text:
Jake Seeley has quite the eclectic taste in music, which is exactly the kind of surprising shit I like to find out. To be honest, I assumed that Jake was mainly a hip hop kid for the longest time, but nope.
Click below for a breakdown of Jake's favorite albums along with some words about each one from Jake himself. Killa!
Offspring – SMASH
This was one of the first Punk albums I ever heard. I was about 10 years old when I first came across this album. I remember it like it was yesterday….. Me and my father we're off roading in his newly
built 4X4 Ford Bronco somewhere in the middle of VT. He popped a tape into the cassette player which ended up being The Offspring's 3rd album "SMASH". I hadn't heard of the band or album at the time but I knew my dad had good taste in music so it had to be good. We skipped the tape to "Youth Energy" which is the first song after the intro song "Time to Relax". From the second I heard the first guitar riff I knew I was in love. It was such an energetic powerful feeling of adrenalin that was going through me. This feeling lasted throughout the remainder of the album. It was like nothing I've ever heard before. There's something about the fast tempo, high energy punk rock sounds and powerful hectic lyrics that continues to give me that same feeling to this very day. Even if you're not a fan of Punk Rock I definitely recommend listing to SMASH, it might just have the same effect on you as it did me!
Juicy J – Blue Dream and Lean
Juicy J's most recent mixtape "Blue Dream and Lean" is definitely one of the hottest in my opinion, with Blue Dream & Lean being basically a hybrid continuation of Juicy J's two previous mixtapes (Rubber Band Business and Rubber Band Business 2), so you know its got to be good. It can be enjoyed in the best of both worlds, whether you're trying to get hyphy at the biggest party in town or just trying to kick back and get smoked out with the homies. Head over to datpiff.com and give it a
listen. Rumor is that he's got a new "album" dropping real soon so stay tuned!
Electric Wizard – Dope Thrown
The "Heaviest band in the universes" most famous opus and third album is everything good musical output should not be. If you like structure and clean sounding vocals/ intermits this is not the album for you! It's noisy, messy, lazy and droning which is exactly what myself or any fan of Sludge Metal is looking for in an album. This was one of the first albums of their genre I've ever heard which wasn't a mistake. After hearing its blazon psychedelia and drenched in heavy metal sound of chaos, I knew there was no turning back!
Skream -Skream!
Skream's debut album is such a classic. I was lucky enough to be introduced into the genre of bass music around this time before the new wave Dubstep (also known as "Brostep") overtook the US. I love this album because its your traditional DUB 140 BPM tempo with groovy unique baselines and none of the over hyped frat boy chainsaw skrizzle robot fighting electronic dub fail. Basically if the only bass music you've heard is what I referred to as "Brostep" and hated it, I recommend checking out this album, it could give you a whole new appreciation for the genre.
The Acacia Strain – The Dead Walk
This album can only be summed up into two words, Pure Destruction. I can't say I've ever listen to it below max volume, which might be because I'm screaming every lyric right along with Vincent (the vocalist) on every song. This album is hands down one of the heaviest Metalcore records to date. Songs like "Burn Face" and "Pity" just make you want to beat some children into a bloody pulp. If you like
brutality, heavy drop "G" breakdowns and chugging guitar riffs I would say drop what you're doing and pick up this album today. Massachusetts represent!
Com Truise – Galactic Melt
This albums chillwave synth pop sound will melt your brain right back to the 80's and that's what I love about it. This is one of the best electronic albums I've came across in years. It's the kind of album you can just sit down and relax to or get you on the dance floor busting a few moves.
Sleep – Dopesmoker
This is the definition of "Stoner Metal". An album created by 3 smoked out kids in the mid 90's who walked into a well known recording studio that had the idea of creating a single song, that would rip for well over an hour. Over the course of a couple of months, the band recorded at (Liberty Records) Studio reworking the song until they had something they were all high on. As luck would have it, the producers behind the album weren't happy with an album consisting of one track, and didn't think it would sell. The drama behind this broke up the band and the album was released in a few different sub-par album releases. Fast forward a decade later and the band is back together, the album is out in a remastered version, and everyone lives happily ever after in Stoned out America!
Cam'ron – Killa Season
This album brings me right back to the good old days, the days when I spent every possible weekend cruising/weaving the busy street of NYC with all the local homies! Its always been a little reminder of where I adapted my street riding style from.


text:
Drones are used to transfer an extensive range of products, such as small packages, medical supplies and food, and others, due to speedy delivery and its benefits over on road deliveries. It is increasingly used for border surveillance. Moreover, military forces are also exploiting the usage of drones to resupply soldiers with equipment, spares, food, and ammunition on the battlefield. Need for quicker delivery of goods, and usage of drones for cargo transport in military operations are the factors driving the growth of the global drone logistics and transportation. Different solutions such as shipping solution, traffic management, software, and warehousing & distribution contributed to the drone logistics and transportation market size. The market has witnessed a high demand for shipping solution segment over the last few years due to mounting investment in the R&D of drones for package delivery.
Explore Full Report Description At: https://www.vynzresearch.com/aerospace-and-defense-industry/global-drone-logistics-and-transportation-market
Need for quicker delivery of goods, the mounting requirement for sophisticated industry-specific analytical solutions, reduction of strict restrictions on the usage of drones for commercial reasons, and escalating investments in the drone delivery market are the primary growth drivers for drone logistics and transportation market. Opportunities for vendors at different levels of the value chain, usage of drones for cargo delivery in military operations, and drone delivery services in geologically challenging areas are also facilitating the growth for the drone logistics and transportation market.
Geographically, Asia-Pacific accounted the largest share in the market, due to mounting defense expenditure and reduction of strict restrictions on the usage of drones for commercial reasons. North America is observed to witness the fastest growth in the market, due to mounting acceptance of drones for package delivery by companies such as Amazon and Google. In addition, the upsurge in military budgets and high need for UAVs from the commercial and military sectors of countries are also facilitating the growth of the North American market.
Get Detailed ToC and Sample Report At: https://www.vynzresearch.com/aerospace-and-defense-industry/global-drone-logistics-and-transportation-market/request-sample
Key players in the drone logistics and transportation market are catering to the demand of these devices by investing in technologically advanced products in their product portfolio across the globe. In November 2016, Flirtey and Domino's Pizza Enterprises Ltd began independent distribution of pizzas from Domino's stores to exclusive customer homes. Pinc Solutions, Dronescan, Matternet, Cana Advisors, Flirtey, Infinium Robotics, Zipline, Drone Delivery Canada, Hardis Group, Flytrex, Skycart, and Skysense are the key players offering drone logistics and transportation.
VynZ Research
Email: email@example.com
Connect With us:Linkedin | Twitter |Google | Facebook

subset: commoncrawl


text: Connecting to the right information at the right time can give you the insight you need to make better business decisions, innovate, and grow revenue. The compelling video medium is fast becoming the delivery mechanism of choice for all of this information. Video's combination of visual and auditory elements makes it a communications tool that can inform, inspire and educate – it can be used to disseminate information, entertain, and create an effective learning environment; it can enable employee enrichment, customer engagement, and partner productivity. Its versatility makes it an increasingly indispensable tool for your business, as it weaves together words and images, people and places, action and sound into an immersive experience like no other.


text: Prada Resort – For Prada's resort 2014 collection, designer Miuccia Prada found inspiration in tropical prints paired with retro, 1940s silhouettes. Always known for adding a bit of quirk, the transitional season plays on the motif of a Hawaiian flower–a long staple of resort attire. But Prada manages to make the cliché refreshing with a color palette of dark hues such a black, burgundy or blue grey contrasting with bright pastels. Crystals adorn the Prada woman for resort as well as bowling jackets in shiny materials. Shoes go along with the sporty theme, taking shape in a cool sneaker flat.


text:
- Home
- Services
- Arbeitsschwerpunkte
- Unternehmen
- Blog
- Kontakt
Nov 2014
On 14, Nov 2014 | In News, Uncategorized | By admin
The WEEElogic GmbH, a subsidiary of 1cc and the French WEEE take-back scheme Ecologic, has acquired two new partners: RAEcycle, one of the two largest take-back and recycling schemes in Italy, and the WEEE Scheme of Veolia UK, one of the leading compliance schemes in the UK and part of the globally acting Veolia Group.
"With RAEcycle and the WEEE Scheme of Veolia UK on board, we are now able to handle all major and several smaller countries across Europe. This is a substantial progress for all of our take-back obligated clients", said Meike Ruoff, Managing Director of WEEElogic.
For WEEElogic, the acquisition of two new partners is another step in completing its setup and extending its network across Europe. WEEElogic provides simple take-back solution for obligated parties. 1cc is able to add, due to its longstanding experience, consulting and management expertise on waste and further environmental legislations.


text: PHOTO: Washington, DC | 04.10.2016 By Steven Posted April 13, 2016 In Photography PHOTO: Washington, DC | 04.10.20162016-04-132016-08-16http://stevenseighmandesign.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/08/logo-1-1.pngSteven Seighman Book Designhttp://stevenseighmandesign.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/MLK.jpg200px200px 0 0 Canon, MLK Memorial, Photography, Washington DC Recommended PostsPutting In the Work . . . WorksNEW ETSY STOREMy 2017 To-Do List Leave a Comment Cancel reply Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. Notify me of follow-up comments by email. Notify me of new posts by email.


