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Emerging Market & Strategic Location
Cuba represents an emerging and unique business opportunity. Inevitably, the United States will normalize trade relations with Cuba, and in the future, it will become an important market for U.S. Companies.
Cuba is ideally positioned to be a global hub for conventional trade and commerce. Both Mexico and the United States are less than 100 miles from the island, and Havana is closer to Charleston, Savannah, and Houston than any of these major US ports are to Washington, DC, or New York City.
The country's existing inventory of industrial plants along with its sea, air and transportation infrastructure could attract significant foreign interest and become a focal point that enables it to fulfill its economic potential. It is projected that trade between Florida and Cuba, following normalization of trade relations with the United States will surpass the trade that Florida has with Brazil.
US investments in industry, privatization and programs to rebuild the island's infrastructure would create demand for construction equipment, building materials and other bigger ticket items. Cuba's Infrastructure is crumbling and new roads, water and sewage systems And housing will have to be built on a large scale. US suppliers of the necessary equipment will be well positioned to take advantage of these opportunities.
Selected Business Opportunities in a Post-Embargo Cuba
1. Transportation
Roads & Bridges
Trucking Facilities
Urban Transportation
Trucking Warehousing
Rail Warehousing
General Warehousing Projects
Storage Yards
Related Industries (i.e. Marinas)
Roads & Highways:
One of the island's strong points is its transportation system, which is in acceptable conditions for Third World standards. There are more than 21,100 miles of high-ways. Of these 6,290 miles are paved and 7,391 miles having gravel surface. The road network will require less investment to upgrade than other parts of the infrastructure. There is a relatively new intra-island expressway, but there are less than 800 gas stations in the country (most of them in need of upgrading) of which 120 are located in Havana.
With 9,270 miles of track, Cuba's main railway system presents unique opportunities for cargo transportation. The country maintains one of the Caribbean's two remaining passenger railroads (the other is in Jamaica). The sugar industry, Cuba's largest, uses approximately 2,900 miles of track to transport cane from the fields to the mills. The railway equipment needs to be upgraded and modernized.
There are 10 international airports. The largest commercial facility, located in Havana, handles more than 1,500,000 passengers each year and has the capacity to process 1,800 per hour. Perhaps, Cuba's biggest air "wild card" is its eight strategically located military airports (which have not been converted to civilian use), all of which have substantial runways. These could easily be converted to civilian international airports.
2. Maritime & Ports
Cargo Ports
Cargo Import/Export
Cuba's coastline sports a total of 70 ports, 31 with cargo operations. Ten of these can be categorized as major ports. The island's seaports are deep, protected harbors with narrow entrances but spacious anchorage. The port system can handle 150,000-ton oil tankers, accept modern roll-on, roll-off vessels, discharge all types of grain and fertilizers in bulk, handle modern 40-foot containers in experimental gantry cranes, and even dock up to six submarines in state-of-the-art facilities. In some of the Cuban ports, important dredging works and other type of improvements are necessary.
3. Construction Aggregates & Materials
Cement Plants & Projects
Quarries for Construction Aggregates Quarries for Marble
Quarries for Gypsum
Quarries for Feldspar
Quarries for Kaolin
Bathroom Fixture Plants
Glass Factories
Aluminum Windows & Doors Mfg.
Asphalt Plants
Paint Factories
Tile Factories
Brick Factories
Metal Fixture Factory
Brass & Bronze Factory
Furniture Manufacturer
Scaffold Plant
Batching Plant
Pre-fab Concrete Yards
Piers for Marine Sands
Perhaps one of the most obvious future investment opportunities in Cuba will be in the area of construction of new homes, apartments and office buildings. Other new developments can be expected in hotels, tourist resorts and commercial construction. The island is well poised to deal with this issue. There are six cement plants with a combined capacity of 5.3 million Mt/year, as well as, 22 facilities to produce prefabricated homes and 11 brick plants scattered throughout the country.
4. Mining & Mining Products
Mineral Waters
Zinc and Lead
Industrial Materials
The history of mining in Cuba dates back to 1512 when the first mine in the western hemisphere was established by colonists there. Cuba has identified over 200 mining deposits, many of which have not been exploited due to the lack of capital and know how, but include: Copper, Lead, Zinc, Manganese and a number of other minerals, including 27% of the world's reserve of Nickel and Cobalt. There are 53 active mining operations in the country extracting and processing such diverse products as nickel oxides, nickel sulfur, cobalt concen-trates, diverse copper concentrates, gold Chromite, and others. The current high demand of base metals in the world is a major factor for Cuban Mining industry. The industry has considerable idle capabilities in the existing mines, and there are many possibilities for new mining projects.
5. Water & Sewer Treatment
Large Potential for Ethanol (Sugar Cane Mills)
Transmission & Substations
Transformer Fabricators
Related Industries
Gas Manufacturing Plants
Gas Distribution
Crude Oil Derivatives & Lubes
Tank Farms
Pipe Lines
Sewer Treatment Plants
Sewer Treatment Projects
Dam Projects
Well Fields
Main Water Conductors
Industrial Facilities:
Cuba's industrial plants are surprisingly diverse in capabilities, quality and products produced. There are more than 290 large factories with more than 500 employees manufacturing products as varied as cranes, engines, steel containers, elevators, railway cars and complete sugar mills. The loss of the former Soviet bloc markets have kept most of them from operating at full capacity since then. There are opportunities to upgrade a number of manufacturing facilities.
There are 14 large and medium electrical-power plants with a total generating capacity of 3,192 mega-watts. The system consists of pre-1959 US-built plants as well as newer Japanese, French and Soviet-bloc facilities. One-third of its plants are more than 35 years old and in need of constant repair. Several medium size gas-burning units have been recently installed for an additional 405 mega-watts. A large group of 6,301 small diesel generators from Germany, South Korea and Chine has been installed, adding a further 1,311 mega-watts to the system.
The petroleum and petrochemical industry is one of Cuba's lesser known. There are oil refineries in Havana (two), Santiago de Cuba, Cienfuegos and Cabaiguan with a combined capacity of 13 million tons/year. The country extracts about 2.2 million tons/year and there are sixteen major international oil companies drilling on the island. The oils and gas potential of the Cuban portion of the Gulf of Mexico basin and other areas are very large (more than 4 billion barrels of crude oil and more than 5 trillion cubic feet of gas), waiting for the vast investment and state of the art technologies required for is detailed exploration and extraction.
6. Pharmaceutical, Biotechnology & Genetics
Vaccines (Meningitis, Hepatitis B) Plant
Immonopreparates Plant
Melangenine Lab
Gammaglobulina Lab
Hemoderivatives Lab
Interferon Lab Certified Seeds Plant
Artificial Insemination & Bovine Embryos Plant
Electronic Assembly & Software
Active & Passive Components Plant
Tropicalization Lab
Assembly of TV Sets, Radio Recorders,
Professional Audio Equipment, Telephone Sets, & Battery Plant
Computer Keyboards Plant
Medical Equipment, Microelectronics
Printed Circuit Plant
Biotechnology & Pharmaceutical:
The Cuban government has invested a substantial amount of resources to develop its Biotechnology Industry. The Center for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology outside of Havana is a favorite project of the Cuban government and its efforts have resulted in substantial export earnings for Cuba in the sale of meningitis B vaccine, interferon, and the heart attack medicine streptokinase. Additionally, Cuba has made a major effort to promote and sell its SUM 321 HIV detection device in Third-World countries. While processing fine research and manufacturing facilities for biotechnical products, Cuba's developmental efforts have been hindered by rigid state ownership and planning mechanisms, insufficient capitalization, failure to comply with rigorous Western clinical trial protocols, and a basic lack of understanding of capitalist techniques and marketing skills.
The effects of Cuba's large investment in biotechnology are several: the creation of a scientific education network, the training of a large number of research scientists, and the development of more than 200 products. The Cuban biotech-nology industry stems from the creation in the 1980s of the Center for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology, which evolved from Cuba's already strong emphasis on medical education.
7. Telecommunications, Technology & Media
National TV Stations
Regional TV Stations
National Radio Stations
Regional Radio Stations
National Newspapers
Regional Newspapers
Satellite Reception Station
Coaxial Cable Network
Military Telecommunications Operations
Telephonic Network
The telephone infrastructure cannot support adequate services by developed-country standards. A penetration rate of 12.0 phones per 100 persons is among the lowest in Latin America. Telecommunications facilities are made up of a mix of obsolete US and former soviet-bloc equipment and modern European systems with the recent addition of other sources. Much of the domestic equipment outside of Havana is more than 25 years old and in need of repairs and modernization.
8. Food, Food Processing, Fisheries & Beverages
Paste Canning Factories
Large Glass Bottle Manufacturing Plants
Soya Processing
Dairy Processing
Plastic Containers Manufacturing
Chicken Plucking, Packaging & Processing
Honey & Wax Processing & Packaging
Citrus Juice and Concentrate Plants
Banana Paste Processing & Packaging
Candy Manufacturing Factories
Coconut Processing Plant
Fish and Seafood Packaging Port Facilities
Canned Seafood Plant
Frozen Seafood Facilities
Canned Tuna Plant
Fish Food Processing & Packaging Plant
Brewer Plants
Rum & Liquor Plant
Soda Bottling Plant
Dry Freeze Coffee Project
Sugar Mills
Refining Plants & Co-generation
Oil & Molasses Tank Farms
Irrigation Network
Alcoholic Beverages:
Cuba produces 30 million bottles of rum annually, and earns $100 million from the export of this sector. The output of the Havana Club bottling plant in 1990 was 20 million liters, up from 16 million liters in 1989. Cuba sells rum to Spain, France, Italy, Mexico, and Canada. In early 2007 Pernaud – Ricard inaugurated a new plant at San Jose de las Lajas with a capacity of further 16 million bottles (for export) The United States is the largest consumer of rum in the world - the United States consumes about 40 million cases of rum annually.
Cuba continues to be one of the world's largest suppliers on high-quality lobster and shrimp. The Cuban fishing industry saw an increase in the gross catch from 220,000 tons in 1985 to a record catch in 1989 of 250,000 tons, or 10% of the total fishery landing in the Caribbean and Central American region. However by 1993 gross catch had dropped to 93,500 Mt and again dropped in 1994 to 87,900 Mt. Approximately 90% of Cuba's fishery production is landed by the distant-water fleet, which fishes in many regions in the pacific and Atlantic Oceans. In 2007, it was reported that Cuba had twenty high-technology trawlers operating in the North Atlantic.
It is reported that in 2006, Cuba exported 12,000 tons of lobster, 19,000 tons of shrimp, and 1,000 tons of tuna. Cuba reportedly earned $310 million in 2006 for its seafood, with lobster being most of the total. Cuba has also begun farming shrimp in the last several years. In 2006, Cuban shrimp farms produced 1,500 tons of shrimp.
9. Cruise Ship Industry, Tourism, Tourism Related & Entertainment
Hotel & Motel Units
Commissary, Concessions, Excursions, Bus Lines, & Security Projects
Night Clubs
Performing Centers
Botanical Gardens
Zoological Parks
Cave Tours
Tourism & Cruise:
By the end of 2006, approximately 32,000 quality rooms at 210 establishments were available for international tourists. Approximately 9,000 of these are in Varadero; 8,000 in Habana;3,500 in different portion of the northern coast; 2,000 in Playas del Este and 900 in Cayo Largo. Three thousand new rooms are currently under construction in Varadero/Havana and another 4,000 throughout the Island.
At the present rate of construction, by anyone's statistical measurement, Cuba hold the lion share of hotel rooms in the Caribbean market since the end of 1996, with the Dominican Republic's 27,000 rooms as a second place.
Cuba is currently attracting considerable numbers of Canadian, European and Latin American tourists. Of Cuba's more than 2,000,000 tourists last year, almost 64% originated in Canada and Western Europe and a small amount from the United States.
Cuba has yet to capitalize on either the U.S. segment of the market or on the ever-growing 8 million cruise passengers which visit the Caribbean every year. An consider the target-Prerevolution 87% of Cuba's tourist were U.S. travelers. It is predictable that Cuba will continue to promote its natural and colonial beauty and divert significant domestic resources to expand this industry.
Cuba has more than 2,000 miles of coastline, with 280 pristine beaches; A large number of historical attractions, coral reefs, lush Island mountains, some of the region's best fishing and hunting, and a notable ecosystem and valuable species of flora and fauna.
10. Environmental Remediation
Pollution of Surface Waters
Bay Pollution (Inc. Dredging)
Coral Reef Damage
Erosion of Beaches
Creation of Marine Reserves
Nuclear Power Plant
Relocation of Factories
Asbestos Clean Up
Replacement/Renovation Factories
Dismantlement Military Facilities
Soil Degradation
Forrest Corrective Action
Flora & Fauna Corrective Action
Rivers Clean Up
The collapse of the economy has served to reduce industrial pollution. The adoption of a Soviet-inspired model of industrial development was environ-mentally damaging, since ecological safeguards and associated technologies were not a priority. Cuba's industrial infrastructure, including its oil refineries and cement plants, is inefficient and a major source of air and water pollutants. Another important pollution source is the technologically-backward national fleet of cars, trucks, and buses, mostly imported from the former Soviet Union and the Eastern European countries. Many Joint Venture partners has introduced friendlier environmental practices reducing the environmental impact (Sherritt International in the Nickel industry is a good instance)
On the other hand, many of the economic emergency measures introduced during the "special period" convey grave threats to the environment. Particularly alarming are those associated with the development of the tourist industry. The Castro government, in its zeal to promote the development of this sector, appears to be repeating the same mistakes responsible for the ecological deterioration of most Caribbean countries.
The economic recovery started in 2003 is likely to exacerbate some environmental pressures alleviated under the "special period." Cuba's environmental tomorrow will depend on the development model the country pursues in years to come, and on the extent to which this model takes into account economic/ environmental tradeoffs regarding production and consumption decisions.
11. Textiles Industry
Fabric Manufacturing Facilities
Yarn Plants
Knit Plants
Sewing Factories
Footwear Factory
Tannery (Leather Factory)
Sports Leather Goods Factory
Assembly Plant Projects
Kenaf Fabric & Sewing Factory
Ropes Plant (Sisal Fibers)
Rayon Fibers Plant
Cuba has eight weaving mills. Cuban exports of textile products are primarily: undergarments, towels, shirts, and shoes to Western Europe. Textile importing countries include Spain, Italy, England, and France. In the Western Hemisphere, Cuba exports textiles to Mexico, Canada, and Venezuela.
Cuba has signed textile agreements with firms from six foreign countries. In 1975, Cuba contracted with Mitsubishi of Japan and Picagnol of Belgium to develop a large textile complex in Santa Clara province. The plant, which came on line in 1980, has an annual capacity of 60 million square meters of poly-esterviscose, polyester-cotton, and cotton textiles. The capacity available for joint production contracts is 33 million square meters of fabric. Foreign partners in production arrangements supply spare parts, printing rollers, chemicals, and textile fibers. Sales agreements have been signed with Italy, India, Spain, Canada, Panama, and the Netherlands. The Santa Clara complex also exports to the United Kingdom, Nicaragua, and Vietnam.
In 1993, a Mexican textile group (Grupo Industrial Danta) signed a joint venture agreement with the Cuban state company Union de Textiles, to manage the Turquisa Textile Mill (Cuba's largest). The Mexican group supplies management, technology and raw material and has the right to market 100% of the production. Danta plans to refurbish a total of 17 textile plants that were virtually paralyzed for lack of maintenance. Eventually, the goal is to produce 370 million sq. meters of finished plain textile and to employ 35,000 people. The venture is known as the "International Textile Corporation".
There is a large potential for US companies in the textile sector of Cuba's economy.
12. Chemicals, Fertilizers & Agriculture Industry
Nitrate Fertilizers
Sulfuric Acid Manufacturing
Nitric Acid Manufacturing
Caustic Soda
Ammonia Tank Farms
Carbide, Lime & Acetylene
Industrial Gases Manufacturing
Pesticides Projects
Phosphatic Rock Blenders
White Paper Factory
Yeast Plants
Furfural & Furfuric Acid, Vegetable Wax
Heavy Molecular Weight Alcohol
Citrus Essential Oil
Citrus By-Products Processing for Animal Feed
Rice Chaff Animal Feed
Cuba is best known for its agricultural industry. There are 92 sugar mills and eight white-sugar refineries with installed capacity of 6.5 million tons/year of raw sugar. The country also produces citrus products, tobacco, coffee, bananas, potatoes, rice, winter vegetables, tropical fruits and other crops. Tobacco has traditionally been the second largest farm export, with tobacco farms accounting for some 123,500 acres and producing 48,000 tons.
Based on 1989 statistics, when most of Cuba's agricultural products ended up in Soviet block countries Cuba used to produce:
Most than a million ton of citrus products
More bananas than Costa Rica
More coffee than El Salvador
As well as tobacco, winter vegetables, bananas, and other products
The largely dependent of imports and inefficient agriculture output was drastically reduced, and in 2006 re-started to grow with a much larger participation of small private Producers.
Cuba ranked as the fourteenth largest producer and fourth largest exporter of citrus fruits in the world after Spain, the United States, and Morocco. In 1994 Cuba exported 505,000 tons of citrus fruit. In 1995, Cuba devoted roughly 350,000 gross acres of land to citrus crops of which 21% is non-bearing. The average per acre yield for bearing orange trees of all ages in Cuba is estimated by the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences to be about 110 90-lb. boxes while the average yield for bearing orange acreage in Florida is around 350 90-lb boxes per acre.
Fertilizers & Pesticides:
Cuban fertilizer imports include urea, simple and triple superphosphate, ammonium sulfate, potassium chloride, potassium sulfate, ammonium nitrate and other fertilizers. Volume reached over one million metric tons in the late 1980s—over 200 million Cuban convertible pesos. Growth in volume of these imports was over 900% from 1958-1989.
Until 1989, the majority of the fertilizers were imported from the U.S.S.R., although some quantities were purchased from East Germany and a few Western countries.
Herbicides and other pesticides show more dramatic increases in imports. More than 10,000 metric tons of herbicides were imported per year during the 1984-89 period, representing over an expenditure of 50 million Cuban pesos. In just ten years (1965-75) the volume of herbicide imports increased by 2,700%, while the growth from 1965 to 1989 was of 3,310%. Imports of pesti-cides, however, show a less dramatic increase. In 1989, Cuba imported close to 10,000 metric tons for a value of over 25 million pesos. The increase in volume from 1965 to 1989 was close to 200%.
Herbicides and other pesticides were purchased mainly from Switzerland, Eastern and Federal Germany, the United Kingdom and other Western countries.
In a post-embargo Cuba, the potential for US companies to export products for the Cuban agricultural sector can be in excess of $2.5 billion a year.
13. Cold Metallurgy, Ferrites & Specialized Ceramics
Impact Cold Metallurgy, Ferrites & Magnetic Components,
Refractory Ceramics,
Abrasives & Refractory Materials,
Abrasives Project,
Refractory Materials
Metal Products:
Cuba's industrial plants are surprisingly diverse in capabilities, quality and products produced. There are over 290 large factories with over 500 emplo-yees with the capacity of manufacturing products as varied as: Cranes, engines, steel containers, elevators, railway cars and complete sugar mills. Many of Cuba's manufactured products have been made possible through licensing agreements, technology transfers, and turnkey operations. Recent (since 2005) economic growing has re-activated the production at some of these plants but still far from operating at full capacity.
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The Lower Down on Computer Software Dollars Exposed
Knowledge technology is no doubt one of many quickest-growing career fields proper now. CoveyCS offers completely educated and authorized software program engineers which will improve your workers and mean you will get your mission achieved in much much less time and on budget. You'll scale your group up or down as your desires shift, removing the psychological or fiscal strains of downsizingOur engineers leverage your existing know-how and staff that can provide help to maintain full management over your problem from start to end. College students grow to be adept with buyer help strategies, key computer hardware architecture elements equivalent …» Read more

