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by Eliezer Brodt
The Messilat Yesharim, by R. Moshe Chaim Luzzato (Ramchal), is one of the foundational works of mussar. [1] The Gra, among others, praise the Messilat Yesharim.[2] As such, any addition to its oeuvre is important in its own right. The Ofeq Institute* has recently published an English translation of an alternative version of the Messilat Yesharim. This version is fundamentally different than the standard edition of Messilat Yesharim. The standard edition is divided into chapters based upon various character traits. The second, this new version, eschews the chapter divisions and instead is arranged in a conversation or dialogue format. Specifically, a dialogue between a "wise man" and a "pious person" is the format of this version. This second version comes from a manuscript in the Baron Ginzburg collection in the St. Petersberg Library. The manuscript is in the Ramchal's own hand and is substantially larger than the other version. Although the Hebrew edition of the dialogue version has been available for a bit (also from Ofeq),[3] this version has now been published in an English edition and this edition will be the focus of this post.
First a word about the Ofeq Institute. Over the past twenty years Mechon Ofeq has released many editions of the works of the geonim, rishonim and achronim covering all genres of Jewish literature. All these works are critical editions with extensive notes and introductions. Almost all their editions include extensive footnotes. (One of the only complaints some have is that there's simply too much information in the footnotes). Much like the novel version of Ofeq's Messilat Yesharim, many of the works are based on manuscripts from the Ginzburg collection, a collection that was only recently released to the public.
To highlight but a few of their other titles. A work on Iyov from the bet midrash of Rashi and a commentary on Yecheskel from R. Yosef Heyun. They begun to publish a critical edition of the rishonim on Torat Kohanim as well as a commentary on Tosefta. They have printed works from geonim like R. Natronai Goan. Many works of rishonim on shas, most well-known being the Tosafas HaRosh on Pesachim and Haggigah, and Tosafos Yeshanim on Yevomos. A facsimile edition of Rambam on Madda and Ahava in the Rambam's own hand. They have printed hagadahs from rishonim an excellent critical edition of the Seder Hakabalah of the Meriei. Another work of note is Meah Shaearim a two volume edition on hilchos kibud av v'em.
Ofeq, run by R. Avraham Shoshana and based in Cleavland Ohio utilizes not only Torah scholars (read products of Yeshiva education) but experts who are academics as well. For their editon of the R. Natronai Goan they used Professor Brody a leading expert of the geonim period. For other works of rishonim they have used Professors Emanuel, Hevlin and Speigel all experts in their respective fields. Or, in the case of the Messilat Yesharim, Professor Septimus was involved. That is, Ofeq ensures that the works they put out are of a high caliber. To some, this is an anathema. They view the inclusion of non-Torah scholars to be unconscionable. Most recently objections of this nature were expressed by R. Yehuda Liba ben Dovid in Bes HaVaad (see post here ). As I pointed out, however, R. ben Dovid's position is in the minority.
Aside from Ofeq's Hebrew publications they also have published some books in English. The Messilat Yesharim, however, is their most ambitious English translation to-date.
This English translation includes an introduction discussing the Messilat Yesharim, the two versions, and the English translation employed. The translation does not skimp in the sense that it is annotated with English notes - something that does not appear in all English translation. Instead, many English translations provide the footnotes in Hebrew. While this seems counter-intuitive as if the person wants to read the work in English, they would like to read the whole work including the footnotes. This edition does not suffer from that and instead, almost everything is in English. Additionally, although Ofeq has published the "dialogue" edition, they also include the original version in translation as well. There are, however, two parts that remain in Hebrew. The first are citations to verses, talmudic passages and the like, the second is the final work included which compares the dialogue version with the standard chapter version. This last section, titled Bein HaMesilot, is in Hebrew.
When it comes to English translations, there are typically two options. The first are academic presses which are typically expensive and not aimed at a popular audience. The second, are the traditional Orthodox presses, while these are typically more readable, they (although not always) don't provide some of the scholarly detail. Ofeq's translation of the Messilat Yesharim
strikes a nice balance between these two - they have produced a highly readable yet include the scholarly detail as well.
As mentioned above, what is unique about this copy of the Mesilat Yesharim is that is is written in a completely different style than the current Mesilat Yesharim. This new version is written in a debate form. The Ramchal wrote other works in debate form as well. For example, his work on defending kabbala. For whatever reason, he chose to print the other, standard, version and the debate version remained in manuscript. It's unclear, however, why the Ramchal chose to do so. Many feel that a debate version is much better for 2 reasons: One, it keeps the reader much more interested and two, it brings out the various points much better as is always in a debate form.
For many years, the sefer Messilat Yesharim was learned as a mussar sefer, becoming one of the classics. Many people used to take it into a dark room and learn it in special tunes saying the words again and again until they penetrated. However, many people have a fear of mussar, having bad memories from yeshiva, forcing themselves to read mussar sefarim during mussar seder that they felt did not talk to them. I would like to suggest a new way to read this sefer. Read it as a regular sefer. Concentrate on the ideas discussed in it, not only focused on the mussar, but rather on the pshatim, aggada and statements throughout the sefer. Just to list a few of these lesser appreciate portions of the Messilat Yesharim:
והנה ודאי שיעזרהו לזה רוב התמדה והעיון במזמורי דוד המלך והתבונוות בם במאמריהם וענינים כי בהיותם כולם מלאים אהבה ויראה וכל מיני חסידות. הבנה בהתבוננו בם. לא ימנע מהתעורר בו התעוררות גדול לצאת בעקבותיו וללכתב בדרכיו. (פרק כא)
Or highlighting the value of reading gedolim books or at least the aggadic section of the gemarah
וכן תועיל הקריאה בסיפור מעשה החסידים באגדות אשר באו שם. כי כל אלה מעוררים את השכל להתיעץ ולעשות כמעשיהם הנחמדים... (פרק כא)
In this passage, the Ramchal takes a positive view vis-a-vis working at least if learning remains a main focus
כי הנה העסק מוכרח הוא לאדם לצרוך פרנסתו, אך ריבו העסק אינו מוכרח שיהיה כל כך גדול עד שלא יניח לו מקום אל עבודותו. על כן נצטוינו לקבוע עתים לתורה. (פרק ה וראה פרק כא)
And, on keeping chumros he has an intresting point
הוא להחמיר בהם תמיד לחוש אפילו לדברי יחיד במחלקות אם טעמו נראה אפילו שאין הלכה כמותו(פרק יד)
Elsewhere he expands on this thought a bit more
באשר כבר יחשבו שהחסידות תלוי בדברי הבל או דברים נגד השכל והדיעה הנכונה. ויאמינו היות כל החסידות תלוי רק באמירת בקשות רבות ווידוים גדולים ובכיות והשתחויות גדולות ובסיגופים הזרים שימית בהם אדם את עצמו כטיבלת הקרא והשלג וכיוצא בדברים אלה... אך מציאות החסידות עצמו הוא דבר עמוק... כי הנה המצות המוטלת על כל ישראל כבר ידועות הן וחובתן ידועה עד היכן היא מגעת. אמנם מי שאוהב את הבוראית"ש אהבה אמתית לא ישתדל ויכון לפטור עצמו במה שכבר מפורסם מן החובה אשר על כל ישראל בכלל... אלא אדרבא... יהיה לי לעינים להרבות בזה הענין ולהרחיב אותו בכל הצדדין שאוכל לדון שרצונו יתברך חפץ בו... נמצא כלל החסידות הרחבת קיום כל המצות בכל הצדדין והתנאים שראוי ושאפשר... (פרק יח)
In the introduction the Ramchal has a puzzling remark, that many have taken issue with, but, in reality, the Ramchal was following in the path of Chovos haLevovvos
היתכן שיגע ויעמול שכלנו בחקירות אשר לא נתחייבו בם, בפלפולים אשר לא יצא לנו שום פרי מהם, ודינים אשר אינם שייכם לנו.
Here R Shoshanah has a nice comment (p. 18) of sources discussing this point.
When he wrote this work the Ramchal wrote a puzzling remark in the beginning showing his humility he writes
One more nice piece from Messilat Yesharim is:
Turning back to the Ofeq edition in particular, it is important to highlight the footnotes included. While much has been written on the Messilat Yesharim before this edition, especially worthy of mention is the edition of R Sarna. This edition that includes notes by R. Shoshana has included that aside from explaining the text and the concepts therein and providing sources that the Ramchal's comments are based on in Hazel and the rishonim (as R. Shoshana notes that he has spent many years learning this sefer very carefully) also offers historical info such as on page 6 when dealing with learning pilpul or on page 127 about a custom in those days in Italy where there were large plays and comics played before Jewish audiences.
The only criticism I can think of on this edition is that they should have included all their appendices and introductions that they printed in the Hebrew edition previously printed by them. But, with this new edition it should be much easier to learn And I am sure one will enjoy this all time classic even today.
As Ofeq has extensively utilized manuscripts in both this edition of the Messilat Yesharim as well as in the rest of their publications. We should highlight another book, published by Ofeq, that is on the topic of Hebrew manuscripts. Benjamin Richler's book, Hebrew Manuscripts: a Treasured Legacy, (this is available to readers of the Seforim blog for a special price of $24.95 including postage - please contact Ofeq their information is provided below) is a great introduction to the world of manuscripts for anyone. The book contains a lot of information and pictures of all types of handwriting. The book traces and describes briefly many manuscript collections, both private and public including the Ginzburg collection - the collection where the dialogue version of MessilatYesharim as well as other important manuscripts were found. It even lists the numbers that some of these seforim have in the very big collections. Besides for this, the book contains some nice descriptions with pictures of many manuscripts. Of interest is on page 50, a picture of a manuscript of a machzor from 1290 that has pictures of malachim with faces of dogs. The book also includes a bit of a history of the various catalogs of manuscripts that have been written until today. Interestingly enough, Richler writes that the JTS and Hebrew University collections are not completely cataloged. (maybe by now, they are - for an update on the JNUL collection see Richler's post here). He has a chapter discussing the importance of manuscripts besides for ones not printed, which there are many. It also is to check the accuracy of previous editions. This book was written before the Ginzburg collection was released (p. 110). In addition, there's a excellent chapter on the Cairo Geniza from one of the biggest experts on the geonic era, Professor Robert Brody. Here too, Brody discusses many of the basic questions one has about this topic, such as why all this is in the geniza in the first place. He also discusses where all the documents are location today and the progress of the study of these documents.
[1] In an earlier post discussing the content and censorship of the sefer Menuchah u-Kedushah, and I note that according to the author of Menucah u-Kedushah, the Messilat Yesharim was written with ruach ha-kodesh.
[2] For a discussion about the Gra and his views towards R. Moshe Hayyim Luzzato and the Messilat Yesharim, see Y. Eliach, HaGra, vol. 1 pp. 240-45, where Eliach devotes a chapter to this issue. There is even a statement attributed to the Gra that there are no extra words in the sefer Messilat Yesharim, until chapter 11. This statement sparked a discussion as to exactly which word in chapter 11 is the extra one that the Gra was referring to. Additionally, it seems that the Gra even had some of the Ramchal's works in manuscript.
[3] The Hebrew edition includes an extensive introduction enumerating all the differences between the versions by R. Yosef Avivi, an expert on kaballah and especially the Ramchal's writings.
*As Ofeq's website is a bit dated, those wishing to obtain a catalogue of Ofeq's publications should contact them at: Ofeq Institute, 27801 Euclid Ave., Suite 430, Euclid, OH 44132, fax (216) 731-5567; email email@example.com
Their contact information in Israel is 02-653-5920, or e-mail: email@example.com