text:
Life can be hectic. We live in a fast-paced society with so much information coming at us from all directions. The human brain is not designed to compute as much information as it does. We have advertisements, radios, and televisions. We have smartphones. We have social media feeds constantly switching our attention. Each time we read someone's post, we are switching to our mental schema for this person. Is it our close friend? Is it a loved one? Why did they post that? What did they really mean? In a matter of seconds, we are on to the next post. It is no wonder that an anxiety disorder is one of the most common mood disorders to be diagnosed in the western world. We are constantly anticipating the next stimulus, anticipating the phone to ding, buzz, or ring. If we are thinking of our mind as a computer, overworked and processing more information than it was originally designed to, then we can safely say that it is vital that we are regularly "clearing our RAM". We need to take time to reset often, or else, the system may overload.
So, how do we reset our mental "RAM", so to speak. A computer's RAM is its working memory. The human brain has a working memory too, which means all these thoughts, judgments, and ideas that come up while we are trying to sort through the barrage of information are swirling around in our minds and are compiling. Our most valuable tool to reset is our breath. All it can take is three deep intentional breaths.
Breathing is what grounds us and what connects us to our body in this human experience. Without it, we would only have our mind and our consciousness. Because our mind is often processing too much information, we must slow ourselves down with the breath.
I have had a reminder set on my phone for almost 2 years. It goes off twice a day. It says "3 breaths". When I see it, I stop whatever I am doing, and I take three deep intentional breaths. If possible, I close my eyes. I focus my mind by saying, "I am breathing in. I am breathing out." The clarity I experience afterwards is astonishing. I am able to come from a busy, overactive monkey mind to a calm, relaxed state in only three breaths. This tool that psychotherapists teach is a practice firmly rooted in yoga's pranayama. Pranayama is using the breath to control the life force (prana). When all of our prana is directed towards the busy mind, our body suffers. We hold tension, our organs do not function as they should, and our breathing becomes shallow. The best way to use the three-breath system is to ensure you are taking a moment to use them when you notice yourself becoming overwhelmed with thoughts or observing tension beginning in the body. It is best used as a preventative tool but can also be used as a reactive treatment for heightened anxiety and tension.
Many people say they don't have time to meditate. This is meditation. Allow yourself to take three deep intentional breaths, and I predict you'll want to make even more time to meditate!


text:
By the time Ruby was six years old, there were new laws stating that African American and white students had to integrate, or share, schools. People such as Martin Luther King, Jr. had worked for civil rights so all people could share the same education and opportunities.
In 1960, a federal judge decided that New Orleans public schools had to be integrated. Ruby was chosen with six other children to integrate previously all-white elementary schools. Though Ruby's mother was excited for her, Mr. Bridges was afraid Ruby might be treated badly at her new school. She was the only African American student chosen to attend William Frantz.
A group of policemen and federal marshals helped escort Ruby safely into her school.
Courtesy: Ruby Bridges Foundation


text:
The Leupold Carbine Optic (LCO) is a dream come true for carbine operators. The compact 1x red dot sight gives you natural, rapid target acquisition. The LCO's 1-MOA Dot reticle has 16 brightness settings to let you find the exact intensity you need in any conditions. At its highest setting, the dot will shine bright in the middle of the day, and it is night vision compatible on lower settings. The manual push-button on/off switch with integrated brightness control puts all the power at your fingertips. Using a common CR123A 3v Lithium battery, the LCO has a battery life of up to 5 years. The machined aluminum body provides the utmost in durability and the .5 MOA adjustments make sighting in fast and easy. The LCO is built for a lifetime of punishment and is backed by the Leupold Gold Ring Full Lifetime Guarantee.
- Picatinny style mount included
- .5 MOA field click adjustments
- Proprietary nitrogen fill process
- 6061-T6 aircraft quality aluminum
- 100% waterproof and fog proof
- Lightweight aluminum housing


text:
If you're already a member, please log in. If not, please register.
Affordable Care Act: This is the comprehensive health care reform legislation, signed into law in 2010, that requires most Americans to have basic health coverage. Under the law, each state has a marketplace (or exchange) that sells insurance with subsidies for those who do not otherwise have affordable coverage. This legislation is sometimes referred to as "Obamacare."
Benchmark Health Plan: This is the baseline health plan each state uses to set the standard for coverage in the state. The benchmark health plan determines the essential health benefits required to be provided by individual and small group health plans sold in the state.
Benefits: The health care services, treatments, and medicines covered under a health insurance plan.
Bronze Plan: A health insurance plan category offered in the Health Insurance Marketplace. Of the four types of plans patients may choose from, plans in this category, or "metal level," tend to have the lowest monthly premiums but also have the highest out-of-pocket costs. Specific costs will vary depending on where you live and by plan. On average these plans pay for about 60 percent of total covered health costs.
Catastrophic Plan: A health insurance plan category offered in the Health Insurance Marketplace that has been designated for people under 30 years old OR those with "hardship exemptions" who are otherwise unable to afford health coverage. This type of plan has lower monthly premiums than the other health insurance plans but much higher annual deductibles. After a patient reaches his or her deductible, costs for essential health benefits are usually paid by the insurer.
Co-insurance: Cost sharing (see cost sharing) required by health insurance that is calculated as a percentage of the total cost of an item or service. Coinsurance may be required after a patient meets a plan's deductible. Co-insurance amounts vary depending on the health plan and the service received.
For example: Your health plan may have negotiated a rate of $200 to visit your specialist and require a 20 percent co-insurance. If you have already met your deductible for the year (see deductible), the cost to you to visit the specialist would be $40.
Co-pay: A fixed amount the patient must pay for covered health care services or prescriptions. The amount can vary depending on your plan and the service(s) or prescription received.
For example: Your health plan may require a fixed fee of $20 every time you visit your primary care physician.
Cost Sharing: The total amount the patient is responsible for paying for covered health care services or prescriptions. This includes any co-payments, co-insurance, or deductible payments.
Cost Sharing Reductions: One of two types of financial assistance offered to qualified purchasers of exchange plans. Cost Sharing Reductions are also called "silver plan variations" and lower the amount you have to pay out-of-pocket for things like deductibles, co-pays, and coinsurance. This means the plan pays a higher share of average total health costs than in traditional silver plans. You can get a cost sharing reduction plan if you choose a silver plan through the Marketplace and your income is below a certain level. If you choose a lower cost bronze plan or a gold or platinum plan, you won't receive these subsidies.
Deductible: The set amount the patient is responsible for paying for health care services before his or her health plan begins to pay. For example, if the deductible is $1,500, the plan won't pay anything until the $1,500 deductible for covered health care services is met. The deductible is paid directly to the health care provider and may not apply to all services. How a deductible works varies from plan to plan.
For example, the deductible may not apply when you visit your primary care physician for a regular check-up, so you may only have to pay your standard co-pay. But if you require treatment from a specialist, you may have to meet your deductible before your health plan begins to cover your treatments.
Essential Health Benefits: Established by the Affordable Care Act, this is a set of ten health care service categories that must be covered by health care plans participating in the Health Insurance Marketplace, as well as other individual and small group plans.
Exchange (see also Marketplace): The organization set up to facilitate the purchase of health insurance in each state under the Affordable Care Act. Each state has its own "Exchange," which offers a variety of plans. It is also a common nickname for the Health Insurance Marketplace. Depending on the state, the Exchange may be run either by the federal government or by the state itself.
Formulary: A list of prescription drugs covered by a health insurance prescription drug plan. If a drug is not listed on the formulary, it may not be covered by the health plan. If the medicine is not covered, you will either have to pay out-of-pocket for a non-covered drug or apply for an exception through the plan.
Gold Plan: A health insurance plan category offered in the Health Insurance Marketplace. Plans in the gold category, or "metal level," cover about 80% of average total health costs (the second highest percentage in the exchanges) and may have higher premiums. Specific costs vary by where you live and the health plan.
Health Plan Categories: Under the Health Insurance Marketplace, health plans have been separated into four health plan categories — Bronze, Silver, Gold, or Platinum. These categories are also referred to as "metal plans," "metal levels," or "metal tiers."
Plans in each category cover a certain percentage of health care costs and should be chosen based on your particular health care needs, your or your family member's budget, which physicians you prefer and which medications you require, as well as what you can afford in total premium and out-of-pocket costs.
Marketplace (see also Exchange): The organization set up to facilitate the purchase of health insurance in each state under the Affordable Care Act. Each state has its own marketplace, which offers a variety of plans. It is also commonly referred to as the Health Insurance Exchange. Depending on the state, the Marketplace may be run either by the federal government or by the state itself.
The marketplace website serves as a resource where individuals and families can learn more about health coverage options, compare health insurance plans, and enroll in coverage.
Open Enrollment: The period of time during which individuals who are eligible to enroll in a health care plan can enroll or change their coverage. Under the Health Insurance Marketplace, the open enrollment period for 2015 is November 15 – February 15, for coverage starting in the coming calendar year.
Platinum Plan: A health insurance plan category offered in the Health Insurance Marketplace. Plans in the platinum category, or "metal level," cover about 90% of average total health costs (the highest percentage in the exchanges) and may have the highest premiums.
Pre-existing Condition: A health issue or condition that a patient had before her health coverage began. Under the Affordable Care Act, plans are no longer permitted to exclude pre-existing conditions from coverage.
Prior Authorization: Sometimes referred to as pre-authorization or prior approval. Treatments, medications, or services requiring prior authorization must be approved by the health plan before a patient receives them, or the health plan may not provide coverage, except in an emergency.
Provider: A medical professional who provides health services or helps in preventing, identifying, or treating a health condition.
Provider Network: The group of doctors, hospitals, and medical specialists who have been contracted to provide health care services to members of an insurance plan. Members of a provider network have typically contracted with the health plan to provide services at a discounted rate in return for being included in the network.
A provider network generally includes primary care physicians, specialty physicians, labs, X-Ray facilities, home health care companies, hospice, medical equipment providers, and surgery centers.
If patients choose to see a provider who is not included in their health plan's network, the out-of-pocket cost for those services may be higher than they would pay to see a provider in the network, or may not be covered at all, depending on the provisions of the specific health plan.
Silver Plan: A health insurance plan category in the Health Insurance Marketplace. Of the four types of plans to choose from, plans in this category have a moderate monthly premium (higher than bronze but lower than gold) and moderate out-of-pocket costs. Specific costs will vary depending on where you live and the specific plan. Patients that qualify for cost-sharing reductions to lower their cost sharing must select a silver plan in order to get this benefit.
Specialist: A doctor or medical professional who focuses on a specific area of medicine or a group of patients to diagnose, manage, prevent or treat certain types of symptoms and conditions. Copays or coinsurance are usually higher for specialist visits than for primary care visits.
Step Therapy: The practice of health plans requiring patients to try certain treatments first, before progressing or "stepping up" to treatments that a provider originally prescribed. The intent of step therapy is to control costs and create incentives for patients to use the therapies the insurance company prefers.
Summary of Benefits and Coverage: A chart listing plan details which provides enrollees with standardized information that they can compare across health plans as they make decisions about which health plan to choose. Items listed in the Summary of Benefits and Coverage includes but is not limited to deductibles, copayment amounts, and coinsurance amounts.
Utilization Management: A health insurance provider's process for reviewing a request for medical treatment in order to confirm that a patient's health plan provides adequate coverage for the specific services. It is sometimes referred to as "utilization review." In some instances, if a service or treatment significantly exceeds the scope of a patient's coverage or less-expensive alternatives are available, a health plan may not cover the treatment or service being reviewed.