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Saturday 28th October 2023. Fingle Bridge, Dartmoor, Devon
Course location: This Dartmoor in Autumn photography course will be held in the wooded Teign valley at Fingle Bridge and open moor near Chagford, in Dartmoor National Park, Devon.
Times: 10am to 5pm
Price: £100 per person.
What this Dartmoor in Autumn Photography Workshop Entails
This Dartmoor in Autumn photography course is a day of landscape photography on Dartmoor's open moors and in some of its most beautiful woodlands. We'll be photographing here just as the trees' autumn colours are coming up to their peak, and the moors are developing their truly wild and rugged wintry appearance.
The day will begin with photography in beautiful woodlands along the banks of the River Teign, a location rich in beech trees, which turn a stunning golden orange in late October. In the afternoon we'll move to the open moors near Chagford, to visit the prehistoric Scorhill circle of standing stones and the wild marshlands that adjoin it.
What I'll be teaching
This Dartmoor in Autumn photography course will aim to teach the following skills:
● The ability to spot potential image compositions among the trees, along the river banks and on the open moors, composing and shooting both wider views and details, grabbing little vignettes that together build up a story about the beauty of the scene;
● Control and use of the balance between shutter speed and lens aperture to gain the best exposure, and to control depth of field (ie the amount of the image that is sharply in focus);
● How to use some of the camera's most important features, such as semi-manual modes, in particular shutter-priority and aperture-priority, in order to help you to get away from 'auto-everything'. I'll also teach use of the ISO settings, image histogram and exposure compensation;
● Executing the image, using positioning, perspective, focus control, use of light, and lens focal length to create simple, strong compositions;
● Such techniques as the use of slow shutter speeds to blur moving water, and of filters will be covered.
Participants should have at least an understanding of what shutter speed and lens aperture mean, plus a knowledge of how to operate their own camera in order to get at least basic images. Beyond this, the main requirements are enthusiasm, an open mind and a readiness to learn!
Note: Since we'll be working outdoors, what we are able to do during the day is very weather-dependent. Weather conditions may make it necessary to vary the itinerary.