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Review Summary
- Beautiful, high-tech rooms, with large flat-screen TVs and iPads
- Convenient location in the southern part of SoHo
- Romantic yet contemporary design inspired by Jean Cocteau's 1946 film "La Belle et la Bete"
- On-site restaurant and bar in greenhouse setting
- Stunning views from rooms on floors 15 and above
- Free bike rentals
- Rooms are on the small side (they start at 190 square feet)
- Most bathrooms are tiny
- Small, underground fitness center (but with state-of-the-art machines)
- No business center
Bottom Line
Opened in February 2011, this stylish 270-room hotel is located right on the southern border of chic SoHo. NoMo is a combination of "nostalgic" and "modern" and the hotel aims to have an aesthetic that unites the two. It has small, beautiful rooms with white-and-blue decor, high-tech amenities -- like large flat-screen TVs and iPads -- and floor-to-ceiling windows, many with jaw-dropping views. The fitness center, though small and in the basement, has state-of-the-art machines with personal screens and headphones. There's an on-site restaurant and bar in a pretty conservatory space with windowed ceilings.

subset: commoncrawl


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Arterati photog Barron at New Dominion
Art photographer and author Jeannette Montgomery Barron, famous for her portraits of Andy Warhol, Robert Mapplethorpe, William Burroughs, Keith Haring, our own Beatrix Ost-Kuttner, and others in the New York art world of the 1980s, will present passages from her memoir My Mother's Clothes, an account of her mother's battle with Alzheimer's and Barron's attempt to provoke memories by showing her mother, a fashonista in her day, portraits of her clothes. New Dominion Book Shop Wednesday, April 21 at 11am.
From Barron's website:
"I originally thought of photographing my mother's clothes as a project exclusively for her, to help spark her memories from the past; she had been diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease. The project worked; my mother and I looked together at the photographs I had taken, and she would remember parts of her past. In fact, some of the titles of these photographs are direct quotes from my mother; "This is the Really Good One" and "We did a Lot of Dancing."
My mother was a small town girl from Guyton, Georgia who fell in love with my father, married and moved with him to Atlanta in the 1940s. In addition to my father, she loved clothes, especially those of the designers Bill Blass, Yves St. Laurent, and Norman Norell. As a young girl, I remember driving to Rich's department store in downtown Atlanta"Š(more)
5 comments
What in the world is an Arterati Photog?
Da ppl dat b chazin Chang iz nutty son....smh
And where can I get one? :)
Is that a photo of Peter Chang?
If you don't know what it is, I have one for sale............


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A Father's Loving Care
Cecily Woodard-Spencer
Landover, MD USA
From: NEW BEGINNINGS, Vol. 15 No. 2, March - April 1998, p. 46-47
We provide articles from our publications from previous years for reference for our Leaders and members. Readers are cautioned to remember that research and medical information change over time.
I know firsthand how important fathers are both to a mother and her children. Let me tell you about an exceptional father—my husband, David Spencer.
Our oldest daughter, Dresden, was born October 14, 1992, with Down syndrome. Though we quickly came to see what a profound blessing she was, those first few days of Dresden's life were very difficult and stressful. The situation was made worse by ignorant nurses who promptly informed me that a baby with Down syndrome couldn't be successfully breastfed. When I told them that she was breastfeeding, they insisted on watching me feed her to prove it; still, they continued to pressure me to give her a bottle. During all of this stressful time, my husband was my sounding board and supported my resolve to continue breastfeeding. Little did I know then that this would be the case throughout much of my daughter's life.
Although most children with Down syndrome lead relatively healthy lives, our daughter was plagued with health problems including, finally, leukemia. Dresden was hospitalized or was visiting the doctor's office often during her four-and-a-half years of life. We soon found that pediatric hospitals are overwhelmingly a woman's domain; fathers visit but are rarely very involved, especially with chronically ill children. We noticed that if we were both in a room with the doctors, they would ignore my husband and speak only to me—they quickly learned not to do this!
During her first hospital stay, Dresden became too weak to nurse enough to prevent dehydration. We had to consent to a nasal-gastric feeding tube. I chose to pump breast milk for her. Again, my husband strongly supported and encouraged my decision, while the doctor did not. For two years I alternately nursed and pumped my milk for my daughter while my husband helped to fight off the many professionals and friends who tried to prevent or dissuade us.
My daughter's health condition made her vomit several times daily and have repeated episodes of diarrhea. There were numerous medications to administer, and eventually she had a feeding pump, a feeding tube permanently inserted in her stomach, and a permanent IV central line in her chest that required daily changes. IV pumps became a part of our daily lives. My husband took an active role in all of this. When Dresden was hospitalized, David spent every night, all night, in the hospital caring for our daughter and then worked all day. No matter where we were, when Dresden was feeling good, he played with her, played the piano and sang for her, and read her millions of books. When she was feeling bad, he cried for her, held her, sang to her, and again read her millions of books. No one could make her smile like Daddy—and what a smile she had!
Almost every week, someone at the hospital would pull me aside to tell me what a wonderful father my husband was. I, of course, wholeheartedly agreed! My husband would always respond to this with amazement—he believed that any father would do the same for his child, and was amazed to learn that there were many people who considered a father who was involved actively to be a luxury.
On January 27, 1997, Dresden died of complications from the leukemia she had battled for almost three years. Her last day was like many before; she spent the day with her sister and me, and she spent the night with her daddy, holding his hand. As the morning approached, she let go of his hand and slept peacefully for the first time that night, and then quietly passed away. I believe she could not bear to go while holding her daddy's hand.
My husband thinks it is sad that people thought what he did was extraordinary for a father. He feels, as I do, that we were blessed to have Dresden in our lives and that he wouldn't have done things any differently. I know that he wishes fathers who aren't involved with their children could understand what they are missing. I am profoundly grateful to have David as my husband and as my children's father.


