But he could hardly spell FREDDIE. Freddie Freddie Freddie Freddie....aww, bless him! Flash, you are too hilarious!!! You talking about when he mentioned him in the suicide note...Yeah, at the point, I thing the correct english was probably the last thing on the poor guy's mind.... but stil a very sad ending to his life, a very misunderstood person... wstüssyb wrote: Be nice if something killed hip hop. Okay, why is everyone in here so against rap music, as if its personally done something to you(other than hurt your ears, lol)...if you dont want to listen to it, just turn off the radio....dammmmmmmnnnnnnn...I'll admit, I liked the earlier days of hip hop better , but as of lately, say like the past five years, it has gotten annoying...bootie this and bootie that...I just simply turn off the radio or change the station if I dont like it... Seems like more of a jealous, envious thing if you ask me...(why people dont like rap music, sorry but the truth hurts!) 06.04.2006 08:55 Not jealous. Just tired of it, when 8 out of 10 new bands is hip hop that means it is time for something new. Every one says that MTV killed videos, I think it was hip hop, all those videos are the same thing. iGSM wrote: Is rap not different from hip hop? Nope, both suck big-time. wstüssyb wrote: Every one says that MTV killed videos I always thought people had said Mtv killed radio. They were all about video and video is far from dead. As a matter of fact the first video Mtv ever played was called "video killed the radio star" by the Buggles. I think that was the bands name but that's definitely the name of the song. not a huge hip hop fan myself but I haves always enjoyed some of it here and there and do see it merits in music. I was a big fan of the early and mid 80's stuff when I was a kid and I still like a lot of that stuff. I think some people are being very creative with it nowadays although many many acts do sound identical which just sucks for everyone else. Funny thing is people said the same things about rock n roll for many years when it was still a new thing. Many music fans of the day hated it and argued how it was tearing down everything good in music. I guess they were wrong. I'm not convinced though that rap is the new rock n roll. Just sayin... I still don't understand though why Queen is playing Eminem before all their shows?!?!? what is the connection there? wstüssyb wrote: Not jealous. Just tired of it, when 8 out of 10 new bands is hip hop that means it is time for something new. Every one says that MTV killed videos, I think it was hip hop, all those videos are the same thing. Most Hip-hop videos are nothing but the same shit repeated over and over again... - Rapper and posse arrive at a party in a luxurious car with rims. - They arrive to be greeted by other posse members - There's close up shots of chicks shaking their big booties - They're partying at either a jacuzzi or a swimming pool - Rapper gives a shout out to his record company. - Rapper disses a rapper he has a feud with. Chris Rock was right when he mentioned that rap can no longer be defended on an intelectual level. Haystacks Calhoun wrote: Sorry.... Kurt Cobain = Very Over-Rated He simply did not have the brains, literally, to handle his success. <font color=red>Flash! wrote: Yeah, RIP and all that. But he could hardly spell FREDDIE. Freddie Freddie Freddie Freddie....aww, bless him! Flash, you are too hilarious!!! You talking about when he mentioned him in the suicide note...Yeah, at the point, I thing the correct english was probably the last thing on the poop guy's mind.... but stil a very sad ending to his life, a very misunderstood person... I understand him perfectly fine. I'm sure we all do. I'm sure nobody tried to help him because they figured he was better off not offing the music industry like the bubonic plague. But it was too late...too, too late... Ravenetta wrote: they also talk about their money they have and how rich they are now, having more 'bitches' and what a horrible life they came frome when most just grew up in the suburbs. I actually had more respect for rappers like NWA, Public Enemy, and 2Pac because they brought up important issues on their songs like poverty, racism, police brutality, and growing up in the ghetto. These new rappers now do nothing but blab about all the money they have now. Mr Faron Hyte billycat wrote: wstüssyb wrote: Every one says that MTV killed videos I always thought people had said Mtv killed radio. They were all about video and video is far from dead. I think it may be a reference to the fact that MTV essentially stopped playing music videos several years ago in favor of all of its crappy original programming, like The Real World, Jackass, Viva La Bam, Pimp My Ride, Cribs, Date My Mom, Made, and on and on. And its sister channel VH-1 essentially did the same thing, although I think they play more music videos in their graveyard hours than MTV does. So the short form music video, which MTV brought ot the masses for a decade or so, really doesn't have a lot of venues to be widely seen anymore, and in that context, MTV has killed the music video format. 06.04.2006 13:56 It was also 12 years ago that the Rwanda massacres were going on. Guess who's going to be in the newspapers today? Two years ago was the tenth anniversary of both events. The front page of my local newspapser had a big picture of Kurt, and there was a corner article on page 14 commemorating the massacres. The media makes me sick. Mr Faron Hyte wrote: billycat wrote: wstüssyb wrote: Every one says that MTV killed videos I always thought people had said Mtv killed radio. They were all about video and video is far from dead. I think it may be a reference to the fact that MTV essentially stopped playing music videos several years ago in favor of all of its crappy original programming, like The Real World, Jackass, Viva La Bam, Pimp My Ride, Cribs, Date My Mom, Made, and on and on. And its sister channel VH-1 essentially did the same thing, although I think they play more music videos in their graveyard hours than MTV does. So the short form music video, which MTV brought ot the masses for a decade or so, really doesn't have a lot of venues to be widely seen anymore, and in that context, MTV has killed the music video format. OK, I see what you're saying, but actually though while I can only speak from what I see here in the US, it seems that Mtv2 and Vh2 / Vh1 classics and a few other various cable station still play tons of videos most of the day and night. I guess maybe not as many people get those channels though. Sir GH<br><h6>ah yeah</h6> wrote: It was also 12 years ago that the Rwanda massacres were going on. Guess who's going to be in the newspapers today? Two years ago was the tenth anniversary of both events. The front page of my local newspapser had a big picture of Kurt, and there was a corner article on page 14 commemorating the massacres. The media makes me sick. Well, the media's really about what the mass public finds interesting, not about what an esoteric group of people personally find interesting. To be honest, neither really interests me, but it's a lot easier to poke fun at Cobain. billycat wrote: Mr.Jingles wrote: I like Nirvana, but I'll agree that they along with The Doors are extremely overated. Somehow we never saw Kurt Cobain and Jim Morrison being forced to re-invent the sound of their albums. Would they pull it out successfully, or rather stuck to fade into obscurity? Nobody knows for sure what would have happened. While I do enjoy Jim Morrison I would admit that he gets over-rated quite a bit. The Doors as a band is another story. I agree. Jim Morrison is unbelievably over-rated. Loads of people go around with t-shirts of him and they don't even know many songs by him and The Doors. The Doors themself though, as you said, are a different story. Anywho, I don't understand this whole 'bash Kurt Cobain' cos I think he was a legend. And for those who know nothing about him and simply say 'ooh, he didn't spell Freddie right' - please get a life. R.I.P Kurt I don't understand how you don't understand the whole 'bash Kurt Cobain' thing. You don't question the bashing of rap, do you? Just as mainstream rap is comprised of talentless gimps making undeserved millions with unwarranted popularity, so the same could be said about Kurt Cobain. Cobain? A legend? Yeah, I guess. Then so are the New Kids on the Block, the Backstreet Boys, and NSYNC. Let's not forget about Britney Spears. And I guess 50 Cent is a legend in the making. How privileged I feel to have lived and to be living in a time when such legends are being born. Mr Faron Hyte Sir GH<br><h6>ah yeah</h6> wrote: The media makes me sick. I couldn't agree more. 06.04.2006 17:39 MTV killed videos by that MTVreality tv format, by practically only playing hip hop songs( at like 4-6 am and 90% of request ahh forgot that show that carson hosted) dropping unplugged, headbangers ball, those live concerts they used to do, in favor of videos being shown only during the spring break special they have that play 9 months out of the year filled with hip hop. VH1 classic is the only mucis tv channel I can watch really that show the great videos on the 80's and early 90's. 06.04.2006 18:00 Bloody ell thats weird. Ive had Nevermind on today for the first time in months! RIP. Brian_Mays_Wig wrote: Bloody ell thats weird. Ive had Nevermind on today for the first time in months! Haha.. creepy isnt it? <font color=green>Linda Of The Valley wrote: I don't get your arguement. Is there ANY valid point in that??? :S So if I think person X is crap I just compare them to Britney Spears and it makes person X fucking crap? rolls eyes* I don't really want to get too into this right now. Mostly because I don't have the time right now, but also because I agree in opinions. If you don't like him and his music and Nirvana then fine. Perhaps I abused the 'legend' word because maybe he isn't a legend. But he sure is a great artist. See this is the trouble with Queen fans. In their minds they probably compare everyone to Freddie. That's all I was really saying. Surely you can see where people get their opinions of "Kurt Cobain sucks," just as I can see that you think he's a good musician. I mean, I can also see why people can like Britney Spears, too. The legend status was kind of pushing it, though, so I just decided to point that out in my classic sardonic style. Don't get offended...it's just something I HAVE to do. Ha ha, but can you really blame us for comparing everyone to Freddie? When you've tasted of the divine ambrosia, everything else just seems a little...stale. Mr.Jingles wrote: wstüssyb wrote: Not jealous. Just tired of it, when 8 out of 10 new bands is hip hop that means it is time for something new. Every one says that MTV killed videos, I think it was hip hop, all those videos are the same thing. AMEN William! Most Hip-hop videos are nothing but the same shit repeated over and over again... - All hip-hop videos start in slow motion. - Rapper and posse arrive at a party in a luxurious car with rims. - They arrive to be greeted by other posse members - There's close up shots of chicks shaking their big booties - They're partying at either a jacuzzi or a swimming pool - Rapper gives a shout out to his record company. - Rapper disses a rapper he has a feud with. Chris Rock was right when he mentioned that rap can no longer be defended on an intelectual level. As sad is this is...I'm gonna go ahead....and AGREE WITH YOU!!! Yeah, its sad, music is in a sad state nowadays... I would give anything to have partied with Freddie Roger John and Brian in a jacuzzi, CIRCA 1977....THAT WOULD HAVE BEEN AWESOME!!! Mr.Jingles wrote: wstüssyb wrote: Not jealous. Just tired of it, when 8 out of 10 new bands is hip hop that means it is time for something new. Every one says that MTV killed videos, I think it was hip hop, all those videos are the same thing. AMEN William! Most Hip-hop videos are nothing but the same shit repeated over and over again... - All hip-hop videos start in slow motion. - Rapper and posse arrive at a party in a luxurious car with rims. - They arrive to be greeted by other posse members - There's close up shots of chicks shaking their big booties - They're partying at either a jacuzzi or a swimming pool - Rapper gives a shout out to his record company. - Rapper disses a rapper he has a feud with. Chris Rock was right when he mentioned that rap can no longer be defended on an intelectual level. As sad is this is...I'm gonna go ahead....and AGREE WITH YOU!!! Yeah, its sad, music is in a sad state nowadays... I don't agree on your last statement. The versatility nowadays is enourmous. Music from all over the world is easily accesible. The number of live shows is huge, there's way too many choises. It's just the media that pick up the "high-lights", but if you look behind all the hit-lists, there is so much more. It's just a pity that the general public is so damned narrow minded when it comes to music. Mr.Jingles wrote: wstüssyb wrote: Not jealous. Just tired of it, when 8 out of 10 new bands is hip hop that means it is time for something new. Every one says that MTV killed videos, I think it was hip hop, all those videos are the same thing. AMEN William! Most Hip-hop videos are nothing but the same shit repeated over and over again... - All hip-hop videos start in slow motion. - Rapper and posse arrive at a party in a luxurious car with rims. - They arrive to be greeted by other posse members - There's close up shots of chicks shaking their big booties - They're partying at either a jacuzzi or a swimming pool - Rapper gives a shout out to his record company. - Rapper disses a rapper he has a feud with. Chris Rock was right when he mentioned that rap can no longer be defended on an intelectual level. As sad is this is...I'm gonna go ahead....and AGREE WITH YOU!!! Yeah, its sad, music is in a sad state nowadays... I don't agree on your last statement. The versatility nowadays is enourmous. Music from all over the world is easily accesible. The number of live shows is huge, there's way too many choises. It's just the media that pick up the "high-lights", but if you look behind all the hit-lists, there is so much more. It's just a pity that the general public is so damned narrow minded when it comes to music. Well, its not ALL in a sad state...just reading that post was really true, at least about hip-hop... (he's a white southern rapper for all of you that dont know, here in the states) "Ms New Booty" Booty, booty, booty, booty, rockin' everywhere Booty, booty, booty, booty, rockin' everywhere Booty, booty, booty, booty, rockin everywhere [3x] I found you MS NEW BOOTY Get it together and bring it back to me Put his hand on it then see what he do [2x] Get it ripe, get it right, get it tight [3x] [1st verse (Bubba Sparxxx)] Girl I don't need you, but chu need me And I don't tell stories, I let em tell theyself Yeah I'm a country boy, but that big city bottom fill me up with joy Here go da whisper song, baby this is us ready? Put it on me enthusiastically, what ever it is that chu do, you do it admirably And I aint choose it, that thang chose me Its bubba and ying yang, all the way in this thang YO! I found you MS NEW BOOTY Get it together and bring it back to me Put his hand on it then see what he do [2x] Get it ripe, get it right, get it tight [3x] [2nd Verse] Quarter to twelve and we just getting in Shawdy in a thong, whom whom whom Get that thang shakin, like she frost bit shivering Got these hoes shaking that molasses SHHHHHH Let me whisper in your ear Get your self together go and buy some new gear Something with your hair den Do that move ya did just a minute ago I guarantee you'll make all da dough Make that money, don't let it make u Ms. New Booty-Nasty song * Dont give me wrong, I love hip-hop/rap, but its more of a bittersweet love if anything... coz all they talk about in (most) rap/hip hop is booty this and booty that... thats it...nothing else... Yeah, we get it, the booty is great and all, but theres more about a woman than just her bootie...I mean come on now...** Musicman wrote: Sir GH<br><h6>ah yeah</h6> wrote: It was also 12 years ago that the Rwanda massacres were going on. Guess who's going to be in the newspapers today? Two years ago was the tenth anniversary of both events. The front page of my local newspapser had a big picture of Kurt, and there was a corner article on page 14 commemorating the massacres. The media makes me sick. Well, the media's really about what the mass public finds interesting, not about what an esoteric group of people personally find interesting. To be honest, neither really interests me, but it's a lot easier to poke fun at Cobain. billycat wrote: Mr.Jingles wrote: I like Nirvana, but I'll agree that they along with The Doors are extremely overated. Somehow we never saw Kurt Cobain and Jim Morrison being forced to re-invent the sound of their albums. Would they pull it out successfully, or rather stuck to fade into obscurity? Nobody knows for sure what would have happened. While I do enjoy Jim Morrison I would admit that he gets over-rated quite a bit. The Doors as a band is another story. I agree. Jim Morrison is unbelievably over-rated. Loads of people go around with t-shirts of him and they don't even know many songs by him and The Doors. The Doors themself though, as you said, are a different story. Anywho, I don't understand this whole 'bash Kurt Cobain' cos I think he was a legend. And for those who know nothing about him and simply say 'ooh, he didn't spell Freddie right' - please get a life. R.I.P Kurt I don't understand how you don't understand the whole 'bash Kurt Cobain' thing. You don't question the bashing of rap, do you? Just as mainstream rap is comprised of talentless gimps making undeserved millions with unwarranted popularity, so the same could be said about Kurt Cobain. Cobain? A legend? Yeah, I guess. Then so are the New Kids on the Block, the Backstreet Boys, and NSYNC. Let's not forget about Britney Spears. And I guess 50 Cent is a legend in the making. How privileged I feel to have lived and to be living in a time when such legends are being born. Sorry dude, but I have to strongly disagree with you on that one. I agree that Nirvana was overated (taking the fact that some critics put them in the same level with Pink Floyd, Led Zeppelin, and Queen) but putting them at the same level with contemporary mainstrem rappers and fabricated bubblegum pop stars is just dumb. Nirvana was a very good band, and the fact that one band opens the door to a movement that totally changes the whole music scene takes a lot of talent. The general public agreed that it was time for a new sound despite of the high popularity of hair rock by the early 90s. There's no denying that 'Nevermind' was an incredibly well crafted album that introduced a new rock genre to an audience that heard nothing but hard rock anthems and power ballads. The irony of all of this is that unlike many artists who dream of making it big, and having tons of money, Kurt Cobain seemed happy enough being part of the underground Seattle music scene and never inteded to become part of the mainstream or become the kind that follows trends. All of sudden Nirvana starts to spread by word of mouth, and one of their biggest fans before hitting it big happened to be Axl Rose (who even wears a Nirvana cap on the 'Don't Cry' video). Nirvana signs with David Geffen and from the moment that 'Smells Like Teen Spirit' video hit MTV everybody liked it. One of the reasons why Nirvana became so popular was because people were already fed up with the whole ROCK GOD attitude of 80s rock bands, and all of sudden comes this humble guy from Seattle with an old flannel shirt and converse sn 07.04.2006 11:44 Great post, Mr Jingles! I very much agree. Thanks for taking the time to write that. 07.04.2006 12:09 Look yeah, wether he was shit or not the man should be aloud to rest in peace, right? <font color="#FF00CC">its_a_hard_life wrote: Look yeah, wether he was shit or not the man should be aloud to rest in peace, right? Yeah i agree, not just becuase i love him, because you're right and everyone should get the chance to rest in peace...no matter what they did that guy sucked Alex Solan wrote: matiasmay wrote: ooh I'm sooo sorry ¬¬ that guy sucked deleted user 07.04.2006 14:00 R.I.P Kurt, his music ROCKED and he totally deserved the Legend status. He's an inspiration and anyone who says otherwise should definatly go away and sit and listen to the Greatest Hits and then come back to me. rogerette_13 wrote: R.I.P Kurt, his music ROCKED and he totally deserved the Legend status. He's an inspiration and anyone who says otherwise should definatly go away and sit and listen to the Greatest Hits and then come back to me. I know most of his hits and i say he doesn't deserve the legend status. rogerette_13 wrote: R.I.P Kurt, his music ROCKED and he totally deserved the Legend status. He's an inspiration and anyone who says otherwise should definatly go away and sit and listen to the Greatest Hits and then come back to me. Mr.Jingles wrote: Musicman wrote: Sir GH<br><h6>ah yeah</h6> wrote: It was also 12 years ago that the Rwanda massacres were going on. Guess who's going to be in the newspapers today? Two years ago was the tenth anniversary of both events. The front page of my local newspapser had a big picture of Kurt, and there was a corner article on page 14 commemorating the massacres. The media makes me sick. Well, the media's really about what the mass public finds interesting, not about what an esoteric group of people personally find interesting. To be honest, neither really interests me, but it's a lot easier to poke fun at Cobain. billycat wrote: Mr.Jingles wrote: I like Nirvana, but I'll agree that they along with The Doors are extremely overated. Somehow we never saw Kurt Cobain and Jim Morrison being forced to re-invent the sound of their albums. Would they pull it out successfully, or rather stuck to fade into obscurity? Nobody knows for sure what would have happened. While I do enjoy Jim Morrison I would admit that he gets over-rated quite a bit. The Doors as a band is another story. I agree. Jim Morrison is unbelievably over-rated. Loads of people go around with t-shirts of him and they don't even know many songs by him and The Doors. The Doors themself though, as you said, are a different story. Anywho, I don't understand this whole 'bash Kurt Cobain' cos I think he was a legend. And for those who know nothing about him and simply say 'ooh, he didn't spell Freddie right' - please get a life. R.I.P Kurt I don't understand how you don't understand the whole 'bash Kurt Cobain' thing. You don't question the bashing of rap, do you? Just as mainstream rap is comprised of talentless gimps making undeserved millions with unwarranted popularity, so the same could be said about Kurt Cobain. Cobain? A legend? Yeah, I guess. Then so are the New Kids on the Block, the Backstreet Boys, and NSYNC. Let's not forget about Britney Spears. And I guess 50 Cent is a legend in the making. How privileged I feel to have lived and to be living in a time when such legends are being born. Sorry dude, but I have to strongly disagree with you on that one. I agree that Nirvana was overated (taking the fact that some critics put them in the same level with Pink Floyd, Led Zeppelin, and Queen) but putting them at the same level with contemporary mainstrem rappers and fabricated bubblegum pop stars is just dumb. Nirvana was a very good band, and the fact that one band opens the door to a movement that totally changes the whole music scene takes a lot of talent. The general public agreed that it was time for a new sound despite of the high popularity of hair rock by the early 90s. There's no denying that 'Nevermind' was an incredibly well crafted album that introduced a new rock genre to an audience that heard nothing but hard rock anthems and power ballads. The irony of all of this is that unlike many artists who dream of making it big, and having tons of money, Kurt Cobain seemed happy enough being part of the underground Seattle music scene and never inteded to become part of the mainstream or become the kind that follows trends. All of sudden Nirvana starts to spread by word of mouth, and one of their biggest fans before hitting it big happened to be Axl Rose (who even wears a Nirvana cap on the 'Don't Cry' video). Nirvana signs with David Geffen and from the moment that 'Smells Like Teen Spirit' video hit MTV everybody liked it. One of the reasons why Nirvana became so popular was because people were already fed up with the whole R Mr Faron Hyte 07.04.2006 16:38 I believe she just did. Micrówave 07.04.2006 16:46 Could somebody quote that again? I didn't get it all.... rogerette_13 wrote: R.I.P Kurt, his music ROCKED and he totally deserved the Legend status. He's an inspiration and anyone who says otherwise should definatly go away and sit and listen to the Greatest Hits and then come back to me. I know most of his hits and i say he doesn't deserve the legend status. I've heard both 'Nevermind', 'Unplugged', and some songs from 'In Utero' and 'Bleach', and I still don't think they deserve it. Perhaps almost. Once again, Nirvana was a very good band but in many ways they were lucky for being the first ones to widely expose the sound of the Seattle grunge scene. Mr.Jingles wrote: Musicman wrote: Sir GH<br><h6>ah yeah</h6> wrote: It was also 12 years ago that the Rwanda massacres were going on. Guess who's going to be in the newspapers today? Two years ago was the tenth anniversary of both events. The front page of my local newspapser had a big picture of Kurt, and there was a corner article on page 14 commemorating the massacres. The media makes me sick. Well, the media's really about what the mass public finds interesting, not about what an esoteric group of people personally find interesting. To be honest, neither really interests me, but it's a lot easier to poke fun at Cobain. billycat wrote: Mr.Jingles wrote: I like Nirvana, but I'll agree that they along with The Doors are extremely overated. Somehow we never saw Kurt Cobain and Jim Morrison being forced to re-invent the sound of their albums. Would they pull it out successfully, or rather stuck to fade into obscurity? Nobody knows for sure what would have happened. While I do enjoy Jim Morrison I would admit that he gets over-rated quite a bit. The Doors as a band is another story. I agree. Jim Morrison is unbelievably over-rated. Loads of people go around with t-shirts of him and they don't even know many songs by him and The Doors. The Doors themself though, as you said, are a different story. Anywho, I don't understand this whole 'bash Kurt Cobain' cos I think he was a legend. And for those who know nothing about him and simply say 'ooh, he didn't spell Freddie right' - please get a life. R.I.P Kurt I don't understand how you don't understand the whole 'bash Kurt Cobain' thing. You don't question the bashing of rap, do you? Just as mainstream rap is comprised of talentless gimps making undeserved millions with unwarranted popularity, so the same could be said about Kurt Cobain. Cobain? A legend? Yeah, I guess. Then so are the New Kids on the Block, the Backstreet Boys, and NSYNC. Let's not forget about Britney Spears. And I guess 50 Cent is a legend in the making. How privileged I feel to have lived and to be living in a time when such legends are being born. Sorry dude, but I have to strongly disagree with you on that one. I agree that Nirvana was overated (taking the fact that some critics put them in the same level with Pink Floyd, Led Zeppelin, and Queen) but putting them at the same level with contemporary mainstrem rappers and fabricated bubblegum pop stars is just dumb. Nirvana was a very good band, and the fact that one band opens the door to a movement that totally changes the whole music scene takes a lot of talent. The general public agreed that it was time for a new sound despite of the high popularity of hair rock by the early 90s. There's no denying that 'Nevermind' was an incredibly well crafted album that introduced a new rock genre to an audience that heard nothing but hard rock anthems and power ballads. The irony of all of this is that unlike many artists who dream of making it big, and having tons of money, Kurt Cobain seemed happy enough being part of the underground Seattle music scene and never inteded to become part of the mainstream or become the kind that follows trends. All of sudden Nirvana starts to spread by word of mouth, and one of their biggest fans before hitting it big happened to be Axl Rose (who even wears a Nirvana cap on the 'Don't Cry' video). Nirvana signs with David Geffen and from the moment that 'Smells Like Teen Spirit' video hit MTV everybody liked it. One of the reasons why Nirvana became so popular was because people were already fed up with the whole R 08.04.2006 01:15 I really hate this forum sometimes. Not to be mean, but how is every other forum in the existence of the internet capable of keeping posts in a thread in chronological order? 