text:
The new BBC America and Netflix adaptation of Douglas Adams' Dirk Gently books became available on UK Netflix this week. The books follow the surreal adventures of Dirk, a private detective who believes in the interconnectedness of all things. In Dirk's world, murder cases aren't solved by deduction, they're solved by finding lost cats and discovering the secret behind eccentric professors' magic tricks.
As with all adaptations, I was wary. Will it be good, or will it shit all over a beloved character and irreparably soil him for me? I was, however, quietly optimistic when I saw that the trailer featured Elijah Wood. Although to many he'll always be Frodo Baggins, his acting CV makes him a perfect fit for Dirk Gently. He plays an excellent straight man in the psychological sitcom Wilfred, and his low-key strangeness in Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind makes him an obvious choice as Dirk's reluctant assistant.
Comparisons with the BBC's 2010 adaptation are inevitable. Both are charming and faithful to the original in their own ways. Stephen Mangan's Dirk (2010) had more of the con-artist /scoundrel elements that the books had, whereas Samuel Barnett's (Posner in History Boys) Dirk has more of an otherness and naivety which makes him a compelling and sympathetic figure. While the Mangan version is narratively more faithful to the books, both versions accurately capture the anarchic spirit of them, which is what makes them both a joy to watch. The well-intentioned but poorly received Hitchhikers Guide movie proved just how difficult it can be to preserve Adam's unique tone, which makes writer Max Landis's achievement here even more impressive.
The words 'American adaptation' can be enough to send British comedy fans into convulsions. For every The American Office, there are at least ten attempts to recreate The IT Crowd frame-by-frame with a charmless American cast. In this case, America is the perfect setting. Douglas Adams was clearly influenced by the zaniness of America and, as a country of hyperbole, where could be better for Adams' brand of ADD python-esque strangeness?
The structure and style are reminiscent of other BBC / BBC America programs. The intertwining storylines, sci-fi sheen, and regular laugh-out-loud moments, combined with the warmth and heart of the show, are kind of like Matt Smith's Doctor has been let loose in the world of Orphan Black. This is far from coincidence, as the first Dirk Gently book started out life as a Doctor Who episode which was never completed. The Orphan Black style structuring of the series gives it enough internal logic to maintain suspense across eight episodes, but without losing the improvisational style of the source material. It also effectively sets the show up for a second series, which was commissioned by BBC America in November.
Dirk Gently's Holistic Detective Agency is both fun and funny, smart, silly, and gripping. It's sure to gain a huge cult following.
Fun fact: Back when I wrote my first ever blog at the age of about 16, I wrote about the BBC's 2010 adaptation. Some algorithm on the BBC site picked up my blog post and for a short while I seemed to be the online expert on Dirk Gently TV adaptations. Strange.
You can read that here: https://mattsipod.wordpress.com/2011/05/20/dirk-gently-tv-adaptation/


text:
Made out of GOTS-certified organic cotton fabric, this sustainable baby blanket gets top marks for being eco-conscious. With the print name Piha, which means garden or farmyard in Finnish, it features original illustrations by British artist Nick Fusedale. All Olen Organic products are mindfully made in California under fair and sustainable working conditions.
We're in love with Olen Organic, the sustainable brand behind organic cotton baby blankets and unisex baby clothing. Olen Organic has an exceptional ten year guarantee exclusively for BuyMeOnce customers, making their products perfect for growing families and handing down to younger siblings. Not only are their products made from GOTS-certified organic cotton, but they are also free of chemicals, waxes and heavy metal inks, using alternatives such as water-based dyes and nickel-free snap buttons. Even their softness is naturally cozy! With social initiatives such as encouraging customers to donate outgrown baby garments to Give Back Box, and donating a portion of their proceeds to PL+US, an organization devoted to pushing for guaranteed paid leave in the US, Olen Organic is leading the way in the baby apparel field.
Measures 71.12 cm x 71.12 cm
Materials: GOTS organic cotton blended with 5% elastane
Mindfully made in California, USA
Warranty: BuyMeOnce exclusive ten year guarantee against production faults and doesn't cover wear and tear
Care Instructions: cold machine wash on delicate cycle with a natural, plant based laundry detergent; do not bleach; do not dry clean; line dry.
Other information: Double-sided; chemical-free
UK Standard Delivery is £11.90 and dispatched within 2 business days. Please allow 10-12 business days for your products to arrive from the USA.
Returns are available within 30 days of receiving the items. Any returned items must be in new (unused) condition and should include all original packaging. Return shipping is at your own cost to the USA, unless the item received is faulty.
To begin a return, contact us here, quoting your order number and reason for return. After the item is received back, it will be checked before your refund is issued.
Olen Organic Growth Spurt Bundle Organic Cotton Baby Leggings
Olen Organic Newborn Bundle Organic Cotton Baby Leggings
Olen Organic On The Go Organic Cotton Baby Leggings - Muna
Olen Organic On The Go Organic Cotton Baby Leggings - Kupla
Olen Organic On The Go Organic Cotton Baby Leggings - Piha
Are you a New User? REGISTER HERE
We will send you an email to reset your password.


text:
China's bestseller of 2015 was a coloring book for adults
China's best-selling book of 2015 didn't have many of words.
Secret Garden, an adult colouring book, was the No. 1 book on China's biggest online stores — Amazon, Dangdang and JD.com.
"mashable.com/2015/12/10/amazon-best-selling-books-2015/" is not a valid see-also reference
The three companies released their lists on Wednesday, and the book from Scotland-based artist Johanna Basford made the top spot on each.
Dangdang told Chinese newspaper Huaxi Metropolis Daily that it sold million copies of the book within three months, and that Dangdang sold 1.5 million copies of Secret Garden in the year.
By August, the book's publisher said Chinese buyers had already snapped up 3 million copies of Basford's book — nearly half of the 6.8 million sales it had done globally.
The book has also enjoyed big sales in Brazil with a million copies and around half a million each in the United States, UK and South Korea.
Secret Garden was first published in 2013, but its exponential rise has been credited to increasing interest in adult colouring books.
Chinese netizens say they find colouring therapeutic and relaxing, and a Chinese cultural critic and professor at the Peking University said a rising middle class in China has been turning to the activity to destress.
On Weibo, Chinese fans of the book have been sharing pictures of their colouring processes and are discussing tips and techniques.
This user tried an alternative method of colouring, using charcoal to make a reverse image:
This one says it's challenging colouring in all the leaves:
Basford is one of the forerunners cashing in on this fad. Enchanted Forest, her sequel to Secret Garden, published in March of last year and crossed 2 million in global sales in 2015. She released a third book called Lost Ocean in October.


text: Currently known as Duncraven Stables and sitting on 61+ acres, this full-service hunter jumper training and premier horse show facility holds multiple A-rated, B-rated and schooling horse shows. This sale consists of two lots. One lot with a renovated 1800's colonial farm house, detached garage w/finished second level including a full bath, heating & AC. The second lot consists of the horse facility with 50 stalls, indoor arena w/GGT footing & misting system, 4 outdoor arenas with all-weather footing, viewing lounge, viewing deck, numerous fenced fields & paddocks, plenty of room for parking. There is a 3 acre exception area to build an additional residence. Only minutes from Rt 95, approximately 15 minutes west of Princeton, 30 minutes north of Philadelphia, and 1 ½ hours south of New York City.