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KEATON HENSON lyrics : "Lying To You"
I can feel in your arms that it's true.
And though I just heard myself say it,
Baby, I'm lying to you.
All of these years you've been lonely,
And not knowing not what you should do.
And though you are right, I've been looking as well.
Babe, I'm not looking for you.
I'm just as damn disappointed as you,
Only I just do better to hide it.
And the one thing that keeps me from falling for you,
Is I'm truly alone and I like it.
As we lie in bed I feel lonely,
Though we're young, I feel eighty years old.
And your arms around me are keeping me warm.
But baby, I'm still feeling cold.
And girl you must know you are lovely,
You're kind and you're beautiful too.
And I feel in some way I do love you
But babe, I'm not in love with you.
It may seem strange that still I stay with you,
If it's true you're not really the one.
And why don't I just keep on looking for her?
Because I found her and now she is gone.
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6 Ways Pastors Can Save Money on Family Vacations
Are you a pastor in need of some rest and relaxation? Perhaps your church approved that long-awaited sabbatical, and you're not sure how to spend it. If you're tight on time with a limited budget, here are a few ways pastors can save money on family vacations. Learn how you can rest more, spend less, and make the most of your family vacations.
1. Travel During Off-Peak Seasons
Most families travel during the summer, spring break, or Christmas vacation since that's when the kids are out of school. These are the most convenient times for families to travel–and the most expensive. If you can swing it, see if you can plan your family vacation during the off-season, which can fluctuate by destination. All it takes is a little Googling to find out when to travel for the best prices.
2. Opt for Three-Day Getaways
Family vacations can be short, affordable, and still relaxing! Planning several few-day getaways throughout the year will not only keep you refreshed all year long, but it will keep your outlook positive as your calendar is filled with fun getaways. Here are a few family vacation ideas to plan the ultimate and affordable three-day getaway.
3. Discover Pastor Retreats
Did you know you can find retreat centers throughout the nation and around the globe dedicated to helping pastors relax and recharge? Some are moderately priced. Others are considerably inexpensive, donation-based, or completely free! Most states provide retreat centers, so make sure to check if there's one available near you!
4. Extend a Conference Stay
Is there a pastoral conference you're interested in attending? Your church will find it beneficial to send you to a church leadership conference. Other professions call it bleisure travel. You learn some, relax some. See if you can arrive a few days early or stay a few days after the conference to soak in the city and bake on the poolside.
5. Visit Extended Family
One of the best ways to save money on family vacations is to stay with extended family. Do you have relatives in another state? Another country? Use your connections to visit family you haven't seen in a while and take the opportunity to let your kids experience another part of the country–or the world.
6. Partner with a Travel Agent
As a pastor, your time is precious, and your budget is likely strict. You're always in meetings, scheduling retreats, planning sermons, counseling members, and balancing church finances. When do you have time to plan a family vacation? Don't put it off another day. Contact a faith-based travel agent to help plan your next family vacation. Use their network and travel expertise to find the best accommodations and activities for your next family vacation.


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Archive for December, 2011
Thalia + Ricardo | San Miguel De Allende Wedding
Mexicans sure know how to celebrate and one of the reasons I love shooting in this country is that I never really know what's going to happen next. Thalia and Ricardo and their friends partied hard for three nights in a row and photographer Jason Seagle and I did a pretty good job of keeping up. On their wedding night, we closed the Mint Club Privado in San Miguel at 7 a.m. The woman singing in the blue dress towards the end of this blog post was a wedding guest and is a former Miss Universe. Many of the wedding events took place at the Rosewood Hotel in San Miguel and the ceremony and reception were held at a private estate. Guadalupe and her team with Penzi Weddings and Events blew my mind with how they handled such a large affair.


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Introducing CLOT's Spring/Summer 2021 "Chinese Hawaiian" collection
A beautiful and unique fusion of Chinese and Hawaiian cultures the latest CLOT collection is an absolute dream. The fun, colorful and textural collection was inspired by CLOT's co-founder, Edison Chen's many travels to and from China and Japan, (pre-pandemic, of course). Edison Chen who lives in LA often used Hawaii as his midpoint during his travels and he was able to experience the beauty and diversity the island offers.
The immersion of cultures present in Hawaii perfectly echoed the culture that CLOT wishes to bring into the world by bridging Eastern and Western culture. Eager to tap into the Chinese-Hawaiian influences, CLOT commenced researching on the Chinese immigrants present in Hawaii and a fashion mood board was built, comprising of vintage images of Hawaii's Chinese diaspora portraying their blended culture and just like that, the Chinese Hawaiian collection was born.
Heavily influenced by how Chinese-Hawaiian immigrants dressed, graphics from Chinese Hawaiian restaurants and hotels, CLOT created a collection that is the perfect mix of casual and dressier styles perfect for the summer. With innovative ideas like including lighter fabrics like lace and mesh and mixing them up with heavier silhouettes like hoodies and trench coats to CLOT created pieces that are light and ready for the summer. Moreover, their eccentric nature and determination to create a hybrid experience motivated the use of intricate embroidery with interesting mixes of floral tropical Hawaiian patterns alongside traditional and iconic Chinese motifs. The collection also includes a mix of different fabrics and textures. Even CLOT's signature pieces like their baseball shirt and silk shirts were remixed to fit in with the Chinese Hawaiian theme of the new collection. The goal was to create a mix of an unexpected and unique collection that celebrates both cultures and flawlessly fuses Hawaiian elements with Chinese themes.
CLOT felt the need to create a piece of art with each apparel. It is what pushed them to integrate surprising elements with unexpected graphic positioning, to ensure each piece looks like a fabulous work of art celebrating the different cultures. CLOT hopes to offer a tropical escape through clothing in these trying and uncertain times of the pandemic and give people something beautiful and unique to look forward to.


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IA for the Zune store, lining up the structure to come...
Establishing interaction components through consistent design patterns.
Wireframes translated into an clickable prototype, mapped into MSFT music database.
Example of a genre page, with a bit of play on the layout and typography.
Some beautiful UI design work made the simplicity really shine through.
Thanks for visting! Please take a moment and fill out five questions anonymously, to help improve the message.