08.04.2006 09:07 Actually, I don't care what the fucked did he feel, what did he try to tell the others with his shitty music. His music sucked. He didn't know how to play, he didn't know how to sing, he knew nothing at all. I guess he knew he sucked, and couldn't believe how stupid everyone was to believe he was a genious. Now he's dead but I'm alive and I can take a shit on every nirvana record in the world, and I will, just get me some records. New Kids: masterminded by Maurice Starr who also created boy band New Edition a few years earlier from the same basic formula. The New Kids image and music was already there before anyone had actually been selected to be in the group Nirvana: formed the band based on their own ideals. Created Nirvana on their own just for the sake of writing songs, performing live and just because that's what they felt like doing. --- New Kids: wrote none of their own music. Didn't play one lick on or off stage. Questionably even sang all the stuff on their records. Often lip synched on stage. Nirvana: Wrote all the songs. Played and sang every note on and off stage --- New Kids: had their entire image strictly calculated to be as safe and family valued as a Disney movie. Nirvana: genuinely lived the lives they portrayed in their music --- New Kids: all their songs were written by people who were hired to do just that. People who wrote pop songs for a living. People who were already in the industry writing for commercials and tv shows Nirvana: wrote all their own music based on their own personal experiences --- New Kids: mainly a 12 to 17 year old audience who eventually grow up and mostly forgot about them. Their music has mostly been forgotten just the same Nirvana: audience demographic ranging from young teens to people in their 30's and 40's. Still gets radio play on a near daily basis. so anyways, you can love or hate either band all you want but try not to confuse the reality of what went into these groups to achieve what they did. Even the New Kids had one guy in need of massive therapy after a few years in the spotlight. ...and if you want to blame anyone for the hordes of boy bands that came later then blame Maurice Starr for inventing the formula for all the other greedy artistically void bastards in the music biz. Musicman wrote: Mr.Jingles wrote: Musicman wrote: Sir GH<br><h6>ah yeah</h6> wrote: It was also 12 years ago that the Rwanda massacres were going on. Guess who's going to be in the newspapers today? Two years ago was the tenth anniversary of both events. The front page of my local newspapser had a big picture of Kurt, and there was a corner article on page 14 commemorating the massacres. The media makes me sick. Well, the media's really about what the mass public finds interesting, not about what an esoteric group of people personally find interesting. To be honest, neither really interests me, but it's a lot easier to poke fun at Cobain. billycat wrote: Mr.Jingles wrote: I like Nirvana, but I'll agree that they along with The Doors are extremely overated. Somehow we never saw Kurt Cobain and Jim Morrison being forced to re-invent the sound of their albums. Would they pull it out successfully, or rather stuck to fade into obscurity? Nobody knows for sure what would have happened. While I do enjoy Jim Morrison I would admit that he gets over-rated quite a bit. The Doors as a band is another story. I agree. Jim Morrison is unbelievably over-rated. Loads of people go around with t-shirts of him and they don't even know many songs by him and The Doors. The Doors themself though, as you said, are a different story. Anywho, I don't understand this whole 'bash Kurt Cobain' cos I think he was a legend. And for those who know nothing about him and simply say 'ooh, he didn't spell Freddie right' - please get a life. R.I.P Kurt I don't understand how you don't understand the whole 'bash Kurt Cobain' thing. You don't question the bashing of rap, do you? Just as mainstream rap is comprised of talentless gimps making undeserved millions with unwarranted popularity, so the same could be said about Kurt Cobain. Cobain? A legend? Yeah, I guess. Then so are the New Kids on the Block, the Backstreet Boys, and NSYNC. Let's not forget about Britney Spears. And I guess 50 Cent is a legend in the making. How privileged I feel to have lived and to be living in a time when such legends are being born. Sorry dude, but I have to strongly disagree with you on that one. I agree that Nirvana was overated (taking the fact that some critics put them in the same level with Pink Floyd, Led Zeppelin, and Queen) but putting them at the same level with contemporary mainstrem rappers and fabricated bubblegum pop stars is just dumb. Nirvana was a very good band, and the fact that one band opens the door to a movement that totally changes the whole music scene takes a lot of talent. The general public agreed that it was time for a new sound despite of the high popularity of hair rock by the early 90s. There's no denying that 'Nevermind' was an incredibly well crafted album that introduced a new rock genre to an audience that heard nothing but hard rock anthems and power ballads. The irony of all of this is that unlike many artists who dream of making it big, and having tons of money, Kurt Cobain seemed happy enough being part of the underground Seattle music scene and never inteded to become part of the mainstream or become the kind that follows trends. All of sudden Nirvana starts to spread by word of mouth, and one of their biggest fans before hitting it big happened to be Axl Rose (who even wears a Nirvana cap on the 'Don't Cry' video). Nirvana signs with David Geffen and from the moment that 'Smells Like Teen Spirit' video hit MTV everybody liked it. One of the reasons why Nirvana became so popular was becau 08.04.2006 18:09 See, I agree with what you all are saying, except for the fact that you are searching here and there for the talents that you find admirable in a musician. I agree with you guys, I much prefer these traits, but to be involved in a famous boy band would be just as difficult as being involved in a famous grunge, metal, or punk band. In fact, among just these four genres, each requires a separate set of skills in order to reach success. Granted, as grunge, metal, and punk are much more similar, they require similar sets of skills, as songwriting, live performance, etc. Talent is surprisingly subjective, and I'm not to say you're wrong, but rather that there are many more aspects to consider than what you have already. However, defining legendary status really has nothing to do with talent. It's really about iconic presence. Eddie Van Halen is a legend because his name is synonymous with the guitar. Of course, it became synonymous due to his amazing skill, but we all can agree that he wasn't "the best." But it really doesn't matter HOW his name became synonymous with the guitar...what really matters is that it IS synonymous to the instrument. Thus, boy bands revolutionized the music industry for almost an entire decade. Sure, everything was highly calculated, and the involvement of the bands were questionable...however, the icons - the bands themselves - are what is going to be pinpointed as the driving force of the movement. I'm not saying they are legendary, but if there were ever a scale measuring legend-status, they would be pretty on par with Cobain. As for arguing that being in a grunge band can potentially require very little talent, I can just as well as I can argue that being in a boy band requires little talent. Take Nirvana's biggest hit, "Smells Like Teen Spirit." A simple, boxy four-chord progression that any ten-year old could come up with on his dad's acoustic guitar...the single notes C, F, C, F repeated endlessly - a tune a cat could probably make eventually if you put it in a room with an electric guitar...a "solo" or "bridge" or whatever, that any beginning guitar player could nail almost immediately...a bassline that simply mimics the roots of the progression...lyrics that most people can't even understand, let alone appreciate any poetic merit within...the drums seem pretty standard, although simple at the verses - yet are probably the most impressive instrument of the entire piece. Vocals are weak at best. Please keep telling me I don't know what I'm talking about. Not to be rude, but the only one in this entire thread who has yet to make a coherent point is you, Linda. Musicman wrote: Thus, boy bands revolutionized the music industry for almost an entire decade. Sure, everything was highly calculated, and the involvement of the bands were questionable...however, the icons - the bands themselves - are what is going to be pinpointed as the driving force of the movement. I'm not saying they are legendary, but if there were ever a scale measuring legend-status, they would be pretty on par with Cobain. Boy bands never revolutionazed the music industry. It was actually the music industry that revolutionized itself because boy bands are not made of musicians trying to sell their work. Record companies were the ones who fabricated these kids along with the image that they expected to sell. As far as I'm concerned, David Geffen never created Nirvana because they were already made musicians before receiving a record contract. On the other hand, Maurice Starr created New Edition along with New Kids On The Block, and then 10 years later Lou Perlman created Backstreet Boys and NSYNC. Are you still going to tell us that they're still in the same level of musicianship? Musicman wrote: As for arguing that being in a grunge band can potentially require very little talent, I can just as well as I can argue that being in a boy band requires little talent. Take Nirvana's biggest hit, "Smells Like Teen Spirit." A simple, boxy four-chord progression that any ten-year old could come up with on his dad's acoustic guitar...the single notes C, F, C, F repeated endlessly - a tune a cat could probably make eventually if you put it in a room with an electric guitar...a "solo" or "bridge" or whatever, that any beginning guitar player could nail almost immediately...a bassline that simply mimics the roots of the progression...lyrics that most people can't even understand, let alone appreciate any poetic merit within...the drums seem pretty standard, although simple at the verses - yet are probably the most impressive instrument of the entire piece. Vocals are weak at best. Isn't Deep Purple's 'Smoke On The Water' a song that mainly consists of a simple riff as well? I can also name a handful of all time rock classics, that also consist of a very simple instrumental intro with a basslines and drum beats that simply go along with the intro sound. What can we say about 'We Will Rock'? Even a 5 year old could have easily come up with that "stomp-stomp-clap" sound, but does it take away any merit from being one of the most recognized songs of all time, and the main icon of what a sports anthem is? Let's not talk about the lyrics because after all, we are all fans of a band that didn't particularly write smart and inspiring lyrics, except for Brian May. Musicman wrote: Please keep telling me I don't know what I'm talking about. We sure will, because you really don't know what you're talking about. Mr.Jingles wrote: Musicman wrote: Thus, boy bands revolutionized the music industry for almost an entire decade. Sure, everything was highly calculated, and the involvement of the bands were questionable...however, the icons - the bands themselves - are what is going to be pinpointed as the driving force of the movement. I'm not saying they are legendary, but if there were ever a scale measuring legend-status, they would be pretty on par with Cobain. Boy bands never revolutionazed the music industry. It was actually the music industry that revolutionized itself because boy bands are not made of musicians trying to sell their work. Record companies were the ones who fabricated these kids along with the image that they expected to sell. As far as I'm concerned, David Geffen never created Nirvana because they were already made musicians before receiving a record contract. On the other hand, Maurice Starr created New Edition along with New Kids On The Block, and then 10 years later Lou Perlman created Backstreet Boys and NSYNC. Are you still going to tell us that they're still in the same level of musicianship? Musicman wrote: As for arguing that being in a grunge band can potentially require very little talent, I can just as well as I can argue that being in a boy band requires little talent. Take Nirvana's biggest hit, "Smells Like Teen Spirit." A simple, boxy four-chord progression that any ten-year old could come up with on his dad's acoustic guitar...the single notes C, F, C, F repeated endlessly - a tune a cat could probably make eventually if you put it in a room with an electric guitar...a "solo" or "bridge" or whatever, that any beginning guitar player could nail almost immediately...a bassline that simply mimics the roots of the progression...lyrics that most people can't even understand, let alone appreciate any poetic merit within...the drums seem pretty standard, although simple at the verses - yet are probably the most impressive instrument of the entire piece. Vocals are weak at best. Isn't Deep Purple's 'Smoke On The Water' a song that mainly consists of a simple riff as well? I can also name a handful of all time rock classics, that also consist of a very simple instrumental intro with a basslines and drum beats that simply go along with the intro sound. What can we say about 'We Will Rock'? Even a 5 year old could have easily come up with that "stomp-stomp-clap" sound, but does it take away any merit from being one of the most recognized songs of all time, and the main icon of what a sports anthem is? Let's not talk about the lyrics because after all, we are all fans of a band that didn't particularly write smart and inspiring lyrics, except for Brian May. Musicman wrote: Please keep telling me I don't know what I'm talking about. We sure will, because you really don't know what you're talking about. You're arguing the wrong things. I never said that boy bands were on any level of musicianship above anyone. I simply said that when you are considering impact and legend-status, they are equivalent to such bands as Nirvana. "Smoke on the Water" and "We Will Rock You" are simple too. It doesn't take much talent to create such. That's all that I was saying. Any simple riff can become great if it's in the right place at the right time. If Queen's legacy were based on that simple percussive line, or if Deep Purple's greatness was due to that one riff - then I will say that they do not deserve to be legendary. You're thinking I am making arguments that I'm not...it's this simple, and I will summarize: A) Kurt Cobain is not a musical legend. He wrote "Smells Like Teen Spirit" and died. Period. B) It is arguable that Nirvana was not a good band. I can't Musicman wrote: You're arguing the wrong things. I never said that boy bands were on any level of musicianship above anyone. I simply said that when you are considering impact and legend-status, they are equivalent to such bands as Nirvana. "Smoke on the Water" and "We Will Rock You" are simple too. It doesn't take much talent to create such. That's all that I was saying. Any simple riff can become great if it's in the right place at the right time. If Queen's legacy were based on that simple percussive line, or if Deep Purple's greatness was due to that one riff - then I will say that they do not deserve to be legendary. You're thinking I am making arguments that I'm not...it's this simple, and I will summarize: A) Kurt Cobain is not a musical legend. He wrote "Smells Like Teen Spirit" and died. Period. B) It is arguable that Nirvana was not a good band. I can't see how you can argue that I don't know what I'm talking about. You are merely misconstruing my statements, all which make perfect sense and have yet to be rebutted. I think you're arguement is rather odd. Songs like Smoke on the Water and We Will Rock You were essentially tools in helping those bands become so huge. Without those songs in their catalogs it's hard to say that they would still be rememebered with such a high regard or that they would have even gotten big enough to be remembered by that many. I can see your point here but it's hard to make much sense of your arguement if you won't at least admit that Nirvana wrote more than one song...haha but really though, what difference could it possibly make to anything if certain people want to think Kurt Cobain was a legend. If they feel inspired by him then why is that wrong? you're not required to agree or anything but why can't you just let people be happy with that? Come on, some people think very little of Queen and would think you were a little ridiculous for liking them so much but we all know that they just don't understand because we know more about them and relate to it in a way that maybe they just don't, for whatever reasons. I assume you really do know there are far more than one Nirvana song "heh" but that comment makes it sound like you have very little insight into what they have done, and you can't honestly say that every Nirvana songs sounds just like that one if that was your point. They certainly didn't make some of the most ambitiously well crafted music I've ever heard but I like what it says and how it comes across to me. I appreciate it and can relate to some of it. It seems a lot of other people do as well. Many simple hate it. Oh well. Apparently like you said Nirvana just happened at the right time and people were just ready for something like that. It happened to be them and now they are what they are. Many other rock stars have died during their careers but not all of them have lived on in the same way as Cobain. Maybe it is because of the media or because of the way he died but whatever the reasons it did all start with the music. Whether you like the music or not is another story... billycat wrote: Musicman wrote: You're arguing the wrong things. I never said that boy bands were on any level of musicianship above anyone. I simply said that when you are considering impact and legend-status, they are equivalent to such bands as Nirvana. "Smoke on the Water" and "We Will Rock You" are simple too. It doesn't take much talent to create such. That's all that I was saying. Any simple riff can become great if it's in the right place at the right time. If Queen's legacy were based on that simple percussive line, or if Deep Purple's greatness was due to that one riff - then I will say that they do not deserve to be legendary. You're thinking I am making arguments that I'm not...it's this simple, and I will summarize: A) Kurt Cobain is not a musical legend. He wrote "Smells Like Teen Spirit" and died. Period. B) It is arguable that Nirvana was not a good band. I can't see how you can argue that I don't know what I'm talking about. You are merely misconstruing my statements, all which make perfect sense and have yet to be rebutted. I think you're arguement is rather odd. Songs like Smoke on the Water and We Will Rock You were essentially tools in helping those bands become so huge. Without those songs in their catalogs it's hard to say that they would still be rememebered with such a high regard or that they would have even gotten big enough to be remembered by that many. I can see your point here but it's hard to make much sense of your arguement if you won't at least admit that Nirvana wrote more than one song...haha but really though, what difference could it possibly make to anything if certain people want to think Kurt Cobain was a legend. If they feel inspired by him then why is that wrong? you're not required to agree or anything but why can't you just let people be happy with that? Come on, some people think very little of Queen and would think you were a little ridiculous for liking them so much but we all know that they just don't understand because we know more about them and relate to it in a way that maybe they just don't, for whatever reasons. I assume you really do know there are far more than one Nirvana song "heh" but that comment makes it sound like you have very little insight into what they have done, and you can't honestly say that every Nirvana songs sounds just like that one if that was your point. They certainly didn't make some of the most ambitiously well crafted music I've ever heard but I like what it says and how it comes across to me. I appreciate it and can relate to some of it. It seems a lot of other people do as well. Many simple hate it. Oh well. Apparently like you said Nirvana just happened at the right time and people were just ready for something like that. It happened to be them and now they are what they are. Many other rock stars have died during their careers but not all of them have lived on in the same way as Cobain. Maybe it is because of the media or because of the way he died but whatever the reasons it did all start with the music. Whether you like the music or not is another story... I pretty much actually agree with what you said. In fact, considering the subjectivity of "legend-status," I suppose that it can be arguable that Nirvana was legendary. But likewise, the opposite is just as arguable. That's all I'm saying, really. It was just a response to a comment similar to, "I don't understand why someone would bash Kurt Cobain." I simply responded, "Well, here's why..." I suppose it's slightly silly, since I can pretty much conceive of a reason to bash anyone and anything - but that's just my sense of humor. Musicman wrote: I pretty much actually agree with what you said. In fact, considering the subjectivity of "legend-status," I suppose that it can be arguable that Nirvana was legendary. But likewise, the opposite is just as arguable. That's all I'm saying, really. It was just a response to a comment similar to, "I don't understand why someone would bash Kurt Cobain." I simply responded, "Well, here's why..." I suppose it's slightly silly, since I can pretty much conceive of a reason to bash anyone and anything - but that's just my sense of humor. that's cool. I understand. You do make some good points even if I don't fully see things from your perspective. In the end though I would guess a lot of it is just up to personal opinion. It's unfortunately that Cobain had to die when and how he did because for anyone who was interested it kind of just left whatever he was trying to say or do hanging up in the air and now no one will ever know where it was all supposed to go. It does leave a somewhat frustrating and easily exaggerated trail of mystery around him. 05.04.2014 19:53 20 years now since his passing 05.04.2014 20:28 Hard to believe it's been 20 years. 05.04.2014 22:42 Kurt Cobain was genius, and Nirvana a legendary band. Who cares about playing best or worse? Ramones weren't great musicians, but nobody can compuse such a bunch collections of great songs. Or The Clash or...you know. I want to remember also Layne Staley from Alice In Chains and Mad Season, 12 years. Great, great bands. The last good rock movement being in the charts. Apocalipsis_Darko wrote: Kurt Cobain was genius, and Nirvana a legendary band. He's not the genius - He's a Very Naughty Boy Seriously, of course the band were legendary - but ONLY because he died and the band STOPPED. As I said earlier in this thread there were other bands who did this style of music much better - better song-writing and performance 06.04.2014 12:50 Only? If you don't like punk, ok, but is obvious he wrote great melodies and songs. I think your friend Roger Taylor and a lot of musicians are agree. 07.04.2014 17:23 where did i say i didn't like punk. i do. that doesn't detract (for me) from nirvana being grossly overrated. Planet Rock are playing Nevermind in full tonight - 20th anniversary etc etc etc you know what? I still don;t get it. it's good, but it isn't very good and certainly not great. - chunks of it are headache-inducing white noise if Cobain had lived this album would not be half as great as it's now claimed to be. The Foos are a much better band than Nirvana could ever have aspired to be. and in what strange world does Pearl Jam's "Ten" get overlooked for the likes of "Polly wants a cracker" - sheesh!!!! biggest problem today is people like being told what is good, rather than actually making their own minds up...or challenging what "critics" tell them. I think if Cobain being alive, he will do records like Mark Lanegan. I love Joan Jett. She is also inducted and performs. 12.04.2014 12:02 I've been hearing and/or reading this argument in various place for the past few years now....that Nirvana was/is overrated because Kurt died and (insert band name here) is way better.....I have to say I disagree,...... Nevermind is freakin brilliant in my opinion.....(In Utero kinda disappointed me tho.....).....I guess well never really know, but it would have been really interesting to see what they would have done in the mid-late 90s and onward.... Yeah, ok, Smells Like Teen Spirit is pretty basic, nothing really complicated, but hey.......like someone else said, so was about everything the Ramones did.......and how many great classic songs in rock are just pretty much 3 or 4 chords? 14.04.2014 04:52 He died in 1994 = 20 years ago. brENsKi wrote: where did i say i didn't like punk. i do. that doesn't detract (for me) from nirvana being grossly overrated. Planet Rock are playing Nevermind in full tonight - 20th anniversary etc etc etc you know what? I still don;t get it. it's good, but it isn't very good and certainly not great. - chunks of it are headache-inducing white noise if Cobain had lived this album would not be half as great as it's now claimed to be. The Foos are a much better band than Nirvana could ever have aspired to be. and in what strange world does Pearl Jam's "Ten" get overlooked for the likes of "Polly wants a cracker" - sheesh!!!! biggest problem today is people like being told what is good, rather than actually making their own minds up...or challenging what "critics" tell them. Nevermind = widescale critical acclaim, therefore it must be great...blah blah blah....music crritics can f*ck right off First time I heard Nevermind was in my mates car, on cassette. I'd not heard anything like it at the time. It really was something different - not just another album, and I liked what I heard. And I'd not read one single review, or knew what any critics thought of it. Maybe it's one of those albums, where the divide between those who get it and those that don't depends on whether you was in that moment back in '91 that many of my generation were. That said, I wasn't old enough to appreciate the Sex Pistols Never mind the Bollocks when it came out, far from it, being only three - but I still get why it made the impact it did when I listen to it now. You said that the Foo Fighters are a much better band than Nirvana could ever have aspired to be. Maybe so, maybe not. That depends on your taste I guess. But The Foos haven't pulled an album out of the bag that compares to Nevermind. They haven't had a defining moment in the same way. Out of the millions of albums out there, there's not that many that were game changers like Nevermind was. I guess it helps that it hasn't aged badly. Compare that to the sound of Use your Illusion 1 and 2, which came out around the same time (those big echoey 90's power drums, for example). Nevermind doesn't suffer from any of that. If that album wasn't what it was, it wouldn't have had the affect it did on the youth back then, regardless of the write-ups.	66,583