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Lexington, KY, 1993 / 2001
20 x 30 in.
I shot most of these pictures from the passenger seat of a moving car
in 1992-3. I let intuition guide me, reaching up to snap a picture when
something caught my attention—a sudden opening across the landscape,
light glancing off a barn roof, a moment when my field of vision seemed
to turn on its axis and stack itself in front of me. Lined by miles
of black rail fences bordering thoroughbred horse farms, the back roads
of the Bluegrass immerse you into color, form, and fragments of Kentucky's
history. As the landscape rushed past the car window, responding to
this beauty with my camera felt natural and inevitable.
Though these pictures share a reliance on chance and intuition with
street photography in the tradition of Henri Cartier-Bresson, they are
not "decisive moment" photographs in the sense Bresson describes.
In the decisive moment, you monitor promising events as they unfold,
snapping the shutter just as the elements cohere into the best possible
photograph. There is, in Bresson's words, a "precise organization
of forms" that you target and try to capture on film. As Joel
Meyerowitz, a Bresson protégé in his early years, describes
it, you are a "visual athlete" making "sensational
By contrast, I'm looking for insights that aren't possible
when the camera simply materializes an ideal already pictured in the
mind. The motion of the car makes chance a collaborator in these photos,
a role I often underscored further by flicking my wrist or rotating
the camera when snapping the shutter. Instead of zeroing in on a subject
through the viewfinder, I used the camera as an extension of my body
in space, making it a part of events as much as a tool for observing
them. Sometimes I thought of it as a paint brush, marking on a canvas
I wouldn't see until days later. My hope was to see my improvisational
encounters transformed on the photograph's two-dimensional picture plane
in richer ways than I could have predicted. The end result was a stack
of prints that functioned simultaneously as photographic records and
found objects, requiring yet another round of aesthetic decisions, one
echoing those I made in the passenger seat of a moving car.
These photographs also use time in a different way than ordinary street
photographs. In the decisive moment, you freeze time, which sets up
a troubling analogy between the eye and a camera with a very fast shutter
speed. By allowing time to function, I'm looking for a closer
model for how perception works and the role time can play in shaping
it. There are fleeting moments—just before the conscious mind
begins to sort things into familiar categories—when intuition
gives a defining stamp to the visual, when we see with the freshest
eyes. To me, these enlargements open windows onto such moments. To be
able to revisit them in such detail feels magical to me. I hope some
of that magic comes through for others.
Todd Stabley, August, 2003


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Groupie Vs Gold Digger: Latina Groupie Goes Off On Basketball Wives & Then Gets A Big Splash With A Drink To The Face! "B*tch, Im Gonna Find You In The Streets. Don't Come Out Your House" (About To Whoop Some Basketball Wive Azz)
Basketball Wives drama
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Tennessee is taking a big step backward with a new "academic freedom" bill that will open the doors of the public schools to a whole flood of nonsense. Students at the University of Tennessee sent a polite letter to the governor explaining the problems with the bill.
Dear Governor Haslam,
We are writing to you regarding HB368/SB893. As graduate students at the University of Tennessee, we strongly believe that this Bill represents a step backward for Tennessee and our state's ascending recognition for Science and STEM education. We are specifically writing to address the nature of the Bill itself, which we feel was not adequately discussed during either the House or Senate hearings and misrepresents the undivided consensus among anthropologists, biochemists, biologists, ecologists, evolutionary biologists, genome scientists, geographers, and molecular biologists.
If given a cursory reading, this Bill appears to advocate for intellectual freedom in the classroom and hence would seem prudent. However, it is abundantly clear from both a careful reading and from the testimony at hearings that the intent of this Bill is to encourage teachers to call into question universally accepted scientific principles.
In Section 1(a)(2) of SB893, the generally assembly states "The teaching of some scientific subjects, including, but not limited to, biological evolution, the chemical origins of life, global warming, and human cloning, can cause controversy;"
We agree. However, this "controversy" is not scientific. The controversy to which the Bill alludes is the reluctance of non-scientists to accept these principles due to certain religious and political beliefs. This can be the only explanation for the inclusion of human cloning in the Bill. Human cloning is solely an ethical issue. There is no scientific debate on how to clone an organism or whether genetic clones can be created. It is a fact that humans can create genetic clones. Only the ethics of the issue is at stake.
Scientific evidence supporting the occurrence of biological evolution, global climate change, and the chemical origin of life are not controversial among scientists. Scientists universally accept these principles based on their predictability and the overwhelming evidence supporting them. Among scientists, the controversy exists in the details such as how changes in temperatures will affect biodiversity or what evolutionary forces
regulate the speciation process. This type of discussion is due to the very nature of science, which requires the constant acquisition and analysis of data.
However, this is not the controversy to which the Bill speaks. The bill later states, in section 1(c), that "The state board of education . . . shall endeavor to assist teachers to find effective ways to present the science curriculum as it addresses scientific controversies." This wording seems to imply that the controversy for these aforementioned subjects lies in the scientific realm where in reality they lie only in the political and religious ones.
We fear that this bill only ostensibly supports "critical thinking" in Tennessee's classrooms. Instead, by implying that subjects such as evolution and global warming are "debatable", this bill achieves the exact opposite of its purported goal. This is tantamount to encouraging educators to suggest students in science classes disregard the very nature of the scientific process and ignore factual data in favor of the beliefs of some individuals. Scientists cannot ignore data in favor of personal biases. If they did, they would be discredited as non-objective.
This Bill is a step backwards and would do irreparable harm to the development of STEM education in this state. As university educators, we continually face the challenge of losing students' interests in science courses when they arrive at The University of Tennessee because they are frustrated by their lack of sufficient preparation. Many of them know very little about evolution by natural selection or the mechanisms of global climate change. We hope that you see that as with the legislatures who passed this bill, we too are concerned about the education of children in Tennessee.
This passage of this Bill has the potential to cost the state dearly in terms of lost revenue, a poorly trained scientific workforce, and an exodus of scientists and educators who do not wish to have their discipline diluted with non-scientific biases. We fear that calling into question scientific support of foundations to biological theory will cripple the ability of Tennessee's students to become functional scientists, doctors, professionals, and contributing members of many growing fields.
We ask that you please thoughtfully consider our position, and veto this bill. Thank you for your time.
Graduate Researchers in Ecology, Behavior, and Evolutionary Biology (G.R.E.B.E)
The University of Tennessee, Knoxville
[56 grad students from EEB and other departments signed the petition]
Now this is it: this is the last day before Haslam signs the bill into law. Contact the governor and urge him to veto this embarrassing law.
Here's the contact information for his office:
Phone: (615) 741-2001
Fax: (615) 532-9711
email: firstname.lastname@example.com
World-wide criticism would be helpful at this point.