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Two years ago, Robert Barnes was playing safety at Oklahoma, with Lincoln Riley as his head coach.
Last week in Los Angeles, both participated in Pac-12 media day, with Barnes representing Colorado and Riley as the new head coach at Southern California.
Riley did a bit of a double-take when he saw Barnes, who is now a 6-foot-2, 230-pound linebacker.
"It's fun to see him now," Riley said. "He's developed so much physically. You can tell later in his career, he's put on some weight. … We always thought he probably would eventually grow into that. It's good to see that it feels like it's kind of all coming together for him here at the end. I would expect he'd be one of the top linebackers in the league."
The Buffaloes are certainly hoping so. Coming off a 4-8 season (3-6 Pac-12), the Buffs are banking on Barnes and other veterans to lead them on and off the field. Entering his second season at CU and his second season as a linebacker, Barnes feels ready to take a big step forward.
"I think the adjustment (last year) came from safety to linebacker," Barnes said. "I think it was learning how to play a different position, learning how to play that close to the ball, and just understanding tendencies of what a linebacker is looking for.
"Towards the end of the season, I caught that confidence, and I was able to go play the level of football that I was capable of playing, but it just took slowing down the game and being able to obtain that confidence I had at safety and flying around and making those plays that I knew I was capable of making. It was just, the game was so fast at one point that I had to just slow it down."
Coming from Oklahoma, Barnes had high expectations a year ago, but he wound up coming off the bench most of the year. After missing the opener with an injury, Barnes played an average of 18.5 snaps over the next six games. He recorded a total of 10 tackles in those six games.
With star Nate Landman, who has since graduated, injured for the final five games, Barnes stepped up. He averaged 53 snaps in those games while racking up 34 tackles and three tackles for loss. He had an interception and fumble recovery – along with 10 tackles – in a win against Washington.
Barnes said through the entire season, his role was to play in particular defensive packages and when Landman went down, that didn't change. However, he said, "I think that at the end of the day, we just needed a playmaker. Nate made a lot of plays, and … now I gotta go make those plays. We've got to have a playmaker and we can't just be a whole bunch of play managers out there just managing the game. We need a playmaker that's gonna go make plays."
Barnes made a lot of plays and he has spent this offseason putting himself in a better position to make plays this year.
As Riley noticed, CU defensive coordinator Chris Wilson said Barnes is more physically adjusted to playing linebacker.
"He's done a great job," Wilson said. "(Director of football sports performance Shannon) Turley has done a great job with him in the weight room. He's put on some good solid mass; he's stronger. And the biggest thing is he's gotten quality reps and playing the position. (Linebackers coach Mark) Smith has done a good job of kind of custom tailoring certain guys for certain roles and now guys can just thrive in those roles."
In addition to his physical development, Barnes said he has improved his mental approach since the spring.
Selected to represent the Buffs at media day – along with guard Casey Roddick – is a sign that Barnes is also a leader for the Buffs and he takes pride in that. Riley isn't surprised.
"You're talking about a leader, a kid that loves football," Riley said. "Very physical, competitive, tough player. I'm thrilled to see that he's doing well and I would think with all his experience, and now he's developed, he'd be primed to have a great last year."
It's a year that Barnes didn't expect to get, but all players from the 2020 season were granted an extra year of eligibility by the NCAA because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Now in his sixth season of college football, Barnes aims to make the most of it.
"Oh, I'm so excited," he said. "I think that God has been preparing me this entire time for a breakthrough and I think that breakthrough is about to come. I'm just excited to showcase all this work and through all the trials and tribulations to showcase everything in this year."


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Version 1.3
Lecture: Distributed Actor System with Rust
Learn about the building blocks of a network application
What is a distributed System and how to build one.
Today an application can use multiple cores as well as multiple systems. Having an application span across the internet gives us new challenges such as secure communication and protocol design.
Start time: 17:15
Duration: 00:45
Room: Lecture Room
Track: Software
Language: de


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Cardi B – Everything lyrics
You know, people underestimated me
And making me feel like I'm never gonna amount to shit because I used to be a stripper
It feels like I'm getting whipped in the back, with words
But you know what?
They don't see the bigger picture
I had to feed myself, I had to feed my family
But you know what?
Just here me out
[Verse 1]
Lord forgive me for my sins
Forgive me for the crazy shit I wish I never did
I'm simply just a young hood girl tryna win
I just want it all, and I gon' pretend
Like I ain't never had to suck a dick to pay my rent
I'm tryna get my family out the hood and new cribs
I wanna finish paying my mothers new whip
I do it for a cause, so understand the kid
I want my little girl to go to school in Fort Lee
Schools in the hood, got him crazy, man he three
And it's fucked that it ain't how it's supposed to be
He should be counting 123's and ABC's
And momma used to beat my ass like every week
That's because she can't have nothing but love for me
I wanna spoil her so much, oh lord please
That's my everything
My everything, my family
You know what?
Even when I was stripping, like bitches was worried 'bout the wrong things
Oh they want red bottoms, they want the biggest cars
Like I'm worried 'bout my father stop cab driving
Before he turn sixty, and my mom stop being a cashier before she fifty like
That's why I'm working so hard out here
That's why I go so hard
Not for me, but for them though
You feel me?
[Verse 2]
Note to self, for my sister Hennessy
Try and go to school, finish up and get degrees
Don't be fucking trick niggas, just so you can eat
That's the shit I did and it really makes me weak
I would close my eyes, dying for it to be over
The thought of a stranger inside, I just can't be sober
Dirty ass breath, breathing all over my shoulders
Ain't no bitch gon' tell you that, just respect the soldier
And I wanna tell my dad, you don't gotta cab
Drive for two whole weeks just to make a stack
You don't gotta drive no more, I'm gon' change all that
I put that on my everything, I'm gon' pray for that
You know when I was a little girl I used to tell my mom
"Hey mom, when I grow up, I'm gonna buy you a house, I'm gonna buy you a car"
Until I turned eighteen, it's like damn, I can't even get me my own apartment
So, it's just like, now that I'm in this position I'm gonna
I'm gonna take full advantage of it
Like oh my gosh, I can't wait till I get to surprise my mom
Like, "Hey, I didn't went to college, but look, look at me mom, look at me now, look, look mom, look, look at your house, This is your house! Not mines, but yours, and I bough it for you!"


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Are you learning Git? Or can you never remember all the available Git commands? Or are you not quite sure what 'remote' or 'rebase' does? My answer was yes to all of the above. I needed a quick way to see what Git commands were available, and I also wanted to know what parameters they took and how to use them. I found the answers to all these questions within the excellent Git Cheat Sheet created by Chris Sevilleja over at Scotch (if you don't already follow these guys, then do so now!).
I really liked their cheat sheet, but I wanted the info to be more accessible. So I figured it would be a cool idea for a Chrome extension. And seeing as I have Chrome open all day, I will have quick access to all the Git commands now too. The extension includes handy Git terminology, commonly used commands and help with the syntax and parameters for each Git Command.
Check out the source code for the extension on GitHub. Or install the extension now within Chrome!