If, as it appears now, the environment will become a major issue in the 1972 race for the White House, there will be action all right as both Democrats and Republicans play to outdo each other at pollution politics, which in this case is the advantage of a two-party system. The scraping sound you may be hearing where you are is the sound of Republican candidates for Congress practicing a version of distancing in a time of contagion. Only in this case, it's political distancing from President Trump, and the contagion they're hoping to avoid is a Blue Wave. The adage that never seems to grow old in Capital City is--if you want a friend in Washington, buy a dog. It's as true for Republicans as it is for Democrats. Be that as it may, there will never be a better time in this election cycle to contact Republicans running for Congress and get them to commit to supporting aggressive policies to combat Earth's rising temperatures. Come to think of it; there may never be a better time to get commitments from Democratic candidates. What makes this a good time to gain candidate buy-ins to combat climate change is desperation--their's—not yours. Before you go accusing me of kicking folks when they're down, let me say that my mother raised me to be better than that. However, we are talking about politicians here. All of whom should by this time in cycle know how the game is played; and, many of whom have thought nothing of weaseling out of their words to you and other constituents. What's that you say Senator Graham (R-SC)? We should use your words against you. You mean these words: If there's a Republican president in 2016 and a vacancy occurs in the last year of the first term, you can say Lindsey Graham said let's let the next president, whoever it might be, make that nomination. Two wrongs—of course—don't make a right, but, after all, fair's fair. The way forward on climate legislation is steep—particularly at the federal level. As surely as Sherman burned his way through the confederacy, President Trump has left the nation's environmental protection framework in tatters. In addition to the over 100 environmental regulations the Trump administration has rolled back or is in the process of rolling back, fed-eral agencies have been gutted of many of the most expert and dedicated career profes-sionals. Say what you will about bureaucracies, civil servants are the ones who put politicians' words into practice. Many of the regulatory rollbacks have been in force long enough that their rescission requires a new rulemaking. It's a process governed by the Administrative Procedures Act (APA) that can take between two and five years to complete—leaving precious little time for meeting mile-stones like zero greenhouse gas emissions from power plants by 2035. Putting the nation squarely on the path to a low-carbon economy is not merely a matter of putting back in place what the Trump administration has ripped out with its rollback of climate-related regulations and its gutting of federal programs and agencies. Too much time has elapsed. In terms of climate change, the US has stepped back while time and circumstances have inextricably moved on. Consequently, the distance between what the federal government should be doing and what it is doing has grown exponentially over the past four years. There is a silver lining of sorts within the dark clouds that now hover over the nation. Bor-rowing Biden's campaign motto, we have the capacity to build back better government programs that leverage public and private resources and investments to combat climate change. As a nation, we lack what we've always lacked in terms of integrated energy and environmental policies and programs--the will to make it so. Trump may rightly be called the worst president in history when it comes to protecting the environment and preparing the nation for the geopolitical changes that accompany Earth's warming. It is not to say, however, that other presidents have been particularly good at it. The best of the presidential lot is Richard Millhous Nixon. The legislative foundation laid a full half-century ago has, however, weakened with the passage of time and more than a little help from Donald Trump. Times and politicians were different when Nixon was president. The passage of major environmental Acts covering Clean Air[i] (CAA), Endangered Species (ESA), and National Environmental Policy (NEPA) rested on more than Nixon's shoulders. As reported at the time by Bill Downs on ABC News, the 1970 amendments to the Clean Air Act: The Democratic Congress voted, and the Republican administration concurred, that if that nation has the choice of its present gasoline-powered transportation or an atmosphere free from auto exhaust pollution, then the people must opt for clean air. It's by far the most far-reaching environmental legislation ever enacted in the history of the US and will affect the lives of every American, the national economy, and even the appearance of the country as investors come up with new designs to meet the deadline for a virtually emission-free car by 1976. Many historians mark Earth Day 1970 and the 1970 CAA amendments as critical turning points in the American public's consciousness about environmental problems. Downs was much too optimistic about the impact of the legislation on the auto industry and Americans' lives. It would be more than two decades before a 5 to 4 decision of the US Supreme Court (SCOTUS) established the right and obligation of the US Environmental Protection Agency to regulate carbon and other greenhouse gases. A decision that may well be recon-sidered by a newly conservative high court as the multiple lawsuits by states against the Trump administration wends their way through federal courts. The Biden administration cannot rebuild the nation's environmental framework by waving a wand over the weakened state of federal environmental regulations. Rules that range from power plant emissions to auto efficiency standards—and from exploration and extraction of fossil fuels to water quality—must be rewritten. There can be no consolation in the Trump administration's having lost over 90 percent of the time it's been required to defend its reg-ulatory rollbacks in a court of law. Just because a court strikes down a regulation like the Affordable Clean Energy (ACE) rule doesn't mean the old one, i.e., the Clean Power Plan, will finally be put into force. Days ago, a three-judge panel of the US Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia heard oral arguments challenging President Trump's repeal of the Clean Power Plan. Whatever the three judges decide, the case is likely to get to the Supreme Court (SCOTUS). A court that will undoubtedly include Judge Amy Coney Barrett sitting where Justice Ginsburg once sat. Even if Mr. Trump loses next month, the arguments by the Environmental Protection Agency laid the groundwork for a protracted legal war over future administrations' ability to cut the pollution responsible for climate change from the power sector, the country's second largest source of greenhouse gas emissions. (emphasis added) Should Trump's legal arguments be supported by SCOTUS, the Biden administration's ability to move administratively to fill the regulatory voids will be significantly curtailed. As I've written before, Trump's lingering environmental legacy will be secured by re-fashioning federal courts with over 200 judges and three justices. There is only one way to avoid the problems of protracted legal wars and narrow court decisions—Congressional action—which brings me back to the two weeks between now and the national elections. Republicans worried they'll be tarred with a Trumpian brush must be asked loudly and publicly whether they believe in science-based climate policies and are committed to working with Democrats on fashioning an aggressive and doable federal climate defense plan. Their an-swers are to be taken down and turned into political ads. The federal government remains the most prominent hold-out in a time when the negative impacts of climate change are already being experienced. Large swaths of the private sector are ready, willing, and acting to slow the rise in Earth's temperatures by shrinking their carbon footprints and investing in clean energy sources. If those running for election don't believe the science, do what Donald Trump does--point to the stock market. The only energy stocks surviving the contagion-induced recession are wind, solar, and their supply chains. Overall, land-based wind and utility-scale solar remain the lowest-cost sources of new electricity generation across the country, even accounting for incentives. Over the next decade, these sources are expected to account for 80 percent of all power generation. Democrats seeking support should not be ignored. Intra-party conflicts between moderates and progressives cannot be allowed to rage unabated. Yes, there are compromises to be made. There's no getting around it. However, none of this is to say that comfort zones shouldn't be challenged or that the full-Monty of aggressive and just climate plans like Biden's and the Green New Deal's should be abandoned. Amid viral contagion and partisanship, an opportunity lurks to rebuild the post-pandemic economy on a stable and sustainable environmental foundation. It's not often that we get do-overs in this world. Let's all understand the nature of the opportun-ity before us and commit ourselves to work together [i] Clean Air Act amendments of 1970. Leave a Reply. Joel Stronberg, MA, JD., of The JBS Group is a veteran clean energy policy analyst with over 30 years’ experience, based in Washington, DC.	9,962
Published on Wednesday, September 14, 2011 7:17:05 AM UTC in Programming & Tools After watching the keynote of the //BUILD/ event last night (due to the time difference it already was evening here in Germany) I decided to go to sleep first and then blog about it. Partly because the tools and downloads wouldn't be available for another few hours, and partly also because getting some time between you and an exciting event helps with thinking clearer. If you haven't watched the keynote yourself, I recommend doing that to see for yourself what's new in terms of both hardware, software and of course software development on Windows 8. The video can be found on the BUILD website linked to above. If you want to get up and running quickly without watching 2.5 hours of video, take a look at the bullet points compiled by Michael Crump. Hardware and End-User I have to admit that during the first few minutes, I wasn't exactly excited. At first there seemed a lot of marketing talk and buzz words, and the first live demos went rather clumsy, with some features failing at the first attempts or not working at all – that didn't leave the best impression. Surprisingly, things skyrocketed quickly after that, and my excitement just went along. Not only was it super thrilling to see the "big things" presented, like all the new hardware support, platforms and devices, or the brand-new Metro interface, but also the smaller features and improvements all over the place – unlocking a computer by tapping on an image, auto-spellchecking everywhere, an overhauled task manager, better multi-monitor support, things like that. Of course, the huge changes and additions coming up probably will be what makes people most excited – for example, after the cloud integration using Windows Live was demonstrated, with the possibility to sync settings and personal data between PCs or to access data located on other machines, first tweets almost instantly started questioning Chrome OS. Features like the Windows Store will not only be a great new way for developers to market their applications, but it will also be a great feature for the users, because the certification process of Windows Store app adds a huge amount of security for them too. The full touch support and the seamless flow through multiple applications and system dialogs that is blurring application boundaries in a similar way than Windows Phone does creates a whole new user experience. And of course the most spectacular feature for demos, the incredible boot times, is something that simply leaves you open-mouthed even when you're used to Windows 7's already improved boot performance. Booting a laptop in the time it takes to open the lid is just amazing news. The great news of course did not stop at that, and continued for us developers. Something really a lot of people have been waiting for has now become reality: Expression Blend supports HTML and CSS. A new version of Visual Studio enables you to create those Metro style apps from built-in templates, and integrates with the submission process to the Windows Store – well done. A new API layer named Windows Runtime (WinRT) exposes all new features to whatever language you want to use, and the upcoming IE10 will further improve the already great version 9 of Microsoft's browser. To me personally, the most important news of course was the confirmation that developing for the Metro style UI is still possible using .NET related skills: XAML and C#. I was pretty confident that this would be the case even after the "Windows is going HTML" storm of indignation from developers lately, and several rumors and leaked information already hinted at that, but still – getting the official confirmation was very reassuring. Here is the crucial diagram showing the new situation: Of course that is "keynote technical level" and doesn't accurately show how C# is used to access the WinRT APIs (directly? .NET? Silverlight?), but later on the demos showed how to port an existing Silverlight application, so it became a lot clearer what the architecture looks like. With the upcoming detail sessions I think we'll see a lot more information, and of course you can also download the developer preview to start testing yourself (more on that in the next post). In the end, I walked away from the keynote super excited about the things to come, and that didn't change after consulting my pillow. I'm more confident than ever that XAML-based technology (I don't want to call it Silverlight or WPF at this point) can and will play a significant role for developers, and that we will see very interesting applications and appliances with Windows 8 in the future.	4,835
President Joe Biden speaks during a visit to the Democratic National Committee Headquarters, Monday, Oct. 24, 2022, in Washington. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci) President Joe Biden speaks during a visit to the Democratic National Committee Headquarters, Monday, Oct. 24, 2022, in Washington. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci) by: CHRIS MEGERIAN, Associated Press Posted: Oct 24, 2022 / 03:02 PM EDT Updated: Oct 24, 2022 / 06:58 PM EDT President Joe Biden speaks during a visit to the Democratic National Committee Headquarters, Monday, Oct. 24, 2022, in Washington. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci) President Joe Biden speaks during a visit to the Democratic National Committee Headquarters, Monday, Oct. 24, 2022, in Washington. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci) by: CHRIS MEGERIAN, Associated Press Posted: Oct 24, 2022 / 03:02 PM EDT Updated: Oct 24, 2022 / 06:58 PM EDT WASHINGTON (AP) — With Republicans increasingly confident about victory in this year’s midterm elections, President Joe Biden dismissed the polls in a speech at Democratic Party headquarters Monday, saying there’s still time for “one more shift” that will help his party. “If we get people out to vote, we win,” Biden said to scores of Democratic organizers who cheered and chanted as he entered the room for what he called his “closing argument.” Campaign workers around the country tuned in via livestream for the pep talk, delivered 15 days from Election Day. The speech was Biden’s latest attempt to turn the midterms into a choice between Democrats and Republicans, rather than a referendum on his unpopular administration at a time of entrenched economic dissatisfaction. Biden has largely steered clear of traditional campaign events around the country, in favor of speeches where he tries to frame the stakes for voters. “The polls have been all over the place,” Biden said, adding that surveys have become increasingly unreliable for measuring public opinion. “Republicans ahead, Democrats ahead, Republicans ahead. But it’s going to close, I think, with seeing one more shift — Democrats ahead.” He said Republicans would roll back progress on expanding health care coverage, limiting the cost of prescription drugs and increasing taxes on corporations. “At least they’re being honest this time,” he said. “They’re telling you exactly what they want to do if they win.” He added, “They’re so confident they’re going to win, they’re saying this without an ounce of shame.” He accused them of “mega-MAGA, trickle-down politics in the extreme,” the latest iteration of Biden’s attempts to brand his political opponents. MAGA is short for Make America Great Again, former President Donald Trump’s slogan. As usual, Biden singled out three Republican leaders for much of his scorn — House Minority Leader Rep. Kevin McCarthy of California, Sen. Ron Johnson of Wisconsin and Sen. Rick Scott of Florida. Scott, who leads the National Republican Senatorial Committee, has been Biden’s most popular foil because of his proposal to require that all federal laws be reauthorized every five years. Democrats describe the idea as a clear threat to popular entitlement programs. “Let me be clear,” Biden said. “I will not cut Social Security. I will not cut Medicare.” Biden stressed that the federal deficit has declined on his watch, a rebuttal to Republicans who accuse him of being too loose with spending. “We, the Democrats, are the ones that are fiscally responsible,” he said. “Let’s get that straight now.” After his speech, Biden shook hands with Democratic workers and took selfies with several of them. As he walked out, they chanted “let’s go Joe!” Associated Press writer Colleen Long contributed to this report. Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.	3,889
Villasis Law Center respects your privacy and will keep secure and confidential all personal data that you may provide to us and/or those that we may collect from you. Kindly take time to read our Privacy Policy to understand how we treat Personal Data. By continuing to browse this site and/or clicking “I Agree”, you guarantee that you have read and understood our Privacy Policy and consent to its terms. Manage consent This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience.	1,020
A Lithuanian national who kicked a man on the ground following a scuffle outside a New Year’s party, leaving the man with serious head and face injuries, has been jailed for three-and-a-half years. Julius Jakelaitis (26), who was 19 years old when he committed the assault in 2010, had since gone back to his native country, where he was in a relationship and working in insurance. He was returned to Ireland earlier this year after consenting to the execution of a European Arrest Warrant. Jakelaitis has minor previous convictions for road traffic offences pre-dating the assault. Jakelaitis, formerly of Butterfield Park, Rathfarnham, pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to assault causing serious harm at Bancroft Avenue, Tallaght, on January 1, 2010. The court heard gardai have been unable to trace the injured party, who was also 19 at the time of the assault, and believe he has returned to his native Romania. A garda said the last time she was speaking to him, he had returned to work and communicated normally with her. The victim sustained multiple facial fractures and was in a coma for a time. He had reported suffering memory problems, leaving him unable to study, and seizures after the assault. He had said he used to box, but was unable to do that anymore due to the risk of being hit to the head. Judge Martin Nolan noted Jakelaitis and the victim had been at a party and a dispute arose by way of the injured party’s behaviour. He said the pair “brought their difficulties outside” and accepted this was at the invitation of the injured party. He noted there was punching from both sides before the injured party fell to the ground and Jakelaitis kicked him twice, once to the chest and once to the head. He said Jakelaitis had crossed into criminality when he kicked his victim on the ground. Judge Nolan accepted there had been some provocation but said the injured man did not deserve what had happened to him. He took into account Jakelaitis’s good work history, his guilty plea, remorse, co-operation and the fact he was unlikely to come before the courts again. He noted as a foreign national time in prison would be more difficult for him. Judge Nolan said Jakelaitis had made a life for himself since the offence and would more than likely be a good Irish or Lithuanian citizen on his release. He imposed a three-and-a-half year sentence which he backdated to June when Jakelaitis went into custody on this charge. Garda Ita Murphy told Lisa Dempsey BL, prosecuting, that a taxi-driver returning home that night had witnessed, and his son inside his home had witnessed part of the assault. The son saw Jakelaitis, who had been at a party with the victim, leave the scene. An ambulance was called and were unable to access the injured man’s eyes to check the dilation of his pupils as his face was so badly bruised. He spent time in a coma in intensive care. Jakelaitis was arrested and had claimed during interview that the victim had armed himself, but no weapon was found. He accepted he had kicked the victim but said he had not kicked him hard. He had asked gardai if the victim was “OK” and “is he alive” after his arrest. Defence counsel, Roderick O’Hanlon SC, said Jakelaitis had expressed remorse and submitted this was a spontaneous incident which should not have happened. He said there had been considerable drink taken on both sides. He said Jakelaitis was now in a relationship and his partner was expecting a baby. Since returning to Lithuania he had worked in insurance and completed his military service. He said Jakelaitis had lost his mother at a young age and he had come to Ireland as a nine-year-old with his father. Calls for 100% redress in apartment defects debacle CALLS for 100 per cent redress in the apartments defects debacle are growing, with more developments joining the campaign. Owners of affected... Concerns at the increase in ‘drive offs’ at filling stations GARDAI are seeing an increase in “drive offs” where a motorist fills up the tank at a filling station, and drives off... NEWER POSTCouncil makes hospital gate request OLDER POSTIrish Water urging customers to confirm outstanding details for refunds DFB respond to fire at St Dominic’s Hall Tallaght WATCH: Tallaght Village was closed when five units of Dublin Fire Brigade responded to a fire at St Dominic's Hall behind the Dragon pub. No ... Read More	4,479
Education Cabinet Secretary George Magoha inspects some of the locally assembled desks at a workshop in Homa Bay Town on September 18, 2020. Schools reopening updates: Education Cabinet Secretary George Magoha said Friday that learning establishments will reopen soon. Talking in Homa Bay while reviewing Mawego Technical Training Institute in Rachuonyo North, the CS said the legislature will one week from now provide guidance on when learning will continue. “We have not chosen when schools will return. We are presently relooking at our framework. We will at that point meet as education partners and settle on the resuming. We will at that point take the last report to another layer of government which I will not specify,” he stated, in obvious reference to the President.” His declaration came as Kenya kept on recording a decrease in the disease rates. The quantity of Covid diseases rose by 148 on Friday, with Mombasa County representing 40 of the new cases from an example of 2,438. This raised Kenya’s absolute number of proclaimed cases to 36,724. Fatalities rose by four, bringing the all out number of lives lost to the sickness to 646. Wellbeing Cabinet Secretary said 98 individuals had recouped, 52 in emergency clinic and 46 in the locally established consideration program, raising the complete to 23,709. Prof Magoha further said the Covid bend is smoothing so students ought to get ready to return to class. “I am not talking for the benefit of the Ministry of Health yet I can definitively say the Covid-19 bend is smoothing. Let instructors get ready to return to class so understudies can continue learning as quickly as time permits,” he said. The administration has allotted Sh1.9 billion for work areas, seats and storage spaces to be provided to essential and auxiliary schools. The furnishings, to be privately amassed, it to be conveyed to the learning organizations before the finish of October.	1,980
This week, Washington turned its attention to a part of the U.S. that often gets overlooked - the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico. For more than a year, the U.S. territory has been caught in a fiscal crisis, unable to make payments on its $70 billion plus debt and at the same time continuing to pay for basic services like police, education and health care. This week, President Obama signed a law that will put a federal-appointed oversight board in charge of Puerto Rico's finances. BARACK OBAMA: People in Puerto Rico need to know that they're not forgotten, that they're part of the American family, and Congress's responsiveness to this issue, even though this is not a perfect bill, at least moves us in the right direction. SUAREZ: Joining me now to talk about what this means for Puerto Rico is NPR's Greg Allen. Greg, the law creates a fiscal oversight board appointed by Congress and the White House. It's not made up of elected officials from Puerto Rico who are now in charge of the island's finances. How's that being received on the island of Puerto Rico? GREG ALLEN, BYLINE: Well, it's a bit of a mixed bag. You have the governor, who's been pushing for this law. The non-voting representative in Congress, our other elected official, has been pushing for this law. They say it's far from perfect. They'd like to see something different, but given the circumstances, it's the best that they could get through Congress. The business community in Puerto Rico has been positive. But you set those on one side, and on the other side you have just about everybody else. Other political leaders on the island, the leaders in the legislature there, are very negative on this. They see this as a violation of what they believe to be the island's sovereignty. We heard Senator Bernie Sanders, one of the critics of this law, call it colonialism. And that's how many people see it there - the federal government stepping in and basically exerting its authority on the island. SUAREZ: What will the oversight board be able to do? Can it do what Puerto Rican borrowing authorities haven't been able to do - reschedule debt, make people take haircuts on the bonds? ALLEN: Well, that is the idea. What's happened is that Puerto Rico, because of its unusual status as a territory, it is not covered by chapter nine bankruptcy law the way that other public institutions within the states are. So for that reason, Puerto Rico has been trying to get that chapter nine bankruptcy authority through Congress hasn't worked. So they've decided to support this instead. Now, this is not being called a control board. This is being called an oversight board, as a kind of a nod to trying to get away from the charges of colonialism. But this board will be able to enter into voluntary discussions with creditors. But ultimately, it does have the authority to restructure some of the debt there by getting court approval. And so the creditors will be forced to come to the table, talk openly about this with the knowledge that there's a big stick over their heads if they don't come up with some kind of agreement. The other big stick they have here is that all lawsuits will be on hold for several months while these debt terms are worked out. So it's really going to be talking to the fiscal oversight board or nobody. SUAREZ: Well, while these things are all being ironed out, will Puerto Rico make any payments? ALLEN: Well, that'll be the question for the oversight board to determine. There was a $2 billion payment due that Puerto Rico just did not make. And creditors have no recourse now except to go to the oversight board and talk to them about how they can get repayment done. Now, the oversight board will also take charge of the island's budget. They'll require a balanced budget. They can order certain departments be cut. They can order layoffs, they can order assets of Puerto Rico to be sold. So they can determine how to raise the money to start paying back this debt and then go to the ALLEN: creditors and say, what terms can we work out with you? SUAREZ: But also included in the bill signed by the president is a lowering of Puerto Rico's minimum wage. Why is that in there? ALLEN: Well, that's a controversial provision that many people on the island fought against, and Democrats fought against that. It was a Republican idea. Supporters believe that it will help address the island's high unemployment rate. You know, the unemployment rate there is at nearly 12 percent, which is more than double the national average. The idea was to try to kick start employment by getting more young people into the workforce. SUAREZ: During these years of crisis, taxes have been raised, public services have been cut, hundreds of thousands of people have left the island for good. Will this appointment and the provisions of this bill help what's been dogging Puerto Rico over the last 10 years? ALLEN: Well, it will certainly help. What it does is it buys time. But everyone from the president on down say, this is not the solution. This is just a temporary respite of this crisis that has Puerto Rico by the short hairs. The idea is now that while we work out these repayment schedules for the debt, let's take other action to address its health care problems, its economic problems. And the president and others have been calling on Congress to go back to work on Puerto Rico now and take up these other issues. But just this issue of coming up with this oversight board took Congress many months of working on and a lot of heavy lifting. So it'll be interesting to see how quickly they want to go back to take up this issue of working on Puerto Rico, which as we mentioned at the top, is a place that Congress likes to ignore. As NPR's Miami correspondent, Greg Allen reports on the diverse issues and developments tied to the Southeast. He covers everything from breaking news to economic and political stories to arts and environmental stories. He moved into this role in 2006, after four years as NPR's Midwest correspondent. See stories by Greg Allen HPR's Island Insider delivers top local news stories to your inbox every Friday. Island Insider (weekly news roundup) HPR Station Updates Station Updates (every other week) China announces a roll-back of its strict anti-COVID-19 measures Democratic Sen. Raphael Warnock defeats Republican Herschel Walker in Georgia runoff Argentina's vice president is found guilty of corruption Jan. 6 committee is likely to make criminal referrals related to Capitol attack Portugal dismantles Switzerland to reach the World Cup quarterfinals Why Warnock's seat means so much to Senate Democrats Juma Sei That one seat, according to Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, is a bit of a game changer for Democrats. "The truth is it's not a 1% difference," he said. "It's a world of difference." Rare good news from the Amazon: Gigantic fish are thriving again Conservationists say a sustainable fishing program has helped the recovery of the local pirarucu — which can be up to 10-feet long and weigh 450 pounds.	7,426