text:
David Bowie
BEAUTY AND THE BEAST (40th anniversary edition)
the latest in the series of special limited edition David Bowie 7" picture discs, "Beauty And The Beast" was the second single taken from the album "Heroes".
The track features Robert Fripp on lead guitar. The A-Side of the 7" picture disc features the track with newly remastered audio, mixed by long-time Bowie collaborator Tony Visconti. The AA-Side is a previously unreleased live version of "Blackout", recorded live at Deutschlandhalle, Berlin on 16th May 1978 during the "ISOLAR II" tour.
- BEAUTY AND THE BEAST (2017 remaster)
- BLACKOUT (Live In Berlin 1978)


text:
Mary Ellen Strack - Painting
Through my work I try to share my passion of nature and capture its spiritual presence. People flock to The Grand Canyon, the rugged coast of Big Sur, costal views of Kapalua, the red rock formations of Mount Zion, build houses in mountains surrounded by Aspens as a means to experience the powerful presence of nature. I want people to feel energy as it is reflected throughout natural environments. I want to recreate a positive sense, and the power we experienced seeing something truly magnificent. To experience escapism from the mundane pace of life.
I learned to appreciate abstract art, through Picasso's work, "Guernica," when I found out he exaggerated human expressions on peoples faces to capture the atrocities of war. I found it to be very powerful, and hence, developed a better understanding and appreciation for abstractions.
In my work, I exaggerate the elements used in art. I try to capture the same feel one would have experiencing incredible views of nature. My work has evolved over 30 years, most recently I have been trying to simplify my work through abstraction. I work with encounters I have had with nature, to convey the same uplifting beauty and experiences it presents. Hopefully the viewer can reflect and relate with their own encounters.
SAA Collective Gallery
420 South 6th Street
Springfield, IL 62701
Located in the H.D. Smith Gallery
In the Hoogland Center for the Arts
Tuesday - Wednesday 10 AM - 5 PM
Thursday - Saturday NOON - 7 PM
SAA Main Campus
School of Art (Studios),
Michael Victor II Art Library,
M.G. Nelson Family Gallery, and Edwards Place
700 North 4th Street
Springfield, IL 62702
Monday - Friday 9 AM - 5 PM
Saturday 10 AM - 3 PM


text:
Quantity :
Each atPrice Chart
Product Description
4" x 4" Square Glass Coaster
Buy MISS SUMMER Glass Coaster (Square) print by artist Liubov Kuptsova available at Artist.com. Check out the Glass Coaster (Square) Art Print collections available at Artist.com.Oil painting on canvas without frame as edges are painted,100% handmade high quality oil ,decorate your interior and will give positive emotions to you
The phrase "Pablo Picasso": " I am always doing that which I can not do, in order that I may learn how to do it" , always inspires me to new experiments in painting. In each of my artworks, I put a part of my soul. I do all artworks with great love since I realized the dream of my childhood.
I hope that through my artworks I will tell the world about the light that is born in me when I create my artworks.
Additional Products


text:
Bible Dictionaries
Holman Bible Dictionary
Abel-Beth-Maachah or Abel-Beth-Maacah
Resource Toolbox
(NAS, NIV, RSV). (ay' behl-behth-may' uh cuh) See 2 Samuel 20:1-22 ). Ben-hadad, king of Syria, answered the call for help of Asa, king of Judah (913-873), and conquered Abel-beth-Maachah from Baasha, king of Israel (1 Kings 15:20 ). Tiglath-pileser, king of Assyria, captured the city from Pekah, king of Israel (2 Kings 15:29 ). Abel-beth-maachah is identified with the modern Abil el-Oamh, twelve miles north of Lake Huleh near Dan. Its name indicates it was once part of the city state of Maachah controlled by Arameans (2 Samuel 10:6 ).
Copyright Statement
These dictionary topics are from the Holman Bible Dictionary, published by Broadman & Holman, 1991. All rights reserved. Used by permission of Broadman & Holman.
Bibliography Information
Butler, Trent C. Editor. Entry for 'Abel-Beth-Maachah or Abel-Beth-Maacah'. Holman Bible Dictionary. https://www.studylight.org/dictionaries/hbd/a/abel-beth-maachah-or-abel-beth-maacah.html. 1991.


text: Haven't run a 5k in a while. Ran the @rei trail race at Smithville Park. Felt decent. Didn't think I had much speed anymore but ended up running about 22:30 and finished around 6th or 7th overall. Gave me some hope for speed again and most importantly I feel good and didn't get hurt. #reitrailseries #uptowngentlefriends


text:
David's Story
When David arrived at the FARA Therapy Centre he had recently received a diagnosis of Autism Spectrum Disorder, his mother felt very confused and was searching for information;
"At first I had some reservations because I did not know what would happen and had trouble accepting the diagnosis. In the following weeks, David was assessed and he started therapy at St. Theresa's. When he entered the programme, David was extremely limited in language, he knew nothing (I did not know how to help him). In the first two months David learnt the different colours and geometric shapes. I have been taught how to help him and how to work with him at home."
David's mother
Since attending the therapy centre David has developed skills in empathising, establishing connections between information, and developing appropriate relationships with children and adults around him.
"It has been more than 2 years since we first arrived at the centre and David is making good progress. He is now attending a kindergarten, he likes to go to playgrounds and knows a lot of things: the alphabet, can read brief sentences, knows about himself and his family members, he knows the days of the week, the months, the seasons, the syllables in words, and can make short sentences. This is primarily due to the FARA therapists. We are grateful and thank the team at the St. Theresa Centre, we know that how David is today is primarily due to them"
David's mother.
We are appealing for donations to help us open a NEW therapy centre in Bucharest, helping more people like David and his mother. Read more here.


text:
Victim was 'lying lifelessly on the floor'
Unable to find ex-girlfriend, man turns on hotel staff
"He was shouting 'let me go' and 'help me' (after people surrounded him).- Miss Farishah Ramlee, who witnessed the commotion
He watched in horror as a burly man grabbed the neck of a woman and hit her head repeatedly against the concrete of a hotel driveway.
As the attacker tried to escape, a passer-by, Mr Bryden Toh, rushed in.
Two security officers had tried to stop the man from leaving but they were struggling.
So Mr Toh, who was trained in martial arts - Akido and shotokan karate - put his rusty skills to use.
He was in front of Conrad Centennial Hotel at Temasek Boulevard when the incident happened on Friday night.
As onlookers gathered, Mr Toh, who is in his 40s, helped to pin the man, believed to be an Italian, to the ground. He said: "My only thought was that I did not want him to get away."
Mr Toh, who was attending a dinner in the ballroom of the hotel, left only after he was assured that the man could not escape. Several hotel staff tied up the man's legs until the police arrived.
Mr Toh said the man was at least 1.8m tall and spoke in accented English.
"He looked very arrogant as we held him down. He even had the cheek to say, 'I was beaten'," Mr Toh said.
When interviewed, he was modest about his contribution and said he simply wanted to help.
Miss Farishah Ramlee, 23, who works as a bartender at Outback Steakhouse across the road, witnessed the commotion.
She said: "He was shouting 'let me go' and 'help me' (after people surrounded him).
"The woman (victim) wasn't moving at all. She was just lying lifelessly on the floor."
The assailant is believed to be an ex-boyfriend of an employee of the hotel, and was looking for her on that night.
When he could not find her, he turned aggressive and attacked the victim, who was the duty manager.
The victim, who is in her 30s, was taken to Singapore General Hospital for neck pain, said the Singapore Civil Defence Force. It is understood that she was discharged yesterday morning.
Conrad Centennial Singapore confirmed the incident and said the matter is now in the hands of the police.
Police have classified the incident as voluntarily causing grievous hurt and a rash act. A spokesman said a man in his 30s was arrested.
"He was shouting 'let me go' and 'help me' (after people surrounded him)."
– Miss Farishah Ramlee, who witnessed the commotion
Get The New Paper on your phone with the free TNP app. Download from the Apple App Store or Google Play Store now


text:
For use in volatile areas, Rice Lake offers the very best in intrinsically safe and explosion-proof equipment. These devices require detailed attention to specification and installation guidelines. For IS system compatibility, use these intrinsically safe indicators with Rice Lake's selection of FM-approved load cells.
© Rice Lake Weighing Systems. All rights reserved.
An ISO 9001 Registered Company
230 West Coleman St, Rice Lake, WI 54868
+1 715-234-9171
For sales, support or service please call


text:
MPE/iX Operating System/Applications Support
The HP 3000 defines longevity; still performing critical functions and servicing critical applications for many businesses.
Beechglen is one of the few HP 3000 consulting firms that has purchased the MPE source code, strengthening our ability to create and find solutions to any problem.
*** Announcement ***
Click here for Beechglen's solution to the MPE CALENDAR intrinsic problem where MPE runs out of dates after 12/31/2027. Beechglen patches extend the operating system into January 2038!
Our team of MPE engineers provides more than a century of expertise and has developed a reputation second to none when it comes to the personalized attention and responsiveness each of our customers receives.
Beechglen will keep your HP 3000 running as long as it continues adding value to you and your business. Our operating system support includes:
Advantages to Beechglen Support:
- 24×7 Availability – Anyone can call with questions, problems, or issues. There are no limits on who can call! Operators, programmers, consultants/contractors
- Predictive Monitoring and Health Check Service – As part of support Beechglen provides a wide variety of error, performance, and database monitoring tools, as well as our custom developed call-home software – AlertTool. We also perform fail-over and patch dependency testing to ensure reliability and fail-over continuity
- Extensive HP-UX & MPE/iX Hardware Lab – We maintain a lab with one of every type of system we support allowing us to reproduce/isolate problems and test recommended solutions without risking customers' systems
- Network Support – Support services include network configuration, debugging, and troubleshooting. Beechglen has developed extensive tracing utilities that map the TCP/IP traffic that the system processes
- Crash Dump Analysis – We are experts at analyzing crash dumps, machine checks, and PIMINFO data. We have developed custom ADB/GDB/SAT/DAT macros to filter system information in the crash dump files
- Patch bundling and patch implementation assistance – Custom developed patch assessment, patches, and dependency tools that fix deficiencies in typical assessments
- Competitive pricing – Support for all MPE and HP-UX OS and add-on software, including Open Source products
- Back Up Testing – As part of support at no extra charge, we include system recovery testing. This provides an independent certification that back-up media can recreate the production run-time environment
- Open Source Applications – We fully support ported Open Source applications Apache, SAMBA, Open SSH, SFTP, BIND and many others
Beechglen can also integrate custom system administration, encrypted back-up and data management, and disaster recovery for your HP 3000.