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Three Essentials To Christian Service
Contributed by Manny Salva Cruz on Jul 13, 2014 (message contributor)
Summary: As Christians, we must grow and develop the way we serve God. In this message, we will will look at the GOAL of service, the POWER for service and the RESULTS of serving God.
Today, we are going to talk about Christian service.
One of the things that God require of us is to serve Him.
The command of Jesus is very clear: "Your attitude must be like my own, for I, he Messiah, did not come to be served, but to serve and to give my life." (Matthew 20:28 LB).
We are not to be served, but to serve.
We are to serve God and we are to serve others.
But in serving, there are a lot of misconceptions among Christians.
Many of us think that Christian service is only for those who have a lot of spare time in their schedule.
"Someday, I will try to serve God if I am not that busy."
"Probably when I retire, then I can serve God fully."
But if you are not able to serve now you might have difficulty serving then.
Serving therefore should be done as soon as possible.
You need not wait for your retirement to come before you can serve God.
Another misconception is that Christian service is only for the spiritually mature such as the pastors and leaders.
"I am still very young in the faith, I don't now how to serve God."
Again, that is a wrong thinking.
You can serve the Lord even though you are a new Christian.
How? By telling other people about Christ.
Tell them how good God is in your life.
Win them for Christ.
Be a good witness.
That is part of your service.
And if you are a growing in Christ, you should serve more.
Maturity is for ministry.
We grow up in order that we could give out.
It is good to learn more and more spiritual truths each time we meet here.
But it is not enough.
We have to act on what we have learned and claim to believe.
Impression without expression causes depression.
Study without Christian service will always lead to spiritual stagnation.
And so, let us learn more so that we could serve more.
Remember the old comparison between the Dead Sea and the Sea of Galilee?
Here is the Map of Israel where the Dead sea and the Sea of Galilee are located.
The Sea of Galilee is a beautiful lake 13 miles long and 7 miles wide filled with fish and surrounded by lush vegetation.
It is Israel's largest freshwater reservoir.
It is also the country's largest and most important source of drinking water.
It was the place where Jesus calls four fishermen to follow him to make them fishers of men.
The Dead Sea is 50 miles long and 11 miles wide but the shoreline is 1,500 feet below sea level.
Seven million tons of water evaporate from the Dead Sea everyday.
The salt content of the Dead Sea ranges from 25-35% making it ten times saltier than the oceans of the world.
There is no sea weeds or plants of any kind in and around the water.
There are no fish or creatures swimming or living in or around the water.
As a matter of fact, all you could see is white crystal of salt covering everything around the water.
A fish can accidentally swim into the waters from one of the several freshwater streams that feed the Dead Sea.
However, it is killed instantly and the body is coated with a preserving layer of salt crystal and tossed onto shore by the wind and waves.
It is the earth's lowest elevation on land. (423 meters below sea level.)
Because of the high salt concentration, people can easily float in the Dead Sea.
Here is the similarity between the two.
Both the Sea of Galilee and the Dead Sea are fed by the Jordan River.
If that is the case, why is it that the Sea of Galilee is beautiful and alive while the Dead Sea is barren and lifeless?
The answer.
The Sea of Galilee has an outlet.
The Dead Sea does not have an outlet.
Water flows through the Sea of Galilee.
Water flows into the Dead Sea but not out.
In the same manner, if you do not serve the Lord, you have no outlet and you will become like the Dead Sea.
If you do not serve the Lord, your life will become stagnant.
There is no flowing or running water.
Your Christian life becomes dormant, stationary, lifeless, static and idle.
But if you always serve the Lord, your life will be like that of the Sea of Galilee, fresh green vegetation always.
Always blooming, always budding, always flourishing.
Life is like that when you are in God's service.
Life is beautiful when you are in the center of God's will.
Christian service therefore should be the heart of our Christian faith.
Serving God should always be the main priority of every one of us.
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I usually deeply appreciate Robert Reich's insights and thoughts. But his recent Facebook post made me wonder whether he's been drinking Little Debbie's Kool Aid.
Reich had endorsed Sanders on his Facebook page on Feb 26.
On May 19th Reich posted:
Many of you who support Bernie ask me what you should do at this point. My suggestion:
1. Continue to work like hell for Bernie, especially given upcoming primaries in California and New Jersey on June 7. Putting aside superdelegates, the difference between him and Hillary Clinton isn't huge. So far, Bernie has won nearly 10 million votes and has 1,499 pledged delegates. Hillary Clinton has won 13 million votes and has 1,771 pledged delegates. California could make a huge difference.
2. Don't demonize or denigrate Hillary Clinton. If she wins the Democratic nomination, I urge you to work like hell for her. She'll be the only person standing between Donald Trump and the presidency of the United States. Besides, as I've said before, she'll be an excellent president for the system we now have, even though Bernie would be the best president for the system we need.
3. Never, ever give up fighting against the increasing concentration of wealth and power at the top, which is undermining our democracy and distorting our economy. That means, if Hillary Clinton is elected, I urge you to turn Bernie's campaign into a movement -- even a third party -- to influence elections at the state level in 2018 and the presidency in 2020. No movement to change the allocation of power succeeds easily or quickly. We are in this for the long haul.
Reich seems to assume that Hillary would be much better for America than Trump, but I'm not so sure. I am definitely not a Trump supporter. I'm horrified at the thought that Trump has gotten this far. He and Hillary are both corrupt liars, but I believe Hillary has more connections and power that would enable her to do more enduring harm than Donald does. So we are talking about the relatively small difference between "really" bad, and "really, really" bad.
And, respectfully, Mr. Reich, we are not "demonizing" Hillary, she did that all on her own. We're just stating the facts.
Radio host, internet talk show host, social commentator, political speaker and activist, Tim Black makes a cogent reply to Reich in a video he posted on Sunday:
The DNC should have put forth a candidate that we would like, respect, appreciate and champion ... there is nothing about Hillary Clinton that I trust ... I'm urging everyone out there who ... feels the same way I do, do not let Mr Reich's opinion sway you to become a Hillary supporter against your conscience ... fear of Trump does not mean we should vote Hillary ... How else do we let the DNC know that we don't play games? If we just bail out (the DNC) like we bailed out the banks, what will they learn?
(Note: You can view every article as one long page if you sign up as an Advocate Member, or higher).


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Amazon Prime Day is quickly approaching. Besides it being two days (so why aren't they calling it "Prime Days"?), they obviously put a lot of effort into their new TV ad. Take a look!
The colorful ad is one you may need to watch more than once since a lot is happening in a short amount of time.
A few things I appreciate after watching multiple times…
- The swinging plant. In the very first shot when a woman opens her front door, there is a hanging plant on her right. After a circle twist transition, packages are now at her front door and she's excited. But that plant? It's rocking back and forth. This attention to detail is nice, adding to the effect of that swirly circle transition. The also do this with the 3 stacked boxes, so watch it again with that in mind.
2. I am always impressed when a particular camera shot SHOULD show a reflection of the camera equipment, but doesn't. When we are taken around the front of Amazon's electric van, there is no reflection of any equipment on the front of the van. Nice job!
3. Logo in almost every shot. In a 30 second ad, you might think showing your logo prominently is critical but this ad shows a different way to advertise. I wouldn't call it subliminal as much as strategically placed branding 😉 Here's an example.
A couple of things I don't appreciate are… Why call it Prime Day if it lasts two days? Just add the 's' already! Secondly, it all just makes me feel a little bit nauseous. Kind of like riding on those gravity spinning rides at a fair, or the tea cups at Disney World.
What do you think of the ad? Does this ad entice you to order things from Amazon on Amazon Prime
Day Days, or make you want to excuse yourself to go vomit in the bushes behind the souvenir stand?
Thanks for stopping by!
-Out of the Wilderness


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Paul McCartney coming to U.S. Bank Arena
Paul McCartney will be playing in Cincinnati this summer.
McCartney has confirmed the addition of U.S. Bank Arena on July 10 to his new One On One tour.
That will be his first Cincinnati performance since his 2011 performance at Great American Ball Park that drew a capacity crowd.
Tickets will be on sale 10 a.m. Monday at the U.S. Bank Arena Box Office, all Ticketmaster outlets, Ticketmaster.com or charge by phone.
This Enquirer story on The Beatles is full of gems
Updated: Riverbend's full 2016 schedule so far
The One on One tour kicks off Wednesday in Fresno, California. The tour will also head to Europe and South America this summer.
In 2015, the former Beatle had his biggest single since 1986 with "FourFiveSeconds," a collaboration with Kanye West and Rihanna. It peaked at No. 4 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart.
Incidentally, Rihanna played U.S. Bank Arena last month, and a local fan made a social media splash when he sang "FourFiveSeconds" with the pop star.
On his 2011 Cincinnati stop, McCartney was, in a way, backed by a local group. LSI Industries Inc., a local company started in 1976 and known best for gas station lighting, created multiple giant monitors that projected McCartney's image across Great American Ball Park, according to Enquirer archives.
Before the ballpark show, McCartney had not included Cincinnati in his tours for 18 years.
Concert announcements, tickets on sale soon: April 15


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A man is in a critical condition after he fell from a Rishton bridge onto the M65 motorway.
He suffered serious injuries when he fell from the canal bridge into oncoming traffic yesterday.
Paramedics and the police were called to the area, between junction six and seven, at around 6.15pm.
The man was discovered lying down, unconscious and bleeding.
He was taken to Royal Blackburn Hospital with severe internal and head injuries.
Lancashire Police said he wasn't hit by any vehicles and no one else was injured.
He is currently in a serious condition in hospital.
There were delays to rush hour traffic for around 20 minutes.


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Our trip down to Scotty's Barn in Flagstone Creek… If you haven't been inside this place it is a must see. Thanks so much to Deanna for inviting us, we had a ball!
I kept the lighting here as it was on the day. With its vintage feel. No added shit. It started to rain outside so Karen from the Ninja Popcorn stand lent us her umbrellas and we had a play out there!
Thanks also to Miss Jehsika for her help with this shoot… She pulled a fast one with Ally's hair and kinda saved my life a little lol… I owe you one babe and I miss your face and stinky pits :p


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Baseball and Murder Mysteries
Mark Richardson — Mickey Rawlings is a baseball player. He's also a sleuth. He does not solve murders because he has a yen to be a detective. Rather, he has murders thrust upon him–murders which neither the police nor anyone else seems to want solved. And that leaves Mickey to solve them. Rawlings is a major league utility infielder whose skills are good enough to … Continue reading Baseball and Murder Mysteries