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Monday, 12 November 2012 06:32 AM
MOSCOW — President Vladimir Putin's chief of staff has acknowledged he was aware of alleged embezzlement of state funds earmarked for Russia's satellite navigation system, a statement seen by some as a sign of an intensifying battle among the Kremlin clans.
Sergei Ivanov said he discussed the probe with police officials but didn't speak publicly about it for several years, to prevent the culprits from covering up their deeds. Ivanov, a KGB veteran like Putin, said years in the spy service taught him to be sly with the enemy.
"I have spent a large part of my life in foreign intelligence," he told Channel One television. "The most horrible thing there is betrayal, and here we had the same thing. I had to be patient and not let my feelings show, because I realized that if I did that it would tip them off and push them to cover up their trail."
Ivanov's comments, broadcast late Sunday, come after a Russian police official said Friday that the Interior Ministry was investigating the allegations of embezzlement of 6.5 billion rubles (over $200 million) earmarked for Russia's GLONASS satellite navigation system.
As a former Cabinet member, Ivanov previously oversaw the development of the system that competes with the GPS navigation system run by the United States.
The allegations follow a military corruption scandal that led to last week's ouster of Defense Minister Anatoly Serdyukov, and some observers alleged a link between them.
Some commentators saw Ivanov's comments as a clumsy attempt to avoid blame for allowing corruption to flourish at the ambitious project that has seen a series of humiliating failures in recent years, including the loss of three satellites in a failed launch in December 2010.
"It's a specifically Russian way of investigating corruption: after learning that someone intends to steal state funds through shell companies you just hide and wait for two or three years," Anton Nosik, a prominent blogger, wrote in a sardonic post Monday.
Valery Morozov, an anti-corruption activist, said in his blog that the claims of embezzlement appeared to reflect the infighting among the Kremlin clans.
Ivanov was widely seen as a driving force behind Serdyukov's ouster, and the other camp seemed to strike back with the claim of corruption in GLONASS, Morozov said.
While Putin linked Serdyukov's departure to a probe into military corruption, most experts believe he was sacked because of an intensifying behind-the-scenes battle for the distribution of 20 trillion rubles ($635 billion) that the Kremlin plans to spend on buying new weapons through 2020.
Serdyukov was refusing to sign new weapons contracts, demanding higher quality and cheaper prices from the military industry, a stance that angered industry leaders with strong Kremlin connections.
Vladimir Milov, a former deputy energy minister turned opposition leader, said in a commentary posted Monday on online Gazeta.ru that Putin seems unable to mediate the escalating conflicts between his lieutenants.
"Putin has failed to maintain a reasonable balance of forces in his entourage after his return to the presidency," Milov wrote. "Simply speaking, Putin has rarely shown up at work and has been reluctant to play the role of an efficient arbiter on domestic conflicts that he did so well at the peak of his popularity."
The action-man image Putin has cultivated throughout his 13-year tenure has faded recently, as Putin has canceled several foreign trips in the past few weeks and spent most of his time at his suburban residence, fueling media speculation about a back problem.
One recent newspaper report claimed that he had injured himself in a widely publicized flight with Siberian cranes in a motorized hang-glider in September.
His spokesman has said that Putin is suffering from a pulled muscle, but insisted that it resulted from judo training and had no connection to the flight.
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If there's one thing to be thankful for in the wake of Brazil's World Cup meltdown, it's that the host country's stunning 7-1 defeat gave Brazilian newspaper editors a chance to cut loose and really go all-in with the despair. With that in mind, let's survey (via Newseum) today's best, saddest Brazilian newspaper covers.
These are all great, but I don't think any cover can match the bleak melancholy of Metro's:
There's your abyss, Brazil fans. Go ahead and fall into it.


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Be a part of a unique online community that connects post production professionals and film academics worldwide.
You'll have access to personalize your news feed, access to Live Post Talks and much more. Contribute to the community by posting interesting post production content.
December 5, 2012, 3:03 pm
Step up to Adobe® Premiere® Pro CS6 software, including more than 50 new features designed to make switching easier. Final Cut and Avid keyboard shortcuts, tight integration with Adobe After Effects® and Adobe Photoshop® software, unmatched performance, and more help you conquer even your most demanding projects.
January 21, 2019, 5:33 am
Welcome to part four of the PremiumBeat Resolve Editing crash course. In this episode, we look at audio features on the edit page.
January 21, 2019, 5:33 am
The LuxCoreRender team has released version 2.1 of the open-source physically based renderer, adding a new image denoiser, plus the option to pause and resume renders via the Blender integration plugin.
January 19, 2019, 9:36 am
In this premium video tutorial, Pro Tools Expert team member Julian Rodgers looks at the possible uses for half speed record in Pro Tools. Is it useful for more than creating octave up special effects?
January 19, 2019, 9:36 am
STUDIO CITY, CALIF -- The Motion Picture Sound Editors (MPSE) today announced nominees for the 66th Annual MPSE Golden Reel Awards, which recognize the work of the world's most talented sound artists and their outstanding achievement in sound editing in 23 categories encompassing feature films, television, animation, computer entertainment and student productions.
January 19, 2019, 9:36 am
Studio's head and executive creative director will share inner workings of their visual and physical effects work on Disney's BAFTA and VES-nominated sci-fi adventure.
January 19, 2019, 9:36 am
SAN FRANCISCO -- Autodesk has launched Maya 2019, the latest version of its popular 3D animation, modeling, simulation and rendering software, featuring significant updates to help artists achieve their creative vision within a faster, more interactive and visually engaging working environment.
January 19, 2019, 9:36 am
January 18, 2019, 11:42 am
How does Final Cut Pro X deal with camera media? What is rewrapping video files, why do we need camera archives and disk image files?
January 18, 2019, 11:41 am
Don't miss this VFX Breakdown by MPC about their beautiful work on this touching JOHN LEWIS commercial featuring Elton John at the various time periods...
January 18, 2019, 6:25 am
In this lesson, Kevin P McAuliffe talks about the newest updates to Boris Continuum Complete 2019's Title Studio. This first, in a multi-part tutorial series, will focus in on BCC's excellent title application. This effect has improved by leaps and bounds since it's inception, and if you're a Media Composer editor who does most of their titling in app, this will become your "Go To" effect for high end titling, in both HD and larger than HD projects!
Gordon sits down with Wyatt Smith to discuss the editing of Mary Poppins Returns and the challenges the film presented him in ...
Gordon sits down with Chayse Irvin to discuss his approach to shooting BlacKkKlansman and his theories about cinematography.
Bill Curso is a makeup artist with thirty plus years under his belt, he's got three Oscar nominations with one win, fiv ...
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Patricia VS. Bobbie — Model Melee
We found the real reason behind global warming: these two Model Melee contestants are heating up the oceans. We're fine with it.
Now that Vanessa is officially in the Model Melee Hall of Fame (we highly recommend you click that link and check out the photo gallery), it's time for two brand new Model Melee contenders.
@PattAllTh3Time (left) is a model, singer and dancer from Miami, FL. She says she's a free-spirited, ambitious, passionate dreamer who loves her family, animals, nature, travel and going to the gym.
@BobbieGrei (right) is a singer from Brooklyn who says everything else she does (artist and MAXIM model) is just to keep her from getting bored. Thank goodness for boredom.
So, which pic is hotter? Vote as often as once an hour. Voting ends on Friday, 6/7 at noon, EST.
Official Rules
The winning girl moves on to challenge another girl next week. If one woman dominates and wins four weeks in a row, she makes the 'Model Melee Hall of Fame' and gets retired from the competition. At the end of the year, all Hall of Famers will return, to face off in the crowning of the 'Grand Hot Twitpic Champion' (or something – we will come up with a better title by then.)
Want to be featured in 'Model Melee?' Tweet the photo to @Guy_Speed.