text:
Shadow Work – checking default old programming / subconscious auto-reactions
Nutshell Version: My experiment to try and discover my automatic programming & beliefs that don't serve me, and time to create new habits that will make my future self happy. Reconnecting to humanity, back in a state of love consciousness. And clips from my 'drunk' experiment. Refocusing on what's important in the grand scheme of things.
Longer Version:
I've been finding myself a bit stuck. I've been really happy that I have learnt how to live in the moment, to love where I am, to live in the now. It has served me really well and helped me so much over the past year. I have learnt not to run away from my dead past and not to live in the imagined future. Staying present and being grateful for all that is, has healed me in so many ways.
But I noticed that I've become a bit stagnant. Living the same days over and over. Eating the same things, watching the same things, doing the same habits over and over and not really moving forward with my life. So I want to really start looking at taking steps towards creating a future – without doing what I used to do and being "stuck" there.. always chasing, never enjoying the moment. I want to find the middle ground, the balance, where I am taking steps to make my "future self happy" and still enjoy where I am.
So that's what I will be working on in the coming weeks, designing the next steps and then taking the steps needed, whilst still finding a way to live and enjoy the now moment which is the only moment we are really living.
And aside from that.. or on the same subject, but I've also been talking to people lately about our auto-pilot beliefs.. the words, actions, thoughts, and beliefs that we "default" back into when we are not in a state of awareness.
When we are not consciously considering and questioning our beliefs, when we are not aware – we default back to the lifetime of conditioned beliefs.
And I wanted to explore what mine are, to see if I still run an automatic program when I'm out of awareness. I know I must have beliefs in here that are not serving me, but how much work do I still have to do on myself? I know I have developed some good habits that have become a new program that I am defaulting to, but I was curious about what else is in there that I can explore that may be interfering with my life.
When you are anxious, in a state of fear or anger, and when you are drunk – that's when you normally default back to your past automatic programming.
- That's when you hear your mother or father's words come out of your mouth.
- That's when you hear things come out of you that you don't actually mean to say.
- You might say hurtful or nasty things or things you don't even believe yourself – you are running on auto-pilot.
We have a thought and all these neurons are fired.. like strands.. some of these neurons serve us, and some of them are from past control, past beliefs, that may of served us at one time but are not who we want to be, not how we want to feel, not what we meant to say.
So to improve myself and to be more "myself" whatever that is, even when I'm running on auto-pilot.. I wanted to find out what was still in there.
And barring the fact that I have no access to DMT or any other kind of psychedelics that might actually be an super-fast shortcut way to explore all these demons that run our lives when we are not paying attention..
I thought that it might come out in me if I get blind drunk one night. I don't drink anymore, haven't in years. Too much of a control freak. Didn't like losing control. Too many bad memories of bad things happening when I drink, too scared of what I might say.
So last night I decided to do the experiment and see what I can find out.. record myself being drunk, write, and think in this new "state" of when I'm "out of control" of my mind.
I'm happy and surprised to report that at least for last night – I was actually pretty much the same as I am now. Maybe a bit drowsy, sleepy-sounding, still rambling and still a bit conscious that my beliefs are not the same as others and that was clear upon listening to my drunken state – that I'm still trying to understand why we have such different beliefs and why people say the mean things that they say, but for the most part, it looks like I held the same beliefs when I was drunk as when I was sober which was very encouraging and surprising to me.
Anyway, I feel like I'm back to myself, that some kind of healing came over me last night. I reconnected to my beliefs, I reconnected to all the good in the world. I'm in a state of bliss, a trance that I wish I could share with others. I wish I could share this feeling with you, this love, this connection. I wish I could bottle it up and give you some, because there is nothing like this feeling except maybe love – when you are in a state of love.. although this is just a bit better because it doesn't require the energy of another human to reach it.
I know I won't stay in this state of awareness. It's not like you get some kind of enlightenment level or certain stage of consciousness and can "stay there".. unless you are Buddha or the Dalai Lama or a monk or something that has the skills and ability to stay in that state.
For us mere mortals hehe.. you are constantly winding through the stages because of all the mixed messages we get from society and our upbringing and the experiences we've had to date… you go to different levels and you step in and out the matrix.. and that's a good place to be anyway. Noone will resonate with me when I'm in this state of bliss, and I don't resonate when I witness someone else going through it either.
Because we are each having our own experience, on our own journey – here for whatever we are here for, enjoying the show.
So as much as I would love to stay here, in this wonderful state of love for humanity, and this wonderful feeling that surrounds my soul and spreads out to all those who I think about…
I know that in reality, it will probably disappear tomorrow – usually the second I walk into work or any other kind of place where I'm surrounded by negative energies..
I'll be at a different level tomorrow, having a different experience, in a different state of awareness. You can't really have a normal job and stay in the clouds.. the 2 are mutually exclusive. You can stay pretty high though, and you can keep yourself out of the darkest / lowest phases by staying in a state of awareness.. but you can't be off in another world and be present in a workplace.
So today, I'm going to enjoy this feeling as long as I can, remember this moment, and hope to one day find a way to share this feeling of connection with everyone. To find a way for everyone to be able to tap-into this source of happiness, and healing.
In the meantime, this week I'll be at work during the day and working on my goals and bucket-listand steps I wish to make an automatic habit in my life and steps I need to take for my future self, and hopefully more research and experimenting to see how I can reach this feeling more often, and how we can tap into it whenever we need it. To step out of the matrix and view the universe in a completely different way – that helps us refocus on what is important, and what is just not important in the grand scheme of things.


text:
Friday, March 20th, 2015
Early Meeting
Good meeting this morning with Prentis and team. Grateful for good conversation.
Impound Smiles
In the past I might have been really upset to go get my car out of impound. I didn't like paying them for a dumb mistake on my part but I was super grateful for how kind everyone was at the lot.
Chakra Meditation and Sound Bath
Went to this sound bath at the 8 Limbs in Wedgewood. During the meditation I was talking to my body a lot. Then during the sound bath as I tried to continue that, my body objected and I had pain in a few places. So instead of continuing to kindly lecture my body…I told it that I accept it and that if pain is something it needs to do, then so be it. Shockingly I eased into the sound bath, went into a deep meditation, and the pain was gone. Thank you body. Thank you.
No comments yet.


text:
In 2000 Impact was asked by Highgrove Foods to introduce a new concept to the foodie media – cooking roast potatoes with Goose Fat.
It was met with incredulity by most journalists – Goose fat would never take off! Just a couple of visionary titles carried the story.
One year on and Jamie Oliver stated that Christmas roast potatoes were best with Goose Fat. Sales went platinum - foodies were persuaded.
For the next four years Impact toiled, trying to persuade non foodies that Goose Fat tasted good. It set up the website and online Goose Fat Information Service; ran sampling events at key trade and consumer shows and asked celebrity chefs Henry Harris and Mike Robinson to endorse Goose Fat.
But still the Supermarkets insisted that Goose Fat was just for Christmas. In 2006 TV Chef Nigella Lawson gave it another Christmas nudge. Impact followed up with another campaign – Goose Fat is not just for Christmas. And the rest is history as they say. Within two years every supermarket was carrying Goose Fat as a year round product and ready prepared Goose fat dressed potatoes had appeared on shelf and in the freezer. As the largest supplier of own label Goose fat Highgrove Foods was the satisfied beneficiary.


text:
Looking for some generic security software to bolster your PC's defenses? Download some of our General Security software now, all completely free. Programs include Wifi protectors, file encryption, password recovery, anti-malware programs and more.
Create a secret folder for your top secret files and prevent anyone from accessing it
Insurmountable protection against viruses, malware, spyware, and online fraud
Check what keys have been pressed on your computer
A unique, anonymous browsing experience
360 Total Security Essential, multidireccional protection for your computer
Protect your computer from any type of threat
Detect all kinds of malware with this effective security suite
Betternet: access any website without restrictions
Update Malwarebytes without an Internet connection
Prevention is the key feature of Comodo Internet Security
Monitor Windows and prevent any exploits to target your computer
Protect your privacy with the best software: PrivaZer


text:
Spending time outdoors is highly beneficial for emotional and physical well-being. Nature parks are amongst the best recreational places you can go to and destress. There are plenty of national parks in the USA, and it might be difficult for you to choose one to visit. Below are three nature parks you can visit under the einreise USA.
1. Great Smoky Mountains National Park
Great Smoky Mountains National Park is exceedingly celebrated for the variety of plant, and animal life found there. It is considered one of the most beautiful national parks in the country, and it has quality remnants of Southern Appalachian Culture. Millions of people visit this park early as people can participate in a vast number of activities annually.
2. Yellowstone National Park
Yellowstone is the first-ever national park in the world. There is a marvelous Yellowstone supervolcano with hot springs and geysers. It has beautiful mountains and forests with a variety of wildlife for you to gaze. There are a vast number of geysers and thermal features, the greatest in the world. Activities available there are hiking, cycling, skiing or asking at the great sites. Yellowstone is a beautiful nature park with tons of activities, wildlife, and scenic areas.
3. Glacier National Park
Glacier national park was established as a national park in 1910. It is known as the crown of the continent, located at the US – Canadian border. It has a lot of beautiful features such as waterfalls, sparkling lakes, deep forests, alpine meadows, and glistening glaciers. The weather conditions vary due to different air, causing a clash in climate. Activities at Glacier National park include camping, boating, hiking, and basking. The scenic areas are wonderful, and most photographers would appreciate the magnificent views.
There are plenty of nature parks in America with more activities and beautiful scenery. It is essential to do your research on a place before deciding to travel there so you can see if the activities that are done there and the scenic areas suit you. Also, to know what to expect.