January 11, 2020, 8:18 PM · When you are playing by memory, where do you look? Do you look at your fingers, or bow? Do you stare off into nowhere? Do you close your eyes? For me, I look in the general direction of the fiddle, but I'm not really in the habit of actively looking at my fingers or bow. In fact, sometimes I forget that this can be a very helpful tool; in lecture that violinist and SHAR founder Charles Avsharian gave 10 years ago at the 2009 ASTA Convention, he actually recommended practicing with one's eyes glued to the left hand, and trying this for a full month. "You are going to see things you never saw before," he said. For example: How fast are your shifts? Which fingers go down, and when? At what point to other fingers pop up? How smooth are bow crossings, how do you achieve the techniques that you achieve? Of course, trying it for a month is different from what your normal tendency is. For you, what is the most natural thing to do with your eyes when you play? And beyond that, do you look at your fingers, as a practicing technique? Or maybe you goal is to look less and listen more. Please participate in the vote and then tell us about your thoughts and experiences about where to look while playing, and remember, we're talking about when you are practicing or performing by memory, not when you are using music or playing in orchestra or ensemble. You might also like: A day at the 2009 American String Teachers Association convention Replies January 12, 2020 at 05:28 AM · I had a performance recently where I decided to play from memory and it went fine. Well, in the first performance (a "pre-concert") I missed an entrance and had to crib from the conductor's score. But the second performance (the main concert) went fine. I decided to try and take a page from Ray Chen's book and try to make eye contact with the audience, but I wasn't able to do that more than a few times. I was kind of scared that I'd get distracted and lose my place, but mostly I looked at the audience when I wasn't looking at the conductor. January 12, 2020 at 01:24 PM · I never memorize. Grand total of pieces I memorized in my life: Bach E-Major concerto movement 1, Haydn C-Major movement 1 and the first half of Bach's E-Major Preludio (all of it in my teenage). Busoni wrote that one must have memorized a piece, otherwise it is impossible to properly perform it. This was probably true for Busoni but even he is not allowed to draw lazy conclusions about other people from their own preferences and capabilities. It is of course true that one knows a piece in some fashion by heart when it is prepared for performance. But a high wire act is easier if you wear a safety harness than otherwise--even though it is the same act. I do not see why people should not be allowed the safety harness. I find the pressure to perform from memory unhealthy. It probably also contributes to the tendency of (almost) everybody to play the same old repertoire over and over again. January 12, 2020 at 04:14 PM · at the sounding point - which makes me a little cross-eyed - but helps for straight bowing and accurate placement/choice of sounding point January 12, 2020 at 05:47 PM · Albrecht I sometimes wonder if the ability to memorize easily isn't a pretty strong factor in determining which young students will receive the most encouragement from their teachers. My recent performance was Beethoven Romance Op. 40 and it was the first piece that I have performed in public entirely from memory. I really wanted to prove to myself that I could do it, even if only once. I definitely got to the point with that piece where the printed music was more distracting than helpful, but partly that is because I altered some of the fingerings while practicing and didn't write them into the part. January 12, 2020 at 06:16 PM · In performance, I would say Do Not look at your left hand. A lot of major league soloists close their eyes. Our thoughts follow our eyes and we should be thinking about bowing and sound production, so if you want to look at the violin, look at the point of contact (hair to string). I usually have a blank stare at the back of the room. Eye contact with a specific person can be distracting, especially if they look good. Most of my playing is from memory as a Mariachi fiddler. Everything is memorized, no sheet music, and improvising is discouraged. If I am mentally unsure, I watch the chords of the guitarists; somehow that triggers my memory of what to do next. January 12, 2020 at 06:23 PM · I don't look at anything in particular, since I turn inwards, focusing on my breathing, the pulse of the music, and the sounds around me. My visual world becomes a blur. January 12, 2020 at 07:11 PM · My pet peeve is performers looking up at the ceiling. Looks weird. I say look at sounding point or generally downwards. January 12, 2020 at 07:45 PM · Paul, I admire--and envie a little--your courage! Happy that it worked out well. As to looking at my left hand: I think the player has an unfortunate perspective of it which is probably one reason why violin teachers are so necessary and useful. I don't see if I am doing anything right or wrong when I look down the fingerboard at my left hand; my vibrato is even out of my sight, hidden behind the box and/or the neck. If I really want to check on my left hand I try to keep it still while turning the violin out from my neck to have a perpendicular look at the hand (not a very good method though). So I don't look there. I look into the music which is better than at the ceiling... (I too like it when performers look in the direction of the back of the hall, not at heaven and not at hell, somewhere in between). Interestingly enough I don't always wright fingerings into my music (and never into music I don't own e.g. in an orchestra) and I don't even always remove the ones I have decided to abandon. Despite the fact that I am really bad at memorizing music I seem to be capable of memorizing fingerings (and bowings). Maybe because I have done a lot of sight reading at one time playing quartets with friends. January 12, 2020 at 10:16 PM · I do not dare to perform something I cannot play from memory. Maybe it's because the piano teacher of my youth expected me to perform without sheets, except the rare events he made me play in a chamber music setting or as accompanist for a really pretty mezzosoprano who later went into accountancy and married her chef who was 22 years older than her if I remember correctly... It was mostly Schubert... Anyhow, at age 16 I had my brain stuffed with Beethoven sonatas and Mozart concertos. And now I'm really uncomfortable if I'm invited to a reading session of rather simple baroque music, and having sheet music laid out in front of me is rather distracting and confusing than helpful when I'm switching to performance mode. It's nothing I'm proud of, and I'd prefer it to be different. With sheets I regularly loose track and get lost between what I'm playing and what my eyes are reading... When practicing from memory, I either look into a mirror to track my hands and posture (which requires me to be highly focused) or I look randomly anywhere. On stage it depends on the setting. In my orchestra section, most of the time I used to fake reading the music, while focusing on the conductor or the bows in front of me. In chamber music / small ensembles, it's useful to have your eyes free for communication with your collaborateurs. Soloing is something I did only threethree times yet on a stringed instrument (not counting the small recitals with my teachers private class). In this situation I try to find a natural mixture of introvert looking down or close eyes, staring at the back of the hall, and from time to time seeking eye contact with two or three people in the audience I feel comfortable with (pre-selected at the beginning of the concert). I agree with Paul that the latter can be distracting, but it is something that can be trained in a more intimate setting. January 13, 2020 at 04:42 PM · Oh the extent of what I call the "Toscanini Effect." I can still remember when soloists of greatness had a stand and music while on stage. Pianists had page turners! Did they need it? Not always but,... Then comes the Maestro's Maestro, no music desk for him - No Sir! Every note, mark, dynamic,... of the score memorized! Suddenly, the requirement is total perfect memorization for everyone - there are now Quartets and even orchestras that play only from memory. For me, I never developed that skill. My memory for hundreds (if not thousands) of notes as well as dynamics, et cetera, is highly imperfect - hence I either get lost or grind in mistakes. Kudos to all those who can - I am in awe of your skills but do not share them. 143.107.122.133 January 13, 2020 at 05:43 PM · I look mostly to my fingers on the fingerboard. I try sometimes to play closing my eyes to feel more than see. January 14, 2020 at 05:10 AM · I mostly look at the fingers of my left hand. I don’t know why, it’s just a habit I got I to while memorizing the tricky parts. When playing on stage I often look at the audience to see their responses, and sometimes make eye contact. I like to find a little kid or an encouraging-looking elderly person to look to. Watching people I know distracts me, so I try to stay away from that unless it’s really low pressure or they are, in fact, playing with me. January 14, 2020 at 06:24 AM · @George W. - I have heard that one of the reasons Toscanini conducted from memory was that he had poor eyesight (?) I have a knack for stating the obvious-- one advantage to playing from memory is that it forces you to learn how to play the piece. January 14, 2020 at 10:12 PM · I close my eyes purely because I look like an idiot if they are open. They are not focused and I tend to resemble this: January 19, 2020 at 12:43 AM · It varies from one minute to the next. I play from memory during practice sessions quite a lot -- e.g., scales and studies and repertoire that I've committed to memory -- plus my own warm-up routine. At times, I look toward the instrument, but not actively; then I'll look across the room, next at the floor, afterward at the ceiling, sometimes closing both eyes a short stretch for extra concentration. I also glance at the bow now and then; but I find that I have better bow control and distribution, plus better string crossings, if I don't fixate on the bow. It's a bit like keeping your eyes on the road ahead and glancing only for a split-second, every so often, at the speedometer or steering wheel. This article has been archived and is no longer accepting comments. Violinist.com is made possible by... Laurie's Books Discover the best of Violinist.com in these collections of editor Laurie Niles' exclusive interviews.	11,456
Babies are like tiny, cute hurricanes. You know they are coming, you prepare for them, but somehow you are still surprised when they rip your house off its foundation and scatter all your belongings on the lawn. The schnauzers adapted to hurricane B like the champions I know they are. I devoted a lot of time to researching how to introduce them to B and how to socialize both sides, and for the first nine months we were a blissful family of five. C and B were immediately best friends; C quickly realized that if she followed B around B would share her toys and snacks. B learned to throw the ball for C and laugh when she brought it back. J, who has always been a stoic little guy, enjoyed sniffing and licking B’s toes. He would push her swing with his nose while she slept. B started walking at nine months. So at nine months, suddenly, nothing was sacred. She can go everywhere and get into everything. Busy fingers always roaming looking for something new to touch do not like to let sleeping dogs sleep. We did our best to show B “nice touch” and make sure she didn’t inflict too much torture on our dogs. And for a while, we were fine. B would play and when her play neared a sleeping J he would get up and move to another room. In one day things changed. I don’t know what triggered the change in behavior, but it was sudden. J began to stand his ground. He no longer would make room for B’s play. He became directly confrontational with her, growling and snapping when she came close. Back to researching I went. Giving J more exercise and space worked for a while, but one day my husband was home with B and the dogs and J snapped at B and caught her face. She only had a small scratch (THANK GOD) but it was a wakeup call. J is not happy in our home and he is taking it out on B. The last thing we want is for B to get seriously hurt or to grow up to be afraid of dogs. We also wanted J to have a full life, to be part of a family. After much more research and conversation my husband and I decided that the best thing for J, and our family, would be to find J a family that he could be happy in. One thought on “A New Home: Part 1” November 15, 2011 at 12:56 pm Oh Ali, I know all to well what it is like to have your child nipped at by a dog. And also how hard the decision is to make in regards to what to do with your beloved pet. It’s funny how life’s priorities change when you become a parent . . .	2,512
7 Jesus withdrew with his disciples to the lake, and a large crowd from Galilee followed. 8 When they heard about all he was doing, many people came to him from Judea, Jerusalem, Idumea, and the regions across the Jordan and around Tyre and Sidon. 9 Because of the crowd he told his disciples to have a small boat ready for him, to keep the people from crowding him. 10 For he had healed many, so that those with diseases were pushing forward to touch him. 11 Whenever the impure spirits saw him, they fell down before him and cried out, “You are the Son of God.” 12 But he gave them strict orders not to tell others about him. 13 Jesus went up on a mountainside and called to him those he wanted, and they came to him. 14 He appointed twelve[a] that they might be with him and that he might send them out to preach 15 and to have authority to drive out demons. 16 These are the twelve he appointed: Simon (to whom he gave the name Peter), 17 James son of Zebedee and his brother John (to them he gave the name Boanerges, which means “sons of thunder”), 18 Andrew, Philip, Bartholomew, Matthew, Thomas, James son of Alphaeus, Thaddaeus, Simon the Zealot 19 and Judas Iscariot, who betrayed him. Read full chapter Mark 3:14 Some manuscripts twelve—designating them apostles— ‘But Moses said to God, “Who am I that I should go to Pharaoh and bring the Israelites out of Egypt?”’1 The signs of the inauguration of the kingdom of God are visible. Jesus has been teaching, healing the sick, performing miracles and exorcising in Mark’s narrative. The time has come for Him to appoint disciples to pursue His mission on earth. He chooses twelve disciples for two primary purposes (14,15). First, they are to spend time with Him so that they can learn from Him and pattern their lives upon His example. Second, they are to preach the Good News of the kingdom and to have authority over the evil one. These disciples are ordinary people just like us, following Jesus with all our failures, weaknesses, and sinful nature. They are not supermen, nor are they like the heroes that are depicted in Hollywood movies. There is boastful Peter who will deny Jesus. There is Thomas who will doubt his Lord. There are James and John, brothers who are ambitious in wanting to sit in powerful positions in God’s kingdom. There is Matthew, whose profession as a tax collector is regarded by many as sinful. In the Old Testament, Moses was also reluctant when God called him to lead His people out of Egypt. He felt that he was not equipped to do so – as shown in the quotation at the head of this page. Yet God used him to fulfill His plans and purpose for His people. This reminds us that there is always room for people who are broken and weak, for those who experience failure in life, to be of service in God’s kingdom. We need not wait until we are perfect and fully equipped to serve God. We never will be perfect! Is God calling us to serve Him in the church, our homes, schools, colleges, workplaces, and neighborhoods? Will we make ourselves available to share the Good News of the kingdom? Lord, make me a willing servant to serve You and Your church. Amazing One, I marvel that You can take ordinary people like me and accomplish extraordinary things. Lord I am Yours, use me today.	3,531
If we only ever listen to the mind, we end up going around in circles. The intuition is a Divine Spark of guidance and love from within. A part of us that knows so much more of our lives and what is to come and indeed, how to truly enjoy existence in this form we call a body, on this planet we call Earth. Today, I am sitting with a transaction around love and romance. The projections we lay onto one another, unconscious until exposed in the light of an unmet exchange, where o Aug 12, 2017 Yoga & Depression: How Yoga Saved My Vegan Bacon and Could Do the Same for You! I have to start this blog with a bit of a lighthearted joke because the reality is that this is a bit of a dark story but it does have a happy ending! The Breakdown In 2015 I had what can only be described as a breakdown. After years of anxiety, I reached a tipping point with a massive change in my life, the break down of a 7 year relationship. The break up was completely amicable and we ended up being really great friends, which is why it was such a shock to me when 6 months Aug 6, 2017 Anxiety: It’s a Bitch but It Doesn’t Have to Rule Your Life Forever. I started writing a blog in May about panic attacks. I’d had my first one in nearly a year the previous month and thought what better time to write about it. Apparently not. What followed was a stream of panic attacks over the last few months and every time I went to write about them I just couldn’t. It was just too painful. I really questioned what help I could possibly offer anyone who was suffering with a I get lost sometimes, waiting for life to happen. I forget who I am, and seem to fall back into spells of despair. The suffering of my past drowns me in heavy shackles, fear so consuming, I wonder whether I’ll ever escape the tormenting burden of un-belonging, loneliness and poverty. The deep-seated agony of unworthiness - a looming ugliness that no one wants to get near. And yet still, an annoying frustration with a fluctuating, insidious guilt at the sheer superficiality o	2,120
Every year we find ourselves evaluating where we stand, what the year behind us brought us, and where we want the new year to take us. For many, we resolve to do something about our health or fitness regimen. This week we bring you our second part in the two part series tied to New Years Resolutions and health. We will be exploring the sauna health benefits. Whether you go to the gym and utilize the sauna there or are contemplating if it would be worth it to invest in a sauna for your home, there’s no question there are many health benefits stemming from the use of saunas. Here are some of our top picks for the sauna health benefits you can reap the rewards from. We all know that stress can take a toll on our appearance, as well as, physical and mental health. Saunas are known to provide stress relief in several ways. The isolation from distractions that saunas inherently provide can do wonders if you’re in need of decompressing from a long day. In addition, the heat produced by a sauna increases circulation, relaxes muscles, and even contributes to the creation of endorphins. Just as we mentioned in our post about Hot Tub Health Benefits, heat is your friend when it comes to pain relief. Elevated temperatures found in saunas (or hot tubs) cause increased blood circulation. This increase in circulation decreases pressure on achey joints and soothes sores muscles. If you deal with aches and paints frequently, a daily sauna session may be just what you need. Improved Cardiovascular Health Although nothing can replace exercise, some studies have shown that the use of a sauna may provide similar health benefits to that of regular exercise. With the increase in body temperature that comes as a result of sitting in a sauna, heart rate increases. This increase in heart rate has shown to potentially decrease the risk of cardiovascular diseases according to MedicalNewsToday.com. Depending on who you ask, this next sauna health benefit may or may not be entirely true, however, it does have some historical references to back it up. Due to the high amount of sweating an individual does while in a sauna (the average person loses a pint of sweat per 10-15 minute sauna session), some believe that this aids in flushing toxins from the body. Sweat sessions used as therapy date back to the days of Mayan civilization so it doesn’t seem unlikely that saunas could provide similar benefits. Not unlike the health benefits from the use of hot tubs, saunas can also help to improve the quality of your sleep. Correlating back to the elevated heat in a sauna environment, once the heat wears off, your body gradually starts to cool down. This slow decline in endorphins can leave you primed for a deep good night’s sleep. That concludes our two part series on New Year’s Resolutions and your health. The only thing you will need to resolve now is whether you want to bring one of our beautiful Marquis spas or Finnleo saunas home with you next. *Please note our expertise is in swimming pools, hot tubs, and saunas. If you have any questions pertaining to your health, please seek the consultation of a licensed physician. Click here to cancel reply. You must be logged in to post a comment. 5454 Center Point Rd NE We’re here to help. These intro conversations are a low barrier to entry. Our customer service team will reach out to you to find a good time to schedule a meeting, and inquire further about what you’re hoping to accomplish. We’ll cover all our key features and functions of our products, and how they relate exactly to what you’re wanting. Schedule a call here.	3,767
Rob and I have been focusing on finding foods and spices that will help us take some weight off. I've been slightly obsessed with staying on my exercise track (on week 8 now :->) and hope to get rid of this jiggly belly that has become wa-a-a-ay too comfortable on my body. The older you get the harder it is to lose weight. What I would say to my 40 year old self - 'See that pouch starting? Do your crunches and planks now! 7 years from now it's going to get ugly!' I've found that spices cumin, cayenne pepper, red pepper flakes and turmeric are noted to increase metabolism. (Yes please!) After a good workout coconut water is more beneficial in regulating your electrolytes, and lower in calories, than sports drinks. It also contains more potassium than other drinks which is an important component in helping to build muscle which, in turn, helps you burn more calories. And my most surprising discovery - eating avocados help burn belly fat! I've always thought of avocados as full of fat and felt guilty when my mouth was completely enjoying them. I would keep in mind 'OK. Eat this now, extra lunges later.' But now I've learned that they are beneficial to our bodies due to their healthy monounsaturated fats which include Oleic acid, that helps your body quiet hunger. Avocados are high in fiber, have good levels of protein and are low in carbs. You feel fuller with fewer bites of food. Sounds good to me! Recently I was able to connect with noted Chef, Pati Jinich, host of the PBS series Pati's Mexican Table. So cool! She answers my questions in the following video: (There's an extra 'a' at the end of my name. Bonus! ;-> ) I'm so happy that I was asked to participate in this interview. Providing healthy foods for my family is a priority and I hope I've shared information to guide you toward healthy, and tasty, choices. Pati Jinich was born and raised in Mexico and comes from a family of accomplished cooks. She is the host of a highly popular PBS series called Pati’s Mexican Table, a culinary program which consists of cooking demonstrations, tasting dinners and workshops, and has appeared on The Chew, The Talk, The Better Show, The Today Show. Jinich has also been featured in The New York Times, The Washington Post, Eater, and The Daily Meal. (*Disclosure: No financial compensation was received from my participation. My words are my own.) Other Apps Other Apps Popular posts from this blog Miss Poodle Perm, That's Me! Jill of Scary Mommy is doing a linky post about school pictures. You know the ones, possibly you didn't smile a sweet smile, just the smirk of panic. Or you didn't know it was picture day because you had been out sick for a week and you show up in your most comfortable shirt and bed-head. (Yep. That happened to me. The smile was good though!) Well, my scanner isn't working or else I would post a particular picture from Freshman year. Since I don't have a visual, here's the story: I remember my first day of High School. Actually what I remember is the picture taken of me leaving for my first day of High School. I'm wearing a brave smile, but the hair, the hair , my hair style was a nightmare. My two best friends and I were going to be attending a High School out of our district. That was stressful enough. To add to this new-ness we wanted new looks as well. K. was going to sport the Argyle and Alligator shirt look. W. was going for 'All Monogram Other Apps Picking a foundation at the drugstore can be frustrating since you don't have the advantage of trying it on as you do in retail stores. In light of that, here are some tips on the most proficient method to find your ideal match. Finding foundation at Nordstrom is easy and simple. Visit the beauty counters at Nordstrom and find perfect foundation shades for you according to your skin type. In addition to these tips to find your perfect foundation, I also have a way for you to get great deals, check out matchzup.com for discounts on beauty products. 1. Discover your skin type: While picking a foundation it's best to know your type of skin. Foundations today come in such a large number of various types– cream, powder, fluid, mousse–that it's staggering to attempt and make sense of which is best for you. Foundations are planned for slick, dry, full grown, typical, delicate skin. Remember that most ladies' skin sort changes with the climate. In winter, you m	4,624
The automotive professionals at Ambler Tire Company would like to give Ambler drivers an update on some of the things happening in automotive fluids. You know, cars are becoming more sophisticated everyday – and fluids such as, oil, coolant and transmission fluid are becoming more specialized at about the same pace. The Chalfont do-it-yourselfer has to be pretty careful so that they do not actually harm their SUV with the wrong type of fluid. That is why so many PA car owners rely on the advice of their caring Ambler Tire Company tech to not only get the correct family of fluids, but to suggest the formulation that is best for their car and their driving habits in the Ambler area. Let’s start with engine oil. Colmar drivers who have been paying attention, will have noticed a number of new oil weights on the PA scene in the last several years. Modern engines are built to much tighter tolerances and have very complicated valve trains. The oil must be thin enough to lubricate complicated parts when the engine is cold. The weight of an oil is expressed in terms like 20-W-50 or 5-W-30. The car makers recommend the weight of oil for each vehicle they make. The recommendation is based on engine design. Your Ambler service center will know what weight your car maker recommends – and it’s important to follow those recommendations. Your service specialist at Ambler Tire Company can also offer suggestions for special formulations and can tell you all about conventional and synthetic oils. Antifreeze, or engine coolant, is another area that has become more complicated. For a long time, manufacturers only recommended a couple of different types of coolant. Now, several different formulations are needed because of the high-tech materials that automakers are using to build the cooling system. Using the wrong type of coolant in your SUV or other vehicle can actually void your warranty, so it’s vital to get that right. Transmission fluid is becoming specialized for Ambler vehicles as well. New transmission designs have particular requirements that require specific formulations. Recently, new, somewhat confusing, standards for brake fluid have also been released. Not too long ago, there was a good chance that all of the vehicles at your Ambler house would use many of the same fluids. However, as automotive technology advances, the array of basic automotive fluids PA motorists need will grow. And, some of the formulations will cost a little more for Ambler drivers. Fortunately, Ambler Tire Company will continue to update their training to keep pace with technology so that you’ll get the right fluids your car needs. It’s all part of the commitment we make to your driving peace of mind. Written by Developer Autoshop Leave a Reply Cancel reply Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked * Δ My family has been bringing all our cars here for years, they are very trustworthy and we’ve always been well taken care of! I went in for my state inspection and an oil change. Friendly office, easy drop off and pick up. The price was fair, the work done right, and no invented problems the car "suddenly" had like other places try to pull. I will definitely be using them for auto work in the future. Love this shop. Nice family owned and run business. Efficient, dependable, reliable, fair. Can’t ask for more… Dave is a great mechanic and his wife answers the phone and is very sweet and helpful. Won't take my car anywhere else anymore. I trust Dave and his family— they are great people. Very fair, reasonable, and reliable. Definitely bring your car here if you want a fast easy process. Dave will do his best for you and I think he is a caring gentleman. He is a “diamond in the rough” — you won’t find this kind of rare work ethic, kindness, or honesty if you go elsewhere! He fixed my car and had it running the best it’s ever felt after diagnosing and fixing a broken sensor. My car drive smoothly and has not felt... Read More Dave always does a nice job. Known him for years. Trust him with my car. Hope he doesn't retire any time soon. This auto shop is a well oiled machine. Pun intended. So lucky to have them in my back yard. You can even enjoy Wake coffee while you wait. Two thumbs up Dave and his team have always been top rate, fair and honest. They have worked on new cars and old cars that we have owned for over 35 years. We have been very satisfied with their work and their uncommon old fashion work ethic. We totally trust their diagnosis and resulting work. We highly recommend them to others. Eric Gimbal	4,755