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Proctor / UPS
A lively community with a friendly, small-town vibe.
One of the most charming districts in Tacoma, the historic Proctor neighborhood is like its very own little town within a larger city. Residents love how easy it is to walk to grocery stores, coffee shops, restaurants, boutiques and other locally owned businesses, and it's a great spot to meet up with friends (and make new ones!) for a relaxing day of exploring.
Just down the street from Proctor is the University of Puget Sound, a small liberal arts college nestled within a residential neighborhood. The well-maintained campus—with its many paths, trees, and classic brick buildings—is open to the public, so whether you're walking the dog or interested in attending a concert or lecture, the university is rife with opportunity!
The Proctor/UPS neighborhood is a popular choice for those looking for homes built from 1910 to 1950. Many also seek out the area due to its convenience: the neighborhood is simply a brief 10-minute drive to Downtown Tacoma, Interstate 5, or Gig Harbor.
Proctor / UPS Listings
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Today I'm going to tell a part of my story that I've never written before – and I don't know why. It changed so much of my life – and I've needed to share it for so long – but I was never able to.
Until now.
I'm telling it today of all days because it's intermingled in my mind with Rich Mullins and his last days and album – and September 19th is the 23rd anniversary of his death.
So this is the story of Rich and me – and Aidan and Bailey.
The Summer of 1997
Let me start this story by telling you all that during the Summer of 1997 I was 18 years old and pregnant. With twins.
I found out I was pregnant the day of my senior prom, May 9, 1997.
I'm not going to get into the nitty gritty details right now – but suffice it to say this was a lonely and scary experience – but I was trying my best and caring for myself and doing all the things I was supposed to do.
I was working at a very nice preschool as well as nannying for a local surgeon and priest, taking care of their precious little boy.
Throughout that summer, I listened to Rich's Songs and A Liturgy, A Legacy, and A Ragamuffin Band albums on repeat and they were such a comfort.
Rich and his music had been dear to me for years and I had always felt connected to so so many of his songs – and still listen to them all the time.
Of course, as he – the total outsider hippie man, who took a pass on Nashville to live on a Native American reservation – REALLY chose to live outside the church box, he got it.
His lyrics – and his understanding of scripture and Jesus – resonate deeply with me.
(For some insight into his thoughts, here is a link to his Goodreads author quote page:
https://www.goodreads.com/author/quotes/139433.Rich_Mullins )
One song, Let Mercy Lead, is written for one of his dear friend/bandmates children, Aidan – and it touched my spirit so significantly that I had chosen Aidan as one of the names for my boys.
Let Mercy Lead
Aidan, you're young
But, Aidan, you're growing fast
Me and your mom
And all the love we have
We can only take you so far
As far as we can
But you'll need something more to guide your heart
As you grow into a man
Let mercy lead
Let love be the strength in your legs
And in every footprint that you leave
There will be a drop of grace
If we can reach beyond the wisdom of this age
Into the foolishness of God
That foolishness will save
Those who believe
Although their foolish hearts may break
They will find peace
And I'll meet you in that place where mercy leads.
Aidan, the day, Aidan, the day will come,
You'll run the race
That takes us way beyond
All our trials and all our failures
And all the good we dream of
But you can't see yet where it is you're heading
But one day you'll see the face of love
Let mercy lead
Let love be the strength in your legs
And in every footprint that you leave
There'll be a drop of grace
If we can reach
Beyond the wisdom of this age
Into the foolishness of God that foolishness will save
Those who believe
Although their foolish hearts may break
They'll find peace
And I'll meet you in that place where mercy leads.
It was so dear to me (and still is).
August 20th.
On August 20th, everything changed. I was six months pregnant – and just on the edge of viability with my boys when I went into preterm labor and my water broke with "Twin A." I was admitted to the hospital and I learned that he had passed away but "Twin B" was still doing well at that time and doctors wanted to keep me on bedrest and try to stop labor and let his lungs develop.
I was distraught and scared. I prayed and prayed.
By the next day, I developed a fever of 103 – a clear sign of sepsis. I quickly became critically ill and there was nothing to do but induce labor.
On August 22, 1997, Aidan was stillborn; Bailey took one breath and was with Jesus.
It was completely and utterly devastating.
After that, I remained in the hospital for several days as I was still quite ill myself – and also had to contend with severe anxiety for quite some time from having been so sick and scared and just going through so much.
Nothing could compare to the overwhelming grief though.
Late August And After.
With my church environment – and the shame of being a single mother, I did not get the help I needed in my grief and it was traumatic. At the time, I just didn't have the wisdom or maturity to know how to ask for the help I needed; I was just a baby myself.
In the immediate aftermath, however, I was in shock I think. A bit dazed. Gutted. Depressed. Just sort of all the things.
I actually saw Rich perform in my town shortly after the twins were born, a blessing indeed, especially with what was to come.
On September 19th, just four weeks after Aidan and Bailey passed away, my Daddy encouraged me to go the YMCA for a walk to try to lift my spirits. As I was walking around the second floor track, I unexpectedly heard on the radio that Rich Mullins had died in a terrible car accident.
I jumped in my car and flew home, just beside myself, and ran into my Daddy's arms, inconsolable.
I honestly felt even more abandoned by God.
I just couldn't understand.
But I kept pushing on – and coping as best I could at the time.
Rich's Final Album
After a bit of time had passed, word spread that Rich had recorded his "Jesus Record" demo – an album devoted to the person of Jesus – on a handheld recorder in the chapel on the reservation where he lived just a week before he died.
And that it was to be released along with studio versions of the same songs performed by his friends.
Sure enough, it was.
I went to the Baptist Bookstore – well, Lifeway (it never stopped being the Baptist Bookstore to me) – in Homewood and bought it on cassette the day it came out. I immediately put it in the player in my car and hopped back on the interstate.
Within two minutes, I had to steer onto the shoulder of I-65.
It was like he knew.
The first song – stripped down, just his voice and guitar – was everything I was feeling.
And it broke me.
Hard To Get
You who live in Heaven
Hear the prayers of those of us who live on Earth
Who are afraid of being left by those we love
And who get hardened by the hurt
Do you remember when You lived down here that we all scraped
To find the faith to ask for daily bread
Did You forget about us after You had flown away
Well I memorized every word You said
Still, I'm so scared I'm holding my breath
While You're up there just playing hard to get.
You who live in radiance
Hear the prayers of those of us who live in skin
We have a love that's not as patient as Yours was
Still we do love now and then
Did You ever know loneliness
Did You ever know need
Do You remember just how long a night can get?
When You were barely holding on
And Your friends fall asleep
And don't see the blood that's running in Your sweat
Will those who mourn be left uncomforted
While You're up there just playing hard to get?
And I know You bore our sorrows
And I know You feel our pain
And I know that it would not hurt any less
Even if it could be explained
And I that I am only lashing out
At the One who loves me most
And after I figured this somehow
All I really need to know
Is if You who live in eternity
Hear the prayers of those of us who live in time
We can't see what's ahead
And we cannot get free from what we've left behind
I'm reeling from these voices that keep screaming in my ears
All the words of shame and doubt, blame and regret
I can't see how You're leading me, unless You've led me here
Where I'm lost enough to let myself be led
And so You've been here all along I guess
It's just Your ways and You are just plain hard to get.
While that song did encapsulate all of the grief I was feeling, I loved the album as a whole as well. I clung to it during that time.
Rich's perspective on the person of Jesus continues to speak to my heart in a beautiful way.
The Meaning Of September 19th For Me Now
Every September 19th, I always remember Rich and share a post about him on social media – and, of course, I listen to his music all the time anyway, but I tend to have an "all Rich" day then.
I also watch the documentary Rich Mullins: A Ragamuffin's Legacy. It's just nice to remember him in that way as well, through those who knew him best.
This year, watching it, I think something just shifted in me in terms of wanting to share my own story because there is so much talk of Rich not holding anything back in regards to his story – always willing to tell the good, the bad, and the ugly.
In August, I really found myself struggling when the boy's birthday passed to not write about it – and I couldn't put my finger on why I didn't. I loved them then, I love them now, I always will. That certainly isn't the issue.
I'm not really sure how such an important part of me became a thing I didn't talk or write about – but I can thank Rich for giving me some clarity to bring that to halt now.
As for sharing him and his music with you, the two songs in this post are just a big part of this story.
There are SO many that are incredible – I am seriously considering doing a weekly series so I can share the songs and the scriptures and stories that go with them. It would bring me so much joy.
For now, if you aren't familiar with Rich, his Songs One and Two albums are kind of his "Greatest Hits" and are fantastic – but the Jesus Record is SO special as well – and, of course, it came long after those.
I'll leave you with these song suggestions to get started. I'm not even going to call them my favorites – because I'm not sure I can narrow it down to ten favorites of his.
I'm just going to say they are ten fabulous songs to check out if you are interested:
- Hold Me Jesus
- If I Stand
- Jacob and the Two Women (The World As Best As I Can Remember It)
- Brother's Keeper
- Peace (A Communion Blessing)
- Creed
- Sometimes by Step
- Nothing Is Beyond You
- Home
- Calling Out Your Name
And, an 11th (bonus) song – sorry, y'all, I tried for ten 😉 – Where You Are
Be well, everybody. Take care of yourselves and each other.
Grace and Blessings.