text:
MV Spartacus
Our Classic Flagship Fishing Charter Cruiser. 58 feet of pure old school luxury. U2 & The Rolling Stones loved their days out on the Auckland harbour. Read more.
MV Extasea
Our 52 foot fly bridge twin engine fishing charter cruiser. Get out to the Auckland fishing grounds quicker, catch more snapper & kingfish, have more fun. Read more
Our boats have the latest electronic fish finding equipment. Our skippers have the most up to date knowledge about where the snapper and kingfish are biting. For small business fishing charters and corporate outings, snapper and kingfish fishing trips on the Auckland Waitemata harbour, we will make sure your fishing charter trip on Auckland Harbour will be a great one.


text:
Happy Tuesday! I am so excited about today's tutorial because it incorporates fabric along with inks and stamps in a major way! I wanted to start a new series of projects for a while now that would include fabric as the canvas for inking and stamping. I finally decided that I wanted to make little art banners that I could link together and hang in my studio. I think it will be fun to experiment more with working on fabric and something larger than a tag.
For my first banner, I wanted to begin by creating a unique watercolor like background using the new sets of Distress Ink Minis. (Don't forget to enter my give away for sets 7, 8, and 9!) Back in August of 2011 I shared a tutorial for dying muslin using Distress Stains. This technique is very similar but a little less messy, quicker, and a little more controlled.
Begin with a piece of natural or white muslin. Use the Distress Ink Mini ink pad to make a swipe of color directly on the fabric.
Continue adding swipes of color with different colors of ink pads. (Shown- Tumbled Glass, Stormy Sky, and Crushed Olive.)
You can use the corners and edges of the ink pad to add thinner accents. On my fabric, I used the Frayed Burlap pad to add thin strips randomly in between some of the wider stripes.
I also added some thin horizontal lines to create a cross hatch type pattern.
Mist the fabric with water to create blending of the colors and to allow the colors to soak into the fibers of the fabric.
Blot the fabric well with a dry cloth. Use a heat tool to dry the fabric or air dry.
The dried fabric will have a batik or watercolor like look.
And check out the backside! Adding water allows the color to bleed through to the back of the fabric. Often times, the back side is my favorite because it is so soft and muted – perfect for a background!
You can also use this technique to create focal items for your project like the bird in this project that uses one of the birds from the Dina Wakley Scribbly Birds stamp set. Cut a piece of muslin slightly larger than the stamp. Apply Tumbled Glass Distress Ink Mini pad to scribble some color onto the muslin.
Add Wild Honey Distress Ink in the area that the bird's belly will be.
Mist with water to blend the colors.
Blot the fabric with a dry cloth and dry with a heat tool.
Stamp the bird onto the dyed fabric using Jet Black Archival Ink.
Use the corners and edges of the Distress Ink Mini pads to add more detail and bolder splashes of color. (Shown- Frayed Burlap, Dried Marigold, and Stormy Sky.)
Mist again to blend the detail colors.
You can also add detail color by scribbling the ink pad onto a craft sheet and applying the color with a waterbrush. After adding the ink and blending, dry the muslin with a heat tool.
Cut a piece of Phoomph slightly larger than the stamped image. Peel one of the backings off. Apply the Phoomph to the backside of the stamped fabric.
Cut out the stamped bird. (I added a space around mine because I originally planned to sew the bird to the banner and wanted space to sew it outside of the design.)
Peel the second backing off of the Phoomph on the back of the stamped bird. Adhere the bird to a piece of cotton batting.
Trim around the bird so that the batting shows beyond the edge of the bird.
Cut a piece of Phoomph slightly larger than the banner. Peel one of the backings off of the Phoomph and adhere it to the back side of your fabric. (I used the back side of the fabric as my front, so I adhered the Phoomph to the "real" front of the fabric.)
Use the banner template to trace the banner shape onto the fabric. Cut out the banner. Use an ink blending tool to apply Frayed Burlap Distress Ink to the edges of the banner.
Tammy Tutterow Art Banner Template
Stamp additional images as desired on the banner. (Shown- Stampers Classics #6 Border using Jet Black Archival Ink.) The Phoomph adds nice stability to the fabric for stamping. Since it is puffy, you would expect it to distort the image but it does not.
Continue to add more images as desired. (Shown- greenery from Tim Holtz Nature's Moments stamped with Forest Moss Distress Ink.)
Peel the remaining backing away from the Phoomph. Place the banner on a piece of cotton batting. Trim around the edge of the banner with pinking shears. Add ribbon or other trims. Sew around the outer edge of the assembled banner. (The ribbon above is sewed to the banner along the top edge but hangs free below. It is glued down through the center of the banner so that it doesn't pucker embellishments are placed over it.)
Stamp a sentiment on Sticky Back Canvas using Jet Black Archival Ink.
Tear or cut the sentiment out. Fray the edges and brush with Frayed Burlap Distress Ink. Place the sentiment on the banner. Sew around the edges of the sentiment.
Add a strip of Tissue Tape down the center of the ribbon. Adhere a twig over the ribbon to create a perch for the fabric bird. Adhere the bird to the front of the banner so that it is perched on the branch.
Swipe Wild Honey Distress Ink over a scrap of Tissue Wrap. Mist the Tissue Wrap with water to create spots and color variations in the ink.
Blot the excess water from the Tissue Wrap and dry with a heat tool.
Die cut several small flowers from the Tissue Wrap using the Tim Holtz Floral Garland die. Create flower buds with the larger flowers by folding or smashing them into a cone shape. (The center of the flower is the narrow point of the cone.) Place adhesive on the tip of the cone and tuck under the edge of the branch.
Layer smaller flowers together on a brad. Add adhesive to the prongs of the brad. Use the prongs of the brad like a stem to tuck under the branch. Crinkle and wrinkle the petals of the flower so that they cover the brad center.
In addition to embellishing the branch with flowers, you can also add metal leaves from the Tim Holtz Foliage set. Use embossing powders to add color to the leaves as shown in the Enameled Idea-ology Tutorial.
There are many ways to hang your finished art banner. I decided for mine to add fabric grommets to the top corners. It will make it easy to string banners together and to hang them.
Fabric grommets are easy to install. They are easy to find in the notions section of fabric and craft stores. Grommets come in two pieces, the round piece with a tall tube and a thin ring. You will also need a grommet setting tool which has two parts, the base and a metal bit that you strike with a hammer.
- Place a hole in the banner where desired. I used my Crop-a-dile tool.
- Place the tall grommet piece so that the tube goes through the hole in the front and out the back side of the banner.
- Turn the banner over.
- Place the thin ring over the tube of the tall piece.
- Place the base of the setting tool on a sturdy surface. Place the banner with the two grommet pieces on top of the setting base. The ring from the front of the grommet on the front of the banner will sit down into the ring on the setting base.
- Hold the metal bit by the "stem".
- Place the metal bit over the assembled grommet that is setting in the base. The raised part on the head of the setting bit should sit down in the center of the tube of the tall grommet piece that is poking through the back of the banner.
- Strike the tip of the metal bit with a hammer two or three times. The force will split the tall tube and flatten down over the top of the thin ring.
It is really easy! The nice thing about fabric grommets is that they are very secure when set and should not fall out. They also give a nice finished look to both sides of your finished piece.
How pretty is this fabric? I love the way it turned out! It was so easy and quick to create and was truly the perfect background for my little birdie.
You have to love when you can find free embellishments in your back yard! The small twig was on my plum tree with no leaves on it. It was ready for a new start as a piece of art!
I shared before that this roll of Tissue Tape is my favorite because of the 108, my old badge number from my 911 dispatcher days. I love when I use the tape and the 108 ends up in the perfect spot. On this project it was like a perfect little signature.
Adding color to the Tissue Wrap before die cutting makes coloring small die cuts so much easier and way less messy.
I love the magic in the way the ink wicks on wet fabric. Could it have turned out any more perfect on this little birdie?
I really love when you finish a project and find yourself smiling because what you created is just so happy. That is how I feel about this banner. I just simply makes me happy! I think it is a great start for my new Art Banner project. I can't wait to add more!
Don't forget, you can download the pattern for the banner: Tammy Tutterow Art Banner Template and you can also enter my giveaway to win the new Distress Ink Mini sets 7,8, and 9 which I happened to use in this tutorial!
Feel free to pin this project on Pinterest! While you are there, I would love for you to check out my boards!


text:
Wednesday, February 8, 2012
The Fog
9 comments:
- busy little bee said...
Beautiful pictures. We woke up to fog here in Kentucky a few days ago. But, no white wonderland like you have there.
- February 8, 2012 at 3:53 PM
- sheila said...
Lovely shots!
I do garden and history podcasts when I walk and it makes for DEElightful walking. Nothing nicer than hearing other gardeners chatting in one's ear, well, unless it's someone talking about food, or history...
- February 8, 2012 at 5:08 PM
- The Finicky Farmer said...
Gorgeous photos! We've had very little snow in Boston, so it's lovely to vicariously enjoy your winter wonderland. But, hopefully, for your sake, it'll pass soon ;)
- February 8, 2012 at 5:15 PM
- AMOffenwanger said...
I'm glad you took pictures of it! It's such an eery, weirdly beautiful thing, isn't it.
- February 8, 2012 at 7:09 PM
- Erin said...
oh Heather, those photos are stunning!
I've not seen this kind of frost, is it called rime frost? i've always wondered what that was...anyways, it is so gorgeous. I would have been clicking for a while.
I'm glad you were able to summon some appreciation for the fog while awaiting the light to return. xo
- February 8, 2012 at 8:21 PM
- Nicola said...
I did the same! Went for a walk and took some photos. I haven't uploaded mine yet but I think yours are way better! Very beautiful scenery.
Having trouble posting this comment with my wordpress ID - going to try with my Google one.
- February 8, 2012 at 9:33 PM
- Alison said...
Wow, what beautiful photos!
- February 9, 2012 at 2:59 AM
- daisy g said...
What amazing pictures! Hope you get some sun today!
- February 9, 2012 at 4:50 AM
- Only in Louisiana ~ documenting the adventures we call Life! said...
Wow ~ your photos are amazing! I have rarely seen scenes like that....such a winter wonderland!
- February 9, 2012 at 10:00 AM


text:
It's amazing how fresh the Yamaha DX5 sounds in this sweet bit of synth video from YouTube user CLASSIC VINTAGE!
With the power of two DX7 FM Synthesizers, the DX5 was a serious beast. Although it did not have the wooden key weighted action, rosewood housing, polyphonic aftertouch and parameter display of the flagship DX1, it had the same FM engine inside and was a third of the price. This video from YouTube user CLASSIC VINTAGE playing a mint-condition DX5 gives you a good bite of this sweet instrument:

Want to share your thoughts/comments about the video? Join the conversation on the Forum here.