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Trust Erected Platform in 2011 on Cathedral Spire to Tempt Recent Arrivals in City
Peregrines started prospecting a nest platform that the Hawk and Owl Trust erected on the historic spire of Norwich's medieval cathedral in 2011. The charity and cathedral authorities had to reconcile the contrasting needs of nature conservation and architectural conservation to provide a new home for the birds.
Volunteers from Norfolk Fire and Rescue Service gave up some of their free time, working with the cathedral's works foreman, to install the platform through a window in the spire. Great care has been taken of architectural constraints, and the platform had to be specially painted to match the cathedral's stone.
The magnificent peregrine falcon usually chooses to nest on cliffs or the steep sides of quarries but over the last decade has been increasingly moving into our cities and using man-made structures such as churches, tower blocks and chimneys as nest sites.
Peregrines were seen taking an interest in Norwich Cathedral last year, so the Cathedral Estates Department and the Hawk and Owl Trust began working on a suitable nesting place. Providing a nesting platform was easier said than done, though. The historic fabric of the cathedral had to be protected, not to mention the fact that the site was over 75 metres above the streets of Norwich.
The platform, which is a metre long and 60cm wide, was painted in consultation with the cathedral's architect, and a rubber-covered metal frame had to be constructed to support it without damaging the building. About 25kg of gravel had to be carried up 318 spiral stone steps and ladder rungs to provide a suitable layer of material for the birds to nest on.
Nigel Middleton, Hawk and Owl Trust Conservation Officer for the Eastern Region said:
"We were delighted to work with Norwich Cathedral to provide a nesting platform for these amazing birds. The peregrine is particularly close to our hearts, indeed it is the Hawk and Owl Trust's logo. The Trust was founded in 1969 in response to a dramatic decline in the peregrine population. Since then peregrine numbers have recovered and peregrines are demonstrating their ability to adapt by moving into our cities and using tall buildings."
Phil Thomas, Estates Manager for Norwich Cathedral said: "We are really pleased to be working with the Hawk and Owl Trust on such an exciting project and the Cathedral clergy have been most supportive. After careful consideration with regards to the siting of the nest box and consultation with the Cathedral architect we are delighted that it has been adopted by a pair of peregrines so quickly and hope they become a successful breeding pair for the future and visitors to the Cathedral will be able to enjoy their progress."
Team members at the cathedral and the Hawk and Owl Trust are beginning to monitor activity on the platform via pictures from video cameras that will record the peregrines' comings and goings. If the birds decide to lay eggs this year, it is hoped that visitors to the cathedral may be able to see pictures from the platform as well as watch the birds flying above the building. It is also hoped that images will be available via the websites of the Hawk and Owl Trust, Norwich Cathedral and some of the project sponsors.
The project has been generously supported by Archant, iCode Systems, Larking Gowen, M+A Partners, WildSounds, SIMM Conveyor Services Ltd, Contitech UK, LVS – Imas Ltd and in memory of the late Mr. Ray Rogers of Norwich.


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If available, see below for a list of known police frequencies for Lauderdale County in Mississippi. Or, navigate to your city or town to view your local police frequencies.
Below is a list of cities located within Lauderdale County, Mississippi. Click the link to your city or town to view any available police frequencies.


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Australia's Leader in Canvas Photo Prints Online
Turn your favourite pictures into works of art quickly and easily. We have been creating custom canvas photo prints since 2007 and are one of Australia's most trusted and professional wide-format printers.
The simplest technique for printing photos on canvas with the best results
Turning your pictures into outstanding photo products has never been easier. At Canvas The Walls we specialize in printing – turning any digital image, print, negative or slide into a superb canvas, art paper, wallpaper or linen print quickly and easily with immaculate professional results. We also supply face-mounted Acrylic Sl-ice prints and floating frames as a contemporary way to display your prints.
We use premium quality U.S.A. canvas and UV-resistant laminates with the best Canon Lucia Pigment ink print technology. Whether you want a Wall Art set from our Gallery Collection or you want to add something special to your home décor or you're looking for something inspirational for the office, our products will definitely create an impact. We work with all kinds of images, taking your photos of friends and family, a stunning landscape or epic travel memories and turning them into stunning pieces of artwork that can be hung on the wall. We also create Bus & Tram Scrolls of your favourite destinations and memories.
A range of formats to take your photos from digital to canvas with ease
We make it easy to display your photography prowess with your favourite photos imported directly from Google Drive and DropBox. We can even enlarge your Instagram photos, create a series of Instagram shots for your wall or commemorate a special memory to give as a gift. With digital filters, stunning effects and our unique enlargement process we make it straightforward to create the most amazing photo prints and products in Australia.
Fill your home with bespoke artworks for less
Order your canvas prints today and fill the walls of your Australia home with beautiful artwork that means something special to you. Simply follow our easy upload process, customise your product with added features such as retouching, filters and frames then upload your image and place your order.
Our canvas prints are convenient and affordable to make, for beautiful memories that you can share. Make sure to check our online specials area for discount canvas prints at even lower prices.


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Teen volunteer form
The library relies on volunteers to keep things running smoothly. If you are interested in volunteering at the library, fill out and submit a volunteer form at the library. Library staff will contact you to set up an interview.
Find information about our Teen Advisory Board (TAB) here...
If you have questions email our Youth Services Librarian at email@example.com or call 319-656-3501.


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8:00 pm
Travelscope "Churchill's Beluga Whales and Polar Bears" Joseph sees beluga whales frolicking in the Churchill River in the summer and the winter polar bear migration to the shores of the Hudson Bay.G
8:30 pm
Lidia's Italy In America "California: Pesto Pronto!" On her trip to the Golden State, Lidia meets with Brady Whitlow, president of Corto Olive, to talk about their methods of producing Italian-style olive oil in California. Next, Lidia visits one of the longest-standing wine making families in Sonoma County, the Seghesio family, at their vineyards. Joe joins Lidia in the kitchen to give his take on how to use pesto in two easy recipes: Pesto Salmon BLT and Pesto Chicken Salad. D
9:00 pm
Cook's Country from America's Test Kitchen "Roast Beef Dinner" Chris visits the local butcher to learn about top sirloin. Then, Bridget shows Chris how to make affordable Roast Beef and Whipped Potatoes. Next, Chris shares the test kitchen's tips and techniques for cooking with salt. D
9:30 pm
Simply Ming "Shermay Lee & Peranakan Cooking" Ming explores Peranakan cooking in Singapore with chef and cookbook author Shermay Lee whose cooking is living proof that grandmothers know best. Sharing with Ming her grandmother's decades old recipe for a traditional dish, Shermay takes us, and Ming, on a culinary adventure. From finding ingredients in an outdoor market to using her family's timeworn mortar and pestle, this episode highlights the culinary history and the exotic flavors found only in Singapore. D
10:00 pm
Taste of Louisiana with Chef John Folse & Co.: Our Food Heritage "Spanish Rule" Spain was one of the first countries to explore the New World and was responsible for Louisiana's system of laws, the architecture of the "French" quarter and the food markets of New Orleans. Dr. Paul E. Hoffman introduces us to early Spanish Louisiana. Chef Folse along with Tee Wayne Abshire and Ricky Breaux demonstrate how to make jambalaya, one of Louisiana's most common dishes, which was inspired by Spanish paella. D
10:30 pm
Rick Steves' Europe "Istanbul" Rick loses his way in the Grand Bazaar, munches through the famously fragrant Spice Market and follows the fall of the ancient capital of Byzantium and the rise of Islam at the city's wall.G
11:00 pm
Art Through Time: A Global View "The Urban Experience" Shows how cities from New York to Djenne have been shaped by the creative visions of architects, sculptors, and planners, and how the work of Mexican muralists, French Impressionists, and Japanese printmakers reflect city life. D
11:30 pm
Art Through Time: A Global View "Conflict and Resolution" Features iconic paintings by Manet, Picasso, and Goya, satirical drawings by Daumier, Soviet propaganda, and photographs by contemporary artist Lalla Essaydi, explores the role of art in shaping conflicts over politics, religion, morality, and social justice. D


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"Yes, if you forgive others their failings, your heavenly Father will forgive you yours; but if you do not forgive others, your Father will not forgive your failings either". (Mt 6:15)
This is a simple karmic equation that is only too obvious in our experience at the psychological level. The connection between the two parts is not a threat however, merely descriptive. The Father does not refuse to forgive: it is that we cannot feel the Father's forgiveness that enfolds us continuously unless we forgive. So we need to understand what forgiveness means.
If I cannot let go of the ways people have hurt me, intentionally, unconsciously or even in my fantasy, I remain frozen in time. I react to the present from the unchanging script and repeated memories of the past. Victims of abuse or persecution suffer this traumatically. What we call healing is really prizing open the tight clam of the past and allowing the medicine of forgiveness to touch the place of pain.
Beyond and within the psychological level, however, is the spiritual realm. Here powerful mysterious forces move around like galaxies in the cosmos. But though they are vast and cosmic they are friendly and they know us better than we know ourselves – though they do not force that knowledge on us for that would crush us.
Each of these forces is an emission of the ground of being (the 'Father'). They are essentially therefore only variations of the primal energy of love. The purpose of meditation is to live as fully as possible in the presence of and open to this energy.
Learning to meditate is learning to allow the awareness of this energy to be a continuous reality informing every thought, words and action. To learn anything we have to have the humility to listen and then begin with the simple tasks of the skill we are acquiring. We have to be content with this process just as we learn to be deeply content to say the mantra.
The consequence of this learning is transformation. Energised by love we find we can forgive because forgiveness is only another term for love when it meets the resistance of pain and rupture and restores to wholeness.
Laurence Freeman OSB