Net Income from Continuing Operations means Net Income resulting from operations of the Borrower and its Subsidiaries that continue to exist subsequent to the closing of the sale of 100% of the common stock of Jevic. Remove Advertising Net Income from Continuing Operations means, for any fiscal period of any Person, such Person's Net Income for such fiscal period plus (minus) extraordinary losses (gains) for such fiscal period (net of taxes), plus (minus) net charges (credits) due to the cumulative effect of changes in accounting principles for such fiscal period (net of taxes), plus (minus) charges (credits) for discontinued operations for such fiscal period (net of taxes), all determined on a consolidated basis in accordance with GAAP. Based on 3 documents Net Income from Continuing Operations means, for any period, the consolidated net income of the Borrower and its Consolidated Subsidiaries for such period, but eliminating any extraordinary items of income or expense. Based on 2 documents Examples of Net Income from Continuing Operations in a sentence CONVERGYS CORPORATION Reconciliation of Net Income from Continuing Operations to Adjusted EBITDA (Unaudited) The Company presents the non-GAAP financial measures EBITDA and Adjusted EBITDA because management uses these measures to monitor and evaluate the performance of the business and believes the presentation of these measures will enhance the investors’ ability to analyze trends in the business and evaluate the Company’s underlying performance relative to other companies in the industry. We define Adjusted Net Income from Continuing Operations per Diluted Share as Adjusted Net Income from Continuing Operations on a diluted per share basis. We have included Adjusted Net Income from Continuing Operations and Adjusted Net Income from Continuing Operations per Diluted Share herein because they are used by investors for valuation and comparing our financial performance with the performance of other building material companies. We use Adjusted Net Income from Continuing Operations and Adjusted Net Income from Continuing Operations per Diluted Share to monitor and compare the financial performance of our operations. When the Company has positive Net Income from Continuing Operations Attributable to the Common Shareholders, the Company adds additional shares to Basic Weighted Average Shares Outstanding to arrive at Diluted Weighted Average Shares Outstanding for the Diluted Earnings Per Share calculation to reflect the assumed exercise, conversion, or contingent issuance of dilutive securities. We also adjust Adjusted Net Income from Continuing Operations for a normalized effective income tax rate of 40%. Adjusted Net Income from Continuing Operations and Adjusted Net Income from Continuing Operations per Diluted Share Adjusted Net Income from Continuing Operations and Adjusted Net Income from Continuing Operations per Diluted Share are non-GAAP financial measures. EPS BEFORE CHARGES/GAINS EPS from Continuing Operations Before Charges/Gains is Net Income from Continuing Operations calculated on a per-share basis excluding restructuring, restructuring-related and other one-time items. Adjusted Net Income from Continuing Operations is a non-GAAP financial measure. Adjusted Net Income from Continuing Operations and Adjusted Net Income from Continuing Operations per Diluted Share are not intended to be used as an alternative to any measure of our performance in accordance with GAAP. More Definitions of Net Income from Continuing Operations Net Income from Continuing Operations means for any period, for KKR Financial and its Subsidiaries on a consolidated basis, the Consolidated Net Income less Net Income from Discontinued Operations. Based on 1 documents Related to Net Income from Continuing Operations Gross Income from Operations means all income, computed in accordance with GAAP, derived from the ownership and operation of the Properties from whatever source, including, but not limited to, the Rents, utility charges, escalations, service fees or charges, license fees, parking fees, rent concessions or credits, and other required pass-throughs, but excluding sales, use and occupancy or other taxes on receipts required to be accounted for by Mortgage Borrower to any Governmental Authority, refunds and uncollectible accounts, sales of furniture, fixtures and equipment, Insurance Proceeds (other than business interruption or other loss of income insurance), Awards, security deposits, interest on credit accounts, utility and other similar deposits, payments received under the Mortgage Interest Rate Cap Agreement, interest on credit accounts, interest on the Mortgage Reserve Funds, and any disbursements to Mortgage Borrower from the Mortgage Reserve Funds. Gross income shall not be diminished as a result of the Security Instruments or the creation of any intervening estate or interest in a Property or any part thereof. Cash Flow from Operations means net cash funds provided from operations, exclusive of Cash from Sales or Refinancing, of the Company or investment of any Company funds, without deduction for depreciation, but after deducting cash funds used to pay or establish a reserve for expenses, debt payments, capital improvements, and replacements and for such other items as the Board of Directors reasonably determines to be necessary or appropriate and subject to Loan Conditions. Funds From Operations means, with respect to a Person and for a given period, (a) net income (loss) of such Person determined on a consolidated basis for such period, minus (or plus) (b) gains (or losses) from debt restructuring and sales of property during such period, plus (c) depreciation with respect to such Person’s real estate assets and amortization (other than amortization of deferred financing costs) of such Person for such period, all after adjustment for unconsolidated partnerships and joint ventures, plus (d) transaction costs of acquisitions not permitted to be capitalized pursuant to GAAP. Adjustments for unconsolidated entities will be calculated to reflect funds from operations on the same basis. Earnings from Operations for any period means net earnings excluding gains and losses on sales of investments, extraordinary items and property valuation losses, as reflected in the financial statements of the Company and its Subsidiaries for such period, determined on a consolidated basis in accordance with GAAP. Adjusted Funds From Operations means, for any period, Net Cash Flows From Operating Activities for such period plus Interest Expense for such period minus (x) the portion (but not less than zero) of Net Cash Flows From Operating Activities for such period attributable to any consolidated Subsidiary that has no Debt other than Nonrecourse Indebtedness and (y) After-Tax Transitional Funding Instrument Revenue for such period. net non-operating income means the difference between: Cash from Operations means the net cash realized by the Company from any source other than a Capital Transaction, after payment of all cash expenditures of the Company, including, but not limited to, all operating expenses including all fees payable to the Manager or Affiliates, all payments of principal and interest on indebtedness, expenses for repairs and maintenance, capital improvements and replacements, and such reserves and retentions as the Manager reasonably determines to be necessary and desirable in connection with Company operations with its then existing assets and any anticipated acquisitions. Net Operating Income or “NOI” means, for any Property and for a given period, the sum of the following (without duplication and determined on a consistent basis with prior periods): (a) gross revenues received in the ordinary course from such Property minus (b) all expenses paid (excluding interest but including an appropriate accrual for property taxes and insurance) related to the ownership, operation or maintenance of such Property, including but not limited to property taxes, assessments and the like, insurance, utilities, payroll costs, maintenance, repair and landscaping expenses, marketing expenses, and general and administrative expenses (including an appropriate allocation for legal, accounting, advertising, marketing and other expenses incurred in connection with such Property, but specifically excluding general overhead expenses of the Borrower or any Subsidiary and any property management fees) minus (c) the FF&E Reserves for such Property as of the end of such period minus (d) the greater of (i) the actual property management fee paid during such period and (ii) an imputed management fee in the amount of three percent (3.0%) of the gross revenues for such Property for such period. Net Cash From Operations means the gross cash proceeds from the Company’s investments, operations, sales, and other dispositions of assets, including but not limited to investment assets (but not including sales and other dispositions of all or substantially all of the assets of the Company), less the portion thereof used to pay, or set aside for, the established reserves for all the Company’s expenses, debt payments, capital improvements, replacements and contingencies, all as determined by the Board of Managers. Net Cash from Operations shall not be reduced by depreciation, amortization, cost recovery deductions, or similar allowances, but shall be increased by any reduction of reserves previously established, but not expended, as authorized by the Board of Managers. Operating Revenue Cash Flows means the Company’s cash flow from ownership and/or operation of (i) Properties, (ii) Loans, (iii) Permitted Investments, (iv) short-term investments, and (v) interests in Properties, Loans and Permitted Investments owned by any Joint Venture or any partnership in which the Company or the Partnership is, directly or indirectly, a co-venturer or partner. Operating Income means the Company’s or a business unit’s income from operations but excluding any unusual items, determined in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles. Adjusted Net Earnings from Operations means, with respect to any fiscal period of the Borrower, the Borrower’s net income after provision for income taxes for such fiscal period, as determined in accordance with GAAP and reported on the Financial Statements for such period, excluding any and all of the following included in such net income: (a) gain or loss arising from the sale of any capital assets; (b) gain arising from any write-up in the book value of any asset; (c) earnings of any Person, substantially all the assets of which have been acquired by the Borrower in any manner, to the extent realized by such other Person prior to the date of acquisition; (d) earnings of any Person in which the Borrower has an ownership interest unless (and only to the extent) such earnings shall actually have been received by the Borrower in the form of cash distributions; (e) earnings of any Person to which assets of the Borrower shall have been sold, transferred or disposed of, or into which the Borrower shall have been merged, or which has been a party with the Borrower to any consolidation or other form of reorganization, prior to the date of such transaction; (f) gain arising from the acquisition of debt or equity securities of the Borrower or from cancellation or forgiveness of Debt; (g) gains or non-cash losses arising from Hedge Agreements entered into by Borrower, and (h) gain arising from extraordinary items, as determined in accordance with GAAP, or from any other non-recurring transaction. Operating Profits means, as applied to any Person for any period, the operating income of such Person for such period, as determined in accordance with GAAP. Gross Operating Profit For any Fiscal Year, the excess of Gross Revenues for such Fiscal Year over Gross Operating Expenses for such Fiscal Year. Gross Operating Revenues means, for any period of time for any Hotel Property, without duplication, all income and proceeds of sales of every kind (whether in cash or on credit and computed on an accrual basis) received by the owner (or, if such Hotel Property is ground leased, the ground lessee) of such Hotel Property or the applicable Operating Lessee or Manager for the use, occupancy or enjoyment of such Hotel Property or the sale of any goods, services or other items sold on or provided from such Hotel Property in the ordinary course of operation of such Hotel Property, including, without limitation, all income received from tenants, transient guests, lessees, licensees and concessionaires and other services to guests at such Hotel Property, and the proceeds from business interruption insurance, but excluding the following: (i) any excise, sales or use taxes or similar governmental charges collected directly from patrons or guests, or as a part of the sales price of any goods, services or displays, such as gross receipts, admission, cabaret or similar or equivalent taxes; (ii) receipts from condemnation awards or sales in lieu of or under threat of condemnation; (iii) proceeds of insurance (other than business interruption insurance); (iv) other allowances and deductions as provided by the Uniform System in determining the sum contemplated by this definition, by whatever name, it may be called; (v) proceeds of sales, whether dispositions of capital assets, FF&E or equipment (other than sales of Inventory in the ordinary course of business); (vi) gross receipts received by tenants, lessees (other than Operating Lessees), licensees or concessionaires of the owner (or, if such Hotel Property is ground leased, the ground lessee) of such Hotel Property; (vii) consideration received at such Hotel Property for hotel accommodations, goods and services to be provided at other hotels although arranged by, for or on behalf of, and paid over to, the applicable Manager; (viii) tips, service charges and gratuities collected for the benefit of employees; (ix) proceeds of any financing; (x) working capital provided by the Parent Guarantor or any Subsidiary of the Parent Guarantor or the applicable Operating Lessee; (xi) amounts collected from guests or patrons of such Hotel Property on behalf of tenants of such Hotel Property and other third parties; (xii) the value of any goods or services in excess of actual amounts paid (in cash or services) provided by the applicable Manager on a complimentary or discounted basis; and (xiii) other income or proceeds resulting other than from the use or occupancy of such Hotel Property, or any part thereof, or other than from the sale of goods, services or other items sold on or provided from such Hotel Property in the ordinary course of business. Gross Operating Revenues shall be reduced by credits or refunds to guests at such Hotel Property. Operating Profit means the difference between the discounted revenues and the discounted operating costs over the economic lifetime of the investment, where this difference is positive. The operating costs include costs such as personnel costs, materials, contracted services, communications, energy, maintenance, rent, administration, but exclude depreciation charges and the costs of financing if these have been covered by investment aid. Discounting revenues and operating costs using an appropriate discount rate allows a reasonable profit to be made; Operating Revenue means in any single fiscal year during the effective term of this Agreement, the total revenue generated by Party B in its daily operation of business of that year as recorded under the “Revenue of Principal Business” in the audited balance sheet prepared in accordance with the PRC accounting standards. Operating Revenues means, without duplication, all revenues and receipts of the Borrowers from operation of the Properties or otherwise arising in respect of the Properties which are properly allocable to the Properties for the applicable period in accordance with GAAP, including, without limitation, all hotel receipts, revenues and credit card receipts collected from guest rooms, restaurants and bars (including without limitation, service charges for employees and staff), mini-bars, meeting rooms, banquet rooms, apartments, parking and recreational facilities, health club membership fees, food and beverage wholesale and retail sales, service charges, convention services, special events, audio-visual services, boat cruises, travel agency fees, internet booking fees, telephone charges, laundry services, vending machines and otherwise, all rents, revenues and receipts now existing or hereafter arising or created out of the sale, lease, sublease, license, concession or other grant of the right of the possession, use or occupancy of all or any portion of the Properties or personalty located thereon, or rendering of service by any of the Borrowers or any operator or manager of the hotel or commercial space (including, without limitation, from the rental of any office space, retail space, guest rooms or other space, halls, stores and deposits securing reservations of such space (only to the extent such deposits are not required to be returned or refunded to the depositor)), proceeds from rental or business interruption insurance relating to business interruption or loss of income for the period in question and any other items of revenue which would be included in operating revenues under the Uniform System; but excluding proceeds from the sale of FF&E, abatements, reductions or refunds of real estate or personal property taxes relating to the Properties, dividends on insurance policies relating to the Properties, condemnation proceeds arising from a temporary taking of all or a part of any Properties, security and other deposits until they are forfeited by the depositor, advance rentals until they are earned, proceeds from a sale, financing or other disposition of the Properties or any part thereof or interest therein and other non-recurring revenues as determined by Lender, insurance proceeds (other than proceeds from rental or business interruption insurance), other condemnation proceeds, capital contributions or loans to any of the Borrowers, disbursements to any of the Borrowers from the Reserves, sales, use and occupancy taxes collected from customers or patrons of the Properties to be remitted to the applicable taxing authorities, and gratuities or service charges collected on behalf of and remitted to employees or contractors of the Properties. Adjusted Operating Income means for any period (x) the consolidated operating income of Holdings and its Subsidiaries for such period plus (y) the sum of the consolidated depreciation expense and consolidated amortization expense of Holdings and its Subsidiaries for such period, all as determined in accordance with GAAP, it being understood that the determination of the amount specified in clauses (x) and (y) shall be made on a consistent basis with the methodology utilized by Holdings to determine such amount on the Effective Date, provided that (i) for the purposes of Section 8.08 only, for any Test Period during which any acquisition of any Person or business occurs, Adjusted Operating Income shall give pro forma effect to such acquisition as if it occurred on the first day of such Test Period and (ii) for all purposes, for any period which includes any Restructuring Charge Quarter there shall be excluded in determining Adjusted Operating Income any portion of the 1996 Restructuring Charge which reduced the consolidated operating income of Holdings and its Subsidiaries for such period. Adjusted Net Operating Income or “Adjusted NOI” means, for any period, the Net Operating Income of the applicable Hotel Properties for such period, subject to the following adjustments: Annualized Operating Cash Flow means, for any fiscal quarter, the Operating Cash Flow for such fiscal quarter multiplied by four. CAISO Revenues means the net amount resulting from (a) the credits and other payments received by Buyer, as Seller’s Scheduling Coordinator, as a result of test energy from the Project delivered by Seller during the Test Period, including revenues associated with CAISO dispatches and (b) the debits, costs, penalties and interest that are directly assigned by the CAISO to the CAISO Global Resource ID for the Project for, or attributable to, scheduling and deliveries from the Project under this Agreement, which amount may result in a negative or positive value. Consolidated Operating Income means, for any period, Consolidated Gross Profit less Consolidated Operating Expenses of the Company and its Restricted Subsidiaries determined on a consolidated basis in accordance with GAAP and as calculated consistent with the manner disclosed by the Company in its Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 26, 2009. Cumulative Operating Cash Flow means, as at any date of determination, the positive cumulative Consolidated Operating Cash Flow realized during the period commencing on the Issue Date and ending on the last day of the most recent fiscal quarter immediately preceding the date of determination for which consolidated financial information of the Company is available or, if such cumulative Consolidated Operating Cash Flow for such period is negative, the negative amount by which cumulative Consolidated Operating Cash Flow is less than zero. Cumulative Consolidated Net Income means, for any period, Consolidated Net Income for such period, taken as a single accounting period. Cumulative Consolidated Net Income may be a positive or negative amount. Core Earnings means the net income (loss), computed in accordance with GAAP, excluding (i) non-cash equity compensation expense, (ii) the Incentive Compensation, (iii) acquisition fees, (iv) financing fees, (v) depreciation and amortization, (vi) any unrealized gains or losses or other non-cash items that are included in net income for the applicable reporting period, regardless of whether such items are included in other comprehensive income or loss, or in net income, and (vii) one-time events pursuant to changes in GAAP and certain non-cash charges, in each case after discussions between the Manager and the Independent Directors and approved by a majority of the Independent Directors. Education/Government Company Most comprehensive library of legal defined terms on your mobile device Careers All contents of the lawinsider.com excluding publicly sourced documents are Copyright © 2013-2022 Law Insider Inc. All rights reserved. View our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy.	22,951
Shipping Rates – All shipping services, including USPS, have raised their rates substantially. This was done without any prior notice. the basic shipping rates with a small package is $.75 increase. Medium and large package increases are through the roof. I accepted the increase without raising my price. Shipping Supplies – Cost for boxes, packing peanuts and bubble wrap are gradually increasing in price. This has not been such a negative impact. PayPal – PayPal, without any prior notice, raised their rate shopping cart fee substantially and I do not find it necessary. This is a fee that I pay on each and every order. The increase is unjustified and a very costly increase to all business owners. Please avoid using PayPal as your payment method if at all possible. Product Price Increase – I submitted a large stock order with the clinic last Thursday evening. Friday morning, I received an email from the clinic informing me that a price increase had taken effect on October 15th and my new stock order would be subject to the new price increases. I understand it being necessary for Dr. Morse to increase the prices as the clinic is subject to these increases also. While I find the increases necessary, they are very substantial. With all the increases combined, I find no other avenue but to adjust my prices as well. This is not an increase to maintain a profit margin. This is absolutely necessary for just keeping the business afloat. I will keep the increases as minimal as I can. I appreciate all of you! I hope you will continue to support Hearken Herbs through this transition. Please feel free to send your thoughts or suggestions to [email protected]. M-F: 10am - 5pm When calling the office, please leave your name and phone number where you can be reached. I receive so many marketing calls that if I was to call each number back, I wouldn't have time to process and ship your order. So, if there is no message, I will not return your call Located only 3 miles from Dr. Morse's Herbal Health Club Detoxification is a personal choice and individual journey Statements and products have not been evaluated by the FDA. They are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease or condition. If you have a health concern, condition, consult a physician. Always consult a medical doctor before modifying your diet, using any new product, drug, supplement, or doing any new exercises. Out of Stock Products Even though I try my best to keep all products in stock and available, situations arise to where we do run out of stock on a product. There are two categories when a product is out of stock. Temporarily Out of Stock - Clinic has product in stock, an order has been placed to receive product shortly. If you place an order for a product that is temporarily out of stock, I will refund you the amount if I will not receive the product within a couple days. I don't want to hold up your whole order. Out of Stock - Clinic is out of stock of product, order has been placed to receive product when back in stock at clinic and I have no idea of time it will take to receive product. I will refund you the amount and ship the the remaining order.	3,312
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United States Ambassador to the United Nations Linda Thomas-Greenfield, center, makes a statement on behalf of other member states regarding North Korea after a Security Council meeting at U.N. headquarters, Monday, Nov. 21, 2022. The meeting was called to discuss recent North Korean missile launches. North Korean leader Kim Jong Un says the test of a newly developed intercontinental ballistic missile confirmed that he has another "reliable and maximum-capacity" weapon to contain any outside threats.(AP Photo/Seth Wenig) By The Associated Press Share on Facebook Share on LinkedIn SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — The influential sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un warned the United States on Tuesday that it would face “a more fatal security crisis” as Washington pushes for U.N. condemnation of the North’s recent intercontinental ballistic missile test. Kim Yo Jong’s warning came hours after U.S. Ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield told an emergency meeting of the U.N. Security Council that the U.S. will circulate a proposed presidential statement condemning North Korea’s banned missile launches and other destabilizing activities. After the meeting, Thomas-Greenfield also read a statement by 14 countries which supported action to limit North Korea’s advancement of its weapons programs. Kim Yo Jong, who is widely considered North Korea’s second most powerful person after her brother, lambasted the United States for issuing what she called “a disgusting joint statement together with such rabbles as Britain, France, Australia, Japan and South Korea.” Kim compared the United States to “a barking dog seized with fear.” She said North Korea would consider the U.S.-led statement “a wanton violation of our sovereignty and a grave political provocation.” “The U.S. should be mindful that no matter how desperately it may seek to disarm (North Korea), it can never deprive (North Korea) of its right to self-defense and that the more hell-bent it gets on the anti-(North Korea) acts, it will face a more fatal security crisis,” she said in a statement carried by state media. Monday’s U.N. Security Council meeting was convened in response to North Korea’s ICBM launch on Friday, which was part of a provocative run of missile tests this year that experts say is designed to modernize its nuclear arsenal and increase its leverage in future diplomacy. Friday’s test involved its most powerful Hwasong-17 missile, and some experts say the successful steep-angle launch proved its potential to strike anywhere in the U.S. mainland if it’s fired at a standard trajectory. During the Security Council meeting, the United States and its allies strongly criticized the ICBM launch and called for action to limit North Korea’s nuclear and missile programs. But Russia and China, both veto-wielding members of the Security Council, opposed any new pressure and sanctions on North Korea. In May, the two countries vetoed a U.S.-led attempt to toughen sanctions on North Korea over its earlier ballistic missile tests, which are prohibited by U.N. Security Council resolutions. North Korea has said its testing activities are legitimate exercises of its right to self-defense in response to regular military drills between the United States and South Korea which it views as an invasion rehearsal. Washington and Seoul officials say the exercises are defensive in nature. Kim Yo Jong said the fact that North Korea’s ICBM launch was discussed at the Security Council is “evidently the application of double-standards” by the U.N. body because it “turned blind eyes” to the U.S.-South Korean military drills. She said North Korea won’t tolerate any attempt to undermine its right to self-defense and will take “the toughest counteraction to the last” to protect its national security. On Monday, North Korea’s foreign minister, Choe Son Hui, called U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres “a puppet of the United States.” There are concerns that North Korea may soon conduct its first nuclear test in five years. The status of North Korea’s nuclear capability remains shrouded in secrecy. Some analysts say North Korea already has nuclear-armed missiles that can strike both the U.S. mainland and its allies South Korea and Japan, but others say the North is still years away from possessing such missiles.	4,403