And stay tuned for more Synthbits to come!


text:
All the stories I write are true and happened to me. The names are changed as well as the place and location I worked. This one has little of each of cheating, oral, anal, and public. I worked for a TV network and traveled a lot. If the locations were close by, the company would rent us Lincoln Town cars to drive with three to a car.
I usually brought the hair and make-up people. On this particular trip I had Jena, the hair stylist, and Pam the make-up person. We are all married with kids. Pam is a great person, with a great body, but a little prudish.
Jena on the other hand, is the life of the party. I'm 6'2", and she looks me eye to eye. She has a body that almost looks cartoonish. She has huge tits, a small waist, and a firm bubble butt. Once you see her for the first time, you'll never forget her. Anyway, we were driving to a city about two hundred miles away.
The trip over was uneventful, and we got to our hotel just after 2 PM. We all unpacked and then we went to the suite where we were going to do an interview with a big time Hollywood star the next day. We checked in with everybody and then went back to our rooms. We were going to meet in the lobby at 6:30 and go out to dinner.
I was the first one there and waited by the lobby bar waiting. Jena walked up a few minutes latter, and said that Pam wasn't going to come because she wasn't feeling well.
So we got the car and went to a nice little Italian place for dinner.
It was small and very romantic, and the wine was flowing. I noted that it was a shame that our spouses weren't here to enjoy it too. She reached across the table and rubbed the top of my hand and said maybe we could enjoy it for them.
I looked her in the eyes and knew that it was going to be a good night. She slid around the booth to sit closer to me. The talk got more intimate and I put my hand under the table and started to rub her thigh.
She spread her legs a little and I moved my hand between them. I was a little afraid to move up to her pussy because of the people around us. She turned a little bit towards me and grabbed my dick and said maybe we should get back to the hotel before she fucked me on the table. I paid the bill and walked to the car with my hard-on clearly showing to anybody who looked.
As soon as we got in the car, she moved over and we started tongue kissing and feeling each other up. I have never put my hands on tits that large, and they seemed to be natural.
A minute latter she said to hurry and get back to her room. It was about a twenty-minuet drive back, and as soon as we were on the street she unzipped my pants and pulled my throbbing dick out. She went down and started sucking it. She was on her knees and I pulled her dress up and started rubbing her big bubble ass. I was having a hard time driving, but kept going. I soon had her panties pushed aside and had a finger in her very wet pussy.
I put another one in and was finger fucking her as best I could and stay on the road at the same time. A redneck in a pickup came up beside us on the right, looked down and saw that beautiful ass spread, my fingers flying in and out of her pussy, and he slowed up to watch the show. I told her what was happening and she just pushed her ass up higher so he could get a better look. Well, the hotel was coming up, so I pulled in to the parking lot and waved good-bye to the redneck.
When I found a parking spot, she really went to work on my dick, and I could feel my balls getting ready to erupt. She squeezed my balls, and I threw my head back and stared cumming in her mouth. She swallowed all of it. Sat up and kissed me and said we need to get to her room so I could give her pussy a good fucking.
We practically ran through the lobby to the elevators, then down the hall to her room.
As soon as we got the door shut we were ripping our close off and running to the bed. She was so hot that she just got on all fours on the bed shaking her ass at me and said to fuck her, NOW. I was still standing up and I walked up and pushed my dick in her wet pussy all the way in.
She was like a mad person. She was bucking and screaming how much she wanted me to cum in her pussy. She was cumming almost continually. Her pussy juice was streaming down her legs. I could feel my second orgasm coming, so I picked up the pace. I started to cum and screaming myself. My knees started to buckle, so I held on to her great ass to hold myself up and in her. It took a few minutes for us to get our breathing back to near normal. I pulled my cock out of her pussy, and it made a plopping sound because of the suction my cum and her pussy juice made.
I told her to stay just like that, and I got down and started to lick and suck the juices out of her pussy. She started to moan again. I then worked my way up and started to lick her ass. She turned around a told me that no one had ever done that to her. It seemed hard to believe with an ass like that.
It was made to worship, and I was on my knees doing just that. I was going form her pussy to her ass, getting it lubed up. Then I slid my head under her and just sucking her pussy while working a finger into her virgin ass. She relaxed in a couple of minutes, and started fucking her a little faster. She was moving her ass now to keep up with my finger. She told me to try another one. I worked in the second one slowly and she seemed to like that.
She told me that she had to lie down because she couldn't stay on her knees any longer; she was getting a little too shaky. I got one of the pillows and told her to lay it under her stomach so her ass was up in the air. I got a bottle of lotion that she had next to her bed, and squeezed a large amount of it in the crack of her ass.
I started to work it around and in her ass. She was cooing and moving her ass around. I got up behind her and started rubbing the head of my dick over her slick asshole. I told her to relax and I would go slowly.
She took a breath and I started to slide my cock in. It took a few minutes, but I got it all the way in. She told me that she was ready, and to start fucking. With that, I started jack hammering her ass hole as hard as I could. She was almost crying with pleasure, and started rubbing her pussy. She curled up a little and took her other hand and reached around, grabbed my balls and started to squeeze them gently. She started to cry out for me to cum in her ass and for me to fill it up with my hot cum.
I waited a couple of minutes so I could enjoy the way her asshole felt and how beautiful her ass looked with my dick going in and out. Then I cried out and started pumping my hot load of hot cum into her sweet ass. I collapsed on top of her and my dick popped out still cumming and shooting on her ass. We curled up and kissed each other and decided that we didn't miss our spouses as much as we thought. We Fell asleep in each other's arms and slept the night.
The next day we worked the interview and had dinner with the crew, then started home at about 6PM. Jena was up front with me and Pam was in the back. It was dark by that time. After a couple on minutes, Jena turned around to talk to Pam. Doing that she moved closer to me. Slowly she put her hand out and started rubbing my leg. Pam couldn't see because the seats are so high, so Jena got a little braver and started stroking my dick through my paints as they talked over the seats.
It was thrilling have my rock hard dick stroked and Pam not knowing a thing. I had button fly jeans on, and Jena started to undo them. It took a little while just using one hand, but she finally got my dick free. She started stroking it and rubbing the pre-cum over it.
About that time Pam asked me how long it would be before we got home. I managed to croak an answer. She asked what was wrong with my voice. I told her in a stronger voice that I that my mouth was dry. With that she said that she had a bottle of water and leaned forward to give it to me. Jena and I knew that we were about to get busted. Pam leaned forward to hand the water when she saw Jena jacking my exposed dick.
She yelled, "How long has this been going on". I didn't know what to say, but Jena, who never stopped jacking me, said it started last night.
She told her everything we'd done, and begged her not to be mad and tell our spouses.
It was something that just happened. Pam thought about it, at the same time watching Jena jacking me. She said she wouldn't say anything if she could change places with Jena and have some of my hard dick too. Well, I was the happiest one in the car, and Jena slid over the seat and Pam mover up front. Pam leaned over and started sucking my dick right away.
She was on her knees like Jena had been the night before. Jena not wanting to be left out, sat forward, lifted Pam's skirt up and started rubbing her pussy. I was driving 70 miles an hour with and orgy starting in the car, and I was hoping we would live thru it. Pam decided that she wanted to fuck.
We saw that there was a rest stop a couple of miles away.
We pulled in and parked as far away from the other cars as we could. We all got in the back seat and Pam pulled her panties off, straddled me and pushed my dick into her very wet pussy. Jena opened Pam's blouse, pushed her bra up and started sucking her nipples. I couldn't believe we were doing this in a busy rest stop, but it was too much fun to stop now. Pam started to cum and her pussy started griping my dick. She came and sat up to fast and hit her head on the roof of the car.
She leaned down and told me that she wanted me to shoot my cum in her pussy. As soon as she said that, she squeezes her pussy hard around my dick, and I started shooting deep into her cunt.
She got off me and Jena leaned over and started sucking the love juices off my dick. Pam leaned back and started fingering the cum out of her pussy and sharing it with me and Jena. As Pam and I started catching our breath, Jena said that she needs to be serviced too. Pam leaned over and got her shoulder bag off the floor. She then pulled out two rubber nine-inch dildos. My jaw dropped.
I never would have guessed that she would be carrying those around with her. Thank God for a large back seat. She gave one to Jena and then they both leaned back and started to slide them into their wet pussies. I'm sitting there with them on either side of me, and my dick gets hard again looking at them fuck them self's.
Jena sees me sitting their stroking my dick and leans over and starts sucking it getting it even harder. Pam starts having an orgasm and when it subsides, she pulls the dildo out and said she's had enough and her pussy can't take anymore.
She moves over as far as she can, and then tells us to get into a 69 with me on top. I'm not sure what she's got in mind, but we do as she asks. With my face buried my Jena's pussy, sucking her clit and sliding her dildo in and out of her sloppy pussy, and her sucking my dick, I then feel a set of lips on my ass.
Pam is licking my ass! She starts working her way to my ass hole where she is now sticking her tongue in my ass. Never have I had anything like this. Getting a mind-blowing blowjob, and having my ass rimmed and the same time!!!! All of the sudden she pulls her tongue away and I'm disappointed.
Then I feel something else there. Pam has her dildo and she's trying to get it in my ass. Since I like that, I relaxed, and she slides it all the way in and started pumping it. I'd forgotten that I was eating Jena's pussy, because of the feelings from my ass getting fucked, until she started to cum.
I went back and took her big clit back in my mouth and her orgasm screamed even higher. That started mine and I was shooting a load of cum down Jena's throat.
Pam pulled the dildo out and took my dick from Jena's mouth and finished sucking it dry. Well, there we were, clothes pulled up and down, all wet and sticky with our juices, breathing very hard, and us wrapped up around each other, in the backseat of a Town Car, with cars driving by.
We had sweat, my cum, their pussy juice all over us, our cloths and the leather seats. We all sat back and started laughing. We couldn't believe what we'd just done or where we'd done it.
We got home a little later than what we planed, and I was real happy that my wife was asleep so I could shower before she could smell Jena and Pam all over me. I'm hoping that we have another road trip SOON!


text:
Our faculty are leaders in their chosen fields, and they have connections with working professionals who can help students find jobs. Above all, our faculty and staff are committed to helping you succeed in your academic endeavors.
Faculty and Staff
Teaching: Legal Environment of Business; Debtor/Creditor Rights and Remedies; Information Technology Legal Issues
Teaching: Financial Markets and Intermediaries, Management of Financial Institutions
Dr. Susan J. Crain
Faculty Emeritus
Teaching: Financial Management; Intermediate Financial Management; Seminar in Derivatives
Teaching: Financial Decision Making and Advanced Financial Management
Teaching: Legal Env. of Bus. Orgs. for Professionals, Negotiation, Mediation, and Arbitration in Business, Legal Research and Writing, Legal Environment of Business
Teaching: Financial Management, Principles of Insurance
Dr. Carol J. Miller
Distinguished Professor
Teaching: Business Enterprises, Rights/Liabilities, Environmental Regulation, Legal Environment for Business Managers
Dr. Walt A. Nelson
Associate Professor
Teaching: Principles of Real Estate, Principles of Real Estate Appraisal, Real Estate Development
Dr. James D. Philpot
Associate Professor
Director of the Financial Planning Program
Teaching: Personal Financial Planning, Professional Financial Planning (CFP® Capstone), Intro. to Estate Planning
Dr. Puneet Prakash
Associate Professor
Baker Chair of Risk Management and Insurance
Dr. Kent P. Ragan
Associate Dean
Professor, Finance and General Business
Teaching: Financial Management; Advanced Financial Management
Dr. Doug Witte
Associate Professor
Teaching: International Financial Management, Financial Management


text: Anyone got any good drinks/concotions for getting/staying hydrated? I usually hit at least 1gal of water daily but I feel like shit until I get to around 1/2gal. Most ams Ill have headaches when I wake up and feel fine once Im better hydrated, so thought Id see if anyone has any ideas of something to drink upon waking up. Only thing Ive really done in the past is Ill make 20oz of water and throw some lemon wedges in it the night before and drink it immediately upon waling, but always looking to see if there might be something smarter/more effective to try out.


text:
How to Do Eagle Pose (Garudasana)
You know the popular idea that yoga requires twisting yourself up like a pretzel? Well, much as we try to counter that stereotype, Eagle is one of the poses that actually lives up to it. All that binding is to good purpose, however, as it opens areas of the body that are quite hard to access. Wrapping the legs and arms is only part of the equation, since Eagle is also a standing balance. The key to it all is to get low. Your standing leg must be significantly bent to lower your center of gravity for increased stability. Beginning in a Chair Pose helps set you up for better balance.
Health Benefits of Practicing Eagle Pose
Eagle stretches several parts of the body that are difficult to get at and not addressed by many other yoga postures. In the lower body, wrapping your lifted leg lengthens the glutes on that side, plus the muscles that connect the femur to the pelvis, namely the piriformis and the gemelli. Meanwhile, the standing leg is working hard to maintain stability and balance. If it's difficult to wrap your leg while standing, you can do it while lying on your back to get a very similar stretch.
Up top, crossing your elbows in front of your body elongates muscles in your upper back and shoulders: the lats, the rhomboids, and the trapezii. Again, you can get the same stretch in a seated position, but putting it all together with the standing balance adds strengthening benefits since it works the standing leg and core. Being able to handle a combination of difficult elements in one pose is an indication that you are ready for more advanced postures.
1. Begin in Chair Pose (Utkatasana). Release your arms to your sides but keep your legs bent.
2. Lift your right foot off the floor and cross your right thigh over your left thigh. Hug your thighs together. If possible, hook your right foot around your left calf to complete the leg bind. If that doesn't work, it's fine to leave your right foot unbound or even to lower your right big toe to the floor to act as a little kickstand if you need to.
3. Lift your torso to a more perpendicular position. Put your hands on your hips to make sure that one of them isn't sticking out to the side. They should maintain an even Tadasana position.
4. Whichever leg is on top, the opposite side's arm goes on top. Bring both arms out in front of you parallel to the floor. Cross your left arm over the right arm at the elbow. Bend both elbows so that the forearms are perpendicular to the floor and bring your palms to touch as much as possible.
5. Though your hands are in the way, bring your gaze to a fixed point in front of you to help you maintain balance. Take several breaths in this upright position.
6. For an additional challenge, begin to round your spine and bring your elbows toward your knees. Once you have touched elbow to knee, rise back up to a straight spine. Repeat this action several more times.
7. Bring your spine back to a vertical position and release your arms and legs to come out of the pose. Shake out your limbs and repeat the pose standing on your right leg.
Liv x
Featured Yogini @minna.skirgard


text:
A secure, fast and reliable way to transfer money to or from South Africa, SWIFT allows you to make payments directly into a beneficiary's foreign account.
What you can do with SWIFT transfers
- Send money to an individual or business in another country
- Receive funds directly into your account from abroad
- If you're registered for Absa Online, you can make use of the SWIFT service by clicking on the International Funds Transfer gadget under the Payments tab
- To make sure your payment is successful, give the sender Absa's SWIFT code and your bank account number (Absa's SWIFT code is ABSAZAJJ).
- Inward payment are now available on the Absa Banking App
Benefits of electronic transfers
- Secure form of payment
- Much faster than a bank draft
- You can stipulate the exact date of payment
- Quick and convenient
- Available online.
What do I need to make an electronic payment
- The beneficiary's bank details, account number, name and residential address
- Any documentation required by the South African Reserve Bank (SARB).
SWIFT GPI (Global Payments Innovation)
ABSA is a proud member of SWIFT GPI (Global Payments Innovation) offering transformed cross-border payment services to our customers. SWIFT GPI is a fast moving initiative working at transforming the global payments world with a specific focus on cross-border payments.
- This enables full track and trace on cross boarder payments.
- Should the beneficiary bank also be a member we will provide you a notification with a beneficiary credit confirmation.
- Includes a list of participating banks worldwide.
Need more help?
Let one of our consultants assist you.
Call us on:
0860 151 151
Email us at:


text:
Israeli screenwriter Shlomit Nehama has done something pretty amazing: she has written a movie with a strong feminist voice about encroaching religious extremism that still respects Jewish religious traditions, has a sense of humor and a huge heart.
In Hebrew with English subtitles, "The Women's Balcony" is a total delight and I urge my readers to see this film when you can. In fact, though the story focuses on a small Orthodox community in Jerusalem, its themes are timely and should resonate with people of all religions.
In the movie, a community begins to splinter apart when a fundamentalist rabbi takes advantage of their crisis: the women's upstairs balcony in the synagogue has collapsed, the congregation is temporarily homeless and their injured rabbi is temporarily unable to lead. The new, younger and more dynamic rabbi begins to preach extremist views, including the theory that the balcony collapsed because the women didn't dress modestly enough and did not cover their hair. A few of the women believe his fire-and-brimstone talks and start praying fervently with their hair covered. Marriages begin to fray as more of the men start seeing things the rabbi's way, and women's friendships, formerly tight-knit, also begin to unravel. The camp is divided.
When the congregants realize with a shock that the rabbi has repaired the damaged synagogue without the women's balcony, relegating the women to a cell-like room adjacent to the building, the women finally rebel. This theme of growing religious fundamentalism is timely and universal. Good religion offers a sense of community, identity, purpose and transcendence. But done badly, without sense or heart, it can divide as it conquers, though the conquest will not last.
As someone who wrestled mightily with the structure of Jewish Orthodoxy before I signed on to it (I dislike the Orthodox label but use it as a reference point), the film touched a nerve with me by raising issues that are difficult for many observant Jewish women, such as covering hair for married women, sitting separately from men in shul, and the limits of rabbinic authority. These are the very same issues (among others) that I raise in my long-awaited memoir (long-awaited by me, anyway!), The Skeptic and the Rabbi, out September 5. I hope I did half as good a job as Shlomit Nehama and director Emil Ben-Shimon at adding humor into my story as they did in their film.
"The Women's Balcony" offers viewers a feel-good, plausible, happy ending, where the bonds of community and the power of love, compassion and common sense overwhelm harsh religious zealotry.