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Alita: Battle Angel is directed by Robert Rodriguez and it is based on the manga Gunnm by Yukito Kishiro. It tells the story of Alita, a half-human, half-cyborg who is trying to figure out what her past life was like while at the same time experiencing life for the second time. This movie stars Rosa Salazar, Christoph Waltz, Keean Johnson, Mahershala Ali and Jennifer Connelly.
I have never read the manga or seen the OVA's for Alita, in fact, I've never even heard about this franchise till this movie was announced. At first, I thought this movie was based on some video game. I knew little about what the movie was about going in. I was pleasantly surprised by the story and the lore. After watching the movie I went to look into this universe. I am even considering buying the manga. The characters and the world are too fascinating to just experience them in the movie version only in my opinion.
This movie mostly got attention because of two things, it's produced by James Cameron and the special effects look phenomenal. If you are going to see this movie for it's special effects, you will be more than satisfied. The special effects in this movie are amazing and what makes them work even more is the world-building. The world of Alita is presented in a beautiful way, there are many places the characters go to and the use of colours and great cinematography makes a visit to this world memorable.
The cast is great, Rosa Salazar is great as Alita, she really presents a three-dimensional character. Alita is flawed, she is naive and curious but at the same time she is a badass robot who can kick your ass. Christoph Waltz is also great in this movie, I love his character, he works really well with Salazar's Alita. While he does play the cliched overprotective creator, he has moments where he just escapes that cliche and does unexpected things. No spoilers obviously. Mahershala Ali was really under-utilized. He wasn't menacing and he didn't present himself as a serious threat, even though he is not the main villain, he is still an antagonist.
The same can be said for Jennifer Connelly, these roles could have been played by anyone and it wouldn't matter. It's not their acting because they did their utmost with the little they were given, it was the script because it didn't give them enough to do. Keean Johnson is fine as Hugo however I didn't like his character one bit. He makes some really odd choices and his character doesn't get past the love interest level. He does have some charming moments but other than that just a typical love interest. That being said I don't necessarily hate these characters, they don't even affect the story that much.
The movie excels in action scenes, the Motorball scene is really cool and thrilling. Tom Holkenborg's musical score also turns to an eleven during this scene. Also this movie is really fast-paced at first. What is impressive about that is that even though it is fast-paced, there are still important and meaningful character moments between Alita and Dr. Ido. It never stops to a halt, it keeps going while still paying attention to important and necessary story elements. Also considering this movie is PG-13, it is incredibly violent for a movie with that rating. It pushes the boundaries like no other movie.
One flaw which actually bothered me was the romance aspect of this movie. The relationship between Alita and Hugo does not work. Not only is Alita too eager and naive but there wasn't any love chemistry between them. There is a scene where the two are standing in front of the city at night and he is telling her his feelings and he says the cheesiest, corniest thing. Thankfully this romance doesn't take up a huge portion of the movie and I actually really liked how they left them at the end. It was really moving and heartbreaking, however if it wasn't for one of Hugo's dumb decisions, it wouldn't have happened.
After watching the movie, as I kept thinking, it really grew on me. I watched parts of the anime and I was astonished at how the movie literally copied shots from the anime and brought them to life. It was amazing. The people behind the movie clearly did their research with this movie. The way the left the movie reminded me a lot of the first Hunger Games in terms of the villain and if this potential franchise does go in that direction then I am really excited for a potential sequel or even a trilogy.
Overall Alita: Battle Angel is a visually stunning movie which is carried by it's main actress and character. While it does have a lacking cast of secondary characters, the exciting action and impressive world-building makes it all worth seeing. It's a movie which after having seen it, I really want to know more, it leaves you wanting more of this world and Alita. It's nowhere near as bad as the critics are saying, go and give this one a shot because chances are you will like it.


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VBI Vaccines Inc. (Nasdaq: VBIV) (VBI), a commercial-stage biopharmaceutical company developing next-generation infectious disease and immuno-oncology vaccines, today announced that the European Medicines Agency (EMA) has accepted the filing of the Marketing Authorization Application (MAA) for the Company's 3-antigen prophylactic hepatitis B vaccine candidate for the prevention of infection caused by all known subtypes of the hepatitis B virus in adults. The acceptance of the MAA filing begins the EMA's review process.
"The EMA acceptance of our MAA marks an important milestone for VBI in our effort to enable broad access to our 3-antigen prophylactic hepatitis B vaccine, which we believe has the potential to be an important intervention in the fight to eliminate hepatitis B infections," said Jeff Baxter, President & CEO. "We are committed to working collaboratively with the EMA during the regulatory process and we look forward to communicating developments related to the MAA throughout 2021."
The MAA is supported by data from the two pivotal, randomized, double-blind, controlled Phase 3 studies – PROTECT and CONSTANT – as well as other relevant data.
About Hepatitis B
Hepatitis B is one of the world's most significant infectious disease threats with more than 290 million people infected globally. HBV infection is the leading cause of liver disease and, with current treatments, it is very difficult to cure, with many patients going on to develop liver cancers. An estimated 780,000 people die each year from complications of chronic HBV such as liver decompensation and hepatocellular carcinoma.
About VBI's 3-Antigen Hepatitis B Vaccine
This vaccine is the only 3-antigen hepatitis B vaccine, comprised of the S, pre-S1, and pre-S2 surface antigens of the hepatitis B virus, and is approved for use and commercially-available in Israel. In December 2017, VBI initiated patient dosing in a global Phase 3 clinical program that consisted of two concurrent pivotal studies: PROTECT, a safety and immunogenicity study, and CONSTANT, a lot-to-lot consistency study. Data from both the PROTECT study and the CONSTANT study, which were announced in June 2019 and January 2020, respectively, comprise the basis for the regulatory submissions in the U.S., Europe, and Canada. This vaccine is sold under the name Sci-B-Vac® in Israel.
To learn more about VBI's 3-Antigen Hepatitis B vaccine visit: https://www.vbivaccines.com/sci-b-vac/


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The Lonely Passion of Judith Hearne by Brian Moore (1955)
The readalong that Cathy of 746 Books is hosting for Brian Moore's centenary was just the excuse I needed to try his work for the first time. My library had a copy of The Lonely Passion of Judith Hearne, his most famous work and the first to be published under his own name (after some pseudonymous potboilers), so that's where I started.
Judith Hearne is a pious, set-in-her-ways spinster in Belfast. As the story opens, the piano teacher is moving into a new boarding house and putting up the two portraits that watch over her: a photo of her late aunt, whom Judith cared for in her sunset years; and the Sacred Heart. This establishment is run by a nosy landlady, Mrs. Henry Rice, and her adult son Bernard, who is writing his poetic magnum opus and carrying on with the maid. Recently joining the household is James Madden, the landlady's brother, who is back from 30 years in New York City. Disappointed in his career and in his adult daughter, he's here to start over.
Moore's third-person narration slips easily between the viewpoints of multiple characters, creating a dramatic irony between their sense of themselves and what others think of them. Initially, we spend the most time in Judith's head – an uncomfortable place to be because of how simultaneously insecure and hypercritical she is. She's terrified of rejection, which she has come to expect, but at the same time she has nasty, snobbish thoughts about her fellow lodgers, especially overweight Bernard. The dynamic is reversed on her Sunday afternoons with the O'Neills, who, peering through the curtains as she arrives, groan at their onerous duty of entertaining a dull visitor who always says the same things and gets tipsy on sherry.
An unfortunate misunderstanding soon arises between Judith and James: in no time she's imagining romantic scenarios, whereas he, wrongly suspecting she has money stashed away, hopes she can be lured into investing in his planned American-style diner in Dublin. "A pity she looks like that," he thinks. Later we get a more detailed description of Judith from a bank cashier: "On the wrong side of forty with a face as plain as a plank, and all dressed up, if you please, in a red raincoat, a red hat with a couple of terrible-looking old wax flowers in it."
Oh how the heart aches for this figure of pathos. James's situation, what with the ultimate failure of his American dream, echoes hers in several ways. Something happens that lessens our sympathy for James, but Judith remains a symbol of isolation and collapse. The title also reflects the spiritual aspect of this breakdown: Judith feels that she's walking a lonely road, like Jesus did on the way to the crucifixion, and the Catholic Church to which she's devoted, far from being a support in time of despair, is only the source of more judgment.
Alcoholism, mental illness, and religious doubt swirl together to make for a truly grim picture of life on the margins. The novel also depicts casual racism and a scene of sexual assault. No bed of roses here. But Moore's writing, unflinching yet compassionate, renders each voice and perspective distinct in an unforgettable character study full of intense scenes. I especially loved how the final scene returns full circle. I'd particularly recommend this to readers of Tove Ditlevsen, Muriel Spark and Elizabeth Taylor, and fans of Barbara Pym's Quartet in Autumn. I'll definitely try more from Moore – I found a copy of The Colour of Blood in a Little Free Library in Somerset, so will add that to my stack for 20 Books of Summer.
My rating:
The "P.S." section of the Harper Perennial paperback I borrowed from the library contains a lot of interesting information on Moore's life and the composition of Judith Hearne. After time as a civilian worker in the British army, Moore moved to Canada and became a journalist. Later he would move to Malibu and write the screenplay for Alfred Hitchcock's Torn Curtain.
The protagonist was based on a woman Moore's parents invited over for Sunday diners in Belfast. Like Judith, she loved wearing red and went on about the aunt who raised her. Moore said, "When I wrote Judith Hearne I was very lonely, writing in a rented caravan, I had almost no friends, I'd given up my beliefs, was earning almost no money as a reporter and I didn't see much of a future. So I could identify with a dipsomaniac, isolated spinster." The novel was rejected by 12 publishing houses before the firm André Deutsch, namely reader Laurie Lee and co-director Diana Athill, recognized its genius and accepted it for publication.
Alive, Alive Oh!: Diana Athill in Person
Last night I was lucky enough to see 98-year-old literary legend Diana Athill in conversation with Erica Wagner at Foyles bookstore in London. Athill, born in 1917, has been an inspiration to me ever since I discovered her work five or so years ago. She didn't publish anything until she was in her forties, and didn't reach true acclaim until her eighties, when she released an incredible series of memoirs. Hers is an encouraging story of late-life success and what can be achieved with diligence and good fortune.
What strikes you immediately about Athill is her elegance. Although her hair is thinning and she speaks with a slight slur out of the left side of her mouth, she retains her eagle eye and hawkish profile. That cut-glass BBC pronunciation is not just "the Queen's English" but a voice just like the Queen's – she even occasionally used "One" to speak about her own experience. Her look, too, was perfectly put together: a beautiful, multicolored Nehru jacket over a blue silk blouse, accessorized with chunky blue and silver jewelry. Though she was brought in by wheelchair and needed a lot of help getting on the podium – she apologized for her belabored entry – she hardly seems on the brink of death.
Erica Wagner, too, is one of my heroes: an American expat who served as literary editor of the London Times from 1996 to 2013 and is now a contributing writer with New Statesman and a Harper's Bazaar consulting literary editor. She drew Athill out on many of the topics from her latest memoir, Alive, Alive Oh! And Other Things that Matter, including the unexpected pregnancy and miscarriage she experienced in her forties, memories of visiting Tobago, and the downsizing that preceded her move into a retirement home.
Athill recalled the absolute joy she felt upon waking up from her miscarriage, a medical emergency that could well have ended in her death. It was a feeling that started in her stomach and rose up through her body – "I'm alive!" she remembered exulting. Losing her chance at motherhood was not a haunting sadness for her, she remarked; to her surprise, she got over it easily. Part of it was that she had never felt maternal yearning; she vividly pictures being 19, looking at someone's baby lying on a bed and wondering to herself how she should feel about this creature. Ultimately, she decided, "I'd much rather pick up a puppy!"
That sort of forthrightness was evident in a number of pithy responses Athill gave to audience members' questions. Asked "is it better to have loved and lost than never to have loved?" she replied with a simple, emphatic "YES!" Does she have anything planned for her 100th birthday? "I choose not to think about it," she quipped. Has age mellowed her? "A bit," she hedged, before adding that she is now more tolerant and minds less what others think of her.
One of her key pieces of advice is to avoid romanticism and possessiveness. That certainly played out in her unconventional personal life: she never married but was with her partner, a black man, for some four decades, and after he divorced his wife they formed an unusual household arrangement with his new lover and her family.
If Athill was never possessive in love affairs, however, she did struggle with it in terms of belongings. It was agonizing, she noted, to give up most of her things – especially her books – when moving into a tiny room in a Highgate retirement home. Now, though, she doesn't mind at all. "When you get very old you really don't need much," she insisted. Early on she adopted Montaigne's practice of thinking about death once a day to get used to the idea. None of the 40 residents at her home minds the thought of being dead; what they don't like is the idea of dying. Each one hopes to bypass the horrid death and have the easy one instead.
Writing started as a therapeutic exercise for Athill. She wrote Instead of a Letter, about a painful love affair from her youth, because she had a deep sense of failure as a woman. After writing about it, though, she felt completely better, like a new person. Several of her other nonfiction books had a similar motivation: they were a way of getting rid of sad experiences, her own or others' that she was close to.
When encouraged to write about her long career as a literary editor, she initially thought she couldn't do it; she only wrote to "cure nasty things" by getting to the bottom of them as honestly as possible. However, she managed to convince herself she could also write for fun, and Stet, about her work with André Deutsch, was the delightful result. Asked for some of her favorite authors, she named Molly Keane (as a person as well as a writer), Jean Rhys, and Philip Roth (not as a person, she hastened to add!). Rhys and V.S. Naipaul, two of her illustrious clients, never needed a word editing, she recalled; however, they did occasionally need a nanny.
Having seen publishing from the other side now, as an author, Athill believes that being read with absolute attention by an editor – as opposed to getting halfway through a review and finding one's work hasn't been understood at all – is heaven. So although she was initially surprised that she would be given an editor, she joked, in the end she was grateful. Publishing is now much more of a business, she acknowledges, but she still feels that many people are in it for the right reason: simply because they love books.
In the wider world, so much has changed for the worse over the past near-century she's been alive, but medicine and education are two things that have gotten better. "Long live the National Health!" she cried. (Hear, hear!) On the other hand, it was particularly interesting to hear Athill sigh that she hasn't been a very good feminist; although she supports the idea, she feels she should have been more engaged. For example, she knew very well that she earned less than a man in her position would have at André Deutsch, but never made anything of it.
In the end, Athill thinks of luck as what's given to you rather than something you make. "On the whole, I have been so lucky in my life," she marveled towards the close of last night's wonderful event. "I can't really complain about anything."
I've now read all Athill's work, even her rather obscure novel and short story collection. Her latest book doesn't live up to her few best memoirs, but it's an essential read for a devoted fan. For readers new to her work, I'd recommend starting with Somewhere Towards the End, followed by Stet. From there you might try her book of correspondence with American poet Edward Field, Instead of a Book, or her memoir of childhood, Yesterday Morning.
Psssssst! I have the dirt on a forthcoming Athill publication – and here I thought Alive, Alive Oh! would be her last book for sure. It will be the diary of a trip she took to Florence in 1948. Italy seemed to have bounced back from six years of wartime much more quickly than England, so after that sense of imprisonment it was a chance to enjoy life once again. I'll be keen to read this rare 'found document'.