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As a result of the 1:3 leverage, you have a maximum buying power of $150,000, and you have the privilege to hold trades overnight. Still, the trading hours remain from 6 am to 9 pm. Since there are no mentions of any countries restricted on the BluFX platform, it can be assumed that it is very much available to South African traders. This assumption is further buttressed by the fact that it has operations and (third-party) offices in other parts of Africa; there is an office for West Africa located in Lagos, Nigeria, and a BluFX Francophone Africa with an office situated in Yaounde, Cameroon. Membership plans available worldwide also apply to South African traders. To be a member, you have access to a community of traders who are also on the BluFX platform, where you can get to learn and gain from others. You also have access to trading support during work hours. 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Unauthorised Trading: You are prevented from engaging in ‘unauthorised’ trading activity. However, this is somewhat vague as we can’t really place what they mean by “unauthorised.” Only Forex Instruments: On BluFX, you only have access to a maximum of 28 currency pairs. Thus, you can’t speculate on commodities, stocks, CFDs, and other much more liquid markets. Leverage: Leverage on the BluFX platform is limited to 1:3. This is understandable as you have a relatively large trading capital. Furthermore, it might help to note that BluFX’s preferred trading style is that which is conservative and more risk-conscious. If you contravene any of these instructions, you run the risk that you will be disabled from the platform or that “fines” may be deducted from your account when it is time for a payout. BluFX Withdrawals After making profits with the capital provided to you by BluFX, you can then make withdrawals. However, there are some crucial points you have to note before you can withdraw funds from BluFX. Cannot Withdraw Capital: When withdrawing, you can only withdraw the profits you made with BluFX’s capital; you can’t have access to the capital itself. So for instance, assuming the scenario that you are subscribed under the PRO membership and have access to $50,000 as trading capital in your account; if you make say $10,000 for a balance of $60,000, the maximum amount you can withdraw is your rightful percentage of the $10,000, and no more. You can’t touch the $50,000 as it belongs to BluFX. Profit to be shared 50/50: Whatever profit you make out of trading from the capital assigned to you is not yours entirely to keep; you share it on a 50/50 basis with BluFX. Thus, still adopting the above scenario of $10,000 profit on a capital of $50,000; when withdrawing, you have a maximum of $5,000 coming to you while the rest goes to BluFX. You will agree this is a fair deal, especially when you consider the fact that you are not incurring any liability for the losses you make. 10% profit before Withdrawal: Making profits merely does not automatically grant you access to withdraw from your account. To qualify to withdraw from your account, you must make at least up to 10% of whatever trading capital you signed up for. Still using our scenario above, when you are on a PRO membership with $50,000, you must make up to $5,000 (with a minimum balance of $55,000) to be able to withdraw; for a trader on LITE membership, you must make at least $2,500 (with a minimum balance of $27,500). Can Only Withdraw 5% at a time: In addition to the above withdrawal rules, one other important one to take note of is that when you want to withdraw, you can only withdraw a maximum of 5% of whatever profits made at a particular time. That is, if you make a profit of $2,500, you can only make a withdrawal of $125 (5%) at any given time. 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Usually, by the time you are paid, there is almost little to nothing left. The BluFX broker model is quite a commendable one. But it must be said that it is not really meant for all types of traders. You should adequately consider the above to decide if it can work for you. IQ Option Withdrawal Fees Disclaimer: This website is independent of binary brokers featured on it. Before trading with any of the brokers, potential clients should ensure they understand the risks and verify that the broker is licensed. The website does not provide investment services or personal recommendations to clients to trade binary options. Information on BinaryOptions.org.za should not be seen as a recommendation to trade binary options or a be considered as investment advice. BinaryOptions.org.za is not licensed nor authorized to provide advice on investing and related matters. 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I'm an amateur of candaulism because I like to have fun with another guy but only in front of my darling. I'm really hot when I fuck and I particularly like it when someone licks me for a long time. If you're interested in our sex ad, please get in touch with us. We are very happy to be on this libertine site. See you later. First name: Eyma, Age: 50 yo, City: King (NC) It is better to meet at the end of the day. Notify me when we can schedule an appointment. I am available every day. I just want to find a guy for sex because I love fucking without taboos with a guy I don't know. I personally like to try new things so I need someone who is experienced. I would like a man who is young enough and the most important thing is that he has a huge tool to give me a lot of pleasure because I am quite greedy libertine. I know how to handle my encounters to make them want me. So, I am eager to read your messages. I look forward to meeting you. I'm sure we'll have a great time during this hookup. I'm leaving! I give you a big hug. First name: Oyhana, Age: 47 yo, City: King (NC) Hi everyone, I'm a 47-year-old naughty woman named Oyhana. I work in a clothing store. Otherwise I'm single because I want to have sex with whoever I want. For this quickie, I'm available in the afternoon. I can give you a date in a public place to talk a little. I'm attracted to rather hot guy and he has a very huge tool for me to provide lots of sensations because I am quite difficult slut. I know how to handle my encounters to tease them. I'm looking for an adulterous encounter with a lover who enjoys dirty games. I need someone who is free and cool to moan loudly. I want to meet up soon, without any hassle, on King. I'm sure I'll have fun with you. I'm super excited to see you. Kisses. Looking for a fun and friendly couple to join us in an orgy in King I'm only on this naughty website to have some fun with other naughties. My partner is fully aware of this request. I want a good fuck and tbm so that my boyfriend can see me take my pleasure. We are fans of candaulism. I'm quite a naughty woman, I love having sex with multiple pigs including my husband. We are available on Friday to invite you. You can do good at your place. Now you know what I want, you can leave me a comment. I'm sure I'll have a great time with you. I'm leaving. Kisses. Nana, who is still young and living in the city, would like to have a casual encounter First name: Leatitia, Age: 26 yo, City: King (NC) Hello, I am a rather cute girl who is in a relationship but I have lovers. I work as a teacher and it's not very exciting. Since I'm such a slut, I wanted to find myself a guy. I would prefer to meet you at the hotel as I need to be discreet. I'm also free after work for this adulterous appointment. I don't hide from my friends that I often have adventures with guys that I don't know very well. I am alone and live a naughty life to the fullest. I'm sort of a sex expert. I love fucking for hours and hours. I'm attracted to a younger guy and most importantly with a long penis to give me lots of pleasure as I am a greedy libertine. I know how to play with my conquests to charm them. Therefore, if you want to play along, let me know. I hope you understood me and that you will spoil me. See you soon. Looking for a hot time King from a couple who loves to swing! First name: Djouher, Age: 31 yo, City: King (NC) Hello everyone, my name is Djouher and I am in a relationship, I am 31 years old. I'm pretty good looking. My man and I are swingers. We are available on Saturday. We don't mind coming to your place, or if you prefer we can meet at our place. For this moment, we would prefer a guy or libertine couple because our mission is to get laid like crazy!!! The man will have to be strong, sorry but that's my fantasy at the moment. We are a relatively hot couple who love to test out unexplored practices. We especially love exhibitionism and voyeurism in a libertine club in the company of other people. We therefore want to have a good time with another libertine. We are very curious. We are waiting for your messages. Kisses. I'm a very naughty young woman King free for a fuck date First name: Najia, Age: 34 yo, City: King (NC) I am available at the end of the week and rather in the morning. We can meet up wherever you want. I prefer a man who is passionate and has a large member to give me lots of sensations because I am quite greedy. I know how to handle my conquests to charm them. A fuck you should make me shiver. I need a man who is good with his tongue. I'm a fan of sodomy, but in a gentle way. I'm not against a date in the woods if you're an exhibitionist. I want a guy who likes to take charge during our naughty night together. I'm only here to get laid. If you want to meet me, contact me. I hope you understood me and that you will be able to spoil me. See you soon.	8,123
“In order to have a complete and abundant life there is all different aspects of it. It’s all emcompassing. It’s amazing actually. I totally recommend going through this just for yourself. Everyone has their goals, their long term goals, short term goals but this just puts everything together.” Click here to learn more about this powerful course. We work so hard and give up so much to meet our goals and achievements, yet still feel like it’s not enough when we get them. What are you setting aside to reach your next goal? Health "Just for now" “Only this week or month” I did the same thing, and my clients do too. If you're doing it now, it’s not going to stop when you reach your next goal. The fact that we think it will is a lie because your conflict is internal, not external. Achievement without fulfillment is a plague in our modern society structure. It’s not your fault that you struggle with these challenges. We’ve been taught systems from a factory-formed industrial era and how to create and accomplish basic practical goals. We’ve also only been taught to adopt ingenuine goals that promise success. Yet, when we get there, we wonder “Why did I do that?”, Or we struggle to ever get there at all because we can’t even connect to these goals in the first place. Are you living your own life? Or have you bought into an idea of life that doesn’t feel aligned with you? I kept coming to these stopping points and I didn’t know how to push through. But I didn’t need to push, I just needed to walk though. I needed Faisal to show me the path I could take. Having a guide to do that is really empowering. You feel seen, heard, validated, supported, and challenged as well. That’s where other coaches miss the mark. Faisal facilitates the challenge of “Ok - now here’s where we’re going.”It was the best decision I have ever made both professionally and especially personally. I highly encourage you to work with Faisal. Faisal helped me take my life to a whole new level by helping me become a stronger version of myself. All of us have different upbringing, cultures, limiting beliefs and mindsets, Faisal customized his knowledge to help me implement new habits in my life that changed my life completely. He also helped me find the greatest gift within myself, which is the awareness of my true self. His intention is to create a better world by helping those who have the courage to take their life to the next level and to make a bigger difference in the world. My utmost gratitude to you Faisal . I felt like my mind was in one place and I wanted it to be in another. But I didn’t know how to get there because it was a blind spot. Now I do not feel lost in my purpose in my life's work. I feel more productive everyday. I feel more confident, I feel like I am creating an influence on people around me. It’s awesome how it all comes together. If you feel as though your thoughts and things that are going on are like a tornado I promise that everything just falls into place and it’s a beautiful feeling. It’s something that you will never ever regret doing. I struggled with all of these things. From growing up in a war-torn country to being integrated into the modern culture in North America, I used substances and distractions as a young adult to avoid the pain. When I came out of that, I fell right into the achievement grind. However, whenI achieved all the goals I had set for myself, I was still miserable. In my search to end my pain and frustration with myself and my situation, I discovered the High Performance Institute. The High Performance Institute is the world's leading training center on the subject of human high performance. With science-based studies from over 30,000 CEOs, professionals and athletes in over 195 countries, six clear practices were unearthed and studied. This was so life-changing for me that six years ago, I switched career goals and became a certified coach from the High Performance Institute. Since then, I have helped hundreds of clients become High Performers and accomplish their freedom, find fulfillment and follow their purpose in life.	4,349
Chef Matt Voskuil talks about salmon roe much in the way Kehinde Wiley might discuss oil paintings or Eric Clapton could expound on guitar strings. It’s a genuine, unadulterated love. “We pair [the roe] with a romanesco to bring that nice brininess without having to eat a lot of fish,” Voskuil says about the menu highlight at Cara, the new culinary centerpiece at Forbes Travel Guide Recommended Hotel The Chanler in Newport, Rhode Island. “It provides a little bit of structure for the wine pairings, too. [It helps] those distinct flavors that we’re used to associating with fish, white wine and things like that. It really just helps make the experience more cohesive and put it into a context that people are a little bit more familiar with.” The Chanler knew precisely what it was doing by luring Voskuil away from Las Vegas, where he had worked with some of the industry’s biggest names, from Michael Mina to Joël Robuchon, back in early 2018. The hotel needed a visionary who could take its epicurean program into a bold, fresh direction and the South Korea-born, Wisconsin-bred Voskuil was up to the task. “We really wanted to be able to take Cara a few steps beyond what’s normal around here and do something that’s really special,” Voskuil said of the bright, beautiful eatery that replaced The Chanler’s Spiced Pear in July. “I feel like we’ve done a good job of accomplishing that. We were looked at a little warily from people sometimes. People didn’t quite know what to expect. [Cara] is a departure from what it was previously. It might not be things that they’ve seen before or combinations they might have considered on their own, but once it’s on a plate in front of you and you’re enjoying it, you’re like, ‘Oh, okay, we get it.’” After sitting with chef Voskuil over lunch recently, we get it, too. The Chanler has found itself an artist who’s ready to add a splash of color to Rhode Island’s classic fine-dining scene. What makes Cara special? We wanted to do something with this restaurant that was just a little more modern. The idea was to take the “Newport mansion” concept, bring it forward by about 100 years. If the mansions were still being used in the way they had been intended when they were built and the families still kept them up as summer homes, what would dining be like in the mansions today? Cara is our vision of how that would be. What changes have you made cooking for a Rhode Island audience versus a Vegas one? I haven’t had to make many changes yet. I was asked to join the team here because I bring a certain perspective to things. A dinner here should be special. A dinner here should be notable. We try to source things as locally as often as possible, but I will always go for better. Better trumps local. The wagyu beef comes from Idaho, Southern Idaho/Northern Wyoming. Snake River Farms has farms in those areas. To me, locally, there really isn’t anything comparable. We want our guests to experience the best product at all times. Obviously, along the New England area, there’s an abundance of seafood. We get all of our seafood locally. We do get a lot of our produce locally. The mushrooms are foraged locally. There are local elements, but I don’t want to pigeonhole myself into saying that it’s “local cuisine” because then I feel like if some of the [non-local] things that we like to use can really put an experience over the top, we’d be hypocritical or deceptive. You were born in Seoul and raised in Wisconsin. Have those places influenced your cooking? My Korean roots don’t have much a bearing on my cooking. I came over when I was 5 months old. I don’t know it. I feel like that’s something I could address in the future. But let’s face it, I’m 43 and I haven’t figured it out yet. I don’t know if I ever will. In terms of my Midwestern roots, I feel like the appreciation for dairy, good cheese, fresh-picked produce [comes from there]. I remember pulling over on the side of the road and grabbing ears of corn. I remember picking apples and making things with them. My dad had a game farm. Every Sunday, [the boys] would let 30 pheasants out of the pen. We’d cook pheasant for dinner and stuff like that. We’d go deer hunting and duck hunting. I grew up in a relatively rural part of Wisconsin and we just learned how to do those things. I was always intrigued by cooking. My mom was an awful cook, so somebody had to figure out how to do it. We always had an abundance of food, so it was always like, “Okay, what can we tinker on and figure out?” I took up that role. Would you say you’re self-taught? No. I started working in restaurants when I was 14. My dad owned a jewelry store, and right next door was a restaurant. So, I started working at the restaurant. I was a dishwasher. I became a cook very shortly thereafter. I did that throughout high school. Before my senior year, I went to go work at a country club because I liked playing golf. I went there thinking I could cook and also have access to these golf courses. It was there, for the first time, that I worked with European chefs. We had French chefs. I couldn’t understand what they were saying but the food they were doing was really cool, and I liked doing it. In the summer between by senior year and college, I was like, “I might be interested in this as a career.” I did one year of college and then I went to culinary school after that. Spent 10 years in Chicago and then ended up going to Las Vegas. I identified Las Vegas as a great city for fine dining, golf courses and some of the other things I enjoy doing. I spent 14 years there. Managed to get hooked up with the right people right from the get-go. My first job was at Aqua, which transitioned to Michael Mina at the Bellagio. I was there for only a couple of months because the chef was leaving to go open the Wynn. Steve Wynn was looking for a personal chef. So, somehow, I became Steve Wynn’s personal chef. In terms of being someone new to the city and establishing a good amount of contacts, it was probably one of the better ways to enter the market. That opened up a lot of opportunities for me. I left Wynn shortly after it opened because Joël Robuchon was coming into town, and I wanted to be a part of that. I went to go work for Mr. Robuchon and opened that restaurant. I always say now that my career is divided into two stages — pre-Robuchon and post-Robuchon. That [experience] changed my perspective to the umpteenth degree in terms of how a team should function, what a team can accomplish and the level of precision and detail that we should bring to our work. That was a great experience. It was like Disneyland for cooks in some ways — but very, very disciplined, rigorous and probably one of the best teams I’ve ever been a part of. That opening attracted talent from all over the United States. We had guys moving from Atlanta to Las Vegas. It was a top-notch team of cooks. We opened to amazingly high expectations and accomplished a lot in a relatively short period of time. Since then, that sense of camaraderie and that sense of what hard work really means, has stuck with me. It’s probably one of the reasons why I’m here today. View all posts by Forbes Travel Guide Editor DeMarco Williams Related Posts Copyright © 2022 · Prima Donna theme by Georgia Lou Studios Dreaming of your next trip? Let us inspire you with weekly special offers and stories about what's new and exciting in luxury travel. You can withdraw your consent at any time. Visit our Privacy Policy and Terms or Contact Us for more information. I agree to the Forbes Travel Guide Privacy Policy and Terms. I understand I can withdraw my consent at any time.	8,189
The experts who overcome are certified and credentialed therapists who were certified by their state’s board to provide therapy While the service might have comparable advantages, it’s not capable of substituting for standard in person therapy in every case. Please note that your company will not have the ability to make any official medical diagnosis, to satisfy any court order or recommend medication. what going to a therapist is truly like subtitle or subtext why you ought to go to a therapist now of course there is are some barriers to entry perhaps you need to spend for a therapist or maybe you need to go on a long waiting list to go to a therapist however i expect i’ll talk about treatment in a number of methods individually therapy and group therapy. that number is two i have actually just counted it see this little rabbit man whose ears has actually made her fingers and deals with made of hand that’s how i work it out one two specific therapy group therapy great deals of group therapy free of charge we don’t have that economic barrier most of therapy i’ve been fortunate enough to have particularly as an adult given that i have actually been making money although in the early part of my life i was getting some totally free treatment where uh it is spent for however what i inform you is this a number of us don’t attend to the deep inspirations and fears that are secretly governing our lives i enjoy stating when talking about the 12-step program that i use to which i have been offered and taught to aid with my own psychological health defects and failings that you don’t decide in between having a program and not having a program you decide between a conscious program and an unconscious program if you don’t have a mindful program you will absolutely have an unconscious program your choices and actions will be certainly affected by the shows conditioning that you got throughout your life as a result of trauma education familial scenarios and if you are unaware if you are not participated in a journey of understanding and discovery then these will be the dominant forces in the actions that you take even something as basic as the type of partners that you select how you behave in a relationship your ability to remain in a relationship be faithful your mindset towards self-care grooming nutrition all of this is a kind of shows now my belief is that your programs can be healed and modified we are to a degree of course a task item of biology but likewise of our cultural conditioning the cultural conditioning element we can purchase and the biology element we can rather benefit from in a relationship with a therapist i’ll discuss some of the therapists i’ve had This procedure can take a few hours or a few days, depending upon therapist accessibility. Don’t fret, your membership duration begins when you are matched with a therapist. How will I communicate with my therapist? You can get therapy in 4 ways: Exchanging messages with your therapist Chatting cope with your therapist Speaking over the phone with your therapist Video conferencing with your therapist You can use various ways at different times as you want, based on your requirements, schedule, and convenience. How does messaging work? How will I pay for my BetterHelp subscription? When you are matched to a therapist, you and your therapist will get a devoted “space”, which will be your secure and personal place to communicate. In this space, you will discuss yourself, the things going on in your life, ask questions and talk about the problems that problem you. Your therapist will then read your messages, and react with concerns, feedback, insights, and assistance. You can exchange messages with your therapist at any time, from anywhere, using any Internet-connected gadget. You will get a notice by e-mail when the therapist has sent you a message. Can I go back and read the therapist’s previous messages? This depends upon your requirements and differs a lot from one person to another. Some people feel they get the majority of the worth after just a couple of weeks, while others prefer to stick to the program for a prolonged time period. This is entirely up to you. We make every effort to deliver a web experience that is lined up with the most current Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) at the AA level, published by Internet Consortium (W3C). If you are on a desktop browser, you can make it possible for and launch the ease of access choices by visiting the Ease of access page. For mobile users, we advise using your gadget’s native ease of access functions. Instructions for iPhone can be discovered here, and for Android can be discovered here. Can I be reimbursed by my insurance? Betterhelp Clinical Director – Licensed Therapists Ready Can My Insurance Cover Betterhelp – Licensed Therapists Ready November 23, 2020 by test Different research studies reveal that the response is “yes.”. Can My Insurance Cover Betterhelp… One of these research studies focused specifically on BetterHelp users This particular study, which was published by JMIR Publications and led by scientists from the University of California– Berkeley, University of California (UC Berkeley)- San Francisco, and the San Francisco General Healthcare facility, found that “users of experienced considerably minimized depression sign severity after engaging with the platform.”