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6 User Reviews of Classica Cruise Ship
South East Asia cruise. Paid for a double cabin and received a small single cabin with a fold up cot as a second bed, the cot was placed at the end of the bed, the cot matress had to be pushed to the side to open the bathroom door, this cabin was classed as an upgrade, no compensation. Cruise was good the cabin was crap.
Background/Itinerary: This was a Total Solar Eclipse cruise round trip from Tianjin, China. In addition to seeing the longest eclipse of the 21st century, we visited Jeju island (South Korea), Kagoshima and Kobe, Japan. There were too many days at sea, especially on this particular vessel, for me. Because it was summer time, the weather was not particularly good (overcast, hot, humid, and rainy) but we had one spectacular day for the eclipse.
Stateroom: The cabin provided good accommodations with adequate storage, a good sized bathroom and nice sink area, a large porthole window, and a very comfortable bed. However, there were cheap leather pulls on the drawers, some of which were broken. The décor was uninspired and furnishings were showing their age.
Ship: Although built in 1991 and supposedly refurbished, the interior of this vessel looked like something out of the 1950's or the Motel 6 of cruise ships. The two elevator areas were distinguished only by color—one yellow and one green—and people were constantly confused as to where they were and which direction they were facing (aft or forward). In addition, the areas had the appearance of something you would find on afreighter.
Chairs in the lounges and other public areas were very uncomfortable and old-fashioned "modern" but the seating in the dining areas was comfortable. Air-conditioning was hit-or-miss with some areas of the ship freezing and other areas unbearably hot.
Dining: The weakest aspect of this cruise was the cuisine, which basically was pretty bad. There was limited variety, freshness was lacking, and although visually appealing the food was often not particularly tasty. Appetizers and deserts were best; hamburgers and French-fries at the grill were good but French fries in the restaurant, which they seemed to serve with everything, were mushy. One positive aspect of the poor food was I did not gain weight on this cruise as I usually do when cruising. One would expect an Italian vessel to serve decent Italian pastas and main courses, but this was not the case here.
Services: A highlight of the cruise was the level of service from most of the staff. Our cabin steward and waitress in the main dining room were both very cordial and efficient. Other staff we encountered were usually friendly and helpful as well. Some of the newer crew in the dining room still need to learn to be more attentive to fill water and wine glasses and to offer and refill coffee cups. But this drawback was minor. Level of English among the crew was adequate for most purposes.
Entertainment & Activities: There were several groups and individuals who provided music aboard ship with great variability in their appeal to us. Yet, we managed to dance nightly for at least an hour. Since one of our favorite activities on cruises is ballroom dancing, we enjoyed this aspect of our cruise. The dance classes, however, provided instruction in dances that could not later be practiced because that type of music was never played and most of the dances were less well-known Latin dances. There were some other classes (napkin folding, and crafts such as making boxes, batik, and bookmarks) as well, which helped pass the time during our 5.5 days at sea out of a 12-day cruise (not counting eclipse day which provided its own entertainment). My husband, who is an amateur astronomer, did not find the eclipse/astronomy-related talks very interesting. Port information was minimal to incorrect.
There were shows nightly but not of particularly good quality. The dancers' routines often looked simply like posing to music and were similar from show to show. I did enjoy the Japanese local production during one of our Japan stops and an evening with a violinist playing mostly classical music.
Children's Activities: There seemed to be some good activities for different ages of children but we do not have children so were unaware of the specifics. Activities were provided by the ship's crew and by passengers related to the eclipse and astronomy. Embarkation/Disembarkation: Boarding the vessel was tedious because of the wait in a hot, crowded environment at the Port of Tianjin. This may have been the fault of the local port authority and facility rather than Costa Cruises, however. Leaving the ship was much easier. Transfers were efficient and on time.
7 Day/Night Eastern Caribbean
The vacation was great, the cruise was fine. The fact that we departed from La Romana, Dominican Republic, allowed us to stay for a second all-inclusive week there. This was the reason we took Costa in the first place. Cruises departing in the Caribbean are difficult to find.
For our first cruise, we expected a lot. Costa came up a bit short but did manage to turn us on to cruising. The ship was nice but somewhat plain in appearance. We expected what we had seen in all of the cruise ship magazines but it was not like this at all. The modern decor was nice but simple.
The food was very good; however, it got a a bit repetative on the buffet by mid week. These Italians certainly knew how to make great pasta and seafood dishes. All meals were truly enjoyed. The sevice was good with the exception of our seating request not being followed. Instead of the requested table for four, we received a table for 12 without any English speaking guests at it. This made it difficult (rather impossible) to have dinner conversation. Within acouple of days, we were reseated as requested. Second seating was very late. We expected 8:00 pm and it was 9:15 pm. This meant we usually had food in front of us by 10:00 pm or later and were not finished until 11:00 pm or later. Lesson learned...Try to get flexible dining option on the next cruise. After all who wants to go to a midnight buffet (and it was beautiful) after you just finished dinner?
The shows were good although we didn't attend many due to the late dinners. Bingo was fun, but at 20 euros for one card it seemed a little silly. I think they could come up with more than one game. The service on the ship was excellent and our room steward looked after everything we needed. He even dropped off a bottle of champagne when he knew one of our party was celebrating a birthday that day. The casino was nice and not very busy. (We did well there and covered our week long bar bill entirely.)
All in all, it was a great vacation and we look forward to our next cruise. We're booked on the Coral Princess heading for the Panama Canal in April 2007
Cruising "Italian Style" has to be experienced to be believed. Every announcement was in six languages.
Nothing was ever on time or as advertised. Actually it became quite funny to us. Thats Italian!
Classica have the biggest cabins I have ever seen. This was our first inside cabin. We even had a queen size bed. The ship design was very Italian. Marble everywhere. The decor went from 'Over the top" to very tacky.
Service was excellent. An English speaking staff member was available to us for any problems or help. The entertainment staff went out of their way to make sure we were having a good time. There were only 16 of us (Canadians) on the ship who spoke English.
Entertainment was excellent considering they could not say everything in six languages. So they did not say anything and had some novel and clever ways to communicate to everyone.
The food was everything from blah to excellent. Stangely enough their Italian dishes were not the best. They had the worse pizza I have ever eaten. Any little Mama Papa Italian restaurant in North America could put them to shame.
The shore excursions were much thesame as every other cruise line.
The thing that struck us most was the inconsistences in everthing they did. We enjoyed the experience but would hesitate on cruising with Costa again.
If you want something a little different in a cruise it is worth a try.
After making a comfortable one-hour transfer by bus (provided by Costa ), we arrived at the port of Santos.
Embarkation was defined in one word: chaos. It took more than five hours to get to the ship. We stood three and a half hours in line before reaching the check-in counter. There were only eight Costa attendants for 1.700 passengers!
My accommodations (Individual inside cat. 10 - Genova deck) had soft colors, beautiful wood cabinetry, a desk with mirror, minibar-refrigerator, personal safe, TV set, some amenities and was clean and comfortable. The closets were ample and the cabin had one extra bed, which I asked to be removed from the cabin. The soundproofing is simply non-existent; you can hear everything from the hallways and neighbor cabins.
The room service is limited and has extra charge (US $2.50). The cabin steward Henry, from Guatemala was good, keeping cabin clean and made up. The Tivoli Restaurant is used in two seatings; although well decorated it has white plain ceilings, too close together tables and is extremely noisy (sometimes you cannot hear your tablemate). My table fellows were interesting people and made my dinings nicer. The foodwas completely tasteless, really mediocre and the service was rushed, impersonal (the waiter, Mr. Flores, have did not even introduce himself to us) and lacked finesse. The Buffet LaTratoria used for breakfast and alternative lunch is very informal, but the food is better than in the main restaurant. The Pizza served in the Taverneta is the worst I have ever tried in ships.
Breakfast and Midnight Buffets were good, with lots of fresh fruit. There was an excellent Captain cocktail party with an interesting speech of the master, good music and very good drinks and appetizers. The dress code is very casual and few men wore jack & tie in some occasions. Entertainment was also good with nice music and shows. The boutiques have good selections and the photo-shop is very good. Shore excursions are expensive and limited so I took independent tours in both ports.