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A very primitive, but charming punk music video for Black Flag's "TV Party". Yes, that's Henry Rollins on vocals … and in the video with the short black hair … I think.
A very primitive, but charming punk music video for Black Flag's "TV Party". Yes, that's Henry Rollins on vocals … and in the video with the short black hair … I think.
When I was 16 years old, I gave a cop the middle finger, told him to go "f–k" himself, and got away with it. That's absolutely true. Pretty baddasssss, huh? Well … before I legally change my name to Eazy-D and get "Thug Life" tattooed on my stomach, I need to confess that what I said is only part of the story …
Cut to … Memorial Day, 1986 … My friends and I are at the beach walking around. Because there's tons of people out that day walking around, naturally, people driving cars have to navigate around all the pedestrians. As my friends and I are crossing the street (I'm not clear whether I was legally crossing or not), a car going very fast declines to stop or slow down and almost hits all of us. For good measure, he honks very loudly. If you know anything about me, you'll know I'm one of the most risk-averse people you'll ever met. So what happened next surprises me even to this day. I was so mad at what this guy in the car did, I turned around quickly, shot my middle finger up, and yelled "F–k you!"
What I didn't realize is that directly behind this car was a police car … and the police officer thought that my gestures were directed at him. Since I was still reeling from the car that almost hit me, I was stomping down the street in self-righteous (and idiotic … because I was probably jaywalking) anger, oblivious to the fact that a police officer was VERY upset with me. I then heard some screeching tires and and a very angry, authoritative voice yell "HEY YOU! GET BACK HERE!" At that point, I think one of my friends pointed out that it was the police. To this day, I don't know why I did this, but I … just … kept … walking … at the same speed and determination I had before. Don't get me wrong. I was completely petrified at that stage. It seems utterly ridiculous, but in my head, I thought, "If you believe that it didn't happen, then it didn't happen, so if you keep walking like it didn't happen, then it didn't happen" And then … for whatever reason … the cop drove off.
To be fair, I don't think I have Jedi mind trick powers. Likely, the cop probably thought it was too much trouble to go after me or he saw someone else doing something way worse and drove off. If you're reading this, do not try this when a police officer tells you to "GET BACK HERE!" Doing what I did will likely not only get you arrested, but probably get you invited to a party where you'll accidentally fall on some billy clubs.
Anyway, afterwards, I was pretty shaken up by what happened, but my friends whooped and hollered like I was some cross between Burt Reynolds from "Smokey and the Bandit," Johnny Rotten, and Tupac. In fact, for the next few years, any time we were at a gathering where girls were present, my friends would tell everyone that I flipped off a cop. Of course, because I had no idea when it's smart to keep your mouth shut, I would always interject, "Well, that's not the entire story …" and then completely blow whatever cool my friends had bought me.
Cut to 2013… My wife and I will occasionally go to gatherings where we'll meet people and she'll tell them we lived in New York for 9 years. As people start to look at me like I'm Lou Reed, I then explain, "Well, it was actually upstate …" and then they look at me like I'm from Boise and my wife shakes her head.
You know what? Forget everything after the first two sentences. Straight outta CP, crazy motherf–ker named Strange Dave, from a band called … uh, crap, I give up.
One of the best music books of the last 10-15 years is Michael Azerrad's history of American alternative rock from 1981-1991, "Our Band Could Be Your Life." Released in 2001 and available in digital format within the next day or so, "Life" is the college radio version of "Easy Riders, Raging Bulls" (Peter Biskind's exhaustive and stellar look at Hollywood of the 1970s). Azerrad devotes each chapter to a different seminal band of the period (Mission of Burma, Butthole Surfers, The Minutemen, Sonic Youth, Black Flag, Big Black, Hüsker Dü, Fugazi, Minor Threat, Mudhoney, The Replacements, Beat Happening, and Dinosaur Jr.). Some of the stories you may know … others you won't. But if you have any interest at all in rock history (especially alternative / progressive rock), "Life" is a must. The chapter on the Butthole Surfers by itself is worth the price of the entire book. Seriously, the chapter reads like Hunter S. Thompson smoking angel dust with Monty Python with chaos, insanity, humor, and violence ensuing like a motherf–ker!


text: Letting Fate Be Your Guide in Venice It's early morning. 6:30 to be exact. I've yet to take my shower, but centuries-old buildings are bathing in amber-and rose-tinted sunlight and summon me for a visit. There's so much to do today, and I need to maximize my time here. Ninety minutes of Venice practically allContinue reading "Letting Fate Be Your Guide in Venice"


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Communication and consultation
Employee intranet
Recognising that regular and open communication with employees is an important feature of a positive workplace culture, we continue to use the employee intranet to boost communication and consultation across the agency. In 2018–19 there was a three per cent increase in usage of content including news, discussions, interactive calendar and noticeboard. The employee intranet provides employees with easy access to the tools and information they need to do their jobs.
Employee Consultative Forum
The ECF was established in March 2016, following the start of the previous enterprise agreement. The ECF ensures the agency meets its requirements under the current enterprise agreement, the Fair Work Act 2009 (Cth) and the Work Health and Safety Act 2011 (Cth).
The ECF is committed to communicating and consulting directly with employees, and meets at least four times per year to discuss issues surrounding the implementation of the enterprise agreement, planned changes to employment-related policies and procedures, consultation, and discussion of WHS issues.
In 2018–19 the ECF provided feedback on a range of policies to support the enterprise agreement, APS census results and agency restructure.