. Still, other research studies have actually discovered online treatment to be just as reliable at treating various concerns like anxiety, anxiety, and PTSD as in-person treatment. The University of Zurich found that those dealing with stress and anxiety and anxiety experience greater advantages from online treatment over the medium and long term than those using in-person treatment. If you want to speak with individuals who have used services personally, you may be interested in browsing these therapist evaluates when learning more about the online counseling chat cost. Depending on the online therapy strategy you choose through the platform, the cost of your month-to-month payment might vary from $240 to $360. This suggests the therapy expense breaks down to $60-$ 90 per week. Your account will not be charged for this expense up until you match with a certified expert therapist, social employee, therapist, or psychologist on the platform. Over 10,000 individuals sign up on daily to find a therapist, and there are more than 20,000 psychological health specialists who offer talk therapy through the platform. is a terrific fit for many people who need assistance. Many research studies, such as those referenced above, on numerous mental health conditions and life issues alike, reveal that therapy relieves sign reduction, decreases tension levels, improves relationships, and more. If you feel at any point in time that the service provider you currently work with on the platform is not the ideal fit, remember that you can change counselors and begin working with someone brand-new. The proper healing match can make a world of difference, and the independent professionals on the platform vary individuals with several different specialties and backgrounds. I never ever rather accrued enough supervised hours to get my license, so I worked under the assistance of a certified supervisor at the websites where I provided treatment. In numerous settings, I offered private and group therapy, crisis evaluation, intervention and medical diagnosis. I have actually likewise discovered about what works in therapy and what doesn’t from the perspective of a client. I had my very first formal experience as a treatment customer from 2015 to 2016, when a Jungian therapist helped me get through a period of significant profession and general life transition. I understand from having actually been on both sides of the therapy room that the subtleties of interacting in the minute are what make treatment work. A good therapist does not simply take down what you tell them however also pays attention to how you tell them. Facial expressions, body movement, and tone of voice can expose where you’re feeling stress or don’t entirely think your own story. In time, as you build trust with your therapist, you share more with them, entering into deeper and much deeper realms of catharsis. Therapists are more than just expert problem-solvers. They are craftsmens who use the raw materials of your relationship to construct a healing connection with you. They’re detectives, too, using the clues you provide to get beyond your cover story and to the much deeper facts you require to find to grow as a person and improve your life. They require to do more than simply provide nuggets of guidance to do their tasks well. If you’re an older millennial like me, you grew up at the same time as the tech and the web market. You keep in mind the Wild West days when the web hadn’t yet been taken over by corporations. You keep in mind having the ability to log on without needing to navigate a covert temple’s worth of tricky advertisement traps and pop-ups. The phrase “dot-com bubble” sits someplace in your brain beside mental images of Costs Clinton, Tupac, and Beavis and Butt-Head. You remember the sound instantly if somebody mentions a 56k modem. You keep in mind when Google made a name on their own with the easy slogan, “Don’t be evil,” and what it resembled prior to they stopped working to measure up to that slogan. Can My Insurance Cover Betterhelp If BetterHelp was going to change my mind, they needed to reveal me that they might remain true to what makes treatment work. As you consider signing up for’s service, you need to know how its quality of therapy compares to conventional in-person treatment as well as the services of its online rivals. Who are the therapists, and how certified are they? Do the therapeutic approaches provide themselves well to a teletherapy format? In screening and in conversations with other customers, it became clear to us that the quality of therapy is really high. For lots of people, the business will be able to offer you with a broader and more diverse set of therapist options than you might reasonably access nearby in a traditional, in-person setting. When it comes to qualifications, licensing, and experience, we discover that sets a good, aggressive bar for its therapists to satisfy. Most of these therapists count on strategies that have proven reliable in clinical studies. Good, attentive service and a healthy dedication to customer privacy are 2 steps of a business’s respect for its consumers. So how does accumulate? Does it offer devoted customer care professionals who use efficient and prompt help when problems arise? How well does the company protect your data and honor your desire for privacy? What steps does require to protect your delicate information? You can even more secure your privacy utilizing a label with your therapist. Since doesn’t work with insurance or companies, there isn’t even a basic level of information-sharing in between such entities, which means maximum personal privacy for you. At the very bottom of the page, you’ll find a location to buy a present membership for another person, along with a link to resources for people in crisis who are bad candidates for’s services. There is also a footer navigation, which connects to details about its organization, a “About” page, FAQs, Evaluations, Careers, Find a Therapist, Online Treatment, Contact, and For Therapists pages. You can also discover links to its social The sign-up process for is in fact pretty long: it took me about 20 to 30 minutes to complete, so make certain you reserve time to complete it because if you stop mid-sign-up and exit your browser, it will not save your answers and you’ll need to start all over again. You can sign up by clicking any of the green buttons on the homepage, which will ask you to validate what type of therapy you’re interested in, though as we said before if you click anything besides talk therapy, you’ll be rerouted to among’s other sites. From there, you’ll be asked a series of concerns in an intake survey about your gender identity, age, sexual orientation, and relationship status. In detailing your sexual orientation, you are provided the alternatives of straight, gay, lesbian, bi/pan, “Prefer not to say”, “Questioning”, queer, asexual, “I do not know”, and “Other”. How do I locate a therapist close by? Surprisingly enough, users will find listed below this question in the form a highlighted truth: “Therapists on the platform have varied backgrounds. You’ll have the ability to ask for a Christian therapist if required”. So, throughout the intake survey, if you respond to that your religious beliefs is Christian, you will be asked “Would you like to be matched with a Christian-based therapist?” However, if you answer that you relate to a different religious beliefs, you will not get asked if you wish to match with a therapist of that faith. I attempted addressing this concern 3 times, each time saying I was from a different faith, and never ever got that same follow-up. That being stated, the only alternatives for “Which faith do you relate to?” include Christianity, Judaism, Islam, and Other. After the questions about your identity and religious association, you will be asked to finish concerns about your mental health history, such as whether you have actually ever remained in therapy prior to and what led you to therapy today. Options for what led you to treatment include “I’ve been feeling depressed”, “My mood is interfering with my job/school performance”, “I am grieving”, and 10 other choices. Then, you will be asked what your expectations are from your therapist, such as a therapist who listens, explores your past, teaches your brand-new skills, appoints you homework, and more. The platform will ask you to rank your existing physical health and consuming habits from good, reasonable, and poor. It will ask you if you are experiencing frustrating sadness or depression. Following this, there will be a few questions from the Patient Health Survey, or the PHQ-9, an assessment used to screen for anxiety. You will be asked if you are currently utilized in addition to how often you consume alcohol. When the last time you believed about suicide was– if ever, other screening concerns towards the end consist of if you have any issues with intimacy and. In addition to anxiety, it asks you if you are experiencing stress and anxiety or anxiety attack, or chronic discomfort. Other demographic concerns consist of how you would rate your present monetary status on the same excellent, fair, or bad scale. I discovered the concerns to be a bit random as I went through the survey. Next, will ask you to rate your sleeping habits and answer if you are comfortable with your identity. ADHD is commonly a life time condition that begins when a person is a child or a teenage. These very early signs and symptoms will typically consist of the hallmarks signs of the disorder yet as an individual starts to shift right into their adult years, so too will the problem advance and the signs and symptoms you may have been used to when you were younger may not be as obvious or as typical as you when assumed. For those dealing with ADHD, grown-up symptoms might become harder to take care of and if you are not exactly sure what you ought to be trying to find, you could be taking care of unneeded difficulties that could be easily avoided with the ideal therapy method as well as coping techniques. Also harder, some grownups may develop ADHD when they are older as well as may not identify the signs when they begin. If you are an adult with ADHD or believe that you might have developed ADHD recently, below is a checklist that covers some of the symptoms that adults with ADHD may experience. As we stated above, ADHD signs and symptoms are much different in adulthood than they are in youth or throughout teenage years, despite whether or not the private started showing symptoms early or later in life. For instance, most ADHD youngsters’s signs are typically identified when young children are around 9 or ten as it is very easy to begin identifying children that appear signs such as impulsivity and attention deficit disorder, which can usually lead to a failure to concentrate as well as stay arranged. This can lead to school-related and home-related concerns turning up such as combating in between the influenced child and their moms and dads or siblings, broken things or unfinished homework or jobs, and also tension on all sides. These concerns can then bring about learning specials needs, self-confidence issues, and social issues. Thankfully sufficient, there are lots of sources around to assist kids with ADHD quickly recover as well as accomplish success as they continue if the disorder is caught promptly. Once youngsters with ADHD reach the teen stage, these signs and symptoms start to become much more severe concerns as adolescence begins as well as social needs begin to increase. What once might have been straightforward familial and also scholastic issues can expand much more severe and also might potentially develop into problems such as truancy, existing, running away, or committing crimes. Furthermore, teens with ADHD may create various other mental health and wellness issues such as clinical depression or anxiety, which can add even more issues as the young adult struggles to manage both at the same time. Although the capability to treat teen ADHD is still possible as well as quite offered, it might provide some issues if the teenager in question is taking care of some of the significant concerns provided above and also refusing treatment or medication. For those with ADHD, adults will often bear the brunt of the symptoms of this problem. Although adult ADHD has handled to reach the spotlight in recent years, the concern is that there are far fewer researches referring to adult ADHD and the subsequent results or additional problems such as adult onset ADHD. When it pertains to those with ADHD, grown-up responses to these issues tend to fall under differing groups such as people who have the ability to successfully deal with their problem through treatment and medicine, those who struggle from concerns that are similar to establishing issues in adolescence that reach into the much larger range of the adult years, and those that have serious issues that need prompt psychiatric therapy. Simply enter your city, state, or zip code in the search bar above to locate a therapist helping people in your location. Discovering a counselor near you is practical if you’re looking for in-person therapy. With online therapy, you have much more flexibility in picking therapy with a counselor best matched for your needs. Which certified counselor is right for me? Finding the appropriate specialist for you can appear overwhelming, yet you can limit your search by considering what type of counseling you wish to seek. Take a couple of minutes to go through some therapist profiles to see their different areas of experience as well as their viewpoints on treatment. If you seem like your matched therapist isn’t the best one for you, you can choose to match with a different therapist any time. The most important point in treatment is if you really feel comfy with your therapist. The length of time do I have to wait to obtain a visit with a counselor? After taking our brief questionnaire, you can promptly message the therapist that you have actually been matched to and also schedule a time with them for a live treatment session. You can message your therapist as often as you would such as, 24 hr a day, 7 days a week. Online treatment typically allows you to get in touch with a therapist more often than in-person therapy does. In both on the internet therapy and in-person treatment, your counselor will incorporate various approaches right into your treatment strategy. For example, cognitive-behavioral therapy is utilized to challenge and also change negative ideas (cognitions) with healthy habits. Various other techniques consist of dialectical behavior modification, interpersonal treatment, psychodynamic therapy, emotion-focused treatment, as well as family members treatment. How much does therapy cost? Typical in person therapy usually sets you back $150-250 per session, while online therapy varies from $60-90 each week (billed every 4 weeks). With in person treatment, you’re paying for one online therapy session per week, and also you usually can not call your therapist between sessions. With online therapy, you’re spending for one online therapy session weekly, in addition to the capacity to message your specialist 24/7. With BetterHelp treatment, specialists generally check their messages once or twice a day. What should I ask my specialist? When it pertains to asking concerns of a therapist to see if they’re a great fit, you can start by emailing or calling the therapists’ workplaces. You can generally locate specialists’ contact details online. Start by introducing yourself, and point out that you wonder regarding beginning treatment. Ask if the therapist has experience working with people who are handling the same specific issues as you are. Maintain calling or emailing therapists up until you locate somebody with past experience treating the same problems in therapy. When you begin therapy, remember that the therapist is there to assist you. If there’s not an excellent fit between the specialist as well as customer in therapy, don’t feel poor about reaching out to a various therapist. Learn more concerning what speaking to a therapist throughout online treatment can do, and just how millions of sessions have actually assisted greater than 1,845,000 people. Can a therapist assistance? Better Help Insurance Cigna vs Talkspace November 9, 2022 Betterhelp \| Talk To A Licensed Therapist. Get Help & Happy Today – What you need to know November 9, 2022	23,066
We are a family bound in a commitment to exceed the expectations of our clients and their companions for veterinary care. We are grateful for the privilege of being a long standing member of our community and enjoying many years in the surrounding neighborhood in which we live and share family ties. We are proud that we are not corporately or “group” owned by a large conglomerate operating out of state. We answer to “pet families” rather than share-holders or capital investors. In the end, we see ourselves as stewards of veterinary service through the care of our patients and clients who we ultimately consider our friends and extended family. Quite simply, our clients set us apart from all other veterinary practices. We own the “bragging rights” for having the best pet owner families bar none. Our clients desire and expect nothing but the best for their pets, whether for routine wellness care, medicine, surgery, or consultation with involved decisions. Excellence in patient care, technologically advanced equipment, and the most up to date procedures and treatments are the mainstay for fulfilling these expectations. Our clients drive us to be “the best we can be” and for this, we are most grateful and proud to be their choice for veterinary care. We continue to build on our legacy approach of constantly re-evaluating the practice of veterinary medicine. Our philosophy has always been steeped in the art of providing unexcelled medicine through a caring relationship which includes our patients, their families, and our team. It is this approach whereby all three entities are part of the decision-making process that ensures each and every patient and their family receives not only the highest standard of care but outcomes that align with their beliefs and needs. We understand that a pet is part of the family. Our goal is to provide each one with a long, healthy and happy life. The day your pet enters our hospital it becomes part of our family too. From new puppy and kittens to graying seniors, we are there every step of the way. Our comprehensive suite of veterinary services ensures that every aspect of their wellbeing is given the excellent care they deserve. Senior Wellness Senior Wellness Wellness Exams Wellness Exams and they know how to cheer us on! Dr Krug is the best vet in town. We have looked so many other vets with previous dog but can’t find a vet we trust. Wish could find Dr Krug earlier. He is so knowledgeable and knows everything about the German Shepard. I trust my two German Shepard babies’ live with him. I wouldn’t go to anyone but Dr Krug. The office staff is also very friendly and responsive. They are the best in DFW area! Xi They provide excellent service and always prioritize the safety and comfort of my pet. They take great care of our critters. Slick The Dog is always excited to go see Dr. Krug and loves everyone here because they treat him so well. My pets get great medical care here. The staff is super friendly! I just went there yesterday. We’ve actually been coming here for the past 7 years. I couldn’t be happier. Very friendly and knowledgeable.	3,337
A very revealing study was done, leading to a book detailing how 300 churches went from declining or dying, to growing. In Comeback Churches, written by Ed Stetzer and Mike Dodson, there is a list of 30 different barriers to church growth. Having received permission from the publisher (B&H Publishing Group), I would like to discuss a few of this barriers. “Churches aren’t concerned about God’s glory, believing the church is just for them (Isa. 42:8; 48:11).” I [am] the LORD: that [is] my name: and my glory will I not give to another, neither my praise to graven images. – Isa. 42:8 For mine own sake, [even] for mine own sake, will I do [it]: for how should [my name] be polluted? and I will not give my glory unto another. – Isa. 48:11 When we read the above verses it should be very clear to us that God is not interested in sharing His glory. Yet, too many times we rob God of the glory that is due Him by seeking it for ourselves. We do this in many ways, including the reason many of us go to church. Lest we forget, “it’s not about us.” However, if you polled the majority of church-goers, I believe you’d find that the reasons for attending congregational worship are more selfish than we’d like to admit. To many believers, church is about what one can get, as opposed to what one can give. Have you ever stopped to listen to the words of those old-time hymns many of us grew up with? You may have sung them all your life, but stop and think about the following: “This world is not MY home, I’m only passing through. / My treasures are laid up somewhere beyond the blue…;” “I’ll Fly Away;” “I’ve got a mansion just over the hilltop;” “All I Need.” What is the common denominator of these lyrics and titles? “Me, me, me.” If the Church Hymnal (© 1951,1979) was used as a tool to determine what we think of church, stop and think about this: there are 80 hymns with a title that starts with the words, I, I’m, I’d, I’ll, I’ve, or My. In contrast, less than 10 contain the word glory. Those that do include “Glory Hallelujah In My Soul” and “I’ll Live in Glory.” I think it is pretty obvious that many of us come to church to get from God, not to give to God. He deserves our worship and our praise. He deserves all the glory because His is God, and not man (Hosea 11:9). We deserve nothing, yet His grace and mercy bestow upon us all the treasures we enjoy. Why do we come expecting anything? Surely our churches would grow if God was glorified. Imagine a congregation of people who came together to lift up praise and adoration to Jesus for His glorious love. Imagine a group of folks who set aside all their own desires and petty differences in order to lift up holy hands unto the King of Glory. What did Jesus say? “If I be lifted up…I will draw all men unto me.” So, what do you think? How could we do better in giving the glory to the One who truly deserves it? Filed under Christian Maturity, General Observations, God, Uncategorized, worship Tagged as Christianity, Church Growth, Denominations, Ed Stetzer, Glory (religion), Hosea, Hymns, Jesus, Religion & Spirituality by Anthony Baker \| September 10, 2016 · 8:00 am The following is Part 3 of a 3-Part series of controversial posts first published in Sept. of 2013. I hope this one’s a blessing. I know that the title may come as a shock to many of you, but don’t be too shocked, at least not yet. I have been talking about men and women flirting over the last couple of days, but as I told you, there was a method to my madness. You might be saying, “And if you say God is a flirt, then you are truly mad, you crazy fool!” But please, hear me (or read me) out. “Flirting” might not be the best word, but what about “wooing”? If not a flirting God, surely He woos us all the time. Now, just in case you think I am crazy, let me share with you one of my favorite verses from one of my favorite books in the Bible, Hosea. “I drew them with cords of a man, with bands of love: and I was to them as they that take off the yoke on their jaws, and I laid meat unto them.” – Hosea 11:4 KJV With metaphor God explains to the prophet Hosea how He has gone the extra mile to win over His people’s love. That, after all, is the message portrayed by Hosea’s pursuit of Gomer (that’s his wife’s name) as she runs from lover to lover. God would much rather win our love than divorce (judge) us. When I think of the first part of that verse, the words “cords of a man” become “heart strings.” In other words, in order to win our affections, God is doing everything He can to “pull our strings,” or at least the emotional strings of our hearts. Cool, huh? Signs of Wooing As with the last two posts, I’d like to consider some ways in which God might “flirt” with us. In other words, God might be wooing you if… You wake up earlier than you wanted, but see the most beautiful sunrise of your life. You decide to give up on life, only to have an email pop up showing someone worse off than you. It seems that there is no meaning in life, but then you hear a baby cry, or your child says, “I wuv you.” In the dark, late at night, you find yourself crying, but a warmth you can’t explain wraps around you, cradling you to sleep. You find yourself feeling like a failure, worthless and dirty, then from out of nowhere comes a verse you learned in Sunday School: “For God so loved the world, that He gave his only begotten Son…” Do I need to go on? Is He pulling the strings of your heart? Will you respond to His advances? He does love you! Signs of Flirting? (therecoveringlegalist.com) Filed under God, Love of God, salvation, self-worth Tagged as Bible, flirting, Gomer, Hosea by Anthony Baker \| October 17, 2013 · 12:17 am I know that the title may come as a shock to many of you, but don’t be too shocked, at least not yet. I have been talking about men and women flirting over the last couple of days, but as I told you, there was a method to my madness. You might be saying, “And if you say God is a flirt, then you are truly mad, you crazy fool!” But please, hear me (or read me) out. “Flirting” might not be the best word, but what about “wooing”? If not a flirting God, surely He woos us all the time. Now, just in case you think I am crazy, let me share with you one of my favorite verses from one of my favorite books in the Bible, Hosea. “I drew them with cords of a man, with bands of love: and I was to them as they that take off the yoke on their jaws, and I laid meat unto them.” – Hosea 11:4 KJV With metaphor God explains to the prophet Hosea how He has gone the extra mile to win over His people’s love. That, after all, is the message portrayed by Hosea’s pursuit of Gomer (that’s his wife’s name) as she runs from lover to lover. God would much rather win our love than divorce (judge) us. When I think of the first part of that verse, the words “cords of a man” become “heart strings.” In other words, in order to win our affections, God is doing everything He can to “pull our strings,” or at least the emotional strings of our hearts. Cool, huh? Signs of Wooing As with the last two posts, I’d like to consider some ways in which God might “flirt” with us. In other words, God might be wooing you if… You wake up earlier than you wanted, but see the most beautiful sunrise of your life. You decide to give up on life, only to have an email pop up showing someone worse off than you. It seems that there is no meaning in life, but then you hear a baby cry, or your child says, “I wuv you.” In the dark, late at night, you find yourself crying, but a warmth you can’t explain wraps around you, cradling you to sleep. You find yourself feeling like a failure, worthless and dirty, then from out of nowhere comes a verse you learned in Sunday School: “For God so loved the world, that He gave his only begotten Son…” Do I need to go on? Is He pulling the strings of your heart? Will you respond to His advances? He does love you! Signs of Flirting? (therecoveringlegalist.com) Filed under God, Love of God, salvation, self-worth Tagged as Bible, flirting, Gomer, Hosea by Anthony Baker \| August 15, 2013 · 9:31 pm “This is all for you.” I had never heard of Mobbed, but then my daughters showed me the video I am going to share with you. They said, “This is the best video EVER!” I sat down with my dinner in front of my computer and started watching. It wasn’t long before I was crying. My daughters and wife were snickering and pointing at me (which is typical), but they had no idea why I was really crying. Please, watch this video. It is truly a wonderful thing to behold, and you may tear up, too. But after you watch it, please read what I have written below. As I was watching this video with my wife and girls standing behind me, my initial thought was, “My gosh! I wonder how much that cost?…Oh great! What am I going to do for our 20th anniversary in just 10 months?!” Then, as the bride-to-be was walking down the make-shift isle, the groom-to-be said (10:00), “This is all for you.” I literally wept. Oh wow! My memory immediately recalled Hosea 11:4, “I drew them with the cords of a man, with bands of love…” Then I remembered the message of other passages… “Hereby perceive we the love [of God], because he laid down his life for us…” 1 John 3:16a “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” John 3:16 “But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.” – Romans 5:8 Stop and think about it! We are the Bride, and God has done it all. He has paid the highest price; surrounded us with a “cloud of witnesses;” guided us when we didn’t know where to go; and surrounded us with beauty and surprises at ever turn. All of it was planned long before we knew what was going on, and He did it all…all for a “yes.” One of my daughters said, “Wouldn’t it have been horrible if she had said ‘no’?” Yes, it would have been. But just think of how many do it every day? How horrible! How sad for Him! If nothing else, this video made me love Jesus even more. Filed under Defending Traditional Marriage, God, Love of God, worship Tagged as beautiful bride, Christ, Christian marriage, Hosea, John 3:16, love, Marriage, Mobbed, Religion, Religion & Spirituality, spirituality by Anthony Baker \| August 23, 2011 · 10:50 am Barriers to Church Growth. #1 A very revealing study was done, leading to a book detailing how 300 churches went from declining or dying, to growing. In Comeback Churches, written by Ed Stetzer and Mike Dodson, there is a list of 30 different barriers to church growth. Having received permission from the publisher (B&H Publishing Group), I would like to discuss a different barrier each week. “Churches aren’t concerned about God’s glory, believing the church is just for them (Isa. 42:8; 48:11).” I [am] the LORD: that [is] my name: and my glory will I not give to another, neither my praise to graven images. – Isa. 42:8 For mine own sake, [even] for mine own sake, will I do [it]: for how should [my name] be polluted? and I will not give my glory unto another. – Isa. 48:11 When we read the above verses it should be very clear to us that God is not interested in sharing His glory. Yet, too many times we rob God of the glory that is due Him by seeking it for ourselves. We do this in many ways, including the reason many of us go to church. Lest we forget, “it’s not about us.” However, if you polled the majority of church-goers, I believe you’d find that the reasons for attending congregational worship are more selfish than we’d like to admit. To many believers, church is about what one can get, as opposed to what one can give. Have you ever stopped to listen to the words of those old-time hymns many of us grew up with? You may have sung them all your life, but stop and think about the following: “This world is not MY home, I’m only passing through. / My treasures are laid up somewhere beyond the blue…;” “I’ll Fly Away;” “I’ve got a mansion just over the hilltop;” “All I Need.” What is the common denominator of these lyrics and titles? “Me, me, me.” If the Church Hymnal (© 1951,1979) was used as a tool to determine what we think of church, stop and think about this: there are 80 hymns with a title that start with the words, I, I’m, I’d, I’ll, I’ve, or My. In contrast, less than 10 contain the word glory. Those that do include “Glory Hallelujah In My Soul” and “I’ll Live in Glory.” I think it is pretty obvious that many of us come to church to get from God, not to give to God. He deserves our worship and our praise. He deserves all the glory because His is God, and not man (Hosea 11:9). We deserve nothing, yet His grace and mercy bestows upon us all the treasures we enjoy. Why do we come expecting anything? Surely our churches would grow if God was glorified. Imagine a congregation of people who came together to lift up praise and adoration to Jesus for His glorious love. Imagine a group of folks who set aside all their own desires and petty differences in order to lift up holy hands unto the King of Glory. What did Jesus say? “If I be lifted up…I will draw all men unto me.” So, what do you think? How could we do better in giving the glory to the One who truly deserves it? Filed under Christian Maturity, General Observations, God, Uncategorized, worship Tagged as Christianity, Church Growth, Denominations, Ed Stetzer, Glory (religion), Hosea, Hymns, Jesus, Religion & Spirituality	14,078