This ship has been very well maintained and has an innovative Italian design project, plenty of steel and marbles, but angular and cold in some areas. The high density of this vessel means that there is little room to move about when full. The number of public lounges and rooms is limited. The planned stretching with the insertion of a new mid-section, introducing many new cabins, will make the ship more profitable, but even more uncomfortable when with total capacity.
Debarkation was surprisingly smooth.
Ports of Call:
Porto Belo
The small island is very nice and has rain forest, small beaches, bar, restaurant and nautical sports. The small town does not worth the visit.
The highlight of the cruise; this island is great in natural beauty, crowned by steep mountains with rainforest and rimmed with gorgeous beaches - a place as marvelous as its name, which means "beautiful island". To preserve the charm of the island, local law dictates that no building may stand taller than two stories.
The island´s exquisite shorelines beckon you to swim, snorkel, dive in the numerous shipwrecks or just lounge along the water edge. In town you can shop the island´s boutiques, savour a tropical fruit ice cream or a Brazilian coffee in one of the charming cafes.
We started planning this cruise just six weeks prior to the sailing date. Having looked at two other alternatives, Costa Mediterranea and MSC Armonia, we opted for the Costa Classica, for which we got the best deal. The itinerary of the Armonia was just as interesting, but for the same price as two inside cabins on that ship, we got two outside cabins on the Classica. We already knew the Armonia since we had sailed her two years earlier when it was operating under another name. This was our ninth voyage (with the kids) since we started cruising in 1997. The itinerary was Venice, Ancona (Italy), sea day, Athens, Crete, Corfu, Dubrovnik and back to Venice. We were initially scheduled to sail as a group of six – me and my wife, our daughter of 13, sons 12 and 10, and grandma. Given that the Classica does not have quads as outside cabins, we had booked two triples. Three days before sailing, grandma had a nasty bicycle accident and had to have emergency surgery on her knee, so we left without her.
Just two days before sailing, the cruise agent informedme of a change of cabin numbers. When we booked, we had obtained two adjacent cabins. Now that grandma did not sail with us, the new assignments had the boys in one cabin on starboard side and the rest of us on port side. This was a worry to me as the Costa Classica had a fire a few weeks earlier on the same deck as ours, and I already visions of a similar situation with two boys, possibly in the middle of the night having to evacuate and getting into a state of panic.
We took the night train from Geneva, Switzerland (our home town) to Venice. It went smoothly, and upon arrival we had a nice Sunday morning walking tour of the beautiful Italian city. Costa arranges for a luggage service in the main train station for a small charge, and you do not see your luggage again until it is in your cabin. We got to the terminal around noon and thanks to our Costa club membership, we got to board immediately. When on board we went to reception and explained about the cabin issue. Note was taken of our request and we were told to come back once at sea.We headed to the buffet and got to know the ship quite well between 1 and 5 in the afternoon, the time when we got our luggage. We unpacked our bags but the boys kept their bags packed, hoping some miracle would solve our cabin issue. We went to speak to the hotel manager, Sarah, who told us the ship was full and that the cabin problem had occurred because of the reduced capacity following the fire. She showed us a suite that could accommodate all five of us, but she had to put the request to Costa's main office in Genoa for approval. So, the first night our cabins were not switched. The next day the hotel manager called to tell us Costa's main office had found two adjacent cabins on the same deck. We accepted and got cabins 6060 and 6062.
We had sailed previously with Costa (Allegra, Victoria, Riviera and Fortuna) and found this 14-year-old ship to be in excellent shape. It takes around 1,500 passengers (55,000 GRT). There was a refurbishment in 2003 and this showed. The ship has an overall sober decor and a lot of marble combined with soft colors. It is definitely a change from the Costa Fortuna.
The layout is, however, based on Carnival Fantasy class ships or Celebrity Horizon class, meaning the cabins are all in the lower part of the ship and the main decks are in the upper part. I do not like this lay out for several reasons. One is that you have to climb a lot of stories before getting to the main decks, whereas on ships like the Costa Victoria or Fortuna cabins are located between the lounges and restaurants on lower decks and the buffet and pool areas on the higher decks -- always close to everything. Another reason is that the tenders are placed in front of the windows of the lounges and buffet area, blocking the views.
The buffet area on Deck 10 has a wonderful outdoor terrace aft. But given the season, the outside temperatures were rather low (50s and 60s Fahrenheit), so when we were sailing, sitting there was a challenge. The buffet lines were extremely well organized and we never had a wait. Choice was good and food was tasteful. This is the first time I have seen on a ship a barbecue (every lunch, even if rainy) with real charcoal. This seems like a definite plus. Also the teak wood in the buffet area adds a nice touch to this extremely dark and enclosed room with views blocked by the life boats.
The restaurant on Deck 8 has two sittings. We were in the first and shared an eight-person table with two couples, meaning we were nine at the table and a bit squeezed. We did not want to eat late so we had no alternative. Our table mates were nice people. The restaurant is extremely noisy and service was sometimes speedy. We were well cared for by our waiter, but the assistant could do better. Costa sells cards good for 20 sodas for the children, at an advantageous price (about 40 euros). They also sell packages for wine (six bottles, red and white) and mineral water (10 bottles). The layout of the restaurant is not optimal (square) and I would not call it my favorite restaurant at sea. There is no specialty restaurant.
The lounges are nice, especially the ballroom lounge aft on Deck 9; unfortunately you have to walk through the casino (not recommended for children). On Deck 9 you can walk outside under the lifeboats (from the aft of the ship to almost the front), a very unappealing and boring "walkway". Other ships would typically have this on a lower deck, with a nice teak wooden pathway.
There are many little lounges or rooms (card room, conference rooms) where you can sit and enjoy the inside of the ship; this is because the windows are narrow and do not offer good viewing opportunities.
The cabins are very spacious, offering many drawers and a nicely sized bathroom with real teak wooden floor. Only the sound proofing is not up to date and noises from neighbors and the corridor can be disturbing. It was definitely one of the nicest cabins we had been in (together with those of the Fortuna).
The entertainment was a disappointment except for two major productions. Also the music in the lounges was sometimes not up to what one would expect. But all in all we had a nice time. Bar service is efficient without being pushy.
We did not take any organized tours since we had already been in some of the ports. Ancona (whole day) was a port where passengers from mid and southern Italy could embark or disembark. It is not a very big town and has some nice viewpoints as it is slightly uphill. We just walked from the ship into town (2 minutes).
For Athens (12 to 7 p.m.), the ship docks in Piraeus; we took a taxi to visit Athens' Acropolis and did some shopping. We paid 25 euro one way (with taxi-meter) for the 20-minute ride.
In Crete (8 a.m. to 1 p.m.) we got into a taxi, and as we were driving towards the port exit we negotiated for the driver to take us to Knossos, an ancient palace some 10 km from the port. During hard discussions the driver decreased the offer from 100 euros to 80, but we still found it too much and just got out at the port exit traffic lights. He was furious but we found that he was excessively high-priced. Our assumption was confirmed when we walked to the bus station (3 minutes walk) and saw a notice board with taxi fares -- Knossos was 7 euros! We took the taxi and saved quite a bit of money.
In Corfu (noon to 6 p.m.), the ship was docked at a 25 minute walk from the city center, but we had already booked a bus transfer into town. We visited at own pace and found it a very interesting experience. Corfu has some nice narrow streets full of shops. We walked back to the ship.
Final port of call was Dubrovnik (8 a.m. to 1 p.m.), where we had to tender into the port. There were about six ships in Dubrovnik and it was raining. The dock for the tenders is about 5 miles from the old city center, and we took the shuttle bus (5 euros). We toured on the outer parts of the city walls and got a good impression of the town that way. After that we also walked in the main street but there was no time left to explore the little streets. The time that Costa allows there is a bit too short, especially with the tender ride and wait, etc. We have already planned to revisit it next summer on board the new MSC Musica.
We got back to Venice the next morning and had plenty of time before our train departed (1 p.m.), so we stayed on the ship until the last passengers had debarked.
By the time we left the ship, the luggage in the terminal was cleared. A shuttle bus took us back to the center of Venice and we took one of those bus-boats to the train station. The trip back home was uneventful.
All in all it was another nice cruise. I would not sail the ship again, not only because there are plenty of other ships out there but because of the ship and restaurant layout. If it offered an extremely interesting itinerary, I might consider it. Service was in any case very good.
Our next cruises are already scheduled with MSC Musica to the Eastern Mediterranean early July 2006 and MSC Lirica to the Norwegian fjords late August 2006. We have never been on board MSC ships, but they seem very well appointed and have extremely good deals for families with kids.