Please share Talk Jesus community on every platform you have to give conservatives an outlet and safe community to be apart of. Support This Community Welcome to Talk Jesus A true bible based, Jesus centered online community. Join over 11,000 members today Register Log In Forums Bible Forums JavaScript is disabled. For a better experience, please enable JavaScript in your browser before proceeding. comfort healing help Mar 17, 2016 #1 Thursday, March 17, 2016, 3:18 a.m. – The Lord Jesus put in mind the song, “I Will Lift My Eyes.” Speak, Lord, your words to my heart. I read John 11 (select vv. ESV). https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=John+11&version=ESV Now a certain man was ill, Lazarus of Bethany, the village of Mary and her sister Martha. It was Mary who anointed the Lord with ointment and wiped his feet with her hair, whose brother Lazarus was ill. So the sisters sent to him, saying, “Lord, he whom you love is ill.” But when Jesus heard it he said, “This illness does not lead to death. It is for the glory of God, so that the Son of God may be glorified through it.” Jesus Christ came to earth, not just so he could die for our sins, but so he could become our compassionate and merciful high priest. When he walked the face of this earth, he suffered just like we suffer, and he was tempted in like manner as we are also tempted, yet without sin. So, when we who are his servants suffer, he feels our pain, and he cares. Yet, our sufferings do not take him by surprise. He is completely sovereign and in control over every aspect of our lives, and he has a plan and a purpose for everything we go through. So, we need to take our burdens to him in prayer, making our requests before him, and then we need to trust him and rest in him to work it all out for his purposes and glory. Now when Jesus came, he found that Lazarus had already been in the tomb four days. Bethany was near Jerusalem, about two miles off, and many of the Jews had come to Martha and Mary to console them concerning their brother. So when Martha heard that Jesus was coming, she went and met him, but Mary remained seated in the house. Martha said to Jesus, “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died. But even now I know that whatever you ask from God, God will give you.” Jesus said to her, “Your brother will rise again.” Martha said to him, “I know that he will rise again in the resurrection on the last day.” Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live, and everyone who lives and believes in me shall never die. Do you believe this?” She said to him, “Yes, Lord; I believe that you are the Christ, the Son of God, who is coming into the world.” Jesus already knew what he was going to do, so even though he received the news of Lazarus’ illness, he stayed where he was two more days. Then he told his disciples that Lazarus was asleep, by which he meant that he was dead, and that he, Jesus, was going to wake him. God does not operate on our timetable. He doesn’t always do things the way we think he ought, or in the timing which would make us the most comfortable. Yet, he sees the big picture. All we see is what is right before our eyes. There are so many other things going on when God is at work than what we could possibly imagine. What we are going through isn’t just about us. He is working in other people’s lives, too. Other people are watching our lives. They are observing how we respond to our circumstances, and they may make their decisions about Jesus based on the Jesus they see in our lives. We are not the only lives touched by what we are going through, in other words. God is working in many lives by what he does, so we have to just trust him, even when we don’t understand it all. We have to believe him, that he knows best, and that he will do what is truly in our best interest. Then Jesus, deeply moved again, came to the tomb. It was a cave, and a stone lay against it. Jesus said, “Take away the stone.” Martha, the sister of the dead man, said to him, “Lord, by this time there will be an odor, for he has been dead four days.” Jesus said to her, “Did I not tell you that if you believed you would see the glory of God?” So they took away the stone. And Jesus lifted up his eyes and said, “Father, I thank you that you have heard me. I knew that you always hear me, but I said this on account of the people standing around, that they may believe that you sent me.” When he had said these things, he cried out with a loud voice, “Lazarus, come out.” The man who had died came out, his hands and feet bound with linen strips, and his face wrapped with a cloth. Jesus said to them, “Unbind him, and let him go.” Sometimes we need to be reminded of God’s promises to us, because when our circumstances seem to be overwhelming, we may easily forget, and we may be tempted to worry. Occasionally we may have a death of the vision, before we see the reality of it, too. In other words, there are times when our faith will be tested, and we will have to trust the Lord with what is going on in our lives even when we can’t see the light at the end of the tunnel. We have to believe that he is absolutely in control, and that he is going to accomplish his will and purposes through it all, which is oftentimes for the faith of others. Right now my husband and I are planning to move to Ohio from South Carolina. We have a house to sell, and housing to find in Ohio, and a move to plan, etc. We know that God said “Go,” so we are going. And, we are selling our house by owner, which is a first for us. Thus, there are lots of details and things to be worked out, yet my comfort is in knowing that God is in this move, and that he has all these details already worked out for us. I just have to step out in faith, believe in his promises, and take the necessary steps, one step at a time, trusting him to work it all out just as he has planned. So, when I read verse 40, which I bolded in the text, it brought much comfort to my heart, because I believe God has a purpose in all of this far beyond what my eyes can presently see. I believe this move is not just about us, but God has other people’s lives he wants to touch through this, too. Many of the Jews therefore, who had come with Mary and had seen what he did, believed in him, but some of them went to the Pharisees and told them what Jesus had done. So the chief priests and the Pharisees gathered the council and said, “What are we to do? For this man performs many signs. If we let him go on like this, everyone will believe in him, and the Romans will come and take away both our place and our nation.” But one of them, Caiaphas, who was high priest that year, said to them, “You know nothing at all. Nor do you understand that it is better for you that one man should die for the people, not that the whole nation should perish.” He did not say this of his own accord, but being high priest that year he prophesied that Jesus would die for the nation, and not for the nation only, but also to gather into one the children of God who are scattered abroad. So from that day on they made plans to put him to death. Although, from all outward appearances, this situation seemed utterly hopeless, there was a purpose for it to go down the way that it did. This was for the salvation of many people’s lives. As well, the response of many of the Jewish leaders to what Jesus did had an ultimate purpose for the salvation of the people of the whole world. The more that Jesus did to show love and compassion to the hurting, the more the religious leaders of his day hated him and were jealous of him, because they felt their own positions of power and influence were threatened by him and his popularity among the people. Yet, their hatred of him is what ultimately led to his crucifixion, which was for the salvation of the world, for when he died he took on himself all our sins, and he put them to death, so that we could be saved. So, just because we are following Jesus with our lives, we believe in him, we rest in his promises, and we believe him for the results, this does not mean everything will go smoothly for us, or that we won’t experience bumps along the way. Just because we go with God wherever he leads us also does not mean that we won’t face persecution, rejection, hatred and maybe even death for our testimonies for Jesus Christ. Yet, we must believe God that he has it all worked out for our good and for the salvation of many lives, so in that we can rest, and trust him to do what he had planned all along. We just need to keep our eyes fixed on him and not on our circumstances, and then believe him for the results.	9,101
“Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they?” (Matthew 6:26 ESV) We couldn’t decide what to name him. We knew, however, that he needed a name. He was a beautiful and determined red bird who seemed to want to become a part of our family. Every day for weeks, this cardinal would come to the windows around our house; and when I say windows, I mean every single window around our house. He visited the windows in the kitchen and in the family room. He perched outside my bedroom windows and the ones in my daughters’ bedroom. He even stopped by the window in the bathroom once. But he didn’t just visit. He hung around. It was as though he wanted to be a part of our conversations. If we had opened one of the windows where he so frequently perched, I expect he would have flown in and made himself at home. In Today’s Truth Jesus points His listeners to the birds of the air for a very important reason, “Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they?” (Matthew 6:26 ESV) This is Jesus’ answer for anxiety. In the verse just before this Jesus had instructed His listeners to stop being worried or anxious about their lives. With His direction to look at the birds that neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, Jesus isn’t condoning a lazy lifestyle or a lack of prudent preparation. Instead, Jesus is urging us not to concern ourselves so much with what we cannot predict — not to worry about an unknown future. When Jesus said “look at the birds,” He meant it literally. In the moment Jesus spoke these words, I imagine Him motioning to His listeners to look at birds flying nearby. When we are anxious or worried, Jesus gives us another place to look. This sounds simple enough, but I think sometimes we can get so busy moving from one place to the next, or so preoccupied with a burden in our hearts, that we don’t actually look at the birds of the air. There’s a really good reason why Jesus wants us to look at the birds, though. After pointing us to look at the birds of the air, and how they neither sow nor reap, Jesus asks the question, Are you not of more value than they? When we look at the birds, Jesus wants us to remember our value to our Heavenly Father and His desire and ability to give us what we need. There are a lot of places we can look to determine our worth, follows on social media, promotions at work, love – or the lack of it – from family and friends. I wonder if life circumstances have told you you’re not more valuable than the birds to God. Maybe your experiences make it hard for you to believe that God has placed any value on you. Sometimes we’re tempted to look around at what other people are doing – how they’re behaving, what they’re posting, the things they are accomplishing, even how they are dressing. When we’re tempted to pull out our measuring sticks and compare what’s happening in our lives to what’s happening in theirs, we can remember this verse. I love that these words in Matthew come out of Jesus’ mouth while He walked on this earth in the midst of His creation. The life of Jesus answers any questions we may have about our value to God. I finally named our red bird. I call him Murray. Now, I look forward to when I will see him, because each time I look at Murray, I remember the love and care of my Savior. What are you worried about today that you cannot predict? Dear God, Thank You that no matter what I face I can gaze upon Your creation and remember You are in control. Help me notice the touches of Your beauty all around me today. How will you shift your gaze from what you cannot predict and fix your eyes on Jesus? Today, find a moment to step away from where you normally put your eyes — your computer screen, phone, desk at work, or assignment for school — and step outside. Listen for the birds. Look for them. Let the wind brush by your face, and watch the clouds drift by your eyes. As you do, remember God’s beauty, goodness, power, and control. Then thank Him for Who He is and His activity in your life. More from the Girlfriends If you’re anxious or worried today, Katy would love to give you a free resource of 7 Prayers to Help You Smile without Fear. Click here to receive this free download. (As an Amazon Associate, Girlfriends in God earns A SMALL COMMISSION from qualifying purchases using this paid link.) © 2022 by Katy McCown. All rights reserved. Mary says: June 20, 2022 at 9:08 am Today I am worried about traveling back home. The road is not my favorite place to be. But I am outside doing just as you suggested, listening to birds and hoping to see some. We have one more day before we start the trek home. There’s something so freeing about watching the birds and all of God’s creation. I don’t know why God cares for me so but I am so glad He does. Katy McCown says: June 20, 2022 at 4:52 pm Hi Mary, I feel the same way when I look at the birds! Joy says: June 20, 2022 at 1:23 pm Wow, did I need this today! I just found out that my Social Security will be cut off for the remainder of this year because they have deemed I made too much money last year. With my medical expenses and my husband’s we are far from “well off”! I guess we will really have to get down to the bare bones of what are needs and what are wants. Thank you, Katy God has been good to us through the years. We’ve always been taken care of, but it is a little scary. Katy McCown says: June 20, 2022 at 4:51 pm Praying for you as you navigate uncertain waters, Joy! Katy McCown says: June 20, 2022 at 4:48 pm Dear Terri, Thank you for sharing your heart. I have personally experienced some of the things you wrote about and would never desire to dismiss or diminish someone’s struggle. Carol says: June 20, 2022 at 8:02 pm I’ve re-read this inspiration from this am and I’m still convinced of the power of this passage in Matt. from the message of Jesus. I think that God gave us the birds for the reasons you mentioned; they are the delightful, funny messengers of our world. My husband and I have been struggling with financial problems lately, (who isn’t?) and when I default to the “worry button”, all that happens is frustration and unanswered questions. Just this last week I read this passage in Matt. and thought, when I pray at the end of the day, I’m going to thank God for things of nature that I saw that day that made me laugh or smile! Then, my prayer requests don’t seem so desperate. I can actually realize, God gave us nature and all the wonders in it, because He knew this world, as it has aged, was going to be hard. We need to see His handiwork from season to season and look at His greatness. Birds do not worry. They just are! June 21, 2022 at 9:26 pm I wish I could fix my gaze more on Jesus and less on the insignificant things that worries me, compared to the magesty and awesomeness of God reflected in Nature. We just need to lift our eyes to the sky every morning to notice the beauty of God. Thank you for bringing our attention to God’s creation. Please, pray for my family and I since we are looking for a home since tbe pandemic begun. God bless you and give you peace. Click here to cancel reply. Name (required) EMail (will not be published) (required) Δ "We loved you so much that we were delighted to share with you not only the gospel of God but our lives as well…" 1 Thessalonians 2:8	7,775
KINGSTOWN, St. Vincent – A former teacher who was in 1997 sentence to 20 years in prison for rape, now has a chance to see his son graduate from secondary school, a wish he expressed publicly two years ago. Grantley Bramble was among three persons released from prison last week after a meeting of the Prerogative of Mercy Committee, according to a statement from the Office of the Prime Minister. Cordelia Stephens and Anthony Robinson — the longest-serving prisoners — who were convicted of murder in 1989, were also released. The two had previously had their sentences reduced to life imprisonment. The committee, chaired by Prime Minister Dr. Ralph Gonsalves, last week recommended the release to Governor General Sir Frederick Ballantyne. The recommendation was accepted and Stephens and Robinson were released on April 5. Bramble was recommended to the Cabinet for release, under the Convict Licence Act, Cap 169, as amended by Act No. 23 of 1988. Under this Act, the Governor General may grant a licence to any prisoner, to be at large during a portion of their imprisonment. Cabinet approved Bramble’s release and the Governor General subsequently issued the licence. Bramble, who was serving the sentence for his second rape conviction, is required to report his place of residence, or any changes to his place of residence, to the police on a monthly basis until the remainder of his sentence has elapsed. Section six of the Convict Licence Act states that “if any licence holder is convicted either by the verdict of a jury or upon his own confession, of any offence for which he is indicted, his licence shall be forthwith forfeited by virtue of such a conviction”. Bramble, on Aug. 29, 2010, said he was hoping that prison would not rob him of the chance to see his son, 14 years old at the time, graduate this year, Searchlight newspaper reported then. He was speaking at a rally to commemorate the first anniversary of the Royal St. Vincent and the Grenadines Police Force and Concerned Residents of Redemption Sharpes and its Environs (CRRSE) organization at Redemption Sharpes “I have one son left in school and graduation coming soon and I can’t be there … sometimes I does lay down on me back and stare at the ceiling and when I can’t tek it no more, I does take a shirt and put it over me face and I go bawl so the other jail men can’t see me,” the newspaper quoted Bramble as saying. Bramble’s son was 10 months old when he was imprisoned. The father of seven said that before his incarceration, he had already decided the schools he wanted his children to attend and their career paths. He said that during his incarceration, he had tried to help fellow inmates become better persons and taught several subjects at the prisons. Bramble’s poems, plays, and chorale speeches were often performed at the annual Prison Concert. During the rally, he urged young men to avoid criminal activities. “Set your minds straight. Round there (prison) does make you feel small,” he said. The other members of the Prerogative of Mercy Committee are the Deputy Prime Minister Girlyn Miguel, Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of National Security Godfred Pompey, physician Dr. Ellsworth Charles, National Security Adviser Sir Vincent Beache, and Pastor Adolphus Isaacs of the Gospel Hall church in Mesopotamia.	3,586
The BP Effect series is brought to you by attorneys Reich & Binstock and Seeger Weiss LLP, which are helping businesses in Panama City Beach recover losses sustained directly and indirectly from the Deep Water Horizon oil spill. They can help your business too, “Sonny’s Oil Free Guarantee” was designed to reassure guests and customers that it was safe to travel to the beach. We had no oil on our beaches over the summer, but with the seemingly imminent threat and false reporting by national media on the condition of our beaches, travelers were scared to risk their annual vacation money on a Panama City Beach vacation. The “oil free guarantee” was a tactic used by businesses all up and down the beach to reassure their guests that they would not be obligated to keep their reservation and payment commitments should oil muck up their vacation on the Emerald Coast. It worked for some, but business was still down dramatically for Best Beach Getaways. Best Beach Getaways is a vacation rental company on the Emerald Coast, with about 50% of their properties in Panama City Beach and 50% outside the Panama City Beach area. Most of their properties are Resort Condominiums, but they have a large selection of beach homes. They’ve been doing business in the area since 2007. “We were on pace for a 40% business increase over 2009. We now anticipate a slightly better year than 2009,” said Jim DeVos, of Best Beach Getaways. This story is absolutely consistent with everyone else we’ve talked to. This, for most, was poised to be the best summer ever in Panama City Beach AND Northwest Florida. When missed opportunities are pondered, often teary eyes and emotional rushes ensue. Immediately upon news breaking of the oil spill, they started seeing effects on their business. Not only had new rental inquiries stopped, the phone calls that WERE coming in were existing reservations canceling their summer vacation. Some had been coming every summer for years, this summer was the first break in their family tradition. Customers’ reasons for canceling were simply: “We don’t want our vacation ruined by an oil spill which could close beaches.” Some save up all year to see the very thing that makes our area so magical, the very same element that we all so often take for granted – our crystal white sand beaches. Before the oil spill, Best Beach was pacing 40% gains. They were literally booming. The Southwest Effect, hadn’t even had a chance to occur, but news of affordable fares and ease of access had begun to drastically change the perception of the area. People from all over the country were booking for summer. Best Beach Getaways did everything from offer incentives, clean beach guarantees, and consistently updating their blog to do all they could to counteract what was being said about us on mainstream media. And, like igniting gun powder in an open wound, Best Beach Getaways is experiencing difficult pain working through the claims process in an attempt to reclaim some of their summer BP-related losses. If you remember, the BP claims process was supposed to reassure businesses that despite devastating losses, there would be some compensation. DeVos explained to me that his regular customers that decided to risk everything and come to the beach anyway were not let down. We had a beautiful summer down here, and despite threats, we really didn’t have hardly any oil reported on our beaches at all. The ones that came, had the time of their lives. Next season is already looking bright for Best Beach Getaways. Summer bookings are already rolling in from those that missed out this year. It’s too early to tell if next year’s gains will be what they could have been this summer, but time will tell, and can heal everything. Related bp oil spill effects in panama city beach Published by Jason Koertge View all posts by Jason Koertge Published October 29, 2010 Previous Post On Sale in Panama City Beach Next Post Weekend Weather – Cooler but Sunny Outside William says: October 29, 2010 at 3:40 pm I’m getting kind of tired reading about the BP effect. The oil spill is overm and is now history, let’s move on and look to the future. Cathy says: November 2, 2010 at 8:38 pm William, I could not have said it better. I really think it’s high time we let this “bad” news pass as the tide washes in & out each day. It’s time to look toward the future and make positive vacation plans for next year! Our family enjoyed our vacations in 2010 & hopefully we will in 2011. Jan says: October 29, 2010 at 7:50 pm October 30, 2010 at 6:47 am Well I’m enjoying the series, keep them up! October 30, 2010 at 7:31 am October 30, 2010 at 10:11 am By the way, based upon the number of comments this series gets, it must be pretty popular. November 2, 2010 at 11:05 am The Oil Spill may be over, but not the effects. Justin says: November 2, 2010 at 7:33 pm I was down in June and in October. The crowds were pretty normal looking to me for the time of year. I have been coming down there for the past seven years around those times and didnt notice much of a drop off. I think the business owners are being a little over dramatic. I own condos at edgewater and I didnt see, but maybe a few cancelations and it was business as usual. Cathy says: November 2, 2010 at 8:41 pm Great observation Justin, our family & friends were in PCB vacationing in April, July, September and October……. we really didn’t notice a “slump” anywhere we went. I think in all consideration things were spread a little thick and over-dramatized. November 6, 2010 at 3:07 am ”…With the seemingly immanent threat and false reporting by the local media…’ is an exert from your own story and yet you are local media and seem just as hungry to capitalize on a disaster. As we are one of the biggest REO teams in northwest Florida, we see the effect of the spill daily. However, we also see foreclosure sale dates, lis pendis filing dates, and other indicators that are separate from and often preceding the oil spill. Real estate was on an upswing and the media was grossly irresponsible and sensationalized the spill to the point that the market could not recover. But at what point do we thank God that we did not experience disasters that were even a percentage as damaging and deadly as what was taking place across the globe and decide that we are lucky to live in a county that has received national attention from major media outlets due to our growth potential and future development? My team has investors and home owners alike calling all day and new listings practically daily. The key to being successful in this volatile marketplace is understanding what it is, learning how to maneuver and continue to be pliable, and accepting that there is no comfort at the moment nor will there be for years to come. However, we are most fortunate to live in one of the only areas in the country that is expected to see growth in the near future. BP squashed 2010 and hurt us tremendously. But, unlike most 2010 disasters there were no local fatalities and our infrastructure remains. We can pull through this and we will. I’m not belittling the impact on everyone financially and emotionally, but I will not accept a lawyer’s solicitation as being the truth behind the fall of our local economy. I’m real estate we saw the effects first hand via cancelled contracts and buyer anxiety which lead to our office phones going eerily silent. I refuse to close the coffin- I’m too determined.	8,079
It has been a while since we first wrote about the killing of animals at the Greater Birmingham Humane Society (GBHS), and how the shelter misrepresented the killing and then threatened advocates who complained. Since then, there is both good and bad news about that shelter. The bad news: Killing continues unchecked. The February, 2018 outcome reports for GBHS show a total of 431 animals were killed, euthanized or died that month, compared with 675 live outcomes. That computes to a Live Release Rate (LRR) of just 61% for the month of February, a month which typically has one of the highest rates for live outcomes for the year. The good news is that advocates there have not been silenced by the shelter's threats and have created a new Facebook page called Eyes on GBHS, where we found the February report posted. Eyes on GBHS also called attention to some unusual language at the bottom of the report, which reads, "All information contained in this report is true and correct to the best of GBHS' knowledge. GBHS is not responsible for errors caused or created through Shelter Buddy's system or software." We find this language odd for several reasons, including the following: It is the shelter management's job to ensure their shelter management software is working and reporting correctly. Auditing the shelter software system is a critical part of their jobs. We are unaware of any data or reporting problems being reported about Shelter Buddy software. Reporting issues in most shelter management systems are nearly always related to data entry/user mistakes. Identifying those to ensure they are corrected is a key part of management's job. Given these things, we find the inclusion of this language at the bottom of the report disturbing. It sounds almost as though they are expecting people to find problems with the report and are trying to cast blame on the shelter software system in the event that they do. That is what it looks like and sounds like when leaders at animal shelters don't take responsibility for auditing their systems. Recent Posts Colorado can be No Kill today. Why isn’t it? There are currently hundreds of communities across the USA whose shelters have stopped killing healthy or treatable pets. The shelters in your community can do that, too. If your community is not already No Kill, your shelters need to hear from you and your friends.... please get involved to save lives.	2,588

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