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Pin Me: Sparkly New Year's Eve Inspiration
Happy New Year's Eve, loves! Can you believe it's almost 2013?! I thought we could celebrate with a few glittery New Year's Eve decor and styling ideas because, really, I feel like 2012 has been a year to celebrate. Without … continue reading


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Home > Member Center > Publications & Resources > Court Resources
The Office of Public Affairs of the New York State Unified Court System (USC) maintains an ongoing effort to increase awareness about court resources available to the public and the legal community.
New York State Court's Programs & Initiatives (hyperlink to www.nycourts.gov/ip ) an all-access on line guide to court resources. The Access to Justice Link allows users to download official court forms. The E-Courts Link provides information on how legal documents can be filed electronically. Also information on Jury Service, Alternative Dispute Resolution, Court Interpreting Services and other resources can be found here: www.nycourts.gov/ip
Expansion of Mandatory E-Filing (hyperlink to https://iapps.courts.state.ny.us/nyscef/HomePage ) Mandatory electronic filing has expanded as per recent legislation and administrative order of the Chief Administrative Judge. Please view the attached bulletin for details including courts, types of cases and dates when e-filing becomes mandatory.


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Five Jobs Where Women Are Most Underpaid
The gender wage gap has remained more or less unchanged in the past decade. Based on data compiled by a recent Bureau of Labor Statistics report, here are five jobs where women are most underpaid. (Photo: Getty Images)
This transcript has been automatically generated and may not be 100% accurate.
I ... the gender wage gap between men and women in the workplace has been issued for a number of years ... of back in nineteen seventy nine women aren't just about sixty percent but may make a two thousand twelve ounce of eighty one percent but still women to fall behind in the most part the sellers ... I'm Rex Crum for MarketWatch with a look of the Bureau of Labor Statistics figures reported by a twenty four seven Wall St ... the five jobs in America where women have the greatest discrepancy weekly salary from ... number five on Alyssa's education administrators this could be a buy from Summitt who runs ... a preschool develops programs for students they're all with University Provost ... accords the figures though women earn about sixty seven point two percent what men do in this field ... giving them a weekly earnings average of one thousand fifty two dollars ... a wealth of sixty five percent of its peers and as traders actually armed with a fourth place on Alyssa's held down by personal financial advisors ... of women in two thousand twelve earned sixty six point three percent of what men make or on a weekly average median of one thousand sixteen dollars ... of financial advisors is the people reviewing sets in everything from your retirement plan to your bank account ... to make sure you're on the right track retirement ... of less or more than a hundred eighty thousand men that work is personal financial advisors compared to just ninety five else when ... third place on Alyssa's real estate brokers and agents the people who help you buy and sell a home ... Quentin so those statistics Women's Weekly median earnings for the six hundred eighty dollars giving the about sixty six percent ... in May ... it's a little weird that this will over a thousand dollars on average with the stock to ... one of things about the real stat professionally she often have OT hours to work more than forty hours a week because you have to give effect called clients ... include a lot of weekend work as well to ... second place is held down by retail salespeople this is actually want the lowest paid jobs on the list of all a round ... of women's weekly median average salary for under thirty six dollars that's about sixty four point three percent of what men make ... of this could be anything and retail know everything from sewing clothes electronics ... up its own jobs just ... also my car dealerships for example is on commissions ... a lot of those jobs another high end expensive ... equipments at what price can be held by a man wears ... a lot of women the retell are more likely to being on mission in retail shops ... and topping the list for the grace discrepancy between men and women in the cellar in the workforce is insurance agents were women make about sixty two and a half percent what men make ... or roughly six hundred forty one dollars and weekly median salary ... of this blog's jobs for the number of men and women were in the workforce actually very similar ... plaster there were about a hundred ninety one thousand women work it's insurance agents and about a hundred ninety seven thousand ...


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Winning.. What the hell is this?
So I like have won the last three MTTs I have played. Last night was a min cash. It started out good. I had a 4-way all in with AA. Basically I raised, I was re-raised, I then re-re-raised a big chunk and all three other people called. The flop was QJx. Not the best flop in the world but I jammed all in and ALL OF THE OTHERS CALLED. The hands I was against were AK, AJ, 89. So not all that bad. Really just had to fade a Ten and a Jack. With those KO bounties I was able to win a few more and was free rolling the game with like 40 people left.
I played a little tight as it went down. I stole enough to keep my stack pretty high. I eventually lost the chip lead with like 30 left. Some guy totally donked into an 80K stack vs next biggest 30K stack. I had around 12K still at this time.
I got a little reamed with like 18 left. I re-raised pretty large with AQ and got called by AJ. I c-bet the Jxx flop. Turn was a K. River was a blank. I was debating firing out on the turn but I wimped out. I have some doubts that my opponent would have folded second pair because I saw several instances when she called big bets with second or third pair. So perhaps I saved myself a pre-mature meltdown. I was left with 6K at this point.
I got pretty aggressive because the blinds were high. I worked it back up to 10K. I then won on a nice steal and got up to 17K. Everyone had even stacks of 10-17K because the 80K goon had a ton of the chips in play. He then tried to donk out early.. losing half his stack on bad plays. He then shoved the rest of his stack in with top pair vs an overpair and spiked his trips on the turn to return to his former glorious 80K stack.
I made it to the final table with a decent stack. The short stack was the SB and I had AK. I knew he was going to make a move and when he shoved I instantly called his bet. He turned over J3o and rivered a jack of course. I had 1BB left and there were several limpers so I decided to just throw it in with my T5o. Even though I spiked a pair I would end up in 9th place for a min cash.
I think I kind of like only playing every few days. It seems to be working. I think I focus a little more because I am playing less. Now I need to take first in one of these things.


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Oct. 23, 2004
CAMBRIDGE, MASS. - Sophomore Ryan Sheffler along with freshmen Christopher Desrochers, James Zorich and Matt McKinley each tallied at least one point in MIT's 3-0 victory over NEWMAC foe Springfield College on Saturday. The Engineers improve to 9-2-1 overall and 4-1 in Conference play, while the Pride fall to 6-9-1 on the year and 2-3 in NEWMAC action.
The first half was evenly played regarding ball possession, however MIT held a 7-2 advantage in shots. Springfield had an opportunity to get on the scoreboard in the 15th minute when Tony Distasio sent a pass to Justin Pepoli in front of the goal. Pepoli was able to get a shot off but Tech goalie Morgan Mills smothered the ball. The Engineers ended the scoreless tie with six minutes remaining before halftime when Ryan Sheffler connected on a pass from Christopher Desrochers.
The Pride entered the second stanza ready to apply offensive pressure of its own. Within the first minute Springfield was awarded a corner kick but the resulting header narrowly missed the goal. Later on, a shot off another corner kick got past goalie Morgan Mills but was cleared out of the net at the last second.
MIT extended its lead in the 76th minute when a corner kick by Ryan Sheffler overshot the box and was pursued by Matthew McKinley who connected with James Zorich for the score. Sheffler continued to spark the Engineers' offense during the remainder of the game. In a one-on-one situation with Springfield goalie BJ Sturdivant, he blasted a shot that was deflected by Sturdivant's left hand over the goal. Off the ensuing corner kick, McKinley sent a cross to Sheffler who hit the ball in midair with his right foot into the right side of the goal with 6:49 left to play.
In the net, Morgan Mills earned his second shutout of the week and his third this season. In addition, he collected five saves in the win. David Minkoff and BJ Sturdivant split the game for Springfield. Minkoff had four saves in the first half while Sturdivant made eight stops in the second frame.
The next game for MIT will be on Wednesday, Oct. 27 when it travels to UMass